Wednesday, April 1, 2015

IWSG and A is for Animals

It's April and the start of another A to Z Challenge. This is round number five for me and I'm excited to kick off my A to Z of favorite quotes. I'm also happy to start the alphabet with one of my favorite subjects. What else could I pick for A but animals?



"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms" ~ George Eliot 

This has long been one of my favorite quotes even though I'm not sure how true it is. My Clancy has no problem being critical, and letting me know just how he feels, when I keep making him sit to have his picture taken. 


And as for Nate, being a cat, passing criticisms is basically part of his DNA. ;) 

Still, the quote captures the beauty of our relationships with our animal friends and just how lucky we are to have them in our lives.

We are also doing the A to Z Challenge over at Untethered Realms. Stop by there all month for quick and fun teasers from our books!


Of course, the first Wednesday of the month means it's also IWSG day. IWSG is the brainchild of Alex J Cavanaugh and gives all of us a chance to air our insecurities or lack thereof each month in a supportive and encouraging environment. If you're not already a member and would like to join in, just click here and add your name to the list!

I'm happy to be able to say that I am not really struggling with any insecurities this month. A total miracle! But I am still feeling excited about writing and blogging again and I think my months-long slump really is over, so I'm happy about that. I think April is going to be a great month. :) 

Happy April, all! 


26 comments:

  1. Hi Julie - Happy April and Easter to you .... love dogs or cats .. independent critters cats be, but demanding are dogs ... wonderful company though .. cheers Hilary

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  2. Glad you're not struggling right now.
    Animals love unconditionally. That's why they are so awesome.

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  3. I love my Misty, she's great at giving cuddles. Though as a cat, I can't say she isn't a little critical sometimes!

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  4. Ah yes - it's that time again - welcome back...

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  5. Yeh for the end of slumps and for looking forward to good things! :)

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  6. It's so nice to come home and find your dog wagging its tail, happy to see you. No judgement, no grudges, just happy you're there. Dogs are the best. :)

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  7. Who doesn't love animals? Clancy is adorable!

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  8. Clancy looks like a long-haired dachschund. Is he?

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  9. I'm very happy for you. Envious really. I guess there is hope for me yet. :-)

    Here's my link if you'd like to drop by :-)

    Anna from Elements of Writing

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  10. Animals are beautiful in every way and I love that quote!

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  11. Animals really are the best, aren't they? I can't imagine my life without our dog and two cats. I love that they keep me company while I writing during the day and everyone in my household is either gone to work or school.

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  12. Yay for no insecurities!

    Animals are the best. I'd be worse without my two snuggle bunnies (cats).

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  13. Loving the animals! I'm on the Insecure Writers Group as well. So encouraging. Looking forward to reading more during the Challenge!

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  14. Good A word! Love all animals!!!

    Glad to hear you have no insecurities this month!!

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  15. Great quote! I agree, though, that it is easy for animals to be critical sometimes. (My own dog would probably snark at me if she could, haha. But she's still absolutely precious!)

    And congrats on not feeling insecure! (I wish I could say the same for myself right now...LOL.) Hope this feeling lasts a long time for you, and that you get heaps of writing done, too! :)

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  16. Great to hear you're not having any insecurities. And wonderful start to the Challenge. I love that quote! :)

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  17. Aww animals are a fantastic way to start the challenge, great quote too!

    Glad you're not struggling at the moment! April will be epic, happy writing and blogging! :)

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  18. Clancy does look a little annoyed at you in that pic. Good quote.

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  19. I'm so glad your slump is over!
    I like that quote, too, although my dog Clyde and my cat Emily both let me know when they are displeased. :) Animals are wonderful to have as part of the family.

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  20. April is totally going to be a great month, and your theme is going to be a ton of fun! And perfect for you and your blog :) I'm so glad you're doing this!

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  21. Woo hoo for no insecurities!! And that is a great quote. My border collie could pack a lot of criticism in one lift of her doggie eyebrow.

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  22. The way a cow or horse connects eye to eye gives me such a warmness.

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  23. You do well to get Clancy sitting for his photos. My doggie hates posing, so I end up with a lot of wandering-off tails or noses in my pictures.

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  24. You sound so upbeat. WTG. Have fun with A to Z.

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  25. Animals are truly wonderful and I am glad you are jazzed up for April and SPRING! It has been a long winter and I know the cool temps will be around for a while.

    Thankfully I will only be in the midwest for a month then back down here to Florida to close on my new place...YAY! But once the temps rise to the 90's lol... I will be back in Chicago. I still have a lease there until November and my new place needs lots of work before I more into it...

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  26. I truly cannot innumerate the number of ways in which my little Buddy (that's my dog's name, Buddy) has made my life better. Every single day is a little bit better because of him, and some days are a whole lot better because of him.

    But on an even greater level, every animal I see makes my world a little brighter, just by virtue of knowing that I share it with them.

    Glad you're not insecure this month- especially since you've got nothing to be insecure about!!!

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