ILLUSTRATE MUGGZY! WIN A $100 GIFT CARD!

Muggzy Needs a Facelift! ILLUSTRATION CONTEST!
(See the Deviant Art Contest Post HERE!)

2013 is the year we're going to really push to get the Matt & Muggzy series published. Everyone knows that any good storybook needs a fantastic illustrator, and that's where YOU come in!

We're looking for the new face of Muggzy, the loveable star of our story, and a beautiful little pug puppy. The winner will get a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate and the chance to become the illustrator for the new series!*

Using the photo and the current illustrations here on the site, we'd like for you to come up with a new fresh and updated face for Muggzy. We're looking to keep his current charm and appeal, but give him a more current look. Here are the rules and how to enter:

1. Submissions may be in any artistic format: graphic illustration, painting, drawing, vector, print - but must be submitted in digital format via a URL link in the comment section below. You may submit as many entries as you like, provided each has it's own individual url link.

2. Please be sure to link your contest submission here, but ou must also send an email with your entry information to susan@divataunia.com The email must include:

-Your name
-Your contact phone and email address
-The URL with your submission

3. You must "LIKE" and be a fan of the Matt & Muggzy Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/mattandmuggzy. We encourage you to also post your URL link submission on this page too.

4. Your submission must be 100% your creation and have no copyright infringements or limitations.

5. Your submission MUST be family-friendly. This is a children's storybook series, after all!

6. Submissions must be received by Friday, March 1st at noon, EST.

7. Winner will be announced via blog entry announcement atwww.mattandmuggzy.com by Sunday, March 10th.

Questions? Please contact susan@divataunia.com.

Snow-Meggedon

   The Northeast got hit with another blizzard, and they are calling it a winter hurricane, because some areas got 'thunder snow'. The snowfall amounts were measured in feet, and this storm ranked fifth all time.  It seems like we are having "the storm of the century" every season lately.  Super storm Sandy just happened four months ago, and folks are still trying to recover from that disastrous hurricane.
  This storm was very similar to the Blizzard of 1978, which happened this same week,  thirty-five years ago.  Thousands of cars were stranded on the highways which made it impossible for the snow plows to clear the roads.  There was a state of emergency for more than one week. Everyone remembers where they were that week.  My parents were trying to move to New Hampshire.  They had passed papers on our old house in Massachusetts, but the moving company could not pick up the furniture for several days.
  This storm was managed must differently.  The Governor asked all motorists to stay off the roads unless essential personnel.  Airports were shut down, and buses and trains stopped commuter service.    Banks  closed early on Friday, then did not open on Saturday.  People stayed home, and Sunday there was business as usual.  It was a good time to catch up on TV shows, and eat junk food.  Luckily we did not lose power, although close to a half million homes did.  I hope life gets back to normal for everyone in a few days.
  We were planning to have a party on Saturday, because Matt is home from California.  All the plans were rearranged, but he did get to visit friends for a few days in Boston.  His dad would have loved help with the snow blower and shoveling, but that's a lousy way to spend a vacation. It reminds me of a tea bag saying, "Life is what happens, when you are making other plans."  I often say the best memories happen when the plan is ruined, and we will never forget this visit.  In the scheme of things, it will be a minor inconvenience, because we are all safe and sound.  I'm glad we kept the plans simple.  I've learned not to make things too complicated, and I can enjoy myself a lot more......and the beat goes on.....the beat goes on........
 
   
   

Superbowl Sunday

  Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens who just won Superbowl Forty-seven!  Congratulations also to the San Francisco 49ers who staged a valiant comeback, and made it a very close game.  It is fantastic when every player and fan is locked it to a game with one minute to go. It was close enough that either team could have won.   It was also a weird game,  because there was a power outage, and play was suspended for more than thirty minutes.  Joe Flacco was the MVP, and Ray Lewis will retire with a championship ring.
    I did not have a favorite in the game, and so I rooted for each team when it had the ball.  There was a lot of scoring which makes it exciting to watch as a fan.  As always,  we had lots of snacks, and the menu is a big part of the fun.  It's important to have everyone's favorite junk food.
    I liked the half-time show, and the pre game songs.  I teared up when the kids from Newtown, CT. performed.  It is hard to become famous due to another mass shooting, but I give them credit for trying to continue to live normal lives.
    I cannot recall my favorite commercials at this time.  It usually takes a while for them to sink in.  I also cannot believe that the ads cost millions of dollars.  I heard that the most expensive ad cost close to four million dollars, and sometimes it was difficult to identify the product being sold.  Some of the movies look really good, and they will be fun to see.
    The NFL must do more to make the game safer for the players, and a few ads suggested that there will be an evolution within the sport.  I think it's time to look at all the safety options, because parents cannot let their kids risk serious head injuries.  That is too big of a price for a teenager to pay in order to play a game they love. Gotta run....I want to watch the interviews...and the beat goes on....the beat goes on.....
     
     
    

Inauguration Day

    I got the chance to watch a lot of President Obama's Inauguration Ceremonies, and I really enjoyed it.  I love the pageantry that surrounds every event, and I'll recount some of my favorite things.
    I always tear up when I hear the National Anthem, and I do not care that it may have been pre-recorded.  The prayers, songs,  and poems were tasteful and appropriate.
    I loved the President's address because he spoke to all those who voted for him.  I think he deserves to try and keep the promises he made to voters during the campaign.  We need him to fight for the middle class, and the poor who feel they have no voice.  It was wonderful to watch him stop, turn around on the steps, and reflect on the sea of Americans who were there to hear him take the oath of office.
     I was nervous when I saw the President and First Lady get out of the car and walk.  I give the secret service and other law enforcement high marks for keeping them safe.  I thought it was a great moment when the President and his kids were sitting together to watch the parade.  Malia wanted to take a picture with her cell phone of her parents kissing, but her older sister got in the way.  I laughed because this can and does happen in every family in the country!   I'm happy that they are a regular family, who are living this extraordinary life. They truly represent the best of all of us.  I think I would have pitched a fit if my sister ruined my photo, so I give those young girls a lot of credit.  It cannot be easy to have an entire country watching you.
     I'm always impressed with Michelle Obama's fashion style, and she always looks beautiful!  How exciting it must be for the American designers who had their clothing chosen for this historical day.  I especially loved the red dress Mrs. Obama  wore for the formal balls.  I wish she had twirled around when they were dancing, because it would have made my day!
     Congratulations Mr. President!  You have the love, respect, and admiration of so many Americans.  I pray for you to do great things, because we will all benefit as the country solves its problems.  I do believe that better days are coming, and I'm glad that I'm living during these historical times.  I often wonder how the historians will view these early decades of the twenty-first century.  Let's all get involved, and work to make sure it is positive....this is not a dress rehearsal, it really is unfolding before our very eyes.......and the beat goes on.....the beat goes on......

     
   

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

  Happy Days are Here Again.....the hockey season started tonight, and the Boston Bruins beat the Rangers in an excellent game.  Hockey fans across the country are thrilled to watch their teams and cheer them on.
I'm not sure how the shortened and compressed season will affect the players, but our game was great!  We wondered if the players would look "rusty" because the strike had lasted more than 100 days.  I also love to hear about the back stories, and there were two good items tonight. One of the Bruins who scored a goal was celebrating his twenty-ninth birthday today, and another became a dad for the first time two days ago.
  The Bruins played as a team, and it resulted in their first win.  There is a saying that "Teamwork makes the Dream Work", and it was evident tonight.  That advice works for everyone from families, to co-workers, and for  teammates of any sport.
  We all do better when we concentrate and focus on a single goal.  The new year is a good time to list some goals for 2013.  We always list some things that are likely to happen, as well as one or two items that will be difficult to accomplish.  It never hurts to strive for some things that will be a real stretch.  It's great to look back, and see how we did the previous year.  Some goals are carried over into the new year, and some may take several years to accomplish.  The idea is to stick with it, and see it through.  In some instances, progress may be just as important as reaching our goals on the first try.  We learn things along the journey that become good habits, and good habits take time to develop.
   Last year, my goal was to lose weight and walk more.  I lost half of my target weight , and so I will continue my efforts this year.  I look and feel better, and I know I will reach my goal.  We are also eating healthier, and it has really made a difference.  This year we plan to complete some home repairs.  The list is always long, and emergencies may come up during the year.  "Life is what happens when you are making other plans" is a saying I got from a tea bag, but it definitely keeps things in perspective.......and the beat goes on.....the beat goes on......

Under the Weather

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

I'm not feeling well enough to post tonight

I Hope I'm not getting the flu.

I'm gonna take some cold medicine and turn in early ......and the beat goes on.....the beat goes on.....

Happy New Year

   My newspaper runs the "Just for Today Poem" in Dear Abby's column at the end of each year.  I think it is really great advice, and so I thought I would share it with all of you. I find it helps to keep me focused in the moment, and keeps the focus on myself.  It's tough to work on ourselves, but these suggestions will help.
   As always, take what you like and leave the rest....have a happy and healthy and prosperous new year... ...and the beat goes on...the beat goes on...

JUST FOR TODAY, I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime. 

JUST FOR TODAY, I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine. 

JUST FOR TODAY, I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things I can correct and accept those I cannot. 

JUST FOR TODAY, I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer. 

JUST FOR TODAY, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. 

JUST FOR TODAY, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself. 

JUST FOR TODAY, I will do something positive to improve my health. If I'm a smoker, I'll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat healthfully - if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block. 

JUST FOR TODAY, I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.