No more blog

You've probably guessed - since I haven't posted anything in almost two years - that I've stopped blogging. And this is a looong overdue message. You can still read my old posts here, for now, but if you'd like to know what I'm up to please follow me on Instagram as Samantha Hagar Writer. Thanks everyone and happy writing.

a fur princess turns seven

Sadie turned 7 years old today. And I did something I've never done before...I bought her an orange, frosted birthday treat. Maybe I sang Happy Birthday to her, maybe I didn't. She was delivered her sugary surprise at the dinner table where she's never ever been allowed to sit before. After sniffing her biscuit with a look of longing, I told her to take it, and what did she do? She left it untouched on its plate and looked up at me with her ears turned down. The voice in her head must've been saying, Is this a trick? What's this lady up to? Am I really allowed to eat off the table? I nudged the treat closer to her mouth. She sniffed and looked up again fixing her brown eyes on me. All those doggie training classes where we practiced the leave it! command must've actually paid off. Who knew! Finally, I picked the cookie up and popped it in her mouth. She sat holding it there as in the picture above, not believing her luck. Eventually, I set her down and she ran like hell to her room where she could enjoy her treat in peace. And now, the carpet where said birthday biscuit was devoured, has never been so clean.

Happy Birthday Sadie!!!

poor little reject

Here's a poem I wrote that has yet to find a home in a children's magazine. It's a poor little reject, but I still like it. And until a door opens to let it in, I thought I'd share it here. I hope my little reject makes you think of summer...hint hint.

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT I LOVE?

by Samantha L. Hagar

Stuck between your fingers,

Glued to your feet and toes,

Itching the bend in your arms,

Scratching inside of your ears and nose.

It can be smaller than a crystal,

Or even tinier than the tip of a pen,

And if you mix it together with some water

You can recreate London, England’s Big Ben.

It can be coarse enough to polish wood,

Or as silky soft as Baker’s flour.

It’s found in glass, paint and concrete,

And it’s also used to tick down the hour.

It runs rampant in the Sahara,

Covers dunes in New Mexico,

And comes in many different colors,

Brown, black, pink, or white as winter snow.

I use it to build castles, mermaids and towers,

Or to bury my brother’s legs just within sea’s reach.

I love to jump and splash at the sparkling, foamy edge,

But mostly I love sand, and I find it at the beach.

love of outdoors

This is a picture of Sadie from this past Memorial Day weekend. Sadie's become quite the little hiker logging just under eight miles in two days. Those three inch legs were moving fast causing people to point and laugh. Funny how we openly tease animals but you'd never point and laugh at a person with really short legs. Anyway, this past weekend being outdoors and soaking up the sunshine made me so happy to be back in California - my home state. I'm getting all nostalgic on you, but I never, or rarely I should say, hiked when I lived in NYC and I always felt like something was missing. I'm glad to be closer to nature again, and glad I have a cute lil' puppy to share it with - even if I do have to carry her up the hills.

sadie, second cutest pet in the east bay

The votes have been cast, the winner announced, and Diablo Magazine's cutest pet of 2011 is....Duke. But, Diablo Magazine's SECOND cutest pet is...Sadie! Whoo-who! Second by a mere whisker! She's still number one in my book, though. Which means that I'm still going to brag about it. Read all about the winners here.

And a BIG THANKS to everyone who voted. Until next year....

xx,

Samantha (owner of the second cutest pet in the East Bay)

and

Sadie a.k.a. Hollywood (second cutest pet in the East Bay)

vote for Sadie because she likes treats

(the photo that got her paw in the door)

Something very exciting is in the works...no, not for my writing, but for my dog! Today I learned that Sadie is a finalist in the top 16 of Diablo Magazine's cutest pet contest! My friend Bronwyn took the photo one day when we were goofing around and dressing Sadie in baby socks. We had a laugh at poor Sadie's expense, but she's a good sport...she got treats afterwards too, so don't feel too bad for her. If Sadie wins she'll get an awesome prize at a local dog store and I'll get to brag with more vindication. So please take a second and help us out. Vote for Sadie here. And vote once a day everyday until March 28th.

Sadie says "ruff-roo" and I say thank you!

snowy mountains

The first day of spring is just days away, so let's see winter out with the tip of a hat and a few snowy peaks. Pictures from photo pops and the mountains near his home in Colorado.

(All photos property of Richard Hagar. Any unauthorized use is prohibited and illegal).