Stylin' Suka

I will reveal to you a love potion, without medicine, without herbs, without any witch’s magic; if you want to be loved, then love.

~~ Hecato (a.k.a. Hecaton) of Rhodes, Greek Stoic Philosopher, 100 BC

Chillin' in style.

I've been stylin' in my new international dog collar. Like it? My beautiful and lovely kitty cat friend Kika, from Portugal, sent me my winnings from her belly contest, and the very cool dog collar I am wearing was one of the gifts. Isn't it awesome? My human, K, loves how it is so sturdy and strong, and I love the fun design and the great colors. It is also very comfortable. Thank you Kika!

Now with my new collar I will be stepping out in style!

Also included were these two very cute magnets. K already has them on the refrigerator. She really likes them.

I hope these are holding up photos of me on the 'fridge!

My wonderful gifts from Kika!

Kika, you have great taste! Thank you again for such wonderful winning gifts! You rock!

Don’t I look dapper in my international dog collar?

Another angle, for your viewing pleasure.

~~ MOMENT OF BEAUTY ~~

Gerrit Dou, A Sleeping Dog Beside A Terracotta Jug, A Basket, And A Pile Of Kindling Wood, circa 1650

Cave Canem [Beware of Dog], mosaic on the floor of the entrance hall to the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii, Italy, circa 50 A.D. (?)

Back to me...

Some, if not all, of you may have noticed my absence for over a week from the blog-o-sphere. {At least I hope I was missed!} K said we had to step away from the internet for a while because some other issues were taking precedence. Can you imagine? What could possibly be more important than my blogging?! Well, the good news is I am back! At least for now. I am not sure for how long since K has indicated we may need to step away at least one more time, if not a few more times. So while I am here, let me say that we, both K and I, missed all of you terribly. We really value all of our blog friendships and we hate when we are away and missing all the events going on in your lives. So even though I am not physically blogging, I always have you in my thoughts!

Perhaps if I look desperate enough K will let me blog.

I'm bored.

Any more gifts coming in the mail?

♪♪♪ “Don’t you forget about me…”♪♪♪ K said my blogging friends won't forget me during my absence. I am sure she is correct. I have the best blogging friends any dog could woof for! Plus, I am simply unforgettable! Or is that simply irresistible? I’m just sayin’…

Bronze Belly

Our minds are like our stomachs; they are whetted by the change of their food, and variety supplies both with fresh appetites.

~~ Marcus Fabius Quintilian, Roman Rhetorician and Orator, 35 - 96 AD

Just call me Bronze Belly Suka! You may recall that my very sweet and cool cat friend, Kika, had a fun belly contest for both cats and dogs. Well, I was awarded third place - Bronze! I would like to thank all of my great friends who took the time to sniff their way over to Kika’s contest to vote for me. It is much appreciated, and I am a lucky pup to have such amazing friends!

Belly of a Champion!

The first place - Gold - belly honor went to my sweet and fun dog pal, Chicco. Way to go, Chicco! In Chicco’s winning belly picture he added the cuteness factor by sticking out his tongue. Very clever, Chicco!

Maybe I should have upped my cuteness factor by adding in some puppies and kitties.

This year Bronze, next year, the Gold! To do that I must start work on toning up my tummy to reach gold standards. My first step is to decide on the “how." Good old-fashioned calisthenics are always a sure thing, such as the exercises taught by Bernarr Macfadden or Jack LaLanne. But authentic yoga or a powerful martial art would also do the trick. Where are my treats? I need to eat as I mull over my choices.

Time to get serious. How do I achieve Gold belly?

~~ MOMENT OF BEAUTY ~~

François Perrier, Aeneas and His Companions Fighting the Harpies, circa 1646-1647

Luca Giordano, Aeneas Defeats Turnus (Enea Vince Turno), circa 1664

Back to me...

Let the battle for Gold begin! I will now demonstrate my first set of exercises, which I think are excellent for toning up the tummy. I like to call this Suka's Stretch and Slide Nose Dive:

First - and this is the most important step - find a lovely scent. Wild animal poop is usually the most commonly used, and the easiest to find.

Next, place head, neck, and shoulders flat on ground with behind up. Feel the stretch!

Now slide and twist the head, neck, and shoulders all around the scent. Keep that behind up!

Breath in deeply and hold the position.

Release breath. Relax.

Now remember, wild animal poop is the best, but a dead fish is also excellent if you can find one. There are many options of lovely scents out there, so explore and be creative! But please, don't ever use another dog's poop, because, well, that is just wrong. I'm just sayin'...