"Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You:" Meet The Pet Blogger

This posts title is a quote from the great Eleanor Roosevelt and is one of Bethany's favorites.

Holiday Tree Lighting

Typist: Bethany
Blogging itself is out of my comfort zone. But I am a firm believer (and living proof) that if something scares you (and it doesn't kill you,) it will likely be exhilarating fun. This pet blog has been that and more. Some of the things that made me the most uncomfortable, like black and white Sunday and our interview at Coffee with A Canine have brought me and apparently others the most pleasure. So when I read about the Meet The Pet Bloggers blog hop on many of my favorite dog blogs I laughed, I mostly agreed but I was also very uncomfortable. I swore I would not post pictures of myself on the blog. I am very paranoid about internet privacy. I don't even have my own Facebook page. I don't mind being photographed or being in photographs I just don't like the idea of my face in cyberspace.

I was absolutely not going to participate in the Meet the Pet Bloggers blog hop. However, it has been such a pleasure seeing a lot of my favorite bloggers photographs over the last day and a half, especially ones like Pup Fan, Emma's mom and Miss Harper Lee's mom's who's dog blogs I so frequently enjoy, but, like me, they never post pictures of themselves. I have also smiled, nodded, laughed and was occasionally shocked when I read some bloggers answers to the questions in their posts. I always knew Taryn, Rebeca, Jackie, Mary and I had a lot in common but wow! When I began blogging, I never expected to post pictures of myself but I also didn't expect to get to know fellow bloggers and some of my readers so well that I consider them friends. So, for my friends, here I am! Jason is pictured too because he is also a part of the blog as a photographer, editor and occasional contributor. He wasn't available to participate in the interview, though, so it's all (way to much about) me:

---

What’s your favorite non-animal related book?

• I have always loved "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. A little imagination can get you through anything.
  

What’s your favorite non-animal related movie?

• Well, my favorite movie of all time is Tim Burton's "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" and although I love Speck, I think it counts as non-animal related. If not, I don't care because it's the best movie ever! (I can recite it for you if you've never seen it.)

What’s your favorite non-animal related food?

• Beer (see photo.) It's a food. Trust me.
  

Who’s your favorite actor?

• Colin Firth.

Winter Beer Fest

What’s one thing you have to do every day?

• Have to do? Only one thing? I have five pets. That list is too long. Each day, I fantasize of only having one thing I have to do every day!
  

What makes you feel fabulous?

• Walking.

What do you wish you were more skilled at?

• Working with power tools.

What’s your favorite holiday?

• Halloween.

Favorite meal?

• A lovely, exotic cheese assortment with a warm baguette and fresh fruit.
  

What do you like to do in your free time?

• Anything outside and/or watch movies.

At the tree farm

What one word would people who know you use to describe you?

• "Fun."

If your pets could talk, what one word would THEY use to describe you?

• Boring.

What is one thing you’ve done that you’re most proud of?

• Having helped many people live with less pain (as their Pilates instructor.)
  

How is your pet most like you?

• They're loud.

What can your body do for you that makes you most proud?

• Walk. I had a terrible fall several years ago and am not only lucky to be alive but to be able to walk. I always loved walking but I gained a whole new appreciation for it. After my fall, as I laid on the ground waiting for Jason to take me to the hospital, I repeated over and over to myself "all I want is to be able to walk my dogs again."

If you could change one thing about your life what would it be?

• I wish I had done more traveling when I was younger and more physically capable.

Other than blogging, what are three things you do that bring you joy?

• Jason, the pets and Cascadia.

What’s one thing you could do to be more kind to yourself?

• Put myself first... not all the time. Just more often.

What drives you nuts about your pets?

• They're loud.

Hiking Crystal Mountain in September

What melts your heart?

• Every time I see Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains, I swoon. Literally every time. And anything the pets do, each day... a glance, a nap... it's wonderful! Except if it's too loud.

If you didn’t have your current pets, what pets would you choose to have?

• I would love to have a reptile or two but I chose to have birds instead (it can be very difficult to keep reptiles and psittacines together due to germs they each carry) I also miss keeping rats and I'd love another guinea pig.
  

Bonus facts:

• I have only had a hair cut that was shorter than shoulder length once in my life.
• I picked out my first dog when I was six years old, Natasha Katarina the 2nd.
  
• I used to have a massive vintage dress collection. I started it when I was a teenager and sold almost all the pieces last spring to make room in my closet for brewing beer. (Time for a new hobby!)
  
• My dream house would be a one room log cabin.
• Two of my favorite sensory experiences in the whole world are listening to the silence on top of a mountain and the smell of a sunny forest.

I had never even attempted a selfie with one of the pets... So here it is! (Taken right before publishing this post.)

One more pet crazy fact about me that some of you may or may not know: I was a silent blog stalker for several years. I never left a comment on any of the blogs I frequented. Suddenly, when I was occasionally leaving 1,000 word comments on posts which others commented "nice post," I realized I had a lot to say so I started this blog. I still don't comment as often as I'd like/should but I still stalk! I like to have more to say than "nice post" but now that I am a blogger, even comments left like that make me smile. SO, now that I have reluctantly bared my face and soul, how about you Cascadian Nomad stalkers (I know you're out there- I check the stats) leave a comment and let me know just a little something about you...