Ok we aren't so wierd !

For those who thought we here were indulgent of our little fights of fantasys. This was in our local newspaper today. For your enjoyment and pleasure.

Basset hound's paw prints
attract love, money

By Candace Chase
The Daily Inter Lake


Blossom's paw prints lead to more than a pile of
cash for the Humane Society of Northwest
Montana.

The Kalispell basset hound found love after the
barkist-turned-artist appeared in the October issue
of the nationally distributed Woman's World
magazine.

Blossom's art odyssey began when she teamed up
with her owner, Cynthia "Cookie" Goldizen, to raise
money for the humane society's adoption center
project. The society expects to break ground for the
center this spring.

While an anonymous donor provided $1 million in
seed money for the project, Sylvia Callaway,
executive director, said the group needs to double
or triple its budget to operate the adoption and
education center. Completion is expected this fall.

Callaway, who came on as director a month ago,
expects to raise money through donations, grants,
and events. She called Blossom's art efforts unique.

"Blossom's unique because she's a dog and such a
sweetie," Callaway said.

The basset allows Goldizen to dip her paw in ink,
and then pat out heart and names in paws prints.
She frames and sells the art for donations of $15
for an 8-by-10 inch heart print, $25 for the 11-by-14
inch size heart or $25 for a 6-by-18 inch name.

Goldizen's dog's art sales jumped after the local
"Paw-casso" appeared in the Inter Lake last spring.
The story of Blossom's rescue from near starvation
to art stardom bumped their adoption center
donations by $600.

But the basset got a real boost after her work got
national press. According to Goldizen, Woman's
World picked up the story from the Inter Lake's Web
site and featured the duo's heartfelt art in the
Women Today section of its Oct. 8 issue.

She said she didn't believe magazine writer Jamie
Kiffel when she told Goldizen to expect a lot of
inquiries.

"I typed more in the last two months time than I have
in the last 20 years," she said, trying to answer all
the inquiries.

When the dust settled from the national sales as
well as a Christmas-card line, Blossom's paws had
dug up about $1,900 for the humane society. She
also connected Goldizen with more over-the-top
basset hound "moms."

"It's been a lot of fun," Goldizen said.

She admits Blossom's engagement sounds goofy
to those less dog-smitten than she and Kristine
Reynolds, her e-mail pal in Pennsylvania. The
women began corresponding in their dogs'
personas after Reynolds read the story and bought
a print.

Goldizen explained the two had a common bond
since Reynolds had rescued three basset hounds.
The dog romance started when Goldizen (as
Blossom) sent a photo of a friend's hunky basset
hound to Reynolds.

"She wrote back (as her dog Mo) 'That's a
nice-looking basset hound but he had better not be
your boyfriend because I'm your boyfriend,'"
Goldizen said.

A flurry of gift exchanges followed with Blossom
sending Mo a fleecy sweater. Mo reciprocated with
a white sweater with blue stars and an American
flag on the back symbolizing Blossom's July 4th
birthday.

Valentine's Day inspired Blossom to gift her basset
boyfriend with a sweatshirt with his name
embroidered inside a heart. Mo put his heart on his
sleeve when he sent a delicate ceramic dish back
with a ring, sporting an eye-popping, man-made
rock.

Goldizen had a series of pictures taken of Blossom,
the future Mrs. Motley McDuff Reynolds, with her
engagement ring and a fetching variety of shirts,
hats and flowers.

Goldizen, who works in shipping at Semitool, has
her co-workers hooked on the daily developments
in Blossom's art career and romance. Cristy Weber
designed a Web site to help sell prints at
ww.geocities.com/blossomgoldizen/artwork.html.

The site lists prices for hearts, cards and names
stamped out in paw prints. All funds still go to the
Humane Society of Northwest Montana's animal
shelter fund.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at
758-4436 or by e-mail at
[email protected].

02/23/2003 Sunday

another doggie wedding--how sweet!!
What a great story of how the dog helped to raise money!!

:D how sweet and cute! aww!:D

They are becoming a local hot item.