2023

Mary-Ann Sontag April 3, 2022

The Specialty I did not attend — but that I worked hours and hours and hours on — is over! I am exhausted — that newsletter is so time consuming.

Dear Daughter, knowing that I was getting up before 3:30 each morning to start work on it with Jay (Suzanne’s partner), asked me yesterday why I do it. I was flummoxed.

I have been pondering her question and I am not sure I have the best answer and especially right now when I am in the throes of Specialty Newsletter Recovery — but I think it is because I enjoy doing it.

Having Jay on board to do the graphics and lay-out has been amazing — we are a good team. Each of us gets to do what we like to do — I like the writing and he is masterful at the graphics part of things. I know how Specialties and dog events go and get reported, and so I bring that as well.

It also helps that I know so many people. They contribute to the newsletter by sending photos, giving me tips, answering questions, and so on. How did I know, for example, that the hotel coffee was not functional yesterday — again! #friends #gratitude

If you have not read all the week’s newsletters, go HERE.

But never mind that Specialty, my sights are set on 2023, which starts in 364 days.

One of the 2023 Specialty Logos — sourced from website linked below

The WEBSITE is up and I have already spent consider $$$ on the Ways and Means — I especially encourage you to grab the Lucky Socks as they are almost sold out and there won’t be more; I ordered two pairs.

I also sponsored a Tracking Trophy — the 2022 Show Chair denied us a Tracking Test, which was not cool. I am so grateful to have Tracking back in 2023 and encourage anyone who cares about Tracking to sponsor a trophy. Here is the LINK to do that.

You can even dedicate your trophy sponsorship and that will get published. I thought about this: In Memory of M-A’s Really $hitty Situation because it is becoming a bad memory but then I decided to focus my mind on a good memory instead — and I sponsored that trophy in honor of my sweet Champion Tracker, Asia. Forever loved and appreciated.

I.AM.SO.EXCITED.ABOUT.THAT.SPECIALTY.

Home

Mary-Ann Sontag March 28, 2022

This is me and no, I am not at the National Specialty.

I could be mad and all kinds of other emotions because the choices of someone who should have been better is the reason I am home — but I choose not to grab that hot coal…

Today’s disappointments are an invitation to hope for better days ahead. I know those days are there — the Universe is balanced.

Next year’s Specialty is going to be AMAZING.

But first we make it through this one — Jay and I are doing the newsletter remotely. Whether doing it alone in a hotel room or here at home, the newsletter is always remote and so this works just fine — with the help of friends :) You can check it out HERE.

My Favorite: Juxtaposition

Mary-Ann Sontag March 26, 2022

The word juxtaposition is so wonderful, reminding us that life is layered and complicated and ironic and conflicted. The sacred and the ordinary — those things occupy the same spaces.

We started at the Bison Range…

This gem of a place is maybe an hour or so from my house.

Did you know that bison were all but extinct, and that their destruction was part of the plan to eliminate/control/hurt Native people in the USA?

Sometimes history is a heavy burden to bear but that doesn’t mean we ignore it.

We should listen and learn from uncomfortable Truths — and be better.

How perfectly wonderful to have one of my Perfect Sisters here. I am so lucky to have TWO of them. This is my Irish Twin — we are 10 months and 26 days apart in age…

A Californian bundled up — because 50 is cold when you come from the Sunshine state!

After driving slowly on a well-traveled track like we were on a ride at Wildlife Disneyland — while contemplating genocide and feeling gratitude and awe for survival — we moved on down the road, literally and metaphorically…