Sorting & Boys

Mary-Ann Sontag January 6, 2023

I hope that January is off to a good start for you and yours.

For some reason, it seemed very important that I clean and organized, and so that is how I have spent the week. I even cleaned the fridge!

One thing I have been working on is hanging photos. There is a theme — can you tell?!

I have walls for humans as well but yes, these dogs are very, very important to me.

In all my cleaning and sorting, I found this — my first Berner, Emma, in a plastic frame with a fortune from a fortune cookie that I got as I waited for her to be old enough to join my family.

Dreams come true.

I have sorted and organized — and cried as I kissed photos/portraits and talked to dogs who are not here anymore.

But they are here. In my heart. On my walls. And in the dogs that share my life right now.

Like Claire.

And the ones who have gone ahead are here in how I exist in the world — keenly aware of what matters and what just doesn’t. Because of them.

I won’t have these dogs forever. That awareness changes everything — like a shift of a kaleidoscope.

And because I know that — because I have experienced the losses of dogs I love so much — the ones who are here have lives in which their value to me is reflected in every action, every decision.

Perspective — that is the legacy of those who have gone ahead, and it is a gift worth embracing.

This is Wildflower Zeus who moved from Washington and is now enjoying the snow in Colorado with his wonderful family…

Bright Star Fauci living his best life with his beloved humans…

Moonshadow Obie lives a well-loved life in Boise.

Thank you, Friends, for the photos and updates.

And speaking of updates — brace yourself. The second birthday of the 10 + 10 is coming up later this month!

Please have a happy and productive day doing whatever you need to do today!

2023!

Mary-Ann Sontag January 1, 2023

2023!!!! HOORAY 🥳

But first, let’s give 2022 it’s due…

Hmmmm….

Never mind. I want to be done with 2022.

To be fair, 2022 did end really well with much Holiday Cheer at my house.

Sparkle giving sled rides was a Big Hit!

So much love helped usher out 2022…

Always good to end a year on a high note!

Daisy, Harper, Pozy, Capella and Pete — in the driver’s seat, as usual.

Before we get too far into 2023, we need to wrap up the Sparklers’ Birthday with a Claire update.

Claire at six is wonderful. She was spayed in the past year, and that made a big difference — Claire’s hormones were not our friend for so many reasons.

The photo above shows how well she is doing after her really unfortunate and rough period with her knees.

Claire gave me one of the very best gifts of 2022 — two all-breed High in Trials. Even more, she reminded me of what I love to do — train and show my dogs ❤️

I start every New Year with Hopes and Dreams — you can also call them intentions. I think they are important — at least for me. It is, after all, hard to arrive anywhere without a destination in mind.

I might not fully achieve my Hopes and Dreams, and that is perfectly fine — what matters is being on an intentional path towards something that matters.

Claire’s Hopes and Dreams always include finding water for frolicking — no matter the temperature.

Claire is a big part of my 2023 Hopes and Dreams.

The National Specialty this year is in my home state of California, at a location (Cal Expo) that is close to my family — both of my amazing Perfect Sisters live 20 minutes from the show site. I exhibited as a 4-H kid at the state fair, held at the Specialty show site. When I was 22, I attended a Tom Petty concert there — and so on.

The Specialty has been a highlight of my year for over two decades, and the last few years — between Covid and the Husband Situation — have been complicated.

I want this year to be different.

I begin 2023 with Hopes and Dreams focused on that show, which is in April. Claire and I deserve to have an amazing Specialty — that is not only my Hope and Dream, but it is the primary focus of my training for the next three months.

Hopes and Dreams can only be true if we work for them — and wear Lucky Socks. I will be putting in the time with Claire, and making sure my supply of Lucky Socks is up for the challenge.

Sparkle will also attend the Specialty, showing off her stuff as an almost ten-year-old.

And Capella will attend…

If all goes according to plan, Capella and Berkeley will show together in the PeeWee event.

Pozy will stay home this year…

I have Hopes and Dreams for Pozy in 2023 as well — she is an amazing working dog and so beautiful. Pozy is my next Superstar obedience dog. #intentions

But I have decided to chunk things up to avoid getting overwhelmed and frozen by all my great ideas and plans for the dogs, and just stay focused on what needs to happen to manifest an amazing 2023 National Specialty.

After the Specialty, I will take on the rest of 2023’s Hopes and Dreams.