Have I lost my mind??

So.. now that the holiday season is approaching its end, we all take a look at ourselves and I have decided that I need to get myself in better shape. So.. Mere and I take a trip to the local Gold's Gym. She is a member, so I go as her guest. On Christmas Eve. we work out together. 30 min on the eliptical and than some weights. She has me following her around doing lunging squats. The men at the gym watched us lunge around the gym. It was pretty funny.

I wanted to check out the classes though. I think that this might be for me. So yesterday, I went to the half and hour abs class, did 30 min on the eliptical and than the hour long yoga class. Needless to say, I can not walk today. Very sore and I love it. I am just not sure I can go back today.

Back to the Grind

So.. the packages have all been opened, the room cleared of all the debris and the kids are ready to pack their cars and head back to their lives. It was a wonderful weekend. But in typical fashion, it was not ordinary. On the day before Christmas Eve we got a call from a gal who wanted to breed her bitch to Tanner, the only problem, was she was ready. So she drove across country and arrived on Christmas day. So between all the festivities, and the partying and the eating. we were also doing a breeding. My family and friends think that Dog People have lost their minds. I really can't say too much about this, since I am probably leaving to breed Hannah on New Years. Oh well.

We did it

So. yesterday was Newell's birthday. He turned the big 5 0... On Thanksgiving his sister Jackie asked if we were going to do anything special and that kind of started the ball in motion. Mere and I put our heads together and came up with a plan. We put together an intimate guest list, really just family and people who were close friends. Mere put out the evite.. Andrew responded yes to the evite because we had forgotten to tell him our plans. I went to Bill Batemans' and reserved the back room and it was done. He really didn't have a clue. We walked into Bill's just like we do all of the time. He went to sit at the bar side and I said I thought I saw someone we knew, lets go and say hi.. and than the big SURPRISE!!! Most of the way back to the room he called me a Pain in the Ass. But I knew he couldn't believe it. It was great. I think we really got him. Happy Birthday Newell...

I am Done...

So.. How do I know I am done shopping. Well here is how it goes. I take all the presents out of the closet. I wrap them and put them in piles according to who they belong to. Andrew's pile, Mere's pile and Newell's pile. I don't care so much about Newell's pile, but it is there anyway. Well, a week ago I did this, and Mere's was way smaller, so out to shop again. Yesterday the piles were even. Almost. Even Newell's pile is up there. I wonder how big my pile is? Maybe as tall as the ceiling? hee hee Merry Christmas..

Newell's Worst Day

So, here is how it went down. Saturday Newell thinks he may have tickets to the Ravens game but doesn't hear from his guy. Sunday morning we leave for the dog show, as Newell says we get up before God did. At 7:30 am, while we are almost at the dog show, the text comes he as the ticket, but we are already at the show. So..Oh well. We get royally dumped at the show. Not only do we not win in dogs, but Tanner and Heather are all but bullied in the Best of Breed class. We are not happy. We rush out of there so we can be home in time to watch the game on TV.. While driving home, Andrew calls, he has tickets and he is going to the game. Perfect. Well, we get home with 2 minutes to spare and the GAME IS NOT ON TV. . The Eagles are on, NOT the Ravens. Uh Oh.. Sorry Newell...

The end of Sportsmanship

So.. we went to the dog show today. And I know, it is a competition. But there is a sense of sportsmanship There is a sense that when you are disappointed that you didn't win you still congratulate your competitor and take your loss back to the car.

Not today.. Today I saw the end of good sportsmanship.

In the Best of Breed class the steward called in her class and the dog at the head of the line did not come in. She wanted to make an entrance I guess. Well, our dog (who was second in the line) came in and stacked up. My handler left plenty of room for the first dog to come in and when she did make her entrance, she stacked her dog right in front of Tanner's face. Heather asked politely, ( I was sitting right there) if she could move up and in a very not so nice tone, she replied to Heather, no, move back. Well, I could see on Heather's face that this was not OK. She did move back and had to crowd the dog behind her.

The judge proceeded to judge the dogs and did not consider Tanner. She was considering the first dog and the Veteran. When she brought the Veteran up, Heather made room for him, but again was crowded out by the girl behind him and she wouldn't move back.

It really doesn't matter that we didn't win. We have plenty of judges that like Tanner, but to behave in such a way as to crowd out your competitor. Well, that is just bad sportsmanship. Heather wanted me to say something, but to be truthful, the universe has a way of taking care of that sort of thing. If you live with such negativity and meanness in your life, your Karma will come and bite you on the butt.

Good luck in the future doing that to other dogs in other judge's rings. Many of the judges would not tolerate such behavior, today's judge was not one of them, and she won't get an entry from me again.

Merry Christmas!!!

We are Ready

Sorry it has been a week, but I have been getting ready for our annual party. Well, this year it is a bit different. We are having more of an Open House during the day. Yesterday, I spent cooking and cleaning, and now today with just a few more hours to go, I think we are ready. The house looks great, the tree is still standing and has not been peed on ( at least I don't think so) we have vacuumed and vacuumed all of the hair up ( or at least most of it) and it should be great. Have a wonderful holiday season for those who are out there, and I will be hopefully seeing you all soon.

Merry Christmas,, we say Merry Christmas at my house

I have two BAD puppies

So.. I have two BAD puppies. They are into everything, but mostly it is their continuous chewing of things. Papers, poops (yea that's right), shoes, everything. Well, Newell and I spent all of yesterday decorating the house. The house looks great. I get up this morning, let everyone out, and brought the puppies back into the house. Put the gate up and went to work out. When I got back, they had gone behind the Christmas tree and pulled out the extension cord and chewed that like it was a milk bone. I mean, into tiny pieces. Why in the world would they do that? And extension cord doesn't look like food, smell like food or taste like food. But there they were, their little innocent faces with pieces of the plastic hanging out of their mouths. Thank goodness the tree wasn't plugged in, we would have had bar b qued puppies.

Shopping for Dawn

So. yesterday was my finish up my Christmas shopping day. I had a few gifts to get and I was on a very specific mission. What I did notice as I made my way around town, is that in every single store, I could have bought something for myself. When I went to Treasures, there were several things I would have loved, at Dicks well you know... At the outlet mall, OMG... even at the Sportsman's outlet, but it really struck me when I went to Starbucks to buy a gift card that I thought to myself, gee I hope someone gets me one of these. I must be the easiest person to shop for. Anyone who knows me must know this. And each gift I get each year, I use and appreciate. So I decided that for next year's grab bag... I will get everyone's name and everyone else will just get my name. That should work..

The Door

So.. Sunday after the show we went to watch the Ravens play at a sports bar down the street. When we headed back to the room, we realized that Tanner was not in his crate and the door of the room was left open. We panicked. As we approached the door, we heard the maid inside saying, "Now Tanner, you have to stay on the bed when I vacuum. It is very hard to clean with you following me" We went into the room, only to find the dog and the maid in the room. He was wagging his tail with his new friend. She was afraid that we would be mad, which of course we weren't. She then asked if we would take a picture of the dog and her. She snuggled up on the bed with him in her lap and we took the picture. Anyone that could deny that this dog is and ambassador for this breed, is crazy.

Always the Bridesmaid

So. we had the big show on Sunday. The judge was from Slovenia, so the playing field is level. No one is going to have a disadvantage. The dogs walk in and it is certainly an impressive line up. The top dogs in our breed all together. Wow!!! I could hardly breath. He examines the dogs. I know what he is going to like because we have been watching him for about 2 hours, holding on to our chairs. He is going to like a nice top line. I know he should like Tanner because he has a great top line. After examining everyone, he makes his cut. Pulls out Tanner. Now the heart starts pounding. We have been here before. Don't panic, don't expect anything yet. We have been at the front of the line before, and had it yanked away. Remember the Garden? So it is Tanner, Ty, the bitch and Vinnie. It is certainly appropriate. Tanner #1 in US, T #1 in Canada and Vinnie #2 in US in CAlifornia. Well, Vinnie wins and Tanner and Ty get Awards of Excellence. We are always right there.. But never really there..

Where to begin

So.. lets start at the toes and work our way up. Georgeann offered that we all go and get our toes done. We started the day in a town car driving around the town of Long Beach CA looking for a nail salon. Well, we found one with the tubs and the full works and we were in. 3pm Georgeann, Cindy, Heather, Fara and me loaded ourselves into the car and went to get pampered. We bounded into the salon, and basically took over the place. We all sat down and began to enjoy our pampering. Well, Heather ( and we all just love her) began. This is what she liked, and not too much of that, and could you rub it this way, and could you do it that way. And can you put a design on my toe and do you have a book that I could look at to see what design I want, and could you massage my shoulders and do you have flip flops and how much are they and what color do you have.. I finally leaned up from my bliss and looked to my left and said in my most Dawn-like way.. "Heather you are such a giant pain, just lean back and shut up and enjoy yourself".. Everyone laughed and laughed. Geeze....

Safe and Sound

So.. we are here. Everything went very smoothly.. Except... they didn't like Tanner's crate,, now mind you he just flew from Finland, to Paris to US in this Crate but the TSA didn't like the crate and decided they needed to lecture me on the downfalls of this crate. Anyway,, we worked it out. Then he wouldn't go in. Crate, no, Crate , no.. Crate shove Oh OK... Flight smooth as can be.. I asked Newell .." do you think we have a pilot"? 5 1/2 hours not one word from him. No.. look out the window and see the Rockies, or the weather is good..nothing.. just if we have turbulence I will let you know.. Very smooth,, just the way I like it.

Tanner and Rita came bounding out of the crate. We gave them water which them slopped up. The driver of our van didn't appreciate the dogs on the seats and made a big deal about hair on the seat.. Too bad!!! Tanner laying on the bed, all is well.

Heather and Kevin want us at 12 noon to groom, I don't think so. Sight seeing is more on the schedule..

More later

California here we come...

So we are ready. Teeth are cleaned, bath and nails are done. We have our suitcases and of course Tanner has his. We are off the Eukanuba. TAnner was invited from both the US and Canada. There should be a lot of dogs there and Grandma Chris is there as well. Cindy and Rita will meet us at Georgeann's and off we go. Wish us luck.. Win or lose it should be a great time.

Winning the Group

We are now at the end of a very long 4 day show weekend. Tanner won the Breed all four days. Monday, Newell took him down to the show so I could work, and I went down to pick him up. We were the fourth group. We had not shown to this judge before. Well, I just had that feeling. The judge went down the line, and pulled is cut, the Rottie, the Pry, the Giant, the Portie and Tanner.. Great, we made the cut. WHEW!!! We haven't been doing that. Since he is back from Europe it has been a little bit like starting over. Anyway, he sent them around one and a time and Kevin and I were cheering our heads off. He looked up and down the line again, and pulled TAnner for Group 1.. YEA... BIS was next. The judge examined him and nearly fell over him. Tanner though didn't even notice. He is so solid. She looked at all the dogs, and I thought she really liked him. He did not show as well, was a bit fidgety. But.. the last dog she looked at before making her decision was Tanner. And the winner is...... The Pekinese. UGH>> Oh well.. nothing to be disappointed about. I know his BIS will come. Probably just not when I am there to watch...:(((

re inventing the wheel

So why is it that people feel that they have to always mess with a good thing, just because they can. For those of you who know me well, you know that I follow the weight watchers plan. I am pretty regular about this and rely on the website almost daily to help me keep my weight under some sort of control. Well, for about a week the website has been announcing that they are changing the plan. I am none too happy with this. I love the current plan, I am comfortable with the current plan, and in my humble opinion it does not need to be changed. Well, anyway today is the day they make the big announcement and all of us have to learn the new plan. That is of course unless the WEB SITE DOESN"T WORK!!! I get on first thing this morning, (like I always do) and there is an error.. I try to access the page from Google and there is an error. UGH!!!! Why can't they leave just well enough alone. I swear, I will drop weight watchers and become a Jillian fanatic if they don't fix this soon ....

Things to be thankful for

So. the holiday season is upon us once again and there are many things to be thankful for. Today, we celebrated Thanksgiving at my house like we usually do. I was up at the crack of dawn peeling potatoes and cooking the side dishes. By noon the house was filled with family. It was a beautiful day with a lot of love and joy. I always like Thanksgiving the best of all the holidays because it is all about the food and the people This year, Jay's father was in town and he joined us. We welcomed him to our table and he enjoyed the love of the day. That is what I love about this holiday. The table is always welcoming. My friends Heather and Kevin did not have dinner today. They traveled down to the dog show to set up for the weekend. Well, after we were all done here, Newell and I packed a bag and brought Thanksgiving dinner to them. They were so appreciative. I love this holiday and the way it makes me feel.

Tanner's got a girlfriend

My silly dog.. Roxy came for a visit this week. He has been so excited to see her. He whines and cries and paces all night long in the room, but... when it is time to do the deed, he has been a dud of a stud. I don't really know what his problem is. And Roxy is asking the same thing. She wants him bad... But.. he just can't seem to close the deal. Now. he wants to, he tries, but no luck. Maybe she is just a bit too tall for him.. and to make matters worse, he won't let me help him. It is moments like this that I wish him and I could communicate.. I would tell him that I am here to help.. But.. NOOOO he has to do this on his own, so we have been using the artificial method and he has been left unsatisfied. Too bad....

Short Week

Monday is here.. We have a short week with Thanksgiving. Working today and Wed. and then off for 4 days of dog shows. Next week.. Work Monday and Wed then off to Eukanuba.. And then the following week Work Wed and Thursday. Who knows?? I may get used to only working 2 days a week...

the things we do for our family

So.. yesterday was Marilyn's performance at the local theatre. It was a production of Willie Wonka. Well, we knew it wasn't going to be Broadway, but... Mere and Tyler, Andrew and Leslie came up.. Newell went to the dog show (???). Off we went. Well, I have a few questions. Why is the lead, Charlie unable to sing? He literally talked through his songs... Why? when Marilyn was the best singer, she not given more of a singing part? And why? didn't they sell wine there? It was two hours.. not bad. and we didn't make a spectacle of ourselves like we did at "Living Waters".. But that is another story to tell. We did our deed, saw the family, went to dinner and fun was had by all.

Oh these silly dog shows

So we are four days in Philly. Judges look good and Tanner has decided that he would rather do this from home than stay with Heather, so we are going back and forth. Yesterday was the big day. The judge has seen him before and has given him a Group 2 in a very competative Working Group, so we were pretty confident there, and the Group judge is scheduled to judge Bernese at the Garden. This would be a great opportunity to see him. Well, the Breed judge didn't follow the play book. She looked at Tanner and then the bitch special Taylor and decided that today was Taylor's day. UGH!!! I hate when they don't follow the plan. Poor Dede and Kevin were besides themselves. Sorry Dede said to me.. What?? This is dog shows.. This happens all of the time. Can't be mad, just got to be Oh well, guess what??? Another show today... Yea me.. And I don't have to go... I am going to see my niece Marilyn in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at the neighborhood theater.. Oh joy... More on that tomorrow, I am sure. I think they sell wine there..

Poopy Tanner

So. Tanner is in Philadelphia all weekend for dog shows. I drove to Heather's Wed morning to bring him there and the plan was to pick him back up on Sunday at the dog show. Well, at work Thursday I started to get calls from the show. Tanner had pooped in his crate. The first thing they wanted was for me to drive to Philadelphia to pick him up so he could have another bath. i said, "find a place to wash him and take him there". Kristen offered to take him home and bathe him. That works. Well, they continued to call. More poop. Now they thought he wasn't feeling well. Take him to the on site vet.. No temp, all seemed normal. just lots of pooping. Well, I went and got him. He ate his supper, and no poops at all. No poops all night. He just wanted to come home and not be in the crate at the dog show. This dog...

Wine O

So. newell asked me if I thought I could give up drinking wine. Why in the world would I want to do that? Well, I guess he thought I couldn't. Well, I did.. I asked him if he noticed that I hadn't had any wine all week, he said that he had and asked me how I felt. I said, no shakes, no blackouts, just my old self without wine. See. I like wine like some like ice cream.

Bad Puppy

So,.. Newell and I worked all day on Saturday cleaning out the porch for the holidays. We washed the windows and scrubbed the floor. I went to the store to buy a new rug. We belong to the "rug of the month club".. No sense in getting nice rugs.. You'll find out in a few. Yesterday, I am busy doing something in the other part of the house and when I come back the baby puppy has got a mouth full of green fuzz. She has eaten the carpet. Why? Om what planet is my green fuzzy carpet food? Now. she has chew toys galore. You would think I have a toddler living here with all the toys strewn all over. But Noooo. My shoes and my carpet that is what she wants. She is such a bad puppy. Darn cute, but bad..

swimming with the sharks

So.. Tanner is back out full swing. And so far we have an a pretty easy time of it. He has been the only male special and has won.. This weekend was quite a different story. We were down in Salisbury MD and there were 5 dog specials and 1 bitch special entered. WOW... I can't even name 5 dog specials.. Well I can if you add the two #1 dogs in the country Leo and Nick into the mix. So here we were for 5 days competing with the #1 All breed dog Leo and the #1 breed dog Nick. Well, Tanner held his own. We won the Breed one day and we won Select another.. Not too shabby considering he has not been out for 5 months. He looks like a million dollars and I was so happy with the way he showed.

shopping with Newell

So.. any of us who have just lost 20 pounds would love to go a buy a new wardrobe. Well, not Newell. He has been walking around in clothes that are literally falling off of him. He looks rather pathetic. I have asked him repeatedly, "why don't we go and buy you some new clothes?" His response is "Christmas is just a few weeks away, just get me some them". Well, what size? He doesn't know. So, yesterday we decide that at least we would go and buy some new jeans, so I would have an idea of size. Well, that is what we did.. We bought 1 pair of jeans. Nothing else. It was like he couldn't get out of the store quick enough. While he was in the dressing room, I wandered into the ladies department, because I am always willing to see what is new, he came out didn't see me and was ready to walk out of the store mad at me for not being right there. It was such a lovely time, that we bought the jeans and left. Now I know what size he is, and I will do the rest of his clothes shopping without him.. Thank goodness.

the long ride home

Well, out to New Stanton PA yesterday. 3 plus hours to get there. Ann and I met and now he is gone. I had the long 3 hour drive home by myself yesterday to contemplate these maddening dogs. When we picked Echo up from Natalie, I had no intention of bringing home a boy puppy. I wanted a girl. When we went out there, I just couldn't take my eyes off that big boy puppy. He was great. It took me nearly 2 hours to decided that I could do a boy. He was the first dog in 20 years that I finished from the puppy class. He was always willing to please me. With Tanner being his dad, he was always in the shadows, so he looked for ways to stand out. Well, he was also the only Bernese we have ever had to fetch. Newell always tries to toss the ball with the dogs, and year after year, dog after dog they watch Newell toss the ball, and they just don't get it. Oh. some will go after it, but they never bring it back. Well, Echo did. He ran after the ball and brought it back to Newell. The ball quickly became a small tire. When Newell would go out, Echo was beside himself. A quick question, "where is your tire" would send him over the edge. He would locate it and they would play.. It was great to see. I told Ann and Phil to play fetch with him, I am sure they will. She texted me last night that he crawled up into the couch with Phil and tried to lay completely on top of him. That is Echo. And before she went to sleep she texted again and said he was sound asleep on the floor next to the bed. He will be fine. Its me I am worried about..

It doesn't get any easier

Several months ago, my dear friend called me to tell me that her Berner was diagnosed with cancer. That is so hard.. He was a young dog, only 6 and she was heartbroken. I made up my mind at that time that when Rudy left, my Echo would go to live with them. I have known Ann and Phil for years and her first Bernese was brother to my second one Grey. Anyway, that day has arrived today. Last weekend Rudy died and now Friday morning I make the long trip west to meet them. I gave him his bath and his tire is packed up and he begins his new great life with Ann and Phil. But...even though my head is saying this is so right for him. When Tanner is here, Echo and him fight and we have to keep them separated. My heart says differently. He is such a neat dog. We will miss him. Have a wonderful life dear Echo... Don't forget me

Staying committed

So.. Newell has lost 20 pounds.. How did he do it? I would like to say that he just gave up cookies at night, and trust me he did that before and did indeed lose weight.. But this time is different.. Starting last January he has religiously been working out and slowly but surely the weight has come off. His clothes are falling off of him, and he really does look great. So me.. UM.. what do to do. I have always been the one to work out. But of late, not so much. I have begun the morning ritual again. But it has been a slow process and I am not as regular as I should be. My joke is that I work my butt off to be 10 pounds overweight, but now I am a bit more than that. So each morning, for the last two weeks I have taken myself down the steps and have worked out. Mere says if I give up wine than the weight will come off easier.. Why in the world would I need to lose weight if I can't have wine.. I wouldn't have any reason to get out of bed...

Halloween in Hanover

So.. we live in a town that idolizes Halloween. For an entire week you can find a neighborhood that has Trick or Treat and the week than culminates with the town Halloween Parade. Newell and I have managed to stay clear of the parade. There are tons of people, not a lot of parking and total mayhem. Even when the kids were small, we just didn't do that sort of thing. When the kids got older, we would drop them off and then pick them up. We actually prided ourselves of staying clear. Well, this year was different. Our niece and nephew who live in town are opening up an animal hospital in town and what better way to advertise their new business than to walk in the parade. They asked us if we would walk with them with some of our dogs. How could we say no? I mean, tell me, how could we say no? Well, we didn't.

Last night, we hooked Tanner up to his cart and put the new puppy on a flexi lead and off we went to walk the mile or so down the center of town. We were a hit. The puppy had the ultimate temperment test and she passed with flying colors. TAnner lead the group with such control, it was like he was born to pull his cart. And the climax was as we are passing the review stand, the puppy decides this is the perfect time to take a poop. Newell motions to me. I grab my handy dandy ziploc bag and scoop the turds up and the crowd cheered. It was really great.

We had a great time. Family time is always nice to have and we enjoyed showing our great dogs off to the entire town.

The journey has ended???

Well, I survived it. 5 longs months and my boy is finally home. We travelled to Newark Airport yesterday afternoon. We got the directions from Map Quest. Which brought us to Cargo.. Figured out where we had to go and then we waited. We smashed our faces up against the window waiting and waiting to see them. And finally after about an hour, Tuuli, and two crates emerged from the doors. My eyes filled with tears. Would he remember me? He burst out of the crate into my arms and I knew it was OK. The sisters were anxious to get out and explore but it was back in the crate for the ride home. Now we have settled in and all is right with the world.

Lasagna with my Best Friend

So.. one down and two to go. Chris arrived safely yesterday afternoon and now we wait for Tuuli. I have checked the flight status.. The flight from Helsinki to Paris arrived safely and she waits to board the flight to the US.. Chris loves lasagna. Yesterday morning, I made my homemade lasagna and we ate it as we shared a bottle of wine. We are both very excited to see Tuuli and Tanner. The next few days will be a whirlwind but it should be a ton of fun.

It Takes a Village

When this ordeal is all said and done, there will be countless people that I will be forever indebted. First and foremost. Tuuli. She took my man for the summer, put some nice CH on him, won a Group 1 and a BIS 3 and had some simple lovely bitches bred to him. She is my friend for life.

Nelli, who I just met this past Specialty. I invited her to come and spend a relaxing week with us, and then asked her to change her plans so she could escort my new baby home. She did this without flinching. I am totally grateful.. She is my friend for life.

And last but certainly not least.. Chrissie.. Who I totally met briefly in Wisconsin. Not only did she help in the beginning making sure Tanner and Tuuli got on the plane safely in Chicago, when this all began to fall apart this week, she took over. Her parents ( whom I have never met) will travel with my new baby. She will pick her up, spend the night with her, love her to death and than get Nelli on the plane to me. She called numerous friends at Finair to track down Tuuli's flight and ticket information for her and the dogs. I truly believe that had it not been for her, this would have fallen apart days ago. She is my friend for life.

Thank you ladies.. I don't know if I will ever be able to repay you for what you did for me this week, but I want you to know that whatever you need, and whenever you need it, I am there for you.

Thank you.

Finally here!!!

Well, I have spent the better part of a month cleaning, weeding, washing and throwing out. Last night we put all of the bedroom furniture into the bathrooms and the carpet comes today. All of this, in preparation for my very special guests that arrive this weekend. It begins tomorrow with Chris coming from Denver. I will make her favorite dish lasagna. We will enjoy a relaxing evening. Sunday the whirlwind begins. We are off the airport in NJ to get Tuuli and Tanner.. Boy it has been a long 5 months. Wednesday Nelli comes in from Chicago with Fiona. My house is ready, my heart is ready, I just can't wait to get them all here safe and sound..

Not quite as easy as I thought

So. the countdown has begun and Tanner arrives home this weekend. I hope.. We are having a bit of trouble getting everyone on the plane. By some blessed gift Tuuli decided to confirm the reservations and the airline did not have them. They could not fit the larger crates on the plane and she could not travel with Tanner and four puppies. OMG!!! Most of yesterday was spent trying to work this out. I said to Tuuli, "You worry about over there, and I'll worry about over here" She rebooked Tanner and two puppies on a flight from Paris to Newark, a bit farther from me but doable and we are now waiting to confirm the flight from Helsinki to Paris. We still are waiting as I type.

Now, how to get the third puppy over here. So the planning began. A friend whose parents live in Finland are coming to Chicago on Tuesday and they have graciously offered to fly with the puppy. That works. Now, how to get the puppy from Chicago to PA.. And which puppy. If it is Chris's puppy than Chicago to Denver. Nelli is coming for a visit, but she comes Saturday. So that is where I started. Call Nelli and see if she can change her plans.. Come on Wed with the puppy. After much hand wringing I think we worked it out. Nelli will fly with Fiona on Wed and go home on Sunday.. Christina will pick the puppy up on Tuesday and she will spend the night with her and I will get them Wed. I cant' tell you how indebted I am to Christina, her parents and Nelli. I really don't know what I would have done if they had not helped me out.

It is amazing how people come together to make things happen. Its just not always as easy as it should be.

Not quite a 4 star stay

This weekend was the Watchung Regional Specialty. I am a big proponent of the venue, because I love to be on the same site as the show. I love the comraderie and just being able to hang out and not worry about getting back and forth. So, we arrive at the Rhodeway Inn.. Ok,,not the quality that I may be used to but..When I made the reservation months ago, I asked that my room be near where the ring would be.. They put me where the draft ring was the day before, all the way on the other side of the grounds. Well, this was not going to work. So we asked to be moved and were. When we entered our room imagine my surprise when the bed had not been made. Now, I don't really expect much, but I can't sleep in a bed that unknown strangers have slept in. I called the front desk. Sorry, housekeeping was gone (you bet they were) and they could only move me to another room, probably back on the other side of the world. I asked to speak to the manager. She pretty much said the same thing. Sorry, but no help here. I asked her if she could just get me some clean sheets. No she said. They I got mad.. Just get me some clean sheets and I'll make the bed myself. She said she would see what she could do. 30 minutes later, clean sheets arrived, no pillow cases. The guy said they didn't say anything about pillow cases. Well, if the sheets are dirty probably the pillow cases are as well. So he went to get us clean (I hope) pillow cases. So here we were, Newell and I ( just like at home) making our own bed. But this time we had to pay 69.99 for the honor..

But.. we still had a great time..

Better late than Never

So, every year I play in a golf tournament to benefit breast cancer. It is called "Pink Out". Yesterday was the day of the tournament and it was a beautiful day to play golf. I asked a friend of mine to bring my clubs down from the country club and I would meet her there for the 12:00 shotgun. All morning, I puttered around the house. I had the car washed. The plan was to get there around 11:00 or so, have some lunch, say hi to the girls and than enjoy a wonderful day.

Imagine my surprise when I pulled up to the course to see no women there. Seems the shotgun was at 11:00. UH OH.. "Not to worry" they said. "We'll get you out to your girls". Where are your clubs? Well, that was a great question. They were brought down by my friend and I was not playing with her and now my clubs were MIA..

My other friend was late as well. She was the one who told me the 12:00 time. So we searched and searched. And there, in the middle of the driving range was a lone cart with some sad and lonely clubs on them. I said to the nice people, I think there they are. And lo and behold, I was reunited with my sticks. My Bernese head cover still intact.

They rushed me out to my girls and after I woofed down a hot dog and a jello shooter, all was well. There is not much a jello shooter can't fix.. A great time was had by all.

Too Good to be True

So we all know the saying.... Well, I am dropping off some stuff to Good Will the other day. The guy looks into my car and notices I have crates... He askes " Are they crates" I say "Yes they are" Well, he said I just put a wire crate out for sale in the front of the store. Good condition.. I drive the car around to the front and there it was. Beautiful crate, would fit right in and only 30.00 Wow what a bargain.

I am now packing up the car to go to the show this weekend,, and I am so excited to put my new crate in the back.. There it goes, fits perfectly.. What? What is this? I can't open the door. The door is malfunctioned. The door is permanently either stuck open or shut.. I can't believe. Well, maybe I can...

You get what you pay for, and it is always too good to be true.

The meaning of life

Check out my facebook page for the meaning of life video.. It is well worth the 2 minutes it takes to watch it to put if all in perspective. Enjoy!!!

Bailing out the Ocean

Well, I finally decided to do it. Clean our Mere's room. I don't know who raised this child. I am not a pack rack, but she has kept every momento from birth. Three of her walls are covered with pictures of her and her friends at various moments in their lives, all scotch taped together on the wall. What a mess. It has taken me hours to get them off the wall without ripping them to shreds. Garbage filled with trash, old clothes and things she may want to keep. What a job.

October 18th

That date probably doesn't mean a thing to you, but to me... Ah well that is the day that Tanner comes home. I can hardly believe it. We were all ready to go and get him in Sept. We had our tickets almost bought and when we tried to make his reservation, Finair says, we only fly dogs on Mondays. What kind of weird rule is that? Anyway, the next Monday available was Oct. 11th. Well, that didn't work for us. So, on to the next plan. Tuuli is going to fly here, with Tanner and a couple of his babies in tow. We are going to have a excellent week here. Chris will fly in and it will be all wine and Finnish chocolate. I can't wait to see my boy again. I miss him so much.

Club Championship

So, I decided to play in the club championship this weekend. I signed up, and there it was. I was going to be the guinea pig. I would be playing in the 1st Flight against the lowest handicap. Oh well. I went out today with one thought in mind. "Don't embarrass yourself" So.. I played really well. I left a few shots out there, but all in all played pretty well. The gal I played against played great and she pretty much kicked my ass. But, that's OK.. I played well. That's all that matters.

I guess....

We'll have to work on that

This is Newell's favorite saying.. It is my least favorite. A few weeks back, when it was 100 degrees, I took a golf lesson. I have issues getting out of sand traps, and I thought I needed to be taught how to get out of the traps. Like I said, 100 degrees, in the sand in the blazing sun. Not fun. After the lesson, Newell said, we'll work on this. Fast forward to this weekend. A great golf getaway. We spent the weekend in VA with our friends. On Saturday. I had a bit of sand trouble. In the trap, I swung away. Three times before I got out. I was steaming mad Newell just stood and looked. I thought to myself. When are we going to work on this. When I am in the middle of the fairway. Maybe a good time to work on my sand shot IS WHEN I AM IN THE SAND!!! After 6 strokes, I threw my club ( almost at him) and said.. I guess we still have to work on this.. UGH....

Our weekend getaway

Well, it has been a long time coming, but Newell and I are actually going away for a weekend. Our good friends Georgeann and Bob have invited us for a golf weekend in Southern VA. We leave bright and early tomorrow, but as many of you know, I have been getting up pretty early lately. We need to load up puppies, they are staying at Georgeann's. Head to her house and then begin our fun filled weekend. Can't wait. We are scheduled for a spa treatment on Saturday afternoon. Question... Can I get a massage if I am covered in Poison Ivy????

Up at 4:30

So. now I am up again. This time before the puppies. My eye is nearly swollen shut from the poison and am contemplating whether to go to the doctors. What in the world???

Why won't I ever learn

So.. I have this pathetic little garden in the back yard. It has been so stinkin hot here that the garden is even more pathetic than usual. I decided on Saturday morning that I would weed my garden. I was down on my hands and knees, with my little gloves on weeding and sweating. As I round the corner, (outside the safe area) there is a patch of weeds. I know that this is poison ivy. I know that I just have to look at it and I get it, but I just couldn't resist. I yanked. I ran inside and washed and scrubbed my arms. But to no avail. I am covered in poison. All over my neck and face. All over my arms and stomach. Why do I do such dumb things? HMMM>>>>>

Reality set in

Well, I think that I have gotten used to Tanner not being here, because I had the great Matt to keep my attention diverted. That all ended this morning with a long drive to Allentown PA to drop Mr. Matt off to Heather. Her and Kevin are on their way to Ontario and Matt is along for the ride. I packed all of his stuff up. His food, his flea and tick, his ribbons his prizes. I even sent Mr. Cow along to remind him of me.

Now, where is Tanner? It will be a long couple of months here without him. I miss him terribly and worry about him all of the time.

Well, it happened

She fell in. I hope she has now learned her lesson.

Herding Cats

Have you ever heard that expression before? It is impossible.. I am feeling that a bit about Belle. She is like trying to herd cats. Wherever I put her, is not where she wants to be. In the x pen, she jumps out. Out of the x pen she tries to jump in the pool. In the house, she is on the back of the couch trying to jump off. And NEVER in the crate. She NEVER wants to be in the crate. Where does she want to be?? I can't figure it out. But trying to keep her out of trouble is a lot like trying to herd cats....By the way, Kendra likes wherever Belle is not.

The smell of coffee

Here I sit, 5 o'clock in the morning. The puppies have decided that no matter what, they are not sleeping past 5. So, I sit and wait for the coffee to brew. It has been so stinking hot, maybe they have the right idea. Wake up early and then go back to bed when it is 100 degrees. It just makes for a really long day.

Dont' Tell me Anything

Don't tell me anything.. I don't want to know...

The no call list

Have you ever called someone and it is just not a good time. Or do you have a friend where you are the only one that calls. Well, I have them as well and they are on my "no call list". I wait until they call me. I have just shared with Newell about this list. He was amazed that he is on the list. Oh well. Can you guess who else is on it?

Newest addition: Blackrock Belle of Savannah V Brissago. A Tanner daughter!!

Off to Get Belle

Well here I am again in the wee hours of the morning, loading up the car and getting ready for another trip. This weekend I am off to North Carolina. I am meeting a lovely family to deliver them their new puppy Jasmine and also hooking up with Trisha to get Belle. I have been hearing stories of her all week about escaping from x pens and the like. I just can't wait to meet her. Also, it will be nice to spend some nice time with my new friend Trisha. It is amazing to me how these dogs bring people together. Because of her decision to use Tanner for breeding, we now have a friendship that hopefully will continue for a long time.

puppies going home

Well, it has been a quick 8 weeks. The puppies begin their journey to their new homes beginning today. They have been to the vets, they have had their nails cut and the first one today gets to experience the bath. That usually is about the worst thing that has happened to them since the trauma of birth. But, when it is all over and they are all fluffy and sweet there is nothing cuter. It is always sad to see them start to go, but I am anxious to start bonding with my own puppy.

Traveling to the show

So, I thought I had a brilliant idea to stay at Georgeann's house this weekend when traveling back and forth to the Richmond shows. She is only about 1 1/2 from the show and that is certainly doable. Well, if you have never traveled around DC, try to avoid it. We left Saturday morning and was in stop and go traffic for the entire trip down. It took us over 2 1/2 hours to get there. Where was everyone going? I guess the beach. Another exhibitor was 15 miles behind us, calling every 20 minutes or so asking, "has the traffic let up yet"?. Anyway, we thought that Sunday would be better and it was. We zoomed down to Richmond. The problem was that on the way back we once again sat in traffic. What the heck? It seemed we were stuck in the coming home beach traffic. The only problem with the weekend, was we sat in beach traffic both days and never saw the beach.

Big weekend

Wow. What a great weekend. We went to Richmond to hopefully grab a major for Matt. Well, the ladies down there did a great job at holding the major. Elaine, brought her two babies with her, Valerie brought out her old girl, and Sherry brought her girl who was injured.. And it held it was great. Matt was WD, BW and BOB for his CH.. He is undefeated in the US since I have been showing him. He is truly a wonderful dog and I will be sad to see him go back home.

Now for Obedience. Yesterday, well, we did not qualify. He decided that he had to poop in the ring. BIG NO NO!!! But today, well completely different story. He was on him game. Score 188 and 2nd place... He was something else.

I have just enjoyed this guy so much. Having him here had made Tanner being away a little easier. Thank you Eve...

So I am up on a Saturday morning at 5am. I am on my way to Richmond for a dog show. Why Richmond? Because that is where the major is, and Matt needs a major to finish. Now, this might be tricky. The major is in the bitches. So, not only does Matt have to go Winners Dog, but also Best of Winners to steal the major. Some judges don't like to do that. Our judge today is a bit of a wild card. There is a major tomorrow as well. I would love to get this done today. And than maybe he and I can concentrate on the obedience title. Wish us luck...

The Cat Lives

How long to cats live for? I ask this because I have three and I think they are way too old. They are each over 10 and one might be close to 15. Anyway, we got these cats when we lived on the farm to help with the mice situation. When we moved back to the neighborhood, we brought them with us. They were mostly inside/outside cats. But, I just could not deal with the litter box and soon the cats were laying all over the place and dropping ticks all over my house. That was it. They were moved outside. Now, don't think I am mean. These were farm cats. We still bought them their Meow Mix. But I just couldn't have them in the house anymore. If you have ever been to my house, you know I have offered up the cats to any takers. ( so far none). The other day, Marlin, came out of the garage wobbly and unsteady. I didn't even notice it. Newell pointed out that there was something wrong with the cat. What to do? He called the vet and she thought maybe the cat had a stroke. Well, we don't want the cat to suffer. So the next morning we put him in a carrier and I took him to the vet's house so she could take him to the office and put him out of misery. Imagine my surprise, when she said the cat has an inner ear infection and would be fine. HMMM.. fine. Now, having one less cat around would have been ideal for me. The cats pee in my garage, often on Echo. Which is pretty sad. I was ( to be honest) very disappointed that the cat was going to fine. Now, I have to give him an antibiotic for 2 weeks. This cat I can barely get my hands on. Great. How long do cats live for?

puppies

These 7 week old puppies of mine are so unhappy. It has been so hot here that I can't seem to find a place to put them to make them happy. They are not happy in their whelping room, they want to be out, so they holler and scream, Mostly just one of them does, that would be mine. But anyway, when I put them outside they holler and scream because it is too hot. My friend Georgeann bought me the coolest thing. It is an ocillating fan that you hook the hose up to. The fan blow cool water over the puppies. I put that on and they are happy. They all jockey for position under the spritzing water and fall asleep. If you look at them, they have a think layer of mist over them. It almost looks like they are covered in frost. I'll try to post a pic of it.

Now everyone is happy. Especially me.

So I have been thinking about how I first got started in this crazy lifestyle. How is it that I have come to love these dogs so much that I am just about obsessed with them. Well, my story starts when I was very young. My dad was dying and I was staying with a friend of my family. We went to visit a kennel in Northern NJ, because their next door neighbors were getting a new dog. I remember, like yesterday, pulling into the driveway and before my eyes were the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen. We walked around and looked at puppies and adults and I could barely contain myself. As we moved along, I remember hearing the owners talk about their dogs and how some of their older dogs were available for adoption. Retired show dogs that were looking for a good homes to live out their lives. My heart started to race. I knew we could never afford a puppy, not with Dad sick and all. But certainly, we could give a home to one of these older guys. I went home and begged and pleaded. My mother, of course was not keen on the idea. After all her plate was pretty full. Facing a life without my father and raising 3 kids by herself. But I was relentless. I eventually just simply wore her down. We brought her home, CH Sanctuary Woods Early Bird. She was my salvation. She was the most beautiful and regal animal I had ever seen. She made me sane in a world that was quickly going out of control for me. She lived 2 years with us. She got me through one of the worst times in my life. And after she died, I knew in my heart that I would never own a different kind of dog. I didn't know how long it would take, but I knew Bernese Mountain Dogs would be a part of my life. Little did I know at 15, how much a part they would really become.

What to Write About

So.. when I got my Master's Degree, my final project was a Memoir called "Follow Me to the Dog Show". This was a series of short stories about my experiences and takings of my life in the dog show world. Since I have been writing this blog, I was thinking, (because you know I do that a lot) why not write a book. So.. What do you think? Would there be interest in a book about dogs, dog shows and the funny things that happen along the way. I thought I would call it " My life as a Dog" Let me know.

Belle is coming

So.. I am getting a new puppy from Tanner. Her name will be Belle and she is bred by Trisha Olsen. What is funny, is that I have been waiting for a while for Trisha to decide which puppy to send to me. There are only two girls. She has sent pictures of them. We have talked. She just couldn't make up her mind. Well, yesterday the e-mail came and the decision had been made. Puppy B would come here. She went on to explain her reasoning. This about heads, and bone, that about stacking but in the end she said I was getting the one that was ( uh how did she put it) full of attitude. Well, that is code for the one who is yelling all of the time, or the one you are saying no to all of the time. Well, what is funny... for those of you who know me, that is what exactly is in my backyard. Chris wills say, Tanner was the one that was into everything. For the longest time I am sure he thought his name was "Tanner NO"/ Jada, screamed and screamed while all of her litter mates slept soundly around her, and now Kendra, uses her siblings as a latter to jump out of the box and xpen. So... Welcome Belle to Blackrock, you should feel right at home.

Kinda Kute Kendra??

Faith

I have got to tell you.. my faith has been restored in the dog showing world. I know many of you who try to show their own dogs and lose get very frustrated, and I do as well. . Most times we try to blame it on the judge, she just likes the handlers... We like to say. But.. I have been happily surprised. In the past weeks I have had a beautiful male here at my house to show from Canada. Many of you know this dog. While showing him, I have competed against the top handlers in my area. And in all cases, this dog has won. There has not been even a hesitation. He has been WD, BW and often BOB in almost every show he has competed in. The lesson learned. We should all strive to have the very best in the ring.. And if we do, we will be rewarded, every time. The judges know a good dog and will find him. Thanks Eve, for this great opportunity to show the absolutely wonderful dog....and to have my faith restored in showing dogs.

They like him better than me...

So.. the kids came home yesterday, kind of a surprise. They never just come home. Well, today was Father's Day and they wanted to celebrate their dad. How nice. They bought him a gift, and they treated him like a king. How nice. What happened on Mother's DAy. I don't remember..

When his birthday comes, we get a cake and sing and give him presents. When my birthday comes, I don't remember. They like him better than me. Hmmm....

Judging Jada

So I have my bitch from my JJ litter. We call her Jada. She is a great dog, but.... not quite the show dog we would hope. She is a little small, she is out of proportion because of all of her coat, and she has a bad front. I have been toying with the idea of placing her in a companion home. I had pretty much made up my mind this past week. I put the word out to some of my friends and lo and behold, we had the phone ringing off the hook for her. Anyone would be just thrilled to have her. So, I narrowed down my prospects. Spoke to the people several times and pretty much decided that she would be right for them. I am going to the show this weekend and as it happens it is near where these people live. We made plans to meet at the show so they could see Jada and I could meet them in person and decide if this was a good match. Last night, I put her in the tub to give her a good bath, and...... SHE IS IN SEASON!!! Go figure. All bets are off. She can't go home with these people now for 3 weeks. Maybe she heard me talking on the phone, and she really doesn't want to leave. I wouldn't put it past her..

So. the puppies are now 6 weeks old. They could not be cuter..They wag their tails and bark for attention. Their prospective owners are coming to visit and everyone is just as happy as can be. Now comes the hard part. Which one stays here for me. It sometimes happens that the puppy for me just stands out and the decision is easy. But sometimes it is not. This is one of those times. The puppy I like the best, does not have the correct markings for a Bernese Mountain Dog. And without the correct markings, everything else has to be perfect. The one that is correctly marked, well I am just not that sure about. Should I not keep one. Well, that has never been an option, because that is why I breed, to keep a puppy for my program. So, I am in a dilemma. Keep one that is perfectly marked, but does not WOW me, or keep one that I like that isn't marked well, or not keep one at all. Hmmm.. What to do, what to do...

So I would like to start a petition to get rid of Wednesdays. They are of no use. There are no holidays on Wednesdays and you know that when you wake up on Wednesday, you think " it should be Thursday". For me, Wednesdays are just too long. I am a morning person. I like to get up, get started and by 2pm have my nap. On Wednesdays though, I have to work in the afternoon. I get up do my things and when nap time comes along, I have to go to work. Last night, (Wed. night) I went to work and then went to the YKC meeting and didn't get home until nearly 9:30. I am tired this morning. Don't you think it would sound great if our work week was Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. I think it rolls really well. Just get rid of Wednesdays. Whose for it?

It is hard being the smartest person in the room... ALL OF THE TIME!!!!

So, I thought I just did this, but I guess not. I am being told that I don't blog enough. Well, I don't have that much to say. I go to work, and don't get home until 3 and I haven't eaten yet. I am tired, hungry and my feet hurt. The things I am thinking about now are why hasn't Vetgen told me which puppy to keep. They said two weeks and it has been three. Does anyone care about this? I don't think so. I worry why Echo has decided to jump the fence like it isn't there. Does anyone care about this, I don't think so. I am thinking that we need to move, because I can't keep the dogs I want living here. Oh well, I am the only one that cares about that. I will try to be better at this. Just be patient.

So Mere just called. She is writing her thank you notes to those people who gave her something for graduation. (remember she just graduated from Georgetown) well she called to ask if she should put her notes inside the blue thing. I asked What blue thing? And than it dawned on me she was asking if she should put her notes inside the MAIL BOX... OMG this is what this generation has become. If it doesn't have send, forward, twitter, they don't know what it is. She did not know what the blue thing was... Too funny!!!

Don't you just figure.

So, Presley had her babies today. she let her Momma sleep through the night. Fretted a bit this morning and than got down to business. 8 puppies, bam, bam, bam. Nothing to it. Me on the other hand. Sit up all night, wringing my hands and pulling out my hair. Only to end up going to the vet to take them out.. Struggling with milk production and puppies gaining weight. I am so proud of Presley, Robin, Kristen and Adam. I am thinking that I will go down and steal Presley and leave Jada instead. Do you think they would notice?

So off to the foot doctor. I can't walk. Huge pain when you can't walk. I am going to tell him just to give me new feet. If I wanted a new nose I could get one, why can't I just get new feet. I'll let you know what he says.

Graduation

So back from graduation. Great day with beautiful weather. We are so proud of Mere and all that she has accomplished. At the end, she wants to meet us at the statue. Of course the statue is on the complete other side from where we are sitting. And we have 15 people with us. So it makes tons of sense for 15 of us to travel to the other side of the courtyard to meet her, instead of her meeting us. Well we manage and don't lose anyone. I took the lead. We finally get there and we have to go back because her coaches have gotten her something, and they are where we all just were.

Go figure...

So, Tanner is in Finland. Day one of his big adventure. It was not so easy. He left Chicago at 4:20 on time and I fully expected to hear from Tuuli when I woke up the next morning. It was all morning long that I kept checking my email to hear from her. Nothing.. When I spoke with Heather she told me that they had closed some airports down due to the ash. Georgeann an I began to get worried. We checked the flight status on line and the flight had indeed taken off on time from Chicago but was delayed landing in Amsterdam by nearly 5 hours. WHERE WAS THIS PLANE??? We called the airline and they were very non helpful. They thought the plane was in Paris and didn't know much more than that. To think ( and you know I am a thinker, I already told you that) I was panicked, well I was FREAKED!!!

Tuulie cleared things up. They indeed landed in Paris.. They were delayed nearly 3 hours. They were able to get Tanner in Paris and walk around.. ( I wondered if they put a beret on him???) and they arrived safely in Helsinki.. More updates to come.

I have just downloaded the pics from the Specialty and somehow I can't seem to figure out how to send more than one pic at a time. I have a new computer and I guess I will have to call the support team again to help me. Now, the last time I called they told me I only had 2,145 more times that I could call, and I didn't think that would be enough. I have developed a close and personal relationship with these Mac folks. I am thinking of inviting them to dinner

Here we go!!

So, my family thinks that I spend entirely too much time thinking about things and than asking them what their opinion is. They wanted me to do this, to save them the endless hours of my musings. So these are the things I think about.

I am an Aquarius, so I am a thinker. I think about things all of the time. Mostly while I am driving the van which I do all the time. I think about things to do, things I should be doing, things I could be doing and than ultimately things I should have done. It is exhausting.

Imagine how this went the last couple of days. Driving home from the Bernese National Specialty for the better part of two days. I thought about why I was driving, why I sent Tanner to Europe, why the puppies don't have their eyes opened yet, why Echo wasn't eating. Whew!!! I was tired.

So, I will now share with whoever is out there, the things I think about.

Dawn

Endless Thoughts of Dawn

Here you go, Mom! Start blogging away!!

LOVE YOU!

-mere