We kicked off 2011 with our 12th Annual New Year's Eve bonfire and labyrinth walk, with old neighborhood friends and family, only this year it was drizzling so we gathered inside for most of the evening and gourged ourselves on entrees and desserts. Max and Lucky did their tricks. Everyone wrote down their resolutions on one sheet, their Throw Away's on another sheet, and their material requests on a cabbage leaf. Miraculously, the drizzling rain abated just long enough for everyone to go outside at 11:30, burn their Throw Aways, perform the Mayan Meditation Dance, jump the fire line and race into the center of the labyrinth to shoot off our roman candles. It was great fun. Some folks left shortly after that, while Jonathan, age 13, took charge of the fireworks in the sprinkling rain and did a marvelously mature job of safely managing them til they were all gone. I jumped over the fireline with Maxie, John jumped over with Lucky, then I walked Lucky into the labyrinth "to bring her to the inner circle", then I walked Maxie out "to bring him to the outer limits", symbolically in keeping with my agility resolutions below. Then the last 6 of us (Laura, Portia, Jonathan, Audrey, John and me) gathered on the front porch, put on Queen, broke out the champagne and raised our glasses to the New Year and many other toasts. Portia, age 8, had us all laughing after her 1 sip of champagne, which brought out a hilarious side of her I had never seen. We were rolling. Then out came the dancing ribbons and all us girls twirled around the yard in self-expressive dance for half an hour or so, until nearly 4 a.m. It was energetically liberating and so satisfying to be with good and trusted friends, infusing the air with confident positivity. It was perfect!
My NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS that pertain to my dogs:
- Bring Lucky from Novice thru Excellent in one year, repeating what I did with Maxie last year in both Jumpers and Standard.
- Bring Maxie all the way up to Masters Title in both Jumpers and Standard, in as few trials as possible (6-10).
- Improve my stamina. Work up to sprinting 100 yards 4 times a day (to simulate doing 4 runs per day at trials). Make that 6 if I decide to compete in FAST class.
- Be the BEST agility instructor I can be.
- Perfect my pre-competition routine.
- Perfect my course memorization/visualization skills.
- Perfect my handling skills.
- Manifest a diesel Coachman Concord motor home that's in great shape, for next to nothing, keep it packed and ready!
- Help our club move onward and upward, developing at least 3-5 new agility competitors in 2011 for 2012.
- Learn more about putting on trials.
- Strengthen my network of agility friends.
On New Year's Day, we slept in then friends came over and we watched our new AVATAR HDDVD, Extended Version, with friends, and ate all the left-overs from everybody's house!
So now, our cabbage leaves are buried, Jonathan has gone home, parties are over, dishes are washed, most of the gifts given out, and it's time to get crackin'. I just ran my 100 yards, twice actually, my calves ache and I'm winded. When I can do that without the ache and panting, I'll know I'm making progress. I'm giving myself 2 months (til March) to get in shape.
One of the things John and I are doing today is learn how to stream Maxie's YouTube videos on our HD TV. I also want to see if I can stream videos straight from my Handycam, and how I might improve the quality of my 2011 videos.
Upwards and onward!
A way opens before me.
All obstacles and impediments are removed.
Only that which is worthy and desirable comes forward with me.
Let it Be!
After each chant, Portia started scooping up wet leaves and throwing them up in the air over our heads like confetti. It was so festive, I followed suit and so did a few others. Like Susan Garrett points out in her webinar, the most important quality for success to cultivate is "gratitude" for every blessing received.
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