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*As of Feb 1, 2019 We’ve moved!* If you like this post please come on over to the new blog at https://www.maplewooddog.com/blog/  Where you can find all the archives you’ve read here plus new posts nearly every week! Hope you’ll join me over at the Maplewood Dog Blog. Thanks!

2017 was rather an eventful year for us.

Dogs –

  • In agility, Zora and I had a smoking year.  I’m still in a bit of shock when I remember we won at NADAC Championships.  I never in a million years had any inkling in my head that would have been a thing.  She’s such a good dog and fantastic teammate.
  • Zora is also the dog I’ve now met 2 of my bucket list goals with:  getting a NATCH and a Triple Triple.  Actually Zora and I won 3 NATCHs this year (nearly 4, we are one barrelers q away from our All Around NATCH).
  • On the downside, doing all of that so successfully so quickly into our agility career, has left me a bit waffling, so we are currently working on our competition obedience skills.  Which we are having loads of fun with!
  • Also this summer Zora LEARNED TO SWIM!!!!!!  Which is amazing and huge and awesome!!!
  • Tom and I had a good year too.  Our working routes changed a lot again, instead of mostly in town we now do most of our work in the woods.  We learned a number of new trail routes together as well as some new street routes.  He loves learning new things and his enthusiasm is contagious!
  • Tom turned 8 this fall and showing some early signs of arthritis in his foot and carpus, but is still a power house of a guide dog and happy as ever to shove his head into his harness and us to get going!
  • We’ve also had a variety of canine guests in our home this year.  And walked with many friends.  Tom and Zora are fantastic about sharing their home and helping the visitors learn the ropes around here.   Boarding dogs would be so much harder without Tom and Zora.
  • This year I also began working with a small number of clients in agility and obedience which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.  I really do love to teach.  In moderation.

 

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Ducks –

  • Sadly in early summer we lost Penelope.  But the remaining 5 are happy and healthy.  Spot the drake does a great job protecting his ladies.  And the daily eggs are still amazing.
  • This summer I cleaned up brush and added fencing to expand their outdoor area.  They love being out back there, digging up worms and bugs.  Hubby says it looks like an enclosure you’d find in a fancy zoo.
  • This year I also discovered and developed a few new duck egg recipes, which my young nieces and nephews ask me to make constantly.

 

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Who Knows What Else –

  • This year I worked on one of my goals to find ways to volunteer, and as a result am now involved in the local 4-H program once more and am the librarian for the IAABC reference library.
  • I also worked on the goal this past year to do things because I wanted to and because they would help me feel more joy.  ie working further on letting go of the ‘shoulds’.  And while I still have a lot (LOT) of work to do on this, I feel I did make good strides on listening to my heart.  I started a few things thinking they would help me feel joy, then when they didn’t I actually stopped doing them!  Without feeling guilty, or remorse.  This is huge for me.  And I’m more spontaneously doing things simply because they make me feel joy.
  • Sound proofing our bedroom this year, was an incredibly good investment.  For the first time in a decade I’m sleeping soundly past 4am on a rather consistent basis.  It’s glorious!
  • And I worked on a number of small building, art and sewing projects this year.  Which I had great fun with overall.
  • This year I also worked to get back in the reading habit.  Discovering the ease of e-books and how easily I can adjust font, size, color, brightness is fantastic.  Books are now accessible to me once again, which makes me beyond thrilled.  As such I’ve curled up with many new titles this year, both fiction and non.
  • I continue to enjoy writing this blog, reading the blogs I follow, and discovering new blogs to read.  Its been grand this year connecting with more bloggers!

 

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On to 2018 –

I don’t set new years resolutions or goals.  For no reason other than doings because of an arbitrary date on the calendar doesn’t make sense to me.  So my plan for 2018 is to continue exploring what works for me, my family, and my life.  As we say in dog training, “dogs do what works.”  My continued plan in 2018 – do what works, stop doing what doesn’t.  Simple as that, right? 😉

Happy New Year Folks!