Pre-performance, nerves of steel . . . .

I was out shopping this afternoon, and all of a sudden it hit me:  this must be exactly what "the calm before the storm" feels like.  Ray and I have been pretty much just hanging out with Victory at home, working on our class prep or arranging things in anticipation of the arrival of the pups, and the entire atmosphere is one of peace and tranquility.  But it's a deceptive atmosphere because right below the surface are our excitement and our anxiety about the debut of the tiny dancers.  If there were a way of seeing my nerve endings right now, I bet they'd all be jingling and jangling, even though I'm moving through my day very calmly.

The fact is, those little dancers are due to take the stage any time now, but of course we don't know exactly when the curtain will go up, and that uncertainty is difficult -- not only for us but for all those who are with us in spirit, waiting for news that the debut is underway.  

Perhaps the best indicator that labour is imminent is that the mama's temperature drops dramatically.  So three times a day we take her temperature, holding our breath until the Pavlovian beep-beep-beep of the digital thermometer tells me that our suspense is over for another few hours -- and tells Victory that she is about to get a reward for being such an incredibly good sport about all of this.

Unlike us, Victory is calm through and through (except when she's barking at intruders passing by on the sidewalk, that is!).

Serene, but watchful.

And as we wait, we are reminded that the circle of life is at times an almost unbearable reality.  Last night,  Victory's breeder, Jean Lavalley, lost her incredible girl Taz -- her almost-16-year-old heart dog, her partner, a source of inspiration to her friends and to the agility community around the world.  Jean and her husband Joel have broken hearts, and the whole extended Taylormade family is mourning the loss of this amazing girl.  Yet at the same time, we wait, excited for these new lives to begin.  Certainly part of the mission for these babies is to heal hearts -- we knew that already after the losses in our own family.  But perhaps they can help with healing Jean and the rest of the family, too.

I will pray for that.  And of course we continue to pray for the dancers to have a wonderfully successful debut.