Happy New Year to you and your family!  All of us here at YTNR send our heart felt wishes for a joyous new year, in all your endeavors.

I heard someone say that resolutions don't work because they take you out of your comfort zone and I offer all of us a reminder, that it is  once we get beyond our comfort zone that we are really growing.

I hope you all find the inspiration to really stretch this year into the person you feel inside!  Follow your inspired ideas and find joy in who you become in pursuit of those exciting ideas and higher ideals and new goals. 

As we begin planning for our  2011 Yorkie Ball I hope each of you will do your best to join us for a weekend full of fun and camaraderie.  Rick and Jilli will be putting on a training seminar,  Sue Hentchel, our shining spotlight member this month, will be teaching us how to make those pretty bows we put in the top knots of our little yorkies.  Penny Case will be returning for another session of teaching us more about Tellingtouch techniques to use on our pets to calm and settle them.  Corrine is busy making Ball Gowns and Vests for the fashion show and evening of the Ball and all of us are working to make this one of the best Yorkie Balls ever. 

Please mark the date and reserve your room even if you are not sure you will be able to make it.  You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance with no penalty but we do need to know that we have enough rooms in our block to accommodate all who want to be there.  If you need a room mate let us know that and we will start matching you with someone to share with. 

As always we thank you for your support and help in finding homes and proper medical treatment for these little dogs we all share a love for.

With Love...

MaryElizabeth

Make your reservations now for the
2011 Yorkie Ball October 13 - 17

Sheraton Music City Hotel
615-885-2200
 

 1. Tell us about yourself. Where are you originally from, and where do you live now?
 I was born in Detroit, Michigan on Thanksgiving morning, 1956. I lived in Mt.  Clemens, Michigan for the next 52 years. I moved to my current city of Harrison Twp. in the summer of 2008, when my business partner, Bruce Seguin, and I, opened up Posh Paws Pet Salon and Day Spa. The business is on the first floor, and I live on the 2nd floor with my dogs.

2. How did you get involved in Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue?
My good friend Janie Doyle told me about them because she knew I did pet rescue and took in lots of yorkies to find them good homes. I became a member a few years ago and the first YTNR Ball I attended back in 2008.


3.  Tell us about your recent accomplishment! :)
My recent accomplishment is getting fit & healthy. 17 months ago I decided that I could not continue to live the sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle that I was. All I had in my life was my job, my dogs, and food. I did not go out much or participate in life. In 2001 I had some minor surgery that went very wrong, and during my recovery I had to have several major surgeries to repair the problems. These surgeries resulted in my having clips and tubes in my abdomen, and made everyday life a challenge. My doctors told me that I should not worry about my weight, and that it would put my life in danger to do any hard exercise. I was given a handicap placard for my car, told not to walk too far, and not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk! That was all the excuse I needed to take things easy and eat as much as I wanted...but I slowly and steadily gained weight, and did not think I could ever take it off. In the summer of 2009 I hit rock bottom. I was determined to change my ways slowly, steadily, and SAFELY to improve my health and my mindset. I decided that even if it put my health in danger, I was killing myself anyhow, so why not at least try to make myself a bit better. I started out by  walking slowly with my dogs, eating healthy choices, and just moving more in general. As I shed the pounds I found that I could do more, and wanted to do more. Bruce, by dear friend and business partner, is a marathon runner, so naturally I turned to this expert and I asked his help in beginning to be a runner too. So far I have lost 147 pounds, and I now participate in 5K & 10K road races, and am looking forward to my first � marathon this April. My little dogs also like the new me better! We spend more time together, and they get to go out more with me. Here are some of my before and after pictures:

This is Juliette, one of our biewer terriers. She was with us at the last YTNR Ball.
I used to hate to take my own dogs in the ring when I was so very heavy.
Now I cannot wait until the next dog show, I'll be proud to take my dogs into the ring!

This was the day Bruce & I opened Posh Paws:

This was a comparison picture of me from the Detroit Kennel Club Dog shows in March of 2009, then 2010.

This was a 10K race I ran on Halloween Day in Hell, Michigan.

This was first 5K race run in a blizzard a few weeks ago in New Baltimore, Michigan.
Here I am crossing the finish line. It was the 1 year anniversary of running for me, so I could not skip this one! I never thought I'd ever be able to participate in a road race, and especially during such bad weather.

Since I have lost the weight, I am much more active, and my dogs get to go out a lot more too!
We are ALL so much happier these days too!
 
 
4. What do you love about YTNR?
I love the fellowship, the way we help each other out, we pray for the ones who need prayers (human and furry friends alike). YTNR is the best organization I have ever belonged to, and I hope to continue to be a part of this wonderful team of yorkie lovers forever. We are a family!

5. What are your hopes for the organization?
I hope to be able to raise money for YTNR through an annual race that Bruce and I are planning this year. We are in the process of setting it up through a running group we belong to, and through the township we live in. There are a lot of planning issues, and permission is needed, but we believe that it is going to get approved and it is our hope to make it as successful as possible.


6. Anything else we can learn about you?
I am very active in rescuing pets of all types, but yorkies hold a special place in my heart. I have found homes for dozens of pets in my community over the years and hope to be able to provide this service for as long as I live. Dogs, cats, and yorkies in particular, have given so much to me through my life, that rescuing them is the least I can do!

A Thank You note for the Care Package Gift that Ellie, a YTNR Rescue, sends to all our adoptive dogs when they find their "Forever Home"

Dear Ellie,

Thanks, from Chance, for the really nice blanket. He uses it every night in bed. He needs it. He is follicley challenged.

We can not thank you enough for your thoughts about this really great little dog. Chance is with us most of the time. He is the second Yorkshire we have had as part of our Family. When I was young I could not understand why

people owned these little fur balls. Now, I know. They are the best companions known to man. We love him to pieces.

Best regards,

Bill Keller

P.S. He finally is taking to my wife Suzette. We got Chance to replace our late beloved Smokey. He took to me, for some reason. He is changing slowly over to her lap. We love him. It is like having a cartoon around here again.

~ A man received a phone call one day, and the caller asked if he had lost a parrot. The man said that he had indeed lost the bird, but wanted to know how the caller located him.

The caller said that the bird had landed on his balcony and kept repeating: "Hi, you have reached 555-1234. I can't come to the phone right now, please leave a message at the tone." ~

~ Getting away from their high-stress jobs, a couple spent weekends relaxing in their motor home. When they found their peace and quiet disturbed by well-meaning but unwelcome visits from other campers, they
devised a plan to assure themselves some privacy.
Now, when they set up camp, they place this sign on the door of their motor home:"Insurance agents. Ask about our term-life package." ~

Love to all,
Neeko :o)