When we started practicing at the end of July, I was so nervous about dancing in front of so many people that I had many a sleepless night. The anxiety was almost overwhelming at times. Now that the event is upon us, I am not nervous at all. I will probably be nervous tomorrow, but for now, I’m sleeping well and feel pretty good about the whole thing. The real test will be the dress rehearsal at 1:00 tomorrow. If my nerves are manageable for that, I think I’ll be fine tomorrow night. We will see.

This has been a great experience, and I could not have done this without the overwhelming support from family and friends. This has truly been a team effort, and to all of you on my team, I just want to say, “Thank you! You guys rock!” I also want to give a special shout out to my favorite marketing lady, Denise Hood, at Creative Juices Marketing. She is the brains behind my wonderful logo, Mutts & Margaritas, my website, and so much more. Without her, Bootscootin’ Bonistalli might never have been.

Finally, I would like to thank Kevin Sumter, aka Mr. Miyagi. He has been a joy to dance with and has become a good friend. I am going to be sad after our final practice today, because it’s really been a lot of fun.

So, I’m off to do some last minute stuff in preparation of the big day. Thank you all for your donations and support. Regardless of the outcome, tomorrow night will be wonderful. However, I will do my best to bring home the Mirrorball Trophy. To quote the great Fezzik from the Princess Bride, “Hey Inigo! I hope we win…..”

Does your Lab have flab?
Is your cat too fat?
Does your Dog look like a log?
We can help with that!

Take a look at these fabulous things that were created to keep your favorite furry things healthy and happy.

These unique items are for sale on FAB.com.  I’m not telling you to buy them – this is an attempt to amuse you

DogTread

Help Your Dog Work It Out

The Cheeky Beastie

Fun Toys For Foodie Felines

Now, something for your dog to chew on other than a side of beef…

The Contempo Line

Contempo Smart Toys For The Four-Legged & Feisty
The Contempo line, designed by Peter Pracilio for SPOT Brand Products, is determined to keep your pet engaged and distracted. With treat dispensing toys and laser beaming birds, how could your bud ever be swayed by any other plaything? So grab a good book and watch your friend wear himself out. You’re welcome.

Essie is the one on the right.

I have had the extreme pleasure of loving and caring for 5 cats and 2 dogs over my life and have cherished every moment of my time with them (and still do).  Last year, I adopted the most adorable little kitten that I named Esmeralda from the CASPCA.  Essie is so entertaining, funny and downright precious.  My husband and I adopted Essie, who was born to her homeless mother in a CASPCA foster home with her brother and sister (pictured).  At the time, we also had a 19 year old cat named Presto.  Presto was my boy since I adopted him from the SPCA when he was 2 because he had more character, love, and swanky style than all of the other cats in the shelter put together.  Presto was a stray tom cat who had a torn ear and a missing front tooth that made his lip curl up like Elvis.  The SPCA saved him and fostered him – then found him a great home with me.  NOW for the canine in the family – Ella, a beautiful shepherd/lab mix that we adopted 11 years ago.  Ella is a 100 pound baby that my husband and I spoil ROTTEN constantly.  But I digress!!!  Badly in fact.  I love animals of all kinds and I possess an EXTREME amount of respect for the SPCA and the work that they do.  I am a big supporter AND fan of everything they do and represent. 

What I wanted to do with this blog was share some information with you that will make you understand how important it is to GIVE to the CASPCA.

$500 provides emergency care for a critically injured animal
$250 sponsors an animal’s entire stay at the SPCA
$100 provides support for a litter of kittens or puppies
$50 funds the spay/neuter of one animal
$25 covers standard intake tests and vaccines for one cat
$20 covers standard intake tests and vaccines for one dog.

Fact is, ANY amount will help the CASPCA keep these animals fed, happy and content until they can find forever homes.  Go to CASPCA website and vote for Julie Bonistalli with a donation.  It means so much.  Thanks.

FAME  –  Monday @ 9:45, interview with Rick Daniels and Jane Foy on WINA AM 1070

Monday @ 10, interview with Sherry Taylor on Z-95

Monday @ 10:15, interview with Brad Savage on 106.1 The Corner

Wednesday @ noon, taping news interview with NBC 29

Thursday @ 5pm, hosting Mutts & Margaritas Fundraiser at La Taza in Belmont

Random Periods of  ”free time”  - practice practice practice … gotta bootscoot!

FEAR – Ditto to ALL of the above!  But you know, those cute little furry faces at the CASPCA shelter make me want to face these fears with abandon and raise all of the money that I can for them.  It’s the only way these animals can stay safe.  They can’t take care of themselves.  They need us to protect them.  And if I have to go out in front of the entire STATE of Virginia – I will.  I just hope I survive it  Thank you all for your support!!!!!

Like Karate, dance is not something that you just pick up overnight.  Kevin is trying to cram hours of lessons and practice into a just two short months.  The Karate Kid analogy came to me because Kevin asks me to do things that I think are a complete waste of my time, much like Miyagi’s wash on/wash off technique.  I have been asked to watch other dancers and critique them and I have been asked to perform the entire routine for Kevin without a partner.  These things make sense to me.  I understand how these things will help with our dance on October 6^th.  Kevin ALSO asks me to learn dances that I will NOT be doing at the Critter Ball.  He asks me to learn to dance with complete strangers, people who I will NOT be dancing with at the Critter Ball.  I am baffled as to how these will help our actual dance routine (the whole reason we are doing this, by the way), and when I ask why I have to do these things, he just says, “Trust me.  It will make you a better dancer.”

So like I said, we are 17 days out and at this point, I am trusting Kevin aka Mr. Miyagi and doing what he says toden help our dance to be the best it can be.  I’m still not sold on the idea of learning how to dance a waltz (it’s not in our routine) or learning how to dance with other people, but I’m trying to be a good sport about it.  After all, he is giving me free reign on my outfit!

Yoga for Dogs: A Bonding Experience

Doga combines massage and meditation with gentle stretching for dogs and their humans. Although it might seem unusual, dogs generally dig doga because, like yoga, doga emphasizes the union and connection with other beings, and there’s no being your dog would rather be connected with than you.

“Doga is all about bonding with your dog,” says Suzi Teitelman, a nationally televised doga instructor who teaches in Jacksonville, Fla. “It’s much like doing yoga with an infant. You move and stretch them. You help them extend their limbs. You balance them on your body and you move over and around them.”

And much like an infant, your dog will love the touching, massaging and relaxation time with his human parent, even if he doesn’t understand exactly what doga is.

“People are often concerned that their dog isn’t mellow enough for doga, but I encourage them to give it a try. I’ve had many skeptics come to class and leave happy with the results,” says Brenda Bryan, author of the book Barking Buddha: Simple Soul Stretches for Yogi and Dogi, and a doga teacher near Seattle, Wash.

Finding a doga teacher or class is not always easy because the practice is still relatively new, but more and more instructors and practitioners are popping up around the country. “Dog parents can definitely practice doga on their own, especially if they already know yoga, but it’s best to take a class or two or watch a DVD or read a doga manual to learn techniques that are safe and healthy to do with their pet,” says Teitelman.

Doga Poses

Bryan calls her doga poses whimsical names such as Woofing Warrior, Camel Rides Dog, and Muttley Mudras.

“These poses incorporate your dog fully into your yoga practice. They’re a bit nontraditional in practice but quite traditional in theory,” says Bryan.

Ready to embark on some beginner doga poses? Try one of these:

Super Dog:

Kneel and squat, balanced on your toes. With your dog facing away from you, gently and slowly encourage him to stand on his hind legs with you supporting his weight under his front armpits. This pose stretches your dog’s abdominal muscles and front legs and strengthens the back leg joints.

Forward Bend:

Stand with both feet under your hips. Roll and bend forward, hanging from your waist, with your hands and head low. Scoop up your dog to add his weight to your bend. This increases your stretch. And while your dog is “weightless,” you can give his limbs a good stretch too.

Wheelbarrow:

Stand behind your dog and lean slightly forward. Gently pick his back legs up, supporting his hip joints with both hands, and slowly encourage him to stretch and flex his torso. This pose stretches his abdominal muscles, loosens the hips and strengthens the front leg joints.

Doga Gear

Humans should wear comfortable, stretchy clothes, just like you’d wear for any yoga practice. Dogs need no special gear, although both human and dog should practice on a mat that provides some cushioning and traction. Keep cool water on hand for both of you to stay hydrated, and take breaks as needed.

Like yoga, doga is a journey, not a destination. The joy is in the practice. It’s something you can try for both the sheer fun of it and the deepening of the bond between you and your best friend.

For starters, I am a “celebrity” dancer in the upcoming SPCA Critter Ball’s “Dancing with the Stars” competition. How I attained the lofty status of a local celebrity is beyond me. “Celebrity” is not something to which I have aspired. I am painfully shy (I still don’t know why everyone laughs at me when I say this), and I usually do anything to avoid attention. Like everyone, I sing in the car and in the shower, and when I do, I’m famous and beautiful and everyone loves me. I know that that will never really happen in a million years and, honestly, I don’t want it to. I’ve never really wanted to be a celebrity. And yet, here I am. I am going to dance in the Bootscootin’ Boogie themed Critter Ball on October 6th in front of a lot of people, and I’m terrified!

The Critter Ball Committee has paired me up with a dance partner named Kevin Sumter. Kevin is awesome! He is a unique combination of a crazy, thrill-seeking, cliff jumping ski instructor and a patient, unbelievably kind, fun swing dance instructor. Kevin’s first rule of dance: Have Fun! I have to admit, once I got over the uncomfortable feeling of dancing in front of another person without the aid of a few cocktails to bolster my courage, it really was fun! I’ll talk about Rule #3 later.

Kevin and I have been practicing since the end of July. Due to summer scheduling issues, we had not been practicing regularly up until last week. Now that the kids are back in school, we are practicing three days a week for 2-3 hours at a time.  Needless to say, I am taking this thing seriously, for two reasons. First, while I am very shy, my ego is quite robust. I refuse to go out there and look like Elaine Benes, so everyone can mock me behind my back. My hubby says I am going to be mocked regardless. I think he thinks that his real wife has been abducted by aliens and replaced with a look-a-like. His real wife would never do something like this, so he can say whatever comes to mind. Second, and more importantly, I am serious about the SPCA and the sweet little critters who need our help. I’m tackling my fears so that I can help raise money and awareness for the wonderful work that the SPCA does to save lives. Please donate today!

Coming soon: Is Kevin really Mr. Miyagi?