Making the Commitment

I'm somewhat commitment-phobic - not about people, but to my hobbies. I don't know why this is, but I dawdle on buying the necessary equipment in the hobby of current choice until the last possible moment. For years I played soccer in tennis shoes, skating and sliding and falling. But finally I took the plunge and spent a lot of money on some really nice cleats and then the obsession took off at a really serious pace.
Now I'm middle-aged (or my daughter would say I am OLD) and I retired from soccer and Obedience has taken over. I was heartbroken over Blitz's illness and he will never be well enough to compete in Utility. So, purchasing articles for him never entered my mind. I'd measured Moto awhile ago and his mouth is too large for Dusty's articles. I needed a new set. But as you know from reading past posts, I've been ambiguous about his obedience career. Surfing around websites I came across Clouds and Company - where my friend Diane purchased her article bag. This woman knows how to shop. And, on their "ready to go" page was this article bag. It was stunningly beautiful. I called and asked if the measured articles would fit in this bag. Moto's size is unusual for a Sheltie and I didn't know if this would be a smart purchase. Bless her heart, Jill (Clouds and Company owner) rounded up a student with articles that size, placed them in the bag and said it was fine. The transaction was made and this beautiful bag is on its way to my home now. So I took the plunge. Once I started I couldn't stop and went over to another site that hand-makes beautiful articles and requested that the numbers be painted in purple, just to be different. Those articles are also on their way in a few weeks.
This means I HAVE to show Moto at least through the Utility level. I hope that it will become an obsession, he does well and we have a nice long career together. Like his sire, he is a very complex dog and I still haven't quite figured him out yet. What I do know is our bond is getting very strong and that I love him beyond belief. I think it is this bond that will make him do his best. But what will define "best"? I know what I want. I hope he will want the same. We won't know until he enters the ring, and that is at LEAST another year, if not longer. But we sure do have a pretty article bag when he gets to Utility!