{ Boundaries, boundaries and budgets }

So I have two themes going on in my life these last couple of weeks...boundaries and budgets. I have too many clients but I love them all and don't want to let anything go right now. It will slow down, as taking on new clients is always labor intensive at the beginning. But as my girlfriend pointed out, that's what I have been saying since last year. The thing is, I know that I need more personal time (the last book that I actually read was a year ago...books on tape are my friend) but I really really like my work and let's get real. I am making up for lost financial ground after running a retail store for five years. Leading me to my budget woes. I need to get back on track with my budget. I've have been remiss in my own financial habits (and my sugar/processed food habit too but that's another blog). I've pretty much fallen off the wagon in a lot of ways. So, this weekend I will be spending it getting my office and my life back on track...getting re-focused. I need to get my own books caught up, my filing done, my last little hanger on projects out of my office. I think I'm hanging on to them so I always have to be busy, and that's not a good way to live. My friend, Teemie, asked me last week what fun things I had done since posting my finding balance blog. I must admit, none, but change is on the horizon!!
I have two out of four weekends booked in April for "junking" and the Tulip Festival and a Girls Night Out for dinner. Now I just need to schedule a day or two OFF and out of the office and life will be good.

{ Happy Spring }

I wish I could say this were my garden, alas, it is Buchart Gardens in Victoria, BC. I took this last summer as a reminder that out of a gloomy quarry, beautiful things can grow...giving me hope for my little simple garden plot. With the brightness of this garden and with the first day of Spring, I feel my spirits lift today. Blessings for a new season.

{ Happy Birthday, Mom }

March is a bittersweet month for me. My nephew's birthday is a joyous day but the anniversary of the loss of my Mom followed days later by her birthday...it's a tough week each year. This year I will be working (because she would have expected me to do that) and then, tonight, I am going to our local diner and having a chocolate malt with extra malt for Mom. That was our favorite treat on nights when Dad worked late. For all of my Mom's girlfriends who read this (our very own Ya Ya's), I hope you go out and order a malt too...and somewhere we will know Mom is joining us. Who knows? Maybe she and Elvis are finally dancing in heaven.

{ Balancing Life }

My project the next few weeks is to really try and look at why I have no time in my life for, well, life. I seem to be working all the time and while I love what I do, I need a little more structure and a little more time for fun things. All work and no play makes a tired and grumpy girl.

{ Missing You Every Day }

Somewhere between sleep and awake, I feel you and know you are not far from me. Sometimes I can even hear you when you speak but I'd give everything I have to have one more conversation or to hear you laugh one more time.

{ Happy Birthday, Paul! }

Twenty years ago on March 10th I was living in a foreign land, far far away from my first true love. Angels whispered into my ear that he had arrived safely, after many long hours of labor, to the arms of my sister. It was six months later that on a sunny July morning my car pulled into the driveway of his parent's Bay Area home. As if by some unexplicable force he lurched from his mother's arms toward me. As his tiny warm body snuggled into me, I knew that I finally understood what complete, true and unconditional love meant. Every day since, my life has been more peaceful and more meaniful knowing that he is here with me in this world.
Happy Birthday, Paul. I love you bigger than the whole world.
Auntie

{ Women Are Really Amazing }

So, we went to the conference on Monday and I must say the main thing I took away from it was that women are really really amazing. Story after story was about how a little dream lived inside of them until finally, they just couldn't ignore it any longer. I stepped back to the back wall at one point and just looked around the room, taking it all in. Supportive, creative, energetic...it reinforced what I know about women entreprenuers...we are powerful.

The other thing I took away was a realization that I am not the only self employed person who obsesses about my business(es) 24/7 and that's ok. It was just nice to hear that I'm not the only one who doesn't put it away at 5:00. It's really a way of life more than a job. Balance and time away is important, I know that, but if you love what you are doing, than just do it and don't apologize.

On the WTW blog and in my own life these last few weeks I've been addressing the topic of helping other women move forward in starting their own businesses and I came to a place in my heart where I really understand how much I love to be there, cheering them on.

{ An Opportunity To Network }

Tomorrow I am taking a field trip of sorts to "America" (the mainland) with Dori, my partner in crime at WTW. We will be attending a marketing/networking/entreprenuerial conference. Not only will it be good for WTW but I'm hoping I can bring back exciting new ideas to my clients.
Here's the link: http://www.craveparty.com/shop08/index.htm
TTFN!