{ Miss Thing in Cap and Gown }

I decided long ago that I would not post photos of the kids while they were kids but my Miss Thing is now a grown up and I think a bit of bragging is in order today! Note the white gown, cords and you can't see it but the lapel pin - all denoting she graduated with honors. A special thanks to Justin - Miss Thing's boyfriend extraordinaire- who jumped rope lines and fought back the masses to get this photo for a proud Auntie.

{ To My Miss Thing }

Auntie's do not have "a day", nor do we have a Hallmark occasion. Nope, our rewards come in the milestones of our "children"...the borrowed, usurped, spoiled rotten because we can people who give us our titles. I am off to celebrate my Girlie Girl's high school graduation tomorrow. This child has always had a strong sense of self, a great heart and will most likely take over the world or at least a small piece of it. She is the hope of the future and I must say, we are in good hands. She is leaving her high school with a 4.0, two paid years (and perhaps more to follow) to the University of her choice and at least a semester of college credits under her belt. Her brother (aka the other planet my Universe obits) has his own milestone in the coming weeks but for today, I celebrate my "Miss Thing". Happy rest of your life...I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
LYBTTWWFTSAB ~ Auntie

{ Does It Grow Corn? }

My girlfriend, Dori, and I have usurped what we think is a Native American expression of, "Does it grow corn" as our mantra these last few months. Apparently, the way we hear it (and who knows how accurate this is historically but still, it's a great story) tribe(s) would ask of each project/idea/task "Does it grow corn?" Meaning...corn is our sustenance, our survival and if what you are doing, about to do doesn't contribute in some way to growing corn it's not a priority. As two women running two businesses and households, along with our veggie gardens and "personal time" (I'm trying not to laugh as I type that), staying focused is the key to survival and sanity. The true trick is to find a few minutes where you can breathe and think and then define what is YOUR corn? It sounds crazy but it's been an effective strategy to staying on track.

{ Answering the Age Old Question... }

It seems that we have blue skies ahead on the job front. An offer for one more year of full time work has been accepted but that is not why we are celebrating. For many years in this household it has been common to hear this question being asked, "If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you do with your life?" It is not a trivial question. It is never met with, "I would buy..." It is often asked in moments of crisis or of cross roads. When that particular question is asked, it's recipient is expected to contemplate it seriously. You see, by removing the single largest hindrance that most of us have in our lives...money...one is free to go deep inside and connect with a more meaningful life vision. It is so easy to forget that we are meant to contribute to this world in other ways besides financially. So our age old question is the touchstone to remind us. We are celebrating now because for the last few years, one of us who had previously been met with a vast deafening silence from within when the question was posed, finally has an answer. Yes, the business plan is still being sketched, excitement is tangible. Regardless of what the job front brings in 12 months time, we see nothing but sunny skies around here.

{ Clouds Gather on the Job Front - Bring It On! }

My last post's title might have implied that we were bracing ourselves from the impending storms of change...oh, no, not at all. We are outside on the porch overlooking the vast open skies, excitement building saying, "bring it on". Living on a rural island in the middle of Puget Sound, we have come to learn that a good storm is necessary to the ecosystem...thins out the weak things, makes those that still stand stronger. And so are life changes necessary for humans. They force us to evaluate the priorities, clear out the clutter and the extraneous - when the storm lets loose, you get real clear real fast what matters and what doesn't. The 40% reduction in the primary income is looking like a done deal but even if in the 11th hour they can retain it for this year, it means that next year it will either be eliminated completely or the position offered in its stead will be horrendous. We have spent the weekend confirming our budget, noting places where we can still cut our spending. I will ramp up my business as much as I am physically able to without hiring staff. But this is an opportunity for the non-entrepreneur in the house to discover new territory. The challenge is being met. I believe I spied the beginnings of a business plan yesterday. So I say, bring on the storms! I love waking up the next day to a new world awash with anticipation.

{ Preparing for Coming Storms }

The next few weeks will be interesting around here. The economic downturn may impact our income after all...we will not know for sure right away... but it looks as if next year's income might be cut by about 40%. Hmmm....guess it's time to go back to Budgeting 101 and evaluate every expense. Luckily the current contract carries us through the summer months so unlike so many others, we have time to prepare. Right off the top I know we have places to cut...the long and short of it is, we have positioned ourselves for just this type of thing and while we will have NO extras, we should be able to weather the storm should it come to pass.

{ Two Steps Forward... }

It seems I have over done it just a bit...I've been put on bed rest for the next three days. At first I was frustrated but then I heard the words of one of my client, "healing is a full time job." He was so right and I am still less then three weeks out from surgery. In order to practice what I was preaching in a prior post, I'm going with the flow. So, I am laying in bed with the laptop catching up on my blog readings. In just a bit, I'll keep reading, "The Gift of A Year" (Tamara, I can hear your words in my head! lol) for Women Take Wings! book club. The garden looks lovely through the French doors. Not too stressful of a day.

{ WTW Blog Give Away }

Women Take Wing! is having its first ever blog give away. This lovely charm was created by member Christine of Bella Colle. The front of this silver framed charm features a swallow image taken from a vintage postcard, and on the back is our group's name. The words "women take wing" are very meaningful to us, and we hope the winner of this charm will catch the spirit of the message and "take wing" and fly with her dreams! (May 6th is the drawing)

This is the first of several give aways this month so be sure to check back each week (oh, heck, just bookmark it and check back often!) For those of you who don't know, Women Take Wing! is a private (members only) online community of women - a place to find support and connection for our businesses and ourselves.

Happy Thursday!