Keeper of the Pennies

Is Anyone Out There?

2011-02-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

For anyone still checking this blog or being notified of new postings, I will be resuming my musings at a new blog soon.

Summer Lamenting

2009-08-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

It's mid-August and we haven't put up any food for the winter. As I shared earlier, we have decided that due to our crazy busy schedules that we wouldn't grow any food this year. But the summer is nearly over and we have yet to freeze or can a single thing. The other day I was in our local market and was pleasantly surprised to find that much of the frozen goods are both local and organic. We are blessed to live in a community with markets that respond to our local values. But still, my heart was a little heavy today as I walked through the laundry room and spotted our canning pot and three dozen canning jars, brand new. Maybe this weekend I'll find time to make some spaghetti sauce and get that canned and freeze some plums. Plum tart at Christmas...oh, that sounds good.

Check our Prima Bistro's New Blog

2009-08-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Prima Bistro-our most favorite local eatery ever- has a brand new blog! We encourage everyone to visit! And if you are lucky enough to eat at Prima we recommend in summer the Burrata and Tomato Salad. YUM!

Bean Up The Nose Art is Launched!

2009-07-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

"I don't have a bean up my nose."

Years ago when I still owned a small retail shop on my little island a lovely woman wandered in one day. We chatted, she returned and became not just a customer but part of our tribe. A few years ago she was dreaming aloud of leaving her "real" life and coming out into the world anew...as the artist we all knew her to be. It is with great excitement that I share with you all her new venture. Bean Up The Nose Art - the name derived from a true story in Tamara's childhood - can be found on Etsy and for Northern California readers visit Avatar in Fairfax.

Having been the recipient these awesome handmade, one of a kind pieces, I can tell you that every piece is frame-able but practical too. I just love that! Something beautiful, unique and useful. What can be better? So take just a moment and visit Tamara's online store. While I'm positive you'll find something you just can't live without, you will also be introduced to an amazing woman as she embarks on a new exciting adventure! Go, Tamara, Go!

Gloria Steinem ROCKS Seattle!

2009-06-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

(Awesome photo by Tom Marks, 2008)

Hedgebrook (a women's writing retreat that I am lucky enough to be associated with) will be hosting a Dialogue with Gloria Steinem...did you hear that? G-L-O-R-I-A S-T-E-I-N-E-M. Next week, July 10th in Seattle at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall. Tickets may be purchased through the Hedgebrook website - along with other really cool stuff (like custom blended tea from our own Island Tea Co!) You KNOW I'll be there! Hope you are too!

Gearing Up for Big Change

2009-06-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

As mentioned before, change is on the distant horizon in this household. We will be losing 40-50% of our guaranteed income by this time next year. Perhaps we will be able to replace it but that isn't the focus. The focus is on preparing for the inevitability of it and shifting our life so as not to not miss it. First, let me say how fortunate we are to have time and forewarning. So many people have lost their jobs unexpectedly and without savings. We have the luxury of knowing and time to plan.
We are currently spending about 85% of what we bring in. That includes long term retirement savings, maxing out IRA's, paying off short term debt before this shift happens and squirreling away short term savings. If we assume that the debt is gone and the short term savings is adequate (and by that I mean 12 months of essential payments) by this time next year the 40% loss in income will actually only require us to cut our monthly expenses by about 10%. Our intention is to not focus on cutting stuff out as much as it will be about redefining what is fun. Current forms of entertainment are eating out, hosting dinner parties and "junking". We travel 2-4 times a year to see family and take about 4 long weekends away. If we eliminate eating out to special occasions only, expand the garden capacity and have more potlucks I think that we will save about 5-7% a month. If we fly to see family only once a year and limit our weekend travel to just day trips, well, that's more than the other 3-5% right there.
But how not to miss it? Well, to be honest, we have the life we do right now because of the money that we make. In order to have the extra income, the other half of this household spends 12-13 hours a day either working or commuting. (This is an island after all, you have to get to "America" somehow!) While we can't eliminate commuting costs (the job is still "on the other side", there's just 40-50% less of it) having someone else home by 3:00 every day is a big difference than having them home by 6:30. Suddenly, food production is, well, less of a production. Garden bounties don't have to be all or nothing taking up full weekends...they can spaced out for small daily harvests. (One of the reasons we downsized the garden this year.) Errands and housework can be more evenly distributed, leaving more time for my own work. There are hidden ways that money can be saved simply by being home more. We learned that years ago when I quit my job to go back to school. This change isn't about losing anything at all. It's about gaining back time and quality of life that we have forgotten.

Time Waits For No Woman

2009-06-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

I've been reading, "The Gift of a Year" with the Women Take Wing book club and I must say it's stirred a lot up for me. Perhaps losing yet another friend to cancer, being so incredibly overwhelmed with work (not a bad problem but still exhausting) and try to create balance in my life has brought me this point where this book is a good reminder. Time is a gift and should never be taken for granted. I LOVE LOVE LOVE what I do but shouldn't be one dimensional. The things I love and cherish most have been in the background too much lately. This week I want to refocus on the following things:
My body- I will begin my walking again.
My brain - I will read each day.
My creative side - I will do something each day to re-engage the artist in me.
My love of the garden - I will spend time each day in the garden.

Farewell To A Friend

2009-06-12T10:32:00.001-07:00

This weekend we will celebrate the life of a good friend who left us too soon. Don Nelson waged a fierce battle with colon cancer, outlasting the expectations of his doctors by more than a full year. He worked - as athletic director at a local middle school - up until 10 days before he died. Cancer has won another battle, leaving us all heartbroken, yet again. But let me share with you who Don was in this house. He was the early morning joke teller, the quiet supporter in a long day's commute, the friend who was always there, next to you, even when you didn't know you needed one. We wrap our arms around his family because we love them but also because it would have been what Don did for us.

Cancer sucks.

Miss Thing in Cap and Gown

2009-05-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-05-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-17T10:38:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-12T14:28:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-05-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

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!

Gearing Back Up for Work

2009-04-29T07:32:00.001-07:00

So my two weeks of surgical recovery is coming to an end. I am back to a modified schedule next week. Physically I am still a bit sore but doing well. My struggle will be my fatigue level and respecting the limits it presents. Clients have all been fabulous and I know they will respect my modifications in the coming weeks. I miss my work but at the same time two weeks of doing relatively little has taught me a few things. They are:

I need to create more balance in my life, even if I don't always feel it is necessary.
I cannot hide behind my work any longer. I must tap back into the social/creative side of me again.
I will create more time to be physically active again. This recovery has gone well but I know I would have been better off if I had been walking/stretching/moving more on a regular basis.
I miss reading! I forgot how fabulous it feels to fall into a good book!
Finally, none of my clients have failed to survive without me for two weeks. That means it is OK for me to have a life away from work.

A Note to Lisa

2009-04-25T10:27:00.001-07:00

Lisa,
I received your request but haven't been successful in sending you the information you wanted. Go ahead and email me at zonwhidbey@yahoo.com.

Recovery Lessons

2009-04-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Things I've learned this week while recovering from surgery:
1. I'm grumpy as a patient, but not awful
2. Boredom is the biggest hurdle
3. Percoset is a BAD BAD drug (for me)
4. One must plan ahead to move anywhere or do anything
5. Daytime TV is beyond horrible!

I'm making good progress and should be back to a modified work schedule by May 1st....modified will be the hard part! The other half of the household will be working on the veggie garden (small though it will be this year) this weekend. I must simply sit and watch (I HATE that!)

Thanks for all the good wishes!

Ticking Clocks Can Enlighten

2009-04-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

"Tick tock" is the quiet drum that beats in the back of my mind as the minutes wane to my surgery. Don't get me wrong, I am not worried about the surgery itself, it is the inability to be accessible to my clients that is my largest stressor. Which brings me to an interesting place...the need to create balance even when I don't mind the lack of equilibrium. You see, I love my work and I don't ever mind working seven days a week or checking emails and phone messages constantly or getting up in the wee hours to work on a particularly hairy project. This life I have created as a self employed person is exactly that...the life I created.
But I acknowledge and have acknowledged for a while that my job is too all consuming and I know from watching my mother's life that it isn't always healthy. Since losing my mother unexpectedly three years ago to ovarian cancer I have taken both lessons from and solace in how she lived for her work. We did similar jobs, she at a community college and me as an independent contractor. There are days when I am buried in my work that I feel oddly close to her. But those are the same days that I know I have not walked in the garden or had dinner with friends or reached out to my family. It's been an amazing part of my journey, these three years. But as the clock in my head ticks down to the witching hour of my surgery, I WILL take the full time away from my office to rest, recover, read, walk the garden, maybe sketch again and be something other than the keeper of the pennies. Hopefully I can find the other side of my personality still fully intact, simply waiting to be reengaged.
I'll blog again once I am on the other side of surgery! Until then, be well, file your taxes before midnight tomorrow and grow some veggies! It's spring somewhere!

The Face of Spring

2009-04-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Despite our grey skies today, the face of Spring smiles at us!

Garden Fairies Are A Wonderous Thing

2009-04-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have fairies who have swooped into my garden and battled the chickweed and crab grass and have been victorious in their fight! Not only that, they have layered the ground with black gold compost and with their wands aloft, cut the grass, in anticipation of glorious days ahead. The small buds are beginning to swell on dormant plants, signaling an awakening from a long winter's sleep. The strawberries - traditionally our first fruit of the season - have run their marathon of fresh growth and flowers should appear soon, followed by sweet fruit. (Hopefully the bunnies will share this year.) With my cuppa tea on the back porch this morning, it was a lovely site to behold!
Happy Passover, Happy Easter and Happy Spring to you all!

Restructure/Refinance?

2009-04-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

A lot of talk has occurred lately about refinancing and restructuring debt. We have a super decent rate on a 30 year fixed mortgage. However, with the current rates dropping (yesterday's was 4.875%) I ran numbers to see if it would be worth yet, another refinance. (Since we've owned this house it would be the 4th because the rates just dropped year after year after our purchase.) After crunching all the numbers and checking our value on Zillow.com (and deducting $8000 just to be reasonable) to be sure we were still in the 20% equity range, I found we could save $179 a month - or $32,000 over the coarse of the loan - not bad. But we're holding off. Here's why:

We make an extra mortgage payment each year by adding 1/12 of a payment each month to our mortgage. That brings our actual pay off date to somewhere in the 23 year range - a savings of approximately $92,000.
We don't want to create a situation where our deduction becomes valueless from a tax standpoint. Lots of people focus so much on the cost of the loan that they don't consider the value to the deduction. We aren't going to be property moguls. This will most likely be our only property investment and we still have our largest earning years ahead of us (hopefully). We need all the deductions we can get.
Due to points on the loan, it would make the $179 savings irrelevant for 2 years. We could pay cash during closing but our short term (9 months) of savings isn't even to the half way point and I'm not willing to dip into that yet.
Finally, when I crunched the numbers and thought about $179 a month I realized that we could save that much right now by restructuring our current budget.

So, for now, we wait and see if the rates drop lower than 4.5% That would worth a second look.
Tomorrow's list:
Client work, garden work, haircut

p.s. Thank you Lisa from Vermont for you good wishes on my surgery! I will have only one night in the hospital and a two week recovery if all goes according to plan. Should have lots of blogging time on the couch, though! Hope your weather turns sunny soon!

Spring Arrives At Last!

2009-04-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

Today was a glorious day here on the island. The sun was out, we reached 71 degrees and I sipped my morning tea on the back porch overlooking my garden. (Thanks, Cathy B, our garden maven friend, for your hard work these last two weekends helping to rescue it from weeds while we recovered from the crud!) While I did have to work so as to prepare for my impending surgery, I so enjoyed throwing open the windows today!

My chore list is long before next week's medical adventure so I should not linger here long. I just wanted to share a couple of photos of our lovely day. Wishing you all Happy Spring...finally!

The Party is Over - Now Clean Up Your Mess

2009-04-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

I flew out of state this weekend to celebrate the birthdays of my fabulous niece and nephew (and while I really can wax on for ages about them, I will refrain). On the flight back I grabbed this week's issue of Time magazine. Cover to cover was about different aspects of what else...the economy. The cover article by Kurt Anderson, I think, precisely outlines how we got here. Like an intervention where the cold hard truth is meant to bring about a turning point, Anderson outlines our two decades of denial and excess. But most importantly, he talks about moving forward from this point.

Using my own analogy of a giant, wild, over the top house party that has come to an end, there is now a huge mess to clean up. For too many months we've been standing amid the mess fretting about...well, the mess. Meanwhile, there is a whole new set of house occupants - our youth -about ready to show up to take ownership. We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Yes, some of lovely, overpriced furniture is ruined, and the carpet is stained, the crystal is gone and the five car garage is (and should be) demolished. But the house is still standing. The next wave of occupants will not see the same opulence as before, but we must leave them solid walls, clean rooms and safe shelter. They will come to define their own decor, their own style - hopefully learning from our mistakes. Fear cannot be our motivator. In the sober light of day, doing what's best for the next occupants of this lovely house is our primary responsibility. So, don't wait for maid service - they've all been laid off - pick something up and start cleaning. Don't try to salvage the pretty decorations or what used to be, focus on the basics. And next time someone invites you for a 20 year shindig, just say no.

My Friends: Inspired to Soar!

2009-03-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

I am the proud member of a women's entrepreneurial community, "Women Take Wing! Inc." Members are wonderful, talented women busily following their dreams of business ownership. Early each week, in our community's forum, members have the opportunity to post a hyperlink to their blogs with a snippet of information about what they are doing or talking about. Each Thursday these links are gathered up and posted on the Women Take Wing! blog and on participating member's blogs so that our readers have the opportunity to learn about some of these inspiring women.I am delighted to invite you to visit a few of my friends!
Welcome to "Inspired to Soar!"
Sparkles from Beach Haus Designs- Exciting things are happening from becoming an Ambassador for Crystallized Swarovski Elements to new design techniques.
Check out what is happening at the beach!
Keeper of the Pennies talks about averting disaster as a single employee when life hands you unexpected changes.
Raised In Cotton Blog - Carol is headed to the beautiful Texas Hill Country to shop the wonderful antique shows taking place!
Island Tea Bits Dori announces Island Tea Company's Spring Fling sale and shares photos of her building's completed exterior re-do.(WTW members, remember to stop by the forum early each week to post your blog and news bit!)

Preparing for Hiatus

2009-03-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

When my mom passed away suddenly three years ago, I spent an entire day in her office wading through the stacks of bank statements, trying to find all of her online accounts, in an effort to help my dad in some small way. I remember looking at my niece and saying, "I forgot how Grammy could always ignore her filing. Don't ever be like this." As I prepare my office to be closed while I'm out for a medical hiatus, I am faced with oddly familiar stacks of paper. I've always been a firm believer that no one person in any business should be irreplaceable but what happens when you are your business? I try to not have so many open projects on a client that the file(s) could not be easily passed off to another bookkeeper or accountant quickly and with as little interruption to a client as possible. Admittedly, the last week has been a wake up call. I've got a lot of open projects that would fall under "it's just easier if I do that then try to explain it". Not a good place to be. I'll be working double time this week and weekend to close those gaps and to be sure that they stay closed.

Happy Birthday To My Missed Mom

2009-03-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

This year would have been my Mom's 60th birthday. Make no bones about it...if she were here she would be having a small breakdown over being 60. We'd play "Little Old Lady From Pasadena" and Elvis for her. She'd dance around the house just to prove she still could - how she loved to dance. Chocolate malts with extra malt would be on the menu at some point in the day and I am positive that pedicures would also be on the birthday list. There isn't a day that goes by that her absence is not a tangible living thing in the world of my family and her friends. Today is a day of sadness but also of celebration. While we didn't get her for 60 years, we got her. I'll be having a malt today and while I sip, I will turn it over to the "oldies" station and think of Mom. I hope she's dancing in heaven.

Not Allowing Fear to Set In

2009-03-16T07:22:00.001-07:00

I don't mean to convey that I am unaffected or unaware of how bad the state of the economy really is, or to ignore job loss numbers that we have or the very real foreclosure and bankruptcy rates happening at the moment. No, those things are ever present and touch my life and the lives of my clients every day in a myriad of ways. However, if I were to listen to the media, if I were to be reactionary, I would be paralyzed by fear...and well, I'm just not. One of my nearest and dearest friends is moving jobs soon. Leaving a steady, secure (not too inspiring) job for a new exciting cutting edge job with a shorter history of stability (but stable, no the less). He didn't leap blindly, but if he were to listen to the media hype he should have just stayed put. My sister and bro in law are considering expanding their business. While they haven't committed to the idea 100%, if they were to listen to the media, they would just sit still and be grateful for what they have now. I have a close friend who is launching her business next month. After years of dreaming and months of planning, she is thrilled to be launching...and we're thrilled for her! In my own home, we are strategically planning to both be self employed (currently, I am the lone entrepreneur in the family). This shift may not happen overnight or even next year, but steps are being made to build a second business and step out of a very very safe job in education. I have two friends whose primary or only income spouses lost their jobs. After the initial "holy crap" moments, both households got really creative and nothing became sacred. Yes, they were up for moving even if it meant selling their homes from near break even prices. Yes, they could go to one car. Yes, the stay at home spouse could go back to work. They met it with very open minds. Both households have new opportunities but the landscapes of their lives are very different today then they were six months ago.
My point is this, we cannot be ruled by fear. There are many ways to get to an end result. If you stop looking - or even acknowledging alternatives - then your world becomes a small place and you begin to feel trapped. That's when it becomes easy to let the fear set in and in fear we make small choices.

Proud Auntie!

2009-03-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I just have to say congratulations to my "kids"...the oldest (who just turned 21 this week! OMG!) is volunteering his time to Little League, going to school, running his own business and preparing to transfer to ASU in the Fall. The youngest (who is about to turn 18 next month! OMG!) is maintaining straight A's, attending college classes at night has secured scholarships for NAU next year AND has been invited -with full scholarship- to attend the summer session at NAU. I am proud of these kids just for BREATHING but today, I'm over the moon excited for them and all they offer to the future! And may I just say, that as much as brag about them, I do need to send a big shout out to my sister and bro in law...they've raised great kids.

Longing for Middle

2009-03-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

Like so many people, we are weary of the news...more jobless, more homeless, less equity, a lower stock market, lost retirements...it's overwhelming some days. We are fortunate to have work and a humble home that will be all ours - barring any unforeseen circumstances - in 240 more payments. But like so many others we are treading water, careful with our pennies, mindful of what goes out, mindful but not fearful. Tonight as we watched on the news about the downturn we began to contemplate what the world would look like in 5 years or even 10?
Will the economy change so profoundly that we will not recognize it any longer? Will we simply return to old bad habits once the worst of this storm passes us by? My hope is that somewhere in the middle we will find a place of compromise. We valued things over everything else for far too long. We have shunned hard physical work in this country...leaving it for the newly arrived or the under educated. We have under valued those who nurture our young in favor of those who "lead" or "administer". We have surrendered our power as consumers to corporations and multinational groups. Now we no longer know how to build or grow or produce, we have only been taught to consume. Somewhere in the middle is where we need to be. We must learn to spend within our means, save for rainy days and savor our successes be they small or large.
When I was young, my father told me that change is made from the middle. At the time we were discussing politics but it's relevant in the current circumstances. We have lived on the edges too long. Today, I long for the middle.

Git 'er Done Days

2009-02-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

This weekend is an enforced weekend off for me. I have promised the household that I would only work a half day tomorrow having taken yesterday afternoon and all of today off (which is why I'm blogging at 5:57 a.m.). It was a good thing though...my right arm has been very sore from a couple of 10 and 12 hour days to finalize files for CPA tax prep. But today will be one of my most favorite types of days. We will spend the early morning getting recycling and donation items into the car and off to their respective destinations, clearing out the laundry room of all kinds of "we don't know where to put this". Those final holiday trimmings will also make it up to the attic. This afternoon we will be busy rearranging cables and wires and adding vertical storage in my very small office in an effort to give me more functional space. Old files will also move into the attic and I will no longer have to pretend I'm playing hop scotch to get to my desk. Maybe, if we're on a roll, I'll even get the two paintings hung that I bought LAST YEAR and perhaps somewhere in our travels today will be able to stop by the nursery to pick up a new climbing rose to adorn my new garden trellis. In our world we call these days "Git 'er done" days and they feel so good! All those little check marks on the eternal to do list! I'm even going right now to defrost something for dinner and maybe I'll even soak some beans for soup.

Local and Organic Doesn't Need to Cost More

2009-02-14T05:25:00.000-08:00

Local food living is a test of wills come February. All the fruits from foreign lands arrive at the grocery store, flaunting their colors of faraway summers in the depths of winter...but no bother, I have canned cherries, peaches and frozen berries. Local apples and some variety of pears are still plentiful thanks to cold storage and as I wandered into the back garden the other day the strawberry shoots are poking their way up through the soil! I caged them to protect them from marauding bunnies!

As I study the numbers from last year (I am a bookkeeper by trade and have our personal finances set up just like a client's), I am encouraged by our food bills. We were able to eat local food (trust me, we don't starve and are not particularly healthy, although we try) and most was organic for about the same price as 2007's groceries. We spent a little more on meat but then again, I have enough in the freezer to make it through until April or May so that's a wash. We also had more invested in food production supplies...things like extra canning jars and storage bins for bulk organic flours and sugars. With good planning, it's been OK and for the most part, food prep doesn't take that much more time living this way then with fast, processed foods. The biggest changes are these:
We have to think ahead about food because "grab and go" in winter is more difficult since things are canned or frozen. We find it's easier to "cheat" and eat out once a week and not once a month as intended (but our local bistro and coffee house feature local organics, so no compromise there). On good weeks we do food prep all at once on Sundays and it takes just a couple of hours. On regular weeks it's more like we prep two meals and make bread dough on Sundays and plot out the rest of the week. The biggest bonuses have been that we aren't breaking the bank, we aren't suffering or feel like we are sacrificing and the last blood draw I did, my sugars and triglycerides were way way down. (Now if only getting on the treadmill were easy!)
It's been an interesting change in lifestyle but from a fiscal standpoint, no harder on the pocket book.

A Hard Call For This Season

2009-02-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

We had to make a hard call for the upcoming grow season...we have decided to grow only a small amount of "specialty" items and lean heavily on our local farmers this year for our bounty. Soul searching and reality checks played a large role in our weekend as we recognized that our time is short this year, our demands are many. The garden would not be the pleasure it usually is and so we acquiesce to our limitations. We are blessed to live in a community where CSA is common turn of phrase, three farmer's markets happen weekly and with just a short morning's drive, fields lay before our feet. So don't feel too sorry for us...we won't starve but my pretty seed catalog will be a little less dog eared for now.

What Doesn't Kill Us...

2009-02-02T16:49:00.001-08:00

I have survived yet another January. I was having those "forgot to go to my final exam" dreams but no matter, it is done. The last 1099 and W2 were dropped in the mail early Saturday and my clients knew they would be arriving a day or two late. So all is well. I do not emerge from my crazy month unscathed, however. A cold has settled deep in my chest. I put in a full day today but now, after checking emails and voice mails, I will make soup and go to bed very early. There will be no rest for the wicked or the weary this week as I have a full slate of clients and work awaiting my attention. Oh! How I dream of an assistant or at least 10 key fairies!
Thanks for all the kind emails.

Top Five Ways to Tick Off The Bookkeeper

2009-01-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

On January 28th of any year there are a few ways to tick off a bookkeeper. They are:
1. "Is my W-2 ready yet?" (The answer is no because they aren't due for 3 more days.)
2. "Can't you just run my really fast?" (The answer is no because the printer will eat 3 for every 4 that it prints.)
3. "I know you're really busy but..." (Seriously, you could follow that up with 'the Publisher's Clearing House people are on the phone' and it wouldn't matter until Feb. 1st)
4. "Can't you just run it without my social security number?" (Ah...no.)
5. "Is my W-2 ready yet?"

Be nice to your bookkeeper this week and don't call them until after Feb. 2nd.

A Grandmother's Foretelling

2009-01-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

For the last several years, every Saturday morning I call my grandmother...sometimes, perhaps, earlier than she would prefer but I rarely miss a weekend chat. Today's conversation inevitably turned to the recent state of affairs in our respective towns. She shared the stores that are closing up, I did as well. We discussed the growing rate of unemployed persons in each of our states. And collectively we agreed that we haven't seen the bottom yet...it will most likely get much worse before it gets better. But then my grandmother shared her true fears and I knew it was something to pay attention to because she gets a sound in her voice and her tenor changes. She said, "you know, I am so afraid that you kids (meaning my generation) just don't understand what it is that we lived through (meaning the depression). You think this is a recession but really, it's nothing yet. It can get so much worse." I was silent for a long moment, letting the textbook and documentary images of the 1930's roll through my head. More than pictures, I recalled the stories of her being a child and moving from place to place as her father looked for work and the constant uncertainty. I realized that is what she was really talking about when she said 'it can get so much worse.'

The other fear she expressed, one that I actually share, is that my generation doesn't truly know what it means to suffer or sacrifice...at least not yet. Many of my age group have gotten into this place of falling back...falling back on credit cards, home equity lines and even their parents. ALL of those lines of credit are drying up and we need to live not just within our means, but below them, so that we are saving for the day when there is no income. We are in a new era and you can choose to adapt or can choose to deny but either way, change is coming.

A Letter To My 'Kids' At A Moment In History

2009-01-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

January 20, 2008 marks a moment in this country's history that I didn't ever really believe that I would live to see. Like the fall of the Berlin Wall (Papa has a piece of it on his bookshelf, btw), tomorrow marks the end of an era that I hope you will only have to explain to your children in the context of a history class and not as a way of life. While we celebrate a moving forward, I remind you that it is your generation who will bear the fortunes and follies of all of the yesterdays, todays and tomorrows. We have difficult years ahead as a family as we all work to not just survive the economic storm, but to thrive in spite of it. You will both be completing college and endeavoring on new lives at one of the most dynamic and uncertain times in this nation's history. When I cast my vote in November, it was for the leader I thought would bring your future more hope, more joy and more promise. In my heart of hearts, I think it was the right choice but only time will tell.
ILYBTTWWFTSAB
~Auntie

A Long, Late Night of Reflection

2009-01-18T23:19:00.001-08:00

It's way past my bedtime but the piles of client work still cover most surfaces in my office...January is always this crazy. For my faraway late night friend (how is Hannah, tonight, Rob?) I'm listening to mix of 80's music...at the moment Joan Baez's "Biko" is playing softly in my office. Such an ironic song on the eve of such a historic moment in my own country. I recall so clearly attending rallies and writing letters and boycotting companies who refused to divest holdings in South African countries. I recall so clearly being about 11 walking to the corner store with my best friend and being stopped by an older white woman and chastised for being out in public with a black girl. What a sad day when my mom had to explain what that woman was saying to me. And now, my own niece and nephew get to live in a world where these things are history to be read about in books and no longer the norm.
Off to bed with hope on the horizon.

Food Inventory -High, Production - Low

2009-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

True confession time: food prep in my January busy season has gone to hell in a hand basket. This is the one downside to living a life of from scratch, local only food...you gotta make it. The soups and pasta sauces have been great but they are getting low in quantity. Our next quarter of beef comes next week and we're not done with the soup bones or roasts from the last one yet! Monday is a holiday for the other chef in the family so hopefully we'll get caught up. Menu planning and prep will be a top priority this week. In the meantime, I'm off to the bakery for bread and to Mukilteo Coffee for a good breakfast made with local food. Thank goodness, for Chef Jess!

Tax Prep

2009-01-13T08:27:00.001-08:00

While I am in the middle of prepping all of my clients for their taxes, it is a good reminder for me (and you) to begin your tax prep NOW. My CPA's packets arrived via email the other day and I have put Sunday on the calendar for "Mis En Place" - everything in it's place day. Tax Tip #1: gather your financial items into one place. I find a basket works well. Have it in a convenient location for when all the 1099's and W2's begin arriving in the mail.

Breezy But No Flooding

2009-01-08T20:45:00.001-08:00

I've had a lot of emails checking on our weather here. While my mainland friends have much to be concerned about - rising river waters, melting snow, flooded streets - with the exception of gusty winds, we're all safe here. Thank you all for your concern!

Year End Fiscal Inventory

2009-01-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

Admittedly, I get side tracked from my Keeper of the Pennies theme when I have holidays, two feet of snow and a family member wandering around the house with two weeks off from work...but I'm back now and ready to embrace the New Year! Taking stock of where I've been is crucial to knowing where I am going in 2009. As many of my friends in retail have done or are doing in recent days, I have taken a fiscal inventory of my life.

Our current debt load is as follows:
Mortgage with taxes and insurance (30 year fixed at 5.5%): consumes 22% of our annual gross income.

Credit card : We decided to take on debt mid-year by taking advantage of a 3.00% for the life of the debt offer. Our thinking was to complete home maintenance/reno projects that would complete our 7 year remodel. We drew down a fixed amount of money with a 24 month pay off plan. This debt when incurred consumed 22% of our annual gross income. It puts us over our debt to income ratio of 35% of gross income but we treat it as a short term loan with an aggressive payoff plan. We purposefully decided against a home equity line because they are too tempting to keep open and drag out.

Other "Overhead" Costs: things like utilities, car insurance, gas and food another 20% of the gross income.

Taxes and health insurance comprises about 26% of our gross annual income. This is a new fiscal earning year for the self employed half the household so we're not sure if we have paid enough to Uncle Sam yet.

The remaining 10% gets divided pretty evenly between short term savings and retirement savings. In the coming 18 months it will need to stay that way while we pay off the debt but once that is gone we need to bulk up the short term savings in a BIG way.

I feel good about doing my inventory. It gives me a foundation on which to stand in 2009. I encourage you to not avoid your numbers and spend a couple of hours this week doing your own inventory.

Play After a Winter Storm

2009-01-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

The family photog was out snapping photos the other morning hours after a large winter storm blew through and captured a group of sailboarders out in the frigid waters of the Puget Sound. This gentleman was the smartest of the bunch because he wasn't IN the water! The outside tempature was around 39 degrees. Brrrr....
Happy New Year!

Twas The Night Before Christmas...

2008-12-24T15:04:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, especially not the mouse! As her catnipped laden stocking was hung by the fire with care, sweet dreams of sugar covered kitty treats danced in her head. As she drifts off to sleep, she heard a voice say, "Good Night, Ophelia. Please don't wake us in 3 hours to play."

Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Happy Eve of Lights

2008-12-21T17:07:00.000-08:00

Some of my "family" are celebrating Hanukkah tonight while others are celebrating Solstice. On this the longest night of the year, I survey my dark, frozen snow filled landscape and contemplate my luxuries. A home that is warm, water that is hot, a soft bed, food aplenty and I know that I am blessed. As my far away family members light their candles to honor and remember the traditions founded in faith of brighter days ahead, I send them all my love and good wishes.

To a bright tomorrow filled with family, love and joy.

Sing it, Bing!

2008-12-18T09:58:00.001-08:00

I don't need to dream of a white Christmas, it's here! This is the second day of heavy snowfall and I'm working from home today. This is the long view into the vegetable garden. This long area surrounded by hedges is heavily shaded by an 80 ft. fir so you can image how much snow we've had. My privet hedge will lose their leaves here pretty quick, I'm sure the only thing still keeping them attached is that they're frozen.

This little table and chairs sits underneath my little gazebo. Up until late October I can usually have my morning cup of tea here, but clearly, I won't be sitting out here again until late Spring. The household gardener is off from work today and is currently trying to dig out several newly planted evergreens so they don't snap under the weight of snow. Talk about dedication. Oh, I'm going to boil the kettle and make a cup of Candy Cane Tea!

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned how much I love where I live? It's my own corner of paradise. Last night we hosted Tribal Dinner and half way through our feast we were delighted with our first snowfall of the season. We had turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, carrots and the best pecan pie! The gathering was small but the laughter was uproarious and the music was awesome (thanks, Chet)! When the snow began to really come down, we had to pack our friends up and send them out the door so they could all arrive home safely.

These photos were taken today by a tribe member, Susan, who lives on the other side of the island and has fabulous views. Her day job is as an English teacher extraordinaire but she is an artist at heart. Aren't these photos lovely? Winter has come a few days early and that's just fine with me.

It's All About the Little Christmas

2008-12-10T07:17:00.001-08:00

Years ago, as I was at the bottom of the attic ladder listening to rummaging and grumbling from up top, when a clear voice called out, "we have WAY too much Christmas!" Well, that was just crazy talk! Ask every contractor or friend that has helped us with any project around here the last 7 years and they'll tell you the bottom line mantra around here: "It's all about the Christmas." Here's a typical exchange with a carpenter:
"How do you want this to look when we're done?" As I explain and their eyes glaze over inevitably they will hear me say, "It's all about the Christmas, I want it pretty all the time, but especially at Christmas." Somehow, they usually get that. It doesn't seem to matter if I'm talking window trim, soffitt covers, porch railings or mantel details...they get the Christmas reference. But this year only the most treasured boxes left the attic. The little 3 foot treee, instead of the 7 1/2 foot tree. Only the Santa collection from my Honey Mom (grandma) and the Snowman collection from the kids are displayed. Even the lights outside are minimal. Next weekend we're hosting an open house for friends and neighbors. Nothing big, just hot cider and snacks. No gift exchange, just food and friends. We're keeping it simple...we're keeping it small. We've spent very little this year but where we have spent, we have known the shopkeepers. We've donated to local charities with both a little money and time. So while it will always be "about the Christmas", some years like this one, it will be a little Christmas with a mighty heart.

Mukilteo Coffee Has Exciting News!

2008-12-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

Our very own Mukilteo Coffee has exciting news! Executive chef, Jess Dowdell (formerly of Hedgebrook) has just come on board. I've been the happy recipient of many of Jess's meals and I can tell you, they have quite scored quite a gem. I'll have reason to look forward to breakfast meetings from now on! Living in this small community has it's perks (pun intended). I'd encourage all visitors to make the time to wander out to the have coffee in the woods.

Buying Local to Help Feed Our Neighbors

2008-12-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hooray for Tillamook Cheese! One of the oldest farmer coops in the region (100 years in 2009), is giving a portion of their proceeds on ALL products they sell to Northwest Harvest. While my specialty cheeses are still supplied by Donna Leahy of Chef's Pantry (who by the way, is also sponsoring a food drive for our local Good Cheer Food Bank), Tillamook's baby loafs of cheddar and colby jack are still my daily staples for tacos and mac and cheese. I love it when local companies reach out to the communities that support them, don't you?

Great Holiday Opportunity!

2008-12-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

Traditionally each year I have opened up large catalogs and ordered food baskets to send to family and friends who are far away. This year, I have an option that supports my "spend money with the businesses you know and love" philosophy and 10% of purchases are given each year to charity AND my friend, Kim, owns the business! How cool is that?! Soul of the Rose Gifts is a lovely website, with many many gift options, not just food. Kim is offering free shipping (see website for details)!

Also, I have to share this lovely story. My friend, Lidy Baars of French Garden House, has the most amazing things. I purchased myself a gift this year. This small lovely bell ornament is to continue the bell collection started by my Mom. Lidy wrapped it beautifully, enclosed a nice not (and it's not just because she knows me, she spoils all of her customers) and sent it off to me. Now, I know you are all saying, "that's not local" but remember, ultimately, my philosophy is to shop local and support those you know and love. Lidy is located in my home town and I definitely adore her!

BTW, yesterday's holiday tea at Queen Mary was lovely. We strolled one of the larger shopping centers in Seattle and then went up the hill to tea. The goodies were delightful and the company was boisterous, as usual. While I spent only a few dollars on a small vanilla steamer to tide me over until lunch, my girlfriends worked hard to stimulate the local economy!

A Holiday Tradition Continues

2008-11-30T17:35:00.000-08:00

Every first Monday in December I go to a holiday tea with my girlfriend, Dori, her Mom, Andrea and DeAnn. Dori owns Island Tea Company a few miles away and this is her holiday gift to her staff and supporters. Since I volunteer each year to be a tea shop girl so Dori can go with her family to holiday events, I qualify as a supporter. This year we are visiting The Queen Mary in Seattle. Over the last five years, this day has become one of my most treasured holiday traditions.

A Very Special Day

2008-11-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday would have been my parents 40th wedding anniversary. My mother, no doubt, would have planned something large and over the top and Dad would have gone along with her but all the while probably wishing they could just go out to dinner. Of course, we won't get to celebrate that milestone as intended with Mom now gone but I still feel that it's important to not ignore the day. My parents were a rare breed...dedicated through anything to one another, their marriage and the family they created together. I know that my parents went through hard times but never did I feel the stability of our lives was at risk. They rarely fought, at least not in a way that would be obvious to us kids. They were always a united front. It was a good example to grow up with as children and has served us well in our adult relationships. While I know Dad will be with Mom on Sunday, it will be to place fresh flowers at her crypt rather than to bring home roses for the dining room table. My heart is heavy for what is missing but forever grateful for love that remains.

Where I Shop Locally

2008-11-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

I often go on and on about shopping locally. While we adhere to about 90-95% shopping within a 1000 mile radius or less of our home the other 5-10% of the time we shop here:

The Chef's Pantry is the sweetest store, filled to the brim with cheeses, wines, salami, teas and coffees, cook books, cooking supplies, gadgets and tools and my new favorite drink Dry Soda (a locally created company). The best deal in the place though is Donna Leahy, the Chef and twice published cookbook author. Not only does she often make my most favorite sandwich (The Roman-salami, pesto, brie, greens and tomatoes), she'll advise you on wine pairings and discuss all things food. And when you run out of food things to discuss, ask her about the dogs. While I know Donna sources many of her produce items locally, this is the one store I never read a label to see where an item originates...I am shopping locally, I can walk there from my house! Donna can ship and also writes a great newsletter. Visit her website to check out what's happening this month!

Fall Departs Rapidly

2008-11-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken just three weeks ago at Farmington Gardens in Beaverton, OR. As I look outside all I see is gray sky and fading colors. Don't get me wrong, I actually love winter here in the Pacific NW. I love our short days and long nights. I love the gray and rain. To me, it's womb like and a natural way to sleep longer and slow down. But as I look at this pumpkin, with long shadows of the Autumn sun, it signifies the end of a long, productive growing season. I embrace the coming winter but will look back on this first Autumn of our locavore year with great fondness.

How You Can Save The Economy

2008-11-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

If you read my blog regularly you know that I was not in favor of the bail out of big business congress put together a few weeks ago. I haven't changed my position. I still feel that if left alone our market economy will sort itself out and that no matter how big a company, we are a nation of hard working people who are capable of filling the voids left by industry failures. It will hurt in the short come but be better in the long run. I say this knowing that my very income is dependent on a thriving economy...no revenue for my clients means no income for me...but I have faith in the ideology of the fair market economy.

Today as I watch the market plummet yet again I still haven't waivered in my opinion and here's why: this country was built on small businesses...I mean really really small. You bought eggs from your neighbor who bought bread from you, etc. etc. The industrial revolution happened and gradually over more than a century we have been lured away from the true market economy. While we are all saving our pennies and hoping that our jobs are safe, I honestly believe that we all have the power to save this economy...one little transaction at a time. Shop with people or companies you know and like. Support your neighbors and neighborhood businesses. Make an extra effort, especially at Christmas, to make every purchase MATTER. My holiday spending budget has always been small but this year every gift I give has been purchased at stores that I want to have survive this economy. Quit wandering the malls or shopping at the box stores because you get more for less. Instead, THINK about the businesses you love and shop there...every little bit matters. The actual gifts that I am giving are small memento gifts, picked very thoughtfully to convey an emotion or a memory a private joke, and most are practical. I'm giving in other ways too. I am giving donations (and some are not large) to charities that matter to me or to my loved ones. If you can't spare monetary donations, give your time to charities instead. Your local food banks are busier now then ever. Show up and help out. An hour a month is greatly appreciated and it's an hour more than they would have had without you.
Like I said, with a little thought and a commitment to philosophy you hold the power to shape the economy...it really is that simple...but then again, the best ideas always are the most simple.

Paper Chaos

2008-11-10T08:19:00.000-08:00

Someone said to me recently, "You must be so organized!" I laughed because seriously, I'm only organized with client stuff...not my own. I was the kid who stayed up until midnight to finish a project that I had weeks to prepare. My sister was the "git er done" girl in our house, not me. She was forever saying, "just do it now and get it over with." This morning it is after 8:00 a.m. and I'm still wandering around in my pajamas, my office is in chaos and I'm completely unfocused. I hate days like these. The procrastination I am used to but the unfocused I am not...and I hate it.

In an hour I am going to my only offsite client for the day and then I am coming straight home and sorting through this paper chaos in my office...must get this under control!! But first, another cup of tea and maybe a piece of toast...

Historical Change

2008-11-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Well it seems I have lived to see the first non-white guy elected President! While I am pleased from a grown up perspective for all that this means, it was the intensity of the conversations I've had with my niece (age 17) and others of her age group that lets me see how huge this change is to the future of this country. You see, for 22 months no young person I know referenced the race of the President Elect - even the young people of color. Instead, they continually spoke of his energy, his vision, his inclusiveness and their sense of empowerment. That is hard to ignore. Regardless of how you voted yesterday (and thank you for voting!), the paradigm is shifting and that is an historical change I am happy to be witness to in my lifetime.
Now that this election is settled, get back to work! We have budgets to maintain and an economy to fix! ;0

An Election Day Thought

2008-11-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

So this is way off topic for my usual blog items but last night I began to ponder the election that is happening today from a very different perspective than politics... a very personal perspective. I've never really taken time to comprehend or grasp the personal sacrifice that our political leaders make in order to serve the country. (And let's not kid ourselves, they do serve because I wouldn't want to do their jobs, would you?) Last night, in a blurb on the national news I heard that Barack Obama grandmother had lost her battle with cancer. That was followed up with a clip of him at a rally announcing her passing. I stood transfixed for several minutes after that moment aired. Having lost my own mother to cancer not quite three years ago the hours and days after her passing are still very vivid to me and I cannot imagine mere hours after hearing the news from my Dad having to get up and give a speech. It was all I could do to pack a suitcase, call and email my clients and get on a plane. But because we have the expectation that our leaders will put our needs first, Barack Obama did get up and make a speech and if John McCain had been in that situation, he would have too. If it had been any of us who had gotten that call would we have said, "oh, well, I need to get to work". I think not. Life changes in that moment and people, be they customers, colleagues or friends, simply say "we understand". But our leaders do not have that option. The country must come first. And regardless of which candidate wins today I can only marvel at the level of commitment these people have to process and vision that they hold. So the least we can do as Americans is get out and vote.

Preparing for Winter

2008-11-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

This weekend we picked up what may be our last CSA "Endless Summer" box for the season. Our fabulous farmers http://www.island.wsu.edu/4h/data/csa.html will still harvest until they can harvest no longer, but we are needing to bring food production weekends to a close and tend to other preparations for the long dark Winter. This first year of eating local has been a good trial run. We now understand that we need to expand our own growing, can and freeze almost triple what we have now and most importantly, we'll need to build in a lot more time for these endeavors. Our food budget (like most every one's) is doubled from last January's projection. We've got our chickens for the winter and we'll take our last 1/4 of beef next month which will be plenty to see us through until June. Because we aren't fully stocked for 5 months of no food production, come early to mid Spring we'll need to make some decisions about grocery store buying and where we compromise - local vs. organic. This year we go into that decision knowing that with better planning, next year we'll hopefully not have to choose.

For the Seattle based readers of this blog I want to tell you about a local food event at Seattle Art Museum being hosted by Taste on November 23rd. Visit Taste SAM's blog for details about this lovely event. http://tastesamblog.wordpress.com/

Halloween: A Family Tradition

2008-10-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

(I cannot take credit for this very cool picture of a hard working spider and the full moon in the background...the family photographer took this one. But I thought it fitting for Halloween.)

Halloween was a big deal in my house growing up. My mom made nearly every costume...I cannot honestly recall ever buying one. We had a dedicated "costume box" that lived under my parent's bed. Chili dogs were the traditional dinner of choice and Mom always broke the speed record to get home in time to feed us, help us with our costumes and take us around the block. Dad was in charge of door duty back at home. In our neighborhood we had hundreds of kids and the streets were FULL of us all running excitedly. Halloween was an EVENT. I remember two neighbors on the other streets who decked out their garages as haunted houses. When I was 7 I had an extensive surgery that left me casted for several months. The thought of missing Halloween was unthinkable so Mom (or maybe my sister) pulled me in a wagon. The Halloween of my 7th grade year was my last for trick or treating. I was a black cat with a tail made of braided yarn that year.

My sister and brother in law carry on the tradition now. They usually host a large party and decorate the house. The kids have been indoctrinated in the family tradition, although my niece swears she's not going to be as crazy as her parents...time will tell. Our own tradition is to go to Dori's http://www.islandteacompany.com folk's house and pass out candy there. In our rural island community only a handful of neighborhoods are equipped for trick or treating. Whatever traditions you have for Halloween, I wish you all a good time!

Pumpkins in Portland

2008-10-24T22:32:00.001-07:00

I'm heading off the rock this weekend to the big metropolis of Portland, Oregon to see the extended family. It will be a glorious Pacific Northwest weekend that I hope, includes a visit to a local pumpkin farm. While I'm terrible at posting pictures, perhaps my friends will do it for me! Check out their blog early next week and see if any appear. http://www.kintropy.com/

Happy Weekend!

A Message From My Grandmother

2008-10-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, my mother was taken from us in March of 2006 by cancer. What you may not know is that I've been blessed with "other" mothers...primarily my Mom's mom, whom we call Honey. In my youth, my mom powered through each day to support her family, grocery shop, build a business, make dinner each night and keep us all on track. It was Honey who would make scrambled eggs and toast if I was home sick or teach me craft projects on Saturdays...she was the back up team to my Wonder Woman mom. On my recent trip home I was able to put a short cut to my blog on Honey's computer...a tool she is still not entirely comfortable using. Well, she read it yesterday and I was given a clear and distinct message from her...lighten up. While she is proud that I share her frugal side, I am apparently just too serious about it all. I was directed to go out to eat twice a month, not just once and to set aside a little mad money for myself...in short, to live a little. Since Honey is now the eldest family member, living through the Depression, several wars, widowhood at an early age and burying a child, I will assume she knows a thing or two and try to take her advice to heart. The very first post I ever put on this blog was about the early lessons of my grandmother and she continues to offer those lessons today. Honey, when you read this, just know that I am listening. Today I will stop off at http://islandteacompany.com for a cup of tea and lovely lemon cookies as a special treat for myself.

Breaking the Silence

2008-10-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

I have three girlfriends who will be coming over for dinner tomorrow night. We are always looking for a reason to leave our busy lives and gather and we have learned to just take out the calendars and pick a day. So tomorrow is that day. I will be making pumpkin risotto and roast chicken with winter green salad. For dessert something with apples since our case came in the other day from east of the mountains. I really am looking forward to this dinner not just because I love my friends and I love to cook. No, I am finally getting these women whom I love and adore together for the purpose of discussing money...particularly THEIR money.

While I am not a financial advisor, I have gleaned over the years that these self supporting rock star community mover and shakers have under utilized their significant power in the realm of all things personal money. I hope after our evening tomorrow they can leave even more powerful then when they arrived...and well fed to boot. When I shared with another friend my plans she asked me why I felt compelled to do this and I realized that I want to break down the wall of silence around money that most of my friends share. Together we support each other through kids, divorce, menopause and pregnancy, relationships, illness...why not support each other to financial well being?

Off To The Homestead

2008-10-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

I'm off to the homestead to see my Dad, the kids, my sister and my Honey Mom (grandma). Wishing you all a happy weekend!

Embracing A Season of Change

2008-10-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Change is in the air....literally. Summer changes to Autumn around here pretty quickly and we've already had two storms blow through and there is tell of snow in the higher elevations already. The only remnants of summer plantings left in the vegetable garden are the late potatoes, which will overwinter in the beds and we decided against fall/winter veggies since both our CSA's will continue to produce through the winter. Maybe I'll cave this weekend and put in endive...my favorite winter salad green. But the plan is to sow cover crops this week.

The big change isn't just the garden or the weather though. This weekend we had a family pow wow and decided that as a unit, we will attempt to live on 60% of the take home pay this year. While paying down the newly acquired debt is a priority, more importantly, it will enable one of us (not me) to perhaps make a career change after 2009. Wow. To contemplate that in times like these is huge (and maybe even crazy) but I have been afforded several opportunities over the last 17 years to make these leaps of faith and I am glad to finally be able to return the favor. It makes tightening the belt and giving up the splurges in life easier when you know someone you love may be able to make better life choices for themselves.
Blue sky just broke through on this blustery October morning. Just in time to go out and pick some hydrangea and mums out of the garden before the first client.

Will They Learn? Or Will You?

2008-10-01T21:36:00.001-07:00

So now that the bail out has been approved by the Senate and most likely will be passed through the House, what has Wall Street learned? What have we learned? Only time will tell. But like being told that the chest pain you have really is only indigestion and not a heart attack or the small lump under your arm pit really is just a fatty deposit and not cancer, this is our second chance to go back in and do things better. Will you learn from the lessons of the last few months (dare I say years?) and stop over consuming? Will you take a hard look at every item in your cart, in your house, in your fridge and ask yourself how necessary that item really is to your survival? Will you now begin to be honest with yourself that happiness does not come from stuff or food or travel or spending, but from within? Go read a book. Go write a letter. Go clean out a closet and donate stuff you don't need. I'm even shutting down the computer entirely in order to save a few pennies tonight. I hope you do the same.

The Harvest Begins

2008-09-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

Here is the bounty of summer potatoes my little 24 foot bed has yielded so far this season. Our late potatoes will be coming in a few weeks. I can taste the mashed potatoes and gravy with homemade meatloaf now!

Are They KIDDING Me?

2008-09-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

May I just point out that the muckity mucks in Washington are still sorting out how much our bill will be for this bail out. (How dire can it be when our president spends less than five minutes addressing the nation? He talks longer about the dog cam at Christmas for crying out loud.) But guess what? Without a big fat check being written yet from our pocket books, the market didn't completely tank today and my own WAMU got bought out by a bigger, better smarter bank...hmmm...I wonder if they continue to yell long enough in DC maybe they won't need my money after all. Sigh...another afternoon cup of tea for me!

Bail Outs and Some Things to Consider

2008-09-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am trying to refrain from truly perching myself on a soapbox to the point where I have lost all perspective. As I watch Congress grapple with the mess that Wall Street has gotten itself into I MUST wonder...why can micro businesses and small business be left to sometimes drown under the rules of Capitalism and laize faire economics and the big fish are expecting (and getting) safety nets from Capital Hill?

Let me get this straight? They made a ton of money in the boom time on the backs of consumers who probably shouldn't have been lent money in the first place, they failed to SAVE any of that money for a rainy day, THEN they paid CEO's millions to leave their companies and I am supposed to foot the bill for their mistakes? I have that right, don't I? When you break it down, take away all the talking points and the politics, isn't that what's happening? How come I can't run my business with a federally funded safety net that will save me when I overspend, underbudget and run things into the ground? Oh, that's right, I'm a tiny business in a big pond...silly me.
I need a cuppa tea!

Women and Money

2008-09-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was in a Board Retreat for Women Take Wing http://www.womentakewing.com and during one of our many (many many) conversations around women in business we talked some about women and their responses to money. It's so interesting to me that during these conversations it always comes back to an emotional tie..how we feel about money, how it makes us feel, etc. As we took a lunch break, I began to wonder if men ever talk like this or if they even PROCESS like this about money. But the long and short of it is, as a society we have given money a value and that value is both tangible (a dollar is worth 100 pennies, which ties to how much gold or maybe the GNP ...blah blah blah or something like that, seriously I keep telling you this isn't what I paid attention to in school) and intangible. Do you think Paris Hilton would be at all interesting if she made $45,000 a year. Who would care what she thought was so hot?

No, somehow as a society we have decided that if you have money, you have a special value and with each passing generation that number goes up. For example, as a kid, the "one day if we win the lottery" dream was to own a million dollar house. Guess what? My childhood home in California would sell today for just under that number. Trust me, it's a nice suburban track home but if I won the lottery tomorrow, I wouldn't be looking at that house. (Actually, I'd buy five acres just outside city limits a mile away from where I live now and get me a chicken coop and grow way more food...but I digress.) But several years back I remember hearing a story out of the South of a woman who died in her 90's who left something like $500,000 to a small college for a scholarship fund and that was after putting several local kids through school already. This woman made well below the median income at the time...something like $28,000 a year. How did she do that? Simple. If she made $28,000 a year she likely only spent $16,000 or $20,000.
Live within the boundaries of what you make, commit to saving some of it for later and you too can be rich. That is what I'm striving for today. To pay off the debt we just accumulated (by choice) as quickly as possible and then to live on 65% of what we currently make. Would I love a vacation on a beach next year? Yes. Is it worth working after the age of 70 if I don't WANT to work after the age of 70? Heck,no. The more I am committed to "need it" vs. "want it" today, the more choices I will have tomorrow.

Bu...bu...budget. If You Can Say, You Can Do It

2008-09-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've been nudging for more than a week...do you have it all together? Your budget, I mean? Most people look at budgets like diets, it's all about deprivation. I see them as clear boundaries...once you've stepped over the boundary you aren't safe...kinda like financial baby gates, if you will. As you grow and learn, move the gate. Just because you figure out a budget in January, doesn't mean that same budget still meets your needs in May. Look at it constantly.

Owning two businesses has helped me with my personal financial perspective. I opened each business with a set amount of money and they either make money or I adjust the business plan. Home financing isn't that different. You either make a profit or you don't. When you don't, change the plan.

As we watch as some of the world's largest companies fail on Wall Street right now, learn the lessons of that failure...don't over reach, don't play Russian Roulette with your financial future. Live within your means AND try to live below them so that you have something saved for tomorrow. It takes a change in cultural philosophy from "I want it, I need it, I deserve it" to "I want it, I'll work for it so I'll save for it." For the same reason that food prices have spiraled out of control (Do you REALLY think tomatoes are meant to grow in February or be flown or trucked around the globe? The ones I grew and picked last week are already over ripened and ready for sauce), we live in a cultural with more credit card debt and less retirement savings then ever before. CHANGE your mind about spending and change your life to be in control of your money. While the steps to that change are not always smooth or easy, the concept really is that straight forward.

The Last Days of Summer

2008-09-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

This picture perfectly describes the mood here on the island these last couple of weeks. The tourists have pretty much all left, our snowbirds and summer time people are closing up their seasonal houses and the long nights of winter will follow our brief but glorious Autumn. Ahhh....life on an island.

How are your budgets coming along?

Practicing What I Preach

2008-09-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

Confession: We have already broken the eating out once a month rule by meeting friends who came in from out of town over in the Big City last night for dinner. We did pay cash (well, debit, another broken rule, but not credit at least!) and of course, nothing was local about the food. On the long drive and ferry ride home to the island, we discussed this break with commitment. Here's what we came to: life happens and this exercise in local food and financial stability is meant to enhance our lives and keep us more connected with our community. If we are so structured and rigid that we can't go meet friends who we have not seen in years for a meal than what's the point?
Observations: This week alone, I did not stop at my local coffee hut for my down fall 16 oz. vanilla steamed milk each time I was in that part of town (a savings of $7), I resisted the urge to go to our local Bistro for take out dinner on a night when nothing was defrosted and we ate 45 minutes before bedtime (a savings of $25), for the commuting half of the household, I made home made black bean, veggie and cheese burritos for this week's lunches (a savings of around $8-$10) and today I will be processing our own shredded chicken into enchilada's for both dinner tonight and lunches next week (a savings of another $8-$10)

Happy Friday!

Going Against The Grain

2008-09-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

I hope my sister doesn't mind but I'm going to use a recent email exchange as a launching off point today. A few days ago, this was in my Inbox:

"Sis, your blog is killing me." (Literally, that was the whole email)
My reply: "Why?" (Literally, that was the whole email)
Her reply: "Because that is so NOT how we were raised."

The picture of my sister, laughing as she read about my white envelopes and me picking up 20 chickens (with bones, no less...a long family joke), ran through my mind and made me giggle. But she was SO right. My sister and I were raised by parents who worked their butts off to make a better life for us but our Mom was a shop now, pay later kinda girl. That's not to say she was irresponsible, far from it, but we were not raised with a "wait till you can afford it" mantra. Nope, it was more like, if you want it, buy it and work longer hours to pay it off.My views on money, money management and debt...they are not easy, or second nature or even instinctual.

I've said it before, I'm not formally trained in anything money or business. I've learned it the hard way. We have paid off not one, but two student loans and a mountain of personal debt in the last 16 years. My business experience began quite quickly when I opened an itty bitty shop, in an itty bitty town, with friends two weeks after 9/11 (clearly, the planning happened before). I had never worked a bookkeeping software before that first month in my life and my entire buy in was on my credit card, not my recommendation at all! (That little shop has now grown into a big shop http://www.thepaintescape.com/ owned by our former employee and dear friend, Tina. Check it out!)

My soap box lectures come from a place of been there, done that, don't need to go back. The life I strive for today is different. It's a life of not of running to stand still, but of just standing still. When I post about Operation Feed Ourselves, it's a project to see if we can raise more of our food in our little garden to save money and support of local economy, but it's also time to be still in my yard, with my family, with myself. I fight every day against the easier road of "just don't think about it, make it easy" but I know that if I listen to that voice, I won't be OK in 10 or 20 years. I watched my Mom work her whole life and we buried her at 56. She always thought she could stop and relax later but later didn't come. As long as money drives you, you are not driving yourself and that, at its core, is why I am taking this not so easy path. Sharing it with you just keeps me honest.

Garden Update

2008-09-05T15:57:00.001-07:00

This week in the garden we'll be harvesting the potatoes and onions and I'll be letting the squash limp along for a couple more weeks. We've got a warm sunny stretch coming but I'm not holding out a lot of hope for a bumper crop. We're retiring the two small beds with cover crops but will plant some more fall/winter veggies this week. Admittedly, without our CSA memberships this project would be a bust but we've learned a lot for next year.

In the kitchen we've just frozen 10 pounds of blueberries (and we're happily eating another 2 or 3). Two pounds of basil will be in my CSA order this weekend for pesto and peaches will be picked up next weekend. Apples and pears will be coming in late September. I have made the decision NOT to put up my own tomatoes, as we are fortunate enough to have a local organic company that I can buy a few cases from to get us through the winter. There is only so much processing we can do with two full time jobs. The next ten chickens will be ready for pick up next weekend and I'm putting in my final beef order for the season in October. For those keeping track, we'll have 35 chickens when all is said and done, one tom turkey for Thanksgiving, and a quarter of a side of beef. Remember, we split our last quarter in early spring and that eighth will see us through about six months. We aren't big pork eaters but I do like the ham hocks for soups and the occasional bacon on Sundays. We're trying to decide if it's worth splitting a side of pork. If anyone has experience, we'd love to hear about it.

Fall is fast approaching here in the Pacific Northwest. Summer was a short season. There may be a greenhouse in my future!

When Is Debt OK?

2008-09-02T20:53:00.001-07:00

Lisa commented to my "Cheering Squad" post a fabulous question about debt that has inspired me to rattle on more on the topic. (I hope Lisa doesn't regret asking!)

When is debt OK? Is debt ALWAYS bad? Well there are some people in the world with far more knowledge than little 'ol me who have very definite opinions about these questions but since this is my blog, I'm going to offer my thinking on the matter. One small opinion which you are free to completely ignore.

In a perfect world, one would only enter into a debt with forethought and a plan to pay it off. In THIS world, most of us slam up against a crisis situation (the car finally really died or the water heater really was rusting from the inside out, who knew?) and whip out our credit cards. Life happens and often it isn't cheap. But in those moments where you are making a choice to go into debt...a house, a NEW car off the lot when the old one probably has two more years left on it, a vacation or new clothes...it's those moments that you have to really be honest with yourself. Other people would say, "don't do it, you don't need it, walk away, cash only." (Full disclosure here: I am currently trying to toe that line of mild deprivation but I wouldn't necessarily impose that on others, it's not a easy road.) I'm not going to say that because for 99.9% of us, that's completely unrealistic. What I DO want to say is that if you choose debt don't kid yourself about it. You are spending money you don't have. You are borrowing from your future and you are living beyond your means. Period. Just don't stick your head in the sand.

Now, back to the original question, when is debt OK? Debt is OK when you plan for it and never let it drive the bus. An example: when we went to ask for a mortgage 9 years ago we were shocked to learn what we qualified for on paper. When I asked the kind man how much that particular mortgage would cost each month (30 year fixed) he casually rattled off a number that was more than twice any rent we had ever paid before and I couldn't imagine where we'd ever get that kind of money every month for the next 30 years. When I asked him instead to work the numbers the other way (I want a monthly payment that is no larger than....) he gave us a mortgage figure that was half the original amount. And so that is the house we bought (and still have today). With the mortgage we have, we can literally lose half of our current income and still be able to pay our note or we can rent the house for more than what we owe each month. We didn't get our dream home and yes, we've been remodeling it since we bought it (cash only remodels) but it feels good to know that we have financial options and we're not tied to the house payment.

Debt is OK when it won't overwhelm you or force you into places or decisions you don't really want to be. What you don't ever want is to dig yourself so deeply into a hole that you will never get out.

Labor Day is Right

2008-08-30T14:52:00.001-07:00

A fast update on The Eternal House Remodel...this weekend we will be completing the exterior paint job and finalizing the picket fence design for completion next weekend. For those new readers, this project has been ongoing since 2002. However, the exterior paint job is our downward run. We bought a dreary grey house with no charm or character and for the most part all of the forced character has happened on the inside. But I've dreamed of a little yellow cottage for many many years and now it's finally happening. A very special thanks to our dear friends Gerry, Jeffrey and Jamie. They all worked so hard getting the house prepped, primed (not once but twice) and the first coat rolled. This weekend is merely trim and touch up. Without these fine friends, my little yellow cottage would still be just a dream.

How to Save and Swim at the Same Time

2008-08-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

How do you save or "pay yourself first" and still stay afloat with your bills? Honestly, that was a concept that eluded me for a LONG LONG time. We have been savings poor for most of our adults lives around here and yet, we own a modest home, have two cars that are paid off, and up until three weeks ago, had no credit card debt. We're not too bad off on the face of it.

But here's the reality check below the surface: our mortgage today is only $400 more than rent on our last apartment 10 years ago. We have no car loan today but up until 2 years ago we had always had a car loan and the mortgage. And yet today, we are earning more income than we were even 5 years ago. So, we are making more, with theoretically less debt and yet we still don't have adequate savings. What is that about?

Simply put we have fallen into the trap of the more we make the more we spend. In the last couple of months we had a family meeting and threw all the budget numbers out there and worked the numbers. We are now on board with the "pay ourselves first" concept and will be splitting all the "excess" (read: non essential) money evenly each month between a "locked" savings account (high penalties for early withdrawal before 12 months) and our newly acquired debt. In 12 months the debt will be gone (it's parked at a really low interest rate so I don't mind the finance fees for the short term) and we'll have 3 months of gross income saved.

Here's what we had to sacrifice: We'll only have dinner out once a month. If invited by friends we'll either decline or skip next month...twelve eat outs a year, period. We will only buy clothes we NEED and those new items will be replacing donated items. (Seriously, do I need 16 pairs of shoes when I wear the same three pair 5 days a week? I live in a rural community for goodness sake!) I will take household inventory like I used to do at my old retail shop and only buy necessary items with a list. No new toys or gadgets until the debt is paid off. If we have lived without it this long, a little longer won't hurt. Any new items for our house (because we do need lamps and other items since we've lived with almost no furniture for 5 yeas during the remodel) cannot exceed what is the cash envelope each month for "incidentals". (The smallest of all the envelopes, by the way.) If I LOVE something, it will have to wait until the incidentals envelope is big enough to buy it. The food/grocery thing sort of takes care of itself with our garden and CSA memberships and a stocked freezer of local chicken and beef and our canning. It's a time commitment but we wouldn't go back to processed foods. And the big trick is cash only. We converted back to little envelopes last month and when it's gone it's gone. That has worked relatively well. The only time I had to write a check was for the carpenter who built our new gate. Our lives are more simple now and we want to keep it that way.

Unless we begin to take our future well being more seriously, we will always be treading water when what we really need to be doing is swimming for the shore.

Your Cheering Squad

2008-08-26T17:43:00.001-07:00

For Lilli Blue, Francie and Patricia (and everyone else who emails me instead of commenting), this is your cheering squad to financial stability.

How's everyone doing with their budgets? Know where you are yet? Nudge, nudge... it's OK, I'll give you a couple of more days.

A friend and I were discussing different types of debt today and I just want to share a thought. Debt is debt. Out in the world you will hear things like, "well, there's good debt and bad debt" and while there is debt that can be advantageous from a tax standpoint everyone should contemplate CAREFULLY their debt ratio and what is too much and when you are rationalizing overspending. (Because TRUST ME, no one can rationalize overspending more than me, it's why this house remodel has taken a bazillion years.) Once you have your budget numbers squared away, it'll be easier to look honestly about spending habits, debt habits and if there are healthier options. So, get busy! I'm here to cheer you on!

Budget Budget Budget

2008-08-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

I've talked so much about the systems that we live in and how women and their worth and their valuations have an innate power to shift the economy and that all sounds really good...very academic. I'm not an idiot. I can rattle on and on about economic structures blah blah blah but the day to day reality is this: You can only spend what you have and still be OK financially. (I KNOW there are magic plastic cards in your purse, but I said "and still be OK financially".)

So, friends, today's question is How Much Do You Have? Can't spend it if you don't know. People that tell me they don't have a head for numbers and couldn't possibly do this are taking the easy way out. Add. Subtract. You can do this, really.

How To Build A Budget:

1. Gather all of your income sources - pay stubs, W2's, Investment Dividend Statements, alimony (do people get that anymore?) and child support. Can't find or don't save all that paper? Get the bank statement(s) for every checking/savings account that you have for the last 3 months.

2. Add those up and LOOK AT IT. Does that seem right? Round DOWN if it doesn't. (That way if you're wrong, you're pleasantly surprised.)

3. Compute your expenses - the monthly expenses like mortgage/rent/utilities are the easy ones. They don't change much. Scan your statements (both bank and credit card) for the last three months. Add up the categories you use (like gas, groceries, eating out, house supplies, clothes, travel). Look for the regular expenditures but jot down the not so common ones separately. Round up where you are uncertain. (That way if you're wrong, you're pleasantly surprised.)

4. Figure it out - Subtract your expenses from your income. Hopefully you end up with a positive number. If not, start asking yourself if the overages in the last few months are regular bad spending habits (eating out, eating out and eating out) or if they were one time, couldn't help it emergencies that aren't likely to happen again. EITHER WAY, if your debt outweighs your income you need to begin to cut back. Just like fried food, it'll catch up with you in the end.

5. If the number you have at the end is positive (whew hoo) then the FIRST THING you need to do is pay off any debt. No debt? Save something. Save anything. Every rich person in the world will tell you that they pay themselves first. For years I didn't know what that meant. It means, pick YOU over pretty shoes or eating out.

Like I said, we can pump ourselves up all we want about being empowered women but if you don't know what you make, what you spend and what your life costs to live, then you really have no power at all. Grab those calculators and get busy, girls.

Stopped Dead in My Tracks

2008-08-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

This has been me for the last 6 days...stuck in bed. On Sunday the 17th I awoke with a fever that kept going up and up and up. By 2:30 my family and one persistent neighbor (thanks, Laura!) had convinced me that with a temp above 103 degrees it was time to go to the ER. (In our community we have no weekend walk in clinics and a ferry ride to the mainland, well, that's for life threatening stuff. Our little ER has about 4 rooms and it was our county fair weekend to boot. But they were awesome. As my ability to breathe became slightly impaired due to the ever rising fever, they were on it. IV's, oxygen, chest xrays, the works. After several hours of IV fluids, drugs and antibiotics they sent me home. I slept for the first two days, waking only to the gentle cajoling of my family to drink or take medicine. Today, I feel much better but am still a bit weak.

My clients have been great about my mandatory week off. My tribe has rallied, delivering food, humor and love. It turns out that I had not one, but two infections. The secondary one was the one that brought me to my knees. My nurse practitioner scolded me yesterday for letting the primary infection go unchecked for so long but I honestly didn't even notice symptoms. My sister wrote me a lovely email yesterday reminding me that we are cut from the same type A personality cloth of our mother and that if we don't learn to stop and slow down ourselves, the Universe will do it for us. She was absolutely right and this was a good wake up call.

Time for meds with a big glass of juice and wee rest on the couch. Oh, and look three months of Food and Wine, Victoria and Romantic Homes magazines await!
~Steph

My, how the garden grows.

2008-08-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm climbing down off the soapbox for just a moment to update you all on the garden project. Well, it's a mixed bag (or raised beds if you will). Admittedly I haven't resown as much as I should have but there is still time. The potatoes and onions are just fine. I'm letting the potatoes harden over in the bed. Squashes and zucchini may not make it, but I'm still holding out hope. If we don't get too much late summer rain, I'll have enough tomatoes to can at least 12-24 jars of sauce. Spinach and lettuce are still producing enough for daily salads but next year I'll need more variety. Honestly, if I didn't have my two CSA (community supported agriculture) portions this season, I wouldn't have even come close to having the garden feed us. But I've learned a lot for next season...mostly that I need to allocate more space and time to food growing and production and if we have a late, wet spring again I'll need to create more micro climate systems to assist and extend my season.

The Power of Value

2008-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've received a few emails from close friends expanding on the post below so I thought I'd take the conversation here on the blog one step further. My post about knowing your worth goes deeper than knowing your monetary contributions to this world. Don't get me wrong, knowing what you are worth is necessary but it's also just the first step to being powerful economically. Let me paint a picture from the world of micro business ownership and I'm sure you can extrapolate it to personal finances as well.

In a traditional business model a woman might be asked how much her company grosses or nets in any given time period, let's say a month. In my new model for instance, at home e-tailing a micro business, I can imagine that a woman might proudly answer that she nets $500-1000 a month (because now that you know your worth you can answer the question). A traditionalist may roll their eyes or laugh and ask questions about growth and how this owner intends to drive more business to the site, etc.

But now that you know your worth you can begin to explore the power of that worth. If that same woman no longer pays daycare costs or can pay off a student loan or credit card and can contribute to a Roth IRA and her over head is less than 10% of her net because she has learned to drop ship instead of carrying a lot of inventory and she has time for yoga or walking or writing or volunteer work or whatever to fill herself up as a person, she is miles and miles ahead of any large corporation that posts a quarterly loss or even no growth.

So many women have used a model that doesn't reflect their values as WOMEN to measure their worth and contributions. I'm not quantifying the traditional model used for centuries in this country to evaluate wealth. It has a place. But I am asking women to simply set aside that model and look at the power you have to create a new model of valuation that looks more like the life you live and then embrace the power it can bring you. Why can't two value systems co-exist? But if we don't see it ourselves then no one else will either.

What's Your Worth?

2008-08-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

When I hear women say things like, "I don't want to think about money," or "I hate the bookkeeping part of my business," I have two reactions. The first - as a professional bookkeeper- is sympathy and empathy. I get that for some of us, the bookkeeping part of our lives or business is work, perhaps it doesn't come naturally or isn't the "fun" part. That's why I have a thriving business and get paid to do something I love. The second, more private deep down response is, "Put your big girl panties on and get that done!" And here's why: a hundred years ago we couldn't vote, we couldn't own property, let alone businesses, because we WERE property and we had no money of our own.
Women are reinventing themselves and the world around them into new business models and a new consumerism, that flies in the face of those found on Wall Street. With technology and education they are reshaping what "having it all" means. They can stay home with the kids and run a successful business from the guest room or they can manage their money, pay their bills and shop from their i-Phones or Blackberries at the doctor's office or on a lunch break. They can join online book clubs and converse with women in other countries about universal experiences. This new era and generation of women isn't always intentionally making waves. Most days they're just putting one foot in front of the other. But the upshot of that is that simply, by living their lives, these women are changing the economy around them. They have a power of which they are not always cognizant.
The fact that women now outnumber men on college campuses, are the fastest growing demographic of new business owners and have firmly staked out their positions as entrepreneurs in online boutique e-tailing is no small matter or coincidence. But these are the same women who most likely cannot tell me how much money is in their checking accounts today and if I asked them what their net worth was, they'd most likely not be able or willing to answer. I'd even venture to guess that if I asked the women who own their own companies how much in inventory they have right now or what their net loss or gain for the first two quarters of 2008 was, perhaps only half would be able to answer. Women bring a different perspective to business and finance (personal or professional) that is necessary. We should not and cannot continue to move through the world by or in a preconceived, out dated male dominated methodology that doesn't reflect our values as women. All that I am advocating is that oblivion about money shouldn't be one of those core values. We've come far in 100 years and we owe it to women 100 years from now to continue to push the envelope.
I challenge every woman who reads this today to ponder this question: If you don't know how much your are worth then how does anyone else?

A New Soap Box

2008-08-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

I've always debated how much to share on this blog about what goes on deep in my head and heart. It's a fine line, you know? Yesterday, I was listening to one of my favorite writers and activists, Gloria Steinem on public radio, KUOW "Weekdays" http://www.kuow.org/listen/ . Something in her conversation woke something up deep inside of me that has been asleep for way too long.

You see, my background isn't in finance, I am academically trained in Women Studies - particularly women's history. My journey to finance came via entrepreneurialship and realizing (with cajoling from my own accountant) that in my own business I had a talent for balancing the books and then making the numbers tell me a story.

So as I listened to Gloria and then I went out to meet clients later, I realized that so many women - some who own businesses and others who don't - ignore their money. It's astounding to me that there are still women out their that think they "don't know anything" about money. Or worse, don't WANT to know. Are you kidding me? You can go to work and supervise 7 staff members, come home and fix dinner or you can be someones mom 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no vacation or sick days, and juggle all the play dates, doctor's appointments and preschool stuff, but you can't figure out how much money you have in the bank or if you have credit card debt? Seriously?
No. My new mission is to convince, cajole or harass women (and men) everywhere to begin a new relationship with their money. I may not know as much as Suze Orman but I know how to balance a check book! So, today begins a new direction for my little blog that only about 20 people read...we're going to make sure that we all retire with more than .10% of our annual wages in the bank and that we don't suffer in the process. What do you say? Are you with me?

My lovely assistant

2008-08-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

So, this is the fussy cat face I look at when I'm working each day. I thought I'd share with you all!

Food Inventory

2008-08-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Janette (kintrophy/parenting uphill) asked a question about the quantity of chicken we picked up this weekend and whether it's enough to last a year. No, is the simple answer. We will, before winter sets in, freeze half a side of beef, 30 chickens and a very small quantity of pork (ham hocks mostly for soup). If we are super lucky our friends fishing the north Pacific will come home with a bit of salmon. This will hopefully get us through until next June but it's all a guessing game this year. It's our first "locavore" year and we're not sure how much is enough yet. We are already having discussions about winter greens and winter fruits. Come January, I'm going to want green veggies. We have agreed that northern California is acceptable as our furthest south point of origin for food but even California doesn't produce broccoli in winter. We'll keep you posted on whether we can hold out or not.

Eating local can be a workout

2008-08-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

Picture this: a lovely Saturday afternoon drive up a pastorial island highway in Puget Sound on a sunny summer's day. Sounds nice, doesn't it? It is except the part where we arrive at our location at the top of the island with two fish coolers packed with ice and we load in 30 chickens (that were walking around yesterday) and two tom turkeys. We'll have the added bonus of UNloading them as soon as we get back home too. That's 200 pounds of poultry, just in case you didn't do the math. Eating local can be a workout!

Money Saving Idea

2008-07-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

This isn't a new money saving idea but I like it, none the less. Little white envelopes full of CASH. How does that save me money you ask? Well, children, take a page from our grandparents...they weren't all crazy. Tomorrow I will be putting away the checkbook and the debit card and the credit card and only carrying cash. That methodology, when followed faithfully, allowed us to pay off not one, but two student loans 15 years early.

Back in the day when we were poor students and starting out (and I'm not being euphamistic here, we really were poor), we had several envelopes that lived in a large paper clip for "gas" "food" "spending money" (the smallest of them all). Each week we would put the budgeted (read: we'd empty the checking account because it's all we had) amount into it's alloted envelope. When it was gone, it was gone...until next pay day. Now, because we didn't have the luxury of credit or of savings accounts, the "when it was gone" part was literal. Fast forward 17 years and that notion is, well, hypothetical. But we are committed to getting back on track and MOVING ahead. We've been standing in the same spot on these tracks for a mighty long time now and I'm afraid a large freight train is heading our way if we don't move along.

Now, where did I put that Sharpie!

Berry Disasters

2008-07-23T06:26:00.000-07:00

We have had our first minor disaster in the food production drama...the bottom freezer didn't get closed all the way (and NO ONE seems to know how that happened...) and several gallons of berries have defrosted. Seriously, how much jam can a person eat? We've had ice cream suggested (not a bad one) and of course, puree for smoothies. The worst part we were freezing a friend's Rainier cherries for her since she was traveling last week...oh, that just stinks!

A Dinner To Cherish

2008-07-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! Is it REALLY July 16th! Quarterly tax months just fly by in my bookkeeping world! Anyhoo...

Last night I was honored to be invited to dinner at Hedgebrook, the writers retreat here in my community. I will not divulge the identity of the writers there but suffice it to say, I was blessed to be in the presence of these women who are so talented and visionary in their work. I found myself holding back the hundreds of questions I wanted to ask because, they are, after all, in retreat. They don't need me imposing my dialogue or perspective on them. But what a gift I had last night to be among these women who give to us their world of words. And the food ROCKED too! (Thanks, Jess!)

To learn more about Hedgebrook or to donate (tax refundable, gotta love that!) visit: http://hedgebrook.org

What's a Girl to Do?

2008-07-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

I feel like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland...I'm late, I'm late...This weekend is one of those weekends that I have tasks on every front and there is so much to do, I'm a bit overwhelmed. And so what do I chose to do first? I've spent the last hour visiting the blogs of all my friends at Women Take Wing! and now here I sit, blogging myself. LOL! So much for discipline!

I will go shower, sip another cup of Breakfast Blend from Island Tea Company and then roll up my sleeves here in the office for a few hours before heading outside to harvest salad greens, water and then work on the fence....the eternal fence project that will never end. The island is bustling this weekend with "townies" so I'm staying close to home.

Happy Rabble Rouser Day!

2008-07-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

When I read the Declaration of Independence, I marvel at the level of gumption and uppity-ness it took the founding citizens of this nation to write, sign and send that document. While Native Americans certainly got the raw deal, and I never want us to ignore that part of our history, this day represents not just the beginning of our nation but the beginning of our culture as Americans...that we hold that all men (and women,deal with it) are created equal and that we have a divine right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Novel concepts for the day and for the time. As you light the bbq or set of that firework today, remember the rabble rousers that made it all possible.

The Economics of Local Living

2008-06-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

I'm back from a fabulous trip to North Idaho. Time with my friends, taking naps by the creek, seeing a baby moose and it's mama...all lived up to the expectations. I laughed from deep inside, something I thought I wouldn't be able to do after my mom died. It felt good to find that spot in my heart again.

But it's a conversation I had yesterday that I wish to expand upon here today. I listened as my grandmother worried aloud over the phone about the cost of food and daily items. Not an uncommon worry for an older person on a fixed and small income. Of course, we as her family will never let her do without, if she has a need we will step in to assist her, but as I hung up I pondered my own reality on that front. Yes, everything costs more. Yes, I've had to do some serious adjusting to the budget. But when I look at my pantry, my freezer and my garden, I'm doing alright. Tonight we canned 10 pounds of cherries. Tomorrow we'll dry another 2 or 3. I bought them directly from the grower for half what the grocery store wanted. The same farmer will have peaches, apples and pears for me in the coming weeks. I have organic, free range chicken coming, again directly from the local grower. For what one traditional trip to Costco would have cost me, I'll get enough chicken for the whole winter. It won't be cut up or boneless breasts...it's a whole chicken. Yes, it will take more time to cook and deal with but it's organic, free range and the local farmer I'm buying from will spend her money here, in my community AND be able to grow more chicken for me next year. I'm still saving a little bit of money each month, I'm still contributing to an IRA, and we are still careful. But I am finding that living local and buying local over the coarse of season is leaving me in better financial shape then I thought. It's not the "saving" money that matters, it's the not being held hostage by the wild weekly flucuations that are paying off in the long run. All in all, I think the food budget for the year will come out as previuosly projected in late 2007 but given the upward movement of prices, that's money in the bank if you ask me.

To Idaho

2008-06-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

To Idaho
To a quiet cabin in the woods, with the good company of some of my closest friends. To no internet, no phone, no email, no client emergencies, no calendar or clocks. To watercolor, to reading, to journaling, to yoga and a most anticipated massage in the woods. To the soft sounds of a creek, to Deb's boisterous belly laugh, to long chats with Tamara and Tracy and April.
To Idaho.

Project "Feed Ourselves" Update

2008-06-18T08:38:00.001-07:00

Project "Feed Ourselves" (aka the vegetable garden) is going very slowly. We have had a very wet and cold spring here in the Pac. NW and that cold has set back our already short food growing season by several weeks. The potatoes are plugging along, the lettuces and spinach are happy but everything else...tomatoes, cauliflower, onions, squash and herbs are struggling. I would have had to worry about strawberries except that they were mowed down by the deer last week. I forgot to protect them...sigh. If this keeps up I think our only hope is to return to cold weather crops.

Countdown to Nowhere

2008-06-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

This week is my countdown to nowhere. In six days I will be embarking on my first ever vacation to do absolutely nothing. Several girlfriends and I are going to Idaho to Moosemommas - An Art Retreat for Women

Now I am sure and I happen to know that several of my girlfriends go to craft and create till the cows come home. I am signed up for a watercolor class which I am most excited for, but generally, I'll be laying around. I'm doubled up on client work because this is the longest stretch of time I've every been gone without them being able to contact me (no cell or dsl, whew hoo!) As crazy as the next six days will be, it will be all worth it as the quiet of the Idaho back woods awaits.

Happy Birthday, James!

2008-06-11T21:16:00.001-07:00

This is a special shout out for one of the cutest little men I know! Happy Birthday, James! We wish we could be there to celebrate with you but we know you'll have a great party!
Love,
Aunties of the North