i’m always excited for a new year. i know, i know – most of us don’t last a month or two in our resolutions. but i still love the new-smell of a whole new year. i see it as a fresh start to be anyone or do anything i want. every year i decide what will be my annual focus. i’ve learned that resolutions like “work out more” or “diet” or “go to a movie once a week” don’t work as well  for me as selecting one thing to focus on.

resolution: a resolve or determination

i’ve never been able to accomplish much beyond my daily to-do lists if i don’t make up my mind to change. last year, my resolution was to stop fearing and worrying. i come from  along line of worry-wort’s and i knew that this habit to over-think, over-fret and over-fear everything was killing me. it was causing unneeded stress as a lot of times it seems i’m worrying over something no one else cares about. all this worry was robbing me of peace in my life.

365 days later and i’m a different person. i’m still learning but what a year it has been. i’ve said goodbye to worry in ways i never dreamed possible. i’ve made decisions to stop engaging in areas that cause me to fret. i’ve let go of worrying about  minutia that doesn’t matter. i’ve learned to let go… and i’m happier for it.

so what will you determine in your mind to change about yourself, your life, your choices…we could go on and on.

we are not perfect, we’re people. but golly, it feels good to get better with the passing of another year, doesn’t it?

fall is, by far, my favorite time of year.

fall isn’t the life-push of spring, nor is it the vibrant heat and color of the summer.

it’s more subtle. but then, i think that’s why i like it.

fall comes at the end of the most busy time of the year for most. for property managers, summer is the rush-rush of weather-induced move-outs and move-ins and at the end of all that craziness, we head into fall.

the colors deepen and mature. the trees ache with the cold and shiver their clothing to the ground. and it’s time to go inside. both literally and figuratively.

i do some of my best thinking and best planning in the fall. it’s when new ideas emerge in the void of a hectic schedule. it’s when i look at areas that i want to see improvement both professionally and personally.

i find myself wrapped in a blanket, dreaming, sipping a cup of tea as i watch the leaves float in air that before had no definition and now holds an object suspended, even if just for a fleeting moment.

this is why i love fall.

my sister loves a good carnival ride.

i don’t like crowds.

yet the portland rose festival is a place where history meets portland flair and there is a draw for many that still lingers after all these years.

fleet week is my favorite. this year, it takes place june 8-12. i love seeing the huge ships come through our little waterway that i would have never dreamed could accommodate the size of these metal abodes.

take one of the tours of these giant boats and you’ll soon come to realize and be thankful for the sacrifices our military make in comfort, in order to fight for our freedom.

i know, i know. all portlanders are supposed to hate war and while i do hate war (who doesn’t?), i come from a family with a great history of military service. they were proud to serve our great nation for the freedoms we still possess today and they paid a great cost.

if you have family in the military, i thank you. i thank them. this is very tough job and i will never know the personal sacrifice paid on my behalf but i will stand, forever grateful!

a few months ago, i received an application for a rental from a man in his mid-twenties who said he was a retired military man. this made me wonder, but his story checked out and i found out just how he came to be retired when he came to sign his paperwork for his new home.

here sat before me a young man with promise in his young face and his body is scarred in a way that even the best doctors can’t fix. my heart broke. i asked him where he had been and he said he’d been in iraq. i thanked him and like most military service people i’ve ever met, he quickly averted eye contact, a small and hopeful sign that i’d be gracious and let the subject drop. i did.

his story is his and i don’t need to know. but his sacrifice is all of ours to bear. he paid a price we’d never want our own loved ones to experience. yet he’s home and alive.

after he signed his paperwork and left to go move into his new house, i sat silent with watery eyes, just imagining the day he had when he lost so much. the panic and the fear and sheer will to live. my small thank you just didn’t seem to be enough.

but i’ll still say it…

thanks, joe

please note, joe is not his real name as i’ve changed it to protect his privacy.

jomo and i recently had supper with a very interesting fellow.

as we discussed our projects and life and what we want out of this life we live, we came to a portion of the discussion, our friend coins “the great reset.”

he’s referring to the massive shift in thinking and living that he sees all across our great nation. when people are impacted in such a significant way as to create crisis, we change. we reset.

• lost job
• sickness and terminal illness
• foreclosure of home
• filing bankruptcy on consumer debt

you see, this great reset is needed. necessary. but unless we choose to consciously change or are one of the unlucky ones forced into this level of crises, we may miss the reset all together.

it’s true for us too.

to give you some history, we ramped up our business in a major way in january of 2009 and that year was the craziest year of my life. working weeks on end from 4am to 9pm and getting up the next day just to do it all again was quickly draining the life right out of me.

i now know the reason for the great advice of staying small. further, what’s all this fuss about always having to grow? we got off the hamster wheel after a year of struggling to keep up with the amount of work our contracts generated yet, barely seeing the supposed financial benefit of growth.

we live a great life and we cannot complain, but it’s not come without a shift.

our own personal reset.

• we are learning how to refuse “more” as the answer to everything.
• we are learning that a little inconvenience keeps us more humble.
• we are learning to use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
• we are learning to slow down and enjoy our food, and to eat less of it.
• we are learning that our time together is worth far more than a few extra dollars.
• we are learning to focus on life and the beauty of life more than anything else.

what are you learning? are you missing this great reset? do you notice in your own life how our little planet is shifting?

hey all,

make sure you don’t miss the beautiful display of blooms at the crystal springs rhododendron garden this month and into the first half of may.

you won’t be disappointed.

here are a few ideas:

• take a quiet walk alone and make your list of ways you want to enjoy the summer
• go with your sweetheart at the end of a long day and celebrate your love
• enjoy a lesson in the beauty of nature with your kids or friend’s kids
• get a new picture for your desktop or for a mother’s day present

no matter what you are doing…i think you’ll want your camera along so you can capture these lovely blooms that welcome in the warmer weather!

i was with an elderly neighbor the other day as we went to do our errands together. it was that really nice, sunny and warm day we had and my neighbor was wearing a sweater and a rain coat and she was of course too warm. usually, i’m turning the heat up in the car for her but this day she wanted the windows down and air blowing around us.

i loved it.

you see, she tells me stories of long ago. how portland used to be in the 40’s when she first came from overseas where she was born. we always have lovely chats. just the other day i was asking her about why they tore down the old portland hotel and put pioneer square in its place.

the portland hotel, historical photograph, photographer unknown

i thought it was a shame to loose such a historic building and wondered if it was dilapidated or something. she shared that the hotel was gorgeous and not run down at all. her words expressed the outrage from many at the time who didn’t understand it anymore then than i do now.

as we chatted, we quipped about the great weather and how we hoped it would stay…but recalled:

april showers, bring may flowers.

then she shared a saying from her own country that translates to:

keep an extra sweater on in april cause it’s likely that if you don’t you’ll get caught out in the cool, but come may you’ll finally be able to shed that extra layer.

and with that, i’m looking forward to may.

it hangs in our kitchen and reminds us to eat what’s in season and stop buying produce from stores that get it shipped in from god knows where.

want one?

they’re only $5 from the Oregon Department of Agriculture and they are beautiful! follow instructions here and get one of your very own…

enjoy!

on a recent trip to sauvie island for some yummy local produce, i was reminded about the corn maize events out there and wanted to highlight a few fun autumn events around our area for your enjoyment:

muddy boot organic festival
september 10th to 12th, 2010
portland
a celebration of sustainable living, featuring workshops and exhibits on sustainable living and climate change, local and healthy organic foods, organic beer and wine, kids’ activities and musical entertainment

location:
st. philip neri church
2408 se 16th avenue
portland, oregon

wordstock book festival
october 7-10, 2010
portland – portland metro
although best known for the book fair, several events actually make up the wordstock festival. wordstock features ten author stages, a book fair with over 150 exhibitors, a special children’s area and children’s literature stage, a series of workshops for writers and for k-12 teachers, a special broadcast of live wire!, the popular public radio variety show, featuring writers from the festival, and more.

location:
oregon convention center
777 ne martin luther king jr., boulevard
portland, or

information:
503-546-1012

annual squishing of the squash & ‘howloween’ at the zoo
portland – portland metro
environmental enrichment – annual squishing of the squash
october 29th, 10:30am

in preparation for our “howloween” event, the portland zoo elephant herd will receive a huge pumpkin to pulverize. great photo opportunity — bring your camera!
howloween at the zoo
most kids love trick-or-treating, and oregon zoo provides a fun and safe setting for this traditional halloween activity. trick-or-treaters will complete an intriguing scavenger hunt leading them to activity stations around the zoo. goodie bags filled with candy and prizes will be given out for completed hunts at the zoo’s exit. free with zoo admission.

location:
oregon zoo
4001 sw canyon rd
portland, oregon

information:
503-226-1561

corn maize
september 4 thru october 31, 2010
sauvie island – portland metro
great fun! with hay rides, pumpkin patch and more. see their new ‘trailblazers maize’ & ‘field of screams’!

location:
the pumpkin patch – sauvie island
16525 nw gillihan rd.
(only 15 minutes from downtown portland!)

information:
(503) 621-7110

the square foot gardening method seems awesome! check out this book for yourself from powell’s books or your local library. oh and make sure to check out the photos of other folk’s gardens on google…very inspiring!

some of the ideas got me thinking about how this could apply to our renters:

• small scale gardening (one 4 foot square box feeds one adult) only 6″ deep
• mobile system of raised garden bed
• raised bed planted directly on top of grass, other – no digging!

more importantly for renters…

when you move, just pick up the bed, dispose of soil and reseed/replace dead grass, bark, etc.

so if you want a garden here are my tips:

• do it!
• keep it clean and orderly if seen by other neighbors
• don’t grow anything illegal!
• share your bounty with neighbors or learn how to preserve for winter use

above all, enjoy it! we have such beautiful weather when it gets warm and you may as well use those rays to help feed yourself and cut down your grocery bill!

happy summer to all!

i keep a monthly to-do list.

i started the list earlier this year because i got sick of saying…

oh i’ll get to that some day or i wish i had time to do that

things like:

• make a quilt
• read a book each week
• try three new recipes

and other things…just average things that i don’t do unless i write it down.

this month, i’m planning on

                      enjoying my summer

yes, just like the rest of the world i have to work, keep house, go to family functions and keep other commitments we’ve made but i want to enjoy and remember this summer for the great times i’ve had. so now that our weather is finally cooperating, here’s a few things on my list:

• lay out in the grass
• have a garage sale to get rid of excess stuff
• make homemade ice cream
• sit by the pool at my sister’s apartment
• make new summery pillow cases for the living room throw pillows
• go on a drive with jomo through the country

all these and more…done.

i am making the time to enjoy my summer so far. are you?