Right Place, Right Time, Right Attitude

I learned a lesson a very long time ago that one cannot "be" in the right place, unless they expose themselves, "find" the right time, unless they are maximizing it or "have" the right attitude, unless they are living it. I was very fortunate in my life to find some great mentors that saw what I was capable of, when I wasn't looking. Opportunities are everywhere, and they can be often missed.

Todd and I had a very early morning meeting at a Chamber event way down south in Puyallup. I had childcare challenges and Todd had to get up very early in the morning to be there. Both of us had perfectly legitimate excuses why we should turn down the event. We both pressed on and made it work. The result? Todd had a FANTASTIC meeting with a group of very intelligent business people. I saw him connecting and the audience was engaged on what it meant to be present and how this worked in a business environment. Afterwards, Todd was interviewed for 5 minutes as part of the Puyallup Chamber of Commerce Series. The group is very progressive and professional. I was very impressed. Had we not gone down there, we may have missed what might be a great opportunity to meet some wonderful people!

At times when I feel that I don't want to go or do something, is the time when I most need to do it. The best things come from where we weren't looking for them!!

Check out Todd's interview!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zfD-5nt2mg

Geneology

I checked my mailbox yesterday and received a package from Grandma. She had sent some geneology information she had that took our family back to England in 1539. Looking through the papers, I discovered that my family has been in the US, way before it was the US! Page in hand, I went on ancestory.com and started to build the tree. I AM ADDICTED! I found out we don't have any German on my side of the family as I thought we did. We have 1 Irish relative from the 1600. The rest are all from Massachusettes and England. My favorite part is looking at the sensus information. I have printed the actual written forms and a WWI draft card from my great grandfather Felix Gelinas, who was a first generation French Canadian. My great grandmother was half white/half indian who was adopted in the 1800s and was listed on the 1910 sensus as a "servant" for a Mr. and Mrs. Shakespear, immigrants from England settling in Snohomish.

Have you done any Geneology? What sources do you think work the best? What facinating things have you found in your families past?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

After a hiatus of sick/flu, one messed up gmail account (beware, it takes over EVERYTHING) and a hard drive crash, I am back just in time to toast a Guinness to a St. Patrick's Day 2009!!


I've invited the resident expert, Kim Clavin, to join us for an interesting fact. There are over 35 million Americans of Irish decent living in the United States. Ireland has a total population of a little over 4 million. 10% of the population of the United States have something to really celebrate today. The rest of us WISH we were Irish. Kinda like many of us suddenly become Cajun (maybe topless?) at Marti Gras. Although I have Russian, German, English, French, Canadian, American Indian and who knows what else in me, I have no Irish that I know of. So for today, I will claim my love of Guinness and U2 as my right of passage into Irish-hood. ERIN GO BRAGH!

Getting the Flu

Isn't it amazing that your kids own vomit doesn't make you sick? Well, that's true for me anyway. I was tested with this 3 weeks ago at 2 o'clock in the morning when my 4 year old boy came into my room crying and looking like the poisoned ghost girl from the Sixth Sense. I spent the next hour cleaning the carpet, the mattress pad, sheets, clothes, toilet etc..... When my husband came down with the same thing a week later, I was wondering if he caught the flu through osmosis, as he was NOT the one up at the 2am cleaning.

I began to think this was a manly flu, targeting those with different bits and pieces when my daughter came down last week. I again marvelled at my new found immunity. You see, usually I am the one who gets sick first, gets better while everyone else is ill, then I get a second round. Ever since I found the $10 Netti pot last year, I have been relatively sick-free. I was taking care of all of them and still I was going strong. Then, yesterday afternoon at 4pm, I was reviewing my spreadsheets on my computer when the next thing I know, my head hit my desk with a thud. I guess it saved the best for last....