$500,000, Einstein, NYC and a Long Lost Friend

It's my favorite work of art, because it comes to life in person. I haven't visited it in over ten years. It took $500,000 to get there and I arrived at the MET with the man who stole my heart as a boy seventeen years ago in high school.

The art is Autumn Landscape by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The $500,000 is a US Treasury grant Melina, Scott and I (Credit Union Strategic Planning) landed to help immigrants in Harlem to lift themselves out of poverty. Did you know that immigrants are the poorest of the poor in the U.S. for three generations? And my renewed friendship is with one of the finest people I've ever had the pleasure of calling a best friend. Back in high school he bagged groceries at the store and I worked at the restaurant across the street. Back then he was my first crush. Now he is a remarkable father, brother, son, veteran, and more remarkable friend than I could have imagined. We hadn't seen each other for over 15 years- so of course we met up in
NYC (smile). Like me, he works to help people. And our friendship is a gift, like all things in life- even hardships. His sister remarked that the timing of our friendship was good for him. She had no idea of the good timing in my life for a positive male influence to reaffirm my faith in men treating women with respect. We both lifted each other up and that is where happiness comes from: Our way of being.

Everyday my faith (in a loving God) is affirmed by life. It's occurring to me that the spirit of God in us, the way we are made in the likeness of God means that when we create anything in life it is divine. We see this in the inspiring works of art that are created by Tiffany or the feeling of awe from inventing an opportunity to be a positive change agent in the world. I'm also astounded by the story of Jesus having faith to die on the cross for our sins, and it's profound beauty in reflecting the good that can happen in our own lives and the world when we embrace fear and take a leap of faith to turn adversity (Any hardship. See the 911 memorial cross in the picture) into an opportunity for humanity, kindness and love. As I look at the challenges I've faced this last year, and how the circumstances were altered by surrendering to God and choosing faith instead of fear, I see the gift of a graceful and powerful life.

And that is what's going on in life right now. To that end Melina and I offered Scott Butterfield ownership in Credit Union Strategic Planning and the position of CEO. He accepted our offer and we immediately picked up clients in Alaska, California and Louisiana. The word is out that we are saving small credit unions and helping consumers.

And the H1N1 I picked up in Ohio (yup mom and I got really sick) laid me up at my mother's house, just long enough to let her make me homemade chicken noodle soup, for us to love one another and appreciate all the health and happiness we take for granted.

So I'm jumping on a plane from Ohio back to Tacoma tomorrow. Dylan's sock hop is this weekend and I'm certain to have a great time with the kids and my friends Jenny, Karl and Ayana. Life really couldn't be any better- with the exception of maybe getting to spend a week or a month with my Grandma Jeanne. Guess I'll have to come back to Ohio next month. That I will work on until then, Thank you God for all of the blessings in my life..

Good Times

Dylan and I have hit our work hard, play hard stride. Dylan's grades have skyrocketed. He is taking caring for the pups seriously. And soccer is in full gear. My dear friend Karl Kilga (Claire and Travis' dad) is D-man's soccer coach.



Karl works the boys out so hard they come home EXHAUSTED.












The Kilga kids, Karl, Dylan and I have been close for years; I even taught Claire how to ride her bike. While the boys work the soccer field, Claire and I relax with the puppies, swing on the playground and taunt each other with double dutch jump rope challenges. With work in full gear (The US Treasury CDFI Fund opened a new $113 million round) and my promise not to work at all after picking Dylan up from school, Tuesdays and Thursdays have officially become my favorite days of the week.



Melina and I are embracing a tremendous work milestone this week. We are celebrating the one year anniversary of our business with gratitude for the amazing people we work with and good that we are doing. As I've said before, the world is reflecting our good intentions back at us. It is amazing. I never dreamed our business would be so healthy after one year. I cried tears of joy this week. The sustainability is awe inspiring as we add new clients from across the country every week including credit unions in Sonoma and Louisiana this last week. Thank God. Thank God. Good times.

Little Girl Games

I still like to play games, little kid games. I am talking about the kind of nonsense I played with Trista. Tuesday I attempted an old game silently in my mind as I drove D-man to school in a neighborhood filled with beautiful houses. It was a game of little girl imagination along the lines of how many kids do you want to have? What do you want to be when you grow up? It was which house do you want to live in?

I always chose the little white one beside Dr. McDonalds' (both of them) office in downtown Bolivar. The one with the Bolivar sign in the front yard. It was the way they manicured the lawn with kris-cross perfection, and kept the home freshly painted. These people LOVED their home. It wasn't decadent. Ironically, my parents' home was four, maybe six times as big- with a HUGE swimming pool.

On the drive to Dylan's school, I thought what a great life visualization exercise. What is my favorite home in this incredible neighborhood near Dylan's school; Only to be frustrated by my inability to choose. None of the houses were my favorite house. I felt slightly defeated. Why couldn't I choose? It's an easy game.

Lets bring this ship into port. I sat on my porch swing this morning watching the pups do their bidness. Two middle school girls walked by. One paused in the sidewalk and turned to me, "Your house is beautiful. It's my favorite house. I look at it everyday.” And blough like a steam roller- it hit me.

My home is my favorite house. I love this house. I even told the girl, "Thank you. Thank you for telling me that you love my home. I love my home. I work on it all the time. This summer I climbed up onto the roof myself to paint the trim."

Just like the people in the little house in Bolivar, I love my home. Apparently that love is something that little girl's dreams are made of. I'm living my own dream. Bliss.

Now off to make money to pay for that paint (wink). Special thanks to my Grandma Jeanne for the love that she put into my life and home. I am grateful.

Yo Quiero- We got a puppy dog!

Dylan has been asking for a Chihuahua for over a year. Not just any dog- a Chihuahua. As we've been living in peace and harmony with new rules and respect in the house I was actually thinking about it. During the past year, I've always said, "No way." I haven't really liked a dog since my dachshund when I was a little girl. And ooooh the responsibility (wrinkled brow and sigh.)

Well the lesson at Genesis this week was about feeling joy. I almost felt like Rev. Charles was speaking right to me about letting go of the need to work too hard and taking life too seriously. Separately we had a great conversation about the lightness he's seen return in my spirit during the last month. Of course I busted out a famous machine gun laugh to celebrate the call for free, joyous expression.



Along those lines, I had a joyous weekend and on Sunday night God sent more joy to our house. My friend showed up with not one, but two Chihuahua puppies in need of a good home. The big fat begging lip showed up on Dyan's adorable face. I thought to myself, "Ok, God, I hear ya."

We played, laughed, rolled around with the disgustingly adorable spotted, blue eyed pup.

After much deliberation (I am still very serious.) and agreements with Dylan about responsibilities and chores- we decided to keep her. We didn't keep both pups, but we are now a family complete with one disgustingly adorable salt and pepper spotted, blue eyed chihuahua puppy.

Now for a name...Suggestions. I was thinking Faith? or Joy?

Saling Under the Harvest Moon

September in Seattle (and Tacoma) is marked by cool air that chills the nape and the last of the zucchini blossoms. In the Garden of Goodness, a beautiful bounty of squash, cucumbers, peppers, leeks, tomatoes, and lima beans was lit by the harvest moon this weekend. It also sparkled across the water of Elliott Bay (read on).

The seeds we’ve sown and nurtured have blossomed and bore fruit when we reap our harvest. These past few months I planted seeds of my own to:

1. Regain my self-love.

2. Establish boundaries to improve my parenting and protect my home and finances.

3. Step faithfully beyond the fear of the unknown with my business and construction projects.

4. Be the integrity that my word represents my intentions to the world.

5. Forgive and release energy focused on the past.

The (symbolic) garden of my life is overflowing with freshness..


Dylan started the fifth grade last Wednesday. We made an agreement on the house rules. After setting the rules, I asked, “Is there anything that would keep you from living with these rules? Now is the time for us to change anything you can’t live with.” He asked if we could have a rule that I take him to school 20 minutes early everyday. I said, “No problem,” and kept my promise all week, as I will for the remainder of the year. He also kept his word about living with the rules.

For the first time ever, on Thursday he asked, “Is there any other chores I can do for you, mom?” AMAZING! The rules and expectations are building his motivation and confidence. He wants to exceed my expectations.

I too want to exceed my own expectations (and his). In business, we closed two more U.S. Treasury grant writing contracts last week- and picked up a strategic planning client in Sonoma, CA.

What about personal joy? I mentioned, “the moon sparkled on Elliot Bay.” I’ve been so heartbroken these last few months, that I forgot that spending time with an attractive, charismatic man could be enjoyable and romantic. I went on a date on Friday- let my hair down, laughed, smiled and was swept off my feet for an evening. It’s been so long since I’ve felt remotely interested in a man. And really it has been about me loving myself enough to let go of something that didn't work to create an opening in my heart for something that could.



I’m letting go of the sadness. It’s not hard when the option is to sit in mourning or to graciously accept roses during a sunset cruise from someone that just wants to get to know me.

The message at my spiritual center today was simply be light and feel joy. That seams like a way to be grateful for the things we’ve nurtured and grown in our lives.