Soon - Soon - Soon

Things are going to slow down a bit now for me - I am beginning my deliberate start out of the organization in transition. We are in the early stages of Executive Director interviews.

I come to an organization in transition and from the first day I prepare to leave. Now is the time to make it more transparent to everyone in the agency. Soon, I will leave like: water across thee elements or water off a duck's back, quack, quack. That is the beauty of doing this work - arrive, work side by side and work hard - and leave without a ripple.

I will be posting more regularly very soon. Thanks for your kind words of support - it is a tremendous mission to provide safe sanctuary and support to battered women and their children. Mission matters!

Summer in Minnesota

However, one would never know it from our weather the last few days. It is socks and sweatshirt weather with zero sunshine. This is NOT what we are used to here in the Northland. Even in the winter - it may be cold - but it is sunny. We get a grumpy after a few gray, cloudy days.


Here are a few photos I snapped with my IPhone when I came home from Pilates this morning. I also harvested my first zucchini, which I will eat for dinner tonight - it is so neat to grow these things in containers - nature is amazing. More photos to come - I will take some tomorrow with my camera.

It has been a very difficult week - a very difficult week - OK, OK, OK - I won't repeat myself again. I am delighted to be home - rain, sun, clouds - no matter. I am here and going to read, write in my journal, watch a movie and just relax. I hope your weekend is all you need it to be.

Summer Veggies

My little container garden is beginning to produce vegetables. I have harvested arugula, herbs, salad burnet, the first tomatoes and lots of Italian Parsley. Right behind now are tiny zucchinis and yellow pear tomatoes. The eggplant have set on the plants, the peppers are coming along, the bush beans have their first little flowers and the rainbow chard is beginning to look like chard!! I also have brussel sprouts and 3 other types of tomatoes. I will be swimming in tomatoes - my plan is to can, can, can later this summer. Whole tomatoes, sauce, ketchup, and tomato paste - all from my kitchen.

I will take photos soon and post so everyone can see the amazing amount of food one can grow in pots - I am happy. It is about the only thing I have had time for so far this summer. Sorry for my blog-silence these days - I will return to regular posts soon. The client work should slow down in the next 3-4 weeks.

I haven't visited with you as much as I usually do and will try to make the rounds and catch up. I am so looking forward to life returning to normal. Cheers.

Friday

I came back from vacation to more than 500 unread emails and lots of work. I am really glad that it is Friday. I have a busy and highly creative day ahead and am looking forward to it.

The organizational transition in which I have been engaged in since March is moving along quite nicely. We are in new program development and human resources restructuring mode now. The search for the new executive progresses and I should be ready to quietly leave in September.

The garden is exploding with color and lots of veggies. I will take new photos and post a bunch this weekend. Have a wonderful Friday - it is a beautiful day in my backyard, hope it is in yours too.

Vacation

That's right I am on vacation.............hooray!! My friend V arrived this morning after being stranded in the Sea-Tac airport for 12 hours - poor guy!

What are we going to do?? Well, cook some great food (tapas is one thing on our menu), drink some good wine and perhaps a margarita, go to a museum, see some fireworks, sit on the patio in the new chairs (that's them in the photo) and just have a good time. I need this time off so much. The past few months have been extremely stressful and worthwhile. I am tired and ready for this quiet, relaxing break.

I hope you have a terrific holiday weekend - I will try to post more during my vacation.