Last fall I was asked to do a Train The Trainer seminar in Antigua, Guatemala. The coordinator of the event, Daniel Lopez, had read the Spanish translation of  How to Be Organized in Spite of Yourself and had been endeavoring to bring me to his country for four years. In December we finally were able to meet and spent a week together with a wonderful group of people who are dedicated to introducing my Styles approach of organizing to Latin America.

I’m very grateful to Daniel for his perseverance and gracious hospitality and hope to be making more visits in the near future!

Got away for a few days to go see the Beatles “Love”. What a show! Beautifully done and highly recommended. We had a good time, but it’s lovely to be back home for Thanksgiving.

photo credit Amplified-Photography

I’m back. What a summer! The wedding kind of knocked me out but I feel my energy and focus  returning slowly but surely.

Looking forward to sharing great new things…

photo credit avaloncm

(Just noticed the play on words here – chapel, Chapel Hill

We’re heading to the finish line on Thursday morning. Time has a funny way of dragging things out and then finally, boom. I’ll try to take some photos with my own little camera and post them here as soon as I can.

Thanks to everyone for your support of the mother-of-the-bride!

Fast week! Tomorrow we head back south to Brevard. It will be nice to re-enter wedding preparation mode with the sense of gratitude and peace that comes with being in this place.

I’m ready!

Getting ready to leave on Friday for Long Beach Island, NJ. It will be wonderful to get my yearly ocean fix, especially right before the wedding. I love feeling refreshed and re-connected to the cycle of life at the shore. (Plus it stretches out the summer!)

It was a whirlwind trip but a wonderful one. Saturday night was a reunion of my old neighborhood in Baltimore, Md. with friends and parents I haven’t seen in more than 25 years. We relived old adventures and found out that some stories were remembered differently by all of us. It was non-stop laughter, good food and good times.

And then we were off to Cambridge, Md. to visit my son in his new grad school digs. It was also a reunion of sorts since we haven’t seen him in months. He showed us around the historical town of Cambridge and took us to the lab where he’s been doing oyster research this summer. We drove back to Brevard today and made it in 11 hours. Whew. 

photo credit Ash Crowe

We’re leaving Friday for Baltimore, going north and then east so we can enjoy the scenery we used to love so much on our trips down to Brevard from Jersey.  We’ll be attending a reunion of my old childhood neighborhood and then driving down to Cambridge, Maryland to spend some time with AJ at U of M grad school. He’s working on a summer project with the Army Corps of Engineers to revitalize the Chesapeake Bay oyster beds. Then it’s back to Brevard for a few weeks before I go to Chapel Hill for Lauren’s bridal shower. And then back to Brevard. And then back north to LBI. And then back to Brevard and Chapel Hill for the wedding.

This must have been easier when I was younger.

photo credit Alaskan Dude

Tomorrow morning (Sunday) we head to Charlotte, NC and then Brevard. If the weather holds we could be there to tuck in for the night. Yes. 

Photo credit samantid

The years do seem to be catching up with me, at least when it comes to preparing to travel. It used to be that I didn’t need lists for certain categories of To Do’s. I remembered what to bring and I remembered to pack them (not always the same thing). But this week? I had to make a list that included the item “make lists”. Sad, but probably more effective in the long run. This trip back East will include my daughter’s wedding, and I’d rather not forget the pants to my outfit.

Although I’d like to believe that I’m not yet in the category of having to remind myself to bring my toothbrush and meds, the reality is that I am. And lists are good that way. I don’t have to use up my valuable brain cells trying to pack that stuff into my head. I can use them for figuring out how I’m going to fit everything into the boxes and suitcases instead.