I now have a Facebook account.*
Until recently I had no intention of joining Facebook. I don't need one more thing to learn about, keep track of, or give my time over to.
But this fall I started hearing less and less from my sons, who no longer live within walking distance of each other in Boston but now live on opposite sides of the continent. The irony is that when both of them were in Boston I not only heard directly from each of them more regularly through phone calls and emails, but I would also hear from one what the other one was doing. It was great. I was in the loop.
This summer when Ken was in the hospital the guys called at least once a day and responded to my emails. Once Ken was home, and when P first moved to California, we still got regular updates from them and responses when we called or emailed.
Then things shifted this fall. Life settled down, routines fell into place, normalcy reigned.
Contact suffered with T in Boston and P on the west coast. The unspoken message: Life is good! Life is busy! Don't worry about me! I'm fine!
And I realized that I wasn't hearing about what was going on in their lives. I wasn't missing just the exciting news but the everyday events that make up daily life, too.
I missed my sons. I missed knowing what they were up to.
So I joined Facebook. My daughter got me started. To my sons' credit, they both friended me.
Now I can read what P posts on his "wall," about work or the weather or sports.
Now I know that T's CANstruction "Beantown Pineapple" won an award.
Facebook doesn't take the place of phone calls and emails, which I still look forward to and hope will continue for years to come.
Facebook does give me a chance to fill in the spaces of the days in between.
* If you find me on Facebook and want to hook up, I will "friend" people who ask.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Bottom Line
In Tuesday's class we started talking about the financial elements of starting a business. We talked about our attitudes about money and the basic descriptions of different bookkeeping systems.
This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where I usually shift into reverse and go in the opposite direction as fast as I can.
I have to put my fears and doubts on the side of the road, or I will not be able to go forward.
Two years ago, when I first considered the possibility of becoming an entrepreneur, I met with an accountant to talk about how to start keeping records for a small business. I took notes and was excited about everything I was learning...until I asked her about how much information she needs to do the yearly tax return for a business, how she reconciles the work she does with a family's personal taxes. Oh, she said, she also does the personal taxes for the business owner because she needs to make sure all the numbers match up.
Hmmmm....
What about the FAFSA, I asked. How would I get the numbers by March 1, the filing deadline in Massachusetts where my son is in college?
Oh, she said, we can ask for an extension. She would fill out the FAFSA as well because she would have all the tax information at hand.
Really....
Well, that sent my control issues into a tailspin. I have always done our taxes. I have a good relationship with the people at the other end of 1-800-IRS-GOVT and call them anytime I have a question. By the time I get everything in order for an accountant, I might as well fill out the forms myself, and there have been years where there have been lots of forms to fill out. I always figure out what to do.
Then I use those numbers to fill out the FAFSA for whoever in the family needs one filled out.
It's a source of pride for me that I have been able to manage our family's finances all these years. I like knowing what the numbers are, that columns match up, that accounts settle out, and that amounts have been checked and double checked.
It's not that I don't think an accountant knows what they are doing.
It's that I don't know what they're doing, which is one of the main reasons I am taking this class. We are going to learn everything we need to know about cash basis bookkeeping and filing taxes for a small business.
It's not that we will need to do all of the bookkeeping and tax filing ourselves. It is that we need to understand what is involved in keeping records and filing taxes for a small business.
Last Tuesday was just an introduction. Next Tuesday we will spend the entire class with a certified public accountant who will go through the income tax forms with us. The following week we will work on laptops to become familiar with cash flow, balance sheets, and profit & loss statements.
This is a big leap for me. I am entertaining the idea that the day might come when I will turn over the filing of my family's income taxes to a professional accountant.
What can I say, other than I like to keep my eye on the bottom line.
This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where I usually shift into reverse and go in the opposite direction as fast as I can.
I have to put my fears and doubts on the side of the road, or I will not be able to go forward.
Two years ago, when I first considered the possibility of becoming an entrepreneur, I met with an accountant to talk about how to start keeping records for a small business. I took notes and was excited about everything I was learning...until I asked her about how much information she needs to do the yearly tax return for a business, how she reconciles the work she does with a family's personal taxes. Oh, she said, she also does the personal taxes for the business owner because she needs to make sure all the numbers match up.
Hmmmm....
What about the FAFSA, I asked. How would I get the numbers by March 1, the filing deadline in Massachusetts where my son is in college?
Oh, she said, we can ask for an extension. She would fill out the FAFSA as well because she would have all the tax information at hand.
Really....
Well, that sent my control issues into a tailspin. I have always done our taxes. I have a good relationship with the people at the other end of 1-800-IRS-GOVT and call them anytime I have a question. By the time I get everything in order for an accountant, I might as well fill out the forms myself, and there have been years where there have been lots of forms to fill out. I always figure out what to do.
Then I use those numbers to fill out the FAFSA for whoever in the family needs one filled out.
It's a source of pride for me that I have been able to manage our family's finances all these years. I like knowing what the numbers are, that columns match up, that accounts settle out, and that amounts have been checked and double checked.
It's not that I don't think an accountant knows what they are doing.
It's that I don't know what they're doing, which is one of the main reasons I am taking this class. We are going to learn everything we need to know about cash basis bookkeeping and filing taxes for a small business.
It's not that we will need to do all of the bookkeeping and tax filing ourselves. It is that we need to understand what is involved in keeping records and filing taxes for a small business.
Last Tuesday was just an introduction. Next Tuesday we will spend the entire class with a certified public accountant who will go through the income tax forms with us. The following week we will work on laptops to become familiar with cash flow, balance sheets, and profit & loss statements.
This is a big leap for me. I am entertaining the idea that the day might come when I will turn over the filing of my family's income taxes to a professional accountant.
What can I say, other than I like to keep my eye on the bottom line.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Good Food For Every Day
This morning I started my day with oatmeal.
I have always been a cream-of-wheat kind of girl, which is my first choice for breakfast on a snow day.
Ken likes oatmeal. Until I figured out how to make oatmeal so I can eat it, I used to make cream of wheat for me and oatmeal for Ken. The kids could have whichever they wanted, and they usually opted for Cheerios.
Then I figured out that if I use a bit more water and cook it slowly, I can eat oatmeal, though I've never made it just for me.
Until today.
This week-end I flipped through Eat This Not That! by David Zinczenko, 2008. It's a fun book that makes suggestions about which foods to eat at chain restaurants, which prepared meals are better than others, and which snack foods are least bad for you. Little of this information pertains to how I eat on a regular basis, although I did learn that the crackers Ken and I like aren't the best for us.
The best information I got from this book was the list of "8 Foods You Should Eat Every Day." Spinach. Yogurt. Tomatoes. Carrots. Blueberries. Black Beans. Walnuts. Oats. I think it's a great list because I already like almost everything on it.
I don't like yogurt, no matter what I do to it or how often I try it.
And I was a little light in the oats department. I like my homemade granola but don't always have a ready supply.
So today I made oatmeal for breakfast. I like it with brown sugar and low-fat milk.
Then I went outside to shovel and rake rocks for two hours.
Oatmeal, my new energy food.
I have always been a cream-of-wheat kind of girl, which is my first choice for breakfast on a snow day.
Ken likes oatmeal. Until I figured out how to make oatmeal so I can eat it, I used to make cream of wheat for me and oatmeal for Ken. The kids could have whichever they wanted, and they usually opted for Cheerios.
Then I figured out that if I use a bit more water and cook it slowly, I can eat oatmeal, though I've never made it just for me.
Until today.
This week-end I flipped through Eat This Not That! by David Zinczenko, 2008. It's a fun book that makes suggestions about which foods to eat at chain restaurants, which prepared meals are better than others, and which snack foods are least bad for you. Little of this information pertains to how I eat on a regular basis, although I did learn that the crackers Ken and I like aren't the best for us.
The best information I got from this book was the list of "8 Foods You Should Eat Every Day." Spinach. Yogurt. Tomatoes. Carrots. Blueberries. Black Beans. Walnuts. Oats. I think it's a great list because I already like almost everything on it.
I don't like yogurt, no matter what I do to it or how often I try it.
And I was a little light in the oats department. I like my homemade granola but don't always have a ready supply.
So today I made oatmeal for breakfast. I like it with brown sugar and low-fat milk.
Then I went outside to shovel and rake rocks for two hours.
Oatmeal, my new energy food.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wanted: Local Woman Who Enjoys Politics
I felt deflated when I hung up the phone.
My friend in town is moving to Boston. She is one of two friends I have here. I met her when I wanted information about the 2008 presidential caucus. She is the chair of the town's Democratic committee, and we hit it off immediately.
We both love politics. Our children are grown. We have similar interests and have both been trying to start a new career.
Her husband has taken a job in Boston, which is exciting for both of them and will open up possibilities for her job search. She shared that it's also scary because it means starting over in a new place where they don't know anyone. They have lived here more than twenty years.
I will miss talking to her and attending meetings with her. She is organized, knowledgeable, and passionate about politics.
I have offered to continue to help with the local Democrats, but I do not want the position of committee chair, which is a lot of work and means constantly trying to get other volunteers to help.
So her move will leave a hole in my daily life. As happy as I am for her, I am that sad for myself. In the year and a half that I've been active with local politics, I have not met anyone else who has the same interests or wants to be as involved.
I will miss our conversations about what's possible.
My friend in town is moving to Boston. She is one of two friends I have here. I met her when I wanted information about the 2008 presidential caucus. She is the chair of the town's Democratic committee, and we hit it off immediately.
We both love politics. Our children are grown. We have similar interests and have both been trying to start a new career.
Her husband has taken a job in Boston, which is exciting for both of them and will open up possibilities for her job search. She shared that it's also scary because it means starting over in a new place where they don't know anyone. They have lived here more than twenty years.
I will miss talking to her and attending meetings with her. She is organized, knowledgeable, and passionate about politics.
I have offered to continue to help with the local Democrats, but I do not want the position of committee chair, which is a lot of work and means constantly trying to get other volunteers to help.
So her move will leave a hole in my daily life. As happy as I am for her, I am that sad for myself. In the year and a half that I've been active with local politics, I have not met anyone else who has the same interests or wants to be as involved.
I will miss our conversations about what's possible.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A List To Guide Me
Before we left for Boston on Saturday I grabbed my class notebooks, with the intention of getting some work done in the car on the trip south. Several paragraphs of the business plan are due this week. I have about half of them written in rough draft, and I have cryptic notes on the rest.
I looked through my notes. There was a question I needed to answer before I went any further: What do I want from a business?
Here is what I wrote, unedited, as the words flowed onto the page~
I want:
- to share a product that makes life easier
- to have fun with it - product and process
- to connect with other women around business, ideas, innovation, life
- to make a high quality product that promotes eco-friendly practices & materials
- to make product(s) widely available, easily accessible on internet, through avenues that do not require me to sell directly
- to use the product to help women succeed
I looked back through the paragraphs I have written and most of these elements are present in one form or another. They need to be prominent. These ideas are at the heart of my mission. This list is the reason that I am putting myself out there and taking the risk.
Now that I am clear about what I want, I can clarify what I need to do.
I looked through my notes. There was a question I needed to answer before I went any further: What do I want from a business?
Here is what I wrote, unedited, as the words flowed onto the page~
I want:
- to share a product that makes life easier
- to have fun with it - product and process
- to connect with other women around business, ideas, innovation, life
- to make a high quality product that promotes eco-friendly practices & materials
- to make product(s) widely available, easily accessible on internet, through avenues that do not require me to sell directly
- to use the product to help women succeed
I looked back through the paragraphs I have written and most of these elements are present in one form or another. They need to be prominent. These ideas are at the heart of my mission. This list is the reason that I am putting myself out there and taking the risk.
Now that I am clear about what I want, I can clarify what I need to do.
Monday, October 19, 2009
CANstruction
On Saturday Ken and I were in Boston to see the installation of 16 sculptures at Bunker Hill Community College. Titled "Eat The Art" this is an art exhibit with a twist ~ the entries are constructed out of canned goods. An international competition, CANstruction is happening this month in over 60 locations. Our son T, a civil engineering student at Northeastern, learned about the competition this summer, put together a team, and found sponsors. The team designed their entry, Beantown Pineapple, and determined the number and type of canned goods they would need. Sponsors donated the dollars and the food was ordered. The result is an eight-foot tall pineapple made from canned spinach, peas, green beans, tuna, beans, orange slices, and peas & carrots. The creations, which include everything from a sushi boat to an ice cream cone to a set of false teeth with feet, will be on display for three weeks. Then the food will be donated to a local food bank. Ken and I got there to see the addition of the final touches ~
There was a discussion about the height and whether or not green cans should be added around the bottom ~
The team decided to add a green apron, but alas our camera bit the dust...literally. Ken accidentally dropped it on the floor from several feet in the air. It really is time for a new camera, though I would like to say that we appreciate the years of service rendered by our very first Sony Cybershot and the stamina it had to persevere even when injured.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Like A River
Halfway through class on Tuesday I wanted to be anyplace else.
Physically, I was sore from hauling rocks the day before and tired because I didn't sleep well. I couldn't get comfortable in the straight-backed chair, so I got up to walk around as often as I could without interrupting class, which also helped me stay awake.
Mentally, I was on overload. The topics this week were production and distribution, image and branding, advertising and promotion. By lunchtime I could feel the anxiety creeping in, and after lunch I had to force myself to focus to "stay in the room." When we broke into small groups I asked if people were as excited, less excited, or more excited compared to the first week. We agreed that we were feeling stressed and decided the best strategy was to take things one step at a time.
Once class was over I put everything out of my mind. I felt frustrated but couldn't verbalize why.
Wednesday morning I had an "aha moment." I was catching up with my blog reading, and the Monday meditation over at Awake is Good invited me to flow like a river. That struck a chord with me because of 1)my recent attention to the way water moves through my yard, and 2)the feeling that I have been swimming upstream for a long time. In my yard I am trying to accommodate the way rainwater naturally flows through my property, whereas in my life I have been trying six ways to Sunday to make things fit that have no intention of falling into place.
Aha.
The contrast is striking. I am willing to let rainwater follow its path, yet I am unable to honor my own. I have lived with myself my whole life, yet there are still things that I will not accept about who I am and how I do things.
There's nothing like a good metaphor to bring clarity.
Flow on.
Physically, I was sore from hauling rocks the day before and tired because I didn't sleep well. I couldn't get comfortable in the straight-backed chair, so I got up to walk around as often as I could without interrupting class, which also helped me stay awake.
Mentally, I was on overload. The topics this week were production and distribution, image and branding, advertising and promotion. By lunchtime I could feel the anxiety creeping in, and after lunch I had to force myself to focus to "stay in the room." When we broke into small groups I asked if people were as excited, less excited, or more excited compared to the first week. We agreed that we were feeling stressed and decided the best strategy was to take things one step at a time.
Once class was over I put everything out of my mind. I felt frustrated but couldn't verbalize why.
Wednesday morning I had an "aha moment." I was catching up with my blog reading, and the Monday meditation over at Awake is Good invited me to flow like a river. That struck a chord with me because of 1)my recent attention to the way water moves through my yard, and 2)the feeling that I have been swimming upstream for a long time. In my yard I am trying to accommodate the way rainwater naturally flows through my property, whereas in my life I have been trying six ways to Sunday to make things fit that have no intention of falling into place.
Aha.
The contrast is striking. I am willing to let rainwater follow its path, yet I am unable to honor my own. I have lived with myself my whole life, yet there are still things that I will not accept about who I am and how I do things.
There's nothing like a good metaphor to bring clarity.
Flow on.
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