Happy Anniversary M and D!!!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!! Hope all of your days involve some relaxation as in this photo!!!

(P.S. I'm having photo technical difficulties - I think if you click on the picture you can see a full view???)

An OCD New Year

I’m the first to admit my obsessive-compulsivity. Just last week I was explaining to some new acquaintances why I love my job. One of the reasons is that it feeds my need for order and organization. A stack of files is delivered to my desk each day and my goal is to move those files from my work station to someone else’s, as quickly, and with as much quality, as I can muster. You better believe that as soon as I completed training, I went back to my cube (so that I could begin thinking inside of my box, of course), and developed systems to help me move those case files. I’ve got it down to a science and have been affectionately dubbed, by one of my fellow trainees, “Ms. Efficiency”. I live for those terms of endearment! It is a term of endearment isn’t it?

But I was reminded again today about how obsessive and compulsive I really am. Doc. B. and I were in Office Depot to pick up a USB port. First of all, taking me into an office depot is like taking an eight year old into a candy store. Am I a freak or what? Wait; don’t answer that. After we found the USB port and I took note of all of the holiday bargains, I realized that holiday bargains means that the New Year is upon us and thus, I must have a new calendar. I have got to find a 2006 weekly organizer NOW! There is less than a month until 1/1/06 and that’s hardly enough time to sit down in a comfy chair with my beloved FranklinCovey 365 day planner mini-portfolio and transfer all of the most important information from 2005 to 2006. But alas, there was a very large lady between my goal and me. Her presence consumed the entire calendar aisle. I hovered for a while and was ready to give up when Doc. B. said “Carrie, just wait. She’ll be gone shortly and you can have the whole aisle to yourself to hunt for the right calendar.” Sometimes it just takes a normal person to put things back into perspective, doesn’t it? I waited patiently and found the calendar that will spend the next twelve months with me.

Looking forward to an OCD year…as I always do….

Holiday Giving and Receiving

If you and your friends/family have not yet decided how to give and receive this year, please consider what my siblings and I are doing.

Each year, we usually draw names for a gift exchange, set a price limit and head out shopping. But this year, one of my sisters came up with a great idea. Instead of doing a gift exchange, we are making contributions to worthy organizations. With the hurricane season draining most people of their available donation money, this may help get some funds to organizations that might otherwise end up with less this year.

For example, Doc B. and I drew the names of my youngest sister and her husband. I asked them for the names of some of their favorite “do good” groups. We will then pick one or two and send some money in their honor. I thought the way my sister listed the non-profits was pretty cute so I hope she doesn’t mind if I share that with you here. And as she made sure to note to me, they are in no particular order:

Michigan Historic Preservation Network (My sister’s favorite)
107 E. Grand River AvenueLansing, MI. 48906Phone: 517-371-8080Fax: 517-371-9090
http://www.mhpn.org/
The Michigan Historic Preservation Network is the largest membership organization in the state dedicated to recognizing and preserving Michigan's rich cultural and architectural heritage.

The Greening of Detroit (My sister and her husband’s favorite)
1418 Michigan Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48216 Phone: 313.237.8733 Fax: 313.237.8737
http://www.greeningofdetroit.com/
The Greening of Detroit exists to improve the quality of life in Detroit by guiding and inspiring the reforestation of Detroit's neighborhoods, boulevards, and parks through tree planting projects and educational programs.

Wonderful Animals Giving Support (Their dog’s favorite)
429 Livernois
Ferndale, MI 48220
(248) 545-3313
http://www.aidsprevention.org/wagsWAGS helps people living with HIV and Aids take care of their pets. WAGS assists clients in keeping, feeding and caring for their companion animals when extended hospital stays, physical exhaustion or daily expenses seem insurmountable. The program, begun in 1999 by the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project, provides low-income clients with pet food, pet supplies, veterinary services and volunteer support.

Yankee Air Museum (My brother-in-law’s favorite)
P.O. Box 590 Belleville, MI 48112-0590
(734) 483-4030
http://www.yankeeairmuseum.org/index.html
A 1941 hangar at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti which played a role in the production of nearly 8,700 B-24 'Liberator' bombers became the focal point of our aviation museum. The museum includes flyable examples of historic aircraft as well as static displays and display rooms filled with historic artifacts

So join us and consider this an option this year if you'd like - we won't mind copycats!