I’m back at work this week with two weeks of rest and relaxation under my belt after our annual National Quality & Brand Conference. My role with the conference was to provide overall coordination for this year’s three and a half day program and I had the good fortune to work with many dedicated individuals to bring lots of great ideas to life. By all accounts, the conference was a success and our program delivered value to a diverse audience.

Despite its success, I am ready to have the “conference clutter” out of my life. I began my coordination work 8 months ago. Initially the demands weren’t so great and I was able to stay on top of details with some “to do” lists and a preliminary set of file folders that fit into my then newly de-cluttered file drawers. However, as the months passed, more and more of my time and desk space was dedicated to conference planning while my regular work went into maintenance mode.

The number and thickness of file folders grew as more and more of the details took on lives of their own. There were mini-courses and plenary presentations and breakout sessions to develop and all their attendant details to keep track of. There were two receptions and numerous peer group meetings to plan. Contracts were streaming in for all kinds of services that needed review, signature, and importantly, payment. Versions of the conference program brochure started to accumulate. I had to obtain a rolling filing cart just to organize all the file folders, and still my desk top was covered with file folders screaming for attention for one detail or another.

My mind likewise was filling up with all things conference. More and more of my time at work was spent strategizing various conference details—how to diplomatically handle registration limits and last minute requests; how to best organize the session facilitators; suddenly remembering an issue that needed to be addressed and jotting it down on a list somewhere so that particular detail wouldn’t add to the mental clutter. In the final weeks before the conference, the clutter even encroached into my dreams. I began problem-solving in my dreams—or perhaps they were nightmares!—and I would wake up already feeling exhausted from the mental energy expended.

I am glad that I had planned my conference de-cluttering well in advance. Early on in the process I blocked out the two weeks vacation post-conference to decompress and recover. The last day before I flew off to the conference I cleaned my desk and office. I put away all the files scattered on my desktop and built the “to do” list of the work that had been put on hold for several months that I would pick up when I came back. I made arrangements for my lucky bamboo to get watered. I left the “Out Of Office” messages on email and voicemail. When I closed the door behind me that afternoon I was not going to think about work until I returned.

And I was pretty much able to do that. The whole experience was not unlike that of planning for a wedding---a great deal of preparation for a time-limited event. However, it didn’t feel like a let-down when the conference was over. The last day of the conference was a half day, so when it was over I bought a swimsuit and spent the afternoon at the hotel pool. It was a wonderful way to start to unwind and de-clutter my mind. It took me several days post-conference to really relax and I still had conference problem-solving dreams for a few more nights.

The de-cluttering process will be completed today as I sign the thank you notes to our speakers and have lunch with next year’s conference coordinator and pass over my “lessons learned”. And then I’ll look forward to returning to my pre-conference work of the electronic medical record and patient safety. Onwards! Dot Snow - dot.snow@kp.org
 

Last month I told you of the fund-raising dinner David & I were invited to participate in with a group of others. The dinner was wonderful and we had the pleasure of having the bike designer & founder of this program at the dinner. This man has a spirit as big as the world and a heart even bigger. The program can be found at www.losethetrainingwheels.org Have a peek and see where our money has gone. My client’s son, who is one of these kids, gave a very sweet speech about what he loved about learning to ride his bike. After dinner I even got a private demonstration as he roared around on his bike on the driveway. We met so many lovely people and it was such a relaxing evening and atmosphere. Nice to be in a place where people are there for the same up-lifting reason.

Through my Rotary club, David & I also participated in a program called Group Study Exchange. This particular program involved six young professionals and their group leader from Brazil coming to the Comox Valley for a week’s stay hosted by Rotarians from the four Comox Valley clubs. David & I hosted a young woman named Tatiana Kajimoto, an administrator in the Brazilian Post Office who also has a passion for the environment. The GSE group is visiting our Rotary District 5020 for a month and will be hosted by Rotarians in each place they visit. The week with Tatiana and the group was fabulous and exhausting. David & I learned so much about Brazil, its customs, traditions and history.

Tatiana is of Japanese descent and is a 3rd generation Japanese Brazilian. As is customary in Brazil if you have a mixed heritage, your Brazilian name is your first name and your last name is of whatever descendants you come from. We were fascinated to learn that Brazil has the 2nd largest Japanese population in South America.

It was a fabulous week with many laughs, lots of talking and some tears when it was time to say good-bye. It felt like I had known Tatiana forever by the time she left. A friendship I am sure will last a lifetime and the beauty of email is we can talk whenever we want. When your life is enriched you are so much more enriching to others. This is a perfect example of this.

Here’s a picture of Tatiana and I on our deck on a beautiful early morning and one of Tatiana and Misty who fell in love with her.

We are thrilled with the business we have attracted to the Village Hideaway vacation suite thus far. If you haven’t had a look at the website please do so at www.villagehideaway.com We have a couple staying with us for a month who came for two days, loved it so much they booked two weeks and then after another few days booked two more weeks. We are fully booked for August with a guest and have had several inquiries for June and July. Please pass on the website info to your friends, families and colleagues so we can utilize this lovely space for their vacations or business travels. Thanks so much.

The Village of Cumberland is hopping this time of year. It is the annual May Day weekend when the Village awakens with activities. We have a May Day parade, the crowning of the May Day Queen, a celebration of Market Days and a big celebration at the Village Park where the little ones dance around the Maypole. David & I are driving “dignitaries” in the parade. Last year we had the pleasure of driving two long-time Cumberland women who regaled us with Cumberland history and the personalities that went with the history. We had a blast and learned some things about some folks we never knew before. I am sure it will be great fun once again.

I’ll have pictures next newsletter.

The Village council has re-instated “Town Hall Meetings” again after many, many years. This is a gathering held for interested Villagers, the council, Mayor, Fire Chief, Village Planner and reps from the Recreation Society to come together to ask questions or get more information on what’s happening in the Village as well as an opportunity to give feedback to the “powers that be”. I attended the first hour and found it very interesting and pleasant. What I noticed was people getting together with people for the common good of the Village. There was no political rhetoric, no grandstanding, no showdowns and no placards. Just concerned and caring people who’s Village is important to them. Very heart-warming to see in this day and age of political egos often running amok.

The cherry blossoms are in bloom as are the apple trees in the Orchard and I expect winter hibernation is over for the bears as they begin to search for some good food. I’ll keep you posted on their sightings.

The hummingbirds are plentiful at our house and around the gardens in the Village, which just adds to the colorful mix in the Village these days. A few of the historical buildings have recently sold so we are anxiously waiting to see what comes of them next. I of course being a real estate fanatic can’t wait to see how they hopefully blossom and are re-stored to their one-time beauty. I must take some photos of our quaint downtown and post them for you to see. Reminds me of pictures of many days gone by. A beautiful sight! A place where Misty can stop off at the "Pink Store" or the video store and get a treat from the shopkeeper as we stroll the downtown.

You can’t beat it and we love that we can call this place home.