From the Desk of Janet Barclay

Wow, it’s such a busy time of year that I haven’t remembered to list what I’ve recently posted on other blogs! I’m sure you’ve been busy too and will forgive me.

OnlineOrganizing.com - Technology as an Organizing Tool:

• Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
• Planning Meetings Across Time Zones
• The Perfect Gift for Magazine Lovers
• Maintaining Your Health Records
• Online Gift Certificates - The Ultimate Last Minute Gift
• Get Organized in 2008 with Google Calendar

Introvert Retreat:

• Introversion: What Extraverts Need to Know
• Maintaining Your Energy During the Holiday Season
• "Sad but True" - how we are viewed by extraverts
• More Holiday Survival Tips

There are also quite a few new articles at OrganizedArticles.com full of tips for Maximizing Your Time and Space as you get ready for 2008.

It’s that time of year when I get to wish my readers a very merry Christmas - or do I?

I think back to when I was a child and my dad had his own business. He didn’t send Christmas cards to his customers, because he didn’t believe in using a religious holiday for commercial purposes. He was also sensitive to the fact that he had a number of customers who were Jewish and would therefore not be celebrating Christmas.

For a few years as a young adult, I belonged to a church which did not allow their members to celebrate Christmas due to its pagan origins. At that time I noticed that in my small department at work there was only one person who officially celebrated Christmas, however, most of the others gave out Christmas cards even though they didn’t practice other traditions.

While our society has become increasingly multicultural, there is also much more focus on being politically correct. One of the biggest debates here in Hamilton is whether the lights at the side of the Mountain should say MERRY CHRISTMAS or HAPPY HOLIDAYS. On the years when it says MERRY CHRISTMAS, some non-Christian residents will complain that they are being excluded. Yet when it says HAPPY HOLIDAYS, some Christians will complain that the Christmas message is being diluted and/or secularized. In a way, since we do claim to be a nation who embraces diversity, yet with roots in Christianity, they are both correct, so what is the solution? Then when you factor in the question of whether or not it’s appropriate for businesses to use the holiday season to stay in touch with their clients, it gets even more complicated!

So I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say this:

If you are celebrating Christmas in any shape or form, whether it be a religious occasion for you or merely an opportunity for special time with your loved ones, then I wish you a very Merry Christmas! If you are celebrating (or have already celebrated) Hanukkah, Eid, Kwanzaa, or any other special occasion, then I hope it is (or was) wonderful for you in every way. And if you’re not celebrating anything at all, I respect your decision, and hope you will still find a reason to rejoice in the wonders of life.

When I wrote my first blog entry, I was a little unsure that I would be able to come up with enough to write about on a regular basis but, believe it or not, a whole year has gone by, and I’m still here!

Like most bloggers, I really appreciate it when people take the time to post a comment, so I’m going to "borrow" an idea from one of my VA colleagues, Erin Blaskie (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all), and use this occasion to thank everyone who has left a comment over the past year:

1. Jacki Hollywood Brown of Well Organized
2. Alex Fayle of Someday Syndrome
3. Kathie Thomas, Virtual Assistant
4. Suzanne McLoone of Let’s Talk Organizing
5. Jenn Kubilis of JK Business Services
6. Monica Ricci of Catalyst Organizing
7. Marcia Francois of Take Charge Solutions
8. Allison Cabral, Life Coach and Speaker
9. Vicki Riley of Original Dinky Baby Dolls
10. Debbie Weil, Business Blogging Specialist
11. Michael Fletcher of Neworld Coaching
12. Erika Martlew, Virtual Assistant
13. Jennifer Wilson of Agent Solutions
14. Kylie Short of Tilda Virtual Services
15. Barry Zweibel of GottaGettaCoach!
16. Candy Beauchamp of OffAssist
17. Dr. Amie Ragan of Psychology of Clutter
18. Yochi of Green Mothers’ Digest
19. Tom Mulrooney,  University Student and Blogger
20. Adam Kayce of Monk at Work
21. Dawud Miracle of Healthy WebDesign
22. Cristina Favreau of The Savvy Entrepreneur
23. Ariane Benefit of Neat & Simple Living
24. Laurie Dart of Writing Wisely
25. Crystal Pina of Visions Virtual Assistance
26. Rebecca Trelfa of Virtual Dynamos
27. Erin Blaskie of Business Services, ETC
28. Chris Shaver of Hamilton VERC
29. Cathy of MurrayvilleMom
30. Caroline Rochon of A la Carte Organizing Services
31. Joseph Michelli, Author of "The Starbucks Experience"
32. Leesa Barnes, Podcasting Expert
33. BJ of Buy Back Warehouse
34. Maria Zegarac of the Society of Management Accountants of Ontario
35. Doug (my dad)
36. Mark Walford
37. Rosemary De Favio
38. Mike

Your support means a great deal to me, and I hope you continue to find some interesting tips and information here.

If you’ve been "lurking," please don’t hesitate to leave your name. Knowing who is reading my blog will help me to write about the topics that will interest you.

I arrived home at 8:30 last night and was in my office bright and early this morning. At least the sun was bright, I am still a little slow, after two long days on the road. In the future I will need to remember to book one more day off at the end of a trip.

I decided to take my laptop, and was glad I did. One of my current projects is the redesign of a website for my favourite client, who happens to also be my sister, with whom I was vacationing. Having the computer allowed us to spend a morning going over and trying out some of our ideas in a way that would have been more complicated via email, telephone, or instant messenger. I’m happy to say this is the only work I did and I didn’t check my email, even on the two occasions when I was in a place with Internet access. However, bringing my laptop along also allowed me to download my digital photos from my camera every day or two and share them with my family members, and to keep a personal journal throughout the week.

While I was away, I was quoted in The Globe and Mail in an article entitled Too busy organizing to be productive.

This should be an interesting week, as I catch up on emails and work and prepare for a busy month ahead.

I am completely stepping away from my usual themes of getting organized and operating a home-based business, but I feel justified for several reasons.

1. It’s the weekend.
2. Even business owners have a personal life.
3. It has to do with serving the community, which should always be relevant.

I came across a blog posting today from someone who is considering becoming a Big Sister and asking for comments from those who have done it. Unfortunately, that particular blog doesn’t allow comments from non-members, so I’m hoping pi-hole of Vancouver might find her way here as I would like to share my experience as a Big Sister with her.

The process to become a Big Sister is very extensive and takes several months. After attending an information session, I had to complete a very detailed and very personal questionnaire and supply three references and a medical form. They will also do a criminal reference check on you and everyone in your household. I think it took nearly nine months between the time of my initial contact and the time I was finally matched with my Little Sister. I understood the reason for all of these precautions - after all, you are going to be spending time with a child - but it felt fairly intrusive and it was definitely stressful waiting to find out whether I was approved.

They ask for a minimum time commitment - it was quite a while ago now, so my memory’s a little fuzzy, but I think they asked for you to commit to spend  4-6 hours a week with your Little Sister for at least 6 months (it might have been 18 months). I knew lots of Big Sisters who didn’t see their Little Sisters every week, but I think it’s important, especially at the beginning, so you can form a relationship.

One of pi_hole’s questions was "what sort of stuff would you do with a little sister, besides going to a movie and getting food or going shopping?" Those were definitely frequent activities for us! We also participated in a number of activities that were offered by the organization, including Christmas and Halloween parties, Bingo night, crafts nights, and field trips. One of the highlights was the day we went up in a small airplane and my Little Sister got to take a turn at the controls.

Sometimes she just came over to my house and we worked on crafts or played on the computer (which was still somewhat of a novelty at that time). We also went bowling, roller skating, and swimming, and once we went to a dollhouse show (we were working on a dollhouse at the time). I even brought her with me to family gatherings and family events put on by my employer. I usually covered any expenses but they did suggest that you could cost share with the parent(s) on occasion. We often received free tickets to events such as movies, ice shows, magic shows and the circus, which were sponsored by local businesses. (This is why, when I was recently contacted by the Lions Club to purchase tickets to a laser show, to be donated to children’s charities, I was happy to do so.)

The types of things you do will of course be determined by what you and your Little Sister enjoy, and they do try to match you with someone with whom they think you will be compatible.

Pi_hole also asked if you have to have a car, and the answer to that is no, but it certainly makes life easier!

One thing they don’t really tell you when you sign up is that once they have you as a volunteer, they will be asking you to support the organization in other ways as well, such as fundraising, representing them at mall displays, and being a Match Monitor. Of course, it is voluntary, but I think it’s important that you be aware of it, and that you be prepared to state how much time you are willing to commit, and what you are and are not willing to do.

All in all, although there were times I found it difficult to make time to see my Little Sister or to think of fun activities for us, it was a fantastic experience in my life. My Little Sister was even one of the bridesmaids at my wedding. Although we drifted away as she got older, we’ve recently re-established contact, and it’s great to see the wonderful adult she has become.