Here’s what I learned from taking a week off and flying to Florida for my younger son’s school break:

If you’re looking for beach weather, Florida might or might not have it in February. We happened to hit a week of temperatures in the mid-70s, which was certainly warmer than home (and no snow!) but not warm enough to sit on a beach except fully dressed. We Canadians were obvious; we were the ones wearing shorts while the locals had long pants and coats.

Bring your own snacks and headphones. Oh, the airlines are happy to sell you both, but who really wants a $6 sandwich and cheap $3 headphones? You can still get free coffee or a Coke, though. For now.

Be prepared to pay to see a movie. You might expect Air Canada to have been the first to figure out this new way to make money (and I’m sure they’ll be all over it soon), but it was WestJet. I read a book instead.

You really don’t want to travel anywhere with more than a carry-on bag. Going, we  were in line a full hour just to check our bags, after already checking in online. Customs and security took another hour. Coming home, we waited 50 minutes for our bags to arrive, and only one out of three made it. The other two were delivered two days later. We’re grateful this didn’t happen on the front end.

Try to stem the e-mail tide. Before leaving, I went to all the lists I follow and changed my delivery frequency to once a week instead of once a day. I added a vacation notice to a client e-mail account and recorded voice mail that made it clear I wasn’t in the office all week. Still, I came home to more than 200 messages from five working days away.

Be merciless. Because I had 200+ messages to wade through, I did a lot of skimming and deleting, particularly those list digests.

Getting away for a break is well worth it. Just having no particular responsibilities (like a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call to walk the dog, or figuring out what to make for dinner) is a pleasure.

I’m back to reality now, complete with early morning dog-walking, which I actually missed. (The walking part, not necessarily the early start.)

The start of a new year always seems to prompt at least a couple of weeks of good behaviour. Yeah, this is the year we’re going to lose 10 pounds, learn a new skill, get organized. And so I found myself looking around at the mess in my home office over the holidays, thinking, “This has got to change.”

I started small, with a shelf of files and the desk drawer that is the equivalent of every kitchen’s “junk drawer.” Here is what going through them taught me to do differently this year:

• BUSINESS CARDS
  About 40 cards were shoved in a corner of the drawer in no apparent order. I spent some time sorting these out and filing them, noting that some had written reminders on the back of where I had met the person and if I had promised to follow up with something.
  To do: This year, I vow to deal with any business cards by first searching for the person on LinkedIn and asking for a connection. You could argue that once the connections are made online, I could throw the cards away, but for now let’s say I’ll keep them, entered in contact management software and/or physically filed. I will make sure to write on EVERY card where I met the person.
• STUFF
  I can’t tell you how many pens, shells of pens waiting for refills, stubs of pencils, bits of paper, calculators with no batteries, paper clips and labels were stuffed in that drawer. Clearly, I had long ago abandoned any semblance of order and at some point began just tossing things in there just because I didn’t have another place to put them.
  To do: This year, I am finding proper homes for more things and keeping them there. I am putting the pens that work in a mug on my desk, and throwing out more things.
• PAPER
  We never really believed in paperless offices, did we? And I sure don’t have one. Two areas in particular have been messing up my office. (1) When I interview someone for an article, I print out the notes and keep them until the article is published. This is helpful because sometimes I have had to refer to the notes during the approval process, to add more detail or clarify a point. But somehow the notes have been multiplying when I’m not looking. (2) I have active files in at least three places besides the actual filing cabinets. Sometimes the files there aren’t actually active any more and should be moved out of the way. And I almost always drop things behind or trip over one of these places.
  To do:  This year, I will return to the notes within a month or so and shred them if they contain any sensitive information, or recycle them if they don’t. And today I am picking up a few supplies I need to combine all three spots into one place for active files, getting rid of the one that trips me.

There’s more to be done, but this is a start.

How do you stay on top of clutter in your office, especially when you are busy meeting client deadlines?

It was still dark as I drove my husband to a 7 a.m. doctor’s appointment yesterday. Traffic was building on the highway, but at least it was moving. In another half an hour, cars would probably be keeping no better than a snail’s pace.

It suddenly occurred to me that in my former corporate life, this is where I would have been at this ungodly hour on a weekday. I would already be stressed out by being up early enough to shower and dress, get the family organized and get on the road. The radio would be on to give advance warning of accidents and traffic jams, incoming snow storms or heavy rain. A drive that takes just half an hour in ideal conditions — perfect weather, middle of the day, light traffic — routinely took at least an hour, sometimes even when getting on the road at 7, since plenty of others had the same idea of “getting a jump” on traffic.

I smiled and said, “I am SO LUCKY.”

Lucky to be able to do what I do best, write, in a home office. Lucky that I don’t have to be somewhere else at a certain time every day. Lucky that I don’t spend one or two hours on the road every day. Lucky that now I usually listen to weather reports with mild curiosity rather than anxiety.

Do you feel lucky today? Why?

Here’s some more expressive writing.

Love Letter is a public art project in Philadelphia consisting of a series of 50 rooftop murals painted by local and international artists. The project began in August 2009, and is described this way:

The murals, which are best viewed from the Market-Frankford elevated transit line, collectively express a love letter from a guy to a girl, from an artist to his hometown, and from local residents to their West Philadelphia neighborhood. Love Letter, which will be documented in two books, a film, and a gallery exhibition, speaks to all those who have loved and for those who long for a way to express that love to the world around them.

For example, one mural says, “Forever begins when you say yes.” Others say, “Miss you too often not to love you” and “Look look look look any way as long as it’s at me.” (See them all here.)

For writers, it’s a reminder of how the words we choose can say so much.

For the romantic, well, it’s another excuse to admire expressive writing (like Other People’s Love Letters)!

(Thanks to Patti Digh for tweeting about the project!)

So my American friends are today recovering from all that turkey, and many are heading out to the malls to start some serious Christmas shopping. I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!

I’ve written before about Patti Digh, author of the wonderful and inspiring Life is a verb: 37 days to wake up, be mindful, and live intentionally. Her Thanksgiving post links to another from 2008, which opens with the quote:

“The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” - John E. Southard

She goes on to encourage readers to think of the people we are grateful for and be sure to thank them.

“Where we place our attention is where things surface. If I am looking for things to complain about, I will find them. If I am looking for things to be grateful for, those will emerge.”

Be grateful. Say so. Get even.

From November 5 to 11, Canadians celebrate Veterans’ Week, remembering and honouring the veterans who fought in past wars and the soldiers who are still fighting for freedom. November 11, the day that marked the end of World War I, is both Remembrance Day here and Veterans’ Day in the U.S.

The poppy has been the official symbol of remembrance since 1921. Why a poppy? Poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders during World War I, memorialized in a famous poem by Canadian military physician John McCrae. In Flanders Fields opens:

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

Over on Twitter, a number of people have opted to show support for veterans and mark Remembrance Day by adding a poppy to their avatars or photos. When I did so, someone objected, protesting that I should support the Legion by buying a poppy to wear. “Just how many WWI & II veterans do you think are on Twitter?!?!” she asked.

Well, I don’t imagine many vets are on Twitter, but as I see it, the whole point of the virtual poppy is awareness. I do buy a poppy pin and wear it (on the left, close to my heart), and I bought one for each of my sons, too. The virtual poppy is a reminder to others to do the same. In fact, Veterans Affairs Canada encourages Canadians to include social media in the way we show that we remember and honour our Canadian veterans:

“Change your Facebook profile picture with a poppy, write on your wall about how you remember…write about remembrance on your blog…However you choose to remember, be sure you share with a friend, a family member or a colleague. Encourage them to take up the challenge too.”

My father, now 84, enlisted in the army, eager to serve. His older brother saw combat but Dad never did, having come down with pneumonia before being sent overseas. He was just 20 when the war ended and has always regretted that he never made it to a battlefield. I remind him that I might not be here if he had.

So I’m wearing a poppy on my jacket and on my photo to show that I’m grateful for the men and women who have fought and continue to fight for the freedom we enjoy. I’ll be even more grateful when the day comes that war is just a distant memory.

A thunderstorm blew through Oakville on the weekend, and it brought me back to summers spent at my grandparents’ cottage in the Laurentian mountains in Quebec.

The cottage was built in the early 1900s, on a hillside with glimpses of the lake just visible in between the trees.  A screened-in porch wrapped around all sides of the cottage, where we would listen to the thunder rolling closer and watch the dark skies and flashes of lightning as the storm made its measured way across the lake. The sound of rain on the leaves in Oakville, slow at first, then steady, then gradually fading to a soft drip, drip, was remarkably similar to those rainy mornings.

Oakville is dotted with trails, where my dog and I frequently walk. As we duck into a cool leafy trail, the noise of cars fades and nature takes over; again, it takes me back to the cottage. Blue jays squawk, red-winged blackbirds call and woodpeckers tap, tap, tap. Occasionally I hear a screen door slam, or smell bacon cooking on a Saturday morning.

Sounds, sights, smells, tastes — they all have the power to transport us to another time and place. What transports you?

In honour of Canada Day and our 142nd birthday today:

• A catchy and clever rap; we know that you wanna be Canadian!
• Canadians share our 100 favourite Canadian things. Hmm, a lot of food listed (back bacon, poutine, maple syrup, butter tarts…).
• I love that Google has a Mountie (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) saluting in place of the “L” today.
• Speaking of which, everyone loves a Mountie. Maybe the RCMP doesn’t want us taking liberties, though. They have a long list of rules about what may be worn and when, to look this good.
• My friend Donna Papacosta has posted an amusing “primer” for our American friends on some of the differences between our two countries.

Happy Canada Day! I’m getting off the computer now to go buy some plants, a pretty common thing for summer-starved Canadians to do on our day off.

My short career in car sales has ended, and thank goodness for that.

As my Honda CR-V’s 10th birthday approached, I planned to buy a new car. I did my research, checking specs and prices online, and narrowed my choice to a couple of cars that offered good mileage, good performance, good looks and were made in Canada. One model got eliminated when I found out it’s only available as an automatic; I like to drive a standard. Two potentials weren’t made in Canada. Another model was great, except for a blind spot that showed up during the test drive.

I ended up buying a Honda Civic, Canada’s top-selling passenger car for the past 11 years.

When it came time to negotiate price, the sales rep told me the dealership would not offer me much for a trade-in, and recommended I sell my old car privately. With previous cars, I always traded in the old when I got the new, but I went with his suggestion.

Having sold the old car last week after two months, here is what I learned:

I need the clean break of a trade-in. Don’t laugh, but having the CR-V and the Civic together prevented me from bonding with the new car. Over 10 years, I had spent a lot of time with the CR-V. My sons had grown to be young men while we had it, and learned to drive in it. It carried just about anything, and it had been a great little car. What was I doing getting rid of it?

It’s hard to negotiate objectively when you have personal involvement. Because I was so fond of the CR-V, it was hard to say objectively, “Here’s what it’s worth.” And because I took the low-key route of simply putting a “For Sale” sign in the back window, the people who ended up putting in offers lived in the neighbourhood. It was hard not to feel a personal connection to them, too, and empathize with their situation.

Putting a sign in the car’s window is surprisingly effective. People who drove by my house called to ask about it. The newspaper carrier asked about it. When I was filling it with gas, the cashier asked about it. Of course, the fact that the car wasn’t an automatic ended many of the conversations, which makes me think it would be useful to post a fact sheet, the way car dealerships do.

If you don’t trade in your car, you end up with two cars. Well, that’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? I suddenly needed insurance on two vehicles, and two sets of license plates.

Transferring a car to someone else triggers extra expenses. To make it easier to sell, I paid for a safety check. Although the CR-V had its “Drive Clean” emissions test last year and was not due for another until next year, transferring ownership meant it needed a new Drive Clean test, too. Grrr.

Anyway, I’m back to one car now, and we’re bonding nicely. The Civic is also a great little car, except for the pale grey seats that show up every black hair left by my Lab; I’m looking for seat covers.

And 10 years from now, when I look at new cars, I’m trading this one in.

Our basement was crowded with toys, games, puzzles, children’s books and more, the result of two sons, two sets of grandparents, multiple doting aunts and uncles, hand-me-downs from a dozen cousins, birthdays, Christmases and a house of people who keep everything. It was time to get serious about cleaning up, so we held a garage sale. Here’s what I learned.

• Let go of the concept of value. People think they’ll make a pile of money at a garage sale, but let me tell you, that’s not the case. Garage sale people just want a bargain, and really, YOU just want to get rid of things you no longer need, don’t you? So we priced items low, and accepted offers that were even lower.
• Team up with your neighbours to make it worthwhile for cars to stop.
• Talk to people. Some are looking for a particular item, and you might be able to pull it out. Or, you’ll save them time by saying you don’t have it, but your neighbour does.
• Clear out the front half of your garage. If it’s raining (or threatening to) when you set up, you can arrange the books, clothing and other things that need to stay dry in a way that makes it clear THIS half is for sale and THAT half is not. Leave plastic toys, patio furniture and other things that can handle getting wet on the driveway or lawn to help draw attention to your sale.
• Think about timing. There will be fewer competing sales on a holiday weekend, but there might also be fewer buyers. Or, the usual number of garage sale fanatics — and there seem to be many of them! — will be desperate for a sale. They won’t be any more willing to pay higher prices, though.
• Enlist your family. They can help sort items and set up, create and put up posters, help buyers move heavy or bulky items, and take down the posters after the sale. Of course, that means you’ll share the proceeds.
• The war against clutter is never over in a House o’ Packrats like ours. Make an effort every day to stay on top of things. Regularly set aside clothing you don’t wear, and when you get a call asking for donations to Goodwill or Salvation Army, always say you have some. Look for opportunities to give away things your family has grown out of, including to neighbours who have children the right age.

Some of the same principles (or their opposites) apply to freelancers:

• Value is everything. If someone balks at your price, don’t immediately drop it, unless you can offer a reduced service for that price. People find the budget for a product or service that has value to them. If you can be “had” on price, then what you offer is just another commodity that goes for the lowest price, and that’s no way to run a business.
• Team up with fellow entrepreneurs so you aren’t just selling your own specialty but can partner on bigger projects. I’ve partnered with a graphic designer to provide the writing piece of a project he designed, and with another writer on work that was more than one person could handle.
• Talk to people. They may be looking for expertise that you have or someone you know has. From talking to people at networking events, walking my dog and generally going about my usual life, I’ve been referred for work and referred others, found a handyman, shared some great resources and found some terrific restaurants.

Have you held a garage sale? Let me know if you learned any interesting lessons!