9-4-14 Guidelines for having a productive meeting

How many meetings do you go to each month?  On Whidbey there are so many organizations, that most of us go to at least a couple of meetings a month; some of us go to lots more than that.  Meetings are very important for group members to learn what’s going on and to decide what needs to be accomplished before the next meeting.

I admit to being very frustrated when I am in a meeting that seems unfocused; where there is a lot of talking, but not much seems to be accomplished.

As a professional facilitator, here are some of the elements that I believe lead to a productive and satisfying meeting:

• Clear goals are established and stated for the meeting;
• Ground rules are established that encourage everyone to be courteous and respectful;
• A simple agenda is prepared and followed as closely as possible; some deviations may occur as long as these contribute to the goals of the meeting;
• The meeting is set for no more than an hour and a half;
• The leader of the meeting keeps everyone focused on the agenda and assures that no single voice dominates;
• Succinct notes are prepared for distribution after the meeting.    

My overall goal is to have everyone leave a meeting smiling and feeling confident and comfortable that they were able to share their responses and hear what others had to say.

8-28-14 Sweet Mona’s in Langley: It takes vision, courage and a lot of work to create a successful business

On August 23^rd, Sweet Mona’s had a grand opening celebration, with everyone invited to come to the new location and enjoy chocolate specials.  By the end of the day, over 300 people had come by to have chocolate, gelatos and drinks and to bask in the patio that surrounds the store

I went to the opening with two grandchildren, two of my three daughters, a son-in-law, a visitor from France and my husband, Rich, and we all had gelatos….and enjoyed our treats on the patio.

I mentioned in previous blogs that Langley reminds me of my recent visit to Italy, France and Spain.  Sweet Mona’s is truly a relaxed European experience on Whidbey.  Besides the yummy gelatos (I believe she has the only gelato on Whidbey Island), it was a delight to sit in the sun outside and have good conversations.

Buying the building at 221-2^nd Street took more than a year from when Mona and Tony Newbauer first had the idea.  The move took place 8-1/2 years after they started the business at a much smaller place across the street.  Despite all of the work to make this move happen, Mona says “, I would do it all over again just to live in those last ten days where my friends, family, employees, and community members came together to pull it all together. It was, by far, my greatest business success to date. I look forward to many more successful years here.”

Business has definitely increased in the new location, and it’s highly likely that Mona’s dream of many more successful years will come true.

Sweet Mona's website: http://www.sweetmonas.com

8-20-14 Paul Schell’s memorial on Whidbey, a uniquely Whidbey experience

Rich and I participated in last Thursday’s memorial service for Paul Schell in Langley. I knew Paul through WICA and through Democratic functions on Whidbey. Of course, once you met Paul and Pam, it was easy to cross paths with them in Langley, and experience the special friendliness and warmth they projected.

The South Whidbey Record and the Seattle Times had photos showing the parade flowing through the streets of Langley. We weren’t wearing the New Orlean’s style hats and beads, but we still felt very at home in the crowd of friends. Even though it was a sad event, in many ways it almost felt joyful because of who Paul was and what he had contributed while he was alive.

The parade continued to WICA, one of the many organizations where Paul played a major role in making something special happen. We listened to many sweet tributes and stories.

What seemed so special to me was the sense that everyone there was in some way connected to the Schells on a personal level.

Seattle will have its memorial for Paul in October, and I’m sure it will be an impressive event. But, I feel so privileged to live in this community and to have been part of our special celebration of this remarkable man’s life.

8-14-14 What’s queer about Whidbey’s first Queer Pride Parade?

Whidbey had its first Queer Pride Parade last Sunday in Langley.  While there were a lot of different folks - some dressed in drag, some in sequins, some in outlandish costumes of one sort or another - what really struck me was that on Whidbey, we don’t seem to care who someone is or how they want to dress….as long as they are nice people and enjoy being part of our community.

The parade honored anyone who wanted to take part, as a participant or on the sidelines cheering each person who went by.  I loved many of the signs.  One of my favorites was “Straight but not narrow.”  I saw the word “Love” on many signs, including simply “Love and appreciation.”  Even animals were represented, as an animal rights group proclaimed: “Love is endless; Embrace all beings; harm no one.”

Even though the last comment applied to animals, I think it fairly represented the mood of the entire parade…and, our attitudes toward each other on Whidbey.

(David Welton's photos of the event are posted on Whidbey Life Magazine.)

8-8-14 This is a great time of year to buy all of your food locally on Whidbey

Rich and I got home last night after being away from Whidbey for nearly a week.  First order of business: restock our refrigerator and pantry.

We may live on an Island, away from the maddening crowds, but we do not live away from wonderful local foods.  At last count (according to my calculations), we have at least seven farmer’s markets featuring fresh, organic (most of the time) produce,  local baked goods, other locally made food items (jams, granolas…to name a few).  We can buy beef from local grass-fed cows.  Happy local chickens produce lovely eggs (and I believe they are happy until the last moment when they pass into chicken heaven).  We have coffee made from four local roasters and wines from nine local wineries. 

I’m sure I am omitting lots more that we are able to buy locally….forgive me if I have left out something.

Of course, we also have excellent grocery stores on the island that offer lots of the local-grown items, plus anything else we need for that pantry.

Next time you’re thinking about heading across the water to do some shopping, remind yourself, almost everything you need can be purchased on Whidbey, and your local purchases help your neighbors to keep doing what they’re doing.