TIBER RIVER

Kindness

Sorry for the delayed post, my wireless internet seems to have a mind of its own these days!  I enjoyed a wonderful visit with three of my dearest friends last night.  We ate, drank wine, and chatted until almost midnight, pretty late for a school night!  It was exactly what I needed.   I was feeling very cooped up and craving some adult socialization.  The conversation was filled with laughs as we discussed all of the things you sometimes shouldn't talk about...religion, why we shouldn't eat (my vegetarian friend Lisa), Deepak Chopra, and the education choices for our children.  There is nothing like true girlfriends!

 A great big thanks goes out to Kal for bringing me my favorite Starbucks coffee today!  She was out and about  in the not so nice weather with two babies in tow.   THANK YOU for brightening my day!

Question for you - What kinds of topics and information would you like to see us blog about?  For the first time EVER, I'm feeling a little challenged and would love some fresh new ideas for what to share on here.  We would love to hear your feedback!

Wishing you a great evening!

Michelle

Earth Hour

Good Morning!

Just a quick reminder for everyone to turn their lights out tonight at 8:30 for one hour.  Let's all do our part for the environment and climate change.  Read the article in today's paper http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/dim-the-lights-to-celebrate-earth-hour-42044827.html

Enjoy your weekend,

Michelle

I'm all a-Twitter!

I have decided NOT to comment on our weather.  I think I'll just pull out my handy bubble that I live in from time to time, and pretend that I'm actually somewhere else and it won't affect me in the slightest.

A few weeks ago, I was reading Heidi's blog (from Botanical Paperworks) and I saw that she was now on Twitter.  I clicked on the link she had up and saw that I had to become a 'follower' of hers in order to read her posts.  Naturally, I've heard of Twitter and figured it was time I checked it out.  SO, I signed up and promptly forgot all about it.  The other day, I received an email saying that Heidi wanted to follow my Tweets (hee hee, at least I know some lingo).  YIKES!  Now what??!  Do I actually have to get on there every few hours?  What do I put in there?  I have trouble remembering to go to the bathroom more than once a day, how am I going to remember to talk about my day, every day, all day?!  Sheesh - do people really have time for this?

I think its important to remain up-to-date with technology and with the rate at which new things, such as Twitter, are being introduced, its almost a full time job.  Personally, while I love being on the computer, learning new things and trying them out, I also have two and a half kids (one not quite here yet), a husband, a business, and a house that constantly needs either cleaning or painting.  Spare time is precious - do I really want to spend it following someone else's life?  I guess in business, you need to do what you need to do to stay current and in front of your customers, so I guess its time I figured this out and got down to some Twittering.  Can anyone help out???  Are there Tweet secrets, tips or other things you've learned through using it that you can pass along?

I spent the most enjoyable evening with the kids.  Their school put on an evening of art and it was SO much more than I had anticipated.  Each classroom was set up as a different station, with music, drama and visual arts showcased.  Every family was given a time slot and a classroom and we had the opportunity to experience that art.  We were in the modern art room, where we learned a bit about some artists, what constitutes modern art and then we got to make our own painting.  These are the ones we made:

 

 

 

Other classrooms had guitar lessons, paper making (Heidi, I heard from many friends who made paper with you and had a ball!), drumming, and other great arts.  After we finished our project, we headed to the gym to see the art our children have been working on the past few weeks.  Children are so creative and free - it was an absolute joy to walk through the exhibit and wonder at their talent.  It was an absolutely beautiful, peaceful evening.  THANK YOU to our school, the teachers and all the volunteers - it was definitely worth all the effort that went into it!!

A little pick me up and your help please!

A gi-normous THANK YOU to Sara, Erin, Jen, and Deb for popping over for a visit last night.  It was so great to see you guys and the coffee/donuts were good too!  It truly made my day and the rest of my week, thank you!  Adriana and I are so lucky to have such a fantastic team and it simply wouldn't work without you.

I've been doing a lot of brainstorming since reading Seth Godin's "Purple Cow" and I'd like to ask you to SHARE PERSONAL STORIES OR EXPERIENCES YOU'VE HAD WITH A BUSINESS THAT HAS MADE YOU GO "WOW!" (this can be ANYTHING that has really knocked your socks off).

Please leave us a comment and you just may win something really yummy!  We appreciate your feedback.  Drive safely out there today! 

Michelle

A little stuck!

I just about let the cat out of the bag (sorry Adriana, must be the T3's!) and announced the details of Tiber #2, but my gut said "No, don't jinx it".  So the news will have to wait until next week when we have the keys in hand.  It's a bit of a slow process with legal mumbo jumbo and offerings of third borns for financing (just kidding of course!).  We're just so darned excited!

What's going on with this weather?!  Snow and pelting bits of ice are not helpful for people trying to hobble out of their homes.  So I am stuck in the same position I've been for the last week.  Sigh.  The great news is I get to look forward to a visit with Erin, Jen, and Bev after work today.  I really miss everyone, it feels so strange to not be around the store.  I guess I'm doing what I am supposed to be doing...working behind the scenes to get things ready for the next location.

I want say a great big thank you to Sonya Braun from Eve Studios and Anna Echols from Seven Steps to Public Speaking for stopping by last week.  Their conversation and gifts of food and books were greatly appreciated!  Also, a group of my girlfriends had me over last week to spend the evening serving me wine and cooking my family delicious meals.  Wow, people just amaze me and I'm so grateful!

After getting 30+ staples ripped out of my ankle and 2 people stuffing my leg into a new boot cast, Darcie reminded me to look at the silver lining.  I will take this time to re-focus and change the way I do things.  I've been reading some great books and the most recent is called "The Four Hour Work Week".  I certainly can't put in only 4 hours per week or only check my emails on Mondays, but I can restructure my time to be more efficient and get more done!  The great news is I will be in a walking cast in 4 weeks, it will be here before I know it.  I loved Adriana's blog yesterday and one of the most important things I learned at a forum 10+ years ago is that every day is a choice, that's what I love about life!

Check back tomorrow, I'll be asking for some help and giving away some Tiber goodness in return!

Cheers,

Michelle

Happiness....

I had my post all planned out in my head until I read my email this morning.  My dad sent me an email that I felt I had to share with everyone - thanks Dad!!  This is a great way of living....

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.  His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.  As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. 

Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'

'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.  Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.  Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.  It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.

Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.  So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!

Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank.  I am still depositing.
 
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

The Right Path.

As business owners, Michelle and I are constantly faced with decisions we need to make.  Many times, we go mostly on a gut-feel and pray it is right.  We've been wrong a few times but where we've never been wrong is in our vision for this company.  Starting in 2000 and right up until this morning, there has never been a doubt in my mind that this company was meant for great things.  Of course, there were (and still are) many times that I'd love to throw in the towel and do something less stressful but those are always fleeting moments and come at times when the weight of the world seems to be on my shoulders.  The interesting thing is that Michelle and I never seem to get the throw-it-all-away bug at the same time.  We are always there to pick up the other one and keep us all moving forward.

This company has a purpose and a path and it is evidenced in our team, our products and our customers.  Michelle and I know exactly where we are going and how we are going to get there and we are so close to Step 2 being completed that we can taste it.  Michelle talked yesterday about people and how important they are and she couldn't have spoken a truer statement.  Every single person on our Tiber team is important and brings their own special talents to Tiber River. 

I know we are on the right path because things are finally falling into place.  While it seems like its taken forever (10 years for me), it has moved at the pace it should, never hurrying to satisfy my desire for quick results.  Tiber River has maintained its balance and integrity as its grown and for that, has become even stronger.

As we move forward on our path, I am filled to bursting with excitement for the future.  I cannot wait to share all the goodness and change with everyone.  Watch out world, Tiber River is coming!!!

It's Just an Ankle

Good Morning!  Today is going to be a bit of a personal post.  First, I would like to say a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to our team for stepping up and helping out in a pinch.  Schedules have been juggled and everyone has contributed to keeping things running smoothly, doing different duties or changing their schedules to accomodate what is needed.  An extra special thank you goes out to Melissa for all of the extra time and effort she has been putting in (I hope you really enjoy your mini holiday!).  Also, thank you to Darcie for bringing over the wonderful meal and to Adriana for making sure things get done for Tiber #2. 

I am a true believer that things happen for a reason and the minute I broke my ankle I already knew WHY.  Sometimes life gets a little out of control and we need to slow down a little to reflect on what's truly important.  The week before it happened was truly over the top with buy-ness, stress, and constant bantering with my spouse about pitching in to get things done.  My husband is great, but sometimes underestimates my contribution to running the household, caring for 2 young kids, and growing a business!

I quickly realized that my broken ankle has forced me to face 4 things that I am REALLY BAD AT:

1. I have a really tough time asking for and accepting help.

2.  I am not that great at delegating.

3.  I am incapable of sitting still and just doing "nothing".

4.  Being dependent on others is like a slow, painful torture for me.

These are my lessons.  The other lesson is how kind people are.  The flowers, the cards, the visits, the emails, the food...WOW!  I was brought to tears on Monday when my friend Franca showed up at my house completely unexpected with a box full of food.  Her twin girls were only a year and half when she was diagnosed with lymphoma.  She has since undergone rounds of chemo and was in the hospital for a month recovering from a stem cell transplant.  Thankfully the treatment worked and she is getting her health back.  She wanted to come over because everyone was so kind to them and she kept asking how I was feeling.  I just looked at her and said "after what you've gone through, it's only an ankle."  Franca also shared with me how she is so happy to be alive.  I was so moved by her visit and words.

It was also impossible for me to throw a pity party for myself in the hospital.  My first neighbour had an amputated leg and he had the most positive attitude I have ever seen.  His name was Theodore and I was welcomed with "this is the place where they hand out the legs, but I haven't got mine yet."  Theodore kept telling everyone that he wasn't going to sit around feeling sorry for myself and that attitude is everything.  The nurses loved him and he's someone I will never forget.  My second neighbour Farron was lucky to be alive and was in so much pain from his 4th surgery.  He was just grateful to be here.  My occupational therapist was dealing with the first year anniversary of her husband's death.  Her daughter was 2 months when he passed away.  She shared so much and I was privileged to listen.

Those are some thoughts that have been rolling around in my brain.  Life is all about people and we should be thankful every day knowing that our problems are mostly trivial.   

I wish you a great Wednesday and hopefully we'll have some BIG NEWS to share very soon for location #2.  Stay tuned...

Michelle

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hi there, I'm back!  Sorry for the delayed post, but my new office/board room (a.k.a. my dining room) is not equipped with 3 prong plugs to charge my laptop computer.  Gotta love old homes!  I was half way through a blog and suddenly saw "low battery" followed by "powering down now..."  The rest of the day was spent hobbling around room to room chasing a dying portable phone and a powered out blackberry.  It was a bit of a gong show over here and I think it would have made for a pretty funny sitcom. I will post an update tomorrow and I hope today is brimming with good luck and a cup of cheer. According to Ellen Degeneres, St.Patrick's Day is not just about drinking, but also about hangovers.  Today she was wearing a green bra filled with potatoes - mashed potatoes.  I'll have to give that a try next time I'm trying to enhance my figure.  Wishing you a joy-filled St. Patrick's Day!

Michelle

See, I told you it was our blog holding up the spring weather :o).  What an absolutely beautiful day yesterday was!  We spent most of it at a few different hockey rinks but WOW, walking to and from the car was a total joy!

I had a great deal of difficulty sleeping last night, only partly due to this ever-growing belly of mine.  I am so excited about all the changes Tiber River is going through that I just can't get things out of my mind.  We have our new logo, new packaging, new labels, new website, new newsletter and much more.  I have been running through the list of things to do in the next 6 weeks and rather than be stressed by what is left, I'm energized by it all.  (Finally seeing some grass doesn't hurt either.)

Ok, I have to confess that Friday did put me over the edge a little.  It was a difficult day for me.  I felt overwhelmed, over-worked and definitely short on time BUT with great partners (Tom and Michelle) and great friends (I got to go out twice this weekend!), I was able to release the anxiety and embrace the excitement.  I feel ready to take on the world!!

Today, I'm finishing up the last of the packaging information gathering that I have to do.  I'm (hopefully) finishing up the reformulating of our existing shampoo's and making some new facial products.  Yipee!!  Go, Adriana, go!

I hope everyone enjoys this wonderful weather and a beautiful week.  Have a good one.