Well, actually  this time I had a very delicious English version at the Cinnamon Club in Westminster  earlier this month.  Having breakfast meetings in town is a new experience for a nocturnal-type like me but the breakfast and meeting my client and his associates made even the crush on the 07:11 train worthwhile.  This is going to be a regular meeting so perhaps next time my diet will allow me to try the spicy scrambled egg. 

This is going to be a quick blog because I've decided to take a day off tomorrow and therefore  I need to add this June entry now.  There's no church homegroup tonight so I will be doing some evening gardening.  I finally got all the plants into their pots and am watering like mad in this lovely summer weather.  However, we are experiencing garden vandals in the shape of squirrels and foxes (we have a family of fox cubs on the riverbank at the bottom of our garden) and I've been mystified by holes in the flower beds, the destruction of most of my ripe strawberries, and slices of bread in my vegetable raised bed.  Last night I watched as a fox cub ran half way up the garden and deposited a part-carcass of some kind (a duck?) near my lily of the valley.  Do I really want a wildlife friendly garden, I'm starting to ask myself...

Last Sunday St Stephen's Church held its annual Social Action Sunday and, armed with forks, spades, pick-axes and other assorted gardening gear, we marched off in 30C heat to help the local secondary school clear some waste ground for an allotment.  Amazingly, we all worked like trojans and the job was done in 2.5 hours.  This left time for my husband and I to visit old friends in Croydon during the afternoon and come to terms with the 4-1 defeat by Germany. 

The previous day 43 of us met up for a reunion of former colleagues, very kindly hosted by Geoff and Sue in Leytonstone.  The food was amazing,  the weather perfect and the company very special. 

Apart from all that, I've been working on a client's diary  scheduling, plans for Missione 2010 in Italy in September and on marketing for another client and for myself.  It will be interesting to see how the Budget affects things.  The challenge for me is to continue to get the message across that working with a Virtual PA is so much more efficient and cost-effective than employing personnel in-house!

What I've been reading:
The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino [quirky, very thought-provoking slim volume on the essentials of selling and the right attitudes needed to succeed].

There are plenty of green shoots in my garden (including weeds) even if the 'green shoots of recovery' are not so apparent in the economy and seem unlikely to show themselves for a long time yet.  Our MP, Vince Cable, is now Secretary of State for Business and he admits in our local paper that the whole aftermath of the election is still a bit of a shock to him.

This month was full of variety.  On Wednesday 5 May I was delighted to assist again at Cross Pollinate - and again we raised about £100,000 for small Christian social action charities.  It was a lovely evening on HMS President on the Thames.   

The next day  I was up early to help out the LibDems (I'm not a party member but a nice local councillor I know asked for my assistance) as a Teller at the local polling station for a couple of hours and again in the evening.  The polling station workers had to be there all day (7.00 am - 10.00 pm) and I must say I really applauded their staying power.  Since our local hall just covers the immediate vicinity of 350 voters, and many of them had registered for postal votes, you can imagine that each time I saw a voter heading in my direction it raised quite a bit of excitement.  I stayed up all night watching the results and finally got a couple of hours' sleep at 10.00 am on Friday. 

Tuesday 11 - Friday 14 May was Christian Resources Exhibition week at Sandown Park, Esher and the week started with an evening meeting on the  Monday which will hopefully turn into something interesting!  On Tuesday I joined Jonathan and Marco (Jonathan and Giuseppe on the other days)  on the Italian Ministries UK stand where we had lots of good conversations with people and I also helped out on the Christian Business Network stand each day where I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with business people, potential clients, friends Bill, Tayo, Swaraj and Tony from CBN and sharing the stand with the delightful John and Sue from Christian Business Direct.  Thursday's show was two hours longer so it was pretty tiring but we all made some very useful contacts and saw a lot of old friends.

Since then I have been catching up with myself, home, the family, work and church.  My husband and I spent last weekend (the warm one) in the New Forest with my mum and took her to a garden and nursery called Apple Court where I bought two large grasses and a Heuchera.  Because this Bank Holiday weekend is currently in its wet and windy phase, I have not managed to plant them yet but surely Monday is the day... plus the tomatoes, the aubergine, the strawberries, the green and the yellow courgettes and the sweet peppers.  The two blueberry plants are now covered in flowers so I think I've missed my moment for repotting them and they are best left alone.  Alan Titchmarsh says they need careful treatment and he knows more about it than I do.

What I've been reading:
I finished the excellent Good to Great (see last month's blog) just in time to make a few notes on it before I hand it back to Paul who very kindly lent it to me and who is speaking at the Central London PA Network's meeting in June on Strategic Fundraising.

Finally, after the longest, coldest, wettest, greyest winter in a long time, we have hit spring  - and I don't think I have ever looked forward to that season so much before!  It's warm and sunny and I already have my garden office door open.  The local squirrels have calmed down and are no longer tearing around our garden, a huge bumble bee has just flown in and out, and Cleo, the little black cat who found us at 10 o'clock one night last autumn, starving and ill-treated, and who was so kindly taken in by my neighbour who already has Chelsea and Twiglet, has started to get over her shyness and has dared to call in to the office to see us. 

So, some gardening has at last been achieved and although I do still need to repot the blueberries, I have made great headway and am also looking forward to potting up the strawberries.  All my fuchsias have survived the winter which is good news.

Work this month has been dominated by arrangements for the Christian Resources Exhibition - insurance, electrical points, exhibitor badges, logistics, accommodation and food - the whole works.  I'm attending as part of the team from Italian Ministries UK which has a stand for the very first time.  I'm also helping on the Christian Business Network stand and taking the opportunity to advertise my own business with some new promotional cards which have been beautifully designed by Alison Moorhead in Northern Ireland - my special thanks to her. 

The other main bit of news for April (apart from a chance to take a break at Easter) was that my friend Kate Bacon and I became the cover story for the Institute of Professional Administrators' magazine.  We were interviewed by the Editor on how we set up our VA businesses and how Kate trains aspiring VAs.  This was a new experience for me and I am pleased with the result, which you can find on the new Janet in the News page of this site.

Oh yes, and my client Matt Bird spoke on Philanthropy at the Central London PA Network's professional event last week. He was again very warmly received. 

May is going to be a hectic month with lots of forward planning required!  I'll be back on this blog when it is all over...

What I'm reading:
Good to Great: why some companies make the leap and others don't by Jim Collins (2001)
This is a truly fascinating book, lent to me by one of my clients who appreciated the themes of excellence, thoughtful leadership and the value of 'getting the right people on the bus' before doing anything else.  More next month when I've (hopefully) finished it.
 

I'm taking a few days off for Easter so here's a quick blog update.  Spring came officially and we had some sunny days - I even managed to cut the grass - but it's now back to rain and wind and another halt to any gardening efforts.  I do hope this weekend I might make some progress if the weather improves.  Still, the spring flowers look great and the blossom is now showing itself on our copper beech tree which all make for  a nice view from my office windows.













March always brings Mothering Sunday, my birthday and our wedding anniversary as well as my school reunion annual dinner.  I went this year and met up with two friends, Penny and Eleanor, from my year as well as others from other year groups and some teachers we'd not seen for a long time but who, remarkably, still remembered us.  The youngest teacher we had has now just retired!  I got home very late (nearly turned into a pumpkin) but it was a lovely evening.

Coffee with friends in Twickenham and in Kingston were nice diversions from the routines of life and work, and I had a great weekend in Sudbury, Suffolk, with Italian Ministries UK co-trustees and an Italian singer who was taking part in special meetings in the town to highlight the needs and opportunities of Italy.  We had a Board meeting which now means I have some Minutes to write and circulate.  I am also busy dealing with the details for our exhibition stand at the Christian Resources Exhibition in May.

Now I just need some good weather so I can repot my blueberries...  See you in April!

What I've been reading:
Priorities, Planning and Paperwork by Peter Brierley
Growing Spiritually with the Myers-Briggs Model by Julia McGuinness
Both excellent!

My late father used to refer to February as 'February Filldyke' and this memory has suddenly come back to me as I think about all the rain we've had this month (this winter, even) and how we are having to drain out the water we'd been so pleased to collect in our two water butts because they are continually overflowing!  I think we'll have to get a third one to use as storage.   It'll be galling if we have a drought this summer!

Here I am, in the cosy office, listening to The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4 and clearing up some odds and ends before a long weekend in Hampshire, visiting my mother.  I think I'd better keep this brief in view of the late hour, even though I am most definitely a night-owl.  I'm still at my desk because tonight I've been taking part in another enjoyable cyber-meeting of the Christian Business Network. 

I love train journeys - time to drink tea, look at the scenery, think and plan and read!  So tomorrow morning I'll be taking a work file and notebook with me and working on my promotion of podPreach, a new internet service enabling churches to upload their sermons and receive gifts online, even if they don't have their own website.  (Please see my podPreach web page for more information.)

This month I've been working on refining the planning and processes for an on-going marketing campaign for a construction consultancy and moving forward on promotional meetings for a small charity.  Italian Ministries UK had a very successful Taste of Italy meeting at Kinmel Bay, North Wales one Saturday this month when a couple came over from Italy to talk about the needs and opportunities in their country and to cook a wonderful meal for the 80 people who attended.  80 people!  We were so delighted at the turn-out and the warmth of the feedback.

I finished my New Era Shorthand Refresher Course at the Pitman Training Centre in Kingston upon Thames.  I shall miss going there as it was a really comfy, friendly place and it gave me all sorts of opportunities to visit Kingston's wide-ranging shops and department stores...

What I'm reading:
Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald 
A classic from the 1980s which somehow escaped my attention during that decade of job changes, house moves, marriage and twins!

So sang Maria as she left the convent and headed off purposefully to the Von Trapp mansion, swinging her bag and guitar case as she went.  In what/whom do we have confidence?  This is a subject I've encountered this month in three very different books.  More on that later.

Quite a bit of January was spent looking through the windows of my office at the snow falling, icing over, and finally melting, only to re-appear briefly again.  At least it covered up all the leaves on the grass which I've still not had the chance to rake up!  Traditionally this is a month to review the previous year and decide on some targets for the next one, so I did this and now feel I have far too many deadlines!  I was pleased though to finish my  Bible in a Year in Chronological Order which was one of last year's goals.  It was a fascinating journey and makes a whole lot of things much clearer.  This year I am returning to an old book of prayers (see below) given to me for my 21st birthday by a wonderful elderly couple who were such an encouragement to me in my spiritual life when they were alive.

It's been a varied month, with the charity event at Stormont to finalise and a plan B to get underway should the politics get in the way of our use of the building!  Thankfully it all went very well.  There's a lunch next month at the House of Commons which requires the same kind of careful attention to detail - security access lists, menu planning, final numbers on the right day etc;  I thoroughly enjoy it!  I did some video transcription to help out another VA who was snowed under and learned about cognitive behavioural therapy as a result.  General admin for a construction design company kept me well occupied, as did arranging meetings and applying to grant making trusts on behalf of a small charity, which is delighted that it now has a place at the Christian Resources Exhibition in May. 

Socially it's been a month of going to London on several occasions: with my husband to see the RSC's Twelfth Night during the Christmas holidays and with him again tonight for a Golden Wedding celebration in Westminster; to meet former colleagues, to link up again with other PAs in an informal network, and for the Central London PA Network's Committee.   I think I'd better stay at home more in February as, like London buses, all these meetings came at once!

What I've been reading:
The Definitive Personal Assistant& Secretarial Handbook by Sue France
The Barnabas Factor - the power of encouragement by Derek Wood (a re-read of a great little book!)
Great Souls at Prayer - fourteen centuries of prayer, praise and aspiration compiled by Mary W Tileston in 1898

What they say about confidence:
"Remind yourself how great you are on a regular basis, particularly during times when you feel your confidence needs a boost....Your own thoughts manifest themselves in to your own reality."

"We matter because we matter to God.  So we can afford to admit that we are fragile pots, easily broken.  We can even delight in our own weakness...'My power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)'...even if we do have feet of clay...what matters is not what our feet are made of but where we are standing.  On sand or on the Rock?

Or as the New Living Translation of the Bible puts it:  "Don't think you are better than you really are.  Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves..."!

I'm going to look back properly over the year while I'm taking a break for Christmas (my holiday starts today which is why this blog is exceptionally early in the month) and prayerfully review 2009 and plan 2010's objectives.  However, just doing so quickly now gives me the chance to say how much I appreciate all those who have encouraged and helped me this year - family, friends, church homegroup and professional organisations - and how thankful I am for all the work that I've been able to do during such a precarious economic downturn. 

This month I've been particularly focusing on promotional meetings and contacts for a small charity and their participation for the first time in the Christian Resources Exhibition in Esher next May. 

The month was otherwise a difficult one in that my wonderful mother-in-law passed away after more than a year confined to bed.  She and my late father-in-law had worked tirelessly in India, church planting in the 1950s and 60s, and in the UK with the NHS and running care homes for elderly Christians.  We were in Belfast last week for her funeral and to see relatives.  We were able to spend an evening with my brother-in-law and his family, eating curry and looking at some of the hundreds of slides that my in-laws had taken in India.

During this month I was able to re-connect with two sets of old friends - one in Memphis, USA and the other couple in Berlin - which was made possible through the resources of the internet via Google and Facebook.  I'd 'lost' each of them for nearly 10 years so phoning Berlin and emailing Memphis and finding them again was a special joy. 

Now I'm looking forward to curling up in a comfy chair with lots of cups of tea while I catch up on the books and magazines which are looking at me accusingly.

I wish you a peaceful and blessed Christmas and a Happy  New Year.  See you again in January!

What I'm reading:
Know Your Spiritual Gifts - how to minister in the power of the Spirit by Mark Stibbe

So, it's nearly the end of November and what weird weather we've had.  Here in my garden office I have a view of all the leaves which need to be raked up but it's either too windy, or too wet, (or both) to do it.  I hear frosts may be expected next week so I will just have to get my mini-greenhouse set up again to protect the fuschias which are still flowering merrily in the garden during this mild spell.  We've had the last of our tomatoes and green peppers and it's time to get the garden ready for winter.  I just wish I felt a bit more like doing it; my blocked sinuses are ruining my enthusiasm!











Following my decision last month to cut down on activities, I have had a quieter month but I'm really looking forward to going to Evesham tomorrow with my husband to visit Peter and Louise, Gina and Sam who have just returned from the USA after three years in Boston.  They have decided to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, which is a lovely idea.  We will make a weekend of it and return home via Gloucestershire.

I'm enjoying working on the planning of a charity reception at Stormont for January, and a special lunch at the House of Commons in February.  Incidentally, one of my main contacts is an MP whose wife is his office manager.  She's great to work with and I feel really sorry for her and other MPs wives who are now being told they can't work for their husbands in future.  This is one bit of the Kelly Report which I think is complete nonsense!

My involvement with the Great Wall of China Walk finished for the time being with the return of the charity fundraising group.  They had an amazing time and their comments were so encouraging.  One said it was an experience she would treasure for the rest of her life;  another said she had come home a different person; a third said it was physically the hardest thing he'd ever done but it was so rewarding. 

I'm currently also busy with a raft of Party Wall Agreement documents and planning the printing and distribution of marketing materials for a loft conversion/kitchen extension business, and working on promotional opportunities for a small charity.  And, of course, there is our family Christmas letter to produce...

What I'm listening to:
Songs from RESOUNDworship.org Vol II

"Goodbye October, did we see the colours change - were we all too busy rushing through the year?...".  As the leaves fall from the oak tree outside my office window I am reminded of Adrian Snell's song which has been a favourite of mine since my teenage years.  Yes, I moved into my garden office 4 weeks ago today and it's great!  Mind you,  I am surprised by the animal activity I can now observe.  Apart from the birds there are lots of cats ( some of which are unknown to me, and two of which appear to like using my flower bed for their comfort stops)  and a great many very active squirrels who were surprised by my ability now to stop them digging in my containers. 

Certainly this October was a full month, with a day's client meeting plus lunch in the Kent countryside to discuss 2010 (very enjoyable), the evening charity event at the House of Lords for CrossPollinate and the BHP Billiton dinner in Piccadilly for London Metal Exchange Week hosted by Matt Bird Tastings (very successful),  and a 'two year working anniversary' lunch with a client in Wimbledon (a lovely treat).   My twin sons turned 21, my husband's business kept him even busier than usual and I spent time with my mother in the New Forest.  Then there were former colleagues:  I sent out a newsletter to ex-SGM friends and spent a nice girls' night with three from my MasterSun days.  I also had lovely sunny day off seeing a friend who is a Colour Me Beautiful consultant.  Now for a wardrobe review...!

Conscious that I was probably 'too busy rushing through the year', I have decided to plan a lot more evenings and weekends in during November even though that will mean saying 'No'  to people, which I hate doing.  As The Word for Today reminded me this week:  "Wisdom means having the discipline to prioritise and the ability to work towards a stated goal.  The question is not, 'Will my calendar be full', but 'Who will fill it?' and 'What will it be filled with?'. To know your life's priorities you must frequently pause and ask 'Lord, what do You want me to do?..."

What I'm listening to:
Crimson Threads of Grace by Bill Drake (2000)

...I have been enjoying picking my tomatoes, courgettes and green peppers from the patio.  It's definitely been worth all the late-night sessions with the watering can to be able to pop out into the garden and grab some items for the salad bowl.

As autumn approaches, too, I have been getting my new side of the our new office in the garden ready.  My husband has already moved in and is getting used to his new working surroundings.  Next door's cat, Twiglet, often makes an appearance to look through the windows and see what's happening.

This has been a month of squeezing in a lot of appointments and extra meetings and work.  A VA friend went on holiday for a week and kindly asked me to look after two of her clients, which I was delighted to do.  I went to the Central London PA Network's professional meeting which was held at the 150 year old Vicarage of All Saints, Margaret Street, W1 and hosted by the Vicar's wife, Theresa Moses, who was our speaker on the subject of "Variety - the spice or the stress of life?" I'll leave you to consider your own answer to that!   My husband and I also took advantage of CPLN's September social event last Saturday - a guided tour of Brompton Cemetery which opened in 1840 and is the only nationalised cemetery in the UK.  It was a perfect sunny, blue-sky day to wander around such a vast and interesting place.

After a meeting at the House of Lords with the Banqueting Manager to discuss CrossPollinate's next evening event in October, I popped over to Kingsway (the area of my very first job - I won't say how many years ago!) to the enjoyable first meeting of the IPA's new-look London network.

With one son starting a new college course, and the other being summoned for jury service, domestic life has been interesting as has my involvement locally in a campaign to stop the building of a vast supporter stand by a well-known Rugby club (think false blood) in this area who have gone ahead in the presumptuous expectation that it will simply be rubber-stamped by the local Council.  I've been involved in meetings, emails and objections but it also gave me a nice opportunity to visit our well-known MP, Dr Vince Cable, at his constituency surgery.  He is every bit as quietly affable and courteous in person as he appears in Parliament and in the media. 

What I've been reading: (a bit of a mixed bag here)
Eat That Frog!  - 21 great ways to stop procratinating and get more done in less time by Brian Tracy [Very readable!]
Married to a Martyr by Jonathan Carswell with Joanna Wright [the moving story of one of the three Christian martyrs murdered in Malatya, Turkey in 2007]
Making the Most of Midlife - Christian Choices and Growth by Julia McGuinness [speaks for itself - an excellent study of the subject with opportunities for reflection and prayer]

If only!  I've been finding myself wishing about doing a lot of things over the past few months but, as one of my former colleagues used to tell me regularly, "There are only 24 hours in a day".  So I've been thinking a lot this month about what I want to do, and what I need to do, and what perhaps I ought to do.  You'll know from last month that I've been listening to Sara Groves' CD Past the Wishing.  The title track contains the words:

I'm past the wishing, past the wishing, past the wishing

I don't wish that I could go, I am going
I don't wish that I could be, I am being
I don't wish that I could do it, I am doing -
By the grace of God I am doing.

Well, I haven't got there yet but it's something to aim at!

This is an early blog because I am taking half of August as holiday, when perhaps some of the wishings will become doings as I work on moving into my garden office and making the garden sufficiently interesting to be looked at through the window while I'm working.

Highlights of August so far have included a very enjoyable relaxed lunch meeting with a client to catch up and to plan work for 2010, finally managing to unsubscribe from Nick Griffin's almost daily BNP spam updates, taking part (by text as my microphone refused to work) in a conference call meeting of the Christian Business Network and covering for a VA friend while she was on holiday.  Her clients were organised and very nice to work with.  I also finished a course at Pitman Training and continued with another.  The month started with a visit to the New Forest Fuschia Society's Annual Show in Lyndhurst, Hampshire with my husband as we wanted to take my mother there (she and I being fuchsia fans).  It poured with rain but we had a great time - lovely plant displays, homemade tea and scones and we all won prizes in the tombola!  Of course I had to bring some more fuchsias back home with me...

On the patio, the tomatoes are plentiful and hopefully will ripen, the courgette plant has exceeded all expectations in its productivity and the compact sweet pepper plants have a few tiny but expanding green fruit.  True, the blueberry bush only managed 10 blueberries in its first year, but there's room for improvement! 

What I'm reading:
Just Courage - God's great expedition for the restless Christian by Gary A Haugen (CEO of International Justice Mission)
This challenging book was very kindly given to me by a friend in the USA who works with IJM in Washington DC.

I thought about what to write and, looking through my diary, realised I'd had a rather active month!  It was great to be at a party on a hot day (yes, this was in July - before my water butt filled up and overflowed) to welcome some friends over from the USA, to spend my first day at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships watching Andy Murray valiantly lose to Andy Roddick (who of course went on to lose valiantly to Roger Federer in a final of epic proportions) and to spend time with Mum in the New Forest.  Actually, I went to help close down a special children's fun event in the park hosted by my church as part of our Social Action Sunday, having watched the start of the final, and couldn't believe I hadn't missed it all by the time I got back a couple of hours later.  Our homegroup met up the following Tuesday to cook chilli con carne for the church's drop-in centre for the homeless - 50 portions required.  There was some debate on the amount of chilli powder to include but it seems we got it right, judging from the postive comments received!  My husband's ability to chop vast quantities of onions without his eyes watering was particularly remarked upon.

On another warm Saturday when the showers didn't appear until just as we packed up to finish, we had a domestic clearout involving the garage, the shed, the garden room and the garden itself.  We filled up the skip and felt very pleased to have had such a productive weekend.  This is all part of the project to move my office from the house into the garden.  That meant some new plants for the flower bed so that I have something nice to look out on - so a few trips to the garden centre were allowed this month too.

Did I have time to work?  Well, yes, actually.  I was delighted to be at the Briefing Day for the China Challenge fundraising team I've been co-ordinating over the past few months and to meet all these fit people who are going to walk up, along and down various parts of the Great Wall.  They were a lovely bunch.  I've also done a fair bit of proof-reading for Matt Bird Tastings, which organises Fine Wine and Haute Cuisine events.  I had the great pleasure of going to one last year myself; it was fantastic and I am very pleased that the company have engaged my client again this year and I'll be attending again!  Add to that a marketing campaign for another client and research on fundraising as part of the development of a small charity, and this traditionally quieter time of the year has been busier than I expected.  I am so thankful.

A good friend has just had the great disappointment (which I shared) of having to withdraw from a business arrangement with someone who initially seemed ideal but who now has shown himself  to be untrustworthy after all.  Tonight I hope to join my first conference call of the new Christian Business Network.  I've missed the previous three calls because I've been doing a course at Pitman Training on Thursday nights but I've just finished that.  I hope to 'meet' a lot of interesting people with the same ethics as myself. 

What I'm listening to as I write this blog:
Past the Wishing by Sara Groves (2000) - which I managed to find in the bookshop of the OM ship Logos Hope mentioned last month.

Well, maybe not the cream, but harvesting a few strawberries each morning from the patio to add to my bowl of Oatibix has been one of life's little pleasures this month. 

Socially, it's been a busy time in May and June as friends have Significant Birthdays and I've enjoyed a lunch, an evening party and an afternoon BBQ.  Tomorrow we go back to our old haunts in North London for a Silver Wedding anniversary celebration.  I was honestly  a bit shocked when the invitation arrived, because it hardly seemed like 25 years since we had attended the wedding!  This is what comes of having Significant Birthdays, I suppose.

I am still working hard on the China Walk the Wall Challenge administration for one of my clients - the fundraising team is just about finalised and I'll be involved in their Briefing Day next month.  Another client has some very nice events lined up for his own clients and I'll be assisting him at a few of those in the coming months.  I've been helping another one with his marketing review and spending some time researching fundraising among grant-making Trusts for a fourth.  "Variety is the spice of life", as they say.

I was delighted to accept an invitation to join the Committee of the Central London PA Network,  to enjoy an evening Midsummer Party in South Kensington to celebrate 37 years of the Central London Branch of  IQPS (now IPA) and to visit the OM ship Logos Hope at Canary Wharf on another warm summer evening for a tour and dinner (seeing more old friends) at which George Verwer was his usual inspiring self.  The size of the bookshop takes one's breath away!

Time to catch a bit of tennis as I make dinner and plan an evening working in the garden- if the promised thunderstorms don't arrive.  If they do, though, I shall get the first burst of rainwater in my new water butt so it's a win-win situation.

What I'm reading:
J Parker Dutch Bulbs catalogue!

With its two Bank Holidays, May is always a month for getting a few things done in the house and garden and this year was no exception, I'm relieved to say.  The raised bed for my patio vegetable patch has arrived and it just needs another trip to the garden centre to stock up on compost before I can get my sweet pepper seedlings and lettuce seeds in.  The strawberries are waiting to ripen and I hope the blueberries are going to produce something!

It was fantastic to see 40 old friends at the SGM Reunion in Victoria which I had organised.  The prize for the furthest distance travelled went to Jocelyn from Edinburgh, but we also had friends arriving from Carlisle, Suffolk,  the Midlands, Devon and Bristol, as well as several from the Home Counties.  We celebrated Norman's 90th Birthday and Jacqueline's 80th,  Roger's remarkable recovery from his operation last year, and Kumuda and Sujay's successful renewal of their visas.  The feeling of 'family' after all those years was really amazing. 



The Crème Secretarial Show didn't happen after all - it's apparently been postponed until November.  This, to be honest, was a bit of a relief as so much else was going on this month.  I had a great day out at Esher at the Christian Resources Exhibition where I met more old friends, made some new contacts and really enjoyed and benefited from a mini-conference called Managing Your Time - Finding Time for God, The Family, Work and Church by Bill Allen. 

I'm looking forward to several events in June and lots of work to get on with.  I am so thankful for this opportunity to work in a way that supports my values and interests and fits my life. 

What I'm reading:
Discipleship Journal Issue 171 May/June 2009
I can't believe this is the last ever edition of DJ, which I've been reading bi-monthly for 6 years now.  It's a brilliant magazine but NavPress have had to take the decision to close it down after 27 years because of the economic situation.  This is so terribly sad...

April has whizzed by.  When it started, there were small buds on the old oak tree on the riverbank beyond our garden fence, but now all the leaves are out and suddenly there's lots of green everywhere and things are really moving.  The lovely weather meant I could devote several hours to my garden, including repotting some large plants, potting up sweet pepper seedlings and planting blueberries and strawberries.  If the sun shines over the Bank Holiday weekend, I hope to start off some lettuces.

This sudden burst of energy all around has been reflected in my work this month too: a record number of enquiries for the China Challenge fundraising trek, various meetings to be juggled in diaries, and administration required in response to a marketing campaign.  I've also had discussions and a meeting with a potential new client, which is very exciting. 

It was a month of meeting old friends: at a memorial party for Chris - see May 08 blog - and at a funeral in St Albans as well as on a visit to our old church in Highgate when we were treated to a lovely lunch and a  tea (special thanks to Margaret). 

Next month looks interesting already, with one of my annual reunions planned with former colleagues (and goodness knows how many are coming), along with the Crème Show and the Christian Resources Exhibition (yes, again in the same week) and seeing fellow IPA members at the Central London branch meetings.  More then!

And finally... Happy Birthday Norman - 90 today!

What I'm reading:
Fresh Moroccan by Nada Saleh
[inspiring cookery book - now I just need to devote the time to it]
What Not to Wear - 1 - The Rules by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine
[OK, now I just need to find somewhere the clothes they do suggest]


 

I am off to my homegroup social night soon, and there's the weekly recycling and rubbish to organise before then, so perhaps I'll make this brief...

Another CrossPollinate event was successfully held, this time at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Embankment Place, and more charities had the chance to present their work to generous donors and philanthropists.  Picture below. The next one is on 8 October at the House of Lords. 


   











I also had a very enjoyable evening with the Central London branch of the Institute of Professional Administrators, meeting friends and listening to one of my clients speaking on How to Get the Right Results.  Matt was a huge hit with the members!

It was great to be with Kate at Olympia again for this year's One Life Live Show.  Amazing that a year has gone by since the last time we were there.

Apart from all that, I had a milestone birthday and another wedding anniversary, spent a weekend of wonderful weather with Elizabeth and her mother in the Berkshire countryside and had the urge at 10.00 pm one Friday night to have a paper clearout, which lasted until 4.00 am.  Well, one has to seize the day - or the night.

What I'm reading:
The Daily Bible in Chronological Order (NIV) compiled by F LaGard Smith
This is the Bible in 365 readings, with brief commentary, in the order that events happened or in categories of information.  It is totally fascinating to read the Bible that way and to see, for example, where the Psalms fit in to the events in King David's life, or to have all the Old Testament laws put together in subjects.  I am really enjoying it.

Yes, that's due to a sudden spurt of gardening resulting from warmer weather, as well as more regular attendance at Pilates!

I'll make this brief as I really ought to get myself some dinner. 

More work on a marketing strategy this month for Loft Solutions, more enquiries for the China Challenge, and the last few weeks of preparation for the next Cross Pollinate event on 26 March (details all in recent blogs).  Also an evening in town with Kate at the Central London branch of the Institute of Professional Administrators.  (We were the Institute of Qualified Professional Secretaries but we've been re-branded!)  I've also enjoyed compiling a newsletter on behalf of a network of 66 former colleagues all round the world. 

What I'm reading:
Don't just stand there...pray something! by Ronald Dunn
OK, so everyone else read this in 1992 but I was chasing after pre-school twins then!

When I last added a blog posting, I was actually getting ready for a family holiday in Paphos, Cyprus.  We had a great time despite the first 17 hours being spent at London Gatwick and in a nearby hotel for 'technical reasons'!

So, after a nice long break over Christmas and New Year, it was back to work.  I am involved again in Release International's annual fundraising Challenge (administratively, that is).  Last year a group went to Sinai, really gelled together and had a wonderful time.  So if you would like to Walk the Wall (4 - 13 October) then do let me know and I'll arrange for an information pack to come to you.   I've also been working with Loft Solutions Ltd on an analysis of their past marketing and on their promotional strategy for 2009.

On a more social side, I spent a very civilised, genteel and enjoyable afternoon visting Elaine, an inspiring 85 year old lady from my church who has an excellent collection of large dictionaries - French, Italian, German and Pitman Shorthand.  They formed the basis of our discussion not only on our varied experiences of learning the three languages but also on her use of shorthand to take dictation of technical and engineering manuals during the last War; soon we had our notebooks out and were comparing our outlines and short forms over tea and shortbread. 

I also got together one evening in Victoria with 4 office-based PAs/Administrators: Jennie, Liz, Val and Cathy.   None of us had ever met but we'd emailed each other a lot through our work and Jennie thought it might be fun to meet.  So a few more emails and it was all sorted.  I tied pink balloons to a chair, we found each other, and we chatted and laughed together for three hours.   Virtual Social Networking is great but, dare I say, Actual Social Networking is still unbeatable!

What I've been reading:
All In One Bed by Revd Charles May
This is a fantastic private production by a friend of mine, now in his 80th year, who was born in the slums of the East End, was fostered in 12 different homes, and eventually became a Church of England clergyman back in the East End and other places.  It's a real page-turner.

If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat by John Ortberg
Our church homegroup is currently using this as the basis for discussions at our fortnightly meetings, so reading it is my 'homework'!

What I'm listening to:
Conversations by Sara Groves (2000)
Very honest, very moving album by an American singer-songwriter, very kindly sent to me by a friend who is teaching in Thailand.  I'm amazed I hadn't come across Sara Groves earlier.  www.saragroves.com

After several rather hectic months, it was rather nice to catch up with myself.  No events this month, just tying up some loose ends, finalising diary engagements for one client, getting things started for another fundraising challenge - this time to take place along the Great Wall of China next autumn - for a second client and dealing with correspondence for two more.  I enjoyed tea in town with Kate yesterday.   Oh yes, and I did my tax return as well as my Christmas cards so that's a relief!

Thank you for reading my blog for another year.  I am now going off for a long holiday over Christmas for some refreshment and renewal...

What I'm reading:
The Appeal by John Grisham

What a wonderful weekend my husband and I had in Northern Ireland early this month!   Staying opposite the harbour and Norman castle of Carrickfergus, we met up with family and enjoyed the legendary Northern Irish hospitality of friends, cafés and restaurants.  On the Saturday I was delighted to help with Release International's 40th Anniversary thanksgiving meeting at the Spires Centre, Central Belfast.  More warmth and welcome from lovely people!  Picture below.  Fantastic catering from The Streat.  The final meeting was held in Glasgow the following Saturday where we (well, they... I wasn't there) were wonderfully served by En Croute. 

Back to London, and two visits to Mayfair in five days - an area I hadn't been in for some years!  One evening was spent at Barclays Wealth in Brook Street, where Cross Pollinate held another very successful evening, featuring five Christian charities who presented their work for six minutes each and answered questions for another six minutes.  After that, the businessmen, trustees of grant-making charitable trusts and philanthropists had the opportunity to pledge money, time and expertise to whichever charity(ies) they felt drawn to supporting.  The presentations -

• lawyers organising the local representation of those detained for years in various African countries,
• a group in Newcastle helping asylum seekers dumped by the system and left destitute,
• a former prostitute in Southampton, whose life had been turned around and who was helping other women to move from a life of sex work and drugs (again, abandoned by the system),
• a man who had given up his job to run a massive club for kids in Toxteth, Livepool,
• a family who had holidayed in Kenya and subsequently set up a clinic, a water ambulance and now a school on an island and on the mainland -
  

And so to the IQPS Central London meeting at the Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel - a beautiful place which hosted our evening when the speaker was Nigel Alden from Complete Event Solutions.  Nigel and Hazel had very kindly given me some advice on venues during this last year and it was nice to be able to thank them personally.

This month has been all about events and milestones.

First, on 6 October my former boss and my friend for 28 years, Norman Brown, retired after 23 years as the Secretary of a charitable Trust with which I've been linked for about the last two decades.  I was his Virtual PA before we knew the term existed and I'm going to miss deciphering his unique handwriting (I was rather expert at it, partly because I knew his phraseology so well) and sending out papers and emails to the Trustees. 

Then, on 14 October, I had dinner with 50 men at the Institute of Directors' imposing building in Pall Mall.  Yes, 50 men from around the world - all experts in various metals and here for the London Metal Exchange Week - and me!  On my table I conversed with a Pole,  a Chilean, an Australian who'd been born in Essex, a German, a Korean and gentlemen from Japan and China.  I was helping Make It* Happen with an event pairing fine food and wines and it was a spectacular success as well as very enjoyable.  An illusionist called Daniel Alexander of charisMagic, who went round the tables doing extraordinary tricks, was just amazing.

So, on to Saturday 25 October when Release International hosted the first of their three 40th Anniversary celebrations.  If you've read my previous blogs, you'll recall I've been working on these for several months.  This was the London event and it was great to see such an enthusiastic set of people coming to support a charity which acts as a vital voice for the persecuted church around the world.  As I stood in the foyer and watched the service start, my eye caught a poster which Release had displayed.  Under the picture of a burning building the words said something like:  "Your church has been burnt down; your pastor has been taken away; and now they are coming for you."  It's definitely uncomfortable to think about those who are suffering for their faith when we have had it so comparatively easy here for so long, but it's clearly imperative that we do so, and find ways to help them practically. 

The next day it was great to be at a surprise celebration lunch for Elizabeth, who was celebrating a special birthday.  She and I met when we were in our prams and started school together.   No, I'm not telling you how many years ago that was!

I am off to Northern Ireland shortly for a dual-purpose visit -  to see family and to help with Release's anniversary event in Central Belfast.  I must therefore stop blogging and start packing!

Always moving forward!  This is the way my friend Jonathan signs off most of his emails, and it was particularly true this month as 300 people packed into a holiday centre and a marquee in Igea Marina-Bellaria, Rimini, opposite the sea, for Missione 2008, a 4-day mission conference arranged by Italian Ministries and other organisations exploring ways of reaching out to those from the ethnic minorities in Italy.  I met up with several old friends, made some new ones, was challenged and came back refreshed and enthusiastic!  Although I don't often find hot weather easy to cope with (being designed as a fair North European), I really enjoyed the 90 degrees F and felt quite cold when I returned - it took a few days to reacclimatise.  We have eaten the biscotti and the amaretti and other goodies I brought back, but the lump of Parmigiano cheese, which Godfrey got me when he made a quick visit to Modena to take a wedding while we were over there, is still being enjoyed with our spag bol.  I understood more Italian than I expected, but I'm determined to get those Michel Thomas CDs out again and be more diligent before the next conference in 2010.

I went to the conference as  a Trustee of Italian Ministries UK (Jonathan and Godfrey are my fellow Trustees) but I also organised travel arrangements for one of the conference speakers and put together a table of evangelistic literature in 45 languages.  Tracking down the relevant publications was a challenge and I am indebted to Jo at SGM Lifewords and Yvonne of No Frontiers for the help they gave me.

Italy, despite its image, is a country in huge spiritual need.  La messe è grande, ma pochi sono gli operai.  (The harvest is plentiful, but there are so few workers - Matthew 9:37.)   Click on the pink links above if you want to know more, or email me.

Back in England, there was an Agenda with six appendices to circulate to the Trustees of a grant-making charity, the desert trek volunteers to see on their way after months of preparation and briefing, and scores of emails to receive, flag, action and file, so I have not been able to spend too much time reminiscing about Rimini - sadly!  Next month comes the first of the three special celebration events I've been working on for since last autumn.  I'm tempted to quote Cecil Rhodes at this point (I grew up with my mother quoting his deathbed utterances at every available opportunity) and say "So little done, so much to do", except that so much has been done already and yet there are still several strands to be tied up on the event plan.

See you next month.  I don't believe it, but a whole year will have gone since I blogged about those Trick or Treaters...

... but it wasn't!  I had a fortnight off, though didn't stay off the computer as I'd planned, as I had some preparation to do for the Missione 2008 Congress in Rimini next month - ordering literature and planning travel.  With my husband still keeping an eye on his business, we mainly pottered about, which was good and spent time with my Mum in Hampshire/Dorset.  Her garden is looking as lovely as ever (why can't mine be like that?)  and we had a lovely day sitting in the sun at Mudeford Quay overlooking the sea, the boats and the families inexplicably keen on trying to catch small crabs.

A fortnight of domestic tranquillity followed, though, when our sons went to visit their cousins in Northern Ireland.  This gave us the opportunity of some very concentrated work (I'm still involved in planning the 3 celebration events for a charity's 40th Anniversary this year in London, Belfast and Glasgow) and longer hours, followed by the occasional reward of a trip to Jolly's Restaurant for their  tandoori chicken on a sizzler board - fantastic! 

Now I have a few days to get myself, my paperwork and my suitcase all sorted out for Italy...

What I'm reading
Meeting Magic - A practical guide for business managers who want to make their meetings productive
by Katherine Woods and Ingrid Uden
An interesting read, this.  I'm reviewing it for the next edition of the  Institute of Qualified Professional Secretaries' magazine, Office Professional.

Some projects have come to fruition this month so here is an update:

Slum Survivor worked very well.  The MPs set up their tented 'slum' in the gardens of Westminster Abbey and attracted a lot of interest; there was a good article in The Times Online.

Cross Pollinate was an amazing success.  I went along to this and had the pleasure of seeing six charities make presentations as to what they could each do with £5,000.  By the end, £100,000 had been pledged or given.  Details of the next event are on the Cross Pollinate website.

HOPE 08 was something I blogged about last August,  as the nationwide planning was getting going.  My own church had a HOPE 08 fortnight this month and, wearing my special blue church T-shirt, I helped with a children's play event and joined in the painting of a playground fence.  If I can get hold of a photo, I'll add it!

So it was a good month, with work continuing as usual.  Like London buses, some social events arrived all together so I spent happy Saturdays with garden and birthday parties, and an old friend's ordination in Birmingham. 

I'm now on holiday so I'm going to stop!  See you next month.

It's a lovely evening and I need to water my hanging baskets, feed the family and see how Andy Murray is doing at Wimbledon (in roughly that order) so I won't spend too long on this blog posting. 

June has been an interesting month, the highlights of which were a more relaxed, longer meeting of the Italian Ministries Trustees in Sudbury, Suffolk (the downside meant a lot of Minutes!) and another reunion of (different) ex-colleagues - this time a Garden Party courtesy of the very hospitable Theresa and Martin - in New Malden.

For the last few months I've been working with Make It Happen and the Alvor Trust on their enterprising joint-initiative Cross Pollinate - a sort of Dragon's Den for Christian charities!  It's been lovely to be in touch with so many charities as well as generous people who have a heart for supporting such organisations financially.  

What I'm reading:
The Fourfold Leadership of Jesus by Andrew Watson

I have a feeling I'll be reading this for a while yet.  It's well worth taking slowly for a thorough digestion as it's full of good things.. and I'm not just saying that because Andrew is our minister!

Ouch!   My feet have hardly touched the ground this month but last night, following a meeting in Oxford Street, I took the opportunity to visit some department stores I hadn't seen for a few years and ended up in Debenhams, finding some gel shoe pads just before the shop closed.  

May has been a month of seeing old friends.   I didn't make it to the Crème PA show this year but did manage a day at the Christian Resources Exhibition in Esher where it was good to see familiar faces and to make some new contacts.   I also co-ordinated a reunion in Victoria of some former colleagues from the 80s and 90s (some even earlier than that!) and 25 of us met this week and had a great time catching up.  Very sadly, another reunion occasion was the funeral in Radlett of a young man, Chris, who had died tragically at university and whose mother and family I have known since my school-days.   Tomorrow a friend and I will be travelling into the Surrey countryside to meet up with another former colleague who is about to relocate with her family to South India for three years while her husband teaches at Hebron School.   We know a lot about the school because my Northern Irish husband was born and grew up in India and he was also at Hebron (Lushington Hall, as it was then known).

On three Saturdays I took part in a Learning to Listen course at my church, run by Acorn Christian Foundation, and yes, during this month I did quite a lot of work too!   Among other things, there were several appointments to make with Members of Parliament for Make It Happen about the Slum Survivor launch for schools.  Slum Survivor is a simulation experience designed to provide participants, and observers, with insights into some of the daily life issues faced by slum dwellers around the world which includes building a dwelling, fetching water from 4 miles away and cooking lentil dhal.   The event will involve various MPs taking part in a similar experience for 24 hours during July in the grounds of Westminster Abbey.  

What I've been reading this month:  
Who You Are When No-one's Looking by Bill Hybels [challenging]
Total Forgiveness by R T Kendall [extremely challenging]
How Clean is Your House? by Kim Woodburn & Aggie MacKenzie [no comment]

A year on from starting my VA practice, and I have just worked a record number of hours this month despite trying to cut back a bit in an effort to maintain a better work/life balance!  Still, with its two Bank Holidays, May ought to be a bit quieter...

Lots of interesting things going on.  For example, one client is organising three celebration events in the UK for this autumn, another one is masterminding a summer charity event launch in the gardens of Westminster Abbey, a third is involved in a large and successful marketing campaign. 

Despite all the rain, we have had a few warmer sunny days and on one of them I spent time in London, consulting with a client on his celebration events and, in particular, on a desert trek in the Sinai (Egypt) in September.  I'm involved in liaising with the organisers as well as producing newsletters for the participants to keep them updated and informed.  After this meeting I met up with Kate Bacon for a quick oriental meal before we headed off to the IQPS Central London Network where she was giving a talk on becoming a VA.  She really wanted me to be her flipchart scribe so I agreed, even though I'd already said I'd do the notes for the Group's next newsletter.  A bit of multi-tasking with markers and biros, paper sheets and notebook, longhand, shorthand and scribble, and I managed it.  The meeting had a real buzz and the time just flew by as lots of questions were asked and answered.  A really enjoyable day.

Today is the 89th birthday of another of my clients, so a very special Happy Birthday, Norman!

March is usually a good month for celebrations, with my birthday, wedding anniversary and Mothering Sunday all on the calendar, but this year of course we had an exceptionally early Easter (which felt like Christmas when it snowed).  I took a week off and turned my attention to some domestic things and a lovely day out in Evesham visiting an old friend from college days who was over with her family from their temporary home in Massachusetts.

A charity which keeps me well occupied as Trustee, Secretary, Treasurer and part-time Administrator is Italian Ministries UK which represents Italian Ministries in Italy - an amazing network which started as a means of fellowship for like-minded evangelical missionaries in that country and has, over a decade, expanded into a multi-faceted missional entity comprising mission support to churches, a network for young people, pastoral care for Italian and ex-patriate workers, support for holistic ministries in Africa and a mission sending agency for Italians.  It is such a privilege to be involved in helping to support this work in the UK. 

If you are interested in knowing more, click on the Italian Ministries' website and read about it all in English, Italian or German.  Why not send me an email?  You could perhaps come and join us in Rimini for a couple of days in early September for Missione 2008 (Missione 2006 was the very first evangelical mission congress in Italy's history).

Having commented on my lack of commuting in January, I've found myself making several journeys into London this month in the spring-like weather we have generally been experiencing.  One of these trips was to the FaithAction Conference in Westminster this week.  One of my clients, Make it Happen, had been managing the event as a senior adviser to FaithAction and I had been involved in liaising with many of the speakers, specifically those representing various Government Departments and the Metropolitan Police.  It was a very interesting insight into government funding and the work of faith-based organisations and communities around the country, and a nice opportunity to visit the wonderful old Methodist Central Hall - it's years since I was last there.

Tomorrow an event of a very different kind calls me to Olympia.  I'll be helping on a stand at the One Life Live exhibition, representing Virtual Assistants.  Our stand is being shared by Kate Bacon of Pier to Peer Coaching (see my Welcome Page) and Kathryn Williams of Completely Organised who runs very a successful VA Conference in Cardiff each autumn.  The show caters for those who are thinking about a complete change of lifestyle so we aim to contact and encourage those who might want to consider using their administrative skills to start their own businesses from home.

Someone emailed me today and very kindly commented that she had been reading my blog and was interested to see how much I had been doing in the past 11 months.  I've been quite surprised myself, to be honest!

PS:  The One Life Live show was amazing.  There was so much continual interest in our stand that it was more than four hours before Kate managed to escape to the tea bar to bring us back a cuppa!

I am not sure that this blog entry will be much longer than the last one but at least I will have got it in before the end of the month - just!  I can't believe how busy January has been.  From managing enquiries about a desert trek to supporting the organisation of a charity walk in London and planning three anniversary events for another charity in between, not to mention a promotional mailing for loft conversions, co-ordinating lots of meetings and producing Minutes and Agenda for others, it's been a very full and fulfilling month. 

The weather can't seem to make up its mind whether to be warm or frosty, sunny or wet.  Today it is blustery, cold, wet and very, very grey.  I'm so thankful my commuting days are over!

It's time to look back on this eventful year with thanksgiving for all that has been done, all that has been overcome and all the promise of next year.

I wish all my readers a very merry (and restful?) Christmas and a joyful New Year. 

See you again in 2008.

Just time to add to my blog for this month, which has been an excellent one.  I gained another new client - a charity working to raise awareness of the plight of persecuted Christians - so I am now delighted to be assisting their Supporter Relations Manager with event planning. 

Lot 63?  Well, this was the lot number of the promise I made to my church for their Auction of Promises earlier this month.  St Stephen's, East Twickenham is raising funds for a serious building project which even I (as one never too keen in the past on this sort of thing) can see is absolutely necessary; queuing for the loo last Sunday reinforced this view, though I did get to chat to two very nice people! 

So, back to the Auction, which was a huge success... well, not having a holiday home to offer or spectacular skill in baking, nor any talent at all for being a butler, painting watercolours of people's houses or providing Russian lessons, I decided to offer a day's administrative and secretarial assistance as my promise and went into the catalogue as Lot 63.  I was 'won' by a delightful lady called Harriet and as a result I have been helping her and her husband with categorising and cataloguing their extensive collection of books.  It's been a fascinating journey into the world of her grandfather and his career in the Royal Navy at the beginning of the last century, about which she has edited a book herself.   

Now perhaps this will be the impetus my husband needs to review the space required for some of his ancient literary treasures...!

Just a few hours to go before October ends.  I hope I can get this blog written properly, in between the doorbell rings of the 'Trick or Treaters'! 

I've gained two new clients.

One of them is someone whose vision for partnering with charities in a meaningful way mirrors my own to a remarkable degree.  Added to this, the type of work I want to do as a Virtual PA is exactly the kind of support he requires to free him up to concentrate on the more strategic side of things.  I had undertaken a one-off project for him earlier this year.

The other new client is the person whose VA business training and mentoring got me started in the first place.  Kate, deciding it was high time she had a holiday, delegated her work to me and flew off to the Far East.  It was a challenge for us both - for me, because I needed to be able to get to grips quickly with the way she worked; for her, because she had to entrust her VA and coaching business support to someone else.  She briefed me just as she would want to have been briefed herself, and then let me get on with it.  It was textbook delegation!  I'm delighted to say that we both really enjoyed the experience.  She very nicely said, "For the first time in four years of running my own business I completely forgot about work...You fully "understood" the nature of my work and represented me perfectly...I can't wait to hand over to you next time I'm out of the office!"

Kate's experience led me to think a little more about the viewpoint of a VA's prospective client.  Let's be honest: it can be scary to entrust your precious work and business relationships to someone else.  That's why you need to make sure that you have confidence in the skills, expertise, professionalism and personality of your assistant and then fully brief her.  Never forget that a VA is herself a business owner and, at the very least, it is in her best interests to keep you (and your clients/colleagues) happy!

This month the Secretary of a Christian Charitable Trust has been one of my main clients.   I've been helping him with his legal paperwork as he and the Trustees went about selling the Trust's property and now need to consider a wider grant-making role.   Actually, the whole issue of being good stewards of what we have has been on my mind and this extract from a recent edition of The Word for Today seems to cover it rather well.    

'...[BE] STINGY [AND] LOSE EVERYTHING.   THE GENEROUS PROSPER...'   PROVERBS 11:24-25 NLT    
One reason the Dead Sea is a big tourist attraction is because it's got such high mineral concentrations that even non swimmers can stay afloat in its waters.   The only problem is the smell; because it has no outlets, any fresh water that comes in quickly becomes contaminated.   Solomon said: '[Be] stingy [and] lose everything.   The generous prosper...'.   God never intended us to be reservoirs that just take in; He called us to be rivers that flow out to bless others.   Something interesting happens when you stop focusing on yourself and get concerned with other people's needs.     Paul says: '...[A] person who gives cheerfully...will...have...plenty left...to share...' (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NLT).   If you want to grow you've got to sow!   When the Macedonian church was '...tested by great troubles, and...very poor...they gave much...more than they could afford...' (2 Corinthians 8:2-3 NCV).   These folks understood that when you invest in the lives of others, God promises to meet your needs too.    

So if you need a job today, volunteer at a soup kitchen while you're looking for work.   If you're praying for an increase in your business, pour yourself into someone else's business and ask God to prosper them.   The Bible says when you 'Give generously...your gifts will return to you later', plus '...in the days ahead you yourself may need...help' (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 TLB).   Even if you don't have a specific need right now, sow a seed of kindness anyway.   Only God knows what the future holds, and one day when you need it the most it'll come back to bless you with a harvest.  

The daily devotional The Word for Today is available free of charge  from UCB.  Those living in the UK or the Republic of Ireland can write to UCB's Operations Centre at Westport Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 4JF.

I took two weeks off this month and had a list of household and DIY tasks to be tackled in between some lunches out on the Thames riverside; however  they mostly didn't get done!   My husband - who also runs his own business - found himself in meetings he had to attend and visiting people who couldn't see him any other time... so that means the garage still needs its clearout.   Oh well!   I can't blame him as I had my teeth into a project that I was enjoying too much to leave totally alone until my holiday ended.     I was working with Make It Happen on behalf of HOPE2008,  a grassroots initiative which is encouraging churches to 'raise their game' in community mission and service.   The very attractive HOPE2008 resource book offers a host of ideas for creative involvement in the local community and the whole thing has the blessing of eminent church leaders, politicians of all persuasions, senior police officers and the Department for Communities and Local Government too.   So look out for HOPE2008 projects in your local area - or perhaps even start one yourself?

Suddenly with a huge shock I realise that (a) I haven't added to my blog yet this month and tomorrow is August, (b) it's six months since I decided to establish a VA practice, (c) 2007 is more than half over and I don't know where it's gone, and (d) people are already thinking about Christmas!

It's been a busy month for me so it was nice to have the chance to pop up to Buckingham Palace Road last night on a warm summer evening for one of the regular meetings of the IQPS  Central London Network.  They're a nice group of people and I always enjoy catching up with them when I can.  The speaker last night was Mark Camley, the Chief Executive of the Royal Parks.  He's a delightful Scot with an extremely detailed knowledge (as you would expect) of each of the eight Royal Parks in London.  I confess I don't make as much use of my two local Royal Parks (Bushy and Richmond) as I should but maybe if we get a bit more of a summer than we've had recently, I might just make the effort, especially as Richmond Park has a great number of ancient oak trees, from 300 to an amazing 600 years old. 

Have you ever wondered what life is like when a child is disabled?  We have facilities in this country that we almost take for granted but in Africa children who are immobile are likely to spend their days lying on the floor, isolated, uneducated and with nothing to do.  Perhaps their mothers are exhausted; in some cases their fathers don't wish to acknowledge them.  Some children are born with a disability but others may contract an infection like cerebral malaria in their early years which can leave them unable to walk or even talk. 

There is a project in the Copperbelt region of Zambia called Wukwashi Wa Nzambi, meaning God's Help in the local Lunda language, which was founded by an English couple – an occupational therapist and a carpenter – two years ago.  Providing a network of support groups in homes, and training volunteers from local churches in rehabilitation techniques, Wukwashi has completely changed the lives of the many children who have received love, therapy, mobility aids and assistance to obtain vital medical help and/or corrective surgery.
 
I am privileged to be involved in such work by providing freelance administrative support to The Bethany Children's Trust which helps to fund not only the Wukwashi Project but other initiatives in Africa caring for children in crisis or at risk.  BCT has produced a Joke Book (jokes contributed by children in the UK) and every penny it raises goes towards the Wukwashi Project.  I have five copies to give away so please email me with your postal address if you would like to receive one! 

It often happens and it has again this year - the two major annual exhibitions I need to visit are happening in the same week!  So on Tuesday 15th I'll be at Olympia for the CRÈME Executive Secretary and PA Show and will be helping on the IQPS stand in the early afternoon.  Thursday 17th is my day to head to Sandown Park, Esher - not just for the lovely view over the racecourse but to meet up with friends and former colleagues at the Christian Resources Exhibition.  Will I see you at one of these shows?  Ring me on 07799 068539 if you are there and want to try to meet up!

Today is Good Friday.  It is also the beginning of the new tax year and the day on which I am starting out as a self-employed Virtual Personal Assistant.  I'm learning such a lot of new things to add to my many years' experience as a Secretary/PA.  These months since I left my last office job have been a time of waiting and wondering, thinking and praying, training and learning.  My family and friends have been a great support so huge thanks to them and to Kate Bacon and the VA Business Start-Up Group I've got to know through PierToPeer Coaching in Brighton.  In the last year I've learned that the words of David in Psalm 138 are an amazing promise to remember and hold on to.  "The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me…"