After researching three different professional sitting organizations, Paul and I finally decided to join NAPPS. I will admit, I wasn’t 100% convinced we needed to shell out the dough to become members.  Now, I think of all of the information we would have benefited from had we joined before taking off on our house and pet sitting adventures.

If you house and pet sit at all, I strongly suggest you join a professional organization. Membership will open up more doors for you.  You will have access to relevant forms, networking, advertising, insurance, continued education and certification, trade shows…all stuff you will want to know about if you are serious about house and pet sitting.  It may not be rocket science…but taking care of properties and pets is a HUGE responsibility.

Are you a member of NAPPS or a similar organization?  What have the benefits been for you?  Do you feel that you have gotten your money’s worth? If you aren’t a member and have any questions, we would love to hear from you as well.

So, what have we been doing with ourselves, then?  Here goes:

Tabor at Alberta Park

1. Paul and I have been figuring out a way to keep Caretaking Couple going now that we are stationary, and it has evolved into us offering a more exclusive kind of pet sitting service.  95% of our clients here in Portland prefer that their pet(s) not go to a kennel for a variety of reasons (elderly dogs that don’t want/need as much play time, dogs with high anxiety levels, etc.). They are looking for individualized care, and that is where our focus lies. Word of mouth is providing enough business for us at present, although I do plan on stepping it up a notch, which leads me to…

Thank you, Oregon SBDC (Small Business Development Center)!

2. I applied for and was offered a scholarship via the SBDC last month and am now taking business classes for the next ten months.  Yes, this is very exciting for me in so many ways…I am learning new things every day and am meeting more and more local small business owners, which is fantastic. This class would have cost me $1,600.00 had I not received the scholarship, and I am grateful.

Wellness Section at Alberta Cooperative Grocery

3. A couple of months ago, I decided to become a “working owner” at Alberta Co-op. I work one shift a week in the Wellness Section in exchange for a discount on all purchases along with other perks.  I love that I get to be around essential oils, bath and body products, beeswax candles, etc. again (reminds me of my Mountain Girl Organics days).  They have so many healthy & yummy foods, too!  And speaking of healthy…

Beachbody Coach Summit 2012

4. I continue to grow my Beachbody business and am doing my best to help “end the trend” of obesity here in the States. Most of you know how much I love my food and drink, and how easy it can be for me to park my butt on the couch versus get it moving (especially in the rainy Pacific Northwest) so this is such a great company for me to be involved with. Beachbody is growing by leaps and bounds and I am proud to be a part of it. My goal is to get to the Coach Summit in Las Vegas this June so I can meet more like-minded people and continue to be inspired.

5. Exhale (my favorite local yoga studio) posted a request on their facebook page a couple months back. They needed a couple of people to clean the studio in exchange for unlimited classes and workshops (!). Soo happy I decided to do this. I am learning a lot more about Yoga and a little more about Ayurveda as well, which is something I have been interested in for some time. Yoga keeps me sane.

Collage in NE Portland

6. Just down the street from us is Collage, a mixed media arts supplies shop that offers all kinds of cool classes. So far, I have taken embroidery, bookmaking, and collage. Tomorrow, I am taking an image transfer techniques class ~ can’t wait! A seamstress friend has just rented a space and is looking for artisans to fill it with their creations and I am having fun deciding what it is I want to contribute. I may do a post on my creative endeavors here soon.

7. I meet with a group of blogger friends on Thursdays at Tabor Space (Portland has the coolest coffee shops, by the way) and know I will be getting back into blogging regularly as I plan on attending Seattle WordCamp (if I can hustle a ticket since I forgot to buy one and they sold out quick!). I loved the WordCamp here in Portland…fingers crossed I pull it off.

Spring in Portland ~ Can't Wait to Plant!

8. We are working on creating a backyard oasis here.  Not much to show yet, as it has been constant rain. This weekend is supposed to be gorgeous, so hopefully I will have a “Before and After” post for you next week.

9. My Mom shared her Ancestry account with me in hopes that we could do some genealogy detective work together.  I haven’t gotten very far with it, but I do have some leads. I want to make this more of a priority. Mom lives in California and we don’t catch up in person much, so this is a great way for us to keep in touch and share exciting discoveries.

10. I met Helen while volunteering at a Community Cycling Center event a few months ago. We have accountability meetings at local coffee shops every Tuesday morning for 90 minutes, in which we go over our accomplishments of the past week and post goals for the next week. If you don’t have an accountability friend (or group of friends), I recommend you go out and get yourself one…it has been invaluable for me.

Paul at the New Bollywood Theatre on Alberta Street

What is Paul up to?  Working, spoiling our four legged clients sweetly, hanging out at his favorite local(s), waiting patiently to get started on the backyard raised garden beds, cooking delicious meals (they get healthier all of the time), and keeping me entertained on a daily basis.  We typically go somewhere fun for our birthdays (next month) but we are having so much fun here, we may just hang out.  Not sure yet…

What are you up to?  I would love an update from all of you, near and far, wherever you are…

A Glimpse of The Collection

This isn’t the first time I have written about collections, or handwritten letters in general. Both topics fascinate me, after all. I typically have an easy time letting go of material objects, and I don’t buy much “stuff” for myself or others, unless I truly believe it will be appreciated by the recipient and I can truly afford the expense. Yet, I am a hoarder of ephemera. Honestly, what you see above is just part of my collection. At least it is relatively light-weight and easy to haul and/or ship.

What does being a hoarder of ephemera even mean? It means that I am the person that has saved just about every little ticket stub ever handed back to me, every wedding invitation extended to me, and every post card and letter sent to me (how else could I keep track of all of the places I have lived?). I treasure journals and yearbooks, love notes from grammar school crushes, matchbooks from favorite establishments, creative business cards, and let’s not even get started on old photos. Oh, and it isn’t just personal. I love all ephemera, especially of the vintage variety.

I know that I am not alone, but it does seem that I am increasingly in the minority when it comes to things that have been easily replaced or tossed aside by technology. Please tell me. Do you collect ephemera? What kind? Or is there anything else that you collect that you feel you can’t/won’t ever voluntarily let go of? Books? Beads? Guitar picks? Records? Crystal? Matchbooks from vacations past?

*Leave me a comment between now and Saint Patrick’s Day and I will draw a name and send the winner a handwritten letter with my Waterman pen on some stationary or an old card. Your comment can be about anything – what you collect, why you collect it, the (lost?) art of all things handwritten, etc. etc. Rapport. It (still) matters to me.

Maps, etc. at Cargo in the Pearl District

When I was little, I dreamt of far away places.  I was born in Connecticut and raised in California and the furthest I typically traveled was twenty-three miles from Ventura (Mom) to Santa Barbara (Dad, for a short while) going Greyhound on weekends, with an occasional flight back to Connecticut thrown in.  I knew I would never stay in one place for long once I actually had a say in the matter, and have remained true to form on that account since my late teens, even if all I could manage at times was moving a town or two over.

Twenty years and several walk-ups, tents, basements, campers, truck-beds (what?), homes and estates around the USA later, I find myself living in the Pacific Northwest with Paul.  We love it in our sweet rented bungalow here in Northeast Portland, Oregon.  The past eight months have flown by and we are happier than ever.

Then, out of nowhere, it hits me again.  The Wanderlust.  Perhaps I am just antsy, as I have more free time than most.  I am focusing on projects and hobbies, fun new friends, volunteering, temp work and a barter or two and can’t wait to get started on the raised garden beds out back.  I am finding us local Caretaking Couple gigs and admiring Portland neighborhoods with Paul on weekends.  Still.  The Wanderlust.  That’s all.

PS Has anyone seen the new movie Wanderlust yet with Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston yet?  I plan on dragging Paul to see it over the weekend : )

John E and V in 2009

Paul and I met John Erlandson sometime in 2006. John played his music all around Evergreen, Colorado and I knew the songs before I knew the man. I loved hearing him sing and play his guitar at coffee shops and bars, house parties and Chamber mixers, and out on Main Street in front the Wildflower cafe. Below is John playing at the annual Gloamin’ Fest (thank you, Willie for sharing this photo).

John at Gloamin' Fest 2009

I’d heard that John E stood up for what he believed in and sang from the heart (even when he caught flack for it) and that he was always doing stuff to help out others and the community in general (still is). Looking back, I think I’d simply made my mind up that we would be friends, even if I can’t quite remember how and when it actually happened.

At a Cupcake Shop in Boston's North End

When Paul and I hit the road as Caretaking Couple back in 2009, we all promised to keep in touch.  Little did we know then that John E would actually come visit us every year, regardless of where we ended up!  The pic above was taken in early 2010, and is one of my all time favorite John E shots (and I have many).  You can read all about that East Coast visit by clicking here.

Paul, John E and Gary in Chattanooga (Humoring V & Posing in a Brick Boat)

In 2011, John E came to see us in Tennessee, and our mutual friend Gary just happened to be visiting the area as well.  I love it when that happens.  Coincidentally, those are boxes of cupcakes in John and Gary’s hands.  Our excuse (and we have a good one) is that John E traditionally comes to visit in February, his Birthday Month.

John E & Flat Stanley Love Southern BBQ

Oh, and let’s not forget Flat Stanley, who had flown out from Colorado for a visit as well and ended up in just about all of our photos. I kinda miss that little guy.  Yes, we are easily entertained.  Thank you for noticing.

Christmas Crowns (It's an English Thing)

It is once again February and John E’s Birthday…but there is no John E to celebrate with. That is because he came to visit us here in Oregon on Christmas Day. And he brought this wonderful woman with him.  We did a lot of lounging around the new digs, wandering Alberta Street and feeding our faces (it’s a theme).

I’m not going to lie…February without John E feels odd.  We are not sad, though, because this year he is celebrating his Birthday with not only his Evergreen friends (of which he has many) but with Pandora, aka his life’s love.

Singing Love Songs and Eatin' Cheetos (Inside Joke)

So, John E.  This is my Birthday card to you.  One never knows what will transpire in a year’s time, eh, Minnesota?  I have a feeling this is going to be your best year yet.   Happy Birthday, dear friend.  We love you BIG!  XOX Always,

Valynne & Paul

We celebrated our first year together by having dinner at the place we met (It was SoHo at the time and is now Rio Del Sol) in Evergreen, Colorado. Yup. We met at a bar, while I was bartending. Hey, ya never know. After dinner, Paul surprised me with a stay at one of the best B&B’s on planet earth, Highland Haven Creekside Inn. We walked from the restaurant to the Gardener’s Cottage in the snow that night.  So romantic…

At Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy back in 2007 *Disclaimer - this is not an Anniversary pic. Paul made me take the adorable Key West pic down. Whatev, Paul!

Our second Anniversary was spent in the Florida Keys, with Key West being our target destination. Oh, the fun we had! We keep saying we are going to get back. Can’t believe it has been four years already. We stayed at the Pilot House and had dinner at Kelly’s on Valentine’s Day. Sigh.

Anniversary Number Three was spent wandering Denver, Colorado. We went to Tattered Cover (one of our all-time favorite book stores), had dinner at McCormick’s (and drinks in the Cruise Room, which is a bitchin’ Art Deco martini bar) and spent the night at Hotel Monaco. The band Dakota Blonde puts on an amazing Valentine’s Day show every year and 2009 was no exception. Miss you, Robb and Mary!

A year later we were  in Cape Cod enjoying our first official sit as Caretaking Couple. We celebrated by going to dinner at our favorite local restaurant, Mezza Luna. Oh, how we miss Mezza Luna! To hear Frank crooning away while sitting at the bar, eating delicious Italian food, drinking and bantering with Rick and Sherri…another place on our “must get back for a visit” list.

After five years together, we found ourselves on a sit in Tennessee. We drove to Atlanta and enjoyed a decadent meal at Nikolai’s Roof, on the 30th floor of the Hilton. I will never forget the cheese tray that was rolled over to our table that night. That cheese tray just may be the highlight of our six months in Tennessee, truth be told. Anyway.

This year, we are in Portland, Oregon. There are at least twenty restaurants walking distance from us. Paul has made reservations somewhere local, but isn’t telling me where : ) I have to wait until tomorrow night (Valentine’s Day). All I know is that it is somewhere we have not yet been to.  Fun!  I will post a pic of the restaurant he chose later.

Do you have a favorite Anniversary story or destination? If so, please share. In the meantime, Happy Sixth Anniversary to Paul, aka my One and Only. Life with you just gets better and better…XOX,

V

Use Your Social Connections to Find Trusted Pet Sitters at Stayhound

A few months ago, I clicked a link to this PBS video on Portland entrepreneurs via the facebook page of Barbara Winter, author of one of my favorite books, Making a Living Without a Job. That is when I found out about Alexis. I contacted her soon after and we have had two great brainstorming sessions over coffee since then. I am excited about what she is doing for the pet sitting community and can’t wait to share this start-up with you…

1. Alexis, in a sentence or two, what is Stayhound?

Stayhound makes it easier to leave your pets with friends and other carers.
Right now we’re helping people connect to trusted pet sitters using their
existing social connections, and we’re working on ways to help you track
and share details about your travels, your pet’s extended family (vets,
walkers, and other carers), medications, feeding schedule, and other important information.

2. Who or what inspired this great start-up?

My own hassles with finding and communicating with pet sitters to care for
my dog, Jake, and cat, Toby. I found myself spending more time interviewing
people I found through online directories than actually traveling! And when
I asked my friends to pet sit for me, I was driving all over the place to
drop off Jake before going to the airport. I knew there were people –
friends, professional pet sitters, and others – who lived closer to me and
I would trust, but I didn’t know how to find that sweet spot of social
proximity and location proximity.

3. What do you think makes Stayhound stand out from other online sitting services?

Trust. I interviewed dozens of pet parents and all of them wanted a better
way to find people they would trust with their animal companions. One told
me that she wouldn’t use Yelp to find a pet sitter because she didn’t
personally know the reviewers – she wanted a word of mouth referral. By
using your existing social connections, we make it easier to find pet
sitters who come with recommendations from trusted friends.

Jake and Alexis

4. What do you believe pet parents really want from sitters/walkers like Paul and I?

No one wants to have another thing to worry about, and when I trust the
person caring for Jake when I have to travel, it’s one less thing to worry
about. That comes from knowing – and liking – my pet sitter, but also
getting email, text messages, and photos of how Jake and Toby are doing. It
makes me feel like I’m with them.

5. What’s in it for the pets?

While all pets are different and many thrive in different environments, I’m
not a huge fan of kennels for Jake. Most kennel and dog daycare owners I’ve
talked to also realize that not all dogs do well in that environment. For
dogs who are more human-identified like Jake, staying with someone else in
their home or having someone stay in my home with him is so much better.
Kennels can also be dangerous for dogs – distemper, dog flu, and other
diseases are always a risk.

On a less tangible level, I believe our pets pick up on our anxieties. When
I feel confident dropping Jake off with someone I trust, he knows that and
feels more comfortable.

6. How have you gone about getting the word out on Stayhound?

Largely through friends and other people I’ve worked with who are
interested in what we’re doing. Partnering with the Oregon Humane Society
to donate a dollar for every pet profile created has been a great way to
get press from news outlets like the Oregonian.

7. What do you love most about being an entrepreneur?

Strangely, introducing people to others who can help them! I’ve never
considered myself an extrovert, but running my own business forces me to
get out and talk to people more than I would otherwise. I love being able
to connect someone I meet to a potential customer or mentor. I recently
spent the weekend at Reed College helping college students work on their
startup ideas and pitch to a panel of investors. I loved being able to help
students the way others have helped me.

8. What can we do here in the sitting community to support Stayhound?

If you’re friends with your clients on Facebook, tell them about us! Anyone
can sign up for a Stayhound account and find out how many of their facebook
friends (and “friends in law”) are already there. There are so many people
who are involved in our pets’ lives, and we’re working on ways to keep all
of them in the loop. We’d love to hear feedback about how we can make that
communication easier for carers and their clients.

Alexis, thank you for taking the time to talk with me and share Stayhound with everyone…you are definitely onto something, here. As always, we welcome feedback and questions from all of you pet parents, sitters, and otherwise curious readers!

When Valynne asked me to contribute to the blog and highlight some of my favorite places in the US I thought that would be easy enough, but when you have visited 43 of the 50 states you begin to see the problem.  Anyway, here goes.

View of Evergreen Lake from the Old Digs (New Year's Day, 2008)

Colorado has to be high on my list. Not least because it’s where I lived, happily most of the time, for about 6 years and for the last 4 of those with Valynne. Colorado is scenically very beautiful, a photographer’s dream if you will. I lived in a picturesque little town called Evergreen, approximately 15 miles west of Denver at an altitude of 7,200′ (we were a little above 8,000′, on Bear Mountain). The main feature of Evergreen is the lake and this provides a meeting place for the community with concerts during the summer months and skating in the winter. We have many friends there still and it’s always wonderful to return whenever we can.

Valynne always has a yearning to be close to the ocean and I’m not far behind her, although throughout my life in both Europe and the US I’ve always lived as far from the ocean as you could possibly get, until recently. My favorite oceanside spots, in no particular order are: the California coast between San Francisco and Santa Monica; the Oregon coast; driving from Miami to Key West and having a wild time in same; Provincetown (right on the end of Cape Cod) and last but not least, the Outer Banks in North Carolina and particularly Ocracoke Island.

The Atlantic, as Seen From the Deck at Louie's Backyard in Key West, Florida

I think it was back in 2006 when Valynne and I flew out to San Francisco to attend a wedding in Santa Cruz (a friend of Valynne’s) and then take a week driving down to L.A. stopping at places that had been on my ‘must see list’ for a while. I wouldn’t say I’m a big wedding fan, but this was as good as it gets. The ceremony was held outdoors in a redwood glade at a vineyard followed by a reception amongst the vines. This was also my first exposure to the redwoods…more later. We then headed south to Monterey. Both being avid readers, we wanted to get up close with some of the locations familiar to Steinbeck followers. Things have changed since Steinbeck’s time of course and while Cannery Row has become ‘touristy’, there is still an atmosphere that you can feel.  Also, the Aquarium is a must see…..probably one of the best in the world.

We continued south stopping briefly at Carmel for lunch….think we missed the best bits. Need to go back. We drove through the private estate of Pebble Beach and via the world famous golf course of the same name. If you can afford the fees, this must be a wonderful place to play golf. Next of course, Big Sur. More writer connections if you are a Kerouac fan. The real attraction is the dramatic coast line where the surf races in like nowhere else in the world. Erosion is severly damaging the highway these days, so be sure to check the news reports before planning a drive down highway 1 as long road closures have become frequent.

After spending the morning at Hearst Castle (ostentation at its best or worst, depending on your reaction), we headed for Santa Barbara. Now that is a place I could live if anyone wants to donate a few million to the cause. A perfect place to do a ‘sit’ methinks. Wonder if Oprah needs any help.

Cora's Coffee Shoppe in Santa Monica, 06

We couldn’t drive past Ventura without calling in on Valynne’s family…could we?  Just joking, Valynne and Mum. Our first meeting and I thought it went pretty well…I hope.  Our last stop was Santa Monica where we spent a few days amongst the beautiful people. I guess technically it’s L.A. but it feels like a different world. We hired bikes and cycled along the bike path through Venice Beach and basically had a great time.

More of Paul’s favorite places to come….

Simply Magnificent

I recently asked Paul what five places he loved most in America so far (he has been here for nine years this coming March). The Redwoods of Northern California made #1.  We will be making a return visit, in the late spring/early summer.  Do you have a favorite camping spot in the area?