Her team won, making it to the semi-finals, in a wicked-cool blow-out. When you’re 9, that’s huge.

OK, back to business. This morning I got myself out of the house before 7:30, which is when I’m usually trying to coax the toaster oven into just one more morning of dutiful service.

Instead went to a real, live networking event here in Evanston.

Much to my surprise (and horror) it was a speed-networking event.

Egads. That is about the worst thing imaginable for a coffee-deprived writer of elephant manifestos.

I went there to promote something that I’m doing more and more of these days (and yes, Jen, I am finally taking your advice!). I’ve officially started reaching out to more small, local businesses, talking to them about how to use blogs, establish really fun e-newsletters, showing them how twitter can be fun and beneficial, and all kinds of other things that it turns out my friends who own businesses need. If you’d like to find out more, visit my new “Remarkable Biz Blogs” page.

Well, somehow I managed to survive speed networking. That was largely thanks to the fact that I made a new and very sweet friend, Susie Gray,of susangraywellness.com, who is a craniosacral therapist. Just saying it sounds relaxing. It turns out she works a lot with kids, and we had a lovely conversation. She was my networking partner at about the midway point through the speed networking thing. Thanks, Susie, for helping me get a grip — and I can hardly wait to connect again.

I have to say there were so many nice people. To my great surprise I won a water bottle (which above-mentioned 9-year-old has already declared dibs on) from Cherie McKeage of cherieloans.com, a local mortgage planner.

I was with Lauren Galuszka of CJE SeniorLife when I won the water bottle. We had just been talking about what a good-lookin’ bottle that was. Lauren works with the elderly and her facility is fantastic. I can tell she’s an idea person, so we’re gonna get along just fine.

Joseph A. Smith was delightful to talk to, even though we had a whopping 2.5 minutes for conversation. He’s a financial planning expert, and we had enough time to mutually agree that these days many people are making some truly awful financial decisions.

My first new friend at the table was Hal Koughn, hal@halkoughn.com. He’s a very experienced Chief Operations Officer-kind-of-guy, so what he offers is like a “rent a C.O.O.” service for small, local businesses. I thought that was brilliant and very useful. He also lives right down the street from where I used to, and former neighbors are often very nice people indeed.

Brooke Saucier of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce and I had a memorable but brief conversation about twitter and about stay-at-home parenting. Many thanks to him for making me feel comfortable right from the start.

I also made a new friend in David LeRoy of Diagnostics Technical Support. David is one of those really, really fun and helpful folks you call when your computer has driven you almost to the point where you need someone like me for therapy.

Last-but-not-least were mortgage consultant John Noyes who has such a friendly way about him, and the passionate-about-doing-taxes-right Katherine Chung. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you much better — and hopefully being able to spend longer than 3 minutes talking to you!

A special thanks also goes to David Levine of Illinois Nut & Candy. David, you should know that my kids are super impressed that I actually know someone in the candy industry. And I have friends whose children need gluten-free-everything, so that was 2.5 minutes well spent. The bribes were also very timely and well received!

Online, so many wonderful people to thank this week.

People are starting to subscribe to the “toddler tantrums” e-course, which is magnificent. I’ve also been in touch with several of them, and will soon be posting another e-course on child nutrition and behavior (the e-book is already on the “free stuff” page if you just can’t wait).

So much information on twitter, and I’ve found such amazing and inspiring people there. At the top of the list are @sparkyfirepants, an artist who is also a genuinely nice guy and who it turns out likes Effie, and of course my real-life big brother and general fun guy to hang out with, @oldermac (which makes me “younger mac”, I guess).

I also want to thank my happiness project group members, Staci (who has just yesterday given herself permission to “not,” which is super cool of her), Susan, Melissa, and Laurel. And of course all our kids. You guys are my center. Thanks for the guidance.

And, thank you to all my readers. And to Effie, who continues to share her wisdom ever so quietly and patiently. (*whisper * nudge * nudge * —> if you haven’t read The Elephant Manifesto yet and shared it, get it now!)

All my love to all of you, and keep rockin’ the world!

Anything you’d like to say thanks for this week? Feel welcome to share!

Not doing. Not reading. Not analyzing everything in sight.

Not moving 100 miles an hour. Not pushing and pulling to try to define my path.

It’s been a challenge.

My girls are out of school, so it is kind of a natural time to slow down. No more daily shuttles to and from school, preschool, my office, home, and everywhere in between.

Instead, this is turning into a week of trying to be as quiet as possible. Kind of a thinky week.

I must confess that I have not read many of the blogs I usually read. Instead, I’ve been reading other things.

The best mailman in the world brought my copy of the Nonviolent Communication book recommended by Havi, and it rocks. It also works. It worked the other day when my little one, age 3, was refusing to use the potty at Starbucks (I’m not kidding). This morning I used it to deal with my girls and the living room situation, which looked like insurgents might be underneath the rubble. The rubble is now gone. If you haven’t read this book yet, get a copy asap and just do it. It’s the missing link.

I also must confess that I found a copy at the library of Careless in Red, by my all-time fave mystery author, Elizabeth George. Her books are amazing, but I can’t read them under normal circumstances because they completely take over my life. I was also a little too upset to read this latest one when it came out because I was still grieving over what happened in the last mystery. If you’re an Elizabeth George fan you’ll know instantly what I mean. So, I’ve retreated for a few days into one of her wonderful mystery webs. Ahhh, bliss.

This week I’m focusing on being very quiet and listening. On breathing. On the joy in my life.

As I listen, there is so much to be thankful for. Especially you.

It’s becoming a week of stick-to-it-ness, so I’ve limited my reading a bit and kept my nose pretty close to the grindstone. Thus my list is a little shorter than usual.

First, a big huge thank you note to the members of our new happiness group project. We met for the first time last night, and while the kids ran around like maniacs we managed to have an absolutely amazing, enlightening discussion.

And you know what? Staci and Melissa don’t think I’m crazy! Wow, is that good news. Thanks, guys. I can hardly wait to see you again on June 1!

Next, a huge thank you to Slackermomspeaks, who keeps plugging away out there working on her “stuff” and figuring out how to make sense of life. Hang in there, girl. You’re an inspiration.

And thank you, Havi, for letting me see how you and your duck work on your own “stuff”. I have learned so much about myself through you and all you offer every day. I honestly don’t know how you do it!

Finally, thank you to YOU if you are reading this. Yes, YOU!

Lots of loud clapping. Standing ovation.

You are wonderful. Really, you can never hear that often enough. I love all the contributions you are making to my life and to the lives of those you care about. Whether you know it or not, you’re leading me out into the sunlight. Thanks.

Have a rockin’ cool day.

First, thank you to everyone for stopping by and commenting last week. You have no idea, guys, how exciting that was for me. You know who you are, and you know I love ya.

Next, a big poster-sized thank you note to Gretchen at The Happiness Project. Just so you know, my gals and I have our own Happiness Project Group ready to kick off next Monday night… so soon the world better watch out when Staci, Margo, Denise, Melissa, Laurel and I get going! If you need the scoop on a Happiness Project of your own, be sure to visit Gretchen’s website.

I’ve been scooching around on Twitter and other places, getting lots of updates and reading like a maniac. One of my recent discoveries has been Suzanne Falter-Barnes, who did an amazing interview recently with Pam Slim (the “Escape from Cubicle Nation” author and blogger). Suzanne, you’ve really got it happenin’ over there at your blog, and Pam, I’m absolutely in awe of you. Both of you rock. Thanks ever so much for all the goodies, both of you!

Speaking of Twitter, this week my followers have gone through the roof (ok, perhaps it’s a low roof, but it’s still a roof). While I try to get a grip on this new mode of communication for me, I wanted to let all of you know how much I appreciate you paying even a split second’s worth of attention to me.

Thank you, each one of my new “Tweople” (eeew… I should never say that again. It felt creepy and could lead to “twenemies”). I’m still getting to know all of you, but I can tell many of us are going to be good friends.

Last but not least…

Finally, as I mentioned last week, I’ve finally figured out my “thing” and have decided to begin more openly sharing it with others.

(Now there’s a sentence I really hope my priest doesn’t read!)

But seriously, I’ve started by setting up some “playdates” — all free. Basically, it’s the kind of info you’d share with a good friend during the 30 seconds you get to talk when you take your kids to the park. Something funny, something to think about.

Playdate is definitely more appropriate.

Now please don’t think “serious”. No. It’s all really super fun with sugar on top. They’re not going to be serious, but rather relaxing and giggly. And there will eventually be recordings and an “elephant manifesto” once the picky elephant is ready for it to spread worldwide.

I hope you’ll take a peek at my “Let’s Play!” page and maybe — just maybe — sign up so we can have playdates.

My inner 4-year-old is screaming — Ooooh. It’s gonna be so much fun! You should! You should! Just say yes!

My inner 40-ish-year-old is calmly saying, yes, click the link. Do it before I have to twitter my tweople.

Well, that’s it for now. Thanks everyone — I feel so amazingly fortunate to have met you and I’ve learned so much from you. I can hardly wait to see what happens next!

But since I’m new, and since I have no comments (well, actually one, left by yours truly to make sure the comments were working properly), I’m changing Tuesdays into “Thank You Note Tuesdays” for now.

Ready? Here are a few people whom I’d like to thank for their help and inspiration:

• A huge thank you to Chris Guillebeau at The Art of Nonconformity. Not only are his blog, manifesto, and other resources just stupendously amazing, he really operates from an honesty that is refreshing. You should read his post on “26 People I Highly Respect“. Really. Read it. Now.
• Another thank you note bedazzled with sequins and stars and with treats inside goes to Havi Brooks and Selma at The Fluent Self. On Sunday I had the privilege of participating in her super cool class on testimonials. One of the great things about Havi (possibly due to Selma’s influence) is that you always get an unexpected little treasure-like bonus from what she has to say. The alignment exercise was, for me, that little treasure. Thanks, Havi.
• Sonia Simone has this amazing email class that’s been helping me figure out what a newsletter is all about and how to do one. Between you and me, I’ve always been terrified about newsletters — they seem so permanent and so important. And people might actually read them. Spooky. But with Sonia, they come with cookies and birthday cake and fun stuff, and are much less scary. I’ve been reading them and preparing my own little cookies and cakes… so thank you Sonia!
• My new friend Slackermomspeaks, who actually tried to leave a comment on my blog (bless you!!!) and who alerted me to the fact that my comments were set at control-freak level. Thank you, and hope you got the positive vibes I sent your way this morning, from a fellow slackermom!
• And finally, to the person who mysteriously left a copy of the Quran on my front door yesterday, thank you. It was such a loving gesture, put in a nice little plastic bag to keep it safe. I promise to take good care of it and to actually read it. How did you know? I don’t know who you are, or why you left it, or how you knew that it’s a book I’d always meant to read but never got around to. Thank you, and may good things like peace, happiness and love be part of your life.

Take care, and thank you to YOU with sprinkles on top for reading this. Have a wonderful day.