In Focus

Happy Anniversary Webbed Chicks!

Wooooo hooooo! We're free of the kids! The little rascals are finally back in school! Is there a happier day in a mother's life? If you're like me, today is your day! After the busiest summer I've ever experienced, (moving from Canada to the U.S., hosting our first Chick Fest, traveling to Europe, doing a book tour, and building our not quite finished dream home), today is my day! I can finally read the newspaper without having to wipe someone's butt, I can drink my coffee without being forced to watch the latest roller blade trick, and I can talk on the phone for as long as I want without having to break up a fight. Today is a Calgon Home Spa day. But, today is special for another reason; it's the one-year anniversary of our web site!! Apropos for a Chick - Freedom and Celebration all on the same day. We've survived the dotcom tornado and made it through our first year!! Wow.

I have to say, I had no idea what we were getting into, no idea where it was going to go, and no idea if we'd make it a year. All this week we are going to take a look back on our first year and see just how far we've come as a site, as a club, and as Chicks. I thought I'd start today with the original ten Chicks. Just what have we been up to and are we any further ahead than we were a year ago?

First the girlie stuff... Chick Megan had a baby! This was our biggest Chicky news. On Friday, July 27 at 5:30 p.m., Megan gave birth to an 8 lbs. 1 oz. little girl! Katarina Reagan (first name after me, or so I say, and her middle name after Megan's favorite President) came chirpin' into this world. We have yet to meet the warm and fuzzy chicklet, but from the pictures, she is as beautiful as her two sisters.

Also on the baby front, (we always have to keep one Chick pregnant), we are celebrating another pregnant Chick. From the inception of our Chicks club, the pregnancy trend went like this... I was first, Chick Cheryl came next, then Chick Jana, then Chick Megan, and this year it's Chick Kristin!! It also went, girl - girl - boy - girl - ?.  Kristin is not due until February, but this alone is worthy of sticking around chickslayingnesteggs.com. I know you're probably thinking that we are all getting a little too old to keep laying all these eggs. Nope, it's only Julie that is too old. Chick Julie is done... she celebrated a BIG birthday this past year, and it wasn't the big 4-0 either. (If I dare mention anything about my mother's age after turning 66 yesterday, she'd kill me.)

A year ago all the Chicks (including my very young mother) traveled to Americus, Georgia to work on the Women Build project for Habitat for Humanity. Thirty women put up a house (from floor to 110 degree roof) in one week as part of the Jimmy Carter Work Project. No one collapsed, though we found a new appreciation for the construction worker. (Who can really have a bowel movement in an outdoor biffy or start work before the sun rises?) We were glad to finish the house, and even happier to hand the keys over to Toshia James and her family.

Then, our book came out this past April and we were featured in many newspapers and magazines across the country. We were thrilled, but happier to see that women from all over were responding to the message and actually learning something. It felt good to be making a difference in someone's life, while adding a little fun.

Fun is always a top priority with the Chicks, which gave us the idea to have the first Chick Fest '01 in Minnesota near the Mall of America. Fifty women from around the country flew in to join the Chick Party. We tried as hard as we could to get enough educational material splashed between shopping trips, dinner and lunch on the scenic St. Croix River and I think we succeeded. Everyone went home with a notebook filled with stock information, and chocolate egg or two.

Where do we go from here? Again, I have no idea. I know we could start today with having everyone who reads this article send an email to powerlunch@cnbc.com and tell them to feature the Chicks on their Investment Club special starting September 17th. I think we've hit all the small local papers we can fathom and it's time to go to the next level. After that, I'm going to go take a bath in peace, bring my coffee, my telephone, and ponder the next move.

Happy Back To School Day... and Happy Anniversary Chickslayingnesteggs.com!!!