And sometimes it's nice to get a high five!

The committee places this on your lawn as a surprise
to let EVERYONE know about your award!

I had a great morning today. I was nominated and chosen as a 2011 Frances Young Community Hero for my work in the community. It's truly an honor.

Frances Young was an extremely active member of the Scottsdale community for many years. For nearly a half century she mentored, advised, assisted and championed numerous local organizations and causes — simply for the good of the community.  According to the committee press release, Frances summed up her life by saying, "I’ve gained far more than I ever gave. That’s what I want everyone to know."  Frances died in 2009 in her late 80s.

For 13 years a committee has received nominations and selected three people to be honored as "community heroes" -- I was selected for 2011 along with two other AMAZING people.

Matt Mays is a sweet spirit who advocates for people with disabilities and for
the arts as well. Pam Berges spent 50 years every Saturday volunteering at
Scottsdale Healthcare to make suffering people more comfortable. Inspiring! 

It's an honor but also quite humbling. I'm so happy that I'm able to inspire people and that I'm able to actually make a difference with my time and energy. But I look at so many other people doing so much more and feel like this "high five" was a nudge reminding me what I still can do. I've got more in my tank.

My parents had a BLAST and reveled in my praise this morning. They are so cute. And a little bit naughty ... but after I get copies of some of the pictures I might humor you with parent stories later.

Now off to bed. I have a Charity Chicks event to fret about all night. Ticket sales and Facebook RSVPs don't reflect the numbers I was hoping to see tomorrow BUT I expect a lot of last minute attendees and think the event will turn out GREAT. But I have some graphics and signs to build tonight.

You'd think with all the praise I get and awards I win, some day someone is going to figure out I don't really know what I'm doing!!  It always works out somehow ... !

(By the way, my nominee Jan Horne is also an incredible woman. She has such a warm heart and ever since we started working together has been very generous for all our ventures. High five, Jan!)