How do I organize our family reunions?

I don't know how it happened but I have somehow become the official family reunion organizer for my Dad's side of the family. We are not a very big clan. We are maybe around 60 to 70, kids and babies included, spanning three generations. We usually have a bi-monthly birthday celebration for whoever is celebrating their natal days on the months involved. So how do I start?

1. First have have a text brigade. In the Philippines texting or sending messages via SMS rules. So make a text brigade. Usually I only text the oldest sisters or brothers of each family and they forward my messages to their siblings.
2. Agree on a date, time and venue for your party. Sometimes this may take several exchanges of messages.
3. Discuss the theme and menu. As organizer I have to edit what everyone will bring. Yes, it is always a potluck for this clan. Note that you have to balance this well. (Some relatives really bring pots and pots of their assigned dish while some would only bring a pot. X( ) This is also done via SMS or texting. As food assignments/ pledges come in, I update and report to my cousins about it.
4. The day before the party, I send a text again reminding the cousins and family about the reunion. Of course I am always excited for every family reunion.
5. On the day of the reunion itself, I have my phone with me in case someone gets lost or can't make it.

Some tips:

1. Try not to assign main course dishes to forever late comers or kuripot members of your family.
2. Have at least one dish from each food group and kind of meat or seafood.
3. Assign at least two kinds of dessert.
4. If you are hosting the potluck in your house, you are supposed to prepare:
- rice
- drinks
- ice
- clean drinking water
- enough seating for everybody
- a clean powder room

See, easy!

Let's Get Started

I have always loved celebrating a New Year. As far as I can remember, I would be scribbling resolutions, year- end assessments, fearless forecasts on journals. The New Year brings so much hope and excitement for me. You will never know what the coming year will bring; a new friend, project, child, etc.
This year though what I am dead set on trying to bring in is positivity. Yep, a relatively new word to my melancholic temperament but hey, I WANT IT!
Even if my temperament does not talk about it, I will be friends with positivity this year. How?
1. To start with I will just be. I will just be positive. A positive person is a blessing to others. He makes others smile and want to be with him.
2. For my second bid to positivity, I will go with the cliche - Cease the Day! I remember my wedding day. It has been almost ten years yet I just need to close my eyes and overwhelming joy consumes me. I savored each and every minute of my wedding day, I lived through it immersed in every sound, detail, smell of that day. I can do that each day; live each day to the pulp. To close my eyes and claim joy.
3. Create the setting. Probably because I am an architect, my surroundings need to be perfectly arranged, planned and matchy! I know some rules on positivity would go, don't sweat the small stuff. Oh, no, not me I have to sweat the small stuff. So organize, de-clutter and beautify...if you must!
Whew, I am feeling better already.
4. Prayer. Pray like my life depends on it and it madly does. Prayer has always been a balm of peaceful surrender, knowing that I can't do it on my own and that I am actually never on my own. Remember the song of the old TV show The Last American Hero? Flying away on a wing and a prayer, who could it be, believe it or not, it's just me. Yes, just me with a wing and a prayer.

2008 = Positivity

Hmmm, let's give it a try shall we?