One of my girlfriends happens to be a meeting planner, and if you’ve ever been to one of her events, you’d know she runs a tight ship. This girl knows how to throw a party, and has everything covered from start to finish. Whenever I get an invitation to one of her events, I am confident it will be spectacular.

If you’ve ever been to a Blackhawk’s game, you know exactly what I’m referring to; the experience is pretty amazing. From the jersey-wearing fans, hustle and bustle inside and outside the arena, the lights, and pre-game warm-up by both teams. Once the players are off the ice, the real hoopla begins.

The first thing that caught my eye was when I read, Renew your Compassionate Heart – Spring Retreat. It drew me in, and I immediately reached out to my friend to find out more. Who doesn’t want to connect with their heart, stop the chatter, listen to our inner messages, and trust our intuition?

This year’s hosts decided on wines from Italy…..no particular region, just any Italian wine. There would be five courses, and by luck of the draw I handled the first course, which included an Italian appetizer paired with a wine to enhance it’s flavor.

I’ve been with my company for eleven years, and in all that time it’s been a well-known secret that when someone leaves, whatever was left in their cube or office is fair game for the takers. A week ago, I was working with a colleague and in the process of a project discovered two, fancy, expensive ergonomic desk chairs that had been abandoned. These chairs are like gold, and it’s very difficult to get your hands on one.

This past weekend I was invited to spend the night at a friend’s house, about ninety minutes from home. We were having dinner with a group of friends nearby, and she offered me one of her guest rooms for the night. “Absolutely”……which ultimately made things much easier for me.

The first night in Rome, the hotel recommended the local restaurant i Clementini. Upon our arrival we were greeted by a friendly wait staff and escorted to a back room. We dined on delicious seafood, fresh baked bread, and bottles of wine. The staff spoke some English, and we ended up having a great time getting to know them. They were very attentive and laughed right along with us.

We have so many fun memories, which often become part of our conversation. I met Ge’ several years ago in Rome, Italy. I knew the moment we were introduced, we would stay connected as friends. We met through a mutual friend, spent a few fun days together with a small group, and haven’t stopped laughing about the adventures since.

We were completely intrigued. I piped up and asked, “Anyone want to try it with me?” One friend immediately answered, “I will.” No sooner did she get the words out of her mouth, another friend loudly declared, “Hell no, not me!” She wanted nothing to do with the treatment.

Happy 2017! This is the first New Year’s Eve I have spent outside the USA. Three friends and I went on an adventure to Cancun, Mexico. The weather was warm, the water was blue, and the drinks were frosty and tropical, at an all-inclusive resort that catered to our every need. 

Earlier this week was a full moon; not just any moon, but a super moon. It was in the news, social media, and people everywhere were talking about it for several days before. This moon was closer to earth than it’s been in almost seventy years.  An event I didn’t want to miss.

Spending time along the coast of California with my family, was a dream come true. It was a chance to spend time together, creating memories and having fun. Amazingly enough, my siblings plus my Mom and Dad were able to make the trip. One of my brother’s daughter, lives and planned her wedding in northern California.

First stop was Pride Mountain Vineyards. The drive alone was spectacular, hills and valleys around every curve. Upon arrival we were greeted by our host, Paul, and within a short time handed each person a glass of wine, then started the tour. There was a couple celebrating their first wedding anniversary, and a woman celebrating her birthday.

I attempted to lift the door but it wouldn’t budge. I thought tackling it from outside might be easier, it was not. I could only get it to raise two inches. I tired again and again, but came up with the same results. I had so much to do that day, including two doctor appointments, a meeting, and a picnic….not to mention the normal workday in between.

Living near two big cities provides ample opportunity to attend major sporting events throughout the year. I usually make it to at least one or two, but for some reason this year was different…..nothing was on the calendar. As luck would have it, I was invited to a baseball game; the Cubs vs the Cardinals. The group of people going were split on who they were rooting for. One thing I knew for certain, half the people driving home would be elated, and the other half would be irritated…..HA!

I have had a lot of things going on in recent weeks that have added stressful moments in my life, and I sent out an S.O.S. I mentioned I needed an in-person meeting and within minutes, it was arranged. To accommodate schedules, we planned meeting later than normal. Even though one girl was out of town, if possible, wanted to join by phone.

Do you ever have those days when you think everything is going smoothly, but later learn, it just wasn’t so? Recently, I spent the day with two girlfriends, and in order to protect their identities from our lapse in judgement, I will refer to them as girlfriends one and two (GF1 and GF2). I am not sure if the outcome of the day was due to a few cocktails or our aging minds….HA!

This week just so happens to be Volunteer Week, and the opportunity I volunteered for was beach clean-up. What made this opportunity more special to me was the lake is located within my community.