Illiterations: Laughing At My Own Expense

My current view -- The Almaden Valley I've always dreamed of just selling everything and moving somewhere new.  I have ties to France, Italy, Mexico, and even Greece.  I think there is a strong possibility that I will eventually jump ship and head there. In the meantime, I am so happy to say, I am establishing myself in the Bay Area.  I love the Santa Cruz mountains and the long views of the San Francisco bay.  My new lil ADU rental here is so perfect in so many ways, and I have somebody who is handling the business I left behind.  I'm considering moving onto a houseboat if I can find one that fits my needs.  I have enjoyed houseboat life in the past, and it will be an easy adjustment once I find the place. My many local friends here really are a boon as well; my network of people has expanded even more in the past year, and I am so grateful for that.  Of course, I'll drop back by the old stomping grounds now and then.  I can't leave my friends to...

Note: This post was put up at the same time as the one entitled, "Confidential."  They are two interesting  experiences both on the topic of friendship and trust and connection. Girlfriends Happy Hour The Girlfriends Happy Hour seems to have taken hold for real. My desire for connection set my feet on this path a year ago. Thanks to a suggestion from my sister that I model a group after one she and her best friend inadvertently created themselves, I seized her idea and ran with it. Our group has been going strong since May and it's now mid-November.  We've enjoyed other gatherings and events outside the happy hour which demonstrates our expansiveness and our cohesiveness. Out of it all I have been blessed with many wonderful new friends and several who have become particularly close and special. It still seems that people generally look to me to rally the troops and remind people of events and post events and even plan and schedule events, but I am definitely working ...

  Note: This post was put up at the same time as the one entitled, "Girlfriends Happy Hour."  They are two interesting experiences both on the topic of friendship and trust and connection. Confidential I'm still getting lessons in how to rate relationships. I'm still trusting a relationship to be more of a friendship than it sometimes is. And that's okay. I recognize it as an opportunity for growth and to not only learn from the experience but to learn about myself. It's good to keep discovering things about oneself at every age, I think. Sometimes though what I do is I give a friend or a group of friends a little bit of power in my life by sharing a confidence that I don't share with just everybody. And I did that recently. Not so much as a gesture of friendship but out of a need to unburden a truth that was holding me back in a group of women. I knew that it could be received in so many different ways and I asked their permission before I shared, request...