Special Events...

Well, that was a big week! Not much of it spent at home, however. I attended a conference in San Diego from Tuesday till Sunday. The conference was great; the weather was unexpectedly cool and cloudy. And, as luck would have it, John enjoyed the warmest, sunniest week at home so far this year. And there was a 5.4 earthquake in San Diego while I was there. Welcome back to California. All that aside, I couldn't have asked for a better conference. The content was good and the experience was professionally invigorating. And then there were the women.

I got to spend time with women who are important to me. The whole team from my previous employer was there as well as a coworker at my current employer. If I had never worked with any of them, I would have wished for them as friends. It only happens that our mutual choice of employer brought us all together. It was too short but so much fun. Women can be so caring of one another, alike and different in all kinds of ways. What a privilege. I celebrated my birthday while I was there and the presence of the women made it unique and joyful.

While I was in San Diego, I also learned from my sweet daughter that she became engaged - in Paris - in front of the Eiffel Tower. I love them both; my daughter and my someday son-in-law. Her happiness is mine to share :-) I will travel down to visit them July 31 and learn all the details and plans.

So, a busy week away. And it was made easier by my own sweet man who rearranged his work travel to remain behind to care for our circus family; the hard-headed brown dog and the "boys" Roosevelt and Mister Purrkins. He tended a bursting garden, making sure everything was watered in the recent heat wave. This week is my turn since he could only postpone his trip down to California, not cancel it. He left this morning. We agreed to catch up with "us" this weekend. And I get another opportunity to celebrate my birthday!