As I’ve written lately, I’m motivating myself to reach out more. I’ve also been working hard to expand my circle of friends, not easy when I work at home and the only living sounds I hear some days are collectively, “Meow.” I know it’s time to make new friends.
Last week, I decided to get out of The OC and “do the drive” to Los Angeles—I moved from there to Orange County in 2002. I revel in the excitement of America’s second-largest city, but I am probably worse now sitting at in its traffic. And in L.A., that’s what everyone does at some point during their day. The fact is that with nearly 4 million people, the roads just can’t handle the pressure, so we sit…and sit…and sit.
Survived the drive
I was truly grateful to be invited to a National Girlfriends’ Day celebration at the Hotel Palomar on Wilshire last Thursday. “Great!” I thought, “This is a chance to be with some fabulous women and make some new girlfriends.”
I also spent two hours, pre-party, with a favorite friend from my former neighborhood in Sherman Oaks, Melanie Mamakos, who’s a skilled hypnotherapist and someone whose company I miss so much since I’ve left L.A.
The party was hosted by those lovely and talented ladies of the WHOA! network—Lynn Forbes and Darryle Pollack, who created Women Honoring Our Age—and by the Wine Sisterhood. I can’t think of two better groups to come together in the spirit of womankind (and winekind) in Westwood, L.A.
Conversation and libation
I find being in a room full of brilliant women totally energizing. So glad I got out of my hood and spent a few hours in Los Angeles with others who celebrate the marvels of mature women, just as I do here on Mind Your Body TV. I want to do a “shout out” to these ladies whose company I shared at a wonderful gathering:
- Charlotte Koppe of Charlotte Koppe Productions
- Jane Gassner of MidlifeBloggers.com
- Meryl Holland of MCO&F
- Wendi Knox of the Dragonfly Movement
- Sandra Sallin of Apart from My Art
- Treva Brandon of RTime.com
- Linnea M. Duvall, psychotherapist and handbag designer
- Kim Tracy Prince, a fellow writer, blogger and editor
- Barb Best, comedy writer
- Sharon Greenthal of Generation Fabulous
Here’s to more outings and more meetings. No 50+ woman is an island—and that includes me!
(Photo courtesy: photostock at freedigitalphotos.net)