{this week)

This week was a big stepping out for me. I went away. I got on a plane and left my children (in very good hands) for the first time ever. I've gone away by car. They've gone away by plane. But this was the first time I got on a plane and left them behind. And went across the country to California. It felt big.

It was also the first time I'd been on a plane in ten years. After twenty years of always being on planes, I took a ten year hiatus. What a difference now with airplanes and airlines, with overbooking of flights and going through long lines of security check in, even taking off the shoes and no meals served on the flight. I did enjoy the individual movie screens though and got to catch up on movie watching and movies sure do make the time fly by. (yes pun intended ~ forgive me)

I went to California for the LifeWays Board of Directors meeting. I was invited to join the board of LifeWays last year and accepted with great honor. We met in Northern California, in Marin county, nestled in the hills surrounded by tall and majestic redwoods. So Californian: vast and beautiful. What a lovely time I had with these brilliant, creative and dynamic women, who are doing so much work to create a spaciousness in life for the children and families in our midst.

We worked hard yet I left feeling refreshed and so hopeful, imagining the network of LifeWays people all across the country, all the way from Maine to Texas, up the California Coast, Canada, Colorado,  Wisconsin, New York and across the seas to Hawai'i. Yes Hawai'i. Can you imagine, "Oh honey, I'm going to do my LifeWays training in Hawai'i" Well why not? Bring the family. More here.

Some pictures from California:

LifeWays Executive Director Cynthia Aldinger with her beautiful voice sings a LifeWays tune.

I was delighted to arrive home to a sleeping house greeted by this face at the door.