One of the prettiest times of the year here in the Central Valley of California is the advent of spring. The blossoms and the weather seem to invite one to celebrate the promise of a joyful and beautiful bounty of the land. As usual we took our annual blossom trail tour just a few weeks ago and the trees were in bloom with the hope of more to come. Since that time however the valley has had a series of rainstorms, snowstorms and flooding that reminds us that Mother Nature may have other plans for our spring.

It was a dream come true for all of us. After all the plans and all the hopes we put into our vacation together – it all worked out great. The one exception was that one of our group was unable to come with us. Peaches and Cream was obligated to remain here in the valley due to family issues that prevent any travel at the moment. Nevertheless, she wished us well, followed our moves on the Internet and spoke with us as we traveled around my home state of Colorado. We knew she was a part of us in spirit.

DenverI traveled home first on the 4th of July to get my condo in order. The rest of the group arrived on Monday the 6th. It was cool in Colorado which was a real relief from the valley summer heat. We ate dinner together and retired early because the next day marked the real start of the vacation.

Wanted to share this article with all of you. It's a great book.

'Ames' chronicles women's friendships

By MICHAEL J. CRUMB | Associated Press | Story updated at 7:17 pm on 7/9/2009

DES MOINES, Iowa - A year before it became a best-seller, author Jeffrey Zaslow wondered if all the time he'd put into his book about the longtime friendship of 11 women would be wasted.

Well, we are doing it! After talking about it for almost a full year our NFLL group will be leaving California to travel to Colorado for a 5 day vacation. I have lived with my sister in the central valley of California off and on for four years now but my real home is still in Colorado and I wanted to show my friends why I love my home so much. We leave here in early July for fun in the high country. Our plans include river rafting, alpine sliding, site seeing and a baseball game at famed Coors Field in Denver.

A recent article on WebMD was sent to me by my daughter and while the results of the testing aren’t surprising they do indicate what most of us know already. Activities that stimulate the mind will do wonders for your longevity and will help prevent memory loss. Sitting in front of the TV seems to do nothing to help you maintain your mental sharpness or your physical stamina. Involving oneself in friendships and social activities is the breath of life for all women. We need each other.

As a registered nurse I deal with health issues all day long. But in the course of my hospital work and field work as a visiting nurse I am always amazed at how uninformed women are about what real health means. I know that I can give prescribed medications that make a condition better or at least reduce harmful symptoms for any number of illnesses. I can suggest exercise and weight reduction programs to help patients reach a better level of health and living. I can show a patient where to go to get information, direction and support with all kinds of health problems and conditions.

Almost all of the correspondence used within the NFLL has our logo printed somewhere on the document. Many people have asked me to explain just what our logo represents. In actuality the logo is the story of our group of friends. First of course we are women – represented by the outline of a womans face. We are gathered together as friends so we face the future together – thus the logo has two faces looking toward each other. The semi circle joining the two faces indicates our willingness to stay together and be supportive of each other even in difficult and trying times.

As I sit here addressing my very last Christmas card I can't help but think of all that has brought me to this place. I am spending this Christmas with my daughter and her family in Virginia Beach , Virginia . She is in the Navy, as is her husband, and they have four wonderful children between them.