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. With the last of three rainstorms arriving tonight I hope this signals a change for the better.

Since last Christmas change seems to be the name of the game here in our house. My sister has recovered nicely from her knee surgery only to have bilateral cataract surgery and some additional infection problems. I myself have been dealing with some knee problems and medication reactions that have caused me to loose time at work. But we are hopeful that with the warmer weather things will begin to heal. Actually things better begin to heal because both of us are facing some major life changes in the next few months. You see, we are both retiring and moving out of the valley back to our homes near family in LA and in Denver where my children and my condo await me.

We have been in Fresno for seven years and have enjoyed every minute of it but the time has come to reconnect with our roots and our children and grandchildren. I will be leaving my job at the hospital and saying goodbye to marvelous coworkers who have made my time on the job so worthwhile. But at my age it is difficult to continue floor nursing and stay in shape. My arthritis is becoming a problem and my knees as mentioned are giving me fits. I don’t know if I will ever return to nursing but one thing I can be sure of is that I am too old to do the hands on stuff. My sister will be leaving for LA to be near her family and she does not plan to take on a full time job but rather help her son in his business. So as you can see we will be occupied. I for one will be able to spend more time with the network and reaching out to new women friends across the country and around the world as our network grows. I hope to continue some scrapbooking and crafts also but it will be difficult to do without my roommate. We seem to click better when we work side by side on a project.

We are planning a retirement trip to Ireland and then onto a wedding in Italy. It is a big vacation and will probably be my last for a number of years but we couldn’t resist the invitation to travel one more time with a wonderful group of women. After I get back my children have my time planned for a few months but I think most of that will be rediscovering my grandchildren again – what fun!

I plan to continue to work the WFN from whatever computer I can find while away and I hope to keep up with all the challenges that presents. Women need connections and we hope to provide that service for many years to come. Planning and growing this network has been such a joy. Going to the Central Valley Women’s Conference last year and the year before have been so much fun. I will never forget those times.

Mostly I will miss the NFLL (New Friends Late in Life) that inspired this service to be born. As you know the NFLL is a group of 6 (now 7) women who started gathering over 5 years ago just to be friends. These women have been the inspiration of a lifetime.

They are like sisters to me and my heart aches when I think about leaving them. I know I will be back in the area for some visits but nothing can beat the constant day to day contact we have now. I have tried to look on this change in my life as positive – and it really is – but I will miss these wonderful women and my sister most of all. I thank God daily that I have been privileged to know them.

My move is scheduled for the 1st of May. I hope to write more before I go but if I don’t then be aware that I am probably on the road. And God knows I love a good road trip. Blessings to you all and you’ll hear from me soon.

Shortwave