Today’s the day, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Some of my truest friends are gathering for
my belated birthday celebration in San Francisco this weekend.

Today, the first one, Riley’s guardian, H, arrives from Tampa
for an early start.

Friday, J arrives from Tampa, M from Los Gatos, L from just down the
street in San Francisco and the five of us
laugh, lunch & shop San Francisco like crazy all afternoon.

C arrives from Capitola late in the afternoon
and we all gather at our hotel for a wine-fest before
the big birthday dinner.

Saturday morning our limo
picks us up for a day in the wine country.
Six women in five different decades of life.
Mostly writers.
Wine.
Think “totally tweaked Sex in the City.”

These are some of the women
who have made my journey through way more interesting.
Each for specific reasons.

And will continue to do so, I daresay.

They’re making this big birthday year a lot more fun
than I thought it could ever be.