This past weekend I had a belated celebration for my 40^th birthday.

Let me tell you about how this idea came to fruition… as I thought over what I wanted to do in order to celebrate “the big day” the feeling that kept coming back to me was the feeling that occurs when one is surrounded by people they love.  My heart started to center on the idea of merely being together with people who were important to me.  I wanted to hang out in my pajamas with friends and chat and giggle and tell stories and get to know each other even more… but even more than that I wanted my friends from various walks of life to do that with each other.  After all, they were great friends to me… and I wanted them to be great friends for each other.

And a plan was hatched!  I searched out a place large enough for all of us to stay under one roof (at a privately owned Lodge atop Palomar Mountain in Southern California).   See more here:   http://www.uppermeadowlodge.com/

And then I thought long and hard through my list of friends to figure out who could help me plan out all the details.  OK, just kidding… the right person came to mind straight away.  And the plans grew and the celebration turned into what looked like a mini retreat.

Ladies drove up the mountain when they could and stayed as long or as short as their schedules permitted… and we ate, and drank, and laughed, and went for walks, and escaped to the comfy chair in the corner… and took pics of the sunrise in our pajamas, and ate and drank some more.

Four days of bliss for me… and a lot of work and organizing went into this weekend.  And everyone pitched in with meals, and cleaning up after meals, and projects and conversation… and my friends became each other’s friends.

And we will do it again in 10 years!

You ready gals?