Fun, Fluent, Fabulous - The JOY of Women

I LOVE to laugh and connect. And I LOVE to hang out with women friends. But as I wrote this morning, I was analyzing friend types.

Do you have low maintenance or high maintenance friends?

In my book, low maintenance doesn’t mean you don’t have problems. We ALL have problems. It simply means you’re honest, upfront, and trustworthy. You don’t continually look for offense or the worst in others. If you have to talk about someone or just need to vent, it’s because you’re looking for solutions and trying to move through to a better spot. And you don’t “sow discord.” I know a few people who are discord FARMERS. They grow so much they could go public with their stock and trade on the open market. But, happily for me, I know FAR more who are purveyors of JOY.

And that’s what I got last night with some dear women friends.

If you interviewed any one of us today, I believe you’d get the same review. We had FUN. We LIKED each other – even though some of us were new to the others. We talked about the frivolous and we soap-boxed about healthy food, our families, our woman-ness. We shared struggles or frustrations but didn’t judge each other. We LAUGHED a LOT. There was no gossip. No one got bashed. This was NOT the “winter of our discontent.” We WANTED to like each other, enjoy each other, and…..we did. And this?

I love.

Here we are, out on the town:

We’re actually more beautiful than this, of COURSE, but I can NEVER remember to take my camera so this look-alike montage of some famous familiar faces will have to do. Here we are – Kim, Kendra, Karla, Kim (the quadruple “K” threat), Linda, Becky, Kendra’s mom, and Me. Ladies, we got it goin’ ON. Some of us are so good lookin’ we needed TWO pictures to catch all of our awesomeness and that’s why I had to use 14 faces.

We went here:

And saw this:

Then stood in the lobby and talked about it for half-an-hour before we could decide we should walk over here:

And eat this:

Well, at least that’s what I ate.

(Thank you stock photos from the internet. You never let me down. I so appreciate YOU bringing a camera. I’ll try to do better. The End.)

So, however you roll, or however many rolls you have, or don’t have, gather some of your gal pals and have fun. It doesn’t matter how many friends are around. What matters is the quality of the friendship and the heart of the friend. And if your friend group is lacking, do what I did: Invite yourself over. Butt in. Insist on being loved. Don’t take “no” for an answer. Act like you belong. Try to get them to feed you. Refuse to run off when they stamp their foot. They’ll weaken from sheer exhaustion, and then, you’re IN! Yahoo!

Copyright 2009

Sisterhood And Renee Awards

I am SOOO late with awards and passing them along. This one came in to me from Living Life Outside the Box quite awhile ago and honestely, someone else as well, and just look at me not able to remember, which is horrible!!


Here are the rules:1. Put the logo on your blog or post.2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

And this award was created by Bella and Ces in honour of their friend Renee, an incredible lady who in the face of a frightening life battle is tackling each day with great spirit and courage. Here is what Bella says of this award:“this is a brand new award and I have the pleasure and honor of spreading the seed, watching it grow.I hope it finds it’s way to those who are like Renee: the acorn, becoming a tall and sturdy oak, giving acorns…”


I am so honored to have received these awards and I thank those of you who sent them to me. (I was so interested in the history behind this one I forgot to copy the link of who sent it to me. Will you please contact me and I will include it here? And then forgive your DOLT of a friend as I offer my sincere apology?!) I will try to be more timely in the future about posting them and passing them along and keeping track. I cannot choose among my dear friends who have been a true Sisterhood - so that is for all of you!!!

As far as the Renee Award goes, I know that many of you are battling incredibly hard things in your life: emotional struggles, physical battles, family disturbances, financial worries. Does that just about cover ALL of us in some fashion or other?! Guess that's one reason we enjoy hanging out together. We know that life IS struggle much of the time but it is also great JOY if someone walks with you. You bring ME great joy with your love and acceptance of me, and your ABUNDANCE of kind words. You move me to laughter, or tears, or growth through your writings and/or unbelievable photography which often takes me to spiritual places of beauty, or shows me something I would never see without your perspective. So this is for you, too. You know what you battle and I hope you feel free to pick this up and post it proudly on your blog.

THANK YOU for being my friends. You don't have to be. And I NEVER forget that.