At the beginning of the year, I decided to take a break from writing this weekly blog.

Far too often, I was up until 2 AM, word-smithing and looking for the perfect pictures before my Friday morning publication deadline.

I intended to start up again in a few weeks. After all, it is called the Weekly WOW! Here it is, the end of March, and I’ve only published one blog this year. I left you hanging after the first installment of the “Top 18 of ’18” featuring the destination wish-list of three of my employees but never revealed what places Gabriel and I are recommending for 2018. I promise – that post will come before it’s irrelevant.

Did anybody miss these weekly blogs besides me?

If you’ll indulge me, let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me in the first three months of 2018.

The Girls:

On the home front, there’s big news from both of Scott’s daughters. Erica eloped with her beloved Jason Nicholson on Thanksgiving Day at the Grand Canyon. Jason, a superb photographer, captured some gorgeous images to share with us, but we’re grateful that they agreed to share a second ceremony with family on the beach in Malibu on New Year’s Eve.

The newlyweds moved into an apartment in Northridge and adopted a cat. Erica recently started a job with AMA Waterways, a river cruise company. She returned from a familiarization voyage yesterday, having spent seven nights on the Seine River in France. Needless to say, she’s loving her job. Jason, a high school history teacher, is a great addition to the family and a fabulous photographer. We couldn’t be happier for the two of them.

Ashley, the younger daughter, moved back home from Nashville, where she had been living for about 18 months. She persevered through a number of challenges but finally decided that living in the south – even in a relatively progressive city like Nashville – wasn’t a good fit. We’re proud to see her getting her life back on track and making great progress on her personal goals. She’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever known, and I love having her back home with us.

The Rest of the Family:

Scott is a happy camper, setting his own schedule as a flight instructor at Channel Islands Aviation at Camarillo Airport and puttering around the house in his spare time. He still does most of the cooking, which I love and appreciate more than he knows. The recent rains have turned the hillsides lush and green. Our cats are happy, too. Since Ashley has returned home, we now have four of them – all black.

Me:

And as for me, I’m happy to report that I’m back to optimum health! For several months, I’d been anemic, caused by the oral chemo meds I’ve been taking. They cautioned me that it would take some time for my body to adjust. Until that time, I had to put up with fatigue and periodic blood transfusions. But everything has finally evened out and my hemoglobin count is in double digits for the first time since last June! I feel fabulous! I’m motivated and inspired after my recent journey to accomplish some great things. Stay tuned!

The CTP Group:

Our office lease was expiring this month, and we decided it was time for fresh space. We found a nice suite at a nearby building and were close to signing on the dotted line when our landlord came through at the 11th hour with a deal we couldn’t refuse. I can’t fault him for thinking I’d never move out since we’ve been in the building since 1980! Despite a redesign that gives everyone a private office, the same space is open and brighter than ever. With new lighting, ceiling grid, paint, flooring, and cabinetry – it’s stunning. My inner decorator is very happy. Our UPS driver recently asked us if we’d moved!  We’ll be scheduling a big “Reveal Party” in the near future!

I’m being very intentional about editing, tossing, and purging my accumulated “stuff” from the past few decades. I can be a bit of a hoarder, but I’m practicing the art of ‘letting go.’ Our new office is too pretty to deface with anything I don’t absolutely need or love.

Travel:

I’ve done a short trip and a long trip so far this quarter. I visited my 101-year-old Aunt Lil in Phoenix, plus stepson, Danny, who recently moved to Scottsdale. Then I drove down to Tucson to see good friends. A month ago, I jetted off for a big 3-week WOW! Travel Club adventure to India. I returned last weekend and am still processing the experience. In a word, it was EPIC!

I suppose that’s a hint about one of my “Top 18” will be!

Thanks for hanging in with me during this hiatus from writing. I’ve missed you, too!

Namaste.

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As always, comments are welcome!