salishan spa at Lincoln city

Hello Folks...

I'm sorry for my absence...I've been busy.

Where to start...oh, Maleen, I read that sort article and had a few tears myself. And I'm not prego nor married to someone who is, lol.

I spent last week stressing out about taking a "mental health" day on Friday. It was our staff meeting and then we had a camp directors meeting and then a DCD meeting...and I needed to be ready to go to the coast before my first meeting ended so, I did it. I called and took a mental health day.

But first...Tuesday 3/4 and Wednesday 3/5 I spent with new unit sales calls with my boss. They went very well. Then Thursday we had a reflection with the district committee and it was really, really nice. We narrowed it down to 3 task items and while 2 are easy, one is not. I think it will be a great way to implement a plan though.

Wed. afternoon I attended a major gifts seminar and really learned a lot. I am going to try and slowly implement some of the ideas into my district - to recruit both donors and volunteers of higher caliber.

So finally it's Friday AM. I am stressed to the max bc calling in sick is just NOT my style. Fortunately, my neck was killing me and I had a chiropractic appt and got adjusted. Only problem was, it made me more sore. I was all sorts of muscle relaxers and pain killers which made me really tired.

Jody is my Highest level volunteer and it was her birthday weekend. So...you do what you have to do. We headed to Lincoln City. I never knew it was so close - only 45 min from my house and we were at the outlet shopping mall! Note to self - new tradition - first weekend of every March, head to the coast to SHOP! In between seasons have great sales. We stopped bc Jody forgot to bring her swimming suit ~ It was all good. I got these awesome pumps for $4.50 and a pair of boots for $12.00. WHOO WHOO.

Then it was off to the House Jody rented for the weekend. WOW - it was fantabulous. Here are some pics...(ok, promise to add when I find OUR house).

So I was introduced to Sarah - from Alaska. Heidi from AK and then AZ. Susan arrived late. Wait, there was me, Heidi, Sarah, Brenda, yes Brenda is Jody's walking buddy and a super great gal. Then there was Kaylee, a friend of Jody's from Church. That was all of us. Susan did drive out late and thank goodness because we sure were cramped in a minivan, lol. Then Susan and another gal (I can't remember her name! She was only around for like 3 hrs). Anyway...first 20 min we're in the house we hike down to the beach - two gals fall, lol...so I simply sit and scoot. It was wet sand but sooo gorgeous. Nice waves, great beach, a little bit of rocky sand. I brought a flashlight and we walked with so much excitment about the weekend.

I went to bed early but woke up like normal at 4:15!! I dont' know what is wrong with me and my sleep cycle. Jody had scheduled a day at the spa for all of us - Salishan Spa and Resort. We each had 2 hours of treatments. http://www.salishan.com/spa/ I had a mud wrap and a deep tissue massage. Some gals got facials, many pedicures and Jody got a stone massage. It all sounded so great but after seeing the two gals who had facials - I will always go for that from now on. They looked about 10 years younger, each! Seriously! Jody announced later that night that she planned on taking all of us in 5 years (which is good b/c she probably had to sell a home just to provide us with this weekend on HER birthday) to the Salishan Spa in Vancouver, BC!!! Her gifts were so dang cute. IMHO, Kaylee outdid us all. She had individually wrapped 40 gifts that all screamed Jody. Everything was fuscia or hot pink and just very her. We were jealous of her insight into such a great gift.

Jody fed us healthy food and walked all weekend. I bonded especially with Susan (she works at George Fox Univ. and for those of you who don't know, it's probably the next conservative university that I'm familiar with next to BYU). They don't allow their profs to drink. And we live in the heart of wine country! Anyway...we just loved each other from the beginning. It was so great. She has 6 kids, two adopted (one from Africa and one from Siberia, Russia). She and her husband found God at the same time which according to her was a good thing or they'd be divorced.

I've got to speed this up or you will never get through it. Got home around 4 on Sunday and then I headed to a mid-singles Fireside in LO where the temple is and central to the two regions. Oddly enough, Vancouver is in another REGION! Oh well.

I just totally broke the mold and went around and introduced myself to folks. This probably freaked them out but I didn't care. They are all there to meet new people and yet everyone sits only with people they know. What is the point of that exercise?

That was my weekend!

Hugs to all!