Girls' Weekend!

If you haven't done it.... I highly reccomend a girls' getaway weekend! This is the second year the moms in our playgroup have made it happen. Last year we went in December to San Francisco for two days of checking out decorations, shopping, eating, relaxing and girl talk. Oh, and we squeezed in some 'spirits' and a night of dancing.

This year we tried something different - an Autumn wine tasting weekend. One of our ultra-organized gals had the idea to jaunt off to a sleepy town about an hour northeast. Livermore has a growing quaint-ish downtown and at least half a dozen wineries, but not much else. We nabbed a two bedroom suite for the six of us at a dirt cheap price, making it hard to say no. With dads and kids set up with food and plans, we made our getaway at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. By noon we were picnicing and tasting at our first winery. Oh, it was heaven - the best medicine for stress. Although, I had been trying to not succumb, I had been feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything going on in the world. Even though, we are not yet directly affected by the financial crisis, I find the 'worry' about it contagious. That, along with a host of other concerns that made me feel a bit overwhelmed, had been wearing on me. Yet, as we talked and clinked glasses, I had such a feeling of empowerment. I felt ready to go back and tackle everything! Meanwhile, I tried to take in all the fun of the moment. We hit three really different, eclectic and lively wineries, sat in the hot tub, chatted tons, had a very nice dinner, and capped off the evening with a viewing of Sex in the C*ity in our apartment-type hotel room. Today we breakfasted, shopped, and lunched before heading home.

We are already in discussions for the next getway. I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to escape again, but it will happen eventually!