Happy Monday, dear friends.

Today, I have been single for ten months!! And I'm happy to report that I've finally turned that corner into full acceptance of my reality. It's a peaceful feeling - not feeling the pull to know anything about my ex. I find it uninteresting and can easily redirect my focus, if a thought of him crosses my mind or I get curious about what he's up to. Meh (That's for CLove). I'm finally at "meh."

My birthday was last week - 58 years! Only 4 more until retirement - I hope.

I went to one of my favorite places in WV for the week last week. It's got this amazing alpine climate, and I was thrilled that snow was in the forecast. I took my DS28 with me and we had a chill week of exploring, eating good food, a little bit of hiking, watching movies and relaxing. I worked remotely but the connection was garbage.

Last Thursday, the snow arrived with totals of over a foot predicted. I ventured out Friday morning to get a massage, and the roads were sketchy. I made it back safely, but then the storm was upgraded to a blizzard and we, sadly, missed the concert we had tickets for in the neighboring town. I figured it was best to eat the $80 rather than paying for a tow truck or an insurance deductible. We were both bummed, but as the wind howled through the night, we were glad to be safe and warm in our condo.

We headed back on Saturday because my girl posse had planned a birthday sleepover for me.

I arrived to find that the party theme was Unicorns!! LMAO. I love that my best friend is fun like that. All the plates and napkins were unicorns. She even got us party "hats" that were unicorn horns. One friend made beef burgundy for dinner, but everyone chipped in and brought appetizers and cupcakes. Before too long, there was a knock at the door - belly dancer showed up to give us a lesson and to perform for us! OMG - it was amazing. The planners had bought us all the scarves with "coins" that you wear on your hip. We learned a few moves then enjoyed the show.

Just when I thought it was over, there was another knock on the door and a man arrived to give us a bourbon tasting. These ladies know me. I drank way too much, so much that I can only remember starting to play a game with my friends and the next thing I knew, I was waking up on Sunday morning, on the sofa. I am told I participated in the game for quite a while, but I cannot remember.

This birthday celebration now ranks #1 in my entire life. I had people who love me put a lot of time and effort into planning a celebration suited to me. Prior to this day, my most recent ex had given me 3 of the best birthdays of my life. However, this celebration eclipsed all three due to the effort, consideration and love shown for me. I just love these women.

My friendships are so deeply fulfilling that being single is quite lovely. I had originally planned to stay out of the dating world for at least a year, and I'm now seriously considering giving myself at least another year. It's addictive.

The wedding plans are in full swing. My DD31 has her dress and is wrapping up her accessories. The venue, date and time are set. She and her fiance will exchange vows on the steps of a local art museum - just parents and witnesses. Then, we'll head to a pub for some drinks/snacks, and then head to a restaurant for dinner with other immediate family members. I have my dress picked out but need to finalize a few things.

DD31 is also starting to move her stuff out and into her fiance's house. I am REALLY excited about having my house to myself.

My DS34 says he will be finishing grad school by the end of next summer, and hopes to have a job/move out of my other house soon after - assuming he finds a job.

There is a very good chance I will sell my former airbnb/current house and cash in on the profit achieved in the last 4 years. I will give a small share to my DS34 since we bought the house together, and give my DD31 what she's been promised for her "wedding/house downpayment." I plan to use another chunk of the profits to make improvements to my other house, and I will move back in and share with my DS28 with him living in the basement apartment (something I've been working on for the last few years), while I live upstairs. Once I retire, I'll move DS28 upstairs with me, rent out the basement apartment to a college student, and then I'll likely go off on adventures. I may even get my own camper van or RV, and f*ck off with my cats to explore the country. <3

My plans are not cemented. A lot can change in a year, but it's a solid plan. For now, I'm just going to enjoy having my house to myself while living near the mountains (which I love) and bike trails.

I'm not keen on moving........again. Ugh!! This time, I am going to purge a LOT of stuff from the current house to make it look less cluttered, and that will help because I'll have less to move BACK to my other house.

I'm debating whether or not to just do a simple update to my other house by remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms, or if I should go all in and build an addition with a master bedroom, washer/dryer and bathroom on the first floor (thinking of growing old in place). I'm fairly certain I could get all my investment back when I sell the house, I just don't know yet if I want to grow old there. I would love to have a single family home on a little bit of land with a pretty view. Time will tell.

Thanks for reading. I hope everyone has a peaceful and delicious Thanksgiving........if you're in the US.