Hi all:

Last night I had the great fortune and honor of celebrating the 80th birthday of an amazing woman. I haven’t asked her permission to write this so I’ll leave out her name, but I will share my takeaways from the night. First, what I remember is her glow. And I mean glow. The DJ (yes, there was a DJ and lots of dancing) crowned her the matriarch of the party and bestowed a light-up cape upon her. But the glow was not only electric, it also came from within. She was surrounded by the community she has built over decades and each person was over the moon to celebrate her (well, I didn’t ask everyone, but I can’t imagine it was otherwise). From what I have observed and from what I know, she has built this community through her desire to deeply connect with people, assist in creating a more just and fair world (and I mean world), and her ability to ask meaningful questions and really listen to the answers. At the beginning of her remarks last night she said something that resonated for me – receiving is hard and because of this, at first she didn’t want a party, but then decided that a party was exactly what she wanted (and maybe needed). She talked about letting go of her closely held stories (fictional tales) about who she was told she was and embracing the trueness of the woman she is. I admire this woman for the work she has done in our community, her commitment to truth and hard work and I never had an inkling that she occasionally doubted herself. Turns out that most of us/all of us carry around messages about who we should be and at 50, I’m taking a nudge from the birthday woman to shed the shit and the shoulds and embrace the woman who I know I am. Will you join us?

Just so you know, she is a founding member of the Ladies Adventure Club. Of course she is.
 

Upcoming Community (not all LAC) Adventures – These are not LAC adventures (except for the ones that say, “LAC”). These are adventures we’re sharing that are put-on by other orgs. If you have ideas for the calendar or want to organize an LAC community adventure, please send me a note.

Maine

☀️ September 2-4: Outdoor Recreation Weekend at Pierce Pond
☀️ September 8: Maine Audubon Fall Edible Plant Walk
☀️ September 9: Northwoods Gravel Grind
☀️ September 9: MATLT Community Hike @ Cranberry Peak
☀️ September 10: Maine Lighthouse Ride
☀️ September 16: 12 Hours of Bradbury Mtn. Bike Race
🍁 September 16: Maine Audubon Bar Harbor Pelagic Trip
🍁 September 16: Outing Group for Women: Ecology & Geology of the Maine Coast
🍁 October 6: Pineland Farms Women’s Hike Night
🍁 October 7: Saddleback Mtn. 5K
🍁 October 14: Hike for Hospice
🍁 October 21: Outing Group for Women: Foraging
 

Happy adventuring,