The long time between posts shouldn't confuse you into thinking that I'm still moping around in a blue fog, to the contrary ...

... it has been an exceedingly busy week, and there was simply no time to spend wallowing in self-pity.

The Tradeswomen's Annual Convention in Sacramento last Sunday was a total WOW!  My keynote speech was well received.  To look out over that audience of 600 amazing worker women who are the true successors to the Rosie the Riveter story -- the driving spirit of our park -- and through that image to clearly see evidence of the dream fulfilled ... .

My table held a group of pile-drivers, the woman sitting to my right was one of 19 years experience in her union.  There were carpenters, plumbers, electricians, crane operators, etc., and every one of them a proud feminist with a story to share.  It turned out that, about two years ago when their Convention was held in Oakland, I guided a bus tour for 50 of the attendees.  They'd arrived in their own bus which I'd "hopped on" for a 2 and-a-half-hour tour of our park sites with on board commentary.    My invitation to address their convention this year had grown from that experience.   

This year they'd come from as far north as Canada and as far south as San Diego to spend in this 2-day celebration.  It was impossible to not feel their enthusiasm and solidarity.

Being with them even for those few hours on Sunday swept away the cobwebs and held enough energy to sweep me along into another week of  "rangering" that seems to grow and deepen with each day.

The busyness was made up of our hosting of the design and fabrication teams from the East Coast who are here to finalize the arrangements for the installation of our permanent exhibits (they're going to be fantastic!) -- scheduled for next spring, probably.  In addition, the move of our administrative offices into the Richmond Civic Center was stalled by a week, and won't happen until Monday.  We're also on the eve of the Rosie Trust's Gala tomorrow evening, the annual fundraiser that is being held in the Craneway Pavilion this year, and promises to be super elegant and inspiring.

So you see, despite the fact that I've been reading a book called "Rising Tides" -- the story of the Great Flood of New Orleans in 1927" --- and scaring myself to death with disturbing memories of a 6 year-old refugee (me), there is enough magic in my days for the necessary balance needed to maintain a reasonable hold on sanity.

The twists and turns in my everyday existence leaves me with the chronic threat of whiplash!