I belong to an online neighborhood group and everyday I receive notices like ‘firewood for pick up’, ‘lost cat’, and ‘looking for walking buddies’.

A couple weeks ago, there was the request for people interested in having a Chinese face reading. I jumped at the chance – and here was my reasoning:

It would be a new experience and I would have material to go into a book somewhere. I was already picturing a petite ancient Chinese woman putting her arthritic hands all over my face to tell me about myself. How delightful!

Except my old Chinese lady turned out to be a vivacious Jewish woman from the East Coast.

Now before you deflate, let me tell you she takes her studies very serious, her holistic lifestyle and her artistic and creative life is amazing.

After she asked my date of birth and asked a few questions, she proceeded to read my face  – I won’t divulge her secrets here, but at the end of the two hours, even after she peeled away my several layers, she still was open to doing something social with me. See, she’s amazing!

It was a trait she said I had – that I made friends easily. Like the woman at the laundromat I see every week and still need to have coffee with, and Joy that works Tuesdays at the office, but we are trying to see ‘Spamilton’ (Our schedules never seem to agree with ticket availability).

My face reader and I had our first outing Saturday – a trip to the glass making place – Patterson Glass in Mundelein. We made glass pendants and she made a glass flower of many colors. It was a brief afternoon spent with her, but I look forward to more – we are going to try painting together.

Being open to a new and wonderful experience gave me a new friend.

Earlier that day I spent the morning with a writer friend soaking in the sunshine as we put miles between home and the Ela Area Public Library for a writers’ workshop. This writer friend and I don’t get the chance to do things socially and it was utterly delightful! We giggled, opened up about our lives (mostly our families – how “we put the fun in dysfunctional” – that’s my family motto) and what we were working on. It was a day that I shall cherish.

I am loving every minute of my life – new experiences and new friends.