What is is like to be 72? I once thought it meant sitting by the fire in a rocking chair, wrinkled, tired, and remembering better days. Reporting from the front lines, it ain’t so. I
have an active love life, both with my romantic husband and our lovers who bring us delight in our bed which is big enough for four to sleep and cuddle in. Five can fit for… other activities.

My husband and I celebrated our 7^th wedding anniversary April 28 (a bit early) in Hawaii!

Many of my friends and lovers have been in my life for decades. The co-author of our book, Fifty Years of Polyamory in America, Glen Olson has been my best friend since we were in high school.

At age 15, we were part of a sensitivity group which featured weekly evening meetings for doing verbal and sensual exercises, ranging from sharing our discovery of how opposite (and delightful) the opposite sex could be, to exploring each other’s faces with curious, gentle fingers. We had birthday parties and kidnap breakfasts, too. The difference between this and most teen gatherings was that at any moment the mood could shift and if one of us needed to TALK about something, get advice or blow off steam, we could.

Glen and I read Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land when we were 15 and Shared Water as written in the book. This creates Family by Choice, which can be at least as close as Family by blood. Others in our group Shared Water with each other and some with us. The two Nests became One when at age 18 I I grew close enough with a girl in the other Nest to want her as water kin.

Today we have a Nest of 12 who get together pretty regularly in various configurations. Most of these have joined us along the way in our adult lives, such as my second husband Paul and his wife Athena.

Others are further out in our orbit geographically, such as the leader of our sensitivity group in high school, Art. My husband Craig and I visit him in Northern California when we go to The Great Dickens Christmas Faire, at which he plays a dear friend of Charles Dickens himself. The connection when we do get together is as close as it was when he and I were teenagers.

It is wonderful to share old memories and create new ones. We visit Kathy and Dean in that area, too. Our water kin (since 1987) Dave and Eileen sometimes join our LTD meetings on Zoom from the state of Washington, and we visit them in their cooperative living community every year or three.

Oberon and Rhianon Zell were in town here before their Tennessee wedding in May of 2024, at which I handled the guest book. Oberon (founder and primate of Church of All Worlds) conducted a meeting of most of those in our LA Nest at that time. It was very special for all of us. Guess that is pushing 22 geographical barriers aside.

What does it take to develop that kind of intimate network? Hint: you DON’T have to start it in high school. This meeting is about exactly how you can make it happen in your life. Whether you are 18 or 70 you can create the joy of CONNECTION in your life starting NOW! Join us by Zoom or in person for this meeting to find out how! Hugs and hot tubs are better in person if you are local…

After lunch, there will be a summer solstice ritual led by Terry and Craig.