This week I have the pleasure of posting at 1010 Park Place. Follow the link below to read my blog, and those of all of the other great women that share their talents here!

http://www.1010parkplace.com/want-hear-god-laugh/

XO Donna

Hello everyone, this week I have posted on my other site:

http://www.DamnedGypsy.com.

I hope that you will click through,  and begin to follow that site, too!  I will show up every-other week in your in-box.

Your presence means a lot to me, thanks for reading and commenting!

XO Donna

Change either happens all at once, leaving us dazed and confused, or doesn’t happen as quickly as we wish. Find my ideas on dealing with change, this week over at:

http://www.1010parkplace.com

Just click the above link and you’ll find my article entitled ‘Speeding Up Change.” And while you’re there, enjoy the other great writers!

Happy Labor Day,
XO Donna

I have a wonderful, challenging, fun-filled, who-knows-what-will-happen? weekend planned. To see what’s in the works, just click below. Any advice? Please share your knowledge, thoughts, or encouragement!

Click Here https://damnedgypsy.com/2016/08/10/my-three-rs/ to read all about it!

XO Donna

This week you will find my new article about downsizing and struggling with my feelings over it at:  1010ParkPlace.com. If it’s your first time there, linger a while. The articles are short, well-written, and relevant to women of all ages – but especially so to those of us on the other side of the big Four-Oh.

If you haven’t seen my Travel Blog, here’s this week’s post:   damnedgypsy.com. I look forward to having some great on-the-road adventures and photos to show you as soon as I “get this party started.” But this week I’m still packing!

I really appreciate you reading and sharing. And I especially love to hear from you!
XO Donna

Damn, I can’t believe we are moving again, downsizing even further. Read More

Due to “circumstances beyond my control,” I’ve only been able to publish one post this week, and it’s over on my other site: damnedgypsy.com

I guarantee you it’s a good one, so click the link and head on over there! I’ll tell you next week what’s going on.

Thank you for reading,

XO Donna

Sorry about not posting last week, I was having computer problems – I thought Mercury was out of retrograde, but based on everyone’s complaints, I guess not.

I did manage to post on www.damnedgypsy.com

I’d love you to click the link and check it out. Always a short post with a photo I’ve taken.  And, it goes without saying, I’d be flattered if you want to follow.

❤️ Thank you,

XO Donna

Austin by Donna Starnes

For the fantastic weather we are having here in Austin, TX.

We just sent a text to our dear friends in Lincoln, Nebraska when we saw that their high temperature was going to be 27F today.  “Hate to gloat, but it’s 82F here!”  The response was swift and contained an unrepeatable four-letter word.

I have a weather app that tracks the temperatures anywhere, so I have pages for  dear friends, family, and vacation spots. Sitting on my patio, bare legs propped on a chair with the sun shining on them, I can see that it’s only sixteen degrees where Sister #5 lives. And only 63F in Key West, FL – one of our fave places. It’s pretty nice being in the catbird seat, and I am grateful for this glorious winter day.

Days like this explain why people are moving here in droves. It’s exactly why I moved here from New York, after being snowed-in for three days on Valentine’s Day in 1978. Austin was a sleepy little town then, and contrary to what people say, it was not better – just smaller. No traffic, much less people. I think there were about 350,000 then. There are closer to 2M now.

There were almost no decent restaurants then. No good pizza. Not a bagel in sight. Now, there are lots of fabulous restaurants, brewers and distilleries.  But, it took an influx of people to make that happen. Now, there are too many people and too much traffic.

Which is why I really appreciate having this amazing balcony and patio – my little slice of Heaven on a day like today. I don’t have to go anywhere – I can see parts of the river below, cliffs and hills lush with evergreens across the way, and a large swath of cloudless blue sky.

Speaking of colors, I notice my legs are still ghostly white – but there’s self-tanner for that. And it will be cold again next week. The shorts will go back in their drawer. The jeans will come back out.  I’m telling you – living here’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!

XO Donna

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