I was a desperate housewife. Except for the hanky-panky, of course.
I was a stay-at-home mom for 13 years. My husband would jokingly say I was in “Adult Conversation Deprivation.” *I was not laughing*.

That is, until a hilarious conversation I had with my best friend, Lisa.
Lisa told me of her experience joining the “Red Hat Society.” She was invited by another woman to attend her first meeting at a restaurant. Adorned in her new pink hat, (you must be 50 years old to “earn” the red hat), she followed a trail of pink boa feathers to a large group of ladies. Lisa’s story hit a nerve with me, she and most of my closest friends lived many miles, even states away. I was missing the camaraderie of other women.

I decided to throw out the idea of a women’s group on my favorite local website forum. I honestly did not know what sort of response the post would receive.

The responses came in quickly and overwhelmingly positive. Yes, there was interest. No, they didn’t want to wear purple outfits. Red hats signifying a women’s age were a no-no! Besides, not everyone looks good in hats.

We decided to be the “Elk Grove Divas.” Diva, in Sanskrit means “light of the divine.”

Our first outing was a potluck picnic and wine tasting under a huge oak tree at Elk Grove’s own McConnell Estates Winery.  Each new member brought a delicious dish to share. The conversation and wine flowed. Our first get together was a success. We were now a group of about 15 members.

The second get together would be karaoke at a Sports Bar & Grill.Oh, what a raucous group the Divas turned out to be! For those in the group unnerved at going it alone, we often sing together.No pressure here. Karaoke was so much fun, it became a monthly outing.

The Divas sponsored a Katrina Fundraiser in September 2005.Over $4,000 was raised for the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army,the A.S.P.C.A. and a family of five with ties to Elk Grove who were displaced by the hurricane.

Last Christmas, the Divas sponsored a successful Holiday Toy Drive for children in the foster care system.

Take my advice and start or join a Diva Group  You’ll be glad you did.
We get together for karaoke, bunko, wine tasting, girl’s movie night, community functions, and have tons of ideas for future fun.

Dana Hall, Founder of Passionate for Life.com  http://www.passionateforlife.com/ ,
has been married 22 years. She has a heart for couples finding joy and happiness in their marriages. She created Passionate for life.com to inspire couples to romance each other. Her motto is “live passionately, love deeply and laugh often.”