Lani Smiley:
CLASS OF 1966
Petaluma High SchoolClass of 1966
Petaluma, CA
Strobridge Elementary SchoolClass of 1962
Castro valley, CA
Lani's Story
Life
Divorced in 1997 after 27 years of marriage and very contentedly single. I live with my beloved dogs -- Wylie, and Rocky. (I lost Sparrow in 1/12 and Louie in 9/22. I lost my beloved terrier Toby on May 8, 2016. Maggie, my shih-tzu/poodle mix, left me in November, 2011. I miss them both terribly.) I adopted Wylie and Rocky in 2016. Earned a Master of Social Work Degree in 1997 and am now a licensed mental health professional thriving private practice. COVID forced me to work via the computer from home. I thought I would hate doing telehealth but found I love it. I gave up in office in July 2021 and now work exclusively from home. I thoroughly enjoy my clients and feel privileged to get to know them on the level that I do. My work is very gratifying. I also had a very rewarding experience teaching "Family Dynamics and Parenting" to male inmates at a state penitentiary for six years. Budget cuts and my booming practice ended my teaching in June, 2009. Two grown daughters: older daughter, Julie is a fourth-grade teacher, living in Montana; younger daughter, LJ, was a massage therapist and college student, having lived in Portland, OR for 9 years. She moved here in 2008 to figure out a new direction. I lived in Montana for 24 years on a 60-acre farm, raised our daughters, gardened, and made all our food from scratch. (That was the pioneer woman period of my life.) Moved to Eastern Washington in 1996 for graduate school and felt I "came home" (reminds me of Sonoma County in the 60s). I decided to get a horse again after a marvelous wil...Expand for more
derness horseback trip on top of the Continental Divide in Montana, August, 2005. I was an accomplished equestrienne in my younger days and decided I wanted to ride again on regular basis. In March,2006 I bought my 4X4 pickup, a week later I bought the horse trailer, and on April 1, 2006 found "Babe", a beautiful then 5-year-old buckskin dun quarter horse mare. She has matured into a very fine trail horse and LOVES chasing cows. I rode regularly. I joined two riding clubs in the valley. One group is women only and has 100+ members. My busy social life included a whole bunch of women friends with whom I could "play horse" -- trail riding, horse camping, and working cows. I am happiest when I am in the saddle eating trail dust and smelling like a horse. Babe spent 5 months working with the resident trainer where I boarded. She has learned finesse in her movements so that we can better work cattle. After 12 wonderful years at that stable, in July 2019, we moved to another lovely facility with lots of social interaction. In November 2021 Babe was diagnosed with some lung issues which has changed where and how much I can ride her. She will be 22 in May 2023 and is now a senior horse. She is still sassy. I value my many friends and my home. I have made many improvements on my home and have my own power tools. I enjoy connecting with classmates and friends from my past. I have two granddaughters. Like everyone else, my life has had its highs and lows, but I have been blessed in so many ways. In spite of the "tough stuff", my life is good.
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