We're family...

 My Mom was an identical twin. 

Doris Laverne & Dorothy Fern a person so nice, God made her twice is what my cousin always says! Doris was MY aunt.  When I call on my childhood memories, Doris was somehow larger than life with her red hair, huge smile and laugh-oh her laugh!  She'd throw her head back and her laugh seemed to come from the depths of her soul and would fill the room with joy.  Doris was a lefty (she and Mom were mirror image twins) and I am a lefty so we could color next to each other for what seemed like hours on end.  When she visited she always had time for me, she made me feel special.  When I was 5 she arrived with Bob Huckert who became MY uncle.  

Bob was a brilliant match for the vivaciousness that surrounded Doris.  Bob was level headed as a former Air Force man, farmer and a true gentleman.  He could weave words into stories that were a delight to anyone who was within earshot of him.  You never knew how much was true and what parts were embellished but it didn't matter.  Bob made my Dad laugh and brought
a twinkle to his eyes like no one else could.  When I was young and we would head to the Texas panhandle for a visit, Dad would get up early and head out to the farm with him checking sugar beets and cattle.  As Mom and Dad aged, it was Mom who would be up early and head out with Bob.  As Bob grew older he began trucking, my parents lived right off I40 in Oklahoma and Bob would often stop for conversation and a steak at Montana Mikes.  He'd often bring Doris along to spend time with Mom while Dad would occasionally head to his destination with him.

We said bye to Doris in May 2021.  Bob and my Mom continued to talk regularly until about a year ago when dementia snuck in and took their memories of one another away.  A couple of weeks ago, my cousin reached out to let me know Bob had joined Doris.  Bob, the last of my maternal aunts & uncles gone. I'm pretty sure that God has heard "amen" more times since Bob arrived then he had heard in all the previous centuries combined!

I hopped on Facetime to let our girls know.  They unanimously agreed that when the funeral time/date was announced they would find a way to be there.  When I got the information we quickly began making plans for what I imagine was likely our last family road trip.  I hopped online and rented a vehicle that would accommodate our now "adults only" family + luggage and reserved an AirBNB so we could spend time together in a house instead of hotel rooms.

Our trip went something like this-pack the car, pick up Melissa, drive, pick up Anna, drive, pick up Jessica, drive, eat cheeseburgers, drive, see 'the little green house' in Weatherford and eat ice cream, drive, drive, honk as we crossed the border into Texas, drive some more and finally arrive.  Eat some dinner, shower & settle in, sleep.  Wake up early and head to Buff's for coffee and time with my cousin who inherited her Mom's laugh.  Hugs were generous and the conversation flowed like we had never stopped. Back to the AirBNB to get ready for the funeral, arrive at the church, visit with family, say bye to Bob, drive a half hour to the cemetary, dinner with family then goodbyes with love and hugs promising to see each other soon...Braums for banana splits (incredibly made by Tyler) when what to our eyes should appear but Drenda & Shane.  More conversation and laughs. Back to the house where we played Wavelength-next time your family gathers try it.  We laughed so hard we had tears running down our cheeks!  The next morning was a more solemn breakfast as my cousin was already on the road.  The trip home looked like this-Walmart for spray paint, Cadillac Ranch, Buccees, Friedas in Weatherford, Stillwater, Siloam Springs and home.

On second thought, maybe just maybe there will be another family road trip to Colorado someday bringing along a couple of boys AND another car!!!

Lent Accountability--

If it's on the internet it's forever, right? Capturing my intentions for my own personal accountability!

Screen capature from Failing Forward 
by John C Maxwell

Here we are another Ash Wednesday, the Palm Branches we waved as he entered Jerusalem on that fateful day have been burned so we can receive them as a cross smudged across our foreheads.  Today we begin the 40 day journey to Easter.  A time of denial and fasting for many which causes me to recall a Lenten study I participated in with the FUMC honorary "grandmas" back in the late 90's.  We dabbled with fasting from anything other than water from sunup to sundown each Friday for that particular Lent.  When we felt a hunger pang we were simply called to whisper a prayer of Thanksgiving for his long ago sacrifice. I was surprised by how energized I actually felt on Fridays.

This Lent, I won't be fasting on Fridays-weight loss surgery coupled with cardiomyopathy mean my body needs to be fueled for my health.  As I grew older I began to think of Lent as a time to take on new, positive habits in an effort to better my life.  I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few weeks in preparation for today and this is where I've settled....thirty minutes.  Each day devoting 30 minutes to each of the following:

• Decluttering & organizing-I was on the road to success when I started a job.  My house shows it. By the end of Lent 30 minutes a day should have my downstairs completed and a good chunk of my sewing space completely user friendly!
• Quilting-I go far to many days without touching fabric.  If I ever want to accomplish my "big goal" of creating quilts as a business I must touch fabric every day.
• Cooking-I love to cook and find myself slipping into old habits when I'm tired from work. I would like to be intentional about meals out instead of it being an excuse for not planning better.
• Gratitude-notes, texts, calls to family and friends.  Who doesn't love to get a note in the mail, a sweet text or a phone call? It only takes moments but the sunshine I spread just might make a difference, who knows...
• Reading-in February, I lost myself to reading.  I'm a sucker for a good book and my friend Kathy introduced me to a series, Stillhouse Lake.  I read almost 2,000 pages in the month of February, SIX books.  I found myself staying up way too late and ignoring other things for my love of reading.  Not necessarily a bad thing unless it keeps you from doing what you need to do. (I will prioritize reading the book the leadership team at Health Fitness is reading and the one selected for book club in April.)

Time in a Bottle

Jim Croce, Time in a Bottle...my very first memory of this song was 1980.  My big brother, AKA my childhood hero, was getting married.  He and his lovely bride asked me, a barely ten year old little girl to sing this song for their wedding.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  The church was the HUGE new Baptist Church in Weatherford, Oklahoma and I was in awe of being in such a large, fancy church. I distinctly remember crying in the hall to my brother, I was filled with fear that somehow he wouldn't be my big brother anymore.  I was seated on the front row of that larger than life sanctuary where I continued to snivel with the occasional tear finding it's way down my face.  The time came and I was on-I don't really remember much about my big performance other than when it was over I burst into tears on my lonely pew.  

Here I am 45 years later and boy do I wish there were a way to save time in a bottle.  I recently re-entered the workforce with the best job (next to motherhood and being a wife) ever!  My job title is Membership Experience Specialist. My responsibilities are to give tours to associates who live locally and want to know about the Walton Family Whole Health and Fitness facility, tours to associates visiting from out of state or even another country, tours to folks that Walmart is working to recruit as future associates and to smile-visit with our members, be a keen observer of the members and recognize when one might need help or have a question. Striving to make their visit to our facility a truly positive experience. I'm there to help ensure they have a positive experience in our space.  *Pause*Notice*Choose, that's our mantra; the three days a week I step foot in that beautiful building as an employee, I Pause, inhale and breathe in the energy that WFWHF exudes.  I Notice the folks who have come to the building to be healthier, more fit, more whole.  I Choose to put on my power lipstick by L'Oreal along with my most genuine and welcoming smile and I feel supercharged with energy, vitality.  I recently asked my boss if coming into our facility ever gets old or feels "ho-hum" and she quickly responded with a hearty "NO!"

Last fall, I started working with a friend to declutter and organize our home.  After 20+ years of being a homeschool family, 12+ years of caregiving (the last 8 being super involved) our home had become a pit of disorganized chaos.  I was making really good progress the I got this wild hair to apply for a job.  My dearly loved hobby-quilting has pretty much fallen off my radar.  I'm currently spread between "Fred" and upstairs with my sewing and quilting things.  (When Anna moved out in 2014, Melissa moved in to Anna's room giving us Melissa's Room and Jessica's Room.  When we redid our bedroom last year, our bookshelves and pretty much everything but our bed were moved to Jessica's room since she was at college.  When she came home in the summer, she "moved" into Melissa's old room.  Then it was confusing because when we'd say "Jessica's room" did we mean Jessica's old room or the room she was currently inhabiting.  Jess and I started calling the room where she slept Fred-it drove Handsome crazy but it worked and made us giggle!)  My decluttering and organizing has *insert mental picture of an old time train slowly slowing down here....my friend says just 30 minutes a day Dana...just thirty minutes.  Sounds easy, right?  Then there is Handsome who notices my kitchen has lost the extreme  empty look as my countertops have become somewhat cluttered again as he gently says, "you were doing so great wtih that decluttering thing, when are you going to get back to it?" I glance over at my table which looks like a cross between a pharmacy, egg carton factory and mail sorting facility and fight back the guilt and anxiety that can only be known by a woman who knows exactly the meaning of CHAOS.  

Yesteday I posted on Facebook, I'm always striving for authenticity and being real on Facebook, expressing that I'm tired and wondering how working Mom's do it.  I got serious, cute, funny and even a Frozen meme reminding me to "Let it go..." I loved them all!  The the last one...Sharla my standards are definitely NOT too high.  Just ask Handsome.  I just want to have the "ooomph" if you will to do it, and by it I mean continue decluttering/organizing, quilt, see my Mom uat least 3X a week, facilitate Sunday school, care for my animals-including bi-monthly dog food cooking sessions, attend some classes-specifically pilates reformer, read books, bake sourdough, cook meals AND not feel guilty enjoying my leisurely morning coffee.  Oooope, my phone just rang it was my dear friend Mary calling about P.E.O. along with serving as our Arkansas STAR Committee Chairman, I just agreed to serve two years as our local chapter president.  (I dearly love my P.E.O. sisters and I believe strongly in the projects they fund at the International, State and Community levels.) What I'm telling ya'll is I WANT TO DO IT ALL!!!! 

Time in a bottle.  Time management.  Efficiency.  That's what I need.  This year I turned into my parents and bought one of the GIANT year at a glance, laminated calendars and put in the hall by our bedroom.  Guess what?  Today is January 31 and it hasn't solved my time challenge.  Today, I'm battling my inner sloth.  Coffee, French toast, more coffee, text with my brother, a couple of Toast Yay's from my favorite Girl Scout, more coffee, some pork belly cooking while I type this post.  In the couple of hours it's taken to pound out these words I could have accomplished so many other things but there is something therapeutic about putting the proverbial pen to paper and letting thoughts, feelings, ideas swirl.  I'm trying to imagine what Lauren would tell me-gosh I really miss our time together. I'm human.  I'm not perfect.  There is no way to save time, no bottle that can capture it to save for another day.  Poor Jim, what foreshadowing in writing his song back in December 1970 having no idea he'd not get to watch his daughter grow up.  Heck, he barely got to know her before he was gone.  I wonder if she feels comfort in her Dad's words?  I bet she'd ask him give the words back and "save every day like a treasure and then again I'd spend them with you...."

I think that's my answer. Wake up every day.  *Pause*Notice*Choose what's important TODAY?  What is on my heart that is calling to me to complete for the day.  I'm indeed so crazy blessed and oh so lucky to have been home with our girls for all those years.  I'm indeed crazy blessed to have Handsome, our girls, my Mom, my family, my friends, my Sisters, my hobby, my job.  Today I've chosen to share with you. I'm choosing to go to work this evening, my normal day off, because my Boss offered me the opportunity to spend four blissful hours talking about Whole Health and Fitness to associates and their families who have been invited to our first open house.  Before I head that way I'll be sewing some borders onto a quilt for a friend so after work tomorrow I can get it on to my long arm.  Throw into the mix some calls, texts and snaps with my angel girls and some friends.  Life is good.  All the time.  I've got an incredible "cup"!

**oh and let's not forget that February 10 deadline for getting my MQG Quilt Con Swap in the mail to Canada, eh??