I hope you dance…

I spent this afternoon at a dance seminar at Gilley’s in Dallas.  (Yes, once again I ventured to downtown Dallas!)  I felt that smile spread across my face as I made my way into downtown.  I saw some of the buildings that I painted last week in painting class—I didn’t let the traffic jam dampen my spirits I knew that I was going to have a good time today.

There were a lot of people at the dance seminar today.  Several Meet Up groups from across the metroplex were invited.  There were even reserved seats for our group. There were a few familiar faces from my dance classes, but lot of new people.  I sat with two women from Meet Up and made two new friends.  They also told me a great place close to home that offers dance lessons on Sunday night.  There are no classes tomorrow, but I promised them I would join them there next week.

I learned a few new dances this afternoon, my favorite was the barn dance where you danced a pattern and then shifted partners.  The dance moved around the outside of the floor in the circle and was great fun.  I learned a tango like line dance that let me slink across the floor and you guessed it laugh at myself.

I realized after dance class on Thursday this week that I have been learning more at dance class, than just how to do the progressive two step, the three step, the two step and the waltz.  I’ve been given a few lessons on life.

Patience--There are always more men than women at both dance class, and today at the afternoon seminar.  It can be frustrating to be the person standing back and waiting your turn until there is someone to dance with.  There were a few times today that I felt like the last kid picked for kickball.  In all fairness, I was the new person there, and really didn’t know anyone.  Each time will get easier.  Driving home tonight I realized just how brave it probably is to just get in my car and go to these lessons and events by myself.  It’s not always easy putting yourself out there to strangers.  But, I didn’t move to Dallas to sit in my apartment all weekend.  So I will keep pushing myself to do new things and tackle new challenges.

You have to let other people lead – Laughing, this really has been a struggle for me.  If we are practicing and I know what we are going to do next I tend to back lead–and every time I do that I am busted by the guy I am dancing with.  When we are doing free dance when I don’t know what might come next I am much better at letting the man lead.  I’m working on it.

Being told what to do , and really listening and trying to become a better dancer- Not the same as leading I have been fortunate enough to dance with some experienced dancers who give me pointers and suggestions.  I truly do appreciate the help.  It can be intimidating dancing with someone who has a clue when you are still in the learning stages.

Being in the moment – It’s hard to count, follow a lead and twist and twirl around the dance floor and focus on anything else.  No time for checking text messages, emails or poking anyone on Facebook.  You just have to pay attention and dance.

Understanding - I love dancing with people who are better than I am.  After dancing with other beginning dancers, I know that it’s not as fun for them as it is for me.

Appreciation for people who have been at this for awhile -  Those times when I am sitting on the sidelines, I enjoy watching really good dancers move across the floor.  I’m determined that I am going to be one of those people.  Who can just go from move to move without thinking, and loving the feeling of gliding across the floor.

I have gotten better than that first class, and the lessons do help.  I’m determined, and really feel comfortable enough to dance several dances and not be intimidated.  I’m hoping that my sense of humor help me get through the silly parts of my introduction to dancing.  I know that I can do anything that I put my mind to, and I’m putting my mind to this.

We had a break at the end of the day and had a *spread* as they call it in Texas.  There were a variety of homemade and purchased food that lined the table.  The dancers sat in groups and just shared a great afternoon together.  I arrived at around 12:30 and left at 7:00.  We do this again in a few weeks, and I will be there again, ready to learn more and for the next adventure.

To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream. Not only plan but also believe.–Anatole France

Once upon a time..in a land far far away…

Called Ohio

About 20 some odd years ago I became a stay-at-home mom.  After being independent with my own income, it was a challenge to stay home and not have an income.  I struggled with that for awhile, and then found and ad in the paper to do a little sewing.

*A little sewing* consisted of making hundreds of tiny little bears and bunnies.  It didn’t pay much, but it was a little income and it was a foot in the door to starting my own wholesale line of handcrafted items.  I made not just hundreds but thousands, probably tens of thousands of all sorts of little dolls and pins from wood and fabric.  When I was finally done with all of that I was so burnt out on crafting that I never planned to do anything again….

Flash forward to today…I’m not quite sure what got into me, but one of my goals for 2010 was to establish an Etsy shop.  I love Etsy and have spent quite a bit of money there buying yarn from other crafters. I have even ordered a few patterns from people there.

When I started looking at ways to add a little income to cover my travel adventures I first thought about doing some of the fabric gift bags that I use for wrapping gifts.  But looking around Etsy there were other people making that sort of thing, and far cheaper than I would even consider making them for.  Next thought was to handknit baby sweaters and to make matching bags for them.  I could get a better price for them, some of the handknits on Etsy sell for a pretty high amount.  But realistically with my hectic life in Dallas would I have time to knit many sweaters.

One night I got the idea to begin to make dolls.  I have looked on Etsy there are all sorts of dolls, but I didn’t seen any dolls that were like the ones that I have made in the past.  When I moved out on my own, I left behind all of the patterns that I had used in my business years ago, positive that I would never need them again.  I looked online, looked in craft stores, and I didn’t see anything close to what I was looking for.  My plan B was to design a pattern–that was a first for me.  Creating my own pattern gave me the rights to not only sell the dolls, but I can also sell the patterns…my revenue stream just expanded. 

When I did this 20 years ago, I didn’t have a degree in digital communications/emarketing.  There were no interwebz being used by the general population and there was no such thing as social media.  I find myself now on the edge of a unique opportunity to not have to make dolls by the thousands, but to focus on selling them at a retail level through Etsy, a blog and a web site.

I’m getting a kick out of using this creative side of my spirit.  It just feels like it’s the right thing to do.  It’s worth taking a chance and exploring the possibilities.  Twenty years ago my business was called Annie’s Heirlooms…my new business is Something Special by Design.  I’m going to take that little bit of extra special that I put into things I do for charities and for friends into my new little online business.

Official launch date is 02/10/2010…

I’m excited!

Every month….

At least once a month I will try something new and different…that’s goal number 4 for 2010.

Last night’s adventure was attending a painting class at Painting With a Twist in Grapevine. I had purchased a Groupon Coupon back in December for a night of painting for $20.  I figred that was cheaper than a movie night with popcorn and thought it would be fun.  Whoever came up with the concept of adding wine to craft classes is a genius!

I had a bottle of wine that I purchased while visiting the hill country in Texas last summer.  The wine was a Muscat Canelli from the Sister Creek Vineyards in Texas.   It seemed a perfect fit to paint the Dallas Skyline.

The class was full with 40 people attending.  There were groups of women having a girls night out, couples, and a few single people like me just there for an evening of fun.  Many people had done the same thing I had done and purchased the $20 coupon.  The owner of the store said they had sold over 600 coupons through their offer on Groupon.com.

I arrived early, opened my bottle of wine, and poured myself a glass.  I put on my apron, admired some of the other paintings in the room and pondered taking another class.  It was a lively evening with lots of laughter and fun.  It was very cold outside (especially by Dallas standards) but there was only one empty seat.  I had a great view of the instructor and didn’t have to turn my back to watch what she was painting.

At the end of the evening we posed for a group photo with our paintings.  No two paintings looked alike, some were better than others, some were *very colorful*.  The one thing that was constant were the smiles on every face around the room. Every person in the room had a great time and went home with a reminder of the evening to hang on the wall.

I plan to frame my work of art and hang it in my apartment.  Not because it is a stunningly beautiful painting, but it’s a reminder of a fun evening, and stepping outside of the box and trying new adventures.  The teacher said last night they are working on a companion piece that will be the skyline of Fort Worth.  Sign me up!

Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.  ~Pablo Picasso

I have happy feet!

I think I understand now about the lead character in Happy Feet.  That’s how I feel after I leave my dance class on Thursday night.  I have that rush of excitement from figuring out a new turn, a new step that puts me on a high that I just can’t imagine.  I honestly never pictured myself as someone who would enjoy Country Western dance lessons so darn much.

Tonight started a fresh round of lessons.  The weather was simply awful outside, crazy raining which really had my cough acting up.  It had been a long day at work and on the drive home I started finding myself thinking of excuses to stay home.  I gave myself a quick kick in the behind and went to class.

There were only two groups tonight a beginner class and an intermediate class.  That meant that my partner, an advanced level dancer had to take a step down and dance with the intermediate group.  It makes a big difference dancing with someone who knows what he is doing.  It can also be very intimidating.  Thankfully, Don had lots of patience, and taught me quite a few extra moves that we didn’t learn in class tonight.  I still struggled to let him lead, but found that after a few practice runs it was easier to just step back and let him lead me where I needed to go.  When we had the free dance period of the night he was very patient when showing me new things and gave me lots of tips to help make me a better dancer.

Next week I may be brave enough to wear the python boots, it really is important to wear shoes that don’t have rubber soles.  I need to get used to just regular walking n them before I take them dancing.  Baby steps… I had to giggle tonight when Don pushed me to try new things..and I said sure I’ll try.  Doing a few dance moves doesn’t seem like all that much after the major life changes I’ve gone through in the last few months.  All of those changes started with baby steps too…

Life isn’t worth living unless you’re willing to take some big chances and go for broke.– Eliot Wiggington

TexAnnie has arrived…

Today was sandwich for Soupmobile Saturday so I headed to the Deep Ellum area of Downtown Dallas to work with the Random Acts of Kindness group to make bologna and cheese sandwiches for the homeless.  We had a big crowd today and in 2 hours time had over 1200 sandwiches made.  That’s enough for 2 days of meals for those who visit the Soupmobile.  After we are done making the sandwiches some of us stay for lunch. Excuses Extreme Cafe is our host for this bi-weekly event and they provide drinks for the volunteers.  The food is great, and it’s a funky cool kind of place.

The lunch time topics are all over the place, places to eat, movies, shopping and there seems to be a lot of laughter.  There is also a reality check as you sit and listen to the stories told by Leanne, our friend from the Soupmobile.  It’s sad to think about places that toss food away, wasted.  You know how much I hate vegetables—but at least I have the option of fresh vegetables whenever I want them, that’s a special treat for those that the Soupmobile services.  One more reminder that I live a life of great abundance.

Before heading downtown I did a little Googling in search of a place to start shopping for my first pair of Texas Cowgirl boots.  Wild Bill’s Western Store caught my eye, so I took the address with me to stop in there after lunch.  Wild Bill’s is in the West End section of downtown Dallas.  I visited there on my first trip to Dallas and had a blast.  I saw the book repository, the grassy knoll, you know those historical places?

I found a place to park and walked a few blocks in the rain to Wild Bill’s.  My salesperson was J’Lee Bartley.  She was very knowledgeable and patient and helped me try on about a dozen different pairs of boots.  My biggest surprise is how comfortable the boots were.  I had envisioned having to wear these cowgirl boots around the house for weeks to break them in.  There were some boots like that, but I narrowed my choice down to three pairs of boots.  One pair a turquoise leopard looking boots that were definitely not practical.

I tried on a pair of brown, very practical boots that were soft, comfortable and fit well.  Then J’Lee decided to shake up my world a bit and brought out a pair of python boots.  I laughed, but when I tried them on they were the most comfortable.  I went back and forth between being practical, and be a bit more out there.  Ann from Ohio would have definitely picked the sensible brown boots.  She may go back and get them.  But TexAnnie? She said bring on the python.  You only live once, and surely your first pair of boots should make a statement.

Whatcha think JD? Did I do ok?  

One day I will have a pair of custom made boots from Leddy’s in the Fort Worth Stockyards.  For now though, I am pretty tickled with my new pair of boots.

On to the next topic…on my list of general things to do in life is “Help Someone Achieve a Dream” I came across an opportunity today to do that.  I have a friend in Ohio that I met via Twitter.  His name is Daniel Johnson Jr and I call him Daniel Johnson Jr.  Never Dan or Daniel it’s always all three words.  I had lunch with Daniel Johnson Jr and some other Twitter friends in Dayton before leaving Ohio.  I also met up with Daniel Johnson Jr. at Podcamp Ohio.  He is the person I most love to torture on Twitter and face-to-face about being such a social media geek.

Not long after I left Ohio, Daniel Johnson Jr lost his job.  I know that the economy is tough in Ohio, and I know that he has been struggling to find a new position.  His daughter was born with a hearing loss in both ears.  She wears hearing aids, but the hearing aids are losing their effectiveness, and it will cost $4,000 for new ones.  That put a frown on my face, because my guess is that my friend Daniel Johnson Jr does not have $4,000 waiting to be spent.  I was delighted this morning when I saw he had posted a link to help.  I can’t give him the full $4,000 if I could, I would do it in a heartbeat.  But what I can do is give a small amount, and spread the word, hoping that others will find it in their heart to make a difference if even in a small way.

“If you have much, give of your wealth; If you have little, give of your heart” Arab Proverb

Gettin’ my giggle on…

It’s been a week for me.  A Murphy’s Law kind of week, but last night I decided that starting today that had to end.  Monday was a debacle of a trip to the dentist, Tuesday was the hospital and the pulmonary test that forced an asthma attack, Wednesday night was a mix up at the nail salon..good grief I felt the Universe was doing it’s best to try my patience, to challenge my joy.

Tonight…was dance class and I leave the place after two hours of dancing feeling as if I am floating on air.  Trust me I have much to learn, and I am far from smooth on the dance floor.  At one point tonight my partner started to spin me and I kept on spinning across the floor nearly taking out the instructor and his partner.  My reaction, total laughter.  I haven’t laughed at myself to the point of snorting yet, but nothing would surprise me.

This was week two of dancing with the intermediate class and Kaye, my partner from last week was gracious enough to dance with me this week.  The man has the patience of the saint and is determined to repeat what we are struggling with over and over until we both understand it.  During the practice dancing we worked with one of the instructors trying to understand what we were doing wrong.

The turn is called the tornado.  That in itself should give you a big hint of what kind of a turn it is. In two dance beats the woman needs to do two complete turns while exiting out of a sweetheart wrap.  (Are you not impressed by my dance terms?) Tornado? I should have brought my ruby red slippers for this move.  But Kaye was persistent and I kept trying and we got a little closer by the end of the night then we were at the beginning.

I’m doing better at letting the man lead in the dance, and it helps that everyone is patient when dancing with me.  I enjoy it more than I ever imagined.  I had on my bucket list that I wanted to learn ballroom dancing, honest, I think for me this is much better.  One of the other people in the class told me that I need to go to the Gilley’s dance get-together and I think I will make a point to get there in February.  I’ve never been to Gilley’s and she told me the crowd is around 150 dancers.  Sounds like a hoot to me.

I could have given up after struggling with the dance steps in this intermediate class.  It’s way beyond what I learned in my two beginning progressive two step classes.  But I like the challenge, it’s great exercise and it’s fun.  It seems to speak to some part of my spirit.

Nobody cares if you can’t dance well.  Just get up and dance.  ~Dave Barry

Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another  ~ Author Unknown

~Joy~

It’s been a long time since I’ve looked like this little girl on the outside…but on the inside this little girl is me, dancing around with joy and happiness.  I’ve had a few nudges from the Universe about life and being thankful.  The first was at the Law of Attraction gathering this week.  It was a bit out there at times, but what I did catch the part about gratitude and appreciating what one has.  I started reading a new book this week that also speaks to that same thing.  The book said to be happy with your life now, what you have.  Getting that big pay raise, that new car, that this or that material thing would be a short term high, and then you would be on to the next thing that would *make* you happy.

Being happy…seems to last a bit longer.  When people ask me these days, “How are you?”  Instead of the usual expected response of  “good” or “fine”, I respond “Amazing, or Terrific or Wonderful” with enthusiasm, because I am.  More than once people have stopped, did a double take and been caught off guard.  It must be that little joy filled girl inside vibrating out.

Last night at country western dance class I was moved up into the intermediate group.  They were a woman short.  The dance instructor looked at me and motioned for me to move to the next level.  I have had exactly two progressive two step classes.  He told me if I was uncomfortable I could come back to the beginner’s group.  Me? I’m fearless, taking a step up on the dance floor is a lot less scary than some of the things I’ve done in recent years.  I learned all sorts of twists and turns and at the end of the evening I gave my new dance partner a hug and thanked him for his patience.  What I learned from him last night was how to relinquish control and let the man take the lead on the dance floor.  There are some things in life that it’s ok to take a step back and let someone lead you along the way.  I left class high on life and feeling that after dance class buzz that I used to feel after belly dancing lessons in the cornfields.

Long before my nudge from the Universe I’ve fallen to sleep pondering the things that I am thankful for, the truth is, most of them aren’t things.   They are people, events, experiences and memories.  I’m really working hard at being in the moment and savoring what life has to offer me at any particular moment in time.

My joys and happy moments for today?

• Giggling at this message and video–Even if I can’t be at all of the really cool social media events I seem to find willing hug ambassadors to pass along my huggin’ the stuffin’ hugs. This time it was one of my first Twitter friends.  I am always surprised at what people will do for me if I ask.-JoeCascio

  @AnnOhio See your hug delivered at about 3 mins into this this live stream recording from last night #140conf event. http://is.gd/6jntT
  

• I received my Texas Organ Donor card in the mail today.  It’s something I feel very strongly about, and since moving to Texas I needed to get that taken care of. In Ohio the donor card can be on the back of your driver’s license.
• A nice quiet night at home.  It’s been a very hectic, very busy week!
• Tomorrow I head to the yarn store to buy yarn to make a prayer shawl.  When I get the nudge from the Universe to make one of these shawls, I have to find a way to make it happen.  I ordered a great book from Amazon, The Prayer Shawl Companion.  It’s written by the two ladies who started the Prayer Shawl Ministry.  I am not a religious person, but knitting prayer shawls is something that brings me much joy.  The book is filled with much more than patterns, there are stories and prayers and I found the perfect shawl to knit.

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give. -Eleanor Roosevelt.

One word…

A friend posted a status message to Facebook this week…using one word, how would you describe me?  Being the Facebook sheep that I am, I posted that message as my status.  A few friends posted their single word descriptions of me:  friend, confidant, FUN, vibrant, cheeky, generous, warmth, inspiration and fantabulous.  There was one word though that made me giggle and took me back to the days when I used to hang out in chat rooms—coconuts.  Out of context, the word doesn’t seem nearly as funny–but I can remember hours of conversations surrounding coconut rounds and other Little Debbie treats.  Silly goofy stuff that happened back in 1997 that makes me still laugh today.  Flyre that one word comment was priceless and certainly fired up a lot of laughing and joking as we remembered my friend Flyre chatting from the closet in his Docker shorts.  I think the winner for favorite IRC chat word was attic.  There was also some mention of K9—trust me, you had to be there.

Another status challenge I posted was How did we meet?  Once again stories wound back around to those days in the 90’s…Thor..JD..and that reminded me of JD and his magical backpack.  I know that when I travel and take my magical backpack along, it makes me think about some of those silly conversations.  Great times, and wonderful memories of friends.  That seems like a lifetime ago, I think because it was.

I had a great mail day today, the photos from the Willie Nelson concert arrived in the mail.  I think that’s the nudge I need to finally assemble some scrapbook pages and begin putting together a scrapbook of my life in Texas. Things have happened so fast, and I have many great memories that need to be tucked away so I can remember each and every event.

I also received a prayer shawl book that I ordered from Amazon, The Prayer Shawl Companion.  I’ve made 3 prayer shawls in the past, each time I felt such a nudge from the Universe to do it.  This week the Universe nudged me to make two more shawls for people who I think could use that extra love and comfort from a prayer shawl.  The designs are incredible, there are lots of stories about the prayer shawl ministry and some nice blessings to put with the completed shawl.  I will head to the yarn store this weekend to buy the yarn for shawl number 1.  The challenge is going to be which pattern to choose.  I’ll have to ponder that one.

I made over a dozen scarves for friends for my Christmas scarf-a-palooza project.  The scarves were on big needles with fat yarn, and the recipient’s were all very appreciative.  A shawl, takes a bit longer and more of a commitment.  But I know from past experience that until I knit those shawls nothing else is going to seem like a worthwhile project.

In preparation to start the shawls I finished up some baby booties to send off to one of my charities.  Being eco-friendly I made cute little gift bags and filled them with the handknitted booties and a few other baby items.  I found myself smiling a lot as I put them together. I will take them to the post office on Saturday.

Last night I decided to spoil myself and Googled a recipe for Blue Chees Macaroni and Cheese..it was simply amazing and put a big smile on my face.

Hmmm..my face seems to be having lots and lots of smiles these days.  I see that as a very good thing!  Off to country and western dance lessons tonight.  It’s become one of the many highlights of my week.

…now I just need to find some time and get those cowgirl boots bought!

Memories…

“I’ve never tried to block out the memories of the past, even though some are painful. I don’t understand people who hide from their past. Everything you live through helps to make you the person you are now.” –Sophia Loren

I have spent the weekend making memories. I’ve had a big event, the Willie Nelson concert, a helper high event, making sandwiches for the homeless in Dallas, and a just hanging out with friends watching the Dallas Cowboys play on TV. Each of these events were filled with love, laughter and imprinted memories in my brain and on my heart. My life is so abundant and filled with so much joy and happiness.

It’s amazing how little things can take you back to a time in your life when memories were made. Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend who is dealing with some very challenging health issues with her father, and of course the conversation turned to quality of life, and took me back to the last few months of my mother’s life. We talked about the dialysis, and I remember my mom pulling out the shunt, this is not what she wanted, and being there the last time the ambulance picked her up and took her to dialysis the week before she died. I can see her tears and hear her cries of pain when they returned her home afterwards. I can remember driving home after that weekend and in my heart knowing that it was time to let her go, it was the right thing to do. Her body stepped in, and made that decision and Hospice was there to help make the end much more comfortable for her.

Today I heard from another friend who reached out to ask for help and support for her mother that has been diagnosed with cancer. I sat at the computer, tears streaming down my face knowing how much it meant to me to have the support of my friends when I was dealing with those months of my mom in the hospital. I can still see in my mind those Saturdays when I would walk into her room and see the cards sent by my friends. Each one of those not just a card of support for my mom, but they felt like hugs to me. One day I will find the strength to put them together in an album. For now, I’ve been able to look at them all again once, when I really needed a dose of support. (crazy Asians!)

Yesterday I saw a video posted by a friend that also talks about loss and the end of life. I admire Meachy’s faith and her determination.

Driving home from the concert the other night the conversation in the car turned to friendship. I know that I have an incredible circle of friends. I could ask for help and there would be all sorts of people in line to help. I would do the same for all of them, and as an extension for that for those that are important in their life.

I think the Universe has been sending me messages this weekend about living and enjoying life. It also is a clear message to tell people how you feel, to let them know that they matter to you. Maybe my role in the Universe is to put these thoughts together and to help people realize that it’s important to be in the moment, and to not put things off..saying that one day I will do this..or one day I will do that. If something is on your mind, or in your heart to do…do it now.

Perhaps part of this reflection is also tied to the next generation, my oldest daughter’s birthday is today. She sent me a few text messages yesterday asking me what time she was born? She wanted to make sure she was celebrating at the hour that she was born. (Kids, gotta love em!) I told her she was actually 2 weeks late, and they had to induce labor. I told her that I had to be at the hospital at 7:00 a.m. but she didn’t actually arrive until 3:30. It took me back to that time in my life, I remember being huge, waddling around miserable, the room at the hospital, the delivery room. Memories are so very powerful.

~ We do not remember days; we remember moments. ~

Life amazes me…

Yesterday was a brutal day at work, busy crazy I went from meeting to meeting to meeting but scored some major wins that put a smile on my face. But, by the end of the day I was tired, burnt out and in serious need of some fun. What a great night to have tickets to see Willie Nelson at Billy Bob’s. I knew that it was going to be a great night, no matter what. Ask, believe, receive—and seal the deal by selecting the perfect person to go with me.

Travel between Dallas and Fort Worth at that time of the day can be *interesting* at times, so naturally there were crashes and congestion. Yes, the zippy little chick magnet sports car was chomping at the bit to go faster–but no way that was going to happen. There was plenty of time ahead of us, we weren’t in that big of a hurry.

Brrr..it was cold on the streets of the Stockyard and not many people milling about. I did a quick scenic guide tour and we headed to the Star Cafe for dinner. I had one of my favorites there, a bacon cheeseburger and homemade fries with sweet tea. Following dinner an abbreviated tour of the rest of Cowtown and drinks at the old hotel downtown. I was a bit disappointed when I could not convince my partner in crime for the night to purchase a pearl snap shirt embroidered with roses, he evidently has no taste (except for women–he was with me after all!) One of the girls working in the store had an I <3 Willie shirt that I must Google and find on the interwebs–I need that shirt. I will pass on the red fluffy skirt she wore with it.

We moved to the lobby to enjoy our drinks and my throat hurts this morning from laughing so much at the conversation. You know it’s been a heck of a conversation when the valets are watching you and chuckling. ( PreppyDude rule 101, you don’t talk to the help, but I think it’s ok if they point at you and laugh.) Off to Billy Bob’s to see Willie.

I have never seen that many people at Billy Bob’s, I was very glad that we had tickets and seats even if it was an obstructed view of the stage. You could still hear Willie and once in awhile you would get a peek or two of him on stage. Our table was at the very back, which meant that Willie looked damn good. Wow, it was an experience to be savored and to be remembered.

This morning I logged in to check email and I had received a link from a friend with photos from last night’s concert. Photos taken from a much closer vantage point than what I had. I’ll be ordering a few prints for my scrapbook for sure. It was such a thoughtful thing to do, and it honestly brought tears to my eyes. It was yet again a reminder of the incredible people in my life. I live such a life of abundance.

Today? Headed downtown to make sandwiches for the Soupmobile, the yarn store, and watching the Cowboys game tonight with friends. These are just a few of the many reasons that I moved to Texas. This is the kind of life I imagined. Only it is so much better than I could have possibly imagined.

Billy Joe, thank you for the link to the photos…wow I did not expect that.

Zippy little chick magnet sports car friend…our adventures make me laugh and bring great joy to my life. My life is very special with you as a part of it.

…the rest of you..don’t you wish you could have been there too?

P.S. JD that bull photo is going to have to wait for my next trip to Billy Bob’s be assured, it will happen.  I’m not one to step back from a challenge.