Once again I apologize for my infrequent updates to this blog. I will remind you all that I made not promises and confessed upfront that I would be bad at posting regularly. So if you look at it that way, shame on all of you for not believing me.

I’m coming to you from Franklin, TN and the Frothy Monkey. Yes, that is a place. It’s a cute coffee/food place, in one of the sweetest towns I have ever been in, south of Nashville. What brings us to town you ask? Do we ever really need an excuse to come to Nashvegas? Nope! But this time it was for a wedding. (Is there anything better than the hope and joy of young love, friends?) Sitting here is so surreal though. Just over 25 years ago, Jeff and I visited this very town with a realtor looking for a house to buy. We were young and in love, just like the couple we saw marry yesterday. About to start our married life with ideas of a career in the music business. We fell in love with Franklin and the surrounding area and were all set to move here and lay down roots. Then reality happened. We chose to stay in the Toledo area and start a property management business. Jeff put his music aspirations on the back burner. Kids and a totally different career has kept us in the Toledo area for 25 years, but music found it’s way to the front of the stove. Jeff, found a way to have that career and still use the gifts God gave him in a fantastic church. Do you know what else happened? God has given us so many friends and family that live where?………Nashville and Franklin! He has also given Jeff the opportunity to meet, shadow and work with several artist here. How crazy and amazing is God? Who knows, maybe one of these days He will move us here!

So why is my title of this blog Around the World in 80 Years, you ask? Well, I could make up something clever about us coming full circle with this town, which is true. Really, todays post is dedicated to the two women pictured above.  My mother, Sue, on the left and my sweet Aunt Marcia on the right. As of yesterday they were both 79 years young. Today, however, my mother is 80! Yes, they are Irish Twins. They were born within the same 12 month period of time and are the same age for exactly 10 days each year. We celebrated both last weekend at our monthly family gathering, even though they do not like to acknowledge their birthdays. They did not have a large extended family growing up and now both of their parents and their aunts and uncles are gone. They have a few cousins left but they don’t see them much. Let me tell you, these 2 are quite the pair. They are so different from each other yet alike in a strange way. They love each other to pieces but bicker like most sister do. My Aunt has had it tough, losing her husband a few years back and her daughter, my amazing cousin, just this May, yet she pushes forward. My momma is a whopping 4’8″ now and shrinking but can still put each of us in our places with one glance. She loves fiercely but gives us the space and room to figure out our own messes without passing judgement. My Dad is her best friend but is also able to get on her very last nerve at times. As each year passes, I find myself morphing into her. It used to deny this but now I think I’ll roll with it. She is, of course, fantastic in every way! These two are thick as thieves and they mean the world to us! Happy Birthday!