Should I... or shouldn't I?

Okay, this post marks the first post where I ask for an opinion. 

Many people look at sky-diving as a way of laughing at age or facing our fears. One of the things I've been toying with is the idea of jumping out of a plane. If you had asked me ten years ago if I would ever consider something like this, I would have told you you were out of your mind! :)

BUT, here we are, at another juncture in which I'm feeling like I need to embrace the fact that I'm NOT old and I'm still functionally competent in terms of trying new things and exploring our world before my spryness gives way to brittle bones and weak muscles (including my grey matter)! 

What do you think? I will be looking for someone to do this great feat with me - safety in numbers, after all! And "the more the merrier"... its much more fun to do new and terrifying acts of bravery with a partner in crime. So, if you ever read this and want to join me -- it doesn't matter why you want to do it, or when, or where. I'd rather do it here in North Carolina somewhere, and if I'm going to do it, I want to do it before the end of this celebratory year, but other than that there's no rules. Oh! It has to be a tandem dive, too. I'm not jumping out of a plane for any reason without being attached to someone who knows how to pull the parachute chord! :)

Should I do it? And, if so, who will join me!

Surprise... not surprise... surprise!

So, this weekend was to have been my surprise party. Because I couldn't plan the cruise, my girls decided to throw me a party, and after we started planning it, Mark decided he wanted it to be a surprise. SO, I was removed from the planning committee, and even though I knew it was happening, I wasn't allowed to know it was happening. :)

For reasons I won't go into here, we had to postpone the event, but Cassie texted me during the week and said: "I know we are postponing your party, but I'm going to plan a lunch for you on Saturday instead with just family. Can you guys come?" "Of course," we said. I wasn't sure why we had to have a lunch for family when most of them had celebrated with me last weekend, but it was a very nice gesture and I appreciated my week-long party concept. So, I was back to being able to know that there was a lunch celebration being planned for me, but I still didn't know any details. 

Saturday came and we had a lovely day. The menu was Moe's Meal Kits, which I have to say are the "bomb." You can never go wrong with tacos! The kids (big and little) planned a pinata for me full of candy and we had cheesecake for dessert. Cassie made killer margaritas (can you tell what the theme was?), and we had a very enjoyable afternoon. 

Then, on Sunday morning, Cassie texted me and said "The kids have something for you, can you come over around 11:30?" "Sure," I texted back, assuming it was the requisite handprint plate or canvas project that grandchildren usually provide grandparents on an annual (or somewhat regular) basis. When I got ready to go, Mark and Mom both decided to come with me. Instantly, I thought something was up, but I had no prep for what awaited me at their house. As I drove up their street, I saw Serena and Charlie in the driveway! What a GREAT surprise! They were supposed to be at the "lunch," but missed their flight that morning and didn't get in until after midnight on Saturday night. 

So my birthday week is complete -- with all my kids and all my grandkids! And, on top of them visiting from Texas, we heard today that Ty's adoption date is set for early May AND they may get another baby this coming week!! So excited for them, and my gaggle of grandchildren is still growing! Happy birthday to me! :)

Next, but not least...

So it's been almost a week, and I've been adding to the list of things to share but haven't had much time to write! I hope this isn't the norm, but I have to admit that this week it's been because there's been so much going on that I haven't had time to just document. Not a bad spot to be in, I must say!

One of the things I did this year for the first time was to do a Facebook fundraiser for my birthday. You know those birthday fundraising things that Facebook suggests when you're birthday is coming up? I've seen other people do them, but I've never been too impressed. I fundraise for AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) every year, but I've just never pulled the trigger on one of these Facebook deals... until this year. THIS YEAR, my birthday just happens to have come on the heels of an ice storm that took Texas by surprise. Millions (including my kids) were without power and water for days (and for some, weeks). About two weeks before my birthday Facebook suggested I consider a fundraiser for my birthday. I decided to explore the different charities that I could raise money for, and lo and behold, one of the FIRST ones I saw was "Feed Texas" -- an organization that was raising money to feed the millions in Texas that were without water and food due to the storm and its aftermath. It was different and I thought, "Why not?" So, I launched the fundraiser, and I put $600 as my goal (for my 60th year). As of today, I've raised $650!!!! I am very impressed. You just never know when something is going to be timed perfectly for the situation. 

I don't know if I'll do it again, but it was just right for this year, just right for the moment, and it felt good to do a small part to help those in need for my birthday. It FEELS good. End of story. :)

A day late, but worth it...

So, I've been SO busy over my birthday weekend that I didn't even get time to post ON MY BIRTHDAY! Maybe if I had told ANYBODY about this blog project, I would have been able to carve out some time Friday night, but I haven't so I didn't.

Kicking off my 61st year was both relaxing and invigorating. While my coffee date first thing in the morning had to cancel, I spend the morning catching up on some TV and then was treated to lunch at Mason Jar Tavern (one of my favorite spots) by Cassie, Jaxson, and Gracie. It was just supposed to be Cassie and I, but her vaccination escapade took longer than she thought and she had to pick the kids up from school on the way to lunch. SOooooo, I had the special treat of having all THREE of them for a couple of hours!

I got flowers from them (the Longs), and from my brother, Chris (Warren, Skeet, ...). The bouquet from Chris had multi-colored roses in it -- I've never seen anything like it!! Arguably one of the prettiest bouquets I've ever seen!

After a post-lunch nap (LOVE naps! Is that a sigh of old age?), the other kids came over for homemade mini pizzas, which were a huge hit. It was great to have everyone there bantering and catching up! The night was capped off with ice cream at the brand new "Scoop at Willow Oak Farms" just down the street. It was soooo good. Diabetes or no, I had vanilla ice cream with caramel over homemade (warm) pound cake! Kennedy and I split it. 

I have to do a better job of taking photos of things like birthday dessert and birthday lettuce wraps with a blueberry moonshine cocktail. Obviously I'm new at this whole "documenting" my life thing. I thought I was a pro, but I am woefully short on photos from THE BIG DAY. I promise to improve I think I might have to get rid of some photos on my phone, tho. :)

More conversations about what I want to do and try this year were had over dessert, tho. People seem to like the idea of spending the year trying new things and exploring what's out there. More to come...

One more day... :)

T minus one day and counting...

It's almost here! Tomorrow is the big day! I will have completed 21,900 tours around the sun -- pretty much completely oblivious of how much time has gone by in 60 years! To say I have NOT lived my life INTENTIONALLY for the last 58+ years is an understatement. I have let my environment dictate who I am and what I do - perfectly complacent about living in reaction rather than living in intention. 

Well, my quest to begin taking control of my life began last year when I started attending a women's book club for entrepreneurs. I was on the "start my own business" track and had been for several years as my husband and I tried to start a brewery/coffee shop. But then... reality set in and we couldn't sustain the energy it required to bring it to fruition. Then COVID. Nuff said. 

I spent the pandemic reading, meditating, dieting, growing things, and starting to listen to myself. It was self-reflective and a good exercise. I haven't kept up with the meditation, but the rest is still perculating. I started Camp Gladiator in January at my daughter's urging, and I have embraced that journey already for 2021.

THIS YEAR I intend to figure out what I truly can and want to do. I know it still includes opening the business, but it will look different than it did before. I also want to read some great books, take some trips, spend time with people, and get outdoors as much as possible. Water will also factor in, as I have neglected the Pisces in my life for wayyyyy too long. :)

Happy birthday to me! I raise a glass to INTENTION, PURPOSE, CLARITY, BALANCE, and GROWTH -- in all their various manifestations!

And another thing...

Another thing I'm going to add to my list is getting caught up with my scrapbooking so I can help Mom with hers. 

I haven't done any general family scrapbooking since 2010. It's all been special projects, and sometimes those special projects took a year or more to complete. That's the problem with only setting aside a couple of weekends a year to get things done. I mean, I'm glad I have stayed with it all these years, but I am woefully behind and I think I will feel much better about things if I just dedicate one weekend a month to getting caught up on all that. It's my one creative outlet at the moment. 

I know I want to explore some other creative outlets this year, but this is the one that I've stayed true to over the last 20 years and that I've taken time away from life to work on on a consistent basis. So here's to tradition... and making MORE of a commitment to it. Maybe I'll even get to 2020 by the end of the year!

I mean, my 2020-2021 album is almost done because I've spent part of the pandemic documenting everything about this crazy, upside-down year we've had. All I have to do is finish 2011-2019! :)

An Idea is Forming...

Over the last week, I have started to explore different ideas for "embracing" 60 over the next twelve months. It's been exciting to let myself mull them over and add them to my mental list. Some are a little out there and I'm still just "considering" them. Others are completely doable and easy enough to make happen without much work. Even more are just concepts and need some work to make happen because they have more than a few moving parts - or involve other people. 

I see this blog having two different kinds of posts. One will be idea exploration and deciding what to put on my list -- chatting about the pros and cons of an idea, and/or exploring the feasibility of different ideas. The other will be mini reports about my progress. I might even consider having a third type -- where I wax poetic on what it all means to me and what is important along the way.

First, I have a few things that have already jumped onto the list for this year. The first three are doing meaningful things with my kids. 

1. I'm going to accompany Cassie and Jaxson & Gracie to Disney in April! I'm so excited! :)  I am truly a kid at heart (deep down) and I LOVE amusement parks. Disney isn't something that appeals to many other people in the family, so this is a win-win for me. I get to be an extra set of hands, and I get to experience Disney through a 7-year old's eyes (for the first time in MANY years!). 

2. I'm going to get my first tattoo with Kennedy! I've been thinking about it for a few years now, but that is her thing and I'm going to do it with her. I think it will be a dragonfly on my shoulder, because dragonflies are my "spirit bug" and I can have it shaded with teal blue/green for fun. I think she will get something similar so we "match." :)

3. I have to think of something to do with Serena. It can be in Houston or here, or somewhere else. It really doesn't matter, and I have lots of time to figure out what it might be. :)

In addition to those things, my friend Colette Koppel invited Mark and I to go to Cancun in November. I have never done a "sun and surf"vacation before and after a year of no travel, this is a great thing to put on my calendar for mid-year! It's an all-inclusive resort, which means alcohol and food are included in the package, so it's completely affordable. So excited!

I'll have more ideas later, but wanted to get these written down before I lose track of everything. More to come! 

Clarity of Purpose

So, after a year of pandemics, crazy unprecedented politics like I've never seen before, and life generally becoming seriously unpredictable, I'm within three weeks of hitting a huge birthday milestone! 

Over a year ago, it seemed so effortless to celebrate a big birthday by just booking a cruise and inviting any family/friends who wanted an excuse to get out of Dodge for a few days. How hard could that be? Drive to Charleston, park the car, walk onto a giant floating amusement park with every form of alcohol known to God and man, and forget about the world for four fun-packed nights... Well, apparently God had other plans, because climbing onto a cruise ship at the height of a pandemic is the LAST thing anyone wants to do right now -- despite the lure of adventure and really cheap cruise rates!

So, I'm still going to book that BIG 6-0 celebration for 2022 or 2023 - we'll see how things go - but I can't just let the big day (or year, as the case may be) pass me by completely. You see, my grandmothers passed away early. My mom just celebrated her 83rd birthday, but her mother and my father's mother didn't get that luxury of time. Not that I feel particularly nervous about it - I'm in relatively good health with no major concerns - but I do sense the reality that time doesn't stretch out as endlessly before me as it used to. If I make it to 80, that means I have just 1/3 of the amount of time I've already lived to do some of the things I've been putting off. 

So, after watching Julie & Julia (great movie!), I have decided to spend my 61st year writing about a life plan of experiences or traits I want to do, try, or explore and then developing an action plan to knock off (poor choice of words maybe) as many of those things as I can. 

I'm going to call it my "Clarity of Purpose" project and my goal is NOT to create an exhaustive list of things to see and do, but instead to create a sense of purpose moving forward so I don't waste one second of the last 20 (hopefully) years I have left. Of course, I don't intend to retire anytime soon. Many of my fellow 60-year olds are finding that 70 is the new 60 and that we can (and want to) continue to work until our grey matter no longer allows us to be useful. 

So this isn't going to be a list of things to do, like a traditional bucket list. More appropriately, I think, I want to 1) figure out who I want to be when I grow up (retire), 2) ensure that I can look back on my life with a sense that I left the world a better place, and 3) create a bit of a roadmap for the next 20 years - and use this as my accountability to make sure I do the things I dream up to do. Some things I can start right away, like a fitness plan and building meditation and journaling into everyday routines. Others, like a trip to Europe and that cruise, can be further out on the life plan... as long as everything I do is intentional and aimed at a higher purpose than just day-to-day living. 

Clarity of Purpose - the act of defining your purpose and keeping it directly in your sights regardless of what life throws at you! I think a full year of exploration, planning, and turning ideas into routines will be a great way to celebrate that I've lived through 60 rotations around the sun without skin cancer or succumbing to the ozone. Throw in a little wine and gardening, and you have the makings of a great year!

I will commit to at least two blog posts per week starting on my birthday (more will be fun, but remember I still work a 40-hour week), and I welcome your thoughts and ideas as we meander down this path. This is not "truth or dare," but I welcome any feedback as I take this journey! :)

Christmas Newsletter 2020

This year we are going in ACTUAL order of birth... LOL. Gotta change it up once in a while, and after the year we've had, we need a little change in our lives!

So from our family to yours, with very little reference to the COVID-19 elephant in the room, here's a snapshot of 2020 in the Fowle universe:

Barbara & Darryl have had a very quiet year. The pandemic canceled the choir and choral groups that Barb sings with back in March, so the upstairs apartment has been an industrious center of reading, scrapbooking, card-making, movie watching, music, and other sorts of retirement activity! And trips downstairs for snacks! :) Not much venturing out has happened since March, but everyone is healthy.

Mark & Lynanne — Both our jobs moved to remote work in March, so now we commute to our home office every morning! The pandemic has given us time for gardening and some home projects, and Lynanne’s Rotary Club has been active helping in the community during the pandemic. We’ve managed to stay healthy despite a couple of scares, but we are anxious for this to be over!

Serena & Charlie are still in Houston. Serena still leads a team at Alliant Group and Charlie does freelance web design and plays poker professionally. Tyrell (we still call him “Baby Ty”) is now 2.5 and loves cars and the zoo! We are looking forward to him becoming a Hedgepeth in 2021 (the way is clear, but the courts have been affected by the pandemic so it's a slow process)! Serena has become quite the Instagram food connoisseur—check her out at serena.hedgepeth! 

Cassie & Cole became homeowners in April 2020, purchasing a wonderful home just down the street from us! If it weren’t for the pesky pandemic, we would see a LOT more of them! Jaxson and Gracie are handling masks and school like champs as they navigate 2nd grade and kindergarten, respectively. Cassie still works at Cisco and Cole still manages a pest control team. Cassie has done an amazing job working full-time and managing virtual school with the kids this year!

Sam currently works two jobs—his main gig with U.S. Tobacco driving a forklift, and his side hustle opening for the local Dunkin Donuts. Sam lost his beloved Poo this year to a urinary blockage, which has rocked his world a bit, but he often joins us on the weekends to watch Star Trek or the Mandalorian.

Danny recently celebrated his two-year anniversary as a permanent DELL employee. His job is rewarding and the overtime really has had a positive impact on his bottom line as he digs out from several years of having to work two jobs to make ends meet. He has paid off his car and credit card, bought a bed, a TV, and a game system. His part-time cooking gig at Ruby Tuesday ended when the restaurant closed, but he is enjoying “adulting!” 

Kennedy completed her coursework for her bachelor’s in social work at NC State in May, completed her field experience in July, and started her master's degree (MSW) in August! She lost all three jobs (work study, nannying & catering) when COVID hit, but began delivering food for PostMates to keep afloat. When she finished her degree, she secured a job with Easter Seals that doubles as her field experience for her masters program (she has 3-4 clients/week), and between the two jobs she has been able to make ends almost meet. Even with all that, she managed a 3.89 GPA in her first semester of grad school! We celebrated her NCSU graduation virtually in our living room on Dec. 4th.

And celebrating a new tradition that we created last year, we close with our
favorite photo of this holiday season, with a fervent wish that 2021 is a better
year for all of us! Merry Christmas!

 

 

Family Christmas Newsletter 2019

Merry Christmas from the Fowle Family!

Welcome to our wild and wonderful world... okay, maybe the "wild" part for sure... and for the most part, wonderful. :)

Here is a snapshot of our year, in order of birth (not including the old folks)...

Serena & Charlie are happily still fostering “Baby Ty” and hoping that he can officially become theirs in 2020. Ty is a happy, healthy 17-month old who is running in all directions all the time! We get to see him several times per year and are spending Christmas with them in Houston this year! Serena is now supervising a team of account managers at Alliant Group in downtown Houston and has added many air miles this year! Charlie is freelancing as a web designer and playing poker. The Hedgepeths traveled to several weddings this year, in Big Bend, West Texas, Kansas, and Mexico!

Cassie & Cole are as busy as we are! They are house-hunting this winter and hope to be in a home of their own by April. Jaxson is in first grade this year, and doing AMAZINGLY well! He continues to win awards at school for his attitude and academics. Gracie Mae is 4 going on 25 and in her final year of preschool. She is quite the diva! Cassie and Cole are very happy with their church family and are helping develop a new church campus in Garner.

Sam has also just passed his one-year anniversary at Lowes Home Improvement in Apex. He is also being groomed for bigger things at work, and continues to work hard at adulting. His faithful cat, Poo, is still large and in charge! :)

Danny recently celebrated his one-year anniversary as a permanent DELL employee. He has been shadowing in different departments as they groom him for bigger things, and he is eager to step into a supervisory position! The boys still share a house not far from us.

With a handle on her medical issues, Kennedy moved into an apartment in Raleigh for her senior year at NC State. She traveled to Houston twice this year — once for a baby fix, and once to check out Houston University. She and Lynanne did a whirlwind trip to visit potential grad schools this fall — Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC. In addition to school, she has divided her time between an internship at the local chamber of commerce, a part-time job in the social work dept, and nannying. She is also on the board of Phi Alpha honor society. Her only regret this year is that she hasn’t been able to do any intl. traveling, but she has been concentrating on finishing school strong! One semester to go!

Mark & Lynanne have had a busy year — Lynanne continues her work at Campbell University, and Mark is still commuting to Durham every day. We took a couple of quick trips this year to visit family and friends—to NH in May, a trip to VA to do family history research, in July, and to TX in August to celebrate our foster grandson’s 1st birthday! Lynanne remains active in her Rotary Club and GoalFriends group. Mark continues to be active in the Masons.

Barb & Darryl have spent the past year settling into their new digs here at the homestead. We got some landscaping done and set up the bird-feeding station early in the year. Barb joined a church choir and a community chorale in 2019 and now rehearses two nights/week! They built bookcases in two rooms and unpacked all of Darryl’s books! This fall, they have joined a program where they read books to 1st and 2nd graders who read below grade level at a local elementary school. Retirement is looking pretty good to them!

With everyone happy and healthy, we wish you a wonderful holiday and an amazing 2020! Below is one of our favorite photos from this season - the best way to spend the holiday! Watching Emmet Otter while putting the holiday puzzle together - different generations, same traditions! <3

 

 

 

Christmas Newsletter 2018

So this year, we have decided to make our Christmas newsletter a bit more graphically-pleasing, but that doesn't translate well to a blog post, so please bear with me while I rework it into a post...

Serena and Charlie have fully recovered from Hurricane Harvey and are enjoying their house on the edge of the Buffalo Bayou. 2018 was a big year for the Hedgepeths, who started down the road of “fostering to adopt” in January. It took 6 months, but in late July they were placed with a 2-day old infant. “Baby Ty” has been with them ever since, and even traveled to North Carolina in November to meet his cousins, aunts and uncles, and great grandparents! In other news, Charlie started work in August as a web designer at Alliant Group where Serena works.

Cassie and Cole moved their family to Angier back in May — to a 3-bedroom house with a fenced yard. Jaxon started kindergarten this fall, in a regular classroom. We are so proud of his progress! Gracie started preschool and loves going to “school” every day! She also started dance this fall at Center Stage, where Kennedy danced for so many years! Cassie became a full-time Cisco employee this fall and Cole is now a manager with Pest & Termite Control. We love that they only live a couple of miles from us!

Sam and Danny have both had a productive year! Back in the spring, they moved into a house together in Fuquay-Varina with a friend and have been slowly acquiring furniture and household goods. Sam left Metal Supermarkets for a short-term job delivering construction materials and has just recently secured a full-time job at Lowe’s Home Improvement! Danny finally secured his permanent status as a DELL employee in November and is finally enjoying the fruits of his labor as a contractor for the last two years — especially the paid time off, health benefits, and 401K!

This year, Kennedy transferred from UNC-Greensboro to NC State University to continue her degree in social work. She works as a nanny and at O2 Fitness. She struggled with some health issues this year but was finally diagnosed with untreated Lyme Disease this fall and is now getting some help with treatment options. She is commuting to classes right now, but plans to move to campus for her senior year. Kennedy spent Thanksgiving in Paris with her good friend, Kara Porter, who has been studying abroad this semester. Kennedy is preparing for her own study abroad experience in Ghana in Summer 2019.

Mark and Lynanne sold the family homestead in mid-2018, and moved to a new house just a few miles south with 1/2 an acre of land and enough room for Lynanne’s parents, Barb & Darryl Hamson. The Hamson’s home in Virginia still hasn’t sold, but they are already moved in and getting to know their new community! Our brewery, 3rd Degree Brewhouse, opened for business in May, and we have been happily brewing and selling beer ever since!  Our big adventure this year, however, was a 2-week trip to Ireland that we had been hoping to take for years!! Lynanne and Mark also are enjoying new jobs — Lynanne started at Campbell University as an admissions coordinator and Mark switched from IBM to Nutanix as a systems reliability engineer.

That's it in a nutshell! We hope your family is healthy and happy and we'll see you next year! :)

~ Lynanne & Mark