Great Wolf in Grapevine

 "Part of our responsibility as parents, as adults, is to set examples for children.  But we have to like children 

in order to be really happy fulfilled adults."

-Bobby McFerrin

John heard it through the grapevine at work, that we just had to take Zoey to Grapevine, TX for the time of her life.  Therefore, with little notice, as always, we packed up our bags and our favorite 4th person and headed out towards Dallas again for the weekend.  This time the roadside bluebells had withered and

mounds of yellow and red flowers had taken their place.  The scenery became greener and beautiful the nearer we got.


Our destination was the Great Wolf Lodge, home to a huge indoor water-park, open only to lodge guests and multiple of other kid friendly attractions designed to suck parent's wallets dry (we refrained from all the extras).   The temperatures were scheduled to be in the 70's for the weekend, which is great for most outdoor activities except swimming, so the lodge was a great excape for us and exactly what Zoey wanted.

Tickling her to smile because she's sad we're leaving.

Although Zoey is growing up too fast for me, she still is that little girl who loves her princess frilly swimsuits and the kiddie pool.  She slid down the smaller slides nearly a million times.  We talked her into a few bigger slides, one of which she refused to go down again after the first ride due to an unfortunate water-up-the-nose blast.  She loved the river where she could run in the current relying on her life jacket to steady her and she even rode the waves in the wave pool without hesitation.

The place really caters to kids, but we decided to be among the young at heart, so we adults traded off watching Zoey so we could enjoy some of the more adventurous rides.  Karlie and I had a few issues with our coordination at the rides ends in tandem tubes and once she flipped from behind me over my head and once I bit her head.  In the end we survived and had so much fun I didn't bother stopping to take any pictures inside the water park (not to mention I was fearful of what the water/humidity would do to electronics), so you'll just have to use your imagination and settle for this one leaving pic (day 2).

After a long day of driving and play, we ended the  night  at Joe's Crab Shack (yummmmm)!

Pirate John wants his crab pot.

Of course we posed in the cool mosaic bathroom.

We ordered Zoey's meal first, which was a good decision since she crashed immediately after her meal.  Those who play hard sleep hard.

The next morning Karlie and I played with Zoey for a few hours in the waterpark, even sneaking her onto one of the bigger "boat style" rides; as she was about a half inch short of the height requirement.  We thought she would enjoy the speedy ride, but the deadpan look on her face was clear...'this is not my idea of fun Mom!'

Although the lodge would allow us to stay in the water-park until 9pm that night, we had to be home for John and Karlie to be ready for work on Monday, so we checked out and headed to lunch.  On our way to find a place, we stumbled across the Central Market in Southlake.  John and I found some elusive fruits we had desired to try such as: mangosteen, dragon fruit, mamey sapote, and manzano bananas.  Karlie too knew what she wanted and found a huge assortment of loose-leaf tea that we could barely pull her away from.  There was so much selection I was in heaven, but with a five hour drive back, full grocery shopping was neither advantageous or a priority.

Some of our bounty. (Mamey Sapote, Kawino Horned Melon, Dragon Fruit , and various teas)

Dragon fruit is soooo cool.

 After lunch at the Cheesecake Factory...

Our view at lunch!

...we stopped by Cabela's to spy camping gear and their amazing stuffed exhibits (Zoey thought she got a zoo outing also).  We then pointed ourselves back towards the Chihuahua Desert and Midland, TX. Goodbye rivers, lakes and everything green. It was a great weekend and I'm so glad I have such a great daughter, husband, and sister to share it with.  What will future weekends bring?

Lovin' it...in Dallas.

"As a musician you just want to be able to do what you love."

-Andy Grammer

This boy shines!!

It's always been said to do what you love and love what you do, but more so, passion stems from being great at something, and my brother, Ethan Tucker, is one of the fortunate few who have found that passion because he's great, and loves what he does.  He's made friends in the music world and recently is on tour performing with Tribal Seeds and Slightly Stoopid , a couple of reggae bands.  His nine day tour takes him throughout the south...including Texas. 

Karlie and I were fortunate enough be able to take a few days to head to Dallas, TX to see him, support his career, and experience one of his shows on the road.  Karlie talked me into the trip, I honestly hadn't been to a real concert since my teens having settled down in more ways than one, so I left behind John and Zoey and we took another girls weekend just to see Ethan.

Midland to Dallas is a five hour drive and this time of year the roadside is covered in morning glories, bluebonnets, and Texas paintbrush.   Leaving behind the flat panhandle plains we found ourselves in the beautiful prairie and lake region.  We were envious of the tall trees, lakes, and hills around us....Midland, once again you fail to draw us back.

Cool, old, collapsed farmhouse we found!!

In the Dallas city center, we found ourselves on an off ramp due to big city traffic; and the detour took us by the Dallas Convention center, which after checking into our hotel, we went back to see the impressive bronze stampede at pioneer plaza which originates near an old graveyard full of the Dallas founders from the 1800's. 

Careful Karlie!!

Soon we met up with Ethan at the venue and spent some time catching up, hung around for sound check, and met members of the other bands and support staff.  Needless to say, it was apparent to everyone we were not his real sisters, but even if it's just by marriage, we'll claim each other.  Everyone was super friendly and it was clear to me how much they all support, love and admire Ethan and his music. 

When it was showtime, Karlie and I squeeeeeezed our way to the front and thoroughly enjoyed

Come on down to my level Ethan!!

Ethan's performance as he sang with heart, played with precision, and showed Dallas who Ethan Tucker really is.  He really earns a lot of respect going out there all alone, without a band in tow, playing "a musical style all his own with influences from folk, blues, soul, reggae and jazz" for a group of dedicated reggae fans, finding his way into their hearts. (Quote from Ethantuckermusic.com)

Karlie and I popped in and out of the front to experience the whole show and experienced the good (music), bad (large crowd), and the ugly (always a crazy fan or two).  We stayed late into the night enjoying every minute with Ethan then said our goodbyes with lots of hugs, laughing, and love. 

Dallas was a great experience, and I love Ethan and what he does.  Next time he's in the state, we'll be there....maybe next time he'll be the main show!!



*** If you're interested in hearing more of Ethan's music,  you can follow him on Facebook, download songs on iTunes, and order a CD on his website.

Million Dollar Question

"There are people who have money and people who are rich."

-Coco Chanel

What would you do if you had a million dollars?  We've all been asked, pondered and even discussed the subject. Many times people answer the question while stressing the importance of investing, developing their existing enterprises, or budgeting to make it last, but that's not the purpose of the question.  The question is not about money, but about who you really are and what you want in life.  When the answer  includes family, philanthropy, spirituality and self-discovery, you start to get to the heart of it all.  What do you desire out of life?

Park in San Antonio

I had often answered the question with the logical, responsible part of my brain; stating that my life would not change much, budgeting to make the money last and living relatively simply.  But, I would always throw in....and I would find a way to do some traveling, revealing my desire to travel. It's been said, if you want to do it, find a way, money aside. 

People travel different ways, and most choose the modern, stable family approach. Working a steady job, paying all your bills, saving up vacation time and money for a quick one or two week visit (if that) in an exotic location.  This approach is the safest and most expensive, leaving little time to truly experience a culture, but allowing a glimpse into the world around us.  There is nothing wrong with the tourism approach and I hope we have many opportunities to travel like this in our future.  The only problem with this form of travel is ,"The traveler... went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience.  The tourist is passive, he expects interesting things to happen to him, he goes "sight-seeing." (Daniel J. Boorstin)

Couple of Tourist

Some choose what I call the Vagabond way.  Where you get in your car and go, no financial backing, and no plan.  They live on the road and quite literally fly by the seat of their pants.  They believe “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”(Lao Tzu)  This form of travel, although exciting, is a bit reckless often causing you to rely on the generosity of stable individuals or causing you to fall into disreputable crowds.  This way of travel would drive me crazy and is simply impractical for a responsible adult and parent.

Many retired individuals choose to live in different locals, occasionally changing their residency or keeping their home mobile by living in a trailer, mobile home, short term rentals or on a boat. Most of these travelers settle down in time, but take some time to experience “The greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” (Bill Bryson)  Most of these travelers must accumulate a savings or form a stream of income to support their travel experience.

Finally some choose to move from their homeland, to experience a new culture and a new life.  They are able to immerse themselves in the culture and become part of that society, although always aliens in the strange land. Living abroad, “I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.”(Bill Bryson) This form of travel gives an individual the greatest sense of a culture, but narrows the experience to a single or a few places.


John and I are now deciding how we will choose to travel, get in some travel before we settle down again, go straight to Belize or see a few places first.  We may choose one of these options, or formulate a combination of the aforementioned options.  For now we'll live in limbo, neither here nor there, but waiting, dreaming and planning for what may be. As it turns out, limbo can be pretty fun too. The question is, what would you do with a million dollars?

The Ones Left Behind

"Family faces are magic mirrors.  

Looking at people who belong to us, we see 

the past, present, and future. "

-Gail Lumet Buckley

The Campbell kids - 1990

The decision to leave Idaho was easy, but carrying it out was difficult, and made harder by the faces I left behind. All friends and family are hard to say goodbye to, but as always some are harder than others.

I've always loved my dad, not only because he is my father, but because he has earned a special place in my heart being the best person, dad, and grandfather.  Leaving the closeness of being near him was hard, but all kids grow up and move away and I know we'll always be close no matter how far away I am.  It was hardest to take Zoey from them (Dad and Brenda), but I hope that each moment they now have together will be that more treasured and memorable.  For now we stick to regular updates and planned encounters as we go on with our lives.

 Leaving behind my family in October meant saying goodbye to one person for good.  My grandma and Zoey's great-grandma Ruth Frehner was in ill health and had been getting worse over the last few

Baby Zoey and Great-grandma Ruth

years.  I knew as I held her hand and talked to her a few days before I left Idaho, it was most likely the last time I would see her, and it was.  Early December, one day before she and my Grandpa Stan would have celebrated 39 years together, she died peacefully. Due to prior obligations and the extreme distance home, Karlie and I were unable to attend the funeral, but sent flowers in her memory.

Although I knew I would miss her, one person has been missed a lot more than I ever expected, Chrissy.  My sister Chrissy and I have always been the closest of sisters and friends.  With only two years between us, we've seen each other through every stage in life.  Nobody laughs with me like she does; appreciating the ironic, stating the obvious, and matching my sometimes off-beat humor.  It's funny how different we are too, but i think in those differences we manage to compliment, balance and cultivate our sisterhood. For now our relationship is long-distance, but someday it may be at least in the same climate again.

Me and Chrissy 1983

With Mr. Molly (the hamster) 1985

Camping ~1989

High School graduation 1999

Being Crazy....as adults.

All that being said, being away is nice.  Sometimes when we have each other too available and so we forget to make time for one another, feeling they'll always be there.  But when you're apart and come back together, you make the time and treasure the moments, knowing they are short lived.   That being said, I choose not to miss my family, but rather look forward to the treasured moments we will have in the future. 

Look Who The Wind Blew In!

 "Besides, I'm a gypsy at heart and I like to travel around"

-Reba McEntire

Melissa and Karlie in service on a windy day!

Moving to Texas has been the right move for John and I, and I believe it is working out nicely for Karlie.   I hesitate to promote the move to most people because as far as Midland, Texas is concerned, the climate is so-so, the scenery is poor, housing is scant and activities are little to non-existent.  Many locals love it here because, I assume they've never been anywhere else and they have large thriving families that tie them to the area, but to outsiders this place is a bit lacking.  This is not only my opinion, but I've met others who share it.

I've had a few friends ask about the area and I tell them just that, but some people just don't listen, and a few weeks ago the wind blew in Miss Melissa Cuthill.  For those of you who don't know her, she's a vibrant beauty in her early twenties who has truly gone where the winds have blown her.  This gypsy girl had blown from Idaho, through Oregon and down to California, but in her wanderlust, she had not established herself financially.  As I always say, you move to Midland for money and not fun, so in need of a way to make money, she soon came where she least thought she would find herself: A whole other country, where everything's bigger in the lone star state...Texas.

Having lived where she could rely on city transportation, she didn't have a vehicle of her own and arrived via Greyhound with a bicycle and a suitcase.  Karlie lovingly provided a couch for her to rest her head and in a weeks time she found herself working for the City of Midland and on the list for low-income, starter apartments.

Downtown near where she works....for now.

You may think that working for the city is a GREAT job, and in most places it is, but here, it's merely mediocre.  The problem is this; in a town where jobs are abundant, a city with a set budget is only able to offer limited pay, in fact less than the local Walmart.  Although she is sticking with the job for now, she hopes to move on to a better job once she gains some office experience, transportation alternatives, and a little bit of base income.

Karlie has become a welcome fixture at our home many evenings and we are happy to have added Melissa too, although the space in front of the TV is really only built for three, with a little wiggling we make it work.  Melissa got accepted to the apartments and will be moving out soon, but only up the street, so we know we won't be seeing the last of her as long as we haven't scared her off yet. (Little did I know, low-income apartments are wayyyyy easier to get into around here because there's so much money floating around that they are in low demand.)

We're all on this ride together!!

So Melissa, welcome to Midland and brace yourself, the heat is on it's way...or so they say.

Spring Fever

 "It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  

And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, 

you want it so! "

-Mark Twain

Harvest of green beans, fava beans, broccoli and yellow squash.

 Living in Idaho I used to get spring fever about this time and calmed it by planting seeds in those little peat disks that expand like a slinky with water, and spreading my sprout project across the dining room table.  Sometimes it was a success, sometimes a failure, and sometimes a success-followed by cats snacking on the new sprouts, which is a semi-failure.

Heirloom veggies, gleaned fruit, and fresh eggs.

A few months later I would plant the surviving seedlings in the rich soil I had developed over the past few years in my ginormous old-person garden (I would call it that cuz they're the only ones who truely have time for a garden that big).  I would cultivate the garden all spring and summer long, all the while enjoying baskets of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, peppers, corn, squash and zucchini.  I also had a reoccurring crop of various herbs: dill, chives, oregano, arugula, chamomile, mint, parsley, and the like.  I also had beds of irises, daffodils, sunflowers and the like adorning the property.

Here in Texas, I've got spring  fever again, but the poor soil conditions combined with water restrictions limits my garden.   I am only planting a few select plants in a a few pots around my patio, though I'm sure there will be a few more plants calling my name before the spring is through.

 Zoey and I chose a few flowers, veggies and herbs, painted a couple new clay pots and in the plants went.  At least here in Texas they can go straight in the dirt instead of staying protected inside for the next couple months.  Hopefully my efforts will produce a bit of beauty and a few yummies.

I loved my gardens in Idaho, but they were a lot of work without a lot of time to do it in. The growing season in Idaho is short and I was balancing household chores with work.  The garden flourished during the first two years Zoey was born and I was at home, but once I went to work the garden didn't see it's full potential due to my lack of energy.  What I have now in Texas is barely a glimmer of the beautiful herb, flower, and vegetable gardens I maintained in Idaho, but this is one of those sacrifices I've made in expectation of a more open future.

When Sheds Fly

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot 

and the wind blows cold:  

when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."

 -Charles Dickens

Right behind the house.

It's spring in Texas, and the weather changes are brought on by strong winds. When we moved spaces last fall, we knew we would get a little more wind having lost the windbreaks of other houses, but the shade of the trees and the unobstructed view to the west behind our house is worth the extra little bit of shaking we feel in the trailer.

Our better, shaded spot.

Our new spot had a small metal shed on the lot, which we were excited to use for storage or laundry, but it had been placed on the cement pad, taking up half of our precious patio space.  John moved it to the back of the patio, thus removing it from it's tie-downs.  Result:  High flying shed.  oops

Before I arrived it had taken a few rolls, and since then it has continued to roll.  We thought placing it behind the trailer would help, but it continues to roll when the wind strikes it just right.  You may be thinking, 'why don't you tie it down or put a floor in it?' Well, the truck has been on the fritz so we haven't gotten the supplies and we keep thinking of fixing the problem, but with each roll it looks worse and worse, making us less and less excited about keeping it. For now we have it propped sadly behind the house awaiting a settling ground or to be hauled to recycling.