Pen pals....remember those? Letters to Karen

If you are old enough to fall somewhere between the Baby boomer generation and generation X, then you know what a pen pal is. I had a pen pal when I was a girl. She lived in Canada. I forgot her name, though. I've always liked writing letters to friends and was a loyal responder. Letters have gone by the wayside and now we email, and younger generations text and twit. I've stuck with email, haven't moved to texting or twittering. I don't have the need for that. I am amazed how I've met people from all around the world via the internet and have become friends with them. In the past year or so, I've taken a lot of online classes having to do with digital scrapbooking and photography. Here is where I've met some wonderful women in China, Dubai, Florida, and Montana. I've started a pen pal relationship with my new found friend, Karen. She's the one in Montana. I've dubbed her Kountry Karen or for short KK. I've signed my emails 'Burbia Barbara or for short BB. Our lives are extremely different, yet we are having fun emailling back and forth. I would never have met her had it not been a common interest to learn the art of photography. Here is an email I sent this morning. I realized how writing a letter to someone who as asked, 'how was your week' is a wonderful way to journal the ordinary. I had to make it colorful as I sometimes feel like my week to week events are boring. Karen got a chuckle just as I do with her writings. Turns out TTYL means talk to you later....it's a texting thing.

KK,
Hi ! Hey, what is TTYL? I'm not up with the lingo. I really love hearing your 'day in the life of Karen, the wife of a rancher.....' so please do tell! You do have a life that is unique and fun to hear about. I feel like my life is not much of a unique one compared to yours, but I'll try to share in a colorful way. Before I do, I just have to say, I can only imagine how bittersweet it must be to brand the babies and send them on their way. I remember at my aunts and uncle's farm, having raised the animals and then the reality of having Tom the turkey for thanksgiving. I also remember my uncles raising chickens, and watching them go through the process of slaughter....it was a learning experience that few suburbia children see!!! My parents had a summer home on a lake close to these aunts and uncles. We would bring our home friends up to the lake and expose them to a taste of country life. Most of the kids hated the smell of manure or barns......something that I remember with fondness. Now I raise my kids in the town I where grew up. I live on a busy street. My kids walk about a quarter mile to school. We have a nice 25,000 sq foot plot with neighbors on every side of us. My folks live in the house I was raised in about a 10 minute walk away. We are close to my parents and they love taking care of their only grandchild ren. So we reap the benefits of that. I actually would love to move to my parents neighborhood to get off the busy street and be there when they are old and in need of support. One of the nights when I had just shared your pics with my husband, I was going to bed, lights out and heard some cars drive by, I thought of you and how you must hear complete silence at bedtime. So this week was a busy one. I worked an extra day to help out at the clinic as we are temporarily short staffed. My kids had a kindergarten concert to celebrate the end of the school year and it was adorable and gets me choked up. Jacquelyn was invited to a pink poodle party at Sugar plum parties. It was a just girls party as they had a tea party, played dressed up, had their nails and makeup done, had fashion shots done! So, Zac and I had a date. I took him miniture golfing and Zac got TWO holes in one and I got one hole in one. Zac loves golf and he's really good at it. Golfers at the driving range are amazed at his swing mechanics. I had such a great time with my boy. A mother/son bond is a surprise and gift to me. We went out for ice cream and picked Jackie up from her girlie party. We spyed in the window and saw a glimpse of girl fantasy land, Zac was invited in for cake, but he wanted nothing to do with entering the all girls parlor!! Jackie and Zac have only had a few invites to an all girl or all boy party and they each are sensitive to the one who is left out. I rarely have time with just one of them, so I tend to make a special date with the one left out. At the end of the party, the girls got to pick out a stuffed doggie, most of them picked a pink poodle. Jackie asked the host if she could take one home to her brother. She said there wasn't any beagles (Zac's dream is to have a beagle), so she picked out a german shepard to take home for Zac. She is the sweetest sister! I love my girl. She isn't a primadonna type girl. I didn't know how she would like this girlie girl party, but she blossomed and said she was the prettiest at the party. I think she loved all the sugar and spice. What I love best about my girl is she can also run with the boys. She is naturally beautiful and as she's been curious about mommy applying makeup, I tell her, I use make up to try to be as beautiful as she is without makeup. She likes dresses with sneakers so she can still play hard. She likes her hair long, but please don't fuss with it. She likes her nails painted but can't sit still long enough for them to dry before she's off to get her hands dirty. I think it's a perfect balance. The same day of the party, Jac and Zac had a tball game. Both kids are natural athletes. It's a pleasure to see these little 5 and 6 year old kids develop and improve. Of course I took pictures.....and admit in auto! I'll tweek them in photoshop. The other big focus in my life, right now, is working out. Since I hit my 40's and while being engrosed in computer time learning the world of digital scrapbooking as well as sitting on my growing fat ass to make and sell jewelry, I gained 20 lbs. I hated how this extra weight made me feel, tired and sluggish. So, for the past three months, I've been very disciplined with my workout and lost 10 of the 20 lbs! I want to lose 15 more to be comfortable with myself and I feel I can attain this! So, there's a taste of ' a day in the life of suburbia Barbara'. Hope you enjoyed as much as I enjoy a glimpse of you. Hey, you know, these correspondences are great journalling!!! I just might have to post it in my blog! Keep it coming, BB ( 'Burbia Barbara)