Key Players Introduced

Now before I can start telling stories, I'll introduce the key players in the stories and my life. This first round will include the closest of these folks and over time I'll introduce other characters (and some truly are that) into the stories. These people mean the world to me and I'm truly blessed to have these folks in my life.

Mom & Dad: Married for over 40 years, love each other despite their own quirks, generous hearts, a love for travel, and raised an amazing daughter. (Hey, it's my blog after all!)

Grannie: Spunky even at 93, my last remaining grandparent, thinks I can do no wrong (true!), plays a mean round of cards, bunco or dominoes, and lives life without a filter.

My Bitches: Now some of you may be offended by my use of the word bitch and that's ok. However, this term is one that we use in a lovingly, caring way and none of us are offended by its use. It actually reminds me of a quote I once read "When you call us bitches, we just laugh and shake our heads because we knew that WAY before you did!" There are 4 of us in total and ironically works out to be Bitch A, B, C & E.

A: The Counselor, the nanny, the loud mouth, the West Texan, the workaholic, the tell it like it is, the youngest one, the camo blonde, the fly fisher, the best hair and make up, the shopper, the tender soul, the do what it takes for family/friends

B: The Artist, the creator, the caretaker, the dog lover, the funny one, the golfer, the never hunter before but learned as an adult, the "fine girl," the Panhandler, the kid whisperer, the good cooker, the do anything for family/friends

C: The Fighter, the inspiration, the RGValley girl, the Spanish pronunciation police, the nickname queen, the hiker, the reader, the cutest hat collection owner, the dry comedian, the awesome blogger, the salt lover, the do anything for family/friends

The Twins: (a.k.a. The Boys) These guys are awesome. J1 is married to C and J2 is married to (soon to be) The Lawyer. We do lots of things together and the boys provide both comedic relief and some mean meats on the grill. I love their passion for football, hunting, and fishing.

The Lawyer: J2's wife and recent law school graduate. She's been gone for the most of the past 3 years, but now she's back in town ready to put that knowledge to work.

There's a quick introduction to a few of the characters in my life. Now we can get to the stories! First up, my May trip to the Dry Tortugas and Florida Keys.

Until then...happy travels and many laughs!