Wrestling with Life, How I Hit the Wall and Bounced Back

Sometimes, life becomes an inner psyche wrestling match. August and September were inner turmoil months for me. We finally hit some hard realities of our move, nothing bad but obstacles to be overcome. At the same time, I helped some good friends through some really tough things. A huge door was thrown open for me that left me with a extremely difficult decision. Nothing major in the scheme of things but enough to throw me for a loop internally. I basically spent two months in near constant prayer for myself and others. It was a short time of great growth personally.

August first came in with a bang, a conversation with a friend turned out to be the last before life changed for us both drastically. I would spend twelve days wondering what happened to that friend only to find out the friend was seriously injured and life had changed forever. This friend was a huge ministry for me in the past eight months and I was devastated. On top of that, several other friends were facing difficulties and I was heavily in prayer and help mode for them as well.

Then we found out some things with both Marty's health insurance and pay. It was tough, something we weren't expecting and really took us out. Marty also was involved in a rather bizarre incident with a car at school as well. We wondered why us? but knew God was in control of these things. It became a match of trust and worry. One second the ball was in the court of worry only for something to happen to make us trust.

 We also knew our schedules weren't working with our long term homeschooling arrangements. As a family, we were focused on getting through while making changes and plans for the future. E is still trying to find her way, new friends and re-starting life in Knoxville. Conner is in high school, work is getting harder, we are looking toward driving, college and the future.

August is a month where I normally struggle with my looming birthday of 9/11. So add all of this together and it was UGLY. Thankfully, I was already on a path of confiding in several close friends, they upped the ante and really picked me up, listened and started helping me through. These women are my rocks and I am so thankful for all of them. The listened to a very ugly me for 60 days.

It was during this time E challenged me to a two week Twitter break. It was a good idea, it helped me focus on all the things I needed to deal with and made a quiet time for me to reflect, refresh and renew.I love it when the 13 year old knows best. It was during this time, that a lot of things started to happen.

Two friends asked to take me to lunch for my birthday. We sat out by the water, talked about life and suddenly a door opened. They told me I would be a great fit at their national company, the job description was every single thing I needed at the moment. I had to think about it though, it would mean leaving my friends Lee and Flavia. I decided to apply, had a list of five things I needed in this job and went to prayer.

The doors started flying open for me. The day I got the job offer, every single thing was on the list and I knew, I had to accept the job. So I did and the battle began, it was the first time, I knew that I had to do something for myself and family over helping someone else out. I wanted to stay working for Lee and Flavia but knew that I couldn't. In the end, after struggling, I finally was able to tell them and have a peace, they will be blessed too. Something good will come out of it for all of us. We are lucky to be friends and be able to support each other. I can still go in and work in the store, helping out on holidays and weekends.

I am really excited about my new job, it is a huge opportunity and career path for me. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I am so thankful for the opportunity to move to Knoxville, to spend time with Lee and Flavia helping grow their business, to be able to have made new friends that led to this job.

Oh, I thought you might like to know, I got this job in a roundabout way because of Twitter and New Kids. I was introduced to Abbie by Lori when I moved to Knoxville. Abbie introduced me to Melani and Sherri, who are all fellow New Kids fans, we bonded and love each others company. So there you have it, make fun of Twitter and New Kids all you want, it was beneficial in other ways!

I feel a huge peace, burden lifted and a return of my happy go lucky ways. I am so thankful to those who stood in the gap for me, lifted me up and kept me going. You all know who you are and how much you mean to me. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, you know that I will always return the favor.

Marty, you are my rock. You put up with so much wild and crazy from me. Thanks for listening, lifting me up and helping me through. I know that I wasn't easy to live with and you listened to the same things over and over again. So thankful for you.

Still would love prayers for the transition, praying for the little details that need prayed over. Excited to see where I am headed and excited to be able to be home with the kids again during the day. God is so good!

MTTMB Series: ''La la la Tonight''

We all know the story by now, in the summer of 1989 I fell in love with a blue eyed boy from Boston and the group he was in NKOTB. I spent hours talking about them, my room was covered floor to ceiling with pictures from BOP. My Dad took me to see my first concert that winter and I cried the whole time especially when Joe sang, '' I'll Be There''. I fought over him with my cousin Rissa and friend Christena. I bought their first album and any other that came out. It was heaven!

Halloween, I dressed up like Joe with my friends dressing up as their favorite New Kid. I even took a BOP picture of Joe on my 8th grade Washington D.C. trip! I wore a New Kids shirt everyday my 8th grade year only to be mercilessly made fun of but I could've cared less. I was a girl in love......

Fighting a boy to not steal my Joe picture!

NERD!

When their second album came out, I was already in high school and slowly moving on. I still went to see the Magic Summer Tour with my friend Jackie and Kelli at Dodgers Stadium. Somewhere there are pictures of that...Jackie? Kelli? I know one of us has them. Anyways, I was in high school and didn't wear the shirts much anymore. I was never really a pop music fan anyways and slowly moved back to my roots of New Wave and Alternative.

Fast forward to 2008 and the triumphant return of NKOTB. Giddy tweeting back and forth with my best friend Andrea about the return. Sadly facing the fact I may never see them again or so it seemed. Then as we all know last year that all changed. I got to meet NKOTB not just once but twice! I got to see them in concert now three times.

Each time was so special. The one thing I love is the song, '' Tonight'' originally released on the Step by Step Album in 1990. It was a song to their fans about the past few years of touring and their relationship with fans. At the time, it was a hit and was a great song even then. But for me and I think many other fans, the song means so much more as a 30 something woman. How prophetic were those lyrics? a song written in 1990 would mean so much more in 2013. A lot of life was lived by them and their fans, the relationship became so much more for so many.

I have met some wonderful fans who've had the most amazing experiences. I have made wonderful friends all around the world. I have come to respect these five men from Boston, who love their fans like no other band I have ever loved ( well Curt Smith from Tears for Fears is the exception, he is wonderful to us Kooks) They really go the extra mile for fans and sacrifice so much of their family life.

When I first heard them sing this song again at the Mixtape Festival, I got the chills and cried. ''Remember when we said, ''Girl Please Don't Go'' and how I'd be ''Loving You Foreeeeever'' taught ya about ''Hangin Tough'' as long as you've got ''The Right Stuff''



The lyrics incorporating their old song titles and talking about remembering when? now as an adult it takes me back to junior high and the wonderful memories. As a young girl, I could've never imagined being friends with other fans and traveling all over the country to see the band. I met them in California for the first time but have only seen them in concert in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

I would say  not only does this song mean more to me now than ever but this band means more to me than ever. It has become so much more than just a girl loving five bad boys from Boston. It has become about friendship and love with a group of amazing women. This is for all my Blockhead sisters around the world. It's been 25 years and I don't see a thing ever changing for me. I am a Blockhead for life.

Just Ask Jules Series Two: ''How Do You Meet These People?"

I asked a few blogs back for people to send me questions to answer. I got a few questions but the same one kept coming up over and over. The second question is one that has been asked a couple of times on Twitter in the past day or so.

The first question is one I hear over and over:

 ''How do you know all the people you know?'' or ''I don't know how you keep track of so many friends?''

Well, I really don't have a good answer for that. I just meet people, it blows my mind as I get older how small the world really is. Seems like somehow we truly are all connected in some way or another? Funny story that happened today. A couple of years ago, I started a twitter to talk pro cycling with other fans around the world. One of the first people I met was Anita, she introduced me to many people. Turns out, I am moving near Anita and her family now. She introduced me to a lovely woman named Emilee who recently  introduced me to her niece via Twitter. Her niece lives in my new town in TN and we've been chatting back and forth.

Today the niece asked me, "Do you know Lee?'' she had just interacted with my friend Lee and has been to his store before. He mentioned to her his friend was moving from California to work with him. It turned out to be me! Such a small world.

It is hard to keep track of so many friends. The good news is social media makes it easier than ever and having a super memory doesn't hurt! When I moved to Visalia, email was brand new and really rare. It was so hard for me to leave and I felt isolated. Thanks to social media, I have tons of ways to talk to my friends and friends across the globe. The move to Tennessee won't be as lonely as when I moved to Visalia because everyone is in the computer no matter where I go!

The second question comes from Twitter;

 "What NKOTB shows are you going to?"

the answer is none! It is the story of my NKOTB fan life. Everytime they announce a tour, my life is in upheaval and I cannot go. This time I am in the middle of planning a move to TN. Now Marty is a patient guy and is used to my crazy Lucy ways but this time its a no go. We are moving, starting new jobs and now isn't the time for spending lots of money on shows.

Thankfully, I had two wonderful New Kids experiences last year that were dream come true scenarios. I really feel that I could never top either and am happy with them. If I get to go again someday, I will but it isn't a priority to me.  I just happen to talk to a lot of people that are really into that and I love listening to their stories and adventures. For me, I just have so many things to do and want to do many things spread over all my likes.

Good news, I get to see cycling in Chattanooga in May! I also am pondering running a 5 k with Jill and Kate in Nashville in April. Plus hoping to make time to explore my new area and see other friends I never have met or never get to see.


That's all for this edition of Just Ask Jules! Keep sending questions and I will do another round in the future.

Guest Blog: Another Ski Season Begins

      One of my new found Twitter friends and fellow homeschool mom Teri shares about ski season in their house. Teri is a wonderful woman that I had the pleasure of meeting at the Mixtape Festival this summer. I am so grateful to know her and call her friend.

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I never dreamed I’d live in a house where skis criss-crossed the floor, boots lay in piles and wet winter gear was draped over every available piece of furniture.  However that’s exactly what has happened.

     Ski season is beginning for us and my three children are slope junkies. As Homeschoolers, we have the opportunity to form or join ski clubs. These clubs meet at our local slopes, in our case Perfect North Slopes, once a week for a full day of skiing and snowboarding.

    Some moms ski, some don’t. We fellowship and play cards or board games. Many work on lessons or grade papers from the classes we teach in our local co-op. There are scrapbookers, stampers, knitters, cross stitchers, and a fair number of laptops scattered throughout the lodge loft. Most of all there are friends, tables full of them.

    Dozens of people camp out in the upper level of the lodge. The owners are business savvy. Getting these kids hooked on the sport at an early age and at a cost the parents can afford, virtually guarantees them customers for years to come.

     The cost of feeding everyone for an entire day of skiing would be prohibitive to say the least; therefore we are permitted to bring our own food.  Did I mention the owners are business savvy?  This translates to slowcookers at every electrical outlet (we regularly blow the fuses), coolers and snack bags. Various soups, stews and barbeques simmer, filling the place with delicious aromas. 

One week during the season we make hot sandwiches on a griddle, courtesy of my own BFF Laura. We also have waffle day which features homemade waffles and fresh fruit. Everyone feeds any chilled and hungry skier as they wander around while taking a break from the powder.

It is a very relaxed atmosphere, one that I now look forward to each year. I never dreamed I’d live in a house where skis criss-crossed the floor, boots lay in piles and wet winter gear was draped over every available piece of furniture, but now, I can’t imagine it any other way.  

Guest Blogger: Tired of Struggling in Silence by Lori

I met Lori on Twitter ( notice a running theme with that?) when she kindly orchestrated for Andrea and I to go to Town Hall. I often call her the commander of the Blockhead army. She is truly one of the most generous and kind people I've ever met. I cannot wait for the day when I can go to Seattle and hug her in person. She has truly made a huge impact on my life in a short time. 

She privately shared with me her struggles a few months back. Today for the very first time, she is bravely sharing her story with infertility on Just Jules. Thank you for doing this for me and hopefully helping others along the way. You're truly one of a kind.

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Two years ago, my husband and I decided that it was the right time in our life to start trying to have a baby. I knew that it would likely take awhile for my body to regulate and level out after being on birth control for so many years, so I decided that we'd keep it a "secret" from most people. Part of that was knowing it might take a few months (ha, a few months!) and part was that it would be a heck of a lot more fun to surprise people with the "I'm pregnant!" news than to have everyone know and be like "okay, duh, that was news coming.", right?

 A few months went by, then some more, then a couple more, and suddenly we were at a year of trying. A year of trying means officially "infertile" by definition of most insurance companies. We both went in for testing and discovered a few problems and reasons why it hadn't happened yet. Of course, those issues are being worked on, but they take time and there is no quick bandaid fix. Every couples struggle with infertility is the result of a slightly different medical issue and every individual responds to treatments and medication slightly differently. There are about 10,000 different things that have to happen perfectly, at the right time, for a pregnancy to occur - it boggles my mind that anyone gets pregnant, let alone accidentally!

 With the fact that we were working on fixing the issues, I still decided to keep it to ourselves. It kept feeling like if I told people, we'd totally get pregnant right after that and never had to tell, right? (Kinda like washing your car and it rains the next day!) But more months went by, more friends and family were getting pregnant and resulting in more baby showers, more pregnancy announcements and baby pictures all over Facebook, and more people questioning when we were going to have our own.

 Eventually, I cracked and made a snarky comment back to a friend who suggested that we have kids so I don't have to worry about cramps/period for 9 months (hello, that's what I'd LOVE to do!) and informed her that we'd been trying for 2 years. I pretty much knew that was how the news would get out!

 So the doors flew open on our "secret" and it is quite freeing to have it out in the open. No more secrets, no more avoiding the question, no more planning the avoidance and responses to the questions before going to events that I anticipate being asked. I might have been more stressed over that than the actual process and fact that it hasn't happened yet. Infertility happens (in some form) to 1 in 8 couples. 1 in 8!!! Yet nobody talks about it. Why is there such a stigma on the topic? You can talk about it without getting into nitty gritty details of your sex life, I promise. Every time I've mentioned something about it on Twitter, I've had another friend come forward with their struggle of trying, miscarriages, failed IVF attempts, and successful happy endings. Yet while going through it, we've all felt isolated and been in so much pain.

 The more that couples who are going through it hide it, the less it gets talked about. The less it is talked about, the more awkward it is when it is talked about. When it gets talked about, people have a hard time coming up with what to say and how to react to the situation. Yes, it is hard, yes, it sucks to go through, but it doesn't mean that the couples going through it are seeking your suggestions to fix the problem ("my cousins best friends sister just stopped trying and got pregnant with twins!" is not any help, I promise!!), nor does a canned "it will happen when it is meant to be!" response. It feels like it ends up being a vicious cycle - people don't talk about it because they are embarrassed/hurt/ashamed/whatever, which leads to less people knowing the facts, which leads to less people knowing what to "say" or how to "help" the people in their lives when it does get talked about.

 Remember before that I said 1 in 8 couples struggle with some form of infertility? Think about the people in your life and the couples around you - I'm guessing you know more than 8 and I'm guessing you've heard of very few of them discussing infertility, but I promise you, it's happening.

 Lesson of this all? I'm not sure that I would have done it any differently or announced that we'd been trying any earlier, but I do know that it feels a lot better having it be public. Maybe we should have told more people close to us to avoid at least a handful of the questioning from happening, maybe not - but it definitely helps to not hide it.

 To anyone out there going through it themselves, know that you aren't alone in the struggle. Find an online support group (I'd recommend the TCOYF.com forums!) or open up to some people close to you. It has made all the difference to have a group of friends who were all going through a similar struggle as me. Even as the time has gone by and most of the friends in that group have a baby by now, they know what the struggle is and are still an amazing shoulder to lean on.

 To those of you who are out there who know of a couple going through it, just be supportive. Understand that there may be times we can't attend your kids first birthday party or the next baby shower being thrown might just be too tough to handle. Don't offer us your toddler going through the terrible two's as a consolation to another month of finding out that we haven't conceived yet. And for the love of God, don't tell us to "just relax"! Next time you are about to ask a couple when they are having kids or tell them that it is "their turn", take a step back and think about it - how old are they? how long have they been married? There is probably a reason, whether medical or they just aren't quite ready yet, and chances are, your pressuring won't make them suddenly think "Hey, I hadn't thought of that! Let's go have a baby!" Everyday there is a reminder in our daily life that we're still struggling with it and a little love, support and understanding will go a long way!

 And remember, it'll all be worth it when you see two pink lines. :)

 You can follow Lori on Twitter @BlancoDiddy

Goodbye 35, The Best Year of My Thirties

It is no secret, I have a long, complicated history with birthday's. Usually they don't go very well and end with me crying. I wrote more about that last year here. I finally came to terms, Marty was well and things had been going very well. Everyone kept telling me " 35 is going to be your year" and of course, I didn't really want to believe it.

35 was my year, the best year of my thirties by far. It started on my 35th birthday when my all time favorite singer Curt Smith wished me a Happy birthday on Twitter. Two days later, for the very first time I saw them live in concert. It was amazing to stand there and listen to them live with Marty, I really thought things couldn't get much better than that. I hated the picture after the concert and how big I looked, the thought of changing that still hadn't crossed my mind.

In October, we took our first family vacation in over 7 years to Georgia. It was amazing to be able to travel and be free. We had such a great time seeing friends and being free to explore the world again.. Our lives were normal again and we had no worries anymore.

We came home from vacation and my Dad was hospitalized, it was a bit scary at first but then the relief that he finally had gotten the care to get him healthy again. It's been nice not having to worry about his health anymore and knowing he is on track again.

I came home from LA and just a few days later was introduced to Janet Evans on Twitter. Through a series of tweets, she helped motivate me to get fit. Just a few weeks later, I took her up on her offer to swim with her and that started me swimming again. Not only did I start swimming again but I started training for my first triathlon. I never expected we would become friends along the way.

In January, We celebrated the first anniversary of Marty's transplant and sent off a letter to our donor family. A couple of months later, we heard from the donor mom and learned about our donor Jerry.

In March, I completed my first triathlon with a huge sense of pride and accomplishment. Who would have ever thought I would do that? certainly not me. I had been losing weight and working very hard at getting fit. To date I've lost 40lbs and counting, all due to one tweet that changed my life.

April brought about a interesting turn of events. Easter weekend forever changed the course of the year and brought about amazing healing of my heart that I had long prayed for. The peace that weekend brought still amazes me to this day. Also, one meeting outside of the Hard Rock Cafe followed by a series of tweets changed the course of the rest of the year and the repercussions are far reaching.

Thanks to the kindness of three strangers, one evening in Los Angeles another dream came true. I sat in the same room as my teen hearthrobs and  even hugged them or shook hands ( at one point held the hand of one) with two women who would become dear to my heart and my sister of the heart. Little did I know,what this one event would lead to.

In May, Conner and I once again traveled to see our beloved Amgen Tour of California. This year was special because our cycling friends came to stay with us and we got to meet so many in the cycling community. Then one day later, led to the crazy story of Operation Cookie bake and how not to make promises to Jens Voigt that you don't keep.

My kids grew, no more elementary school for us after the school year ended. They have been such great company this year, helping me get fit. Helping me out around the house more after I returned to work from being a SAHM for many years.

In July, our dear pen pals from France came to visit. Fanette and her boys came for 11 days, we had such a good time touring California and showing them the sites. The kids and I got to go to Universal with them and then my long awaited return to my childhood haunt of Disneyland with them. It was wonderful to see such good friends and spend time in special places together.

Then last month, I was able to travel to Hershey,PA for a long awaited girl's trip with my good friend. It also was with the two women I had met on Twitter who had become good friends also. It was wonderful to see NKOTB again, another dream come true. I also met so many wonderful people and made friends for life. I also got to meet my dear friend Janeen for the first time.

Then this past week, I was able to travel to LA once again and see my Mom celebrate her Disney anniversary. The best part was getting to be at Disneyland after it was closed and enjoy some one on one time with my mom.

None of this would have happened without the support of my loving husband Marty. He has been gracious to let me live my dreams, supported me while I was off having fun and worked hard to pay for it all. Thank you for loving me selflessly and letting me have fun. This year has been a wonderful gift and I am forever grateful for your support.

Finally, I was able to live fully, spread my wings and fly, experience new things, laugh, cry, challenge myself, share my story, try to make a difference and really enjoy life to the fullest. Thank you to all the people who helped to make this the best year of my thirties. I am so thankful and humbled by your support and love, I am just Julie, a simple girl who cannot fathom that she is loved by many.

 I cannot imagine that 36 can top 35 but I cannot wait to see what happens. I hope to make some of Marty's dreams come true this year and sit back and watch him fly. 

Guest blog: 214 Grafitti's Mixtape Story

Ever meet someone and just click? Three weeks ago at the Mixtape festival, I met the "Graffiti Boys" after they asked my friend Andrea to sign their "Tayble" for charity.  We immediately adored these sweet boys and they became our constant companions for the weekend. I asked them if they wanted to guest blog for me sometime and share their Mixtape story.  They truly had some great interactions that some of us only dream of! 

Do me a favor and follow these boys. Soon they will be auctioning off this great Tayble for charity and one of you may have the chance to be the owner. Let's get them to 1,000 Twitter followers and bring their youtube to 1,000 views. They're being great and sharing some of their behind the scene's pictures with my readers. Without further adeiu, I will let Justin tell you about their weekend:


Has it really been three weeks since Mixtape Fest already?  It seems like just yesterday we were buying 100 cans (literally) of spray paint and loading NKOTB's mac truck with pieces of the 20 foot wall for us to paint a graffiti mural on... But I'm getting ahead of myself.  I doubt you normally read about graffiti on this blog so allow me to introduce us: we are 214 Graffiti.

214 Graffiti is comprised of Taylor and Justin (that's me).  We have been working together for around 2.5 years.  In this time we have sold over 150 custom graffiti sprays, and had our work featured at red carpet events, corporate launches, galleries and numerous personal collections.  We were flown out to the Mixtape Fest to paint a 20 foot mural of all the artists performing at the festival. Here's a quick video (so you can get a little better idea of what kind of work we do) that we shot when we sprayed a 16 foot wall for Warner Sound at Warner Bros. Records:

So now that we have some context for who we are, we might as well explain how we met Julie, who is the reason we are writing here today!  Taylor and I also run a subsidiary company of 214 Graffiti with his brother Zach called TAYBLE  (named after Taylor who came up with the design). These are essentially tables that look like a cassette table (cassette table, mixtape table - call it what you will).  We had a TAYBLE backstage at the Mixtape Fest in the VIP lounge for all the artists to sign.  (We are currently putting the finish work on it and it is going to be auctioned off by NKOTB for charity.  We called it the Tayble for Charity--- but back to how we met Julie!)

When we were off working on our painting for the festival we heard that Andrea Barber (The Gibbler on Full House) was at Mixtape Fest because she was such a big fan of NKOTB.  We thought, why not have her sign the Tayble for Charity as well! So we approached her and asked!  She, of course, was more than gracious and was really excited about signing the Tayble. And this is where we got to meet all her wonderful friends, including Julie, who we ended up hanging out with throughout the rest of  the weekend!

Andrea, Taylor, Justin and Julie. We love the "graffitti boys" as we call them.

Andrea signing the Tayble for Charity

All that to say that we had a great time at the first annual Mixtape Fest! We painted a 20 foot mural, made a giant TAYBLE sign for the VIP lounge, got artists like NKOTB, The Fray, The Wanted, 98 Degrees (and Nick Lachey), The Dan Band, and DJ Cheapshot (including a few others) to sign the Tayble for Charity and got to meet so many fun and exciting new friends from around the country!  I would go on, but frankly, I think our art speaks better for what we did than my writing!  So with that, we thank you for your time and hope you enjoy our work!  Check us out at www.facebook.com/214Graffiti or www.Taybles.com or follow us on Twitter: @214Graffiti

The Tayble in the back is what the signed Tayble will look like in the end.

The Mixtape Graffiti wall

Working hard on the graffiti wall

Justin with Nick Lachey signing the Tayble for Charity

Donnie and DJ Pauly D under the Tayble Sign

NKOTB with the Tayble for Charity

Tayble for Charity photos courtesy of 214 Graffiti. All Rights Reserved.

Rock and Jock photo courtesy of Just Jules. All Rights Reserved.

"Someday, it will be your turn!"

Those are the words that would make me want to scream not too long ago. When Marty was sick people would say that to me over and over. When NKOTB reunited, I had to tell Andrea "no" two times about NKOTB concerts and it was really hard for me. She would say " That's okay, someday it will be your turn and we will see them together." It was hard to think that day would ever come.

Then we met them at Town Hall together thanks to the kindness of the Twitter Blockhead's. It was truly a beautiful night that convinced me someday our dream would come true. This weekend, that dream came true. Andrea and I traveled to the Mixtape festival in Hershey,PA to see NKOTB. For me, it was the first time seeing them live in 22 years. I knew being there with one of my best friends, seeing them live with new good friends would be emotional. My new friend KTDQ captured the moment on film, the picture says it all.

This was taken when Joe was singing "Please Don't Go Girl"

A beautiful moment in a beautiful friendship. Photo: KTDQ

Andrea, not many friends keep their promises and make it happen. You made it happen and beyond my wildest dreams. I loved experiencing such a wonderful, intense, exciting weekend together. Thank you for letting me share in the other side of your life. It was fun seeing others enjoying meeting my wonderful friend and knowing you made many happy. Most of all, you made your sister of the heart over the moon happy. I love you and thank you!

Together with Andrea, I experienced the weekend with five wonderful women. They are new friends to me but because of them, I got the experience this weekend. They brought me laughs, joy, happiness and fun memories for a lifetime.

A2, I love seeing your face watching Jordan Knight sing. I love your love for NKOTB. Thank you for taking me to Town Hall and starting this whole thing going. I am forever grateful. Thank you for introducing me to so many wonderful people. The best moment was finding you under the A2 sign in Harrisburg and the worst moment was leaving you there.

LL Fancy, it was instant love when we met. A immediate connection, a bond so intense that I truly can say I never have experienced something like that ever. You are so fun, witty and make me laugh. Thank you for helping me have a good time this weekend. My favorite moment was meeting Joe together once again and getting our picture together.

MVP, you are hilarious. I am so glad to have met you this weekend and had fun watching you have fun! I cannot wait to see you again. My favorite moment was you during the after party dancing like crazy!

KTDQ, I loved watching you dance, have fun and your sweet spirit. Thank you for all you did to help make this weekend better. I truly think without your help, it would have ended very differently. I look forward to knowing you more and more. I loved our chat at lunch on Saturday and it was nice that you understood where I was coming from and that we have the same outlook on life. My favorite moment was watching you dancing during the shows brought me so much joy and made me dance!

Under the Taybles Mixtape sign with MVP, LL, KTDQ,A2 and AB

While in Hershey, another five year dream came true. One of the people who often told me "Someday it will be your turn" was my friend Janeen. We have been in a online prayer group with eight other ladies for years and never met. They have all met numerous times in the years Marty was sick and we couldn't travel. Every year I would watch them go off to meet and see pictures of the gathering. I felt like odd man out, that my turn would never come. Late last year, I was able to meet two of the people from the board. I just recently said to the others, I didn't think my turn would ever come to meet them.

Janeen's daughter Christy contacted me before I left for Hershey  and asked if I could meet them. She agreed to drive her mom to Harrisburg and meet me. So Sunday, my group of friends and I went to meet Janeen at Cracker Barrell. It is the place everyone in our group always meets and it had to be there. I will let the pictures speak for themself

tears of joy

Rocking on the porch

Thank you to Christy and Janeen for coming to meet me. I would also like to thank Nichole for coming along to meet them with the group and for sitting beside me during one of the most important moments in my life. We just met but you came to such a wonderful moment and now we are forever bonded.

I am proof that dreams do come true. Someday my turn did come, it blew my mind and was beyond my wildest dreams. I chose to do the right thing in the dark times and when the sun broke through the clouds and the rain went away, the sunshine was far brighter than the dark night.

As always, thank you Debbie and Jerry for giving our family new life. Without the selfless gift of organ donation, I wouldn't have gone this weekend and experienced this mountain top experience.

Thank you to Lori for making it all possible. Thank you Taylor, Justin, Matt, Jennie, Wade and Tina for being our companions and helping us have the time of our lives. Thank you to Lisa, Teri, Heather and Hope for the great tweetups, it was nice meeting you in person. Thank you to Howie D. for helping me make Melly's dream come true, you are gracious and to Joe Mac for making my 25 year dream come true.

If you are in the darkness, know that you will survive and that there is hope.

I will do a all Mixtape picture blog this week to show you more of my time at the festival.

Music That Takes Me Back: Vinyl, 8 Tracks and a Mixtape

A few weeks ago,I was talking to my kids about how listening to music has evolved since I was a little girl. After talking about the Mixtape Festival I am attending next week, they asked "What's a Mixtape?" and it floored me that its lost on my kids.

I remember sitting on the floor of my bedroom in Buena Park listening to my little Fisher Price record player. I would drag out all my parents old albums and listen to them, making up dance routines to go along with the songs. Of course, you couldn't jump around too much so the record wouldn't skip!

Oh How I loved this record player

I think my favorite album to listen to was the Grease Soundtrack




I would spend hours and hour listening to records until I figured out the radio and cassette tapes came on the scene. Personally, I think my parents were glad I wouldn't destroy anymore records. I remember when they thought 8 track players were cool. We had one in our car, there is a funny story about that.  Needless to say,  Cassette tapes quickly became a favorite of mine.


 It was especially cool when you could record straight from a record on to a tape and then from tape to tape. I like other 90's kids spent hours making my own mixtapes. Recording from the radio was especially a favorite of mine, it was like music sharing before computers. Having a tape paused at all times to hit record the second the song came on the radio. It was like free Itunes with really bad quality and commercial interuption.





You could make one for your friend, boyfriend or for yourself.  What 90's girl didn't make a sappy, love song filled Mixtape for her latest crush? I know that I am not alone......right? When the Walkman came out, you could take Mixtapes to your friends at school and let them listen. I love making customized mixes for myself and friends.

I know with iTunes, there are still mixes and music sharing. It's just not the same as carrying around a bulky tape with sharpie writing all over it. Nothing can replace the countless hours of sitting with one finger on the play button and one finger on the record button, trying to get the timing just right. One time my friend Ruben wrote me a entire note on the tape part of a Mixtape.

This also went hand in hand with the invention of VHS ( even though we had a BetaMax first) and watching MTV for hours trying to record my favorite videos or shows

  I wish that I had held on to my Mixtapes to listen to them today. Well...I don't even have a tape player to listen to them anyways.

Just fun to reminisce and re-live one of my favorite tween memories. There wasn't much I like about being a tween but making Mixtapes was one thing I loved.

MTTMB Series: I Remember When

Last August in celebration of my 35th birthday I wrote the wildly popular Music That Takes Me Back Series. It was a great trip down memory lane and I nowhere near completed the trip. I had already decided to bring it back and then something happened....NKOTB came crashing back into my life.

You may remember I wrote this blog about New Kids on the Block a few days before my birthday. I had no clue that 35 would turn out to be one of the greatest years of my life. Also one of the greatest years of my New Kids fan life.

I recently had the opportunity to meet them thanks to my new found "sisters" Blockhead sisters to be exact. Thanks to Lori, Lindsey, Trish, and A2 also known as Andrea. My dear friend, SOH and I got to meet the New Kids together. You can read about that here.

September 14,1990, three days after I turned 14, I saw New Kids on the Block for the second time at Dodgers Stadium with my friend Jackie. It was truly a Magic Summer Tour and little did I know the last time I would see them live for twenty two years.

This year Andrea and I are celebrating our 36th birthday's together in Hershey,PA by seeing NKOTB live together for the first time. I am thrilled beyond words for this trip.

Getting to go away with one of my best friends, getting to see New Kids, going to Hershey for the first time. I get to meet back up with my friends Lindsey and Andrea, plus meet many of the BH sistas that are my tweeps. I could wax poetic for hours about this.

Going to save that for the after trip blog which will be a part of the series. Until then, I leave you with two videos. One a old New Kids song that fits the bill and the second is a great promo video done for the event by my friend Andrea.


This song takes me right back to being twelve. I always knew that New Kids would be a huge part of my life story.



Here is Andrea's promo video to share more about the festival. Warning there is language in this video, so please don't watch if that will upset you