Convention Time Once Again

It's Insurance Women's Convention time once again.

Anyone who knows me well, or has been around my home as October is drawing close, knows the stories of the Insurance Women's Conventions. It's not the convention itself, nor the location nor the excellent education opportunities that abound -- it's the creative endeavors that I get myself involved with leading up to this big event.

My kids learned long ago not to ask. Not to ask why I was sitting in the den floor surrounded by 20 red piggy banks. Not to ask what this Miss America looking Sash thing stretched down the hallway was for exactly.
Is that 1957 Chevy cardboard cut-out a permanent addition to the living room?

When I joined this organization some 25 years ago I had no idea that there would be a place for "ME". A little niche' where my certain little talents would fit right in and sometimes my name would become synonymous with certain projects (and that can be really scary).

I never thought that I would find some of the very best friends on this earth. Friends who have been there for me on some of the worst days of my life and I hope I have been there for them as well.

As we load up the wagon train to head south to Corpus Christi for the 65th Annual Convention of FIWT, this year has been a light creative year for me. Maybe for me to prepare for 2010 when it will be in Arlington. I've made 23 red glittery felt neck ties for the "Roaring 20's" party on Friday night and my Hippie Outfit for Sunday morning 2010 Convention presentation.

It was nothing like 2 years ago when I was choreographing a dance to Menopause, the Musical outside, beside my car, in the dirt and after dark because it was the only CD player that would play the CD. And, although they cancelled the contest at the last minute, we did win by unanimous vote!! IWM always makes a statement at convention - just wait for the pictures to be posted next week.

A Ranch Isn't A Ranch Without a Brand

We began designing our name and brand long before we ever found our property. The design is quite unique and encompasses the past, present, future and an "OOPS". It wouldn't be the Lampkins (or Klampkis as we're also known, if there wasn't an oops).

At the time Sweetie was considering raising chickens because the Federal Govn't was offering subsidies to chicken farmers. Fortunately, that idea went by the wayside, since we've now learned that we are not good at keeping our chicken herd (is that the correct term for 5 chickens?) alive. And they only produce 1-2 eggs a day. That's the oops.

However, the design and the name were created while we were still under that mindset and thus,we became the Fryn'L.

Not the Blazing L, not the Flaming L, but the Fryn'L.

Since our goal is to raise goat and cattle, we're in fine shape. Beef can be fried and if there's anyway possible, Sweetie will find a way to fry goat and it will be good!!

So, anytime you're in our "peace" in Texas stop on by the Fryn'L and see what we're fryn' up in the kitchen. May God Bless ya.

You can tell I'm new at this - the blog got posted before I was finished and before I got my picture posted. All of that will follow tomorrow. And I'll do better next time.

Hi!! Come on in! Welcome to my "Peace" in Texas. It's OK, drop by anytime. You'll always find us working on something, but we love to stop and take a break and visit.

It could be "real" insurance work, volunteer work or kid-home-family work or we could be out in the pasture scoping out one of Sweetie's experiments. That's just life at the Fryn'L.

This is our favorite corner where the breeze is great and we watch the deer graze in the pasture. We can see the squirrels eating the corn out of the deer feeder. We watch the traffic as our neighbors come and go around the bend.