My dear friend Karen and her husband Bruce came down to Nashville for a visit.  They live in Canada.

Let me give you a little history…

I met Karen when Tom was playing for Lari White.  I was pregnant with Taylor, who is now, 13.  She has 2 children.  Lucas who will be 17 the end of June and Molly, who just turned 14 in March!!

We were the perfect Lucy and Ethel match. 

We would get together all the time, when our husbands were out of town making money.  I would pack up my kids and we would head out to the “holler”, where Karen lived, and hang…The kids always had things to do.  We made messes, we were loud, sometimes the “Clay Lady” would come over and there would be a group of mom’s with small children, and the kids would make clay somethings…Many times Mr T, her neighbor and neighborhood grandfather would come over and hang with us and tell stories, and sometimes give the kids rides in his golf cart.  He owned most of the “holler”  We went to the Chattanooga Aquarium together and had a blast.  Many many days we would just go to McDonald’s and let the kids play in the play area.  Times she would come to my house and help me organize it and we even cleaned up my messy garage and made a “play room” out there!! It was always fun.

As for many in the music business, her husband Dean, was burned out with the music industry and he and Karen decided to go back to Canada to raise their children, near their extended family.  She moved away just a day or 2 before I gave birth to baby number 3, Kieran.  It was such a sad day for me.

We have kept in touch over the years, not the greatest, as Canada was an expensive phone call.  We would email now and then.  It was always like we had seen eachother just the day before.  She came down for a visit about 6 years ago with her children.

Pic 1. Karen with Anya and Taylor

Pic. 2. L to R: Kieran, Taylor, Lucas,(with his eyelids flipped) and Lane Hinchliffe

Pic 2. Lucas getting in “touch” with Lily

Pic 4. L to R: Molly, Maddie Hinchliffe, and Anya

Last fall, Tom was touring, and had a show in Niagra, about an hour from Karen’s house.  So I went up with him!  I was able to see Karen and her new husband Bruce.  We all were able to hang out for a couple of days.  We had a blast!  We went driving in wine country, checked out different wines and enjoyed the country and just caught up and made new memories!

Well, about 2 weeks ago or so, I got a message from Karen letting me know that she and Bruce were coming to Nashville.  I was so excited.  They are here this week.  They came over on Monday so that they could meet all of my children.  The last one Karen met was Lily, number 4.  Then once Tom came home from his sessions, we went out for dinner.  After dinner, they picked up Anya and Taylor and she and Bruce took them to the Predators hockey game!!

OK, back to the title of my post…

Bruce and Karen and I were sitting in my living room chatting.  As we were chatting we were watching the activitiy in the kitchen area.  All of my children were coming and going, getting something to eat, walking around, running, throwing themselves on the ground and having a temper tantrum…

For a brief moment, I saw things through her eyes.  I looked at her and said it looks like bees swarming,

no, it looks like an ant farm, the way they are all busily going about their way, at the same time!  It was hysterical!  We started laughing!

Living in the middle of the chaos, I don’t realize what it looks like.  so for that brief minute, I saw it.  It is busy, it is loud, it is constant, it is exhausting to watch and it is humorous!  To me it is normal.  To someone with 2 teenage children, 4 teenage children with a blended family, it is exhausting!

This is my life, swarming bees, busy ants, getting through each day.

It is beautiful.