IF I COULD CHOOSE A COUNTRY SONG THAT BEST DESCRIBES ME, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THE BARBARA MANDRELL CLASSIC, "I WAS COUNTRY WHEN COUNTRY WASN'T COOL."  I GREW UP LISTENING TO COUNTRY AND GOSPEL. WHEN ALL MY FRIENDS WERE LISTENING TO ROCK. I WAS LISTENING TO COUNTRY GREATS LIKE GEORGE AND TAMMY, LORETTA LYNN AND MY ALL TIME FAVE, CONWAY TWITTY.  EVEN THOUGH I LOVE ALL THE NEW ARTISTS, I'M STILL DRAWN TO THE TRADITIONAL SOUND OF ARTISTS LIKE ALAN JACKSON, LEE ANN WOMACK AND OF COURSE, THE KING OF COUNTRY, GEORGE STRAIT .  MY MOTHER WHO IS 74 YEARS OLD STILL GOES LINE DANCING EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT AND HAS EVEN "BOOT-SCOOTED " WITH THE BEST OF THEM AT THE WILDHORSE IN NASHVILLE. MY OLDER SISTER ALWAYS HAD ASPIRATIONS OF BECOMING A COUNTRY SINGER, AS YET THEY ARE UNFULFILLED AND LIKELY TO REMAIN SO, AND MY YOUNGER SISTER IS AN UNDISCOVERED SONGWRITER. SO, YOU SEE, IT'S IN MY BLOOD!!

NOW, SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE SAYING, THIS LADY NEEDS TO GET A LIFE.  WELL BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I DO HAVE A PERSONAL LIFE. I'VE BEEN MARRIED FOR 21 YEARS TO A WONDERFUL MAN WHO LOVES THE GAME OF GOLF AS MUCH AS I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC, CAN WE SAY "FAN-ATIC!"  OH YEAH, HE'S VERY HANDSOME TOO, SOME SAY HE RESEMBLES GEORGE STRAIT--AM I LIVING THE DREAM, OR WHAT!  FOR MY FORTIETH BIRTHDAY(UMMM, LAST YEAR) HE EVEN GOT ME FRONT ROW SEATS TO SEE GEORGE,  LOVE THAT MAN! I'M TALKING ABOUT MY HUSBAND HERE!  I ALSO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL 31 YEAR OLD STEP-DAUGHTER AND AN EQUALLY BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL 8 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER WHO IS TRULY THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE!

I COULDN'T END HERE WITHOUT MENTIONING MY “SCOOP SISTA” LEXI. OTHER THAN OUR FAMILIES, WE HAVE TWO LOVES IN LIFE, SHOPPING AND COUNTRY MUSIC AND WE ALWAYS FIND THE TIME TO INDULGE OURSELVES IN A LITTLE OF BOTH!  WE HAVE TRAVELED FAR AND WIDE AND MET MANY, SHALL WE SAY, INTERESTING CHARACTERS ALONG THE WAY, MANY TIMES ACCOMPANIED BY LEXI'S MOTHER(WHO TAUGHT US SO WELL) AND HER SISTER.  WE HAVE OFTEN SAID WE SHOULD WRITE A BOOK, CHANGING THE NAMES TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT, OF COURSE.  WHEN WKKG APPROACHED US ABOUT DOINGTHE “BACKSTAGE PASS” SEGMENT, WE WERE THRILLED AND IMMEDIATELY SAID, "OH MY GOSH, ANOTHER CHAPTER!"   REST ASSURED, IT WON'T BE THE FINAL ONE!!!!