Lynn’s Recollections and Reflections #41 – Filling Your Tank

I recently returned from a 10-day road trip to meet with my blogging buddies to work together. Our mission was to learn from each other, work with each other and quite frankly just spend time with each other.

We originally met each other online in a Master Class. Then we all went to a few conferences together. We ultimately banded together as a group of 6 who meet via Zoom every Thursday. We chat daily via a group text thread.

Six smiling women sit around a wooden table set with plates and glasses of water, capturing recollections as they pose for a group photo in a cozy restaurant with exposed brick walls and warm lighting.

This however was the first time that all 6 of us were all together. We laughed. We cried. We didn’t want our time together to end.

But we all went home feeling filled up and ready to keep doing what we were doing.

LA to Illinois

The craziness of this trip started when Wendy of WMDesign House decided to fly to Chicago from LA. I picked her up at the airport on a Thursday.

This crazy girl wanted to go along with me on a road trip!

A quick little video of me getting Wendy from O’Hare

Two smiling women with gray hair in top knots and glasses take a selfie outdoors, sunlight illuminating their faces as they capture new recollections in front of a house with blue siding and lush greenery.

Friday morning we got in the car and started driving to our first destination, Kansas City!

Two women smiling and sitting in the front seats of a car share joyful recollections. The woman on the left wears sunglasses, hoop earrings, and a white jacket; the woman on the right wears glasses and a gray sweater. Sunlight fills the car.
View from inside a car packed with pillows, baskets, bags, and household items stirs recollections. The back seats are folded down to make room. A partial view of a person and the road ahead can be seen through the rear window.

“Handy” named us Thelma and Louise as we pulled out of the driveway. As luck would have it, we found these hats at one of our first stops. We wore them for the rest of our trip.

Two smiling women wearing green hats labeled "Louise" and "Thelma" stand arm-in-arm in a cozy shop filled with rustic farmhouse decor, plants, and various decorative items, sharing warm recollections amid charming surroundings.

Kansas City Here We Come

Our destination for the first day was Lake Waukomis, Missouri which is where our friend Diane from South House Designs lives. We arrived in the late afternoon, just in time to have drinks and appetizers with the owner of one of our favorite stores, Nell Hills in Kansas City.

On Saturday we went shopping and met the delightful MaryCarol who owns Diebolts in Kansas City. She was the original owner of Nell Hills. We went a little crazy in her cute little store.

A silver tray holds glass oil lamps, a whisky bottle, a bottle of Campari, and a glass vase with orange flowers—a charming arrangement that evokes recollections—set against a black wall with green leaves framing the scene.
A mural on a building reads "Welcome to the Historic West Bottoms" above geometric designs in gray and beige, evoking recollections of the area's rich past. Several cars are parked in front under a partly cloudy sky.
A person plays a black grand piano set up in the middle of a street, filling the urban scene with music and recollections. A woven basket sits nearby as people walk and stand around on a sunny day amid brick buildings.
A stylish bedroom with a canopy bed, patterned bedding, blue armchairs, a beige sofa, modern coffee table, plants, lamps, wall art, and a large geometric chandelier evokes cozy elegance and warm recollections.

Then we went to Historic West Bottoms, an area of Kansas with old factory buildings that have been turned into all kinds of shops. It was blisteringly hot so we faded fast here.

Then it was back to Nell Hills for some actual shopping. It was such a fun day of shopping and lunch with girlfriends.

Our conversation is seamless and we so enjoy each other’s company. A shopping day with the girls was something I needed.

Kansas to Dallas

Sunday morning bright and early we hopped back in the car for the final leg of our road trip.

My GPS took me a way I had never taken before and we saw the aftermath of the tornados that ripped through Northern Texas in late May. It was pretty devastating.

A large, partially collapsed building with twisted metal and debris stands under a blue sky dotted with clouds, evoking recollections of the past. A green field and a road stretch out in the foreground.
A damaged house with a broken roof stands behind fallen trees and debris, evoking recollections of past storms. A "Do Not Enter" sign and a metal gate are visible in the foreground near the road.

We got to Dallas safe and sound and spent two days with my daughter Annie, her husband Tommy, and their 6-month-old son, Harrison. We snuck in about 24 hours of grandma time before we met up with the rest of our crew.

Filling our Tank

There were no rules on our trip. We ate DQ at 10 am. We laughed and we cried. Two sixty-something women trying to figure out life in a car was quite the adventure.

Two women stand smiling inside a bright fast-food restaurant, each holding a frozen treat. Their casual clothes and baseball caps add to the laid-back vibe, creating warm recollections of fun, lighthearted moments among tables and soda machines.

For me, it was exactly what I needed. It’s interesting how when you get to this stage in your life a younger you would have thought you’d have it all figured out.

The problems have just changed and we are luckily much more reflective and mature with our problem-solving skills. But we still struggle sometimes.

We like our younger selves are still racing to get it all done before we die but realize that will never happen.

Life goes by in such a flash and it’s become apparent to me how much I need good friends to fill my tank!

Peace & Love,

A blue background with hand-drawn elements sets the stage. A heart symbol flanked by two lines adds charm, while the text "Lynn xoxo" in cursive whispers a promise to make food prep easier and more delightful.

I will share more about our trip in another post.

Be sure to visit my other blogger friends who we met up with in Dallas

Amy Sadler Designs
Reninvented Delaware
Vintage Home Designs

You can find the complete list of all of the Recollection Posts HERE

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A dark blue background with a subtle, wavy abstract line pattern running across the center, reminiscent of the flowing creativity often found when living large in a small house.
A dark blue background with a subtle, wavy abstract line pattern running across the center, reminiscent of the flowing creativity often found when living large in a small house.
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Meet Me

After years in corporate America, I’ve channeled my interior design degree and passionate creativity into transforming our 1,300 square foot house into a cozy, inviting haven that proves beautiful living doesn’t require massive square footage.

My slight OCD tendencies fuel my love for organizing while my “Handy” husband helps bring my vintage-inspired decorating visions to life in our empty nest, where we entertain, garden, and cook from scratch.

Join me as I share practical wisdom, genuine humor, and professional insights for making the most of every square inch—because I’ve discovered that living large isn’t about the size of your home but how you fill it with style, function, and heart.

MORE ABOUT ME
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3 Comments

  1. Wendy McMonigle says:

    I am in tears! That was a beautiful post. I am so grateful to call you my friend and share life with you. Those almost 20 hours in the car were life changing for me. Thank you for the gift of friendship.

    Reply

  2. I love Mary Carol Garrity and am thrilled to see she has re-entered the home decor retail world with Debolts. When I clicked on your link for Debolts nothing is available for viewing?

    Reply