THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO FAMILY. THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD, CONVOLUTED YET MAGICAL AND MEANINGFUL PART OF MY LIFE . 

I recently had a request from an orphanage in Honduras to replace a  teacher who had been killed in an automobile accident the previous day. I was retired and available. I had a special interest in and love for orphans, teaching, and other cultures.  “Of course I’ll go”, I thought, but took the day to think it over

At the end of the day I realized the ‘urgent’ was almost given precedent over the ‘priority’ – my daughter, son-in-law, and three granddaughters, all of whom I had seen little of as I myself had been overseas or otherwise out of contact for 9 years, except for the annual 1-2 week visit during the summer. “You’re not the only solution to this need” I told myself. I declined with a certain sadness but heartfelt wishes for the best of all possible solutions, and remained where I was, with the family I needed and wanted to know better. With the hope that the time spent would see the familial bond become stronger among us.

This blog is about family and a few other loves, most of which begin with the letter “M”. It’s also forcing me to learn a bit about WordPress !

THOSE PERVASIVE, INVASIVE “M” WORDS.  It hit me lately that there sure were a lot of “M” words in my family’s history. I call them ‘the pervasive, invasives’. Here’s what all those “M” words look like ….

• Matthew Thornton (ancestor)
• Matthew Mudeater (ancestor)
• Matthew Thornton Betton Sr, father and founder of the International Association for Jazz Educators (IAJE)
• Matthew Thornton Betton Jr (brother)
• Martha Betton Stitzel (sister)
• Mark Daeschner (son #1)
• Matt Tippett (son #2),
• (Kimberly) Michele Lawler (daughter)
• Macey Lawler (granddaughter #1)
• Phoebe Michelle Lawler (granddaughter #2)
• Manhattan Kansas (my hometown…see also http://manhattan.org)
• Morocco (where I lived for 4 years), and most of all
• MUSIC!

See what I mean? Twelve “M” words – and counting – all in the family! (And I didn’t even list ‘martini’.)

Have you ever thought about how certain letters hold significance in your life? Think about it. It may surprise you. And as you think about it, enjoy your journey down Memory Lane … along with the people, places, and pleasures you’ve enjoyed along the way as I have.

Happy Meanderings!