Daniel Patton is my birth father who over my years of living has been in and out of my life a few times, but never out of my thoughts. This is the one that I use the word DAD when I speak. I am very grateful for our reconnection this past June of 2011, when I found out some sad news of my brother. Life is interesting that way, when sad things happen sometimes the twist brings you something unexpected.
Sometimes it takes many years to get to know a person. Though I don’t have as strong of a father daughter relationship as I would hope, we are both working on being involved as much as possible with each others lives.

My dad is the reason I viewed the Packers this season. He lives, and breathes for this team. It makes for a fun conversation when we speak of the Steelers and Bears the two teams I follow.
If you want to get to know someone try to speak their interest, it will amaze you!

A little history of my family world:
My mother (Ronda) and father were divorced when I was 4 and though my dad had visitation rights I didn’t see much of him.

When Ronda met my stepfather Walt when I was 8, my dad felt as if he would never see much of me or my brother. The decision was made after Ronda married Walt when I was 9, that at age 10 I would become adopted by my stepfather. My mother also came from a divorced family, so my brother and I being adopted would give her the family she always wanted, so she thought.

It didn’t work in her favor as she was divorced again when I was a junior in high school.

Divorce is the reason marriage scares me!

So many years have gone by. I haven’t seen Ronda or my brother since December of 1990 and haven’t seen my stepfather since June 1989. My dad who lives in Indiana now, and I have lost three years, but I hope that will change in this new year.

As I walk the world as a Nechville, I know that my blood is that of a Patton and all I can do is keep both of my fathers involved in my world as much as possible.

Reconnecting with my step-father Walt back in 2009 through a letter has come full circle. Parents birth or adopted have a right to know where you are, what you are doing. He is my stepfather but legally my father on my birth certificate due to an adoption. He hasn’t seen me in 23 years, since my high school graduation, but is certainly up to speed with new photos and letters from me. The response that he has given me, though he lives in Wisconsin, is more than I could have hoped for.

I ask nothing of these fathers other than some communication. Isn’t it great when you have a sounding board, someone to listen especially parents? I have never had that, but hope that the communication I have with my dads continues for a long time!

My mother Ronda abandoned me at age 19 when I moved to Pennsylvania. To some it may sound like she didn’t abandon me as I was an adult. Who doesn’t need or want parents all their life? Just because I was an adult doesn’t mean that you don’t need love and comfort of the person who gave birth to you! The one who wanted a little girl so bad that she tried for another child, the one who tried to make my childhood the best that she could as a single mom for a short time.

My mother who lives all the way on the other side of the United States somewhere near Colorado Springs will never be involved in my life, at least this is the conclusion I have come to. I tried again this past December with updated photos of me and a Christmas Card and no response from Ronda came through.

I refuse to live my world with anger or sorrow, a happy world is what I have created and one that will continue!

The thing I fear most is being alone. No one should ever have that feeling as it’s the worst thing in the world!

I will take the kindness of phone calls, emails and letters from my two fathers, as I need people in my life that care about me especially family! People can’t be who you want them to be nor can you change the person that they are. It’s your choice who you have in your life!

What and whom I am today is because of me! The life I have created in Pennsylvania is one that is happy, full of friends and full of life with smiles. Strength comes from within to make your life amazing! I know I wouldn’t change time, moving to Pennsylvania Feb 4th, almost 22 years ago was the best decision I could have made!

My friends give me strength as much as all my new communication with my family members.

So as I move forward with this new 2012 goal, I thank Daniel, Walt and one amazing cousin for being part of it!

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do!”~Eleanor Roosevelt

Though my day started off with a seasonal headcold, all that mattered is that it was Friday! As many of you know, I work as a Orthodontist Technican that gives me 4 ten hour work days Monday-Thursday.

It’s the weekend, so not even a silly cold was going to get me down today, as my 2012 goal was just about to come alive! The backorder till February status changed in a flash as a new email arrived right before 11:30. “Ready for pick up” was now added to the top of my to do list!

Panera for lunch with friends to catch up and then it was off to Delaware, Wilmington that is! Music playing as I rolled down 202 South just over the border was my destination!

My new 2012 goal that I have kept secret from many of you and that I set for myself back in November right around my birthday was to learn to play the acoustic guitar.
 I spent many nights researching guitars, brands, used, new, where to buy etc. With the help of my family guitar idols/gurus, and a few other rockin’ musicians I know, I narrowed my thoughts down to a couple starter guitars. Something small and little easier to learn to play.

My thoughts were really on a used guitar, as I wanted to play something that a musican had played to give it sole and character.

My Santas on the other hand had something else in mind. While researching on Dec 24th, I found that Guitar Center was having a major Snowman sale. If I purchased this guitar from The Guitar Center by 3pm Christmas Eve, the package deal was something you could not let fly away. My Santas were amazed at the discount gal that I can be, as I always search for the best bargain!

My GPS brought me right to the front door and Wow if you have never been to a Guitar Center store you should go! My eyes were in heaven at all the beautiful guitars everywhere. Oh testosterone was galore also, as the workers are all men ooh la la!

The customer service at this Wilmington Store blew me right out of the water. They brought my online order up front, got me a few additonal things I asked about and even carried all my items to my car that was parked way on the otherside of the building!

So thank you Nicholas who was so helpful, full of smiles, and treated this customer with so much respect!
 I would like to call him St. Nicholas. You can bet that store is going to hear about how wonderful he was! My Santas as you may wonder are my fathers! Daniel and Walt and myself played a huge roll in making this mini goal come to life and I am very grateful to have communication with them both.  Not just for their birthday/Christmas gift contributions towards this goal, but for all the support in their own way that they both have given me over this past year.

Those that have family may not really understand my world, but I can tell you, the love and support I have received from these two fathers, an Aunt, cousins, and friends this year made my heart bigger than it could ever be. They helped me work through some family sorrows that were brought to me in June of 2011!

Ironically today is Ronda’s birthday this person is my mother who has chosen to leave me out of her world for more than 22 years…

It is also my aunt Doris’s birthday today! The strength that she has given me, to over come things that occurred in 2011, make me think if I could switch mothers in a second I would choose her!

D=Dads, Doris and Delaware and G=Guitar, Goal and that Guy St. Nicholas!

Now the amazed owner of a Martin LXM Little Acoustic Guitar is ready to take lessons, but also has a beginner DVD to study upon.

Maybe I can get a few musican I know to play the guitar then it will feel used and have soul.

 So please jump, skip and leap with me as I bring this mini goal to life!

“Keep your heart open to dreams. For as long, as there’s a dream, there is hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living.” Anonymous

For me goals big or small are better than resolutions and tend to keep me more on track! When I have a list of adventures they don’t get cloudy along the way. Call it what you may, goal or resolution whatever it takes to keep them in your thoughts.

 I have a new favorite goal this year, Shhh can’t tell you as it has been delayed a bit till sometimes maybe mid February. February is still early in the year to make that goal come to life!

“Nothing is Impossible, the word itself says I’m Possible!”~Audrey Hepburn

Hey my ears just told me they need some tunes and my feet said let’s get a move on as today is an amazing day to be outside!

“Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can.”~Douglas Pagels

I wish you all much strength, laughter, good times, adventures, smiles galore, more fun than you can handle and the best stories ever written in your life; Happy New Year everyone!