It's A Family Affair

Around here I am known merely as Aunt Theresa. Having traded my sales and marketing career for the simpler life it didn't take long for me to become stir-crazy just hanging around the house. Of course, I didn't get out of my pajamas [except for church] for about three months! When my dogs and I began to communicate effectively I realized I needed more human interaction...no offense to my husband. I really think he was tired of me talking to him from the time he walked through the door till the time he went to bed anyway.

When our youngest son was an infant I worked during plant season for my sister-in-law, Jeanna at her "market" BJ Plants and Produce. She's owned the store for more than thirty years now and just a couple of years ago she bought the little cafe that is attached where she and her husband, David spend every Monday through Friday. My niece, Dominique is a server there as well. BJ's Market Cafe has the very best down-home, southern cookin' in the entire state of Arkansas! My extra pounds can attest to that!

Now Jeanna's son, Michael and his wife, Amanda run the store. Her daughter, Dede floats back and forth between the two...waitress extraordinaire in the off season and plant officienado during the spring and summer. During the slow times their kids Dede has two and Mike and Amanda have one run freely between cafe and market, sometimes helping... sometimes laughing... and always bringing joy to my heart.

My husband's family wholesale plants and produce business is located just across the parking lot where most of the time my sister-in-law Linda, my father-in-law and a variety of other aunts and uncles can be found. During the summers, ours and Linda's grandchildren are added to the mix and will float between Kyzer's and Bj's lending a helping hand, carrying out customer purchases or restocking when needed. My favorite time of day is when my husband pops over after breakfast to pick up the produce order or when he strolls through the greenhouses to walk off his lunch. My heart jumps for joy.

It was natural for me to go back there...it was like coming home...like having plant therapy everyday... basking in the beauty of God's creation, surrounded by family... taking in all the joy and love one heart can possibly hold.