A lot of folks ask if we are “always laughing and smiling?” The fact is that if we didn’t have a sense of humor around here that we would most likely be crying! Cindy Daniel keeps the team laughing because she views a cup as half full rather than half empty and attitude is everything in the events business as well as in our personal lives. We answer questions from our readers on YouTube and look forward to our followers and readers comments Wendy Wortham and Cindy Daniel The Pawning Planners with a bit of Texas Humor.
My twin sister, Cindy Daniel is quick with a comeback or her saucy “Cindyisms” spin on redneck reality and hillbilly howto’s for a very good reason- her home and our life! You see for twenty plus years her husband Steve Daniel will do ANYTHING to keep from doing what Cindy asks him to do. From hiding on the roof hunting squirrels to sneaking off to his work shed on the back half of the property, Steve is a genius at getting out of home repairs. When “cornered” by Cindy his normal response is “you don’t need me to do that right now do you?!” Yesterday morning I drove over to view the retaining wall that someone apparently ran into and failed to either leave a note or call the police about. The damage was worse than her FB photos depicted and after State Farm told her that her deductible was higher than the damage (as usual) these Texas Twins packed up and drove over to Lowe’s to grab the supplies necessary to do it ourselves. Will it look professional? I doubt it but, Cindy and I have torn out the carpets and replaced the floors, painted and repaired the brick steps and even attempted to fix the basement that floods every year because none of the things that go wrong at Cindy’s house are covered by her homeowners policy. While it bothers me that Cindy refers to us as hillbillies- the fact is that we’ve never been rich and the primary reason that I went into the wedding and events industry was to offer low cost wedding and event services to folks who (like us) were not rich either. You don’t start a business targeting the low to middle class consumer unless you’ve experienced financial struggle yourself my friend! Our Aunt Shirley and cousins all live in Gordon, Texas and Cynthia’s daughter, Rene wears hand me down clothing from Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney as well as their toys because our cousins aren’t rich either. When their cars break down, they go to the back forty and “pull a part” to repair it themselves. Hiring a repairman is unheard of in Gordon because no one out there can afford such luxuries. Our Tiny Texas Twins aka Little Pawners, Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney accompanied me on a recent trip to WalMart to buy groceries after my Aunt Shirley was released from Harris Hospital the day before Thanksgiving. Teaching children that recycling and helping others is important begins at a very young age and our children are no exception. Hard work and volunteering teach empathy, compassion and best of all, responsibility! While my multigenerational family are all heavily involved in the bartering aspect of the Pawning Planners, they also work with low cost wedding and event services by either doing the photography, set up and tear down, acting as flower girls or ring bearers and any other job necessary in order to complete the Dream Event. Occasionally, we argue but what family business doesn’t? Part of the fun with my family is getting everyone “on board” and going over the details. Yesterday, the “details” included cleaning the bricks off the driveway and waiting for it to stop raining long enough to mix the concrete and prepare to relay the bricks. There are a lot of bricks at Cindy’s house from the retaining walls to the brick steps and although we are not completely familiar with brick laying- we will figure it out since the cost to repair it (at the Christmas season no less) is far too expensive for us to hire help. My twin calls this “figuring it out” because when you don’t have any money- you effectively have to figure it out. Cindy Daniel On Why Hillbillies Are Geniuses explains how my twin sister and her husband often have to “figure it out!” As Cindy and I prepare to do just that in Weatherford, Texas, I secretly hope that Cindy’s house will stop flooding and falling apart or pray that one day she will move and give us a break from our accidental dive into the home repair business at her house where Steve Daniel wears blinders at. My husband, Matthew Wortham has no idea why we have so many things going on at Cindy’s from the garage door getting stuck to the basement flooding but- I’ve only been married for ten years and if he had been around for twenty years he would have a better idea that something at Cindy’s is “always going on!” As we slide into winter, I’m crossing my fingers that no one drives through her fence again this year slipping on the ice….Wendy M Wortham Budget Wedding Ceremonies, Photography & Floral Designs- Texas Twins Events
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