Hello! I am Layne, of Layne’s Fun on the Run LLC. I have been involved with seniors as long as I can remember. Very early in my life, I was blessed with loving grandparents – both from very, very small towns. One that lived in the countryside and another living in town. I spent a lot of time with both, especially during the summers. I got to know their friends, their church, and their day-to-day activities. I whittled, played dominoes, and fished with my grandfather. I learned how to cook, bake, shop, sew/quilt, gather eggs, garden, and care for others from my grandmothers. My grandmothers were the rock of both sides of my family. They were always taking care of everyone else, rarely focusing on themselves. I remember how my grandmothers’ eyes would light up when we would bring them some new fabric or ready-made clothing. They couldn’t wait to try it on and parade around the house in their new clothes or would immediately begin to tell you what they were going to make with the new fabric. They would be on ‘cloud 9’ for days! At 9 years old, I was finally able to stay home, by myself, during the summer. After the first week of summer, I was bored and felt like I was missing something. I decided to walk down to the nursing home just outside of our subdivision. I grabbed a few magazines from the lobby, walked into room after room, asking each resident if I could read to or just visit with them for a few minutes. The surprise and joy in their eyes reminded me of my grandmothers’ reaction to the gift of new clothes. I immediately felt connected to and welcomed by the resident. I did this for a few days until a nurse stopped me in the hall, said she noticed I had been there for the past few days, and who I was there to see? I explained what I had been doing and how I didn’t want to get into any trouble. In a stern voice, she said “come with me”! She led me all the way to the end of the hall, into the last room on the left. The perimeter of the room was filled to the ceiling with shelves full of props, party supplies, balloons, balls, art supplies, and who knows what else. There were beach balls and bags of stuff all over the floor, and in the middle of the room, 2 women, sitting across from each other, sharing a cluttered desk. These were the Activities Directors and I had stumbled into what I knew I wanted to do. This encounter would stick with me for the rest of my life. As you know, life happens, and you never know where it might take you. My first 20+ year career took me from government purchasing assistant, to buyer, to proposal writer, to software specialist, to technology hardware buyer, to software direct sales, and finally to IT consulting sales management. After a whirlwind relocation to Florida and back to Texas within a year. Once back in Texas, I was free to follow my heart and find my “calling”. I did just that when I was hired as the Community Life Services for an Independent Living community. I found myself in an office filled to the rim with art supplies, games, party items, funny hats, décor for every possible occasion/holiday, and so much more! I was in my ‘happy place’! I absolutely LOVED finding creative ways to make the residents happy. One of my favorite activities was a monthly resale boutique. Each month, I would roll racks of clothes out and the residents would descend, like a swarm of bees, to the racks in a frenzy. I immediately recognized the look on their faces… it was the same look I had seen on my grandmother’s faces so long ago. I got stopped a couple of time per day by residents who would point to their blouse and say “I got this at the boutique, and I just love it”! I decided to take my show on the road, to spread that joy to other communities. I’m looking forward to seeing the smiles and sparkle in the eyes of many more wise women throughout the DFW area. Please contact me to book the boutique for your community.