While living in a very stressful environment where work, family, expected and unexpected responsibilities, and occurrences sap their energies, one group of local women have found an outlet that not only relieves their pressures, but also rejuvenates them to face another day.
They call themselves the "Sisterhood of The Traveling Totes," and their remedy for life's day-to-day trials, is scrapbooking and carding.
Made up of a half dozen or more members, the group meets twice a month, creating keepsakes that they share with family and friends, or keep for themselves, as reminders that sanity is within arms reach, given a little time and imagination.
Thursday night the ladies met for a two-hour session of making greeting cards. Using a variety of patterned paper, chalks, markers, stampers, glitter and a contraption called a CuttleBug, five members of the group, along with the Ledger staff, constructed four holiday cards that will likely never end up in the Hallmark aisle, but are just as priceless.
"We have a wonderful time when we get together," said Hallsville resident Tara Carpenter, who travels more than 20 miles twice a month to be with the group. She joined the club more than a year ago, and says becoming a member has changed her life. Addicted is not descriptive enough when explaining her fascination for the art.
"I've remade a lot of the things that we've done in our classes, and given them away," Carpenter admitted. "But I've never given away what we actually make in class."
Those projects Carpenter said, are tucked away in a special scrapbook, made especially for her masterpieces.
As the ladies worked it was obvious their sessions are more than just about crafting. There's an unbreakable bond, a friendship, thicker than glue. Saunceria Neale of Mexico said weeks before the card group is scheduled to meet, she actually starts counting down the days.
"What we do is good therapy; soothing," Neale said as she applied glitter to one of her cards. Asked what she likes most about the carding club, she, like the others replied, "the friendships that it has brought me."
Since her inception, Neale has also learned the crafts of scrapping, and hooking – with yarn that is.
That's an inside joke with the ladies, that always garners a good laugh.
The oldest member of the group, 85-year-old Mary Allen of Mexico, is likely the quietest one in the clique, but even she can cut up at times. She and her daughter, Nancy Goedeke, joined the group in 2007, shortly after Goedeke's retirement from the Mexico School District as the middle school principal. It wasn't long after that the ladies adopted Allen as the "Mom" of their bunch.
"I joined because I like homemade things," Allen told The Ledger. And Goedeke said she joined, "because I do everything Mom says."
Scrapping and carding are not all that Allen enjoys. At age 63, she learned how to swim, and over the Thanksgiving holiday she and Goedeke took part in a 5K walk-run event in Springfield, which they both completed.
"When we need inspiration, we call Mary. She's a pretty special lady," said one of the group's leaders, Cheryl Bell.  She and Cathy Nowlin, are also retired educators of the Mexico school system, and long-time friends. Together, the two are like identical peas in a pod.
When one starts a sentence, the other is right in step, finishing it. "Some people tease that we're joined at the hips," Bell said, laughing.
Talent is not a requirement to be a part of this group. However, having a good sense of humor and a compassionate nature are.
"Some of the card ladies have dealt with some serious health issues that the group has helped them through," said Nowlin. "We share the good times, and the bad times, just like a family.
"They inspire us and give us strength. They are our heroes."
Generally a happy group, there is one thing that will tick them off rather quickly – the thought of their cards being discarded.
"You know, we should make labels that say, to remain worthy of our cards, you must save them," suggested Neale. "Because what we're giving is something special, from the heart."
As Thursday's session came to an end and each lady bid the other farewell, one thing became quite clear to this writer – setting aside time for yourself is not a selfish act, it's a necessity.
Just like the "sisterhood" is to the scrappers.