I will be turning the great, big 42 on Thursday. That's a 4. Followed by a 2. I still haven't adjusted to being 40, and here I am 2 years into it. (And I can hear my dad now saying, "Try being old enough to have a daughter who is 42!)
It's like people actually knew my birthday was coming, because I've been showered with lots of awards lately. (The equivalent of love in blogland.)
The always hilarious ladies Beth (from Writer B is Me. She and I have a whole lot in common.) and Kari (Miss Bloggypants. You may remember her as being the big winner in the pig poetry contest.) were each kind enough to give me a Liebster award.
When I said I could always use more sunshine, Lizzi said, "Well, have a Sunshine Award!"
Since it is my almost 42nd birthday, I'm combining these awards to give you 42 things you may not know about me, in the form of questions the ladies asked and arbitrary facts pulled out of my brain.
First, the questions from Beth:
1. Have you ever seen a ghost? I have never seen one, but I am told there is one in my house. I have also been to a local establishment featured on Paranormal 911. Bits from the show are in the "Spooky Speakeasy" episode. I got to see the "evidence" and hear the owner and other workers talk all about it before the show even aired. It was completely creepy.
2. If you had to be one, would you be a vampire or a werewolf? Why? Neither. I don't like to scare people for real. Just little scares, like jumping out when they turn a corner kind of scaring. That's fun. Biting someone's neck and sucking his blood? Not so much.
3. If you could play a professional sport, which would it be? Swimming. I looooove to swim laps. The quiet. The feel of the water over my skin. The feel of my muscles getting stronger with every stroke.
4. Switch lives with an actor/ess for a week. Who do you choose? Jada Pinkett Smith. I want to spend a week with Will. That man has cracked me up since the day he sang "Parents Just Don't Understand".
5. Do you have any tattoos? Not a one. I don't see the point of them.
6. Tell me something embarrassing. Does it have to be about me? Shoot, half this blog is about embarrassing things about me.
7. What’s the craziest thing (in your opinion) you’ve ever done? Probably white-water rafting a level 5 river (That's the highest it goes.) on our 10th Anniversary trip. There were only 5 of us in the raft, and I was the only female. We rode the rapids, went down a waterfall (then walked back up the shore to ride it again, then turned around and surfed the waterfall) and jumped off a cliff into the rapids. It was crazy exciting. There was a guy in a kayak videotaping our trip. I was laughing in a high-pitched, screamy kind of way the entire time.
8. Have you ever met a celebrity? Who? I ate dinner at a restaurant 2 tables away from Oliver North. OH! And I hugged Yakov Smirnov when COW and I saw his show in Branson, MO, on one of our adventures before kids. (He is so a celebrity!)
9-11 last 3 combined: you go to the movies – do you get a) coke, or b) pepsi, a) popcorn, or b) no popcorn, to see a) chic flic b) action/adventure c) horror movie? I get a Sprite and popcorn with light butter to see a comedy.
And now for Kari's questions:
1. What is your favorite cartoon character? Why? I will always have a special place in my heart for Clifford and the gang. When the big kids were little, they were allowed to watch TV at 5:00 while I got dinner started. Clifford was usually on PBS at that time. They, and I, thought it was the best show. Phoenix and Buttercup even went as Clifford and Chleo for Halloween one year.
2. If your house were burning down, what three objects would you try to save? My jewelry, photo albums, and purse. You'll see the reason for the jewelry later. The photo albums because I spent a lot of time and effort putting them together, and I want to always have the images from the kids' growing up. My purse because with having to replace everything, it will be a whole lot easier if I have my ID, bank cards, health insurance card and everything else I keep in there.
3. Name a gift you will never forget. There are so many of them, but the biggest was the tennis bracelet COW gave me in the hospital after having Cuckoo. As he handed it to me, he said, "Thank you for having our babies. When you think you want more, look at the bracelet. It is your reminder that I'm done." I never took that bracelet off for over a year. Then one day, while driving to school, I realized it wasn't on my wrist. I got sick to my stomach, having no idea when or where it fell off. As soon as I got home, I began calling people I had seen in the three previous days to ask if they had noticed it on me. The second person I called said, "I doubt this is it, but Eli (their son) found a bracelet in the parking lot of the restaurant where the team ate dinner (at a tournament three hours away from home at 9:00 at night). It's silver with diamonds I was hoping were fake. For some reason, we didn't make him give it to the manager of the restaurant. I was just about to call them to let them know we found a bracelet." I raced to their house. The bracelet was mine.
4. Name one thing you really like about yourself. My ability to make people laugh.
5. Does your name have a special meaning and/or were you named after someone special? As everyone who has seen my name on a standardized test knows, my name means "follower of Christ". (There are never enough spaces to put my full name on the bubble sheet, so my first name is always cut off at "Christ".) However, that is not why my parents gave me that name. One of my dad's girlfriends was named Christine or some variation of it. He liked the name, so Christine I became. Except they called me Crissy. I finally became Christine when we moved to Indiana. I am still known as "Aunt Crissy" or Chris to the relatives.
6. What is your favorite season (winter, spring, summer, fall) and why? It makes me laugh that "winter, spring, summer, fall" had to be specified. Just making sure I don't say "football"? Anyway...spring is my favorite. I survived the cold days of winter, for one. Everything blooming and growing and smelling pretty just makes me happy. As does the knowledge of the months and months of warm weather ahead.
7. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? I'm not all that adventurous in my eating habits. I guess the weirdest would be ham hocks. They look nasty when you open them up, but man, are they yummy.
8. Do you have siblings? If so, how many? (brothers? sisters?) Pull up a chair... There are four "original" kids: me, my sister, and two brothers. When I was three, we found out I had an older half sister. After my parents divorced, my dad and stepmom then added my two younger half-sisters to the mix. For a while there, I also had a step-sister and step-brother. My mom was remarried to a man who had 2 children. (His wife and his other two kids had died.) They were older, though, and I never lived with them. I haven't seen them since my step-dad passed away 17 years ago. (My youngest brother keeps up with my step-sister on FB, though.)
9. If you had this week to do over, what would you do differently? Went to church Sunday morning. We were planning on going at 5:00 in the afternoon, but then the tornadoes came through. It really isn't a good idea to get in the car for a 20 minute drive when tornadoes are touching down all over the state. We didn't get to go to church this week, and it makes me sad.
10. What was the best vacation you ever had? Every single one has been my favorite. We always have great fun on our vacations, so there is no way to choose.
11. Have you ever been told you look like someone famous? If so, who? People tell me all the time I am the spitting' image of Heidi Klum.
Facts about myself:
1. I was kidding. I don't look anything like Heidi Klum. More like a tall Rhea Pearlman.
2. I was in an improv troupe in college.
3. I have never taken even a sip of coffee. Or tea.
4. I took a baton twirling class when I was a kid. I don't remember liking it. Actually, I remember my mom and our neighbors trying to stuff me into a car while I screamed my full head off and fought with all my might to NOT go to baton twirling class.
5. I once had to go to the hospital when my mom spilled hot carrots on me as she went down the line and served them to us kids. I had to wear a nasty cream and stay out of the sun for what seemed like an entire summer.
6. When teachers would ask what nationality I was, I answered, "I'm half Canadian. I don't know what I am on my dad's side."
7. In reality, I'm German. Almost completely. My mom is a Canadian citizen, but her line goes farther back than that.
8. I wear a size 9 shoe. On my left foot. My right is more of a 9 and a half.
9. I rarely wear makeup.
10. I helped put myself through high school by doing a work study stapling Bingo cards together.
11. And then volunteered at my high school's Bingo while my grandma played and my grandpa called the numbers. (Bingo is big in Canton, Ohio.)
12. While in high school, I was on the swim team and swam every event at least once.
13. I had chicken pox in kindergarten, but had the mildest case ever seen. Somewhere around 5 spots.
14. My first car was a Ford Tempo.
15. My second car was a BMW. My dad was on a classic car kick and sold our Tempo to buy an old BMW. It was the nicest car I've ever owned.
16. I've been in two car accidents in my life. Both were minor fender benders. The first was in the BMW.
17. When I was 14 I had my first job. I was as a bus girl at a restaurant in which my aunts, grandma, and dad had previously worked. My grandma and dad still worked the register on Sunday nights while I worked in the dining room.
18. I was PTO president at my kids' school for two years. I loved it.
19. My nickname in high school was Spaz. It was given to me by my track coach.
20. (This one's for you, Jen.) Through all my years of elementary school, middle school, high school, and college (in which I had a minor in the subject), I never got anything but an A in any math class. I love math.
How's that for an overload of info you didn't need to know?
To the nominees...
Just about every person I know has received one of these Liebsters at some point. Instead of "making" them do another acceptance post, I'm just going to give you a list of some new blogs I've read recently which you might enjoy.
Sandy from Mother of Imperfection
Inion N. Mathair - I actually just found them yesterday, but read about 6 of their posts in one sitting.
Katherine at Curiosa Kat
Lizzy from The Muddle-Headed Mamma
Elizabeth from Blending a Family of Dorks
Sarah from Amycake and the Dude
P.J. from A 'lil Hoohaa
Kevin from Pregnancy from a Guy's Perspective (except the baby is 2 months old now)
I do believe my work here is done.
I don't know how much posting I'll be doing the rest of this week. On my birthday I will be attending a concert. Pink's to be exact. Yes, Pink. Not something I chose for my birthday, but the tickets were free, we'll have a lovely dinner beforehand, and we will be in some good company throughout.
Don't forget to join us on Saturday for the big 25th week of the 10 Things of Thankful. I do believe Lizzi has something special planned. Of course.
Have a lovely day!
Showing posts with label awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label awards. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Sunshine
My brain has been occupied with schedules and parenting lately. Also, my kids have been hijacking my computer every night until almost 10, typing up school projects. My brain is all jumbled. When I said something about being upset about my inability to get on the blog to COW, he laughed and said, "You're kidding, right?" No, I wasn't. I didn't realize until this week just how much simply sitting down and writing or reading other people's posts clears my head. At 10:00 at night, when I finally can get my hands on the keyboard, I just can't get up the gumption to be funny. Or even coherent. So my brain stays jumbled.
Fortunately, a lovely lady named Stephanie saw fit to give me a little sunshine this week.
Fortunately, a lovely lady named Stephanie saw fit to give me a little sunshine this week.
I know a lot of people don't like receiving awards. I get it. They are a bit of work. However, it was awfully nice of the person doing the nominating. It's gratifying to be told you are doing a good job every now and again. So, Stephanie, thank you very much.
She gave me some questions to answer, which is good, since I have no original ideas of my own these days.
1. What is on your
to-do list for fall?
There are two things in fall that are always on my to-do list. Get through the last month of soccer season without losing any children and raking leaves for Mrs. G. Oh, the leaves... I ran into Mrs. G and her kids (who are in their 60s) at church a couple of weeks ago (as they set up for Mrs. G's 92nd birthday party), and all three gushed over how much they appreciated our help each year. And then Mrs. G asked if we'd be back this fall. Of course we will.
2. Have you bought any holiday
presents yet?
Not a one.
3. Pumpkin Spice Latte or Peppermint
Mocha?
Neither. I don't like pumpkin or coffee. I have never been to Starbucks or any other coffee place for that matter.
4. What is your favorite
book?
Impossible to say. I read all the time, and enjoy most of what I read. However, I never go back and read a book a second time. A few ideas, though. There is only one book that I remember as making me laugh out loud more than once. COW hated when I read it in bed, as I shook the bed trying not to laugh. One for the Money, by Janet Evanovich. I devoured Harry Potter. I recently found Catherine Ryan Hyde. I've read three of her books and enjoyed all of them.
5. Share something
embarrassing.
As I sit here, I see quite a bit of what used to be clean laundry under the couch. I'm guessing it got there when the laundry couch got too full, some laundry fell off, then over time it got kicked under the couch. It has been under there for at least 5 days. (Did I mention it has been a busy, busy week?)
6. What is your favorite
animal.
A pig in my freezer.
7. What was your favorite toy as a
child?
I don't remember playing with toys much. I was outside as much as possible. The only toys I have vivid memories of are the Atari system (I flipped the score on Pac-Man and was cool in the eyes of my siblings for about 10 seconds), Lincoln Logs (My sister and I ran to our room to play with the Lincoln Logs without our little brothers, my brother in hot pursuit. When we got to the room, my sister slammed the door, crushing my brother's fingers in the door jam. He broke a finger and we got in trouble.), and the stuffed carrot. (At first glance, you may thing that is the stupidest gift ever given. (It was.) Fortunately, my siblings and I were a creative bunch, and found a use for it. That gigantic stuffed carrot made the best slide for going down the staircase.)
8. Apples or
pears?
Apples. I eat one every day for lunch. I don't like pears at all.
9. Are you going to celebrate
Halloween?
Oh, we'll "celebrate" Halloween, alright. And by "celebrate" I mean rush around the day of trying to get everyone's costumes done and pumpkins carved and the kids home from practice so we can run around to 30 houses collecting as much candy loot as possible.
10. Were you a mommy's or daddy's
girl?
Much to my siblings' dismay, I have always been my dad's favorite.
Now, for some introductions. The following folks are people I've met fairly recently. I enjoy their writing and think you might, too.
Beth Teliho - Writer B is Me
Kerri Ames - Undiagnosed but Okay
Lizzy Allan - Muddle-Headed Mamma
The Meaning of Me
Maggie - From the Heart
Denise - Go Cheap or Go Home
Stacey - Stacey's Mothering Moments
Zoe - Rewritten
Kari - Miss Bloggypants
Dana - Kiss My List
If, perchance, any of these ladies reads this and sees she has been introduced (I like that word better than nominated.), some questions...
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
If you were immortal for a day, what would you do?
What was your favorite food when you were a child?
What was one of the best parties you’ve ever been to?
What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?
What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
What sound do you love?
What dessert do you order most often?
What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
If you, Dear Reader, would like to answer any of the questions, I'd love to read them.
Hopefully we will be back to our regularly unscheduled posts soon.
Have a lovely day!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
I've Got a Question
My head is spinning with so many things I want to write, but I can't land on one thought for long. Another Bermuda post? An ode to M&Ms? The story behind the actual apology that began, "I'm sorry you have a waffle on your butt."
Nothing sticks.
So, I am grateful for Lillian's tag today. (Lillian is a fabulous writer and painter from It's a Dome Life. She lives in a dome. For real. She painted this
while in her dome. She paints chickens. I have a chicken coop. We're made to go together. She paints lots of other lovely things, too. Go to her blog to take a gander.)
Update: Dyanne at I Want Backsies also tagged me today. Dyanne is brand new to blogland, but you'd never know it. She has a positive, funny outlook on her life as a preschool teacher and mother of 2 teens. That outlook continues when she talks about her breast cancer diagnosis less than a year ago.
I get to answer questions!
1. Where were you born? Canton, Ohio. Or, as Hubby calls it, the armpit of America.
2. Were you named after someone? If I remember correctly, I was named after my dad's first fiance, who drowned in her backyard after a flood. Check the comments in a day or so. I'm sure my dad will set us all straight. :)
3. How many children do you have? Six.
Gotta say, these questions are the easiest ones I've ever had to answer!
4. How many pets do you have? I don't know if you can say we have any pets. No animals actually step foot in the house. Our dogs are working dogs. Their job is to cover our land with animal carcasses and tear up all landscaping, cars, and miscellaneous other objects in order to deter all potential burglars.
5. Your worst injury. That I inflicted or was experienced by me? My worst injury I experienced is a toss-up between the cut on my lip that needed stitches or the road rash I got after crashing my scooter in Bermuda. I once killed a dog with my minivan. That's probably the worst injury I caused.
6. Do you have a special talent? You mean like driving a 12-passenger van in reverse without hitting anything? Check.
7. Favorite thing to bake? Banana bread. It is so yummy, so easy, and the kids always help me. It's the one time when "help" actually means help, and is not a sarcastic "help" which means they only make things worse.
8. Favorite Fast Food? I don't eat it unless it's for a school fundraiser at Chick-fil-A. I used to, but since I stopped, it just tastes awful to me. Except Taco Bell crunchy tacos and Arby's roast beef sandwich. I will eat those maybe once a year.
9. Would you bungee jump? Now? No. In 30 years? Heck ya. I don't want to do anything that is remotely dangerous while my kids are still living with me. Once they are all independently wealthy, I am going to be the grandma you all follow on youtube, doing all sorts of outlandish things, just because I can.
10. What is the first thing you notice about people? Their footwear. I'm constantly looking down, keeping tabs on little boys, so feet is what I see first.
11. When was the last time you cried? Watching this video yesterday. Two different people showed it to me, and I cried both times. But I cry about everything. I cry during the singing of the national anthem at ball games. I cried at the 8th grade vs. teachers volleyball game. I'm a sentimental crier.
12. Any current worries? The usual. "What's for dinner?" I'm not a worrier. There are very few things that I ever worry about.
13. Name 3 drinks you drink regularly. Milk and water are the only two things I drink every day. Or even every week, for that matter.
14. What’s your favorite book? I really don't have one. I read everything I can get my hands on, then promptly forget what it is I just read. The latest book that I have read and remember really liking is War Brides by Helen Bryan. I am approximately 58% of the way through (Anyone else get annoyed by the Kindle's inability to tell me what flippin' page I'm on?) Green Girl's book and am enjoying it very much.
15. Would you like to be a pirate? Glad you asked. I don't understand the whole pirate thing at all. Why do people encourage their children to dress up/act like pirates? There is nothing good about a pirate. Their entire purpose is to drink rum and cause all sorts of problems for people, what with the stealing and walking the plank. Why would anyone want to be one?
16. Favorite Smells. a flower bed full of hyacinth, garlic sauteing in butter, donuts, my husband. If my husband ever came home carrying a bouquet of hyacinth, after working in a donut shop in the morning and an Italian restaurant at lunch, I'd jump him at the door.
17. Why do you blog? Recently, a friend introduced me to her husband by saying, "This is Christine. She likes to talk and laugh." While not exactly a glowing introduction, it is true. When I blog, I get to talk all I want without having to be concerned with hogging the conversation (which I've been known to do many times) or coming up with questions to draw the other people into the conversation. And, I can laugh as loud or as much as I want without people judging me. Well, people besides my family, but I don't care what they think. Basically, I am having fun.
18. What song do you want played at your funeral? There can't be just one. I want lots of songs. I love music, and I want people to celebrate who I was/am. I'm done with this topic. I don't like talking about myself like I'm not here anymore.
19. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? My vanity. (Perhaps the song "You're So Vain" should be at my funeral? That would be funny and true!)
20. Favorite hobby? I wish I could say something cool and interesting, like surfing or rock climbing, but I can't do those things. Really, I like to garden and read.
21. Name something you’ve done, but you never thought you would do? Anyone who has read this blog knows the answer to this one. Dispose of a 200 pound pig. Duh.
22. What do you look for in a friend? I want friends who are funny, confident, compassionate, good parents (You know a friendship cannot work very well if you can't stand the way she parents her children.) and have positive personalities.
23. Favorite Fun things to do? a.)Vacation with my family. Anywhere. Any length of time. We just have so much fun. (b) Hang out with friends.
24. Pet peeves. Meetings that aren't run well. They should start on time, have a point, stay on topic, and end in a timely manner. Secondly, the phrase, "I could care less". I notice it every time. If you could care less, then it means you care about it at least a little bit. Don't you mean to say, "I couldN'T care less". The pet peeve isn't that people use it. My pet peeve is that I actually notice such ridiculous things.
25. What's the last thing that made you laugh? The conversation I had with Hubby this afternoon. I'll eventually get to write a post about it, but it has to do with that giant pencil from a few weeks ago. Yes, we're still dwelling on that. We are very immature people.
I am now supposed to tag a bunch of other people, who may or may not choose to answer the questions. It is completely up to them. I'll read their blogs whether they play along or not.
A few blogs that I enjoy:
Camp Patton
Life on the Funny Farm
Oh, Jones
Notes from the Shallow End
Hye Thyme Cafe
Here's the Thing
Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms
Have a lovely day!
Nothing sticks.
So, I am grateful for Lillian's tag today. (Lillian is a fabulous writer and painter from It's a Dome Life. She lives in a dome. For real. She painted this
while in her dome. She paints chickens. I have a chicken coop. We're made to go together. She paints lots of other lovely things, too. Go to her blog to take a gander.)
Update: Dyanne at I Want Backsies also tagged me today. Dyanne is brand new to blogland, but you'd never know it. She has a positive, funny outlook on her life as a preschool teacher and mother of 2 teens. That outlook continues when she talks about her breast cancer diagnosis less than a year ago.
I get to answer questions!
1. Where were you born? Canton, Ohio. Or, as Hubby calls it, the armpit of America.
2. Were you named after someone? If I remember correctly, I was named after my dad's first fiance, who drowned in her backyard after a flood. Check the comments in a day or so. I'm sure my dad will set us all straight. :)
3. How many children do you have? Six.
Gotta say, these questions are the easiest ones I've ever had to answer!
4. How many pets do you have? I don't know if you can say we have any pets. No animals actually step foot in the house. Our dogs are working dogs. Their job is to cover our land with animal carcasses and tear up all landscaping, cars, and miscellaneous other objects in order to deter all potential burglars.
5. Your worst injury. That I inflicted or was experienced by me? My worst injury I experienced is a toss-up between the cut on my lip that needed stitches or the road rash I got after crashing my scooter in Bermuda. I once killed a dog with my minivan. That's probably the worst injury I caused.
6. Do you have a special talent? You mean like driving a 12-passenger van in reverse without hitting anything? Check.
7. Favorite thing to bake? Banana bread. It is so yummy, so easy, and the kids always help me. It's the one time when "help" actually means help, and is not a sarcastic "help" which means they only make things worse.
8. Favorite Fast Food? I don't eat it unless it's for a school fundraiser at Chick-fil-A. I used to, but since I stopped, it just tastes awful to me. Except Taco Bell crunchy tacos and Arby's roast beef sandwich. I will eat those maybe once a year.
9. Would you bungee jump? Now? No. In 30 years? Heck ya. I don't want to do anything that is remotely dangerous while my kids are still living with me. Once they are all independently wealthy, I am going to be the grandma you all follow on youtube, doing all sorts of outlandish things, just because I can.
10. What is the first thing you notice about people? Their footwear. I'm constantly looking down, keeping tabs on little boys, so feet is what I see first.
11. When was the last time you cried? Watching this video yesterday. Two different people showed it to me, and I cried both times. But I cry about everything. I cry during the singing of the national anthem at ball games. I cried at the 8th grade vs. teachers volleyball game. I'm a sentimental crier.
12. Any current worries? The usual. "What's for dinner?" I'm not a worrier. There are very few things that I ever worry about.
13. Name 3 drinks you drink regularly. Milk and water are the only two things I drink every day. Or even every week, for that matter.
14. What’s your favorite book? I really don't have one. I read everything I can get my hands on, then promptly forget what it is I just read. The latest book that I have read and remember really liking is War Brides by Helen Bryan. I am approximately 58% of the way through (Anyone else get annoyed by the Kindle's inability to tell me what flippin' page I'm on?) Green Girl's book and am enjoying it very much.
15. Would you like to be a pirate? Glad you asked. I don't understand the whole pirate thing at all. Why do people encourage their children to dress up/act like pirates? There is nothing good about a pirate. Their entire purpose is to drink rum and cause all sorts of problems for people, what with the stealing and walking the plank. Why would anyone want to be one?
16. Favorite Smells. a flower bed full of hyacinth, garlic sauteing in butter, donuts, my husband. If my husband ever came home carrying a bouquet of hyacinth, after working in a donut shop in the morning and an Italian restaurant at lunch, I'd jump him at the door.
17. Why do you blog? Recently, a friend introduced me to her husband by saying, "This is Christine. She likes to talk and laugh." While not exactly a glowing introduction, it is true. When I blog, I get to talk all I want without having to be concerned with hogging the conversation (which I've been known to do many times) or coming up with questions to draw the other people into the conversation. And, I can laugh as loud or as much as I want without people judging me. Well, people besides my family, but I don't care what they think. Basically, I am having fun.
18. What song do you want played at your funeral? There can't be just one. I want lots of songs. I love music, and I want people to celebrate who I was/am. I'm done with this topic. I don't like talking about myself like I'm not here anymore.
19. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? My vanity. (Perhaps the song "You're So Vain" should be at my funeral? That would be funny and true!)
20. Favorite hobby? I wish I could say something cool and interesting, like surfing or rock climbing, but I can't do those things. Really, I like to garden and read.
21. Name something you’ve done, but you never thought you would do? Anyone who has read this blog knows the answer to this one. Dispose of a 200 pound pig. Duh.
22. What do you look for in a friend? I want friends who are funny, confident, compassionate, good parents (You know a friendship cannot work very well if you can't stand the way she parents her children.) and have positive personalities.
23. Favorite Fun things to do? a.)Vacation with my family. Anywhere. Any length of time. We just have so much fun. (b) Hang out with friends.
24. Pet peeves. Meetings that aren't run well. They should start on time, have a point, stay on topic, and end in a timely manner. Secondly, the phrase, "I could care less". I notice it every time. If you could care less, then it means you care about it at least a little bit. Don't you mean to say, "I couldN'T care less". The pet peeve isn't that people use it. My pet peeve is that I actually notice such ridiculous things.
25. What's the last thing that made you laugh? The conversation I had with Hubby this afternoon. I'll eventually get to write a post about it, but it has to do with that giant pencil from a few weeks ago. Yes, we're still dwelling on that. We are very immature people.
I am now supposed to tag a bunch of other people, who may or may not choose to answer the questions. It is completely up to them. I'll read their blogs whether they play along or not.
A few blogs that I enjoy:
Camp Patton
Life on the Funny Farm
Oh, Jones
Notes from the Shallow End
Hye Thyme Cafe
Here's the Thing
Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms
Have a lovely day!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
In Which I Admit That It Is All About Me
I got a call from Hubby yesterday afternoon, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Either I have Lupus, or you clocked me in my sleep."
I have had enough conversations with the man to know when he starts out with some outrageous sentence, just wait it out. He'll explain. I gave him an, "Uh huh."
"I have a bruise on my chin. Those are the only two explanations."
Me: "Were you writing with a pencil? Perhaps you just got lead on your chin."
Him: "The bruise is the size of a quarter. That would have to be one big pencil."
We then fell into a fit of hysterics as we both pictured my ultra-straight-laced, conservative husband hunched over his desk with a gigantic pencil. We laughed harder when we pictured a colleague friend walking by and seeing it. Or picturing Hubby having to walk to the conference room, thus tucking the pencil behind his ear.
We laughed for 5 minutes before we grew up and moved on with our day.
And then, after the kids were in bed, we laughed some more.
I told him I now knew what he was getting for Father's Day.
He wants the gigantic pencil to say, "World's Best Lawyer".
This is what 18 years of marriage and 6 kids does to a couple.
Despite my inclination to be utterly immature, people still read this here blog.
And some people seem to like it. For instance, Kate, from Seriously Kate. I know we will stay friends, as we have one very important thing in common. We aren't the most observant when it comes to our animals. We each had a dog that we didn't realize was pregnant until days before it gave birth to nine puppies. If that doesn't say BFF, I don't know what does. Kate was sweet enough to nominate me for a Liebster award. I debated about whether to fulfill the requirements of this here award. It will mean I have to write and you have to read a whole lot about me. But then I realized the photos of my kids on the sidebar are a farce. The entire blog is about me and people keep reading, so why not keep that winning streak going.
So, first we have some random facts about me.
1. I am married to a man who needs to get his eyes checked. The bruise that started the whole conversation was just a shadow. I couldn't find it.
2. I'm a rebel.
3. I use Q-tips.
4. In my ears.
5. I am tired of my fingers getting shocked every time I get out of my car and go to close the door.
6. When I was about 12, I punched a neighbor boy in the nose for doing something mean to my brother. There was blood and everything.
7. I embarrassed my mom when she drug me over to the neighbor's house and I refused to apologize.
8. I might be a bit stubborn at times.
9. I believe peas to be the nastiest vegetable ever invented.
10. I swung through the air on a flying trapeze when one was set up at the school where I taught.
11. At the moment, my fingers are cold, but instead of going to fix the thermostat, which has gone to "away" mode and let the temperature drop to 60, I will continue to press on with the task at hand.
I have 11 questions to answer. Kate came up with some good ones for me.
1. What inspired you to begin blogging? Several years ago, I wrote a picture book. I had read in a book and on the all-knowing internet that it was much easier to get a book published if a person had an internet presence. So, I joined the ranks of "blogging to get a book published". That lasted about 2 weeks. I gave it up for a long time. I have no idea what brought me back to blogging, but without the thought of, "I'm doing this because I have to" I have had fun with it.
2. If you had to watch the same movie over and over for a day, which would it be? Shawshank Redemption, one of my all-time favorites, which just happens to be on a marathon running on AMC, and I've been watching it in bits and pieces all week.
3. Do you prefer living in the city, the country, or somewhere in between? All of the above. I've done all three, and I like things about all of them. We are now in the country, but once the kids are grown, I'm guessing we'll move to downtown Indy.
4. If you could choose any profession, meaning you'd have the skillset required and money was not a deciding factor, what would you do? I want to do so many things. Teaching, I love, but I've done. I would love to be a stand-up comic. I also would like to work in Labor and Delivery in some way.
5. How is your driving? Are you aggressive behind the wheel or are you patient and generous? Have you gotten any speeding tickets??? I'm not an aggressive driver. Patient, yes. Generous, no. I don't wait around when everyone gets to a stop sign at the same time. If the person with the right of way doesn't move, I do. I have had 2 speeding tickets in my life, and two accidents. The accidents were little fender benders. I had one when I was 18 and one when I was 36. I expect to have another when I am 54.
6. What life lesson do you find yourself having to learn over and over again? Listen more and talk less.
7. Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi? Coke, but I only drink it when I am driving on a road trip.
8. Do you have a favorite Bible verse? If so, what is it? It is in Matthew, chapter 6. I like the whole thing, but the ending is my favorite part. "Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself." This is why I worry about very few things.
9. Which do you prefer - physical books or e-books? I love the feel and smell of physical books, but I read almost exclusively off my Kindle. With the Lupus, holding a book hurt my wrist and arm after a short while, so I couldn't read for very long. The Kindle works so much better for me.
10. What one thing do you absolutely not leave home without? I would love to say that I never leave home without my children, but we know that isn't true. The only thing I have never forgotten at home is my set of keys. Can't leave home without the van keys.
11. What one thing scares you the most? I usually get reamed for this, but the one thing that scares me the most is something happening to my husband.
Now, the next part of this award is to pass it on to some other bloggers. I am giving them to folks I have found fairly recently, and have yet been able to introduce to you. To those of you I nominate, I dub you immune from having to pass this on if you don't want to. No guilt involved. If you want to pass it on, please answer the questions Kate gave to me.
Some new friends:
The Kraus House Mom
Seeds of Coriander
What I Actually Meant to Say
Actually Not Really
Larks Notes This
What to Blog About (Rooster Inn)
Backsies Is What There Is Not
From the Heart
Red Van Ramblings
The Boring Blog
There you go. For those of you on bed rest, (I actually know more than one pregnant mom on bedrest) you now have plenty of new reading to do. You are welcome.
For those not on bed rest, bookmark this (I know there is a way to do that, but I have yet to figure it out.) and come back to read when you have a few moments. Don't forget the lovely Seriously Kate. Visit her, too. In your spare time.
I now have a pile of doll clothes which I am going to wrangle onto a Build-a-Bear for my dear demanding Cuckoo. Wish me luck. And the bear. He'll need some, too. I foresee a lot of uncomfortable bear handling coming his way.
And then I will be on the hunt for a gigantic pencil. Because the image still makes me laugh.
Have a lovely day!
I have had enough conversations with the man to know when he starts out with some outrageous sentence, just wait it out. He'll explain. I gave him an, "Uh huh."
"I have a bruise on my chin. Those are the only two explanations."
Me: "Were you writing with a pencil? Perhaps you just got lead on your chin."
Him: "The bruise is the size of a quarter. That would have to be one big pencil."
We then fell into a fit of hysterics as we both pictured my ultra-straight-laced, conservative husband hunched over his desk with a gigantic pencil. We laughed harder when we pictured a colleague friend walking by and seeing it. Or picturing Hubby having to walk to the conference room, thus tucking the pencil behind his ear.
We laughed for 5 minutes before we grew up and moved on with our day.
And then, after the kids were in bed, we laughed some more.
I told him I now knew what he was getting for Father's Day.
He wants the gigantic pencil to say, "World's Best Lawyer".
This is what 18 years of marriage and 6 kids does to a couple.
Despite my inclination to be utterly immature, people still read this here blog.
And some people seem to like it. For instance, Kate, from Seriously Kate. I know we will stay friends, as we have one very important thing in common. We aren't the most observant when it comes to our animals. We each had a dog that we didn't realize was pregnant until days before it gave birth to nine puppies. If that doesn't say BFF, I don't know what does. Kate was sweet enough to nominate me for a Liebster award. I debated about whether to fulfill the requirements of this here award. It will mean I have to write and you have to read a whole lot about me. But then I realized the photos of my kids on the sidebar are a farce. The entire blog is about me and people keep reading, so why not keep that winning streak going.
So, first we have some random facts about me.
1. I am married to a man who needs to get his eyes checked. The bruise that started the whole conversation was just a shadow. I couldn't find it.
2. I'm a rebel.
3. I use Q-tips.
4. In my ears.
5. I am tired of my fingers getting shocked every time I get out of my car and go to close the door.
6. When I was about 12, I punched a neighbor boy in the nose for doing something mean to my brother. There was blood and everything.
7. I embarrassed my mom when she drug me over to the neighbor's house and I refused to apologize.
8. I might be a bit stubborn at times.
9. I believe peas to be the nastiest vegetable ever invented.
10. I swung through the air on a flying trapeze when one was set up at the school where I taught.
11. At the moment, my fingers are cold, but instead of going to fix the thermostat, which has gone to "away" mode and let the temperature drop to 60, I will continue to press on with the task at hand.
I have 11 questions to answer. Kate came up with some good ones for me.
1. What inspired you to begin blogging? Several years ago, I wrote a picture book. I had read in a book and on the all-knowing internet that it was much easier to get a book published if a person had an internet presence. So, I joined the ranks of "blogging to get a book published". That lasted about 2 weeks. I gave it up for a long time. I have no idea what brought me back to blogging, but without the thought of, "I'm doing this because I have to" I have had fun with it.
2. If you had to watch the same movie over and over for a day, which would it be? Shawshank Redemption, one of my all-time favorites, which just happens to be on a marathon running on AMC, and I've been watching it in bits and pieces all week.
3. Do you prefer living in the city, the country, or somewhere in between? All of the above. I've done all three, and I like things about all of them. We are now in the country, but once the kids are grown, I'm guessing we'll move to downtown Indy.
4. If you could choose any profession, meaning you'd have the skillset required and money was not a deciding factor, what would you do? I want to do so many things. Teaching, I love, but I've done. I would love to be a stand-up comic. I also would like to work in Labor and Delivery in some way.
5. How is your driving? Are you aggressive behind the wheel or are you patient and generous? Have you gotten any speeding tickets??? I'm not an aggressive driver. Patient, yes. Generous, no. I don't wait around when everyone gets to a stop sign at the same time. If the person with the right of way doesn't move, I do. I have had 2 speeding tickets in my life, and two accidents. The accidents were little fender benders. I had one when I was 18 and one when I was 36. I expect to have another when I am 54.
6. What life lesson do you find yourself having to learn over and over again? Listen more and talk less.
7. Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi? Coke, but I only drink it when I am driving on a road trip.
8. Do you have a favorite Bible verse? If so, what is it? It is in Matthew, chapter 6. I like the whole thing, but the ending is my favorite part. "Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself." This is why I worry about very few things.
9. Which do you prefer - physical books or e-books? I love the feel and smell of physical books, but I read almost exclusively off my Kindle. With the Lupus, holding a book hurt my wrist and arm after a short while, so I couldn't read for very long. The Kindle works so much better for me.
10. What one thing do you absolutely not leave home without? I would love to say that I never leave home without my children, but we know that isn't true. The only thing I have never forgotten at home is my set of keys. Can't leave home without the van keys.
11. What one thing scares you the most? I usually get reamed for this, but the one thing that scares me the most is something happening to my husband.
Now, the next part of this award is to pass it on to some other bloggers. I am giving them to folks I have found fairly recently, and have yet been able to introduce to you. To those of you I nominate, I dub you immune from having to pass this on if you don't want to. No guilt involved. If you want to pass it on, please answer the questions Kate gave to me.
Some new friends:
The Kraus House Mom
Seeds of Coriander
What I Actually Meant to Say
Actually Not Really
Larks Notes This
What to Blog About (Rooster Inn)
Backsies Is What There Is Not
From the Heart
Red Van Ramblings
The Boring Blog
There you go. For those of you on bed rest, (I actually know more than one pregnant mom on bedrest) you now have plenty of new reading to do. You are welcome.
For those not on bed rest, bookmark this (I know there is a way to do that, but I have yet to figure it out.) and come back to read when you have a few moments. Don't forget the lovely Seriously Kate. Visit her, too. In your spare time.
I now have a pile of doll clothes which I am going to wrangle onto a Build-a-Bear for my dear demanding Cuckoo. Wish me luck. And the bear. He'll need some, too. I foresee a lot of uncomfortable bear handling coming his way.
And then I will be on the hunt for a gigantic pencil. Because the image still makes me laugh.
Have a lovely day!
Friday, January 25, 2013
Better Late Than Never. Right?
I have been so, so bad about acknowledging the lovely ladies who have nominated me for awards. In fact, I can only remember one. And Stephanie nominated me yesterday, so that's two. I know there is at least one more that someone has given me, but I have been all through my comments and cannot for the life of me find it. If it was you, I am so sorry. My brain doesn't work on all cylinders. Actually, I think I have approximately 5 brain cells bouncing around trying to do the work of 5 billion. They are a little tired. And slow. Don't ask me to name my kids kind of slow.
These ladies were so nice to think of me, and there I sat, not following through. So, today, I will finally get on it.
Back on December 6 (I know! I'm horrible! No need to beat a dead horse.) the very talented Isobel Morrell from Coldham Cuddlies nominated me for a Liebster Blog Award. Isobel is the sweetest lady and has been living quite an interesting life. She has been making toys for somewhere around 50 years and now has an Etsy shop to sell them.
And yesterday, Stephanie from Mommy, for Real nominated me, too! Not only is she a funny blogger, she is one of the best commenters in blogland.
Each of these ladies has given me a list of questions to answer.
First, from Isobel:
(1) Got your Christmas cards done yet? Yeah, seeing as she nominated me in December, this is a very relevant question. It is only because I am a slacker that it sounds like an odd question. But to answer, yes, I do have my 2012 cards done. Haven't started the 2013 one yet. Can we say procrastinator?
(2) What do you hate most in life? I really don't like it when people intentionally hurt others.
(3) Now the opposite - the best thing for you? My husband. I know so many moms would say their kids, but I see my job as to guide them to be independent beings. My husband and I will be living together for the rest of our lives. He is done being an independent being. And I couldn't be happier about it. I'd appreciate it if you don't ask him how he feels. :)
(4) Dogs, Cats or Another Animal? Being a fake farmer, you'd think I would be an animal lover. Not so. Because I'm a fake. I mean, I am fine with them, but if I'm going to have an animal, it will serve a specific purpose. No pets at this house.
(5) Favourite Carol? Once again, seems out of place at the end of January. My fault. I love Christmas music in general, and have a hard time picking one. I do, however, have a favorite song that the kids sing at the Christmas concert most years. "Must Be Santa".
(6) Apart from Walmart, where do you shop? Meijer. That's it. It has the best produce section on Indy's southside.
(7) Your favourite food? Anything I don't have to cook would be my first thought. I just like food in general. Anything except sweet potatoes, peas, or anything really spicy.
(8) Favourite colour? It has always been blue, but as I age, I am beginning to like a lot more variety. Like the Harvest Gold in my new kitchen. (which is done done. I will be posting a final kitchen roundup hopefully this weekend.)
(9) New Year’s resolution yet? Nope. Never make them.
(10) Christmas this year: home or away? We have gone back to our hometown every single year except one. Always will.
(11) New Year wish? That everyone, me included, learns to be a little more respectful towards others.
And now for Stephanie's questions. They will probably be a touch more current, seeing as how she gave them to me yesterday.
1. Are you superstitious? Not really, but I don't go out of my way to walk under ladders, break any mirrors, or let a black cat cross my path.
2. What is your favorite part of the day? In the morning, I love, love, love it when the little boys cuddle up in my lap to ease into their day. Until they start arguing about who has more room on my lap and complaining that they are hungry. My second favorite part is after everyone is in bed and I can have some peace and quiet by myself for a bit.
3. Name something you are really good at. Procrastinating. (See #1 in Isobel's questions. Or the fact that I am just now getting to her questions. That's a big clue, right there.) And getting people to laugh.
4. Name something you are really bad at. Keeping my mouth shut.
5. How much sleep do you need at night to get through your day? Seven is a good number. Eight is fabulous, but it rarely happens.
6. If you could have any job, what would it be? On a book club trip, one of my friends asked this question, but added "and not fail" to it. I surprised everyone when I said I would be a stand-up comedian. I do enjoy making people laugh. That's hard work, though, coming up with all those funny things to say. I would also love to be in plays. I took "Acting for the Non-Major" in college and loved every minute of it. And of course, I'm all drama all the time working and playing with kids. Acting would be such fun.
7. If you could go on vacation anywhere for free, where would you go? I would go around the world (not in 80 days), stopping whenever the mood struck.
8. What is your favorite thing about blogging? Besides the fact that it keeps me in the "Dad's Favorite Child" spot, I love that I am actually making friends all over the world. I so enjoy getting new perspectives and laughing along with people.
9. What is your least favorite thing about blogging? Those seconds right before I push the "publish" button, I doubt myself and wonder if anyone will find it interesting or funny or whatever it is I hope them to feel.
10. What is your favorite movie? The Jerk, with Steve Martin, is of course my favorite comedy, but Shawshank Redemption was one fine flick.
11. What is your worst habit? I am all over my kids about brushing their teeth every single morning and evening, but when I am up late (which is too often) I am so tired that I don't bother to brush my own. (I think I need to change my answer to #9. My least favorite thing about blogging is that I have a tendency to say things that really should be kept private.)
As with all awards, I am supposed to nominate some more blogs and come up with more questions. I didn't get my 7 hours of sleep last night, so I'm not functioning well enough to do that.
I really just wanted to acknowledge Isobel, Stephanie, and award-giver #3, and thank them for thinking of me. They came up with some good questions, too, so I enjoyed answering them.
Have a lovely day!
These ladies were so nice to think of me, and there I sat, not following through. So, today, I will finally get on it.
Back on December 6 (I know! I'm horrible! No need to beat a dead horse.) the very talented Isobel Morrell from Coldham Cuddlies nominated me for a Liebster Blog Award. Isobel is the sweetest lady and has been living quite an interesting life. She has been making toys for somewhere around 50 years and now has an Etsy shop to sell them.
And yesterday, Stephanie from Mommy, for Real nominated me, too! Not only is she a funny blogger, she is one of the best commenters in blogland.
Each of these ladies has given me a list of questions to answer.
First, from Isobel:
(1) Got your Christmas cards done yet? Yeah, seeing as she nominated me in December, this is a very relevant question. It is only because I am a slacker that it sounds like an odd question. But to answer, yes, I do have my 2012 cards done. Haven't started the 2013 one yet. Can we say procrastinator?
(2) What do you hate most in life? I really don't like it when people intentionally hurt others.
(3) Now the opposite - the best thing for you? My husband. I know so many moms would say their kids, but I see my job as to guide them to be independent beings. My husband and I will be living together for the rest of our lives. He is done being an independent being. And I couldn't be happier about it. I'd appreciate it if you don't ask him how he feels. :)
(4) Dogs, Cats or Another Animal? Being a fake farmer, you'd think I would be an animal lover. Not so. Because I'm a fake. I mean, I am fine with them, but if I'm going to have an animal, it will serve a specific purpose. No pets at this house.
(5) Favourite Carol? Once again, seems out of place at the end of January. My fault. I love Christmas music in general, and have a hard time picking one. I do, however, have a favorite song that the kids sing at the Christmas concert most years. "Must Be Santa".
(6) Apart from Walmart, where do you shop? Meijer. That's it. It has the best produce section on Indy's southside.
(7) Your favourite food? Anything I don't have to cook would be my first thought. I just like food in general. Anything except sweet potatoes, peas, or anything really spicy.
(8) Favourite colour? It has always been blue, but as I age, I am beginning to like a lot more variety. Like the Harvest Gold in my new kitchen. (which is done done. I will be posting a final kitchen roundup hopefully this weekend.)
(9) New Year’s resolution yet? Nope. Never make them.
(10) Christmas this year: home or away? We have gone back to our hometown every single year except one. Always will.
(11) New Year wish? That everyone, me included, learns to be a little more respectful towards others.
And now for Stephanie's questions. They will probably be a touch more current, seeing as how she gave them to me yesterday.
1. Are you superstitious? Not really, but I don't go out of my way to walk under ladders, break any mirrors, or let a black cat cross my path.
2. What is your favorite part of the day? In the morning, I love, love, love it when the little boys cuddle up in my lap to ease into their day. Until they start arguing about who has more room on my lap and complaining that they are hungry. My second favorite part is after everyone is in bed and I can have some peace and quiet by myself for a bit.
3. Name something you are really good at. Procrastinating. (See #1 in Isobel's questions. Or the fact that I am just now getting to her questions. That's a big clue, right there.) And getting people to laugh.
4. Name something you are really bad at. Keeping my mouth shut.
5. How much sleep do you need at night to get through your day? Seven is a good number. Eight is fabulous, but it rarely happens.
6. If you could have any job, what would it be? On a book club trip, one of my friends asked this question, but added "and not fail" to it. I surprised everyone when I said I would be a stand-up comedian. I do enjoy making people laugh. That's hard work, though, coming up with all those funny things to say. I would also love to be in plays. I took "Acting for the Non-Major" in college and loved every minute of it. And of course, I'm all drama all the time working and playing with kids. Acting would be such fun.
7. If you could go on vacation anywhere for free, where would you go? I would go around the world (not in 80 days), stopping whenever the mood struck.
8. What is your favorite thing about blogging? Besides the fact that it keeps me in the "Dad's Favorite Child" spot, I love that I am actually making friends all over the world. I so enjoy getting new perspectives and laughing along with people.
9. What is your least favorite thing about blogging? Those seconds right before I push the "publish" button, I doubt myself and wonder if anyone will find it interesting or funny or whatever it is I hope them to feel.
10. What is your favorite movie? The Jerk, with Steve Martin, is of course my favorite comedy, but Shawshank Redemption was one fine flick.
11. What is your worst habit? I am all over my kids about brushing their teeth every single morning and evening, but when I am up late (which is too often) I am so tired that I don't bother to brush my own. (I think I need to change my answer to #9. My least favorite thing about blogging is that I have a tendency to say things that really should be kept private.)
As with all awards, I am supposed to nominate some more blogs and come up with more questions. I didn't get my 7 hours of sleep last night, so I'm not functioning well enough to do that.
I really just wanted to acknowledge Isobel, Stephanie, and award-giver #3, and thank them for thinking of me. They came up with some good questions, too, so I enjoyed answering them.
Have a lovely day!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Tag Doesn't Have to Be Dangerous
In my whole entire life, I have had stitches one time.
My sister, a couple of friends, and I were at the neighborhood playground playing tag. I jumped off the equipment to avoid being tagged, slipped when I landed, and ended up with my rear on the ground and my top teeth in my bottom lip.
My sister rode her bike home to get my mom, and what seemed like days later, I was rescued. I was covered in blood, so for the drive home my mom made me hang out the window to prevent the blood from getting on that nice faux leather seat.
I then continued to bleed while she called a meeting of the neighborhood parents to discuss whether a doctor could even stitch a lip. Thirty minutes later, after calling an actual doctor, it was confirmed that I could, in fact, get stitches in my lip.
I vividly remember lying on my back with a cover over my face, a hole in the cover to expose my lip. My nose held the cover up, so I got to see that great, big needle go directly into my open cut. That hurt.
I ended up with four stitches in my lip.
I still played a few games of tag after that, but my heart was never in it. And now that I'm grown, I avoid playing tag with my children. If I can get hurt playing tag as a child, there is no doubt I will get some horrible injury now.
Then, today, my friend, Kristi, introduced me to a whole new kind of tag. One that does not require any running on my part. A tag that has zero chance of me tearing my ACL or breaking any bones. I'm in!
Kristi, from Thankful Me, tagged me! Blog tag. Who knew there was such a thing?
First, a little about Kristi. She knows that in order to be happy, one has to notice, acknowledge, and appreciate what one has. Regardless of what her post is for the day, be it a tip, a story, or recipe, she ends each one with a thought of thankfulness. I especially like her stories about her research of her ancestors.
My sister, a couple of friends, and I were at the neighborhood playground playing tag. I jumped off the equipment to avoid being tagged, slipped when I landed, and ended up with my rear on the ground and my top teeth in my bottom lip.
My sister rode her bike home to get my mom, and what seemed like days later, I was rescued. I was covered in blood, so for the drive home my mom made me hang out the window to prevent the blood from getting on that nice faux leather seat.
I then continued to bleed while she called a meeting of the neighborhood parents to discuss whether a doctor could even stitch a lip. Thirty minutes later, after calling an actual doctor, it was confirmed that I could, in fact, get stitches in my lip.
I vividly remember lying on my back with a cover over my face, a hole in the cover to expose my lip. My nose held the cover up, so I got to see that great, big needle go directly into my open cut. That hurt.
I ended up with four stitches in my lip.
I still played a few games of tag after that, but my heart was never in it. And now that I'm grown, I avoid playing tag with my children. If I can get hurt playing tag as a child, there is no doubt I will get some horrible injury now.
Then, today, my friend, Kristi, introduced me to a whole new kind of tag. One that does not require any running on my part. A tag that has zero chance of me tearing my ACL or breaking any bones. I'm in!
Kristi, from Thankful Me, tagged me! Blog tag. Who knew there was such a thing?
First, a little about Kristi. She knows that in order to be happy, one has to notice, acknowledge, and appreciate what one has. Regardless of what her post is for the day, be it a tip, a story, or recipe, she ends each one with a thought of thankfulness. I especially like her stories about her research of her ancestors.
So like usual there are rules;
- every tagged person has to tell 11 things
about themselves
- the person who tagged you asked 11 questions,
answer them
- ask 11 questions for the 11 blogs
you're going to tag
(the people you tag should have fewer than 200
followers)
- mention the blog that tagged you but don't tag
back
11 things about me:
1. When we go to Dairy Queen, I always get the Butterfinger Blizzard.
2. When I was little, I had a Cabbage Patch doll with a tooth.
3. I have always loved to climb trees. I still climb them every once in a while.
4. I went to 2 proms and borrowed both dresses that I wore.
5. While I was growing up, I went to my grandma and grandpa's house to play Euchre with them at least once a week.
6. As a teen, I once rode a roller coaster at Cedar Point that got stuck at the top of the first big hill. We all had to walk down to get back to the safety of the ground.
7. I still love roller coasters.
8. Sweet potatoes and peas make me gag. If I come to your house for dinner, please don't make them.
9. I have been in a short trapeze show, and I loved every second of it. It almost made me want to join the circus.
10. I encourage my kids to jump in puddles.
11. Two people in my bible study group are pregnant, and I am so very jealous.
The answers to Kristi's questions:
1. What is one talent you would like to have? I would love to know how to be a mechanic. I want to know how to diagnose and fix car problems.
2. What is the last movie you have watched in a theater? Buttercup and I saw Hotel Transylvania while on our trip to Atlanta.
3. Do you play a musical instrument? I can play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the piano. Does that count?
4. Name one of your favorite childhood books. As most girls, I read every one of Judy Blume's books. I was reading all the time, but I can't tell you what I read.
5. Night owl or early bird? While I like to stay up late, after the house and everyone in it has gone to bed, I am naturally more of an early bird. Only one time in my life have I slept past 9:00.
6. Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them. Ha! Define "pets". We have two dogs, but neither one ever steps foot in the house. I've written about Roy several times, and Hershey is the daughter of Brownie, our dog that lost her mind after giving birth and jumped the fence to kill our neighbor's pet goats. Hershey is a sweet thing. Scary looking to strangers, but sweet. She will not be having puppies.
7. When you were a child, how would you answer, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I would always answer, "Go to the Olympics for track then be a teacher." While I never went to the Olympics, I did end up being a teacher.
8. What is the last thing you planted? As a farmer, you'd assume that I plant lots of things, wouldn't you? I don't plant anything. That's Hubby's job. I do the harvesting and preserving.
9. If you had to choose another time in which to live, which would you choose? I would have liked to live at the same time as Jesus, to be able to hear and see him in person. However, that was not an easy time to be on this earth, and I'm a bit afraid of what my life would have been like. I'm happy right where I am.
10. What one word would you like for others to use to describe you? What's a word for someone who is forever trying to learn and improve and become the person God wants her to be while having fun doing it?
11. What is one of your favorite mottos, sayings, or verses? Each morning I pray, "Please help me see the ways in which I can be a blessing to someone today, and give me the courage I need to be that blessing." That, and Matthew 6:25-34. Basically, don't worry. God will take care of you.
And here's where I give the names of the blogs I'm going to tag. I won't be offended if they don't do the whole tagging others bit. I just like reading random lists people write. I find it fascinating to see what people choose when they have to pick 11 things to say about themselves from their entire lives. And, I like to try and get some more clicks to my friends' blogs.
Tag! You're it!
My Always Random and Usually Shallow Writings
Overholt8
Elbow Deep in Someone Else's Sh*t
lia sophia tomgirl
Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine...
Mom on the Run x2
Dina Marie - A Plucky Procrastinator
Jesse's Spot
Considerings
Break It, Make It, or Bake It
Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms
Tesseract - I went to get her URL and found that she just got a Liebster Award and nominated me! We'll just wrap it all into one.
And for the 11 questions they are to answer:
1. If you could do anything you wanted, knowing you would not fail, what would you do?
2. What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?
3. Where do you want to retire?
4. If you were invisible, where would you go?
5. What cartoon did you love to watch growing up?
6. How many text messages do you receive in a day?
7. Has your "green" behavior changed over the last 5 years? How?
8. If you were going to karaoke tonight, what song would you sing?
9. What movie can you quote word for word?
10. If you could hire out one chore, which one would it be?
11. What do you have of great value that is of no value to anyone else?
Have a lovely day!
And here's where I give the names of the blogs I'm going to tag. I won't be offended if they don't do the whole tagging others bit. I just like reading random lists people write. I find it fascinating to see what people choose when they have to pick 11 things to say about themselves from their entire lives. And, I like to try and get some more clicks to my friends' blogs.
Tag! You're it!
My Always Random and Usually Shallow Writings
Overholt8
Elbow Deep in Someone Else's Sh*t
lia sophia tomgirl
Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine...
Mom on the Run x2
Dina Marie - A Plucky Procrastinator
Jesse's Spot
Considerings
Break It, Make It, or Bake It
Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms
Tesseract - I went to get her URL and found that she just got a Liebster Award and nominated me! We'll just wrap it all into one.
And for the 11 questions they are to answer:
1. If you could do anything you wanted, knowing you would not fail, what would you do?
2. What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?
3. Where do you want to retire?
4. If you were invisible, where would you go?
5. What cartoon did you love to watch growing up?
6. How many text messages do you receive in a day?
7. Has your "green" behavior changed over the last 5 years? How?
8. If you were going to karaoke tonight, what song would you sing?
9. What movie can you quote word for word?
10. If you could hire out one chore, which one would it be?
11. What do you have of great value that is of no value to anyone else?
Have a lovely day!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
I'm in the Sisterhood!
I am my dad's favorite child. It's well known and accepted. Funniest child is up for debate, as my brother is quite hilarious, but everyone agrees that I am the favorite. Except my dad. He would never actually say such a thing out loud.
I remain the favorite because I have this here blog and because I actually call him on the telephone.
Last week I made my semi-monthly suck-up call, and one of the first things he said was, "I'm glad you called. No one else ever does." This was closely followed by, "I read the blog. It's a little heavy on the recipes."
I had to quickly let him know that while I always have him in mind when writing, he is not the only reader. I have at least 30 loyal fans that are looking for more than just photos of the kids. And people actually like a recipe thrown in every once in a while.
People like Dina Marie of The Plucky Procrastinator. She found me. She liked me. She nominated me.
Dina Marie is one spunky lady. She's lived through some difficult times, but she didn't let them stop her. She's now living a Brady Bunch life, minus Alice, and has a wonderful perspective on a variety of things. I'm touched that she knows who I am, let alone comes to read the blog regularly. And she very kindly nominated me for the
Thank you! Thank you!
Oh, no need to stand. The applause is more than enough.
As with all good awards, I am required to give a speech. A detailed speech listing 7 things about me. Picture me standing at a podium, my hair all done up, perfectly poised as I say:
Apparently, with our basic subscription, I am missing out on some good TV. We don't get the channel (channels? I have no idea.) that airs Sons of Anarchy or Mad Men.
I love roller coasters, despite the fact that when I was a teenager I had a scary experience of getting stuck on one. Longish story, but in the end everyone on the ride had to walk down that ginormous first hill that all roller coasters have.
In college I was a member of the Tower Players Improv Troupe. Through that experience I learned that I am not good at improv. It was a touch on the frighteningly overwhelming side. Good improvers are some of the funniest, smartest people in the world, and I clearly wasn't one of them.
I will never ride on a motorcycle, and I will beat the tar out of my children if they ever do. While living in Bermuda, we weren't allowed to have a car. For 10 months I drove nothing but a scooter. The road rash I received after crashing while going a snail-like 10 miles an hour was terrible. Hubby had to take me to the bathroom and everything. Terrible. My children aren't any more graceful than I am, and I don't want to consider the injuries they could sustain going 60mph.
I took baton lessons when I was a kid. Loved them so much it literally took my mom and two neighbors to shove my kicking, screaming, punching, scratching self into the car when it was time to head to class. Why in the name of all that is good my mom made me go I have no idea. Perhaps because my grandma's favorite child was a majorette? Hmmm...
Peas make me gag. If I ever come to your house for dinner, please don't serve them. I would really hate to have to make the choice of which rude behavior to choose; passing on the meal you prepared or eating the peas while gagging and choking, like my kids do when they really want dessert but have to eat their (disgusting) dinners first. (BTW, I don't make disgusting meals. Hardly ever. There was that one time, but mostly meals are very good. Seriously, there is no reason for my kids to gag, because I never serve peas.)
(This is when I bow and gracefully leave the stage, hopefully without tripping over the train of my dress.)
And now, the part you have all been waiting for.
(Picture Brad and Angelina strutting onto stage. That's how big of an award this is.)
The nominees for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award are....
1. Momopolize - A funny new blogger. She would appreciate it if you send her some chocolates. The kind with a map in the lid.
2. It's a Dome Life - She lives in a dome in the desert. What's not funny about that? Her blog button is my favorite one ever.
3. Green Girl in Wisconsin - She would love it if you invited her to play paintball. Oh, and she has a book.
4. Delightfully Ludicrous - I have no idea where she finds the random, sometimes disturbing things she does, but they are funny!
5. Big Happy Nest - She has six kids and raises chickens. Just like me, only better.
6. Oh Jones - She doesn't know I'm alive, but she is hysterical.
7. Blossoming Joy - She is a devout Christian who keeps me thinking, but my favorite post of hers told how she dealt with a problem her children had with flushing the toilet.
And the winner is....
Me. Because I get to read all of these blogs on a daily basis.
(Was that too cheesy? You can tell me. I'm thinking it was.)
And in case Dad made it through this post, token pictures of a couple of my kids. Gotta keep up that favorite status, you know.
Handsome devils, aren't they?
Have a lovely day!
I remain the favorite because I have this here blog and because I actually call him on the telephone.
Last week I made my semi-monthly suck-up call, and one of the first things he said was, "I'm glad you called. No one else ever does." This was closely followed by, "I read the blog. It's a little heavy on the recipes."
I had to quickly let him know that while I always have him in mind when writing, he is not the only reader. I have at least 30 loyal fans that are looking for more than just photos of the kids. And people actually like a recipe thrown in every once in a while.
People like Dina Marie of The Plucky Procrastinator. She found me. She liked me. She nominated me.
Dina Marie is one spunky lady. She's lived through some difficult times, but she didn't let them stop her. She's now living a Brady Bunch life, minus Alice, and has a wonderful perspective on a variety of things. I'm touched that she knows who I am, let alone comes to read the blog regularly. And she very kindly nominated me for the
Thank you! Thank you!
Oh, no need to stand. The applause is more than enough.
As with all good awards, I am required to give a speech. A detailed speech listing 7 things about me. Picture me standing at a podium, my hair all done up, perfectly poised as I say:
Apparently, with our basic subscription, I am missing out on some good TV. We don't get the channel (channels? I have no idea.) that airs Sons of Anarchy or Mad Men.
I love roller coasters, despite the fact that when I was a teenager I had a scary experience of getting stuck on one. Longish story, but in the end everyone on the ride had to walk down that ginormous first hill that all roller coasters have.
In college I was a member of the Tower Players Improv Troupe. Through that experience I learned that I am not good at improv. It was a touch on the frighteningly overwhelming side. Good improvers are some of the funniest, smartest people in the world, and I clearly wasn't one of them.
I will never ride on a motorcycle, and I will beat the tar out of my children if they ever do. While living in Bermuda, we weren't allowed to have a car. For 10 months I drove nothing but a scooter. The road rash I received after crashing while going a snail-like 10 miles an hour was terrible. Hubby had to take me to the bathroom and everything. Terrible. My children aren't any more graceful than I am, and I don't want to consider the injuries they could sustain going 60mph.
I took baton lessons when I was a kid. Loved them so much it literally took my mom and two neighbors to shove my kicking, screaming, punching, scratching self into the car when it was time to head to class. Why in the name of all that is good my mom made me go I have no idea. Perhaps because my grandma's favorite child was a majorette? Hmmm...
Peas make me gag. If I ever come to your house for dinner, please don't serve them. I would really hate to have to make the choice of which rude behavior to choose; passing on the meal you prepared or eating the peas while gagging and choking, like my kids do when they really want dessert but have to eat their (disgusting) dinners first. (BTW, I don't make disgusting meals. Hardly ever. There was that one time, but mostly meals are very good. Seriously, there is no reason for my kids to gag, because I never serve peas.)
(This is when I bow and gracefully leave the stage, hopefully without tripping over the train of my dress.)
And now, the part you have all been waiting for.
(Picture Brad and Angelina strutting onto stage. That's how big of an award this is.)
The nominees for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award are....
1. Momopolize - A funny new blogger. She would appreciate it if you send her some chocolates. The kind with a map in the lid.
2. It's a Dome Life - She lives in a dome in the desert. What's not funny about that? Her blog button is my favorite one ever.
3. Green Girl in Wisconsin - She would love it if you invited her to play paintball. Oh, and she has a book.
4. Delightfully Ludicrous - I have no idea where she finds the random, sometimes disturbing things she does, but they are funny!
5. Big Happy Nest - She has six kids and raises chickens. Just like me, only better.
6. Oh Jones - She doesn't know I'm alive, but she is hysterical.
7. Blossoming Joy - She is a devout Christian who keeps me thinking, but my favorite post of hers told how she dealt with a problem her children had with flushing the toilet.
And the winner is....
Me. Because I get to read all of these blogs on a daily basis.
(Was that too cheesy? You can tell me. I'm thinking it was.)
And in case Dad made it through this post, token pictures of a couple of my kids. Gotta keep up that favorite status, you know.
Handsome devils, aren't they?
Have a lovely day!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Caution: Graphic Photos Ahead
"Mom, you smell like a dead pig."
Buttercup is the first preteen to ever say something like that without getting slapped.
Because it's true.
And I'm disconcerted by the fact that we both know exactly what that smells like.
This morning I went out to feed the pigs, and only three came out to greet me. My first thought was, "Oh, Dear God, please not again."
I scanned the pen, and found this:
There are no words.
Or lots of words.
Of the four-letter variety.
Yes, I discovered that overnight a pig drowned himself in the waterer. Ponder that for a moment.
Or move on to another, cheerier blog.
We don't want to think about what this pig would look and smell like by the end of a 100 degree day. We needed to resolve this situation quickly. And by "we" I mean "me." Hubby doesn't get home from work until 6:30.
Luckily, I have a big, strong teenager who loves his mama and still does whatever she asks.
No way we were going to be able to lift a 200 pound pig out, so we decided to tip the waterer over, pig and all.
When we couldn't get it to budge, I had my light bulb moment. Two days ago, I noticed that the dirt under the waterer was beginning to erode. I wedged a big brick underneath to hold the waterer steady until the weekend, when Hubby and I could move it. That brick is what meant the death of the pig. If I hadn't have put it there, the waterer would have tipped when the pig struggled.
More words.
Of the four-letter variety.
I moved the brick, and we were able to push the pig right on over.
I find it quite embarrassing that as I am doing this manly, hard, disgusting work, I pull a girly pose when the mud splashes on me. Perhaps there's a little lady hiding inside of me after all.
The pig didn't fall all of the way out, so I had to reach in and grab an ear to pull it out.
That's when Phoenix really got into the melee in order to help me get it out of the mud puddle. Can you even believe I make my children do these things?
Just because we were out of the puddle didn't mean we were in the clear. The Dixie Chopper can't fit through the gate of the pen, so we had to drag it all the way over. My hands got too muddy and couldn't get a grip, so we resorted to a chain.
The pig put up a good fight, but we finally won that little tug of war.
As I go through these photos, I realize that Phoenix wasn't working nearly as hard as I thought. Like the person riding on the back of a tandem bicycle, he just pretended to help while my muscles strained to the breaking point.
More words.
Of the four-letter variety.
We finally made it to the gate, and I now see that Phoenix really wasn't helping at all. He's actually just standing there, holding the chain, looking at me, and probably counting each and every vein breaking in my face.
He is in super big, very bad trouble.
Does this picture look familiar?
Not quite the way I imagined myself riding out into the sunset.
As I was dragging the pig through the gate, Turken, who had watched the entire process from his perch on the fence, asked me, "How are you going to make the pig alive?"
Oh, Honey.
I'm good, but I'm not that good.
Although, I do think I deserve an award.
As no one has come up with the "Best Dead Pig Wrangler Award", I will be happy with the ones I did get. While I was on vacation, I came home to find that two lovely ladies had nominated me. They have similar "rules" so I'm addressing them together.
My new friend, Suzie, nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger Award. Suzie is a wonderful mom to an adorable little boy. She was a middle school teacher before staying home, and she has all sorts of good ideas and stories from her teaching days.
And another friend, Susan, nominated me for the "Very Inspiring Blog". Susan and I have a lot in common, as she has a few boys and lives on a farm, too. Now that I have just inspired you to live in the city, go read Susan's blog. She will inspire you to live the country life the right way.
With each award I am to list seven random things about myself. Here goes:
1. I am not a fan of dead pigs, unless the dead pig is in a bunch of neat, little, one-pound wrappers labeled "sausage."
2. I do love a Dixie Chopper.
3. I have come to realize that my oldest child isn't the hard worker I thought he was, but is a lazy slacker who lets his mother think he's helping her drag a 500 pound dead pig half a mile.
4. My husband is the luckiest man alive.
5. I need to have a chat with a certain four-year old about life and death.
6. My daughter is learning to be a pretty good photographer.
7. I had to type this now, because I will most likely not be able to move a muscle by 4:00 today.
OK, so that wasn't so random.
Anywho, I now get to nominate some other folks for these awards. People that I find to be Creative and Inspiring.
So, for the Kreativ Blogger Award, I nominate
The Redneck Mommy
That Nolen Chick
Salt and Serenity
Cup of Tea And a Blog
It Feels Like Chaos
And for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award, I give you:
A Cape Wearing Mom
Everyday Morning
Still Me Only Stronger
Big Happy Nest
Mom to 8 blog
Hugs, Kisses, and Snot
A Homesteading Neophyte
Click, read, enjoy.
As for Phoenix, he also got an award. Before I saw the photos and after he washed his hands, I let him have a big treat for actually grabbing a dead pig's leg and pulling it out of a mud puddle.
Have a lovely day!
Buttercup is the first preteen to ever say something like that without getting slapped.
Because it's true.
And I'm disconcerted by the fact that we both know exactly what that smells like.
This morning I went out to feed the pigs, and only three came out to greet me. My first thought was, "Oh, Dear God, please not again."
I scanned the pen, and found this:
There are no words.
Or lots of words.
Of the four-letter variety.
Yes, I discovered that overnight a pig drowned himself in the waterer. Ponder that for a moment.
Or move on to another, cheerier blog.
We don't want to think about what this pig would look and smell like by the end of a 100 degree day. We needed to resolve this situation quickly. And by "we" I mean "me." Hubby doesn't get home from work until 6:30.
Luckily, I have a big, strong teenager who loves his mama and still does whatever she asks.
No way we were going to be able to lift a 200 pound pig out, so we decided to tip the waterer over, pig and all.
When we couldn't get it to budge, I had my light bulb moment. Two days ago, I noticed that the dirt under the waterer was beginning to erode. I wedged a big brick underneath to hold the waterer steady until the weekend, when Hubby and I could move it. That brick is what meant the death of the pig. If I hadn't have put it there, the waterer would have tipped when the pig struggled.
More words.
Of the four-letter variety.
I moved the brick, and we were able to push the pig right on over.
I find it quite embarrassing that as I am doing this manly, hard, disgusting work, I pull a girly pose when the mud splashes on me. Perhaps there's a little lady hiding inside of me after all.
The pig didn't fall all of the way out, so I had to reach in and grab an ear to pull it out.
That's when Phoenix really got into the melee in order to help me get it out of the mud puddle. Can you even believe I make my children do these things?
Just because we were out of the puddle didn't mean we were in the clear. The Dixie Chopper can't fit through the gate of the pen, so we had to drag it all the way over. My hands got too muddy and couldn't get a grip, so we resorted to a chain.
The pig put up a good fight, but we finally won that little tug of war.
As I go through these photos, I realize that Phoenix wasn't working nearly as hard as I thought. Like the person riding on the back of a tandem bicycle, he just pretended to help while my muscles strained to the breaking point.
More words.
Of the four-letter variety.
We finally made it to the gate, and I now see that Phoenix really wasn't helping at all. He's actually just standing there, holding the chain, looking at me, and probably counting each and every vein breaking in my face.
He is in super big, very bad trouble.
Does this picture look familiar?
Not quite the way I imagined myself riding out into the sunset.
As I was dragging the pig through the gate, Turken, who had watched the entire process from his perch on the fence, asked me, "How are you going to make the pig alive?"
Oh, Honey.
I'm good, but I'm not that good.
Although, I do think I deserve an award.
As no one has come up with the "Best Dead Pig Wrangler Award", I will be happy with the ones I did get. While I was on vacation, I came home to find that two lovely ladies had nominated me. They have similar "rules" so I'm addressing them together.
My new friend, Suzie, nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger Award. Suzie is a wonderful mom to an adorable little boy. She was a middle school teacher before staying home, and she has all sorts of good ideas and stories from her teaching days.
And another friend, Susan, nominated me for the "Very Inspiring Blog". Susan and I have a lot in common, as she has a few boys and lives on a farm, too. Now that I have just inspired you to live in the city, go read Susan's blog. She will inspire you to live the country life the right way.
With each award I am to list seven random things about myself. Here goes:
1. I am not a fan of dead pigs, unless the dead pig is in a bunch of neat, little, one-pound wrappers labeled "sausage."
2. I do love a Dixie Chopper.
3. I have come to realize that my oldest child isn't the hard worker I thought he was, but is a lazy slacker who lets his mother think he's helping her drag a 500 pound dead pig half a mile.
4. My husband is the luckiest man alive.
5. I need to have a chat with a certain four-year old about life and death.
6. My daughter is learning to be a pretty good photographer.
7. I had to type this now, because I will most likely not be able to move a muscle by 4:00 today.
OK, so that wasn't so random.
Anywho, I now get to nominate some other folks for these awards. People that I find to be Creative and Inspiring.
So, for the Kreativ Blogger Award, I nominate
The Redneck Mommy
That Nolen Chick
Salt and Serenity
Cup of Tea And a Blog
It Feels Like Chaos
And for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award, I give you:
A Cape Wearing Mom
Everyday Morning
Still Me Only Stronger
Big Happy Nest
Mom to 8 blog
Hugs, Kisses, and Snot
A Homesteading Neophyte
Click, read, enjoy.
As for Phoenix, he also got an award. Before I saw the photos and after he washed his hands, I let him have a big treat for actually grabbing a dead pig's leg and pulling it out of a mud puddle.
Have a lovely day!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
I Can Explain
Dear Neighbors and Anyone Else Who Drives by our House,
I feel I must explain the state of our yard. I am well aware that the grass/weeds are a foot tall. I could say that it is because we have been in the middle of a health scare recently and haven't had time. I could also remind you that it has rained four out of the last six days. But we all know that I would be lying if I used those excuses. My yard will look like this all year. So sorry.
Here's why:
1. To explain the fact that only part of the yard gets done at a time, I have two little boys at home with me all day and six acres to mow. I can only mow for a maximum of 45 minutes before boredom, fighting, and general mayhem stops my progress.
2. To explain the patchwork quilt look to the yard, kids move. Mowing near the children is dangerous. (I once almost killed a child with a 100 year old piece of rusty metal that flew out from underneath the mower. The child was IN THE HOUSE! The metal zipped right through a sheet of plexiglass and the glass window and sprayed the glass all over the game room in our house. The same room that Hubby had just left with the baby.) Let's say I start by mowing the orchard while the kids color with chalk on the front porch. When those children move to the field to play baseball, I have to move to a completely new part of the yard immediately so as not to accidentally kill them with shrapnel. The 45 minute rule from above prevents me from getting back to the orchard to finish the area in a timely fashion.
3. To explain the fact that I don't mow every day to get it done, I hate to mow our yard. You would, too, if it was your yard. I like to mow in general. What mother of six wouldn't like a few hours of time to soak up the fresh air in peace and quiet? (The very loud sound of the mower is simply white noise. Anybody with more than one child knows that.) But my yard is booby-trapped. It doesn't want to be mowed. The driveway is lined with both osage-orange and mulberry trees. One looks like she has lost a fight to a vicious cat after mowing around them. The osage-orange trees have inch-long thorns that tear at any exposed skin they can find. If no skin is showing, they go after the clothing or the hair. And they reach down for you. Every year we trim those blasted trees back, and every year they droop down to get us. And that's just the start. In the fall they have their ginormous hedgeapples to drop on you. Bruises on top of scratches. The mulberries are thrown in just in case you manage to make it through the thorns. Mulberry juice stains clothes and skin and hair.
And once past the 300 yard driveway of death, one must then tackle the field of poison ivy. Doesn't matter what you wear. This poison ivy will get you every time. It is approximately one and a half acres of three-leaved, well-trained plants patiently waiting to hop on anyone who tries to mow them down. These leaves use any bit of a breeze (which there always is on a farm in the middle of nowhere) to hurl themselves onto the mower. Where they find any teeny-tiny opening they can to wiggle in, invite their friends, and roll around the unsuspecting doofus simply trying to keep her yard tidy. I cannot tell you how many times I have had poison ivy on the inside of my thighs, on my face, on my arms, my belly, and my rear end from that awful field.
And once past that, one must mow the actual part of the yard that we use. Where the kids play and the dogs run free. Where those kids and dogs leave every imaginable toy, stick, yard tool, random piece of metal, bucket, milk jug, downspout, gym mat, croquet ball, jump rope, or bike for me to either move or accidentally run over. Let's just say that it is no fun at all to untangle a large piece of garden hose that the dog chewed off of the hose-holder out of the blades of a Dixie Chopper.
But, Neighbor and Anyone Else Who Drives by oue House, don't think that I'm not doing something productive in the time I spend avoiding the yard duties. See, I blog. And at least a few people seem to like what I say.
Suzie Q at The White House nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award. (Thank you!)
So, Neighbor and Anyone Else Who Drives by our House, please show mercy when you complain to your spouses, children, pastors, friends, and people you meet in line at the grocery store about me and my yard. I'm not lazy. (or a redneck) I may just have an event coming up, and scratches, bruises, mulberry juice, poison ivy, and torn up fingers from digging things out of the mower would really take away from my outfit.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor Who Didn't Know What She Was Getting Into When She Bought This House
P.S. About the Liebster Blog Award...
It is to recognize folks that are new to blogging/have less than 200 followers.
The rules are:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog.
I feel I must explain the state of our yard. I am well aware that the grass/weeds are a foot tall. I could say that it is because we have been in the middle of a health scare recently and haven't had time. I could also remind you that it has rained four out of the last six days. But we all know that I would be lying if I used those excuses. My yard will look like this all year. So sorry.
Here's why:
1. To explain the fact that only part of the yard gets done at a time, I have two little boys at home with me all day and six acres to mow. I can only mow for a maximum of 45 minutes before boredom, fighting, and general mayhem stops my progress.
2. To explain the patchwork quilt look to the yard, kids move. Mowing near the children is dangerous. (I once almost killed a child with a 100 year old piece of rusty metal that flew out from underneath the mower. The child was IN THE HOUSE! The metal zipped right through a sheet of plexiglass and the glass window and sprayed the glass all over the game room in our house. The same room that Hubby had just left with the baby.) Let's say I start by mowing the orchard while the kids color with chalk on the front porch. When those children move to the field to play baseball, I have to move to a completely new part of the yard immediately so as not to accidentally kill them with shrapnel. The 45 minute rule from above prevents me from getting back to the orchard to finish the area in a timely fashion.
3. To explain the fact that I don't mow every day to get it done, I hate to mow our yard. You would, too, if it was your yard. I like to mow in general. What mother of six wouldn't like a few hours of time to soak up the fresh air in peace and quiet? (The very loud sound of the mower is simply white noise. Anybody with more than one child knows that.) But my yard is booby-trapped. It doesn't want to be mowed. The driveway is lined with both osage-orange and mulberry trees. One looks like she has lost a fight to a vicious cat after mowing around them. The osage-orange trees have inch-long thorns that tear at any exposed skin they can find. If no skin is showing, they go after the clothing or the hair. And they reach down for you. Every year we trim those blasted trees back, and every year they droop down to get us. And that's just the start. In the fall they have their ginormous hedgeapples to drop on you. Bruises on top of scratches. The mulberries are thrown in just in case you manage to make it through the thorns. Mulberry juice stains clothes and skin and hair.
And once past the 300 yard driveway of death, one must then tackle the field of poison ivy. Doesn't matter what you wear. This poison ivy will get you every time. It is approximately one and a half acres of three-leaved, well-trained plants patiently waiting to hop on anyone who tries to mow them down. These leaves use any bit of a breeze (which there always is on a farm in the middle of nowhere) to hurl themselves onto the mower. Where they find any teeny-tiny opening they can to wiggle in, invite their friends, and roll around the unsuspecting doofus simply trying to keep her yard tidy. I cannot tell you how many times I have had poison ivy on the inside of my thighs, on my face, on my arms, my belly, and my rear end from that awful field.
And once past that, one must mow the actual part of the yard that we use. Where the kids play and the dogs run free. Where those kids and dogs leave every imaginable toy, stick, yard tool, random piece of metal, bucket, milk jug, downspout, gym mat, croquet ball, jump rope, or bike for me to either move or accidentally run over. Let's just say that it is no fun at all to untangle a large piece of garden hose that the dog chewed off of the hose-holder out of the blades of a Dixie Chopper.
But, Neighbor and Anyone Else Who Drives by oue House, don't think that I'm not doing something productive in the time I spend avoiding the yard duties. See, I blog. And at least a few people seem to like what I say.
Suzie Q at The White House nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award. (Thank you!)
So, Neighbor and Anyone Else Who Drives by our House, please show mercy when you complain to your spouses, children, pastors, friends, and people you meet in line at the grocery store about me and my yard. I'm not lazy. (or a redneck) I may just have an event coming up, and scratches, bruises, mulberry juice, poison ivy, and torn up fingers from digging things out of the mower would really take away from my outfit.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor Who Didn't Know What She Was Getting Into When She Bought This House
P.S. About the Liebster Blog Award...
It is to recognize folks that are new to blogging/have less than 200 followers.
The rules are:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog.
2. Copy & paste the award to your blog.
3. Nominate 3-5 further blogs and let them know by leaving a comment.
I shall nominate (roll the drums please)
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