Wednesday, December 22, 2010

One Hundred Things ..... Michelle ... part two

A collection of lists. Take the challenge. 100 things about yourself. Streaming flow of consciousness, as personal or as general as you care to make it...but make it count. You might learn something about yourself and I promise it's better than 20 questions!






1. Quotes are very important to me, if I cannot find the right words to use, I can generally find the perfect quote, and several will crop up during this list.

2. For the past three weeks, here in Scotland we have experience a huge amount of snow. I have approx 3ft outside, which is nothing in comparison to many countries. I simply adore the snow, I never get sick of seeing it, I never tire of it, and snow is Momma nature icing her cake.

3. Cake, my favourite cake has to be carrot cake, it’s not too sticky and perfectly moist and totally scrumptious.

4. Mulled wine is scrumptious any time of the year; it’s not just for Christmas.

5. Eggnog latte is seriously heavenly.

6. Tea: Earl Grey please, Orange Blossom Earl Grey is even better, either black or with a slight splash of milk.

7. ‘A friend is someone who knows you and loves you just the same’ ~ some people never experience baring their complete soul to anyone. I am very lucky to have some very special friends who know everything about me. I have bared my soul to them, and during good times they have shared the laughter and during the bad times they have been my crutches when I have not been able to walk. It’s important to be open with at least one or two people in life, otherwise you will never gain a true insight into yourself.

8. I am blessed in this life, I have two wonderful children, a wonderful home and my heart is at peace, I have no complaints.

9. Karma is my religion.

10. I believe we live in a ‘move on’ society. People are now more willing just to move on, than sort out conflict. Conflict resolution is a skill that is a dying art, and too many people are buying into that method of thinking. There is a fine art in learning to shut your mouth and open your ears and to not see everything as an attack, but as a platform to recreate.

11. The gentle art of listening, is learning to stop building walls and defences, but learning to build bridges. By listening to others you gain a very good insight into how you are being perceived in this world.

12. Perception is reality. How some people perceive the world, you and I, is their reality. We are all different and see and perceive things differently. A major step towards higher intelligence is learning to see things from the others point of view, walk that mile in their footsteps.

13. Out of body experiences ~ has been on my mind recently. I have experience a few within my lifetime. Right now, I hypothesise that an OBE is the two self’s of the body. We have an invisible self, and the physical self. When you are experiencing an OBE, you are invisible, but you can still see the other, physical self. I am certain that when we die, this invisible self leaves the body and remains, hence why we can feel the presence of others when they have passed. They remain with us in this form.

14. One of the greatest lessons in life is learning to forgive. It’s very powerful. I see no point holding bad feeling about anyone, no matter what they have done, never allow the hurt and pain to continue. You can choose to have no association with a person, and keep them out of your life, but ‘holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else, you are the one who gets burned’.

15. Anger: ‘Anybody can become angry, that is easy, but to be angry with the right person to the right degree and at the right time for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybody’s power and it not easy’. Emotional intelligence is part of learning to control your emotions, learning when and where you should use them, stepping above or out of the situation. It’s fundamental that people should pay more attention to their emotional intelligence, to gain a better future for themselves and those people around them. The world would be a better place.

16. Ben & Jerry’s caramel chew chew ice-cream rawks.

17. I believe in synchronicity ~ everything happens for a reason.

18. I have realised that recently I have been drawn more and more to photography. Several of my newer friends are professional photographers, and several more have a keen interest, like me in the amazing properties of seeing through a lens. I have always dreamed of building a studio on my land next to my house... That dream is being constantly fed, and I believe that synchronicity is playing a hand by enabling me to get closer to a precious few who have mastered the art.

19. I love bumble bees. On the hunt for nectar, the strongest bees will leave the hive to go and search. When they find a source of nectar they will return to the hive and do a waggle dance to the other weaker, younger bees, which gives them the directions to the closest location of the source. This is in order for the weaker bees to survive the flight and make it back to the hive. And let’s not forget that bees really define all laws of nature in the fact that they can actually fly. They are amazing.

20. I love football... that’s soccer to the Americans. I have my favourite team which I have been supporting for many years.

21. I do understand the ‘off-side’ rule.

22. I named my son, James, after the stadium at which my favourite team played.

23. I have been honoured to meet Sir Booby Robson on several occasions, and what a guy! So warm, so gentle, just so genuine. RIP Booby, you are missed.

24. I was asked my thoughts last night on Inception. Do I think it’s possible? Oh yes. If someone can master remote viewing and combine that with mastering out of body experiences, I am certain the rest comes easy. Welcome to the real matrix.

25. My favourite bands are Snow Patrol, Coldplay and Pink Floyd. Going to a Coldplay concert is on my bucket list, the remaining two bands I have seen live.

26. My bucket list: Everyone should have one, adding different experiences onto it and also ticking off ones you achieved. My bucket list is now pretty small, mostly full of countries I will visit, I have been fortunate enough to tick off and remove many items which were on the list beforehand.

27. Strictly Come Dancing, A British TV show where celebrities compete each week, learning dances and gradually get voted off the show until one winning couple is left. Learning to really dance is on my bucket list.

28. My favourite song right now is Secret Garden by Bruce Springstein.

29. Seeing him live is also on my bucket list.

30. Rugby: what a sport... I really love rugby, seeing all of that testosterone on a field; it does something to me... Really lights my fire.

31. Last year my son broke his wrist playing rugby, even with a broken wrist he continued playing, managed to score a try, was taken down in another tackle, to which then the pain became too much. After the game he went to his friends for a sleep over, ignoring his wrist, and when I collected him the next morning, he showed his wrist to me, and I then took him to A&E. My brave little soldier. It was funny seeing him beg the consultant to remove his cast in order for him to get back on the pitch.

32. As soon as his cast was removed he was back playing.... And I was trying to wrap him up in cotton wall... I could not watch.

33. My wee man, my son, James. A gentle giant, 6ft 2 at 14 years old.

34. My little princess, Alisha, born with her head in the clouds, and it’s still there now. She is such a space head, and so beautiful with it.

35. James’ dream is to become a neuro surgeon, and I am certain he will achieve this dream. Alisha either wants to become a psychologist and follow in my footsteps or go into psycharitry. I know they will both succeed.

36. I changed ships. It’s never too late to change ships. I spent many career years being in management, hotels and pubs. I then trained as a counsellor, nlp, hypnosis, and life coaching and now psychology. I am building my castles in the skies and working towards my goals.

37. I am a book worm. It’s actually rare to find me watching TV. I spend most of my time with my head shoved in a book. I always have several books on the go at once, it’s weird... I can read 3 or 4 books in the same space. I get to the stage where I want some time to digest all the information I have absorbed in one book, and I achieve this by reading another book, and so forth... Right now I have added audio books into the juggle, as there are times when my eyes get tired of the written word, so I then listen instead.

38. Courage: I believe in facing the fears and doing it anyway. Our brains are like elastic bands, once they have been stretched, taken from their comfort zone, pushed and expanded, they never return to their original shape or size. It’s only when we are out of our comfort zone, can we expand so much in such little time. It’s good to push yourself into achieving what you or others thought was not possible of yourself.

39. If I did not believe in the above, I would never have gone to Australia. I have a fear of flying, and to go to Oz was having to take three flights on my own.... It was not easy, panic attacks, hyperventilating etc, but I did it and wow the memories for doing it. My elastic band was seriously stretched.

40. Having flown so many times, countless of countries etc. I am still not good at flying, but I refuse to allow the fear to hold me back.

41. Ancestry is very interesting, I have now traced back my genealogy to the 1700’s, with some fascinating results. I am struggling with finding details of my Grandmother who was born in Canada, but I will continue to search.

42. My grandfather served in the Navy during the Second World War. Serving in rescue operations to Russia and Canada. Whilst in Russia a young lady feel in love with him, I have her photos and her love letters. When serving in Canada, he met my grandmother, who then moved to England, and they married.

43. My grandparents were amazing people, I miss them so much.

44. I have always been drawn to water. I am a very strong swimmer, and still swim frequently. I love the beach, lochs and lakes. Maybe it’s the Cancerian in me, I don’t know, but water soothes my soul.

45. Shells, my namesake.... Each one is uniquely different, so individual and the design is simple yet complex. They hold a rare beauty.

46. Double chocolate mocha... I am beginning to think my tummy is ruled by indulging in wonderful drinks.

47. Scottish shortbread, there is no other shortbread that tastes quite the same, the delicate richness that melts in the mouth.

48. Pringles ~ Once you pop, you just cant stop!! BBQ flavour please

49. Dexter ~ pure brilliance... you can’t help wishing that there was a real Dexter.

50. Deep breath, half way.

51. Lie to me, an excellent portrayal by Tim Roth, based on Paul Ekman’s theories. A fantastic show, which only actually tells half of the story, but the scripts are beginning to include more of the psychology behind the micro expressions.

52. Grey’s anatomy has one of the most incredible sources of quotations. In the closing scenes, the narrative is always amazing.

53. Boston legal ~ Is simply pure brilliance.... You cant get better than this.

54. I’m waving not drowning

55. Ownership of issues. If someone has an issue with you, it’s really their issue, not yours, you can’t own it. But you can learn from it.

56. Children and childhood. Our children only have a short period in their lifetime, to which we call a childhood. This time flies past and it’s our responsibility to fill that period with as much love we can muster and as many memories we can pack in. This will stay with them for the rest of their lives. To build a strong house, you need good foundations.

57. I remember sitting with my father doing jigsaw puzzles. Those memories are so vibrant and warming to my soul. I loved that time together and I will never forget it.

58. I used to go camping all the time, and loved every moment of being the big outdoors. Neither of my children are keen on camping, which I feel that just maybe they might be missing out on a wonderful experience.

59. I believe I am wealthy, not in the financial sense, but wealth in the heart. I am surrounding by loving people, friends who are family. People you can bare you soul to. My heart is full.

60. I feel that we should all give something back to nature. I planted an apple tree in summer, which was a gift. The tree is growing well and gives life in so many ways. Hopefully within a few years it will produce fruit, not only to feed the children and myself but also to feed the insects and birds.

61. At the end of each year, I always take time to reflect. Looking back at the lessons I have learned, what have I achieved, what I did not achieve. Where I am in regards to my goals, looking back, planning ahead. And one thing I have learned, on any given year, you really do not know how much your life will change for the following year. Some things can be set in stone and so many others are totally unpredicatable.

62. Recently I had a fMRI scan, and the radiographer allowed me into the viewing library after the scan to explore my own brain on the computer. I cannot explain how amazing this experience was. Having recently finished my neurology course and having so much biological insight into the bran and its functions, I was in awe.

63. Im still waiting for the results for the above.

64. As this year comes to an end, I am half way through my psychology degree, which is a huge achievement based on the statistics of a 60% drop out rate. Onwards and upwards.

65. My favourite drive is from here to Loch Ness, driving through mountains and national parks and then up to the deepest loch. Ness is stunningly beautfil with a magical mystical feeling about her.

66. Rome is one of the most amazing places to visit. If you get the chance go.

67. The Great Barrier Reef is also totally amazing, put that on your bucket list as well.

68. Marriage is not on my bucket list.

69. My next building project will be to find a church by a loch or the sea and convert this into a home. Once my children have flown the nest, this house will be too big for me. I will downsize, by building my final resting place.

70. ‘I am not afraid of my storms, for I have learned to sail my ship’ Learn your emotions and you have life pretty worked out. It’s all about emotional intelligence and taking control of your head and your heart. Knowing a day is only 24 hours long and we all get them. A day bad is not a bad year.

71. People will come in and out of your life. They will always leave their footprints, some you prefer to be in stone so they never wash away. Some you would prefer to be in sand so they would vanish with a rising tide.

72. I believe in unconditional love. No boundaries, no terms and conditions attached, to love free and whole heartedly.

73. My landrover kicks ass in snow

74. I would love to snowboard or learn to ski, this is on my bucket list.

75. I am prone to dancing around the house and singing like no one is watching or listening.. much to the laughter of my children telling me to grow up before i grab hold of one of them and swing them into a waltz with me.

76. ¾ of the way there, it’s harder to do the second time around as you try to exclude everything from the first one

77. Anthony Hopkins is my favourite actor.

78. Though i do not watch much TV, I can get addicted to certain series, which I will buy the dvd box sets and have a lazy day watching every episode.

79. I call my children the Hobbits, its a fond expression. And our house is the Shire, we have dust bunnies who we fight wars with and demented sheep that like to attack now and then.

80. The demented cat is attacking the Christmas tree right now.

81. The same cat is called Gizmo, from the Gremilins. She has two personalities, one is cute and adorable, snugly, cuddly and loving. The other is her Psycho self, in which she is a serious serial killer.... The mice have been warned, she is an amazing hunter and brings presents often.

82. Which leads me to a memory of a mouse she once caught, it was alive when she brought it into the house, I chased her, she dropped the mouse, i managed to shut her in a room, and then Alisha called me, the mouse had stopped in its tracks, Alisha then said, ‘oh mommy, it’s now stopped breathing, it’s dead, throw it in the bin’ I still chuckle.

83. My children have warped senses of humour, I guess they would never be normal having a mom like me. I love their humour, they are quick and smart and hilarious.

84. In our house, if you are moody there is a saying ‘Change your attitude, your current one sucks’ it normally works.

85. Every night, we eat at the table. No TV, no music, no phones. Just the three of us enganging in conversation. Its our quality time.

86. In the car we all do karaoke. James is the dj on the ipod, and we sing our hearts out. Our car journeys are always quality time together, there is never a dull moment.

87. Debates are always a keen topic at the dinner table. I encourage the Hobbits to bring in a subject that we can all debate about. I believe this increases everyones understanding, knowledge and stretches the elastic bands. Topics can be politics, gay adoption, the death penalty etc, normally heavy subjects.

88. I still tuck the Hobbits in at night, and kiss them goodnight. I think I will still be doing that when they are adults

89. Have you noticed yet how random I am ;)

90. 10 more to go

91. I am now wondering if all of these luxury drinks are responsible for my healthy curves.

92. My favourite Christmas song is Fairy Tale of New York....

93. I buy myself Christmas presents and wrap them and write from Santa, this is because I have no close family and the children enjoy seeing me open gifts as well on Christmas day.

94. I am a sucker for history and art, hence why Rome was so amazing.

95. When i was young, my father always called me Fred.

96. I was in the brownies and the Girl Guides.

97. Lord Baiden Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts is buried in a graveyard next to the Hobbits school.

98. If i could give everyone a gift, it would be the feeling that is within my heart, of beauty, peace, calm and perfect karma. This feeling is amazing.

99. I still remain friends with a few people from my childhood. I love our history, we have lived through each others eyes at times.

100. And so the end. I wish you all peace, love and harmony in your lives.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

One Hundred Things .... Sharon

A collection of lists. Take the challenge. 100 things about yourself. Streaming flow of consciousness, as personal or as general as you care to make it...but make it count. You might learn something about yourself and I promise it's better than 20 questions!







1. This speaks to how I am. I decided to do the 100 things list and before I could begin, I decided where I’d write it, formatted a page and made sure that it was in a font I liked.

2. I get paid to be this way – YES!!

3. When I was young, I was my mother’s human notepad. She’d tell me things she wanted to remember and would ask me to remind her when the time was appropriate. This was a good and a bad thing. Good because it trained me to remember stuff. Bad because it annoyed her when I remembered the stuff she wanted, but she didn’t remember wanting it, so the conflict created stress for her.

4. I have 3 siblings. Two sisters and a brother.

5. Our brother doesn’t talk to us anymore. He got annoyed that I continued my role as human notepad and made sure all the legal stuff was done when mom died. I’m not sure why he felt cheated. We all got the same thing. He turned on the three of us and has excommunicated himself.

6. These are his issues, not mine. I still love him and hope that he can work through whatever it is he needs to.

7. I love to learn, but have no interest in going to school. I want to learn what I want to learn, on my own terms and not be graded on my learning. It feels better that way.

8. I used to work in a Montessori school. I saw the processes and lessons there and realized I’d done most of the same thing with my own children without knowing I was teaching them in a Montessori fashion. This made me feel good.

9. I have 4 children. 2 girls and 2 boys. I tend to say that I started off right, messed up in the middle and finished correctly. (girl, boy, boy, girl) That’s silly. All of my children are “right”.

10. I also have 4 grandchildren – so far.

11. I was a teenage mother. I gave birth to a daughter when I was 17.

12. The father was never really involved unless there was something to gain. He’s still around, but mostly because my daughter followed him and inserted herself into his world. Or at least that’s how I see it. Those are her choices.

13. I don’t believe in trying to control my children. They are individuals that I helped keep safe and guide them into their own choices. It’s been great to watch them grow and change.

14. All of my children love me. They all regularly give me hugs and kisses and cuddles and call me to tell me that they are so happy with the way they were raised and that I did a good job. I love my children.

15. I ran a daycare for 14 years. Since I had 4 children by the time I was 26, it made sense to stay at home and watch other children as well. I always wanted 6 children anyway. I usually had 6-8 children with me at any time.

16. The neighbor’s children are my adoptive babies. They are all grown now with kids of their own, but while they grew up they were in my house all the time. I love those kids, too.

17. We used to go places in my big Suburban. We called it the Urban Burban. I’d pack up my kids, the twins, the neighbor’s kids and we’d go to the bay, Annapolis, the park, the drive in, the zoo… you name it. We liked to go do things.

18. Grocery shopping was a time to learn. With 8 helpers we would find items on the shelves by playing I spy. Rectangles, colors, letters… the world is a great schoolroom.

19. I love to grocery shop. Before I took the job I have now, I seriously considered starting a grocery delivery business. I’d even come put it away in your home.

20. Nutrition is a love of mine. A natural approach to medicine seems to stick in my head.

21. If I didn’t have the job that I do, I would have studied Nutrition. You are what you eat and what you eat affects everyone’s chemistry set (body) differently.

22. My job would allow – nay, encourage – me to study anything I wanted. Since I work for a well-known University that is big in the medicinal field you’d think I’d jump at the chance to get my degree for free. Nope. See number 7.

23. I’ve always wondered what my “passion” was. I’ve never felt that crazy focused attitude people have about sports teams or bands or anything of that nature. Sure, I’ve had my interest piqued at times, but nothing ever makes me feel like I need to buy a shirt that’s emblazoned with an emblem and I refuse to go visit someone for their birthday because a “game” was on TV.

24. I do love children and music. I guess that’s the closest thing to fandom I can think of.

25. I get a big kick out of watching babies eat in restaurants. I like to watch them focus on the food on the plate, and reach to get at mom’s potato, and attempt to master the art of pinching and getting the morsel to their mouths. I love the little crinkled brow they get while they are working and the legs kicking in joy when they achieve their goal. I wish adults would show this kind of enjoyment.

26. I also love watching children enjoying and dancing to music. The way they dance about, so carefree of how their bodies look and who might be looking and just letting the music move them no matter where they are. Love it.

27. I don’t like going to concerts in large venues. You can barely hear the music, the hooting and screaming hurts my ears and I’m just annoyed by it all. Seems so counter-intuitive when you read above that I like to watch children enjoy themselves. You’d think I’d be just as happy and tolerant about everyone else loving and showing appreciation for what they are witnessing. Nope. I think because the yelling and loud clapping and whistles and standing so no one can sit all impact my experience in a way I don’t care for. That and the music doesn’t sound the same as it did in the recording.

28. My favorite concert that hasn’t been one with the PCC would be Squeeze at the Senator Theater in Baltimore. Good band, comfy venue, just right.

29. My motto/tagline/saying/whatever you want to call it: Say what you mean and mean what you say. It’s about integrity and honor and clear communication.

30. The other day I pulled up to a convenience store nearby my home. The wall in front of me had a faint outline of two pay phones and the holes where they had been bolted to the wall. In some ways, this saddened me. It’s another sign of how insular life has become. More connected while less connected.

31. I know they are grown and harvested as a crop, but seeing the leftover trees that don’t get chosen to be someone’s Christmas tree always makes me feel sad. They ended their life as nothing more than mulch. Mulch has its purpose, too. I get that. But it’s just not the same. Along those same lines, I have troubles cutting down a tree. The one time we did it, I cried. (Hey! Stop laughing at me!!)

32. I’m allergic to onions, leeks, chives, scallions, onion powder- you name it – which all belong to the Lily family. I can eat small doses of cooked garlic, but not much and not too often. This makes mealtime quite interesting.

33. There is a proverb taped to my refrigerator that all my kids could recite. It reads, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22

34. I used to sculpt in polymer clay. I don’t play with clay so much anymore, but I have begun to dabble in sculpting with fondant. I like the thought of playing with my food.

35. I was never a big fan of choral music. I sang in the church chorus when I was younger and enjoyed it until…. See #36…. but listening to an adult chorus wasn’t something I’d choose to do. That was before my daughter started singing in a children’s chorus. I learned that treble choirs are different, and I love those. I now work for a Grammy nominated children’s chorus. (oh yeah!)

36. When I was in the church choir, there was a piece I really liked but couldn’t seem to get the lyrics right. I decided I’d take the piece home and work on the lyrics and return it on Sunday when we were supposed to sing. I didn’t ask anyone if I could do that, but didn’t see the harm in practicing. My mom saw the music in my hands and asked if I had permission to take the music. I told her I hadn’t asked. She said I was stealing from the church and then made me go back inside and tell the choral director that I was sorry for stealing. I don’t remember if she went with me to make sure I said those words or not, but I do remember feeling all kinds of horrible and crying because *I* knew that my intent was not to steal at all, but that’s not the way *she* saw it. I didn’t like that my mother thought I’d do something like that and I hated that I didn’t tell the director the real reason I was taking the piece instead of what my mom told me to say. I stopped going to choir practice after that.

37. My favorite colors are yellow and green and purple. I think I like them in that order as well.

38. I started listening to the teachings of Abraham (Hicks) about a year ago and so many things that I already knew clicked into place. At times I think it’s harder now that I understand the theory of manifesting instead of when I just used to do it as a matter of normal living, but the understanding is worth it, I think.

39. I was raised as a Methodist, but never really felt comfortable with religion. I always argued during group prayer in my head if what the preacher said was not what *I* wanted to say. I’d adjust my prayer instead. I NEVER wanted to shake the hand of the Pastor. That was just TOO uncomfortable for me… so I made sure I placed myself on the far side of my mother to avoid the event.

40. I’ve been married for 25 years and with that same man for 29 years. I love that man. He’s exactly what I asked for when I was 18 and had those prayer/conversations on my own. Coincidence?

41. I want to move. I’ve wanted to move for about 7 years now. Slowly, things have fallen into place and are making that more and more accessible. My goal is to put my house on the market in the Spring.

42. I’m traveling to Italy twice in 2011. Once to look at the venues and hotels the children will be staying in during our tour and the second time with the children. We toured England in 2009. We’ve got a few other fun things lined up, but I can’t really say anything about those yet! (darn!)

43. Long ago, when the children were young and I’d had a rough day, I’d bake. I found the measuring and mixing, the stirring and the smells very soothing. My husband would walk in the front door and inhale the delicious aroma of freshly baked something and then think, “Uh oh.” Poor guy.

44. I was born on the same day and just about the same time as Martin Luther King made his “I Have a Dream” speech, just a few miles from where it all occurred.

45. I broke my leg in a sledding accident when I was 7-8. I was bundled to the brim and on the sled behind my sister on an icy slope with my legs sticking out on either side. There was no way to tuck them in we were both so bundled. We started off down the icy hill and shortly were doing warp speed until WHAM, my left leg slammed head on with a chunk of concrete my dance teacher had used to help retain her front hill. My sister continued on down the hill while I slid a few feet further after being left behind by the sled. No one thought I was truly hurt, so I had to walk back to the house in the slippery plastic bags my mom used to put over our shoes to keep us dry. I think it was the bundled clothes that kept my leg together while I walked up the icy hill to my house. Does anyone else find it ironic I broke my leg on my dance teacher’s wall?

46. I’m addicted to coffee. The warm, earthy taste and smell is something I relate to my grandfather’s farm. It’s as close to sniffing and drinking dirt as I think I’d ever like to get.

47. A further observation on flavors, I don’t really like many really sweet things. No hard candy, no sugary drinks, no soda… and I REALLY don’t like milk chocolate. I thought I didn’t like chocolate at all until I was introduced to the dark side of chocolate. Now, I’d rather munch on a dark chocolate baking bar than a candy bar. And chocolate should always be cold – never warm or hot. Berries and fruits, on the other hand, should always be hot – never cold. Odd, I know!

48. I love to read. I used to go to the library just to poke around in the card catalog. I’d come home with armloads of books. Since it kept me occupied and quiet, my mother didn’t really care or edit what I read. I’m not sure reading Philip Roth books at age eleven was the right thing to do, but I did it anyway. I read everything and anything I found interesting and somehow, have not read many of the classics. I’m attempting to rectify this.

49. I like techno. Specifically psy-trance. Seems to always get me moving.

50. I usually wake up with some lyric or small snippet of music in my head. This morning it was “See chameleon, lying there in the sun, all things to everyone, run, run away” from the song “Run Run Away” by Slade.

51. This list has now taken me 5 days. I either get called away, or my attention wanders and I feel it’s best to come back to it instead of forcing it. I’m not sure how long it will ultimately take me, but I feel the anticipation of the K-meister from miles away.

52. I have 5 blogs I am combining into one main blog. I’ll still cross-post because it’s near to impossible to move your readers, but I like the fact that I’ll have everything in one spot. Eventually, I want to print my blogs so I have a non-electronic version of my writing.

53. I’m a big fan of smiling. I’ve frequently had people say they always wonder what I’m smiling about because I do it so much. I dunno. It just feels good?

54. I think the biggest reason I love my husband as much as I do is because we laugh…often and about some of the silliest things.

55. I like to knit. I don’t seem to sit and do it as often as I like, but I do like to do it. I’m currently working on a sock. My friend Beth will show me how to turn the heel if I can ever get the tube part done.

56. My biggest knitting accomplishment thus far was the Dr. Who scarf I knitted. I had promised it would be completed before we got to London. It’s patterned after the season 13 scarf worn by Tom Baker, the 5th Doctor. It’s 14 feet long. I was putting the tassels on it just before we pulled into London. I SAID I’d finish it!!

57. I named one of my children, Liberty. She proudly announces her name to everyone she meets. She says only family gets to shorten it to Libby. Her Grandfather was killed on the USS Liberty. She does the name proud.

58. Bess is a cat. We own each other. She’s been my bestest-buddy for 16 year now. She doesn’t look her age at all. She’s a fluffy calico. My daughter and I hand-reared 5 abandoned kittens. I had found a home twice for Bess and both times, she was returned. Not because anything was wrong with her, but because circumstances had changed and the people couldn’t keep her. After the second time, I didn’t have the heart to give her away again and I kept her and her sister, Molly. Molly died about 2 years later from feline leukemia. Bess has survived an infected uterus and 5 bouts of breast cancer. That cat and I were meant to be buddies. I love Bess.

59. Don’t be surprised, if you read my blog, if you find some of these items re-used as writing prompts!

60. As a little girl, I was afraid of Godzilla.

61. I like rabbits. Not to eat-no, no, no, no, – just to look at. Under the Chinese zodiac, I’m a rabbit.

62. I like things that sparkle. (Ooooooo, sparkly!!)

63. Sometimes, my attention wanders, but I send out an APB and someone usually sends it back to me.

64. I am the average height of a man.

65. When a boy would come to date my daughters, I insisted they come inside to meet me. After greeting them, I asked to see their driver’s license and wrote down the make, model and tag number of their car. I was always friendly, joking and polite, but I meant it when I said not to bring her back late.

66. I’m not sure why, but the kids say that most of their friends were a little intimidated by me. They thought I was nice, but they were not willing to cross me. (Gee, I can’t imagine why….)

67. I’ve never seen the movie, “A Christmas Story”. I think I’m going to keep it that way.

68. I like watching the birds at my bird feeders. When a squirrel comes by, I alert my 85 lb. Rottie/Lab mix dog, who then gets really riled up and bounces with eagerness to get out of the door. Once adequately primed, I let her bolt out into the yard and chase the squirrels away from the feeder. This would be cruel, except she has an electric collar and never goes past “the line”, and the bird feeder is just past her area. (because she likes to eat the seed) Since the dog won’t fetch a ball, this has morphed into our version of fetch.

69. I’ve been called critical and nit-picky. (Btw, did you know the origin of the phrase ‘nit-picky’ has to do with head lice? I bet you’d love someone with an attention to detail to be the one that checks your head for nits, now wouldn’t you) I do tend to notice small details or differences, but the word critical seems to have a negative connotation. I prefer to say that I’m observant, because that’s how I see it. I’m not trying to tear apart, or destroy, or denigrate something when I notice a detail. I’m reporting an observation, or what *I* see as an improvement. Take it or leave it. If you understand that I’m not being negative, some of my comments don’t sound so harsh. I’m working on re-phrasing for those who are more sensitive in nature.

70. I like to volunteer. I like to be helpful and lend a hand.

71. If I had my druthers, I’d live near water. Doesn’t have to be the beach, just water. I find large bodies of water, or rivers and streams, comforting.

72. When pet rocks were all the rage, I was traveling across country with my family in a motor home. In Colorado, I discovered the BEST round river rocks, which I’d never seen back home. I immediately chose a pet from the river, found a marker and had my own (free) pet rock. I still have him.

73. I am a stationary nut. I love stationary, post its, desk sets, notebooks, list pads, juicy ink pens, journals, note cards and wrapping paper.

74. So far, I’ve been to Puerto Rico, Mexico, England, and cross country in the US twice. I still have the New England portion of the US to explore. I love to travel.

75. I can be lazy, but I don’t relax well.

76. I try not to be, but I can be bossy.

77. I have green eyes.

78. My daughter just scrunched up her face, looked at me, and announced, “You’re weird.” I agree, and I’ll wear that badge proudly.

79. My mom used to call me Rain and Sunshine. I’ll admit I have a vicious temper at times.

80. I prefer silver to gold, unless it’s white gold. I do like diamonds, but I like dark blue sapphires and amethysts and deep green emeralds… in that order. (Make a note of that for when you send me gifts…hmmmkay?)

81. I had a neighbor who made me the trustee of her fairly large estate. I was honored by her trust, but if you ever want to give someone a BIG job, make them your executor and trustee of an estate.

82. My husband gave me a card I keep on my bulletin board. It reads “Wife. There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.”-Homer It’s perfect.

83. I don’t watch much television; instead, my time vampire seems to be the internet.

84. The humor I enjoy is not slapstick, but more intellectual. More of a connection that needs to be made to understand the humor. Puns, when good, are fantastic. Observation of human nature is funny. Watching a guy fall or get hit in the balls or some other physically painful thing just isn’t funny to me.

85. I’m a jeans and T shirt kind of gal. Barefoot if possible, but running shoes if I must be shod.

86. I love socks. When I was a child, we always wore the tube socks with the stripe around the top. It was difficult to keep pairs when you had 3 siblings wearing socks that were similar. Even finding white socks that match could be difficult. I started buying novelty and patterned socks to alleviate this problem. At last count, I had about 100 pairs of cute socks, not counting the white work-out variety. My friend calls the patterned socks, “gotta man” socks.

87. Either I’m relatively simple, overlooking something major about myself, or this list just isn’t the easiest thing to complete while talking about one’s self.

88. When annoyed, or sometimes when I’m anxious, I jiggle my foot similar to the way a rattlesnake shakes its rattler.

89. When I’m sleepy and settling in for bed, I flex just my foot back and forth slowly. The motion is very soothing.

90. I prefer someone to draw on my back over a massage, ANY day. My sisters and I used to make trains, where we sat one behind the other to draw on the back in front of us. Eventually, the leader would have to become the caboose. We made the train formation when we played with each other’s hair as well.

91. My kids figured out that if you played with mommy’s hair or drew on her back, you could eventually ask her just about anything you wanted and get the response you desired. I figured their ploy out when I realized I had authorized things I normally wouldn’t have. Sadly, the eventual denials meant my hair and back weren’t objects of attention any longer.

92. I have thousands of photographs. Most of them are of my children. I used to tell the kids that if there was an emergency, they needed to take the photo albums out of the house, if they could. I like to take pictures, but I don’t know much about what I’m doing beyond, looking, pointing and clicking.

93. I love going on walks and exploring. Everything looks different when you walk. The same street you drive down daily will look different if you walk down it. You’ll always see something different. Walking is also my favorite form of exercise.

94. When on a walk during our trip out west, we got stuck in a thunderstorm around a lake, we walked by a fresh kill by a bear without realizing that fact until late in the walk and walked at a rest stop on a path that was called “Hells half acre”. On one vacation, we logged over 26 miles of walking, just wandering around the town and looking at the buildings.

95. When you take me to a city, my head will always be looking up. I love to look at the decorations and crenelation at the tops of buildings. You just KNOW that there is a meaning behind every carving or symbol on a building, but through time, that knowledge is hidden. It would be great if every building would research the artwork on its edifice and post a plaque so I could look down now and then.

96. Shower therapy is a great way for me to improve my mood or figure out a solution to something that’s been nagging me. I tend to get “shower epiphanies”. Love ‘em!

97. I like that I pay attention to people. I watch them, get a feel for them and notice little things they do. I look into their eyes when they talk. I watch their faces and body language. People are like jigsaw puzzles. If you pay attention to the shapes, colors and sizes, you can find out where that piece fits where.

98. Sometimes people find something within a person that they don’t like. Sometimes they just find a behavior annoying and sometimes they don’t like one thing so much they decide that entire person isn’t worth being around and dismiss that relationship. I think that’s fairly foolish. Even if there is a behavior or habit I don’t like about someone, I weigh that against the “whole” of a person before I decide to let a relationship go. Within the differences of people are the places you find room to evaluate and grow. I’ve had more than a few people wonder why I would remain loyal to people who haven’t been very kind, or done the kindest things to me, and think that I’m foolish. I remember the person as a whole and work not to judge them by what is truly a small part of them. Then I forgive that minority and stay true to my belief that they are good and decent in the majority. Some people find this thought process difficult to understand.

99. I can be quite random. A conversation with me will start in one place, jump to many related points, go through a few hoops and most of the time, end up with that original thought, but not always. My husband says the ability to keep up with where my mind has jumped helps to keep him mentally young and fit.

100. WOW!! I’ve made it to the end… Carnations are my favorite flower. Not the colored kind, but ones that are natural (usually white) and have that deliciously sweet spicy scent. I will walk over to carnations at the grocery store floral department and bury my face in a bouquet of carnations every time I see one. So, I guess the last thing about me is that I’m really glad that I actually do stop and smell the flowers!

--

Thursday, December 16, 2010

One Hundred Things ... Susan

A collection of lists. Take the challenge. 100 things about yourself. Streaming flow of consciousness, as personal or as general as you care to make it...but make it count. You might learn something about yourself and I promise it's better than 20 questions!







I love...

1. Coming home to a house so clean it gleams...(that just happened...)

2. Baking a cake for someone's birthday and seeing the surprise in their eyes...

3. Starting a new journal...

4. The feel of a good pen in my hands...

5. Wearing dresses and skirts...

6. Sitting on a rock in the sun with my toes splashing in a creek...

7. Going to the symphony...

8. Polishing my furniture ~ (I use Jenkins Wax imported from the UK...)

9. Ironing ~ (yes, I really do love to iron!)

10. Taking good photographs ~ (I'm learning that this really requires a great camera....mine isn't so wonderful at the moment....)

11. Acupuncture...

12. Almond hand cream...

13. Mango Body Butter (from the Body Shop)...

14. Getting dressed in the morning...

15. Being outside while it's still dark, before the sun rises and the rest of the world wakes up...

16. Jotting down ideas...

17. Speaking Chinese...

18. Feeling understood...

19. A strong, hot shower...

20. A long bath in ginger-scented bubbles...

21. Sleeping later than usual on a rainy Saturday morning...

22. An icy Diet Coke on a sweltering afternoon...

23. Memories of summer days in California...

24. Landing in a new country...

25. Holding babies...

26. Two year olds...

27. Candlelight...

28. Jasmine ~ (in any form...fresh blossoms, perfume, lotions, aromatherapy, or tea for drinking...)

29. Fresh flowers smack-dab in the middle of my dining room table...

30. Salmon sashimi...

31. Evian water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice~ (and, yes, I think it tastes better...)

32. Hiking...

33. Waterskiing...

34. Sitting in a hot tub after a long day of downhill skiing or hiking...

35. Wrapping a present...(I use a glue gun and add wooden ornaments or glass balls or other goodies)

36. Making a scrapbook...

37. Settling down with a cup of tea, an excellent book and a few hours of free time...

38. Waking up from a peaceful, sweet dream...

39. Sensing the touch of God...

40. Buying new make-up...

41. A two-hour Thai massage...

42. Sitting on a cold beach with a blanket, my journal, my Bible and an open heart...

43. Dinner out in a fine restaurant with good friends...

44. Blowing out candles after guests have left for the evening...

45. Sipping espresso while reading the paper...

46. Laughing so hard I can't stand it...

47. Designing costumes...

48. Loaning a beloved book to a dear friend ~ (and getting it back is like icing on the cake...)

49. Doing crossword puzzles...

50. The quick exchange of banter with imaginative, witty friends...

51. Reorganizing drawers and cupboards...

52. Taking a nap on Sunday afternoon...

53. A cup of steaming rose or cardamon & ginger tea before bed...

54. Triple-milled almond soap from Caswell-Massey...

55. The feel of pearls against my skin...

56. 550 thread count cotton sheets...

57. Washing dishes in hot, soapy water...

58. Swimming...

59. GOURMET magazine...

60. Conducting a choir or band ~ (it took me a long, long time to get comfortable with this, too...)

61. La Mer Moisturizer ~ (I was so glad to find it in Hong Kong...)

62. Having my teeth cleaned ~ (so lucky, still haven't had a cavity...I take after my Dad in this area...)

63. Flavored olive oils...

64. Pedicures...

65. Wolford stockings ~ (the absolute best in hosiery ~ also found in Hong Kong...)

Any book by... 66. Phillip Yancey

67. Barbara Kingsolver

68. Gabriel Garcia Marquez

69. Rohinton Mistry

70. Ken Follett

71. John Eldredge

72. Sue Monk Kidd

73. Paul Theroux

74. Robert Hicks

75. Max Lucado

76. Playing music that is challenging on a really excellent piano...

77. Jazz...

78. Cooking dinner for/with someone I love while listening to Handel...

79. The smell of garlic & freshly sliced ginger sauteeing in olive oil...

80. Open-toed shoes...

81. Sand...

82. Rocks...

83. The smell of Eucalyptus trees...

84. Christmas...

85. Working out ~ (lifting weights, walking, aerobics, yoga or T'ai Chi...)

86. Being lulled to sleep by the ocean waves...

87. Riding the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbor...

88. Shopping in museum stores...

89. Blue skies and fresh air...

90. Having my hair treated ~ (highlighted, conditioned, trimmed...)

91. Teaching...

92. Being early for meetings...(I'm definitely a front-row seater)

93. Playing a pipe organ...

94. Waking up to thoughts of God...

95. Earrings...

96. Sundays ~ (my favorite day...)

97. Dancing alone in my living room to music ~ (praise music, salsa, Motown, practically anything)

98. Bananas ~ (alone or in anything ~ banana nut bread, banana pudding, banana cheesecake, banana ice cream, banana pie, banana cake, and with coconut & rice in a Thai chicken dish...)

99. Quiet Saturday nights at home...

100. Thick towels...

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

One Hundred Things .... Paddy

A collection of lists. Take the challenge. 100 things about yourself. Streaming flow of consciousness, as personal or as general as you care to make it...but make it count. You might learn something about yourself and I promise it's better than 20 questions!





1 I’m going to die young.
2 I like clementines, especially at Christmas time.
3 My one true success in life has been being a mother.
4 I’m not a perfect mother, they don’t exist.
5 I used to write poetry.
6 I paint now, sporadically.
7 I left my husband in August 2005
8 Blank pages frighten me.
9 Blank canvasses I find daunting.
10 I believe in Astrology when it suits me,
11 I’m a Leo with rising sign in Sagittarius, double fire, so they say.
12 I love El Greco.
13 I can block out sound.
14 I’m an intuitive cook.
15 I lived in Italy for 25 years.
16 Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham is my favourite book.
17 I could live without music.
18 I like dancing to tunes in my head.
19 I’ve lost all my self-confidence.
20 I have a boyfriend called Michael.
21 I love the sea.
22 I live 5 minutes walk from the Atlantic Ocean.
23 I’m finding it ever more difficult to like alcoholic beverages.
24 My favourite dish is pizzocheri because it has potatoes and cabbage yet is Italian.
25 I am a charity shop addict.
26 I used to teach English to Italians from 3 years of age to 73.
27 I snore.
28 I like wearing black, white or beige, occasionally red and very recently pink.
29 I used to know lots of people and have lots of friends.
30 I used to co-own my own language consultancy business.
31 I speak Italian fluently and rusty French.
32 I used to be a theoretical gardener.
33 I have a son who is 21 and a daughter who is 19.
34 My parents almost called me Helen but then decided that as my surname begins with H it would have been too much of a mouthful.
35 I have four pairs of black boots yet still I crave (and look for) the perfect pair.
36 I like sleeping on my right side.
37 I love shiny things, baubles, jewellery … Michael calls it my magpie instinct.
38 Some people call me Patricia and others call me Paddy.
39 I am still legally married to my husband.
40 I take 9 tablets on a good day, 13 on a bad.
41 I love the wind in my face.
42 I’ve hardly any friends at all any more. It is of my making.
43 I drink Guinness very, very rarely and only from the Harbour Bar in Portrush.
44 I am bi-polar.
45 I have a permanent love affair with my washing machine and tumble dryer.
46 I don’t really like those smelly candle things.
47 I am very proud of my children.
48 I was 50 this year, no big deal.
49 I have three sisters and a brother and another brother died from cystic fibrosis about 45 years ago.
50 I am the eldest.
51 I have my mother’s name as my middle name, Ann.
52 Even though I could live without music I do love singing, especially hymns and big church choral pieces.
53 I used to read four books at a time.
54 I’m overweight and have been since I was a child.
55 I love swimming but I only know the backstroke.
56 I go to a day centre for adults with physical and mental disabilities.
57 I no longer bite my nails, after 45 years!
58 I used to be a very sexual person.
59 My favourite piece of jewellery is a ring my kids bought me for my 50th. I wear it all the time.
60 I love crisp white sheets.
61 Yellow roses are my favourite flower.
62 I miss my husband.
63 The sunsets where I live are so splendid a song was written about them.
64 I hate milk except for a drop in my tea and coffee oh and in my porridge.
65 I love being in my small garden planting and pruning watering and weeding.
66 I look younger than I am, everyone says so.
67 I have an ear-ring fetish.
68 I’m useless with ALL technology.
69 I met Michael on the internet.
70 I love driving to this lovely town called Ballycastle about 14 miles along the coast from here. For some reason my family thinks this is hilarious.
71 I smoke. I want to stop.
72 I’ll always prefer the quiet man in the corner to the loud one at the bar.
73 If I were to fantasise about someone of the opposite sex it would be Daniel Day Lewis.
74 I wear the same perfume as my mother, Aromatics Elixir by Clinique.
75 I had a total nervous breakdown 8 years ago.
76 I’ve been dyeing my hair since I was 18.
77 I adore lingerie. I don’t wear it any more.
78 That music thing I said, I forgot, I love opera.
79 I went off coffee for a while but came to my senses … I make a mean espresso.
80 I love following British and Italian politics.
81 I can only read two pages of a book at a time now.
82 I like having painted toe nails.
83 I tried to commit suicide twice in 2002.
84 I love my children dearly.
85 I used to like driving fast but no longer feel the need to.
86 I hate flying … if only they’d let me pilot the plane … I’d feel much better!!
87 I hope my Italian husband come to live here when he retires in 10 years time.
88 I really look like my father.
89 My daughter looks a bit like me and my son looks a bit like me but in different ways, so I have been told.
90 I feel a bit disillusioned by the internet.
91 I haven’t worked for more than 5 years.
92 I’m not good at keeping in touch.
93 I like my own company.
94 My biggest fear is something horrible happening to my children.
95 I’m left-handed.
96 I love scarves, wool, silk, cotton ….
97 My memory has utterly gone to the dogs.
98 I lost my mother in August this year.
99 I miss her very much.
100 I’m done.

Monday, December 13, 2010

One Hundred Things .... Savanna [part two]

A collection of lists. Take the challenge. 100 things about yourself. Streaming flow of consciousness, as personal or as general as you care to make it...but make it count. You might learn something about yourself and I promise it's better than 20 questions!





1. I hate being cold; but I love the snow. I love the way it smells, the smell reminds me of the innocence of a child, snow makes everything look so magical, and pure.
2. My favorite time of year is the fall. To me fall is Bon fires, crisp fresh air and an amazing use of color
3. Words are an amazing thing, when they are used correctly. A friend of mine told me this quote once, " From the moment a child begins to speak, he is taught to respect the word; he is taught how to use and how not to use it. The word is all powerful, because it can build a man up, but it can also tear him down. That's how powerful it is. So a child is taught to use words tenderly and never against anyone; a child is told never take anyones name or reputation in vain."
4. I love the quote above and try to live by it every day.
5. I don't follow a specific type of style, I don't categorize into cliques because I don't believe in it, I don't believe there is a correct style or way to use mannerisms that will make you "cool"
6. For many years I lived my life and made my decisions to please others. I was miserable; and won't go back to that again
7. I over think many things, many situations and over all just plainly many things all together, that is my down fall.
8. I obsess over why people say the things they say or act the way they act in order to see the true person behind the mask that many people wear
9. Im not your usual cup of tea
10. A few years ago I was the worst role model anyone could ask for, I manipulated and used people for my advantage, I used foul language and did terrible things that I am not proud of.
11. People always told me that my sisters looked up to me. I never believed them, until I sobered up and realized my 12 year old sister was following my foot steps on the road of life and that is the one thing I regret most in life.
12. I have changed a lot in the past year and I am proud of the person I am today
13. In order to help others; sometimes first you must be selfish and help yourself
14. I'm supposed to be graduating thus year, instead I am three years behind in school. Watching my friends have fun during there senior year of high school is really hard, simply because I know I should be doing the same; but instead I'm working hard to try and catch up credits and I have no social life
15. I resent the person I once was
16. I'm terrible to sleep with, I have heard it many times that I scream, hit, kick, bite, move to much, talk in my sleep and say some pretty messed up things when I sleep, I have no idea why
17. < the age I am
18. I'm always here to help people, I give people advice and I don't sugar coat things. I'll give you advice once, if you don't use that advice to your advantage the first time and then come back and ask for advice a second time I will give you the same advice if you don't use the advice the second time around and come back for s third time I'll most likely tell you to get lost.
19. I don't judge people based on looks or others opinion, I get to know them myself
20. I live the life I love, and love the life I live
21. I don't deal well with nonsense
22. Before you leave someone in any given situation always tell them that you love them because you never know when you'll get the chance to see them again. You never know what fate has in store for them, you never know if " I love you " will be the last words you get to say to them
23. I believe that the happiest girls are the prettiest
24. I have 5 main food groups. Italian, Mexican, coffee, food you find at the gas station, and Chinese.
25. I love music and reading
26. I'm not a "bitch" I'm simply honest
27. I learned more about life in treatment then any other place
28. Blaze orange is my favorite color
29. I can't stand Hypocrites
30. I'm pretty funny and almost always have a come back
31. I have had many people walk in and out of my life. So before trying to get into a relationship with me I often let people my life doesn't have a revolving door, either your in or your out.
32. Every morning I change like 12 times because I get really anxious when I don't think I look good.
33. I'm a perfectionist
34. I may seem to people like a very strong person but in reality when it comes down to it I like to look my best and if I get the feeling I look less then perfect I will freak
35. "Confidence is a stain you can't wipe off" I wish I got that stain
36. I hate yelling and violence in all forms
37. When first meeting people the first I look at is how self centered they are. I don't like self centered people
38. I often look back on my childhood and wish I was that innocent again
39. I had an affair with a married man who had two kids, that is another thing I regret
40. I started smoking cigarettes when I was 12
41. At the age of 12 I also started drinking and smoking marijuana, it all escalated from there. I'm not going back to that lifestyle thank you very much
42. The lessons I have learned from my past have made me the person I am today
43. I think it's a matter of love: the more you love a memory, the stronger and stranger it gets. - Vladimir Nabokov
44. I do random silly things often
45. Writing helps me express myself in a healthy way
46. I hate doing group projects in school, I'd rather write a paper then do a performance in class and I never dressed for gym a day in my life
47. Jack Frost is the only person allowed to nibble at my nose
48. I hate being alone, I love having companionship with someone,
49. One of the worst feelings I know is when I'm in a room full of people and feel completely alone
50. 100 things sometimes just isn't enough :)
51. My ambition in life is to be a better parent then my mother. But then again isn't that every kids goal??
52. You choose whether or not to use your past and learn a lesson from it, or use it as an excuse. I have chosen to learn from mine, how about you??
53. Sorry is a five letter word that doesn't mean anything to me, it's over used there for it has no meaning to me. Actions speak louder then words.
54. My favorite holiday is Halloween (:
55. Itasca count will always be my home
56. I have moved many times, for stupid reasons. When I have kids I won't up root them every 1-3 years. My kids will have one true home.
57. People say that you will marry a guy that's like tour dad in many ways, I believe that to be true
58. I don't like baring bad news, I'll avoid it at all cost
59. One of the hardest things I have done is bring my best friends cat (who was very old and sick) to her cousins house so that he could put it down. Her grandma asked us to do it weeks prior explaining that she didn't want to know how or when, she just wanted us to do it. One day we got the cat and brought it to my friends cousins house. The cats name was blue eyes, when we got back to her house we got our bottles of wine, whiskey and a case of beer. We drove out to our favorite place in deer river, it was a local duck hunting spot. We sat and drank. We watched the sunset and we watched the sunrise. We talked about everything. Life, love, and the problems we have had to deal with. It was a night a day I will never forget and look back on often.
60. Summer 2010 was the best summer in my life, so far
61. When I'm bored in class or the teacher is really annoying that day I pretend to smash there head with my fingers, it's pretty entertaining!
62. I have horrid eating habits
63. I have a fear of deep water, I don't know how to swim, I won't go swimming off a pontoon or anything like that. One day I hope to get over that fear
64. I hope that within then next 6 years I have a child, job, car, and my own house. I plan to do whatever I can to reach that goal
65. Arizona tea is the best (:
66. I have a low tolerance of dis respectful people
67. I miss the good 'ol days when getting high met how high you could get on a swing
68. I like my privacy and I really don't like nosy people
69. If I feel a certain aspect of my life is your business I'll let you know, before that time comes, mind your own
70. I eat all the time (:
71. I hate when people purposely annoy me
72. Blah lah te dah is something I say at least 15 times a day
73. I am going to quit smoking as my new years resolution
74. I'm making my sisters Christmas presents this year
75. I hate being put in awkward situations
76. I still watch disney movies from time to time
77. I love when I listen to music and the lyrics of the song explain exactly how I feel
78. I love horoscopes :)
79. After 10:00 pm is when my house hold is the most entertaining
80. I do random things with my sisters all the time, sister days are the best, and movie nights happen on a weekly basis
81. I love cuddling with my Lilly Bean
82. I miss hanging out with my grandma CC
83. I hate when people come to my house and think they can come in and try to parent my sisters and over rule what I have told them what to do, it pisses me off
84. I will do anything to keep my sisters safe
85. while doing this I am laying on the couch and Austin and Lilly are trying to get my attention
86. Austin needs to see #'s 68 and 69 again because he keeps reading over my shoulder
87. I have a orange cat named Rupert; I must say he is adorable
88. Everyone deserves a second chance
89. I read constantly and enjoy every minute of it
90. I don't deal with ignorance at all
91. I find it funny when people try to be the center of attention and everyone in the room is ignoring them
92. People tell me all the time that Lilly and Amanda look just like me
93. If I could meet anyone it would be Audrey Hepburn
94. Life is full of decisions to be made, make the decision that will make you happy in the end
95. Don't worry about what could of been, because chances are that what could of been may never what you wanted in your future to begin with
96. Being high on life beats being high on drugs any day
97. I am over 80% Italian, google Pauly Castellano, he was my great uncle
98. Art and music are my muse
99. I couldn't live without family friends coffee and writing
100. Reading the book is a 100 times better then seeing the movie

Sent from my iPhone

Sunday, December 12, 2010

One Hundred Things .... Savanna

A collection of lists. Take the challenge. 100 things about yourself. Streaming flow of consciousness, as personal or as general as you care to make it...but make it count. You might learn something about yourself and I promise it's better than 20 questions!






1.      I am 17 years old; and though some may not think 
that is a very mature age they certainly don't know me. 

2. I have been in one serious relationship in my life 
and though it ended badly we are still amazing friends and I still love him 

3. I believe that there is always something good to find in any situation, 
whether it's a new friend or a lesson learned, 
the hard things you go through are just obstacles 
on the way to making you a stronger person. 

4. I have three younger sisters that I have helped my mom raise and I love them dearly 

5. Referring to #2 I'm still hung up on whether or not 
I want to be in a relationship with him 
which makes it hard for me to be fully committed in a new relationship 

6. I have a lot of trust issues

7. I don't really like most people my age because they have no respect for others

8. I have changed a lot in the past year; 
some people may call it "fake" it's just me being the best I can be 

9. I love quotes 

10. Writing is my passion 

11. "Bad" is not an absolute but a relative term

12. I do what ever I can to help when I can 

13. There are a lot of things in my life that could of went better but didn't;
 And the lessons I've learned because of those things 
has made me the person I am today

14. I wouldn't change any aspect of my life 
that I couldn't change myself ( if that makes sense) 

15. I find it really funny when kids act more mature then adults 

16. I'm not your usual cup of tea 

17. I smoke cigarettes

18. Caffeine is my addiction 

19. I hate when I hear people judging people by what they look like 

20. I love to read 

21. I go hunting, camping, fishing and ATVing 

22. I'd rather stay at home and watch a movie then going to a movie theater 

23. I have really bad anxiety about being around people 
I don't know and doing things out of the blue that weren't planned 

24. I have OCD about certain things, like how my room is kept 

25. I love hanging out with my friends (: 

26. I read a lot 

27. Gilmore Girls is my all time favorite show 

28. I listen to all kinds of music

29. I'm not quite sure if I'm doing this 100 question thing right lol

30. Im pretty silly at times 

31. I know the difference between when it's appropriate to be silly 
and have fun and when it's time to be serious 

32. I get really attached to people and when they leave I get really depressed 

33. I hear a lot that I'm funny and that I'm easy to talk to 

34. Even though me and my mom fight we always work it out 

35. I have days that I get really mad and don't like 
people talking and commenting on things I say and it pisses me off 

36. Even though there are many people 
that aren't a part of my life anymore 
that doesn't mean I don't love them and care about them 

37. I may hate the decisions you make but that doesn't mean I hate you 

38. I hate drama 

39. I'm one of a kind

40. I have very few friends because of the way I live my life 

41. I can't stand lying 

42. I hate two faced people 

43. There are many things I do not tolerate 

44. I miss my dad 

45. ^ I don't have a relationship with my dad

46. My life is full of drama and I do the best I can 

47. I need to learn a lot of things about life but I'm trying (: 

48. Happy girls are the prettiest girls 

49.when people we love make choices, 
we don't always understand them. 
But you can go on loving them just the same. 
It isn't a matter of comprehension. It's forgiveness.

50. Some lessons can't be taught, they simply have to be learned. 

51. Usually I'm more organized 
when I do things like this so forgive me for my randomness

52. I hate knowing when people are mad at me. 

53.grammar is not my strong suite

54 I like to crochet and knit (: 

55. The big bang theory and Dexter are amazing shows 

56. I re arrange the cupboards in my kitchen on a weekly basis 

57. I have been held back four times but I'm finally getting it on track

58. ^ I'm getting really good grades now 

59. I used to do PCA work in deer river and loved it 

69. I love little kids 

70. I can't wait till I'm old enough to have a baby 

71. Sometimes I look back on my past 
and obsess over what I could of done differently

72. I am an addict and used to go to AA meetings on a weekly basis 

73. I have been to drug treatment 2 times 

74. I have low self esteem 

75. I believe that holding on to people 
that aren't adding value in your life isn't  loyalty it's stupidity 

76. I never give up on people 
I just chose not to have them as a part of my life, but they know 
that I'm always here when they need me 

77. I am easily persuaded by people 

78. I'm to forgiving 

79. People have walked all over me 
and have betrayed my trust many times which is why I have trust issues 

80. I'm not religious I am spiritual and nobody can change that 

81. I believe that in a past life I was a gypsy and a hippie :) 

82. I hate staying in the same place for to long

83. I'm known for running away from my problems 
but have learned to face them instead 

84. I'm not sure if any of you reading this will find these things interesting 

85. My biggest fear in life is being kidnapped 

86. My little sister Lilly and Amanda are my best friends 
even though Lilly is 6 and Amanda is 12 

87. Austin James Towle will always be a part of my life and people need to realize that 

88. I hate being alone 

89. I miss the innocence of being a child 

90. I believe that words are meant to be used with respect 
and there are a lot of people use them in the wrong way 

91. I hate exercise 

92. I think that people should always re check there morals 
and priorities when there not happy with how there life is. 

93. "there are two kinds of love. The safe kind, 
you look for someone who's exactly like you. 
It's what most people settle for. 
But then there's the other kind of love. 
Everyone us born with a ragged edge, 
and some people crave the piece that's a perfect fit. 
You'll search for it forever, if you have to. 
And if your lucky enough to find it, it looks so right, 
you start to tear at your own seams, 
thinking, maybe I could be that perfect.
 But then of course, when you try to get close to their half, 
you don't fit anymore. That kind of love, 
you come out a different person then you were when you started.

94. I hate starting things and not finishing them 

95. I hate when my work looks sloppy so when that happens 
I usually re do it and turn it in later 

96. I love clothes, food, and photography 

97. I have though of starting a blog (: 

98. I'm addicted to face book 

99. If I could be granted one wish 
it would be that my sisters grow up 
to be the amazing people that I know they can be 

100. Don't take life to seriously, nobody gets out alive anyway (:   

 


Saturday, December 11, 2010

One Hundred Things .... Jan

A collection of lists. Take the challenge. 100 things about yourself. Streaming flow of consciousness, as personal or as general as you care to make it...but make it count. You might learn something about yourself and I promise it's better than 20 questions!




1. I sucked my thumb and twirled my hair until I was out of 5th grade.
2. I didn’t care where I was or who saw. I did beat a few kids for teasing me in front of everyone. It had to be a bummer to get your butt kicked by the thumb sucking girl you were just calling a baby.
3. Everyone said I would have buck teeth. I pushed against my top teeth with my pointer finger while I sucked my thumb to stop them from pushing out… and it worked…even then I was a problem solver.
4. I still twirl my hair for comfort when I’m tired, stressed, bored or upset.
5. I wanted my ears pierced so I agreed to quit for 6 months…really was going to start again as soon as I got my ears pierced but by then the magic had left my thumb. : (
6. I have had 20/20 vision all my life. You will notice the font size is larger …my eyesight is digressing quickly.
7. I have always been surrounded by the loving support of my family. It took me awhile to grow up and realize that that ^ was a blessing incomparable.
8. I use to be jealous of my friends that had parents that let them go anywhere or do anything whenever they wanted to. I was sure they were the coolest parents. Now I know the truth.
9. I grew up in a household that we all worked very hard. There was no disrespecting our parents or not doing our chores. We earned the privileges and things we got. It was called contributing to your household and it was expected. I feel kids now would benefit from the same lessons.
10. I was spanked as a child. I can say I knew the rules and the consequences and if I chose to break them it was on me. My parents were strict but fair and I always knew I could count on them and that they loved me with all that they are.
11. I am not a liar. At least not about anything important. I am sure there are questions my dad has asked over the years that he wished he hadn’t.
12. I convinced my son at a young age that if you lie your face turns ugly…this kind of ugly only a mom can see. To this day when he tries to lie to me he looks away. : ) it is the truth, it is ugly to lie and I really could see it.
13. I once got grounded from opening the fridge for a whole week. I had to ask for someone to open it and get me something out of it. (it was summer and I was constantly standing with the door open on the fridge)
14. I always got good grades with the exception of getting a D--- in science. I was grounded for a quarter and brought it up to an A.
15. I am the oldest of 3.
16. My brother is 2 years younger than me and was my partner in “crime”.
17. We had a rule that you couldn’t tell on each other unless it was the day you committed the offence. We never broke that rule.
18. Very good rule because if we ever started we would have been grounded forever.
19. I would never let anyone beat up my brother or sister. I could beat on him but no one else.
20. My sister is 9 years younger. Thus I didn’t beat on her. I tormented her mind instead.
21. On vaccination day in kindergarten I told her they would cut her finger off and drain out her blood and then pump it back in her toe. She wouldn’t get on the bus. Lol
22. When she was getting old enough to get a pap smear and she told me she wasn’t going to get one. I told her that when she went in for a checkup the doctor would get help and duct tape her feet in the stirrups…. Before everyone gets all up in arms…think about it she was like 16 by then that is gullible. Plus she was great for constantly tattling or doing these painful things to me. Being 9 years older I couldn’t hit her back or hurt her so I F-ed with her head some. I would always tell her I was joking but she would milk it with mom and dad. lol
23. My sister is now one of my best friends.
24. My mom is also.
25. I could fly when I was younger.
26. I could fly in my dreams. All I had to do was concentrate hard enough.
27. I had reoccurring night terrors for many years.
28. I could fly away from the stuff that was coming to hurt us. The only problem was that no one else would concentrate or believe they could fly so I would have to go back and save them or die trying to.
29. I think I could still fly. But won’t leave the ones I love to do it.
30. My night terrors ended after I accepted Jesus as my savior. I trusted him to watch over me and keep me and my loved ones safe.
31. I now am an aware dreamer. I don’t have nightmares often but when I do I am aware I am dreaming. They are still scary but they don’t have the power they use to.
32. I am very competitive.
33. I love sports.
34. I was a gymnast for 6 years. Not great but solid.
35. I love working out. Prefer strength training.
36. I love music. Mostly rock, blues, some jazz, techno dance, very little rap and kick ass country but not sad country.
37. I power up by listening to it. Recharges my batteries. I always listen to it when I mow, shovel, or walk.
38. I am a fantasizer.
39. I fantasize when I work out, or mow, or shovel. It helps keep my mind off of being tired or bored with what I am doing. I can have great sex, save the day, or achieve something no one thought I could do. So if you see me push mowing and I’m grinning you know why. Lol
40. I have always been the defender of those that can’t or won’t defend themselves.
41. I am willing to take a beating to stand up for what I believe in. I will dish it out as well.
42. I have no qualms about killing to defend my family or others in need of it.
43. If you can’t respect yourself don’t expect me to.
44. I hate excuses. If you f-ed up then man up, make it right the best you can, and move on.
45. I like working at my own pace which is usually much faster than most. I prefer people just stay out of my way and let me get my chit done.
46. I choose to be happy…most of the time.
47. I am mechanically minded. I like to fix things and solve puzzles.
48. I enjoy running a chainsaw. Very therapeutic.
49. I totally have a tool fetish. Home depot or L & M are my favorite stores.
50. I really enjoy the outdoors, I like to fish, camp, hunt, not big on hiking unless I have my mp3 player.
51. I can clean most all fish and take the Y bones out of a northern pike.
52. I can back up any trailer, land and load a boat, and run the boat.
53. I prefer to let someone else run the boat cause I like to read when I fish.
54. I can shoot, gut, clean and process almost any wild game.
55. I am a total carnivore, I love red meat.
56. Seafood is my favorite. Shrimp without breading, crab legs, mussels, lobster, prawns and scallops.
57. I am a terrible speller; I constantly am looking up words in the dictionary
58. I love to play scrabble …kinda funny cause I’m a crappy speller.
59. I like eating in general. Thus I am always working on finding a balance for health and weight control.
60. I don’t do drugs…kinda fits with the control thing besides my dad scared me with warnings of flashbacks that could happen at church.
61. I don’t like the taste of alcohol in things. I would prefer to drink it straight and for years I would gag at the idea of drinking beer.
62. I have since developed a taste for dark beers. They still have to be really cold.
63. I am jealous of people who can drink wine and really enjoy it. I think they are all faking it just to make me feel socially inferior.
64. I do love bulldogs drank with a fat straw. They make me really happy.
65. I have very few inhibitions, I am comfortable in my own skin, and I don’t mind getting under someone else’s if I think they deserve it.
66. I don’t mind confrontation…actually I get off on it when I know what I am arguing over…which is most of the time. I don’t usually get in that situation if I don’t know.
67. I like power and being in control, just knowing I have it is enough, I don’t have to flaunt it or abuse it to feel important.
68. I believe our minds are an untapped resource. There is so much power there that we don’t utilize because we don’t believe or know what we are capable of.
69. I have a different mindset about pain… it’s probably the control thing but I can usually handle a lot. I like getting through it, knowing I could deal with it and keep control of myself. I have had bones set and dislocations put back without anything for the pain.
70. The reason for 64 is I hate needles and I don’t like the idea of my mind being open for the world with no control of what comes out of my mouth.
71. I am the one in the family that looks at cuts and injuries. I will clean and determine if they should go in to the ER or fix it if I can. I should have become a surgical nurse it fascinates me except for the needles thing. I could cut someone but not poke them. Lol
72. I have a knack for being able to see what would hurt someone the most. I don’t use it anymore… even if they are assholes. Just knowing is enough. There is the power part in play. Actually it’s ugly to know those things and realize how your own mind works.
73. I had severe migraines for years even as a child. Doctors then didn’t believe kids got migraines. As I got older they told me they were stress headaches and I just needed to reduce the stress in my life.
74. My grandma (dad’s side) use to tell me I must have been naughty to make God punish me that way. I believed it for a bit. That is that Catholic guilt thing for ya. Btw she really was a great grandma just a little off in some of her thinking.
75. My migraines finally ended when I got pregnant. They are triggered by flux in estrogen or progesterone. I still struggled for abit between kids and after having them. Now I just get ocular migraines. No pain just very messed up vision and some nausea from the vision stuff.
76. I have a horrible laugh reflex. The more serious something is the more out of control I can get.
77. I love men. I loved them my whole life. I can find attractive things about all of them…that is until some of them open their mouths then that can end it.
78. I have only had sex with the two men I have been married to.
79. I really like sex.
80. I like to talk about it.
81. I like to think about it.
82. It is a good thing I didn’t find out how much I liked sex until I was older because I think that number 73 would be a heck of a lot larger.
83. I met my husband online in a chat room for trucker’s wives. (My sister was a founder of the site). I was not looking for a relationship at the time but remember hearing his voice and knowing he was important to me. Scary thought when you don’t believe in that stuff. If a friend had told me this had happened to her, I would have told her to get her head examined.
84. I use to be very judgmental. I still have those tendencies but through my own experiences (refer to #84) and some of the ones I love experiences; I have learned that there is often more to the story than meets the eye. I think most people do the best they can.
85. I know there are grey areas and I’m ok with that. I can see and feel for both sides of a story. Then you have to use your faith to know where you need to stand.
86. I am an organizer. I receive more enjoyment sometimes from organizing my stuff then actually using it. Ex. Scrapbooking stuff, office supplies, spices.
87. I love to play cards of any type. Really love poker.
88. I use to shoot pool and loved to shoot league and tourneys.
89. I enjoy shooting pistols and rifles, shot guns are ok but I like rifles the most.
90. The main reason I learned to do all those “male” things is it was a way to be around them and get respect from them. Then there is the competitive thing too.
91. There is almost no joy quite like the feeling of beating a man at “his” game.
92. There is so much freedom in loving a man because you choose to, not because you need to.
93. Being stubborn has carried me over a lot of obstacles; it has also caused a lot of pain.
94. I hate being told what to do. I hate it so much that I can’t even tell myself what to do most of the time.
95. If you tell me what I need to do or order me around, I will let my true ugly self loose and probably end up hurting more than myself with my spitefulness.
96. That is not to say I am not open to suggestions, if put as such.
97. I think out loud. So in the process of a conversation I can totally change my view on something because I am thinking it out on someone. Actually hearing something out loud can really put it into context for me.
98. I am most relaxed when I am doing something. I really can’t sit and do nothing; I even have a hard time sitting and reading. I usually get up and roam then come back and read some more.
99. I miss having horses and wish I could have had them for my girls.
100. I am now worried that I have said too many “I” things.

One Hundred Things .... Linda

A collection of lists. Take the challenge. 100 things about yourself. Streaming flow of consciousness, as personal or as general as you care to make it...but make it count. You might learn something about yourself and I promise it's better than 20 questions!






1. I am an Aquarius and amethyst is my birthstone.

2. I knit, crochet, sew.

3. I have two published poems (online at poetry.com, so does that count since it's a self-publish site?)

4. I was unfaithful in my first marriage.

5. I have been faithful in my second marriage.

6. Yes, maturity and the men made a difference.

7. I was molested as a child.

8. As a result of #7, many of the problems in my 1st marriage had a direct correlation.

9. As a result of #8, counseling helped me see that and I changed lots of things that needed fixing inside me.

10. I am currently enjoying two renewed friendships with girls I went to school with as kids.

11. My oldest adult best friendship is 20 years in the making. Thanks for your patience, Patti.

12. I count few people as friends. Trust issues. Yeah, #7 again.

13. My husband is 9 years older than me. And, he's only 29! Last year we celebrated his 25th anniversary of that birthday.

14. I sometimes feel like I've wasted my intelligence. I never finished college. Dropped out after two years to get married.

15. My first marriage was to my high school sweetheart. Started dating at 16 and married at 21. Divorced at 36. It was my escape from home and he stuck around when no other boys would. Yeah, you can thank the brother that molested me for being the thug that threatened everyone else away. I figured no one else would ever love me or ask me to marry them. Funny how twisted your thinking becomes when you're running from that kind of shit.

16. I don't regret my 1st marriage. I got my two kids from it. One girl. One boy.

17. I became a grandmother early. Two months before my daughter's 16th birthday, she gave me a granddaughter that I cherish.

18. My ambition as a child - to be a good wife and mother. I accomplished both (even if the wife part came second time around).

19. No one can blame me more than I blame myself for anything.

20. I graduated 9th out of 320-some in my high school class. It means nothing.

21. I've been a bookkeeper/office administrator on and off for the past 25 years with a stint in retail prior to that. When I wasn't, I was home raising kids.

22. I can add upside-down faster than an ex-boss could on his calculator. It freaked him out and he would challenge me to see if I could get the right answer. The business was selling multi-million dollar power and process equipment, so the numbers were usually quite big. He rarely won.

23. I was once accused of making up a word. Mellifluous. I have a large vocabulary. Excuse me, Tom, if you do not.

24. I don't do recreational/illegal drugs. Ever. Never have.

25. I grew up in a household with addicts and dealers.

26. I have panic attacks occassionally. And why yes, that movie on the TV with the booming explosions can set off an attack, TYVM.

27. I weigh twice what I weighed in high school.

28. I do not have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.

29. I am a realist with a tendency toward pessimism.

30. I can and will argue both sides in the same argument.

31. I once told my current husband he shouldn't get used to dating me (about a month into dating him) because he reminded me too much of my father and I didn't want to date my father. We've been together for 10 yrs and married 5 of those. He's says he's still not used to it.

32. I eat lots of chicken and pasta. Little red meat or fish. Fresh vegetables in a salad are great. Cooked veggies are not my friend and I won't eat them.

33. Spicy is best.

34. I like to cook, but hate coming up with a menu night after night.

35. I rarely drink. When I do, it cannot taste like alcohol.

36. Chocolate....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

37. I love to sing. I'm not bad. The one-time Dean of Music at a local university told me I have a lovely voice. But I don't Karaoke. Scares the crap out of me. See #26.

38. I have two dogs. Cats are ok, but no snakes or spiders. Uck!

39. My secret desire is to live in Ireland.

40. I have been to Ireland twice.

41. I have been to Vegas - once was enough.

42. Cake is only the vehicle by which to get the frosting into my body.

43. Cheesecake on my birthday is preferred.

44. My daughter has her Bachelors Degree in Interior Design. Yes, this is the same daughter who gave birth at 15 and has a 7 year old daughter. Beaming pride here.

45. Same daughter was nearly killed by a drunk driver in February 2009, who slammed into the car she was in with her boyfriend. They were driving home from his parents home. The other car was at 100% acceleration and going somewhere between 100 and 130 MPH at contact. Three people in the drunk driver's car were killed, including the driver himself. Airbags save lives. Sara and Joe lived. No brain injuries. Broken bones, a collapsed lung, nicked spleen, three weeks in the hospital but they lived. The hardest day of my life was taking my granddaughter in to see her mother broken in the hospital.

46. The second hardest day of my life was taking my son to court ordered residential rehab at age 16 where he stayed for 7 months.

47. The third hardest day of my life was taking same son to a group home the day I turned custody over to the state when he was 17, because he was so out of control I couldn't take care for him anymore.

48. I am crying right now having written those last three.

49. At 18 1/2 now, son is figuring it out. He's come a long way in the past year.

50. I am at peace in the mountains of northern New Hampshire where we own property.

51. I like to swim in fresh water.

52. I have lived within 1/2 hour of the Atlantic Ocean for more than 20 years and have only ever waded in up to my knees. I do not like salt water.

53. I am not a "beach" girl, unless it's after 5:00 and the sun won't burn me into a lobster.

54. Even high number sunscreen does not keep me from burning within 10 minutes on a bad sun day.

55. I am 1/8 Irish and it is the heritage I identify with the most.

56. I believe in past lives and am a healthy skeptic of the paranormal.

57. I am #7 of 8 children.

58. My oldest sister died of a rare blood disorder when I was 11. I still talk to her sometimes.

59. My father passed when I was 19. I still talk to him too.

60. My nightmares always include the house I grew up in and my brother in some context.

61. I've worked hard to be the woman I am today. I like me.

62. I like games - board games, card games - but I rarely play.

63. My fondest memories growing up were going to flea markets on the weekend with my mom.

64. I was horribly ashamed of my home growing up so rarely had friends over. I always went to their homes. As an adult who has done work to heal myself, I realize now that was all tied into my shame and need for escape. See #7.

65. I dislike bible bangers. I don't believe in organized religion. If I had to classify myself, I'd have to say agnostic. I have not explored other belief systems. I have no desire to.

66. We will all die some day. It is a given. That is why I eat chocolate. I will die happy having eaten chocolate. I will not die happy having eaten cooked vegetables.

67. I have a difficult time with stupidity.

68. Do not lie to me. It will not be pretty.

69. I am a 3 a.m. friend. If you need me, I will be there.

70. I love babies. You can have them back from age 4 til 20.

71. Please do not vomit in front of me. It will make me do the same, then you will have twice as much to clean up.

72. I found I can get by with only 20 hours of sleep over 7 days if necessary and it isn't be the best way to lose 20 lbs either. See #45.

73. I love my husband. Very, very much.

74. I have two step-kids. One boy, one girl.

75. I am a smart-ass. If you don't like me because of that, your loss.

76. When I watch TV, it's usually whatever my husband has on (can you say sports?). If I watch by myself, it's one of the shows on TLC, Discovery or the Biography channel.

77. I like to read; suspense normally, every now and then a romance.

78. I like taking drives in the country.

79. I hate crowds. They make me feel claustrophobic. So does rush hour traffic.

80. I do not like heights. I never realized how much I do not like heights until I was on the top of a mountain in Lake Placid, NY with my sister. The hike down was a welcome relief.

81. I can do the outer trail at Cannon Mountain (summit over 5,200 ft), with the sheer drop-off along trailside, so long as I use my hand as a blinder to that side and cling to the opposite side of the trail. I will panic if anyone is too close to the edge. Anyone. It is irrational,I know.

82. I would like to go back to college, but do not want to start a "career" at my age.

83. My sense of humor is very dry and sly, to the point that many people think I have none whatsoever. I just rarely find humor in slapstick.

84. I listen to country music.

85. I believe in abortion, but not as a means of regular birth control.

86. Test results revealed I do not carry the genetic markers for breast/ovarian cancer. My mother had breast cancer and a radical mastectomy three years before I born. It was a concern of mine.

87. My one acquiescence to vanity is coloring away my gray. I rarely wear makeup or paint my nails.

88. I do not understand Brazilian waxing. But then, I don't particularly want anyone poking around down there besides my OB/GYN or my husband.

89. At age 45 and 230 lbs, I taught my granddaughter (age 6 at the time) how to do a cartwheel. Yeah! I got my fat ass over and landed it!

90. I haven't said anything nasty about my ex-husband in this list. And it hasn't been easy to refrain.

91. Most people think I'm a bitch or a snob, because I don't open up well at first. I am working on that. But it does help to weed out those that won't stick around long enough to get to know me anyway.

92. I shop Walmart. That does not mean I do not have class.

93. I like Celine Dion and own most of her cds.

94. I met my husband online through a mutual friend in a local chatroom. The group would also meet up in "real life", outside of the online chat, to do things, so we really all knew each other. His daughter went to school with her daughter. Thanks, Cathy, for vouching for him.

95. Ten years later, I still remember our first date. He came over to my house to watch George Bush accept the presidential election to office in December of 2000. The year of the hanging chads in Florida and the election outcome was hanging (pun intended) on for 6 weeks while they hand-counted votes to see who won the Presidency.

96. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from them. Try not to repeat them. And accept your own responsibility for them. I've tried to teach my children this and live by it.

97. I don't like to wear shoes. I do not have them on at home ever. I've been known to take them off and walk around the office in my bare feet too. Thankfully, I've only ever worked for small businesses where I could do that.

98. Crocs may not be stylish, but they are the most comfortable thing anyone could possibly put on their feet. Yes, I own 3 pair (knock-offs, as I rarely wear "branded" clothing).

99. I let my hair grow when I got divorced. Up until 2000, I wore it boy-cut short. I wear it halfway down my back now. Radical difference! Ponytails are my friend.

100. And I'm anal. I just went back to read through this and fix any typos.