Memed Part 2

Red Cardigan tagged me for a meme last week entitled The Six Quirks Meme.

What in the world would make her think I am quirky?

:)

Here are the rules:

~Link the person(s) who tagged you.
~Mention the rules on your blog.
~Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours. (emphasis mine... the wording amuses me)
~Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.
~Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1. I am the official insect-squasher in the house. I am the one the kids come to, to kill all kinds of bugs... except one. Cockroaches. I have been known to call upon a certain friend's husband to come and kill one when my own cockroach slayer was out of town. I get seriously freaked out by them. Even if they are dead. We have a dead one in our home school room right now, waiting for DH to pick up and throw away. The kids know better than to ask me to do it.

2. I shower at night, right before going to bed. (unless I am going out and will be out late, then I shower before going out) This is a practice I started way back when Action Man was 7 months old, and we were visiting the farm for the first time. I had found that it was a complete waste of time and energy to shower every morning, since I was never "ready for the day" until around noon, what with all the chores to be done. And then, after helping in the fields, or working in the kitchen, I was a dripping mess and needed to hose down before bed. So, I changed my ways. And now, all I need is a strong cup of java and a serious face scrubbing, and I'm good to go.

3. Speaking of java. It's not very quirky that I need it, it's more of when I need it. I can't drink coffee first thing in the morning. I need to eat first. And then, I don't necessarily want it right after I eat. I need to get dressed and wash my face first. Then, and only then, do I feel refreshed and really in need of that wonderfully huge mug of sanity. And when my parents, or a certain farmer come to visit, I need to consciously get up and make that coffee first thing, because they are so not like me.

4. I am prolific in my use of commas. The daughter of an English teacher, and, I love, love, love, to use commas. One of my high school English teachers nicknamed me "Nutmeg-comma-(last name)" Be on the look out for more wild and varied uses of the comma at your local Nut House blog. Even though, apparently, I am more like this.

5. I can be a pretty intense person. Depending on the circumstances, there are times when I really cannot keep my mouth shut. Most of those times, I should have. But I am learning to be more diplomatic. My friends tell me that my opinions are refreshing. I think they are just being nice, and have gotten quite used to my ever-evolving thoughts on parenting/homeschooling/baking/breathing.... yes, I have quite the repertoire. And when I latch onto a new idea, I delve into it 110%. And wonder why no-one else does. A month later, I'm on to something else. It's really exhausting to be me.

6. I'm a terrible back-seat driver... or passenger-seat driver, as the case may be. It doesn't help that my DH is not really known for his defensive driving skills. Just ask his Canadian buddies, they'll tell you. Besides, I tell him, you should hear what I'm not saying.


Since this meme is yet another old one, feel free to do it and let me know. And one word of advice, if you're stumped on what your #6 quirk should be...

Don't ask your husband.

Trust me on that one.

:)

Memed

I'm behind on the Meme front. Also on the budget and laundry front as well. But, there's not much I can do about those other things while I'm sitting here at the computer, is there?

:)

Lisa tagged me awhile ago for this fun one:

A is for age: 36

B is for burger of choice: In-n-out, please... animal style.

C is for car you drive: A 2000 Chevy Astro. I am so hip and happenin'...

D is for dog's name: Little Love.

E is for essential item you use everyday: coffee pot.

F is for favorite TV show: Lost. Will I survive the wait??

G is for favorite game: Love watching hockey. I've been converted.

H is for home state: I'm a NYer... in more ways than one.

I is for instruments you play: The guitar. Just call me Hippie-mama.

J is for favorite juice: Fuzzy navel. Hey, it's got orange juice in it!

K is for whose butt you'd like to kick: Depends on what idiotic world-view op-ed I read...

L is for last restaurant at which you ate: Dunes... yummy kebobs and baba ganoush.

M is for your favorite Muppet: A toss up between the Sweedish Chef and that serious eagle dude.

N is for number of piercings: 3.. one in each ear, plus an extra on the top of my right one.

O is for overnight hospital stays: One for each of my peanuts.

P is for people you were with today: My peanuts... the littlest of whom had a fever yesterday, so we'll be a hermitage again for awhile.

Q: is for what you do with your quiet time: Read, blog, garden.

R is for your biggest regret: Starting this meme when I have so much to do today? (kidding!)

S is for status: Happily married.

T is for time you woke up: 7:45 a.m.

U is for what you consider unique about yourself: Oh, I don't know... that I have 5 kids, play soccer, am a devout Catholic, listen to rock music, wear jeans and love to bake in my new apron? An oxymoron, that's what I am. Most of all though? I'm a loyal friend. Once you've got me, I'm there for keeps.

V is for vegetable you love: Cooked spinach.

W is for worst habit: Thinking I have to be the perfect wife, mom, friend, cook, gardener, writer... etc.

X is for x-rays you've had: Dental only.

Y is for yummy food you ate today: My coffee. Yes, it was that good.

Z is for zodiac sign: Taurus.


This one is a month old. If you haven't done it, consider yourself tagged, and let me know!

:)

Book Meme

Red Cardigan tagged me for this meme I have seen making the rounds. She allowed me some leeway as to which book I could choose. Preferably one that is unpacked.

Smart woman.

Here are the rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

Sitting at my computer, the only thing within arm's reach is the Lego Star Wars computer game instruction manual.

Hardly 123 pages.

And so, I must amble to the bookshelf. I guess I'll follow Matilda's lead and close my eyes and grab one....

I picked Clowns of God by Morris West. I read it many many moons ago, and only vaguely feel a little sheepish about owning it. Is it slightly blasphemous or a book I wouldn't recommend? Somebody refresh my memory!

He was happy about one thing: he was no longer bound to secrecy. He could discuss the issues involved; test his opinions against those of devotees and cynics alike, talk out his puzzlements in the language of simple folk, instead of the loaded dialect of the theologians. He was still far from satisfied by the explanations Jean Marie had given him. The description of his mystical states, which others had obviously witnessed, seemed too bland, too familiar, too -he groped for the word- too derivative from the vast body of devotional writing. Jean Marie was precise about the possibilities of catastrophic conflict.

Mr. West is certainly prolific with his sentences! And no, this book I cannot recommend. It is a "Vatican Thriller"... mere eye candy, not inspirational in the least. I remember now.

And now, for 5 people!

I tag: Mrs. Bear, Portia, Lisa, Sarah, and Cmerie. I can't wait to see what you gals are reading....

:)

One More Time...

OK, I've been tagged for yet another meme!

I'm happy to do it, don't get me wrong. But then I'm declaring a moratorium on memes for this blogger for awhile.

Capisci?

Good.

:)

8 Things About Me and DH... A Meme.


1. We met in college, our freshman year. I was 19, and had spent one year at a different *shudder* school. (I am thoroughly ready to believe it is better now... but when I was there, it was awful. period.) He was 20 and had spent the two years after high school making money as a furniture delivery guy for a warehouse store.

2. He is from Vancouver, Canada. I am from upstate NY. Odds were against us on the "meeting each other" spectrum of life. Isn't God wonderful?

3. I am ashamed to say that when he introduced himself as being from British Columbia, I thought he was from England. Good old public school Geography! The summer after I met him, I worked in a children's boutique and brushed up on my Canadian geography. (thanks to an early Leap Frog "computer") By the end of the summer, I was able to name all Provinces and Territories and capitals...

4. We mutually pursued each other. He has said that if I had played "hard to get" he may have given up. Luckily, I'm just not that way... I may be shy, but I can't be fake.

5. We hung out together on campus a lot. We hung out together off campus a lot. But we were not exclusive about it. Rare were the moments we were alone. And that was fine. I'd say it was actually good for us. We welcomed others into our friendship, and were known as a "funky couple" what with our do-rags and different way of dressing... (someone told me this my junior year... don't know how true it is)

6. He was my best friend in college, and still is to this day. Being of one heart and mind is very important to me, and the fact that we graduated from the same college helps tremendously. Most of the time, he knows where I am coming from intellectually, and in many of our decisions as parents, it makes all the difference.

7. We are both melancholic. Does that make us downers? Not at all. It means we like the same things: sports, music, books, date nights, concerts, kiddos, a good glass of pinot, etc. Our idea of a "good time" can be low key, (movie at home) or high energy (trip to Austin to see BNL) and we both have a great time.

8. DH once said I have aged like a good wine... which I took as a compliment. I feel the same about him. We look so very young in our wedding photo! We are seasoned parents and friends. I can't imagine anything better.


I'm not tagging anyone else with this one. But, please, if you want to do this, consider yourself tagged, and let me know!

:)

Memed again...

...this time by Mrs. Bear.

A Picture of Now, Between Past and Future.

1.a. Describe your outfit.

White sweatpant/capris, dark olive tank top, brown Old Navy flip flops.

b. What associations does the main color invoke?

I guess the main color would be the dark olive. I have always loved this color. It matches my eyes almost perfectly. And while not all shades of green work for me, this is one shade that does.

c. Is there a memory associated with this outfit (or part of it)?

Not really. All the pieces are new to me this summer...

2.a. Are you listening to music?

Um. Yes. The Backyardigans is on Noggin, and 3 of my kids are watching it. They are currently singing "A Message" done to the tune of Ella Fitzgerald's "A Tisket A Tasket"...

b. Was this intentional?

The show, yes. Not the song. Truth be told, I can only take Backyardigans in small doses.

c. What does the music make you remember?

It reminds me of Ella's voice and jazz in general, which I happen to really enjoy. Maybe I need to break out some of those CD's.

3.a. Describe the objects within arms' reach.

Oh boy, this should be interesting. Computer paraphernalia, the May issue of Magnificat, a Spiderman action figure, a baggie of screws, a Handel CD, our phone, a pocket knife, bug spray....

b. Choose one object and tell where you acquired it.

The Spiderman action figure was bought for Sports Fan using his gift card. I was convinced he would end up suffering from buyer's regret, since he had originally wanted to purchase a pirate sword. He spent the whole day telling me how happy he was with his choice.

c. On the whole, are the objects new (memory blanks) or old (memory filled)?

I'd say new. Since most of the computer stuff is new as well...

4.a. What room are you in?

What we call "The Front Room" or our second living room.

b. To what extent is it yours?

Well, we're 6 years in on our 30 year mortgage... :)

c. What kind of memories will you have in the future of this room?

Since we hope to sell in the next year (need! more! space!) hopefully the future will be elsewhere. The memories I hold now are of much playing, rough housing, tent-making, and "walking" newborns 'til the wee hours....

5. What were you doing before starting this post, and what would you like to do next?

I had started dinner and was waiting for the chicken to brown. Since then, we've had dinner and dessert and cleaned up from both. Next, I'd like the nanny to put the kids to bed (HA) and DH and I to have an early evening cocktail and chat.


OK, I'll tag Matilda, Karen, Elizabeth, and Margaret.

Have Fun!

:)

8 Random Facts Meme

The veracious* Margaret has tagged me for this meme. As if I don't report enough useless nonsense around here...

:)


“For this meme, each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.”



* I just found, in our front closet, one of our carry-on bags from our last trip. As yet, unopened. Hmmm. Maybe I should just chuck the whole thing in the garbage and call it good.

*I love to chat on the phone. I can easily do an hour of yakking. (Right Matilda?) (watch out, Margaret.... I'll indoctrinate you yet!)

* In sixth grade, I won the spelling bee for three school districts. Misspelled words are a huge pet peeve of mine. People misspell my first and last names all. the. time. God has a sense of humor.

* I love to read. I must have a book going at all times. And I must be in the mood for that particular genre or it's no good.

* In a group setting, I am extremely shy. Extremely. I'm working on this. One-on-one? I'll chat your ear off.

* I've lived in (upstate) NY, California, Vancouver (Canada) and Texas. Three are beautiful places to live. Why am I still here? The people. Darn it though, these southerners are something else.

* Sports Fan and Little Dear are "Irish twins". They are exactly the same age for two weeks, much to Little Dear's delight, and Sports Fan's dismay.

* There is a huge box of hockey vhs tapes under our computer desk, waiting to be converted to DVD. DH's project. Along with the bathroom and many other tasks. Maybe I should move the tapes... eh?


And now for 8 people to tag:

Portia, Sephora, ALVY (hello?!?), Mrs. Bear, Teresa, Simcha, Michelle H, Suzanne D.

Have fun, folks!

:)

*as in, perpetually seeking truth. NOT "voracious" as in, craving or consuming large quantities of food. Just to be clear.

What a Thinker...

The darling Margaret has nominated me for this. To say I am shocked is an understatement. I tend to think of this blog as mostly an anecdotal account of my depleting intelligence.

I guess that makes it (and me) somewhat of an amusement. And since laughter denotes the presence of an intellect, then, in that vein, I can, in good conscience, accept this nomination. (along with the reward for the sentence with the most commas ever)

But I humbly submit you to look elsewhere for any real intelligent conversation.

:)


Here are the rules for the award:

1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to The Thinking Blog so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote.


And here are my nominees:


Mrs. Bear at Cozy Tea Blue House often posts the fruitful results of her many ruminations. Amongst my many favorites is her take on heroes.

Michelle at Rosetta Stone was my immediate thought when I saw my nomination... and then read her name 3 names after mine. Darn you, Margaret! Well, too bad. I'm nominating Michelle too. I love reading her take on current events, and most especially her complaint about Veggietales! Yep, you read that right. It was a great post, and worth chewing on for awhile.

My husband over at Southern Canuck. Yes, I'm biased, so what? In between aiding in the maintenance of my sanity by being a great dad and husband, he waxes eloquently on numerous topics from playoff hockey to American politics.

Sephora, my dear sister over at The Cross, The Mantle. The title of her blog alone still gives me shivers... it's so beautifully explained in the quotation she chose from the gospel of John. This post is one of many chronicling her busy and thoughtful life pursuing her degree in Physical Therapy.

Portia, my other dear sister at Immaterial Ramblings of a Substance. Her writing is brilliant and whimsical, with this post being one of my absolute favorites, if for no other reason than the scavenger hunt her many *asterisks* induces. The story within a story gets me every. single. time.


Go visit these smart folks and leave them some love in their comments for me...

:)

Grand Instigator Meme

OK, well, that's not exactly the name of this meme, but my sister Portia has tagged me with it, and she has instigated a mad clean up....

and so, I have named it thus.


In the interest of fairness, I have taken a before "This is what I see when I blog":




















Notice the black string hanging from the top left-hand drawer, and the hard-to-see batman who has recently ascended this rope and is now relaxing in the uppermost inbox. Lots of valentines grace the desk and monitor, along with a few copies of DH's Toastmasters magazine...

And an after:





















Much cleaner, but far from picturesque. My tea mug, always filled with decaf chai and loads of honey. And let us not forget to mention the ultimate form of true love. DH's Father's Day present from a few years back....

A picture of the "Original Six" hockey stadiums.

Hanging prominently in our living room.

Lest we forget our(his) heritage.

:)

Lessee.... I tag Margaret, Michelle, and Suzanne.