1. I love making super-detailed lists, charts, tables, diagrams... I just can’t ever seem to execute them or follow them as I had originally designed them.
2. I dislike being in a large group or crowd – especially out in public, like at a sporting event. I have a very real fear of being caught in the middle of a random act of violence. That being said though, I love being in a large crowd when something exciting is happening – it feels electrifying.
3. My introverted nature leads me to hole up in a corner and set up camp with the kids (and use them as an excuse not to mingle) when at a party or gathering. The exception is when I am with my own family or small group of close friends – then I circulate freely, and feel quite happy when I do so. This all being said, my husband is an extrovert. So far, this hasn’t lead to any issues. I am quite happy to let him do his thing and he is always good about ‘checking in’ with me to make sure I am doing okay.
4. I don’t believe in Creation, the Immaculate Conception, the resurrection, heaven, hell, sin or prayer. I get extremely uncomfortable when people get overly preachy with me or push it on my children, yet I do take a vicarious kind of comfort when someone shares his/her spiritual joy. It’s hard to explain, but I will try. Let’s say you like the color yellow. I will nod and listen as you describe how much you like yellow and how important yellow is in your life. Your happiness about yellow makes me feel good. Yet the second you expect me to like yellow just as much as you do – you’ve lost me. Purple is my favorite color and I won’t ever change. Does that help? I have nothing against Christianity, other than the fact that a bunch of fanatics have gone overboard with the message. I do believe that there are several good lessons to learn from some portions of the Bible – taught by a prophet (notice I didn’t say Savior), Jesus. I think of Jesus as the Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King of his time, as he was a wise man who had plenty to say about the social issues of his day. Unfortunately he has been misrepresented by different political and social agendas throughout the passage of time. My belief in God is …complicated. I am currently exploring my feelings in this matter.
5. I do believe in Karma, intention and the power of positive thinking (my version of prayer). I also feel strongly about expressing gratitude for the blessings in your life.
6. Several years ago I painted my walls various shades of soft yellow to ward off Seasonal Affect Disorder. It works! The best time of day is early morning or late afternoon. The whole house is awash in a soft golden light. Plus, yellow tones really bring out the warmth in wooden furniture.
7. I stopped taking the daily local paper and watching the news because I found that reading/listening to stories of hardship and cruelty (especially concerning children) can have quite a detrimental effect on my mood. Sometimes for days at a time. The exception is NPR. That is like an addiction.
8. The most frightening experience I ever had was wreck-diving in murky water, with a strong current, off the coast of Brisbane, Australia. I found a very sharp shark’s tooth tumbling along the sandy bottom. The tooth had to have been recently lost because the serrated edges were still VERY sharp. My diving buddy (my dad!) had surfaced without me, and I was alone, being carried further away by the strong current. I was sure that the shark was lurking in the shadows, just out of sight. I will never forget the awful taste of adrenaline in my mouth as I fought to tamp down the fear and think clearly and logically and ascend and surface at a safe pace. On a later diving trip to Cozumel, I had a local artisan mount the shark tooth in black pearl so I could wear it as a pendant.
9. I love to go camping, backpacking, ect. However, I don’t like being in the woods at night, after we put out the campfire. (I watched too many scary movies when I was a kid) I just tolerate it, get very little sleep, and wait for the sun to come up.
10. What I like most about homeschooling is the total freedom we have from following a strict schedule. Much to the dismay of extended family, I strongly dislike having to show up for something at a specific time. With four young children, that is next to impossible anyway.
11. I wish we could live life at an island’s pace. More specifically, I wish we could live on an island. Not in the Caribbean, but in the Pacific Northwest.
12. I will never understand how anyone can think a black olive tastes good.
13. I love buying cleaning products and reading about different cleaning strategies and techniques. The British TV show How Clean is Your House? But I rarely clean. Why? Because four small children and one husband undo any effort of mine to clear the clutter so that I can even clean to begin with. You will find me on a daily basis using the one-armed sweeping technique to at least brush the previous meal’s crumbs off the table so we can eat in minimal grossness. Don’t even get me started on the bathrooms…
14. I love the earthy, musky smell of dog paws.
15. Thanks to my grandpa Orin, the intertwined smell of tomato plants and geraniums is burned into my olfactory memory. I can’t smell one without smelling the echo of the other.
16. I grew up in the Methodist tradition in my family. It has nothing to do with my current religious (rather anti-religious) beliefs. I just REALLY struggle with organized religion in general. I don’t like leaving religious interpretation up to someone else, and I don’t agree with someone else telling me what I should believe. I do like attending church from time to time simply for the ritual of it and the sense of community I find there. My favorite thing about church is singing hymns – it is often a very emotional experience for me. It has more to do with the music than with the words. Choral music (especially Bach) is one of my greatest joys.
17. I was never interested that much in politics until Obama ran for president. I never sported a bumper sticker or put political signs in my yard until then either.
18. I wish I could play the banjo.
19. I hate shopping for clothes, but I love shopping for furniture.
20. I constantly rearrange the furniture in my house. I dislike stagnancy.
21. My favorite TV show is The Closer. It’s all about the accent. I am so bummed that Season 7 (currently running) will be the last.
22. I love watching Paula Dean cook. See (21).
23. I want to go back school to get my Master’s degree as soon as the kids have moved on. I want to conduct statistical research on relevant social issues pertaining to our government’s education policy.
24. My favorite season is fall. The colors, the smells, the crisp air… also the desire to get back into routine.
25. I could listen to Nora Jones, Adele and Coldplay all day.
26. I prefer the cold of winter to the heat of summer. I love wearing sweaters and slippers.
27. If I didn’t have to haul kids around, I would like to drive a convertible VW bug. Light yellow.
28. The country I would most like to visit is Switzerland. I have no desire to go to Africa, South America or Asia. See (2) and (26).
29. If I had a quiet afternoon to myself, I would read or blog. And then promptly fall asleep ten minutes later.
30. I have a secret fascination with large families. (Think the Duggars). I follow several blogs that are authored by moms who are predominately Christian (goes with the territory of having several children) and have large families. Why? I like several of the ideas they present on how to handle multiple children, along with the homeschooling, chores and housework aspects of life. I have learned quite a bit from these women. The religious doctrine is a little over the top, but the advice is sound and it is coming from a perspective that I can relate to (beliefs pertaining to the importance of homeschooling).
