it's a meme thing

I have been tagged for a meme by The Bug at Bug's Eye View. She has given me the following 7 questions to answer...

1. What do you consider your hometown to be?
That would be West Hartford, CT. It is, actually, west of Hartford, CT, place of my birth, and later the place where I bought my first home (I should try to scan a picture of the house...) We moved there when I was nine from Newington, CT, right next door, so technically Newington is my hometown.  I've got more memories associated with West Hartford, however, so that is what I claim. My Dad still lives there, Mom did until a few years ago, and my brothers are in adjacent towns. I'm the one who flew the coop.

2. What’s the hardest part of your average day?
It's probably going to bed without having gotten done what I had hoped, and experiencing that lament of "shoulda, coulda."

3. The easiest? Why?
Those moments after getting up when I can look at the day ahead and think of the possibilities. There's so much potential for the day first thing in the morning!

4. What beverage do you reach for to quench your thirst?
Dullsville... water.

5. What is one not-so-secret goal you have for your life? I’ll let you keep your secret ones to yourself.
I'm really lousy about goals, but the one I did establish for myself recently was to promote to Pampered Chef director before next July. It's not going too well so far. I made that goal during the summer when church work was light. Now that we're in the thick of the church program year, YOWZA! my life doesn't feel like my own. I'm working on that. Old habits are SO hard to change.

6. What physical pain do you fear most? (The Bug's example: she's trying to decide how bad her jaw pain needs to get before she risks a potential needle from her dentist. So, for her, throbbing is preferable to jabbing.)
Wow, what a question. I don't think about physical pain as a thing to fear. I AM fearful of having my quality of life compromised by physical limitations, however. I've already experienced that to some modest extent because of a shattered heel suffered several years ago. My foot continues to give me trouble. But in terms of specifics, I deal with pain as I need to.

7. Where do you find solace?
Hmm, it depends on from what I need solace. If it's emotional hurt, I turn to Mom. If it's a bad day at work, the distraction of television or reading blogs. Illness: bed (I just spent two days there, I can confirm that this is true). If I'm upset to the point of tears, I cry. Sometimes, my husband is solace, but it depends on what I need. I don't generally turn to food for solace, or drink. When Dooley (the dog) was alive, he provided a good cuddle.


Now I am supposed to come up with seven different questions and tag seven people, but seven people don't come here regularly enough to do that, so I'll invite you to play if you'd like! Just let me know you did, please, so I can come read your answers!

1) What is the most memorable gift you received as a child (before graduating high school)?

2) If you could invite someone from any period in history to come for dinner, who would it be, and what would you serve?

3) Do you have a favorite dish you take to pot luck meals? Do you have a favorite dish that you hope someone else will bring to a pot luck dinner?

4) What fictional character would you like to interview (if you don't think you're a good interviewer, overlook that little detail)? Why?

5) What have you created that you are proudest of?
(forgive me for ending that sentence with a preposition--I couldn't figure out how else to phrase it)

6) What was your favorite book as a child (before you were a tween)?

7) If a movie were to be made of your life (or some portion of it), who would you want to star in the role of you?



Have fun!

this and that

I'm feeling uninspired this morning, so I've decided to steal from someone else's blog. Kate at Chronicles of a Country Girl posted these questions yesterday, so I'm simply answering them here instead of at her place. Anyone want to play? Post your answers in the comments if you would.

1. What’s your favorite summertime drink?
That would be a gin and tonic when I want an adult beverage. Otherwise I pretty much stick to water with lots of ice.

2. When were you last in Ocean waters?
Technically, when I was on a cruise four years ago. With my own feet in the water? Summer of '05. Body in the water? (hiding my head, thinking it can't be this long ago) Summer of '97, in the Bahamas.

3. When did you last attend a sporting event?
I honestly can't remember. Does watching a game on TV count? I attended virtually! We often watch golf on the weekends (I love Tiger Woods). Oh, wait! Last summer we went to a ball game in which two of our young parishioners were playing!

4. What is your first name? How do you feel about it?
First name is Anne, named after the Ann above. I didn't like it when I was "young." My brothers and their friends would call me Annie Fanny. To this day I hate to be called Annie, although a handful of people can call me that without it making me cringe. Like my high school french teacher!  Otherwise I think I've grown into my name. If only people would spell it correctly now and then!

5. Can you keep a secret?
You bet.

Borrowed a list, checked it twice

And now for something completely different (from icons).

My blogging buddy Jan posted this the other day. It's a list of 99 activities/accomplishments, etc. The idea is to highlight those that can be checked off your list. I have changed this up a bit. If I haven't done one of the items, I have crossed it out and replaced it with something I have done. This may as well be fully descriptive of events in my life, rather than partial! Play along on your own blog if you feel so inclined.

99 Things About Me

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band recorder consort

4. Visited Hawaii Bermuda

5. Watched a meteor shower hurricane

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to DisneyWorld

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis baby goat

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped Ridden in a hot air balloon

12. Visited Paris London

13. Watched a lightning storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child dog

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France where Jesus walked on water

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch-hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon Rode a camel

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice in the alps
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run base hit

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors-
35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language (sort of—I tried to learn gaelic)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied buy original art

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa Anne Frank's house in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David the Wailing Wall

41. Sung karaoke the exultet

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt serious flooding

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant Paid someone else's toll

44. Visited Africa Israel
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance (I sat in the front seat)

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris the Empire State Building

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie TV commercial!)

56. Visited the Great Wall of China Hadrian's Wall

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class ballroom dance lessons

59. Visited Russia Switzerland

60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies Mary Kay

62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving Hiked on a glacier

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp Gettysburg

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter two-seater plane
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar Haggis

72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades pyramids of Egypt

75. Been fired from a job unemployed
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London

77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon Masada in person

80. Would like to Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican St. John the Divine

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Slept through Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating Cooked a five-course meal
88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life Given blood

90. Was excused from sitting Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo nose job

94. Wished for Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo Old North Church in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake Dead Sea

97. Been involved in a law suit caught a bouquet

(this bouquet was actually handed to me by the bride as she and her new husband walked up the aisle, but I did catch two others in my day)

98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Wednesday random dozen meme

Borrowed with gladness from The Bug, who gets her Random Dozen at 2nd Cup of Coffee. 

1. What is one really fast, know-by-heart "go-to" meal to fix in a pinch?
Place one cup of rice in a 9" x 9" backing pan. Arrange evenly. Season with salt and pepper and then brown four pork chops and place on top of rice. Season with thyme and marjoram (I ballpark this). Place slices of tomato, green pepper and red onion on top of the pork chops. Pour one can of Beef Consume over all. Bake, covered, at 350 for about an hour (I think), or until consume has been absorbed by rice. This is so easy, and so good.

2. What is one item you won't leave home without. (Purse and license do not count.)
Keys. Eyeglasses are usually a good idea as well.

3. Where is one place you never tire of visiting?
Melrose, my family's tree farm in South Carolina. The view from the porch/front of the cottage restores my soul.

4. Share one factoid of your family's history.
Y'all are probably tired of hearing about my family history after recent posts. Let's see. All four grandparents have ancestors that have been in this country since sometime in the 17th century.

5. Complete this sentence: "Once upon a time I ...." 
wanted to be a nurse. Nearly flunking chemistry disabused me of that desire.

6. If you could win a one year's supply of anything, what would it be?
Gas. We'd be taking a whole bunch of road trips.

7. "One quirky thing you may not know about me is ...."
I wrap (most) presents without using scotch tape or knotting my bows.

8. You have one dollar in your pocket. What will you buy?
Value deal Jamocha shake at Arby's.

9. "One thing that always makes me laugh is ...." 
The Cake Wrecks web site.

10. What is one thing you could do today to help yourself reach a personal goal?
Practice Pampered Chef's "3-2-1" Plan.

11. What is one thing you could do today to bless someone else?
Write a thank you note.

12. What is one thing you're looking forward to soon? 
My Mom's arrival for a visit on Friday!

when was the last time?

McKinlee stops to smell the roses

I'm departing from my usual friday five with RevGals today. Ordinarily the questions posed there take me out of where I spend my day to day. This week's ff, however, is where I've been all week! So today I'm borrowing questions from another blog to which I was recently introduced, Chronicles of a Country Girl. (Jayne, you will love the bird pictures!) Her questions from a few days ago:

When was the last time someone gave you flowers?
That would have been a tough one if Valentine's Day hadn't just occurred! Ken used to surprise me from time to time with flowers, but difficult times have robbed him of indulging in that gesture. I occasionally receive flowers from others, out of the blue, but it's been awhile since that has happened.

What do you like in a cup of coffee or tea?
Ah, this one is a no-brainer: In my coffee I've got to have half-and-half. And something with which to sweeten. Presently I use Splenda.

What do you like on a baked potato?
Cool question! Anything that has liquid to it so the potato can soak up the flavor: chili, salsa (I have a great recipe for a salsa with black beans and corn that is fab!); curry... you get the idea.

What is something you really need to accomplish this weekend?
Self-care. I haven't had a day off from work-related matters in over a week, and I'm a part-timer! Even this weekend I have a meeting and a training session on Saturday, sermon prep, and then work on Sunday, of course. I would sneak off to the library to read, but while the Olympics are on I love to watch them. I'll probably be in front of the TV a good bit.

What are you most likely to be doing when you’re up in the late, late hours of the night?
I haven't been a night owl in a very long time, and if I'm up late these days it's because of heartburn! To pass the time I generally work on crossword puzzles. I totally lose track of time while doing them and before I know it, I feel better and I'm ready to head back to bed. On other occasions if I'm late it's to tend to a dog.

random meme: Thanksgiving theme

Meme stolen shamelessly from the Bug at Bug’s Eye View, who starts out by noting:

If it's Wednesday of a holiday week, it must be time for the Random Dozen Meme from "Lidna" at 2nd Cup of Coffee. If you want to participate just go to Linda's site to link up.

1. Are you sticking to traditional Thanksgiving foods this year, or are you being culinarily adventurous?
We’re not cooking this year! Thanks to an unladylike fall several weeks ago that landed me on my tookus (I have no clue how to spell that) and left me with significant pain in my butt, we are unable to follow through with our original plans to travel to Georgia to be with our good friends Jimmy and Barbara. Riding in the car is one of the most painful positions while recovering from this misfortune, and the trip is just too long to manage. We have been invited to friends’ here in town Thursday evening to join their family meal, so we will make a dish to take with us there. Some minor culinary adventure will be involved. (photo to the right: turkey day three years ago)

2. Tell me something concrete that you're thankful for. (Something you can literally touch, see, etc., not a concept like "hope.")
My Hoover Steam Vac. With three dogs and one still-needing-work-with-housebreaking-issues puppy, shampooing carpets is the most regular exercise I get. The Woolite Oxy Pet Cleaner is likewise my new best friend.

3. You knew the flip side was coming: Share about something intangible that you're thankful for.
I am very thankful for the new blogging connections I have made this last year. They have expanded my world, touched my heart, made me laugh, helped reignite dreams and affirmed aspects of my own being that sag from time to time. Hugs to you all!

4. Share one vivid Thanksgiving memory. It doesn't have to be deep or meaningful, just something that remains etched in your memory.
My favorite memory is of my Mom breaking out and doing the Charleston (or the Jitterbug, maybe?) in the kitchen while we were washing up after dinner.

5. What is one thing that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt is going to happen this Thanksgiving because it always does, year after year? I’ll forget to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

6. Do your pets get any left-overs?
Not if I can help it! I have a pretty strict rule about not giving human food to the dogs.

7. Does your family pray before the big meal? If so, do you join hands while seated, stand, repeat a formal prayer or offer a spontaneous prayer? Who does the praying?
When I was growing up we always had Thanksgiving in New York (City) with my grandparents. If my memory is right and I’m not mixing up holidays, my grandfather always wrote out a prayer that recalled the events and people that he wanted especially to acknowledge. They were wonderful prayers (Mom, were any of those kept?). We also sang the Doxology as our grace, seated, holding hands. After my grandfather died (I was 17) I couldn’t sing the Doxology for the longest time without choking back tears.

8. Will you be watching football in the afternoon? If not, what will you be doing?
We may very well watch football, but not with any particular interest. I’m going to try to make some more tissue cozies if I can. I’ll also be preparing the dish that we’ll be taking with us to dinner that evening.

9. There are two distinct camps of people on this issue: How do you feel about oysters in the dressing/stuffing?
Blech!

10. Do you consider yourself informed about the first Thanksgiving?
I do, some of my ancestors were there and they took really good notes (just kidding about the notes).

This print, "The return of the Mayflower," hung over my grandmother's mantel when my mother was growing up, and it has hung over mine (or a wall in my home) since my grandmother had it reframed for me when I graduated from college. (The Mayflower was returning to England. Somehow we never heard about that in our history classes.)

11. Which variety of pie will you be enjoying?
I rarely eat pie until the next day! Apple is my pie of choice.

12. Do you feel for the turkey?? (This is a humorous throw back question related to the 12th question in another Random Dozen!)
I’d never really thought about it before, but probably not since I am predisposed to being a carnivore.

Blessings, one and all, for a joy-filled Thanksgiving weekend!

a meme for the day

Thanks to The Bug, who pointed me to Lidna's blog, for bailing me out on this I-have-no-inspiration-to-write day.

1.) On average, how often do you splurge and buy something for yourself?
Since we haven't had any discretionary money for so long, I would say rarely. Every now and then, in the summer, I go to Dairy Queen, does that count?

2.) Are you more like Hall or Oates? Just kidding. Real question: What is the last creative project you began/finished? Feel free to post a pic of it.
Sad to say that my last creative effort was last March. Eeek! I really need to fix that aspect of my life. It is the icon of The Virgin of the Passion from an icon-writing workshop. Heeeeeeeeere's Mary!

3.) OK, Goldie Locks, do you consider your house too big, too little or juuust right?
This is sort of funny, since I have nicknamed the sheds in our backyard Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear. Ken thinks I'm peculiar for doing so, but it helps me keep them straight when he refers simply to "the shed." But I digress. Our house isn't really any of the above. The bedrooms are too small, especially the room that I use as an office/creative space; the living room is big but not layed out in a manner that utilizes the square footage well, and the kitchen/dining area are probably adequate.

4.) What is your favorite outdoor chore?
Oddly enough, shoveling snow, although I've only had to do that once in the last ten years. And as long as it's not too hot and there's no humidity and the bugs leave me alone, I enjoy weeding.

5) If you knew that cigarett smoking was not bad for your health but would be a weight loss tool, would you use it? Why or why not?
Nicotene aside, there's the smell factor. Now if we're pretending that there is nothing bad about smoking, then I truly might use it as a weight-loss aid. Lord knows I need something to help me shed these mid-life pounds!

6.) On a road trip, would you rather drive or ride?
That might depend on who else was with me! I can do either, and enjoy either. Trading off really works well.

7.) What do you consider a trivial pursuit?
Hoping that the right wing would get a clue.

8.) This weekend we downloaded the movie "Duplicity" with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Within 5 minutes I was bored and annoyed, but I kept watching 5-10 minutes at a time hoping it would get better between small chores. I finally gave up and Jorge watched it alone, and then regretted wasting that time because he disliked it intensely, too. So... how long do you watch a movie or read a book before giving up on it?
A movie, about 20 minutes. A book? That sort of depends on the book, but probably 50-70 pages.

9.) Is there a song that you really love but are embarrassed to admit because it's not cool or it's racy or because it's by Hall and Oates?
Ah, that would be Confederate Railroad's "I like women a little on the trashy side," but don't tell anyone.

10.) On a scale of 1-10 (10-extremely) how spontaneous are you?
Maybe a 2? But that doesn't mean I'm boring. Really, it doesn't.

11.) Are you a food and/or beverage snob?
Hmm. I don't think so, but can we ever be objective about our own snobbery?

12.) Who/What are you trying to control in your life? (I hear people gulping and see them sweating in anticipation of how to answer this one).
I don't try to control people--now THAT is a trivial pursuit! I am trying to learn to control McKinlee in order to save our furniture from total destruction. The carpet is beyond salvation.
On the what aspect, I am trying to control the impulses that make me speak before I think. The really hard thing, though, is trying to let go of desiring certain outcomes in other people's lives. Even though my notion of those outcomes would be truly beneficial for all concerned!

Anyone else want to play?

inside my box

Some years ago I finished a round of shopping and returned to my car to find a note stuck under the windshield. It was from a friend and former neighbor, and read: "when I saw the window decals and bumper stickers I knew this had to be your car." Lest you think I decorate my vehicles to excess, let me just say that there were a total of four items to which she referred. But it was interesting how quickly the right combination of references can be used to identify us.

That said, my friend Jayne posted this meme on her blog a few days ago. Unlike some others which refer to minutiae at a broad level (no, that's not a contradiction in terms), this one is more like the items on my car. If you didn't know this was my list, would you be able to identify me?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So, say you were meeting a new person, a new friend. And you wanted them to have some idea of what kind of person you are, and who you are. But you can’t actually tell them in so many words.

Instead, you have to give them a box, with 15 things in it for them to look at/read/listen to/taste/whatever. What would you put in the box?

In my box you would find:

1. a Patricia Cornwell mystery
2. my clergy dickey
3. a collection of favorite recipes
4. a Celtic cross
5. my Virgin of the Passion icon (see left sidebar)

6. a collage of photos of favorite people, places, and dogs
7. pajamas with sheep on them
8. Nikon DS70 with wide angle/zoom lens
9. the latest Pampered Chef catalog
10. a book of crossword and Sudoku puzzles
11. a stash of fabric
12. a few favorite scrapbook layouts
13. Any/all Alasdair Fraser CDs
14. a handcrafted journal and pen
15. my Early Bird coffee mug

bonus: a postcard from Cape Cod and a pair of ghillies

Feel free to play along and post this on your own blog!

holding within

My friend Jayne posted a meme on her blog the other day that I will apply to my own world shortly. In coming up with the responses to this meme challenge I got to thinking about what would represent my deep love for Scotland. One thing that came to mind was a framed work of batik that I used to own. It showed layers of hills/mountains that ran down to the sea, with a sky of gray and blue clouds and a gentle land mass in the foreground. I encountered this work at a craft fair the summer after my semester in Scotland and immediately recalled the rugged peacefulness of the western highlands and islands. It hung on my walls for years and finally grew dingy from years of accumulated dirt. It was made of silk stretched in a bare wooden frame.

I parted with it at some point not long ago. Other art had come into my life and competed for space on the walls, and though the batik continued to carry my spirit back to Scotland whenever I looked at it, I knew I could bid it farewell. I knew this because I carried in my heart the joy of that place, the colors and changeable moods of the landscapes according to sun or clouds, shadows or light. This part of Scotland is more than in my heart, it is deep within my soul.

In 1987 I ventured back there for the first time since I had been there while in college. The occasion was the wedding of a friend, and I decided to fly over and surprise her. It was the first time I ever took a trip alone, and many things are memorable about it. Apart from the wedding I had two priorities for my travels: Edinburgh to see again the family with whom I lived during that amazing semester (and to see the city, which I love), and Iona and the Isle of Mull. The latter are deeply spiritual places for me, and Mull, in particular, draws me like a magnet. At the wedding of my friend several days after my return to Mull I remember talking to the priest about the experience of my return. "As long as I can remember, when I sit down to draw and a blank sheet of paper is in front of me I draw mountains. Sometimes there is water in the foreground and sometimes not, but my first inclination is always to draw mountains. While crossing to Mull on the ferry," I told him, "I looked over to Mull with the mountains rising from her shores and realized that all of my life I have been drawing the mountains of Mull."

It was a startling revelation to me, but it explained to me the immediacy of my affinity for the place, and my sense of feeling at home there. All of Scotland works on me that way, but Mull, in particular, claims the core of my soul. It also explained why I could part with my batik. I don't need to see the colors dyed in silk to recall the place or remember its impact. I carry it within me. I can close my eyes and picture the landscape, feel the breeze and hear the gulls that keep vigil at the shoreline. I can smell the damp, dense earth and the salt of the sea. I can imagine my hands shoved into my pockets for warmth and the moist fog that clings to my skin. I can feel the dried heather yield to my steps on the mountains, and the sheep that dot the hillsides share the terrain without much of a blink. It is home, and I hold it in my being at the cellular level.

It is the richest blessing in the world.

saturday morning meme

Courtesy of Kim at An oft-traveled Road.

What’s your current obsession?
Keeping up with certain blogs

What project or activity are you itching do start?
A Quilt of Valor

Last thing you bought?
Chinese food for dinner

What book is at the top of the stack on your bedside table?
Three Cups of Tea

Favorite kid’s movie?
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but back in the day I couldn’t get enough of Thomasina

Favorite movies?
The American President, Chariots of Fire, Ladyhawke, Sleepless in Seattle, The Hunt for Red October

Favorite vacation spots?
Melrose, anywhere with the Cabana Crew

What are you listening to?
Thunder and rain. Lots of rain.

Four words to describe you:
Creative, insightful, compassionate, introvert

Guilty pleasures?
HGTV

Who or what can make you laugh until you are weak?
the “Cake Wrecks” blog (see links on this page)

Where are you planning to travel next?
I know we’ll go back to Melrose in the fall. Beyond that--who knows?

Best thing you ate and/or drank recently?
Jimmy’s low country boil

When did you last get tipsy?
It’s been a long time—I really don’t remember

Care to share some wisdom?
This came from my nephew when he was about ten. “Don’t stay there.”

What smell makes you smile?
Cinnamon, curry, marigolds

Rules of the meme: Respond and rework. Change one question, delete one question and add one question. Tag people if you want. I’d love to know your answers if you want to share — either here in comments, or on your own blog, or in a private email.