Challenged by my lovely friend Sue Elvis to come up with ten things most folks don't know about me... after I challenged her. :) Psst hey Sue where's YOUR list?! Let's see if I can do this, and come up with some things I've not already mentioned at some point.
1) I've been at the top of mountains, explored underground caves, swam with alligators, and panned for gold and gemstones in a mountain stream. I've fished from the river and the creek. I've hand caught grass shrimp and minnows to use as bait. I've caught tad poles and polywogs to take home and put into my fish tank until they were ready to be released. I've dug in the sand for clams, and went out and caught wild blue crabs with my parents for our supper. I've picked blackberries, wild onions and mint in the woods.
2) I've never been on an airplane, helicopter, or a train. Never been on a boat aside from the river ferry and the river taxi, or a friend's motor boat. I've never been out West, never have traveled outside of the United States, and have not even left the South since 1985.
3) I've not seen snow since 1989. I've never built a snowman in my life. But I am well acquainted with hurricanes!
4) We've had a lot of pets. Some were childhood pets, and some as an adult. I've had (I think) six dogs, a few cats, several guinea pigs, a hamster, parakeets, a cockatiel, several turtles, loads of fish, chickens, ducks, and a pet goat, and probably two dozen rabbits. We had pigs too, but my parents raised them for meat and had them butchered. I would dearly love another bird, and a hedgehog. I love pets!
5) I come from a family of girls. My great-grandmother had eleven girls and THEN had two boys. One of her daughters, my granny, had two girls. My mom had us three girls. Her sister, my aunt, had four girls, one of those girls had a girl, and I have two girls. My younger sister has three children.. two girls, and finally a boy! Our running joke is that boys in this family don't stand a chance. LOL!!
6) I am terrified of snakes, (ophidiophobia), spiders, (arachnophobia), wild monkeys, and big bugs in general. I'm mildly claustrophobic, a little gephyrophobia, (fear of bridges) plus my fear of heights (acrophobia) so a really high bridge is NOT cool with me at all! Also a bit of agoraphobia.. (I hate shopping malls!) Looking at this list, I have to laugh. I actually could go on, but I'd hate for anyone to think I was totally nuts. ;) LOL!!
7) I suffer from depression and anxiety. Sometimes I'm fine. Sometimes, not so much. It's a day to day thing. I've lost friends because of it. I've gotten treated like a freak because of it. But I can't let that bother me. It's not something you sign up for. It's not being 'high drama'. It's not something you 'get over', like a cold. I can't just "get a grip" and it will magically disappear.
8) I like to collect certain things. Perhaps some of them are a little odd, but I like them. My collection is not so that I will end up on an episode of Hoarders. :) I like Catholic statues... well, I like Catholic items in general. I have rosaries, at least one crucifix, and at least one small statue in every room. I have several holy water fonts. (I've run out of places for those actually). I even have statues outside, in my front and back yards. I also collect wind chimes. I only have six so far. I'd like to get several more. I also collect incense and incense burners, candles and holders, rocks, and shells. I love beaded things.. long bead necklaces, beaded bracelets, beads on my skirts, beaded curtains... LOL I just love beads. Not the tacky plastic ones. I like the glass and stone beads. Earth stones are my favorite, such as jasper, onyx, amber, and so forth and so on. I also like the hand made beads, carved, or made from paper or flower petals. There is just no 'love' in a plastic bead. Most of all, I love books. Yes, we have a Kindle. But there is nothing in this world like holding a book in your hands, turning the pages, the feel of it.. the smell.. I love books!!
9) I dislike modern things, with the exception of appliances, central heat and air, windows and pipes. :) I love pretty, old-fashioned things. Blue canning jars, aprons, lace doilies, embroidered handkerchiefs, and tea kettles with cups and saucers. Cast iron. Chenille bedspreads. Cedar chests, depression glass, good crystal, good linens, and monogrammed everything. :) Rocking chairs, checkers, and old metal washtubs. I love opening the windows on nice days when it's not too hot, and enjoying the breezes and hearing the tinkle of my wind chimes outside. Men being true gentlemen, and women who act like well brought-up ladies, with dignity, tact, and grace.
10) I had to think of what I could put down for my 10th thing you may not know about me. So I decided I'd admit my pride. Yes, it's true. I am a very prideful person. Pride for myself? Please. Every bit of my "pride" is family and home. Period. My kids.. well, they are awesome. :) I am fiercely proud of them. I could go on, and be a bragging, gloating mom, which would be very easy. :) But every mother thinks her child is the prettiest, the smartest, and the most amazing. I am no different. I can, and have, shamelessly bragged on them more times than I can count. There's no scale that can measure it. I love them more than anything. Other source of my pride? I am proud of our little cookie-cutter house. It's not a big fancy house in the country, or on a golf course. It's not posh, modern, fancy, or new. It's not in a well-to-do neighborhood. Our house is in an 'older' neighborhood, where the homes are around 40 years old. I was 29 when we bought this house. No one 'gave' it to us.. we bought it ourselves... with termites, a leaking roof, with all the original appliances, pipes, wiring, and God help us, the original air conditioner which didn't work At. All. (AC is VERY important in Florida!) But we bought this ourselves. We slowly got things fixed and replaced and repaired. Seventeen years later, we are still trying to get things fixed. Repaired. Replaced. But you know, I love our home. My children have grown up in this home. We've made memories here. We never want to move.. hubby and I say that we'll stay here in this house until they carry us out. It's home. Our home is not a mansion or a trophy, yet I am proud of it.. not for its monetary value, but for the love inside of it. The four of us.. hubby, our kids, and me.. I would not trade for anything in this world. But if it were not for our kids, our house would not be the "homey" home that it is.
So these are my ten things. I challenge you all.. what are YOUR ten things? I'd love to read them! :)
1) I've been at the top of mountains, explored underground caves, swam with alligators, and panned for gold and gemstones in a mountain stream. I've fished from the river and the creek. I've hand caught grass shrimp and minnows to use as bait. I've caught tad poles and polywogs to take home and put into my fish tank until they were ready to be released. I've dug in the sand for clams, and went out and caught wild blue crabs with my parents for our supper. I've picked blackberries, wild onions and mint in the woods.
2) I've never been on an airplane, helicopter, or a train. Never been on a boat aside from the river ferry and the river taxi, or a friend's motor boat. I've never been out West, never have traveled outside of the United States, and have not even left the South since 1985.
3) I've not seen snow since 1989. I've never built a snowman in my life. But I am well acquainted with hurricanes!
4) We've had a lot of pets. Some were childhood pets, and some as an adult. I've had (I think) six dogs, a few cats, several guinea pigs, a hamster, parakeets, a cockatiel, several turtles, loads of fish, chickens, ducks, and a pet goat, and probably two dozen rabbits. We had pigs too, but my parents raised them for meat and had them butchered. I would dearly love another bird, and a hedgehog. I love pets!
5) I come from a family of girls. My great-grandmother had eleven girls and THEN had two boys. One of her daughters, my granny, had two girls. My mom had us three girls. Her sister, my aunt, had four girls, one of those girls had a girl, and I have two girls. My younger sister has three children.. two girls, and finally a boy! Our running joke is that boys in this family don't stand a chance. LOL!!
6) I am terrified of snakes, (ophidiophobia), spiders, (arachnophobia), wild monkeys, and big bugs in general. I'm mildly claustrophobic, a little gephyrophobia, (fear of bridges) plus my fear of heights (acrophobia) so a really high bridge is NOT cool with me at all! Also a bit of agoraphobia.. (I hate shopping malls!) Looking at this list, I have to laugh. I actually could go on, but I'd hate for anyone to think I was totally nuts. ;) LOL!!
7) I suffer from depression and anxiety. Sometimes I'm fine. Sometimes, not so much. It's a day to day thing. I've lost friends because of it. I've gotten treated like a freak because of it. But I can't let that bother me. It's not something you sign up for. It's not being 'high drama'. It's not something you 'get over', like a cold. I can't just "get a grip" and it will magically disappear.
8) I like to collect certain things. Perhaps some of them are a little odd, but I like them. My collection is not so that I will end up on an episode of Hoarders. :) I like Catholic statues... well, I like Catholic items in general. I have rosaries, at least one crucifix, and at least one small statue in every room. I have several holy water fonts. (I've run out of places for those actually). I even have statues outside, in my front and back yards. I also collect wind chimes. I only have six so far. I'd like to get several more. I also collect incense and incense burners, candles and holders, rocks, and shells. I love beaded things.. long bead necklaces, beaded bracelets, beads on my skirts, beaded curtains... LOL I just love beads. Not the tacky plastic ones. I like the glass and stone beads. Earth stones are my favorite, such as jasper, onyx, amber, and so forth and so on. I also like the hand made beads, carved, or made from paper or flower petals. There is just no 'love' in a plastic bead. Most of all, I love books. Yes, we have a Kindle. But there is nothing in this world like holding a book in your hands, turning the pages, the feel of it.. the smell.. I love books!!
9) I dislike modern things, with the exception of appliances, central heat and air, windows and pipes. :) I love pretty, old-fashioned things. Blue canning jars, aprons, lace doilies, embroidered handkerchiefs, and tea kettles with cups and saucers. Cast iron. Chenille bedspreads. Cedar chests, depression glass, good crystal, good linens, and monogrammed everything. :) Rocking chairs, checkers, and old metal washtubs. I love opening the windows on nice days when it's not too hot, and enjoying the breezes and hearing the tinkle of my wind chimes outside. Men being true gentlemen, and women who act like well brought-up ladies, with dignity, tact, and grace.
10) I had to think of what I could put down for my 10th thing you may not know about me. So I decided I'd admit my pride. Yes, it's true. I am a very prideful person. Pride for myself? Please. Every bit of my "pride" is family and home. Period. My kids.. well, they are awesome. :) I am fiercely proud of them. I could go on, and be a bragging, gloating mom, which would be very easy. :) But every mother thinks her child is the prettiest, the smartest, and the most amazing. I am no different. I can, and have, shamelessly bragged on them more times than I can count. There's no scale that can measure it. I love them more than anything. Other source of my pride? I am proud of our little cookie-cutter house. It's not a big fancy house in the country, or on a golf course. It's not posh, modern, fancy, or new. It's not in a well-to-do neighborhood. Our house is in an 'older' neighborhood, where the homes are around 40 years old. I was 29 when we bought this house. No one 'gave' it to us.. we bought it ourselves... with termites, a leaking roof, with all the original appliances, pipes, wiring, and God help us, the original air conditioner which didn't work At. All. (AC is VERY important in Florida!) But we bought this ourselves. We slowly got things fixed and replaced and repaired. Seventeen years later, we are still trying to get things fixed. Repaired. Replaced. But you know, I love our home. My children have grown up in this home. We've made memories here. We never want to move.. hubby and I say that we'll stay here in this house until they carry us out. It's home. Our home is not a mansion or a trophy, yet I am proud of it.. not for its monetary value, but for the love inside of it. The four of us.. hubby, our kids, and me.. I would not trade for anything in this world. But if it were not for our kids, our house would not be the "homey" home that it is.
So these are my ten things. I challenge you all.. what are YOUR ten things? I'd love to read them! :)
Susan,
ReplyDeleteYou did it! What a great post. You really treated us. You didn't just give 10 bare boned facts but elaborated. I loved hearing all the details. Oh wow! What a beautiful picture you have given me of you and your life.
You've never been on a train? I hadn't been on one for many years before I was brave enough to travel to Sydney on the train about 2 years ago. Everything had changed... ticket machines instead of a man selling tickets, a machine that swallows your tickets instead of a ticket collector... I always feel like a country mouse when I venture into the city! My girls went on their first train ride a few months ago, but they have never been on a bus.
I might have cheated and written 10 facts about the queen rather than about myself, in my last post, but I did write 10 real facts about me in the previous post: 'Sue Stands on a Box and Shouts...' I wonder if you saw that one. It's always hard thinking of something I haven't already written about!
Thanks so much for sharing!
btw, I'm a fiercely proud mother too. Our children deserve that kind of love from their parents.
Oh yes, I keep thinking of more to say... I'm now remembering my chenille bedspread, the one I had as a child. I loved pulling out the threads one by one. It ended up with bald patches!
Ah, thanks for the kind words!
DeleteNope, I've never been on a train. I've taken the public transportation (the bus) before, years ago, and I only did that about 2 years. Otherwise I never have.
My mom had a chenille bedspread when I was little, and I had to lie down on it for my afternoon naps. I hated nap time, and I too picked out the threads and left bald spots. :)
Thank you for stopping by and commenting! :) I really appreciate it!