25 Things About Me…
1. I am bi-lingual in English and Portuguese. It’s not something I ever imagined would truly happen or something I sought out, but I happened to marry a man from Brasil (South America) and I have learned his mother language. It even helps me to understand a lot of Spanish. I actually have done very little formal study (books, etc) but have learned from being immersed in the language (lots of friends from Brasil and great TV novelas (soap operas)). Though because I’ve not done too much formal studying, I do make some grammatical errors, but I have fooled more than one native Brasilian with my accent, which is pretty good for an American J Our daughter is also growing up bilingual and we are doing book study with her so she can read and write also. Hopefully I’ll iron out my mistakes while teaching her!
2. My daughter’s birth was incredibly amazing and empowering and has led me into a new passion: passing on that empowerment to other women in childbirth and all that comes with it. My daughter was born at a birth center with a Certified Nurse Midwife and initially in the water (read also: no drugs, intentionally). I did get out of the tub when we saw it was her little behind coming first. She came out fine. I also nursed her for 2 years.
3. I always had really long hair (nearly to my butt). But my husband has prodded me into cutting it a bit shorter, a little bit at a time, over the years. I’ve had it shorter, but currently I like to keep it about chin length. I like it shorter as it’s a little easier to manage, but it’s still super thick and that presents its own challenges. Currently, my husband is my hair stylist and I’ve gotten compliments on his work.
4. I have been best friends with my best friend for almost a quarter of a century!! We still keep in regular contact and see each other when we can. We’ve both also had “ESP” experiences concerning the other. She’s amazing and I am so blessed we have maintained our friendship over the years, into adulthood and across many miles.
5. I’m my daddy’s daughter… I love tools and fixing things and going bargain hunting at garage sales and thrift stores.
6. I don’t like raw tomatoes (but will eat about any other tomato product), mushrooms and most seafood (I can do basic white fish and that’s about it)
7. I grew up with horses in my backyard. I learned to ride from my mom from a very early age. I ride because I love it, not for competition or anything. I worked for three years at a ranch summer camp while in college and taught other children how to ride and had a blast! I feel incredibly connected to nature and free when riding. Unfortunately, I doubt I’ll ever own my own horse as I don’t want to be horse-poor.
8. I’ve been inside the Washington DC Cathedral’s bell towers! This is not an area open to the public but I got an inside pass due to my bell choir director’s connections. His friend played the bells there that have the big ropes you have to pull on to ring the bells… she got the largest bell swinging (not ringing) and we grabbed the rope and flew clear up to the high ceiling! Talk about fun!
9. My mother’s mother’s family can trace their heritage back 300+ years and we trace our roots back to an English soldier who married an Austrian princess! They were asked to leave and soon came to America. We have had annual family reunions for over 100 years now! On my father’s side, we’re German with a little Irish and English also. I am only the 3rd generation born American on my father’s father’s side. My great-grandfather came over from Germany as a child.
10. I have some musical talent… I play the flute, piccolo and handbells. I love to make music!
11. For a girl from a small town in Ohio, I’ve seen a little bit of the world and want to see more! I visited St Petersburg, Russia the summer after I graduated high school, and saw a bit of Copenhagen, Denmark on our way home. I’ve visited Brasil four times so far since marrying my husband, and two of those times I went by myself (once with our daughter as a toddler)! We hopped into Argentina and Paraguay one time while there also. I can also say I made it to Canada once. I would love to travel the world over! There are many other places I’d love to see first-hand and it’s hard to say if we ever will, but we do have many friends from dozens of countries and nearly every continent!
12. I met my husband on-line. (note, I did not say we dated on-line). We met and he actually helped me get my first job after college, and once there our relationship flourished. We’ve been together for 10 years now, married almost 9. It’s not something I’d recommend to everyone, and you’ve got to be careful, but it worked for us.
13. My husband and I cannot agree on our wedding anniversary date. We were legally married on May 25, 2000 and then had a church wedding on August 12, 2000. So we try to recognize each date as best we can.
14. I love to organize! I actually will be much calmer and can concentrate better if my “space” is organized and orderly. Clutter makes me crazy!
15. My favorite Bible passage is Psalms 19. An anonymous person referenced this passage for me in an encouraging note I received one summer working at aforementioned ranch camp… it immediately spoke to me because I am awed by nature, and have always loved watching the sky… sunrises, sunsets, the moon and stars.
16. My favorite constellation is Orion.
17. I am obsessed with HGTV… If I’m home (alone) then it’s normally on that channel if I’m watching tv. Now, I just need a house to try out all the great ideas I see!
18. I am crooked, or rather, one leg is shorter than the other. Some people will notice a slight limp, which is more perceptible if I’m tired, and ask if I hurt my ankle. It appears to be genetic, and it’s not my actual leg length, but rather how my bone is set inside the joint. One side is a little higher up. My father has a very similar limp to my own J
19. I think a lot. Too much probably. I am a very “internal” person, which some people may perceive as too serious. There are times I over think, and it does make me more sensitive to personal criticism, but I also hope it makes me more empathetic towards others.
20. I love hanging clothes to dry on a line outside. I try to be fairly “green” but there is always more we can do to lessen our impact on our world.
21. I’m not really a big political person. Though as I’ve grown older, I see the importance of politics, and also the rampant influence it has over everything. I describe my political ideals as a “crunchy conservative” – there is a book that describes this, fyi. I did not make it up on my own.
22. I’ve had a really hard time finishing this list. And probably have shared more than anyone would be interested in. See #19.
23. I’m a sweet freak… my favorites are probably chocolate with peanut butter or caramel.
24. I’m a bit of a shutter bug. I like pictures and though the digital age is great, I insist on printing the best and put them in albums so we can “touch” them!
25. I’m an optimistic person that tries to see the best in everyone!
1 comment:
I like your list--what you think is worth sharing. There were some fun surprises; I'm now trying to picture you with really long hair playing the piccolo. Hope your move goes well.
Post a Comment