Tag, You're it!

Well I've been tagged by Brenda to tell you all 8 random things about myself. I've seen a 7 random things meme going on at several blogs that I lurk on but I guess someone thought 8 would be even better. Hmmmm. I guess I'm up to it. I have to warn you ...brevity is not my forte.

“Rules:” After posting these rules, each player proceeds to list 8 relatively random facts/habits about himself/herself. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, leaving them a comment on their blogs to let them know.


1. OK, I've never liked the game of tag. (Perhaps this kind excluded) I am quintescentially non-athletic so tag or any other game that requires me to run, catch someone or something, sweat, breathe heavily etc is not high on my list of favorite things ... and it has been that way since elementary school (which, by the way, I always used to call Grammar School -- is that a New England thing?) My favorite thing to do during recess as a kid was to act out stories with my friends. The all time fave was the week after they showed Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella on TV (usually shown once a year -- hey I'm old, it was before vcr's and tivo). We would have a blast belting out "In my own little corner in my own little chair" "Impossible" and "Why would a fellow want a girl like her?" (the stepsister's song) on the playground.

2. Following the make believe theme here .... I've been a sneaky friend since I was five. Or maybe I was just sneaky at 5 and have hopefully outgrown it! My neighbor and I would play make believe and of course we each had to have a "boyfriend". We were both madly in love with Davy Jones on the Monkees. We would fight over who got to have him as her boyfriend. Then I would slyly convince Heidi that the cute short one that she meant was really named Peter and eventually she would go along with it and we would both (at least in our minds) be "dating" Davy Jones! Yikes! We were only 4 or 5 years old ... which is the age my daughter is. Heaven help me!

3. One of my favorite ice cream flavors is peppermint stick, hard to find in the supermarkets at any other time other than Christmas. Last December I was in the states and thought I could get a little "peppermint fix" but I couldn't find it anywhere! Boo Hoo. Had to settle for mint chocolate chip.

4. I have two children that I have never met. CJ was due Feb 29, 1999, and Coren Leslie was due January 30, 2000. I miscarried CJ July 11, 1998 and Coren on July 1, 1999. I named them, in part, to combat the messages I was getting (especially from my doctor and nurses) that just because they did not develop enough to have a visible physical form that somehow they were "non-persons". I often wonder if they are boys or girls, or one of each.

5. I always wanted pierced ears, at least ever since the little italian girl in 2nd or 3rd grade had them. I had to wait until I was 23 and then it was my "statement of independence". (Just think "As long as you live under our roof ...")

6. I know how to count to 99 in Japanese, I used to be able to sing "Jesus Loves Me" in Portuguese, I can order a half grapefruit in French, I can order you to "get that dog off my lawn!" in Swedish, and I am fluent in Spanish. Thankfully, the Lord called me and my husband to be missionaries in Spain. I'm not sure I'd be very effective with the rest of my language repertoire.

7. I sang my first solo for special music in church when I was 4 or 5. It was "The Old Rugged Cross." I write music (although I haven't written anything lately) and love to sing but haven't been able to sing in public for the last 5-7 years without my voice going completely "froggy" on me.

8. My favorite meal is Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings ... but mostly the turkey and gravy. A close second is a great steak (I can just taste the filet mignon now). When I was a girl my grandmother would take each of us 3 grandkids out on our birthday to a restaurant of our choice ... just she and the birthday child. I always chose one of two steak houses in the area. She would get me a Shirley Temple to drink (ginger ale with a cherry in a fancy glass) and I would savor my steak covered in A1 sauce.

OK, Some of these might be "double tagged" but here goes: I tag Carol, Jon and Kelly, April & Travis, Ed, Heather, Kelley, Tina, and Larry.