Story Time #1: Why My Dad Is My Hero

I've been told I should write down some of my stories.  I have a ton of them, but I'm not sure how they could actually go together in some kind of book.  Instead I'll write them down here and share them with you all.  If any book publishers are reading feel free to contact me and I'm sure we can work something out.

My first story is a sweet little number about why my dad is my hero.

My dad is an awesome guy.  I don't want to get into too much back story, so let me just tell you two things you need to know about my dad in order for this story to make sense.  1.) My dad is retired Army.  He could kill a man with his bare hands or whatever rudimentary tools happen to be nearby. 2.)  My dad is super mellow and incredibly easy going.  He could kill you, but he's just too great a guy to actually do it.  It takes a lot to get him riled up in any way.

I've only seen my dad get really angry a few times in my life.  When my dad gets really angry it's scary.  That's when it's easy to see the soldier.

The times he's been really angry have only been when a member of his family is being threatened.  This is my story.

When I was a little kid I used to have a recurring nightmare about a Nazi with a German Shepherd who was coming to get me.  Every time I had the dream (twice a year or so) the Nazi was getting closer and closer.  When I was 12 I dreamed that he was across the street from my house. Then I never had the dream again.

Fast forward to me at 16.  My mom had a gas card for Circle K as a perk from her job and we were all allowed to use it to fill up our cars.  Pretty nice perk, right?  There was a Circle K about a half mile from our house and the next nearest was more like three miles away.

One day after I'd given my mom my gas receipts she noticed that for the past few weeks I'd been going out of my way to use the farther station.  Of course, she wanted to know why I was driving so far out of my way when the other station was so much closer and easier to get to.

Well, there happened to be a creepy guy who looked just like the Nazi from my old dream that liked to hang out at the nearer Circle K.  He would just stand by the counter and flirt with the girl who worked there and he'd flirted with me a little too.  Nothing to bad, just mild banter.  Still, it creeped me out enough that I stopped going to that station. (This station was old, there were no card readers at the pump.  I actually had to go into the station to pay.  The far station was newer and I could pay at the pump.)

My dad was in the room when I explained this all to my mom.  She looked over at my dad, he simply nodded to her and told me, "Get in your car, we're going to get gas."

When we got to the station he asked me if the guy was in there and I pointed him out.  I got my gas and my dad told me to go in and pay as usual.  He said he'd be right behind me.

I went in and just like I'd said the creepy guy was flirting with the cashier and said something to me.


My dad went ballistic.


I mean that literally.  My dad turned into a weapon.  He physically swelled up and just lashed out at the guy.  He didn't yell, but he wasn't speaking softly by any means.

"DON'T you DARE speak to my daughter.  What are you doing here bothering the people who work here and bothering underage girls.  YOU need to find a new place to be.  If I EVER hear of you loitering here when my daughter comes to get her gas you will have ME to deal with."

My dad was probably 6 inches shorter than this guy but I saw Creepo literally shrinking away.  The ladies behind the counter were startled at first and just kind of stared at my dad.  After my dad watched the guy leave the station he went out and stood by my car.  I sheepishly paid and kind of mumbled "Sorry."  The lady who was ringing me up was grinning and told me not to be sorry, that guy had been bugging her for weeks and just wouldn't take the hint to leave.  She was thrilled my dad had gotten rid of him for her too!

And that is one of the reasons why my dad is my hero!

I've been up to my ears in projects.  I don't have any pictures yet because as soon as I finish them I've been squirreling them away so the kids don't see them.

As soon as I'm able I'll post some shots.  I'll also update with a whole list of the things I'm making. 

I haven't forgotten about you, I promise.  I've got great things in the works!

Balance

Saturday one of my oldest friends ran her first 5k.  Rachel also happens to be my favorite blogger and an amazing writer.  Yesterday she blogged about the experience and I really want to share what she wrote.  Please go over to her blog and read Sweet Spontaneous: Run For Your Life.

These are truly beautiful legs. (Rachel's, not mine!)

I really believe that life is about balance.  Male & Female, Good & Bad, Happy & Sad, Summer & Winter.  You can't appreciate the good things fully if you never experience the bad.  Sometimes we are extremely fortunate and we can learn from other people's experiences.  I can see the family who lost their mother and mourn for them while holding my own kids a little tighter.  In comparison my own struggles are easy to bear.

Quick

I've been a little busy watching T.V. the last few nights.  Last night was a disappointing finale of Project Runway and tonight I've got a few season premieres to watch.

That means I'm not doing anything really interesting but I have gotten quite a few afghan stars made!

Today's Sky:  Overcast with really high thin white clouds.  I could almost see blue through them.  It was a really interesting sky today.

Stars Made Today: 6
Just a note for future reference:  I've decided instead of counting stars every day I'm just going to count how many I've made since my last post.  That way I don't have to post those silly, short updates!

I wasn't sure what to blog about today.  I didn't do any crafts, no new recipes, just a regular day.  I thought about introducing you guys to some of my favorite websites, but hadn't narrowed it down to one.

I randomly checked my Facebook, and saw that Allie Brosh had finally posted a new Hyperbole and a Half.  Yay!  I love her!  She's so funny and her drawings are adorable. I just love the way she thinks.

Super excited, I hit the link and read the post.  Adventures in Depression.  Not so funny.  Well, okay, it had funny moments.  Mostly though, it was sad.  She tells her readers about her past few months and her depression.  Just reading it made me feel like putting an arm around her and giving her a big hug.  Letting her know that I understand.

I understand what it's like to have that voice in your head that is constantly telling you what a waste you are.  I know what it's like to feel like you only have friends because of what you give them.  "She only likes you because you make her laugh."  "He only likes you because he's friends with your husband."  "You really bug them but they're too polite to tell you to get lost."

I know what it's like to have a huge pile of laundry or dishes that is so big and has been there for so long that I hardly see it any more.  I stop seeing the mess as a self-preservation tool.  If I really saw the mess then I'd have one more voice telling me what a horrible housekeeper I am.

I know what it's like not to care about what I look like because caring would mean that I was worth the time it would take to fix myself up.

I still suffer from depression.  I always will.  I'm lucky, I was blessed with an amazing husband who saw the signs in me and demanded I get treatment.  It's still an uphill battle.  Even when I get my medicine right my body can become tolerant of it and I have to adjust my dosage.  I still have good days and bad days.  Even with the medicines every day is a struggle.

Even little things that other people take for granted like getting dressed or making myself something to eat are a struggle.  When I say struggle that's exactly what I mean.  It's a fight.  I'm fighting against those nasty voices in my head that are telling me I'm not worth it, I don't deserve it, why waste it on me.  I'm fighting against the apathy and the physical pains.  Simple things like this can be completely exhausting.

Just getting my kids ready for school can wipe me out for the rest of the day.  Grocery shopping isn't something I've been able to do on my own for months.  The last time I tried it took me 4 hours and I was exhausted for three days afterward.

I'm not typing all this out because I want you to feel sorry for me.  When I read Allie's story I wanted to give her a hug and get her some help.  While I welcome hugs, I am already getting the help I need.  I'm actually doing pretty well right now.

I'm typing all this out for two reasons.

First, for anyone else who might be feeling this way.  It's not normal.  There are ways to feel better.  Talk to somebody.  Anybody.  Try medication if you haven't, try therapy, if those things haven't worked for you feel free to talk to me.  I'll try to help you find some solutions.  Just keep trying.

Second,  for those of you who don't know how this feels.  Try to be a little more understanding.  You can't tell somebody with depression to "Just cheer up!" any more than you can tell somebody in a wheelchair to "Just get up and walk!"  Yet mental illness is looked down on as some kind of moral failing.  I'm a talented, smart, loving person who also happens to deal with mental illness.  Just like a diabetic has to manage their illness, so do I.

This is a great article for helping people understand "hidden" diseases.  The lady who wrote that is talking about Lupus, but she might as well be describing my depression and anxiety.  It's a really great analogy.

I believe that mental illness is a war.  Every day is a constant battle.  Medication and therapy are just a few of my weapons against depression.  I also believe that this is probably a battle I will fight for the rest of my life.  I could let that last part overwhelm me, but I won't for one good reason:  I believe that as long as I keep fighting and doing the best I can do then I'm winning.  As soon as I give up I lose.  I'm too stubborn to stop fighting.  The things I would lose if I let my illness take over my life are too precious to me.  I won't lose my kids or my husband to something like this.  I will fight every moment of every day because even if those voices tell me I'm not worth it, I know in my heart that my family is worth it.

Today's Sky: Partly Cloudy
Stars Made Today: 1

Leftovers

Today was another busy day.  I had three sick kiddos, plus I was feeling pretty under the weather myself.  There was a lot of sleeping and television watching at my house today.  Luckily the kids all seem to be doing much better, and I think the older two will be up for school in the morning.

We had leftovers for dinner, and I have to say that the Cupboard Soup is in fact one of those dishes that tastes even better when it sits for awhile.  It thickens up considerably, I could almost eat it with a fork.

Today's Sky: Partly Cloudy
Stars Made Today: 2

Checkin' In

I'm just checking in to update my sky and stars, today was a busy day!

Today's Sky: Partly Cloudy
Stars Made Today: 2

Star Afghan

When I'm sitting I need to have something else to do. I can't just sit and watch a movie. I have to be doing something with my hands. 95% of the time I'm surfing the web on my laptop, but sometimes Eric wants me to be more present and actually spend time with him. That's when I pull out my knitting or sewing or crochet or whatever other project I'm working on.

Like I said before, I'm horrible at projects. If it's something too big I'll lose interest or find something more fun to do.

I was recently introduced to Pinterest. If you don't know what that is then I pity you. It's awesome. I might need to do a post just extolling the virtues of that amazing site.

Anyway, on Pinterest I saw this adorable afghan:

There isn't a link to a pattern, it's just a picture so I filed it to the back of my mind.

Then I saw this:

It's an actual pattern! Whoo hoo!

Then the idea popped into my head, "Why don't I make a fun afghan out of stars and join it together randomly like the baby blanket I saw?"

So that's what I'm going to do. I decided to buy a skein of yarn and just start making stars. I keep it in a basket in the living room with whatever other random project I'm working on. (My Sky Scarf gets its own basket to cut down on tangles!) Since the stars work up really quick I can do as few or as many as I want as I'm unwinding for the day or when I take a minute to rest. When I run out of this color yarn I'll get another skein in a different color, and so on.

The great thing about this is that it's impossible for me to get overwhelmed because I have no set finished number. I could do the math and figure out how many stars it would take to make a good sized afghan, but I prefer to do it this way. Then I'll be surprised with the size when I'm done. No pressure, no anxiety. And if I decide to give up on it for a month (or a year) it's no big deal. Even if I quit right now I could just join the stars to make a wild little scarf.

I've also decided to start something I call Purse Projects. I rolled a small ball of yarn and put it in a sandwich bag and stuck it in my purse. That along with a crochet hook, a small pair of scissors, and a copy of the pattern allow me to crochet a star or five while I'm out and about and find myself waiting for whatever reason.

Admittedly I haven't actually made any purse stars yet, but that's because I also have a Kindle and I've been playing the new free games they just released. (Hmmm. I might have to do a Kindle post too...)

Today's Sky: Clear Blue
Stars Made Today: 4

Updates. So many updates...

I have neglected my blog. Bad Heather. I've decided to try to keep it up better for my own sanity.

I do have a few readers, so for anybody still paying any attention to me I thought I would post some updates for my older posts.

Celiac Disease:

After my little experiment two years ago I found out that I do indeed have Celiac Disease. No doubt. Since that point I have not intentionally eaten anything containing gluten. I still get accidentally "glutened", especially when I eat out, but overall things are much better. The Gluten Free Diet has become rather trendy, so there are new companies coming out with gluten free options all the time. Unfortunately there are no current regulations on GF labeling, so I still have to be cautious when trying new foods.

I also started my own blog about gluten free living, Everyday Celiac. Feel free to visit and send friends. I haven't updated it in awhile, but I have a few posts planned for the near future.

Overall Health:

I am no longer underweight. I am on the low side of normal with a BMI of 19. Over the summer my boys got the flu and for the first time ever I didn't get sick! This past week Eric caught a cold and again for the first time I didn't catch it! Huzzah!

I've finally gotten my appetite back and actually get hungry at meal times. I have to eat small frequent meals or I get really uncomfortable, but at least I'm eating again.

I'm still struggling with fatigue and some other issues, I'm working with my doctor. Hopefully someday we can figure those out too.

Depression:

I'm still struggling. I'm back on meds, currently taking Celebrex and really liking it. I have an appointment to see a Psychiatrist soon, so things might change. If it doesn't get too personal I'll update you.


I think that's about it. If I've forgotten something let me know.

Bad Ideas and the Summer From Heck...

First a little background info.

When I was diagnosed as having Celiac Disease there was a slight possibility that the atrophy in my intestines was from a recent bout of gastroenteritis and that I did not actually have Celiac Disease. The blood tests that indicate Celiac Disease were all negative for me. The blood test being positive means that you definitely have Celiac Disease, but a negative does not mean that you don't. Confusing, but my gastroenterologist (gut doctor) told me that the best idea would be to go on the diet and see if it helped me. He told me that if I ever doubted my diagnosis that I could just go off the diet for two weeks and see what happens. If nothing happens then I'm not a Celiac, if I feel crummy then I know that my diagnosis was correct.

Fast forward to this past August. I started thinking maybe I don't have Celiac Disease. I was feeling worn out and having stomache pains, and since I was on the Gluten-Free diet I thought that maybe there was something else causing all my trouble. So my hubby and I decided to do the two week trial. Just to see.

Usually, when I think I've been "glutened" I feel some... umm... "bowel distress". I compare it to food poisoning. It is pretty much in direct proportion to how much gluten I have ingested. The first time I might not even feel it. The second time, however, it is like salt on a wound. Much worse. Then I heal and I'm fine again. Normally there are no lingering effects.

I started back on the "regular" diet on a Monday. It was beautiful. I was able to eat things that I had been dreaming about, mostly fluffy rolls and turkey with actual gravy from a restaurant. It was nice, very nice. I went a whole week not feeling a thing. No tummy pain, no "distress", none of the bad stuff at all. I was actually starting to think that my diagnosis was wrong and that I was going to be able to lead a normal life again.

Then came week two.

The Sunday of my experiment came and I was feeling run down and achy, almost like I was getting the flu. By Sunday afternoon I was so sensitive, that the slightest touch felt like someone was pushing on a bruise. Speaking of bruises, I noticed a few more bruises than normal that I had no explanation for. (FYI I bruise easily anyway, so I mean that I had bruises on my arms and legs not from the normal bumping into furniture.) I stayed on the "regular" diet because I had a lot of treats that I'd bought and I wanted to finish them so as not to waste money.

I gave that up by Tuesday. I was miserable.

It was horrible. If I had been running a fever I would have sworn that I had the worst flu EVER. Nope. The Gluten Monster had returned, and with a vengeance. Not only was I in "distress", but I was hurting in ALL my joints, achy in every muscle. Plus I was in a really, really bad mood. My depression was bad, and my anxiety was horrible too. Lucky for me that Valerian Root really works.

I'd had a week of fun, and it took TWO MONTHS for me to recover. That's right, two whole months. I was useless. Here it is the end of October, and I am finally feeling normal again. I have a really understanding husband. (The preceding was a huge understatement!)

So between the Serotonin Withdrawals and the Celiac Monster, I was not much fun this summer. We were able to squeeze a nice visit to my family in Phoenix over the Fourth of July, between my self medical experimentation. I feel bad for my kids, there wasn't too much fun this summer, but they did get lots of fresh air and sunshine playing in our backyard!

Okay, I know this was a horribly long post, but I wanted to give some explanation for my disappearance these past few months.

As a post script: I figured out that I'm sensitive to high-fructose corn syrup, especially in soda. Avoiding it seems to take care of the other problems that I was having when I decided to do the "regular" diet experiment.

Gaining Weight

I've gained 8 pounds since stopping the Effexor XR. I'm not sure that I am pleased. It is actually freaking me out a little. I have never gained so much weight so quickly. Well, except for when I was pregnant. That is definitely not the case now. It's just me eating. I haven't missed a meal. Which is good, don't get me wrong. I just didn't expect to gain so much so quickly.

Life moves on...

I apologize for the large break between posts. Things have been a little hectic around my house, for multiple reasons that I won't be going into yet.

The one thing I will blog about for awhile is my new found sense of well-being.

Due to various circumstances I decided to stop taking my Effexor XR depression and anxiety medicine and go a more herbal route. One thing I want to make very clear is that my husband has been keeping a VERY close eye on me. I didn't just go into this blindly. I knew I would have some pretty serious withdrawals, and he has had the time to take care of me. I DO NOT recommend doing what I did unless you have some incredible support behind you! I stopped taking the Effexor cold-turkey and started taking an herb called Valerian Root. I have had enough therapy and have dealt with my depression for long enough that I have found some pretty effective ways of dealing with it. It is my anxiety issues that just kind of sneak up on me. The Valerian Root is an excellent tool to help me with that. I've been off the meds for almost three weeks, and I am really feeling good.

Two weeks ago was a completely different story!

I did some research into Effexor XR and it's side effects and realized that the medicine could be the cause of most of my physical problems. From my lack of appetite to my sleeping problems, they were all listed as possible side effects. Those and quite a few more. None of my health care professionals ever told me that so many of my problems could be caused by the medication, and the little insert that came with my prescription said that the side effects were rare. I don't know why I didn't put it together sooner. Maybe it was because I started feeling so much better when I first started taking the Effexor that I didn't notice the side effects, or it could be that the effects got gradually worse as I was put on a stronger and stronger dose.

I stopped the Effexor and the next day I started the withdrawals. I knew it was going to happen, any time I missed a dose of my meds I would feel it within 24 hours. I had a really hard time, especially with motion sickness and nausea. Just turning my head would make me incredibly dizzy, and the slightest offensive odor would send me gagging to the bathroom. On top of that I had 'Brain Buzzes' every couple of minutes. A Brain Buzz was essentially my brain trying to reboot itself without the medicine.

I was in pretty bad shape for about two weeks. I was pretty messed up. I am still having a few problems, mostly with mood swings, but I am overall feeling much better. The first thing I noticed was my appetite returned. Within 36 hours of stopping the medicine I was VERY hungry. I ate more in the first three days after I stopped the meds than I had in the previous three weeks. That is not an exaggeration. I would have thought that when I went to my doctor and had lost so much weight that she would have maybe considered that the Effexor was interfering with my appetite. Unfortunately, I think that since I had a different doctor give me the initial prescription she didn't think of it.

Just eating regularly has made me feel human again. It is almost weird to feel hungry again, but it is wonderful to actually want to eat instead of choking down every meal.

The other thing that I have noticed now that the Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome is gone is that I am in a better mood more of the time. I think the Effexor kept me from the low depression, but it also seems to have kept me from the good moods too. I feel happier as a rule off the meds than I did on them. The depressed moods are much worse of course, but as I said earlier, I am pretty good at working through those. I was still getting depressed on the meds, and I was actually considering asking about being put on a higher dose or another medicine in addition to the Effexor. I decided instead to try a more 'natural' approach instead of more chemicals.

The medical community doesn't call it Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome anymore. Apparently 'withdrawals' only happen with addictive drugs. Although I think I was pretty addicted to the Effexor, the actual definition of addiction puts it a little differently. Splitting hairs if you ask me.

So, overall, I am feeling so much better. I am dealing with deeper bouts of depression than I was, but my mood has mostly improved. I am eating well again, and as a result I have tons more energy. With all that energy I am actually getting my housework done, and that is making everyone happier! I'm still bursting into tears at sappy commercials, and I have to work harder to control my temper. Oh yeah, and I've been having really weird and vivid dreams. But even that stuff has gotten better every day.

We are planning a trip to Phoenix to visit my family next week. It is going to be so nice to interact with them without the fuzz of the medication in the way!

I changed my mind...

Okay, all that stuff I said about the weather... Just forget it okay. It is GORGEOUS outside. Not to brag or anything, but days like today remind me why I live here! It is sunny and, oh maybe 68 degrees outside. I took the kids straight to the park after school. I couldn't stand have them inside doing homework when it is so beautiful outside.

After my hubby was finished working we went outside and put up our tent. It is a really nice two room tent made out of canvas. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow. It is super nice. My dad is going to be so jealous when he sees it. It even has the opening for a wood stove in the front room. It is awesome.

I just wish it wasn't a school night so we could all sleep out there. I think Eric still might, he has the day off tomorrow. I offered to let him have Leela for the night, but he said no. I don't blame him, she is kind of a bed hog. It's an eight-man tent, but add one large, cuddly German Shepherd Dog and my poor husband would be crammed in one corner.

I think we might go camping over Memorial Weekend and break in our new tent. If we do I'll be sure to get some good pictures.

My Struggle

Okay, I'm going to get serious for a little while. I usually try to keep my blog here up-beat, but I think it's important to talk about struggles. If I'm going through this then other people are too, and maybe they want to read about it.

I am underweight. I'm not anorexic or bulimic, but I do have depression and anxiety issues. I also have Celiac Disease, which doesn't help things. When I get depressed, I don't eat. I know, I know, most people eat when they're upset. Well, I'm the opposite. I get an anxious stomach, and start feeling nauseous. When my stomach is upset I don't want to eat anything. Well, I'd been dealing with the anxiety for so long, that (according to my Doctor) I shut off my hunger trigger. Now, I actually forget to eat. I feed my kids, but then I get busy doing other things and forget to sit down and eat. I am under orders from my doctor to feed myself when I feed the kids, and I am really trying to stick to that.

I don't own a scale, so I don't know exactly how much I weigh, but in February I went in to the Doctor for some shoulder pain and when they weighed me I was 118 lbs. Which would be great, except that I am almost 5'9" tall. That puts my BMI (Body Mass Index)at 17.4. A normal weight person has a BMI of 18.5-24.9.

If someone finds out I'm underweight they'll usually tell me to eat more junk food or to 'carbo load'. Well, that's where the Celiac Disease complicates things. Celiac Disease is an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. That means I can't have most processed foods. There are lots of great products out there that are gluten-free, and more are coming out every day. These tend to be prohibitively expensive. And really hard to find. I can bake my own goodies, but one of the most serious symptoms of my depression is that I just don't have the energy to. This can be a vicious cycle, as being underweight makes me tired too. Food = Energy.

Being underweight causes me all kinds of other problems too. I get sick a lot. I usually catch every bug going around. It's not fun. There's that vicious cycle again. If I'm sick, I don't feel like eating anything. If I don't eat, I won't gain weight or have the nutrients I need. If I stay underweight, I get sick. On and on...


So there's my problem. Every day I fight. I won't give up, I'm too stubborn for that. Some days are better than others, but everyday is a fight. I plan to blog about this in the future, so consider yourself warned!

Photo credit: Tafkabecky at Flickr

Kill the Gluten!

I just found a great new gluten-free blog: Kill.the.Gluten

The ladies who write this blog are terrifically funny, and I just love it.

Great news! Betty Crocker is going launch a new line of gluten-free mixes! YAY! The most promising is the brownie mix, the one thing I miss the most from my pre-Celiac days. I am so excited, I just can't wait to try it out!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Okay, so I didn't wear any green today, but I do like St. Patty's Day. I am of Irish decent on my mom's side. Not Potato Famine Irish, but Revolutionary War Irish. So the whole "Kiss me I'm Irish" thing really applies to me. St. Patrick's Day is the one day a year when everyone who isn't Irish wishes they were. So it's the one day a year when people want to be me! I love it! I don't drink (even if I wasn't Mormon, the Celiac Disease would keep me away from any malt beverages), and I don't like corned beef and cabbage. So it is a minor holiday, but I am proud of my heritage. It's kind of nice when so many other people appreciate it too.

Marry a Handy Guy

I am married to a Handy Guy.

What can I say, I know how to pick 'em. My hubby just happens to be one of those people who are good at taking things apart, fixing whatever was wrong with it, and then putting it all back together. For all you single ladies out there, I highly recommend marrying a Handy Guy. It's great on so many levels. He saves us money all the time. Just in car repairs he has saved us thousands in the last 10 years of marriage. It is comforting too. I know when I hear a weird noise coming from one of my machines or appliances that my hubby will solve the mystery. And I have to admit, I find it incredibly sexy when he's doing the manly fix-it stuff. (I know, I know: overshare)

I love you Eric, Happy Valentine's Day!

25 Things

So the way this goes is if you get tagged you list 25 random things about yourself that people are not likely to know, then you tag 25 friends including the person who tagged you and they are supposed to make their own lists. Kind of like a chain letter, except no bad juju for not continuing the chain. This is my list:

1. I am not that into music. I don't have an ipod, and I don't plan to get one. I blame my apathy on the fact that in high school (formative music years) all my cars either had non-working radios, or radios that changed the channel when you turned the corner. It was just easier to have silence. I do enjoy music, I just don't have to have it playing all the time.

2. I love to cook, but I hate raw meat. Especially raw pork. I don't mind ground hamburger, but maybe that's because it doesn't look much like meat.

3. I have never gotten a ticket. I was pulled over once for speeding, but I was let off with a warning. That's it. Nothing else, not even a parking ticket.

4. I taught myself how to knit.

5. I love sleeping. I think napping should be made a social custom like siestas are in other countries.

6. I want to learn another language fluently.

7. I want to learn to play the piano, but I don't actually own a piano.

8. When I was 8 I wanted to be a nurse, untill I checked a book out from the library about surgery. That changed my mind pretty quick!

9. I wear a size 4 ring.

10. I could (and do) spend hours reading. I get so immersed in books that I can totally block out whatever is going on around me. My husband finds this both amusing and irritating.

11. I grew my hair out to my waist on a bet with my husband. Then I cut it off and donated it to Wigs For Kids.

12. I kill plants, but I love them. I cannot keep a house plant alive, no matter how hard I try. There is one plant in our house that is almost a year old, but my husband takes care of it by himself. I am not allowed to touch it.

13. I like artificial banana flavoring better than real bananas.

14. I love the smell of Almond Extract.

15. I love Old Hollywood. I mean really Old Hollywood. As in Silent Era or shortly after. My favorite actress is Norma Shearer, she retired in 1940.

16. My favorite gemstone is Opal. I also like pearls. I don't like diamonds that much, I think they're kind of boring.

17. I want to wear my hair in a 1920's finger wave. I would do it too, if I could afford to go to the salon to have it set every week.

18. I would wear a hat and gloves in public. If I had a hat and gloves, and the clothes that went along with it.

19. It kind of bothers me when my purse doesn't match my shoes.

20. I love shopping at Thrift Stores and Second Hand Shops, I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt.

21. I think horoscopes are fun, but I don't believe in them. I am a Libra and a Monkey, among other things.

22. I love living near the mountains, I actually get kind of anxious if I am too far away from them.

23. I love it when it is raining, but I hate it when it is overcast without raining.

24. I would rather have a too cold winter than a too hot summer.

25. I love sending and receiving real (snail) mail. I always try to write thank you cards, but they are usually very late.