Two.

It's Day Two of the challenge. In case you need catching up, you can read all about it here.

Two: List 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

1. Fear of losing those I love I feel like this should be a legitimate fear for (1) anyone who is breathing and (2) anyone who loves others who are also breathing. The realities of life have made this a fear.
2. Fear of being run over and/or off the road by a semi-truck/18-wheeler This is a legitimate fear for me because it's already happened to me.
3. Fear of showering during a thunderstorm Okay, in all honesty, I'm not positive this is a legitimate fear, but I've always heard you should steer clear of running water/plumbing while indoors during a thunderstorm (because obviously you shouldn't be outside, anyway) because if your house gets hit by lightning you could be electrocuted. Is this true? I don't know. But I'll keep being afraid of it anyway.

Thanks for reading! Stop by tomorrow for more life-changing revelations.

One.

It's Day One of my 30 day self-challenge, so here goes!

Challenge One: List 20 random things about yourself.

1. I thoroughly enjoy singing along to musicals and pretending I'm the star. 
2. I have a generally excellent sense of direction.
3. I prefer pink shades for nail polish, but secretly wish I was daring enough to rock bolder colors.
4. I dream of traveling the world, but I am a little scared of going to other countries (even though I've been to one before).
5. I do not eat anything that dwells in the water, with the exception of the occasional seaweed.
6. I love the smell of libraries and library books.
7. I wish I had a card catalog - like the whole wooden piece of furniture.
8. Okay, actually I wish I had my own library within my house.
9. I love classic fashion, a la Jackie O. and Kate Middleton.
10. I use my psychology degree to silently diagnose people as I am speaking to them. Other than that, it hasn't really been a lucrative choice for me.
11. I enjoy rainy days so I can stay inside and snuggle.
12. I prefer snow over rain 99% of the time.
13. People-watching is one of my favorite hobbies.
14. I love pictures and the stories one can tell using them.
15. I hate grammatical errors.
16. I save old voicemails from my husband and listen to them when I'm bored or feeling blue.
17. I love family dinners.
18. I am terribly afraid of heights and have a fear of escalators. Don't worry, it's not a debilitating-need to get Dr. Phil's help-kind of fear, but it's still there.
19. Being a {step}mom has been one of the most unexpected (when imagining my life when I was younger), crazy/beautiful, life-altering, and amazing things that's ever happened to me. I like to hope it's worked out pretty well for them, too.
20. My favorite thing is having my family home and the house filled with noise.

Thirty Things

Hi friends! I'm back. I have been busy these last few weeks, but that's not the entire reason I haven't blogged lately.

I actually had several posts for both of my blogs that were thisclose to being done and apparently my "autosave" feature wasn't working. Sadly, when I came back to publish them, they were lost off in cyberspace. Truly tragic. I got pretty discouraged since I had spent so much time writing and loading pictures.

Hopefully I can get ambitious enough to redo the posts because I had some really fabulous thoughts to share with the world. (Or at least they are fabulous to me). I wanted to tell you all about organizing spaces in my house, my new raised bed garden, and more. If you're lucky, you'll be blessed enough to bask in my glory. *Clears throat and blushes at the thought of being glorious*

So much has been going on around here - spring break, job interviews, traveling for the hub's job and to see family, helping my dad get his house ready to put on the market, repairing a water leak at our rental property, blah, blah, blah - that I haven't had time to do many of the projects on my list, and therefore felt I didn't have much to share (except those few posts I did that disappeared).

Needless to say, I've been lacking inspiration of all sorts, so I took to Pinterest to regain some. I found a post by a friend that linked a blog called Hopes and Dreams where the author took time out of each day for 30 days to write something random about herself. My friend had posted it with the pretense of neat ideas to ask your significant other on dates to better understand and know each other.

I like this idea for so many reasons. 1) All of you can catch a glimpse of me, 2) Maybe I'll learn something about myself I never knew, 3) It's a great way to capture who I am RIGHT NOW and reflect on it later, or let my husband or kids read years down the road and learn something about me.

Here are the 30 Things that Jess @ Hopes and Dreams has inspired me to share with the world!

THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misundertand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

If you want to try this neat challenge, click on the button below and join the fun! I'm starting this challenge today and I hope you do, too!

my, my, my

Wow! I can't believe today is here. Okay, so I can, it's not like I thought the world was ending yesterday or something, but my, my, my, time sure does fly.

Today, Samantha is going to her first prom! Eek! Dad is pretty nervous about this (his baby girl is growing up too fast, sometimes), but I'm sure she'll have a blast. And look gorgeous doing it, natch. Sam's mom has things set up so her date should have to meet the entire extended family on that side before heading off to the dance. That's a good way to start a first date, right?

Next week, Michael will be running in his first track meet. I remember my first track meet and being terrified of the gun they shoot off at the beginning of the race. Luckily it was startling enough to get my butt moving. Also, luckily, Mike has none of my genetics because I wasn't the fastest...

Oh, and today is Bridgette's 6th birthday. Next year, she'll have to switch to "mature" dog food, according to the Iams label. Our sweet, sweet girl almost wasn't here, as I found her at the pound on her last few days on death row.

Thank goodness for the small miracles that have allowed today to be reality. I love my family.

Think Teal

My mom was named after Elizabeth Taylor, and they shared today as their birthday. And I was named after my mom. Elizabeth Taylor was my grandmother's favorite actress.

My grandmother was named Elsie Lee. Apparently she and her sister were both named by nurses because their mom (my great-grandmother) either didn't want to name them, or couldn't come up with names. I think my Nana came out better on the deal than her sister who is named Vesta Gertrude (she goes by "Emma," and I can't imagine why...).

Nana, Gramps, Alison and I

When I told Nana I was getting married, her advice to me was,

"I am going to tell you the same thing I told your mom and your sister when they got married. DO NOT name any children you might have after me. I hate my name, and wouldn't wish it on anyone."

She was quite the character. For proof of that, here Nana is, with balloons under her shirt, and wearing her dentures as earrings:

Nana, being Nana

Mom was a character, too. But they were characters on different levels. I doubt she would have posed with balloons and dentures!

I have so many stories about them. I'll save some of those for a different day, though. Part of their stories are sad, but necessary to tell to hopefully save others. My grandmother had breast cancer, and had to have a mastectomy. When she went in for surgery, the doctor found that she had drawn a smiley face on her chest in permanent marker - and that's not even the wackiest story I have about her (as is probably evidenced by the above photo). She passed away years later, however, it was suspected her cancer had returned. My mother passed away from ovarian cancer. It was only one month after the tumor was found and she was gone.

My baptism: Mom, the pastor, me, and my dad (isn't he handsome?)

Today, in honor of Elizabeth and Elsie, please click the teal ribbon below to visit the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition's website to learn more about ovarian cancer and its signs and symptoms, as well as it's possible links to breast cancer. You may just save a life. It may be yours.

Wicked Writing Tips

I love reading and writing, and my blogs are just another way for me to exercise that hobby. In searching for grad schools, I stumbled upon Southern New Hampshire University and was added to their email list-serv. Here is some excellent - and easy - advice from an amazing author via SNHU.

Author Gregory Maguire: 5 Wicked Tips for Writers | SNHU

His tips sure make me feel better about what I'm doing. Maybe it means I'm on the right track.

remembering you

For most people, I think February symbolizes love, hearts, flowers, candy, pink, red. February reminds me of all the missed opportunities. Not only that, but all the memories that I am terrified will fade away, that I'll no longer be able to recall. The memories we had together. The memories you had that I never knew. My own memories that I fear no one will know if I don't write them down.

Like your favorite color. You used to tell me it was pink, but mine was pink, so I wonder if you were just siding with a toddler rather than reasoning difference with one. How can you know someone 21 years and not be positive what her favorite color was?

I never knew your father was an attorney. Not until last year when it casually came up in a conversation with dad. Did I miss that somewhere? All I ever knew was that he was in the military.

I wonder about how you and dad met. I know the basics, but not the specifics. I have asked him, but there's two sides to every story, but this story is now forever one-sided.

Remember when you used to cut my hair in the kitchen when I was little? I'd sit on those milk jug stools that Dad brought home from Bordens before my time and you painted yellow. Then, when I was older, how I'd cut your hair in the kitchen as you sat on the very same stool.

I remember how you used to tape the Astros games that would air on TV in Rock Springs, and how you'd yell at anyone for telling you the score until you'd watched it, even if it was days later.

Or when the huge box of knitted baby clothes and a handmade ring pillow for a wedding arrived in the mail from your mom, when I was just in high school, along with a note that she might not be around when I had kids, and she wanted me to have them. I thought she was just being her crazy self. The one that made a sock into a purse and wore it to Alison's wedding. But it turned out neither of you made it to my wedding, although that pillow did.

I wonder what you'd think of me now. You never met my husband, my kids. I think you had a lot in common with all of them, and that you'd really get along. Hell, I think even dad likes Harry. Nana thought that was quite impressive. Sometimes I wonder what you'd do in a particular situation or how things might be different. I know it's useless, because you aren't here, but my mind wanders.

February brings your birthday. You'd be 57. Almost exactly 30 years older than me. It's still so weird you aren't here. There's still situations where I am thisclose to picking up the phone to tell you something or ask about your day when I remember.

I remember so many Valentine's Days with you. Even your last. I still have the stuffed puppy dog you brought home to me, not able to bear parting with it. Remember you and dad helping me make my Valentine's card box for the contests at school when I was little. Sharing dinner with you at the French Quarter, not knowing we'd never have another Valentine's date together.

I laid awake late last night with tears streaming down my face for no apparent reason. I guess February really makes me miss you.