1. I grew up in New Hampshire.
2. I am the oldest child of two.
3. I have a brother who is 4 years younger than me.
4. I grew up in a small town
5. and I’m scared of big cities
6. but I hate places where everybody knows all of your business
7. or where everyone is the same and no one ever leaves.
8. I never left New Hampshire until I was 22 years old and a college graduate.
9. Since then I lived in Arizona
10. and Texas
11. and Wisconsin
12. and South Carolina
13. and New Hampshire again
14. and Pennsylvania.
15. and now Virginia.
16. Moving is not as fun with 6 kids as it was with one.
17. I prefer warmer weather to cold and will never live in NH again.
18. I broke my arm in the fourth grade chasing Danny Fisher.
19. I dislocated 5 bones and tore all the ligaments in my right foot in the Army.
20. Technically, I’m a “disabled Veteran.”
21. I get migraines when the weather changes (barometric pressure) or when I don’t get enough sleep.
22. I take meds for clinical depression and sometimes for anxiety.
23. And I will never go off of them again, thank you.
24. I met my husband during our junior year in college.
25. We were in Army ROTC together.
26. The road is not always smooth, but he is my best friend, and I love him.
27. When we were dating, we used to say we would have 3 kids.
28. We would have one biologically, then adopt.
29. I guess we got a little carried away. It’s a long story.
30. Five of my kids are Haitian.
31. The first time I went to Haiti was to pick up our 5 year old daughter and bring her home.
32. Going to Haiti changes you forever.
33. At least, it changed me.
34. Adoption is not the answer to Haiti’s problems.
35. I don’t know what the answers are.
36.. But I wish I was there, in the midst of it all, helping.
37. I have three dogs.
38. Lolly is a miniature dachshund. She weighs 14 lbs.
39. Indy is a miniature dachsund too. He weighs 22 lbs.
40. I think he has my genes.
41. Fluffy is a Yorkie.
42. He suffers severe separation anxiety.
43. His previous owners gave him to us because of it.
44. It doesn’t bother us. We figure everyone’s got problems.
45. In 1998, I ran my first Marathon.
46. It was the Fox Cities Marathon in Appleton, Wisconsin.
47. I ran it because Oprah ran one.
48. And if Oprah could do it, I could do it. Dammit.
49. Shortly after, I ran the Inaugural Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, OH.
50. (I wanted to prove the first one wasn’t a fluke.)
51. Then I sat down on the couch for 10 years.
52. And ate my way up to 197 lbs.
53. Yowza!
54. I’m whittling it down now, slowly.
55. Very. Very. Slowly.
56. And I’m running again.
57. I’m supposed to run the DisneyWorld Marathon in January 2010.
58. I’ll be raising money to help buy an ambulance for a ministry in Haiti. Watch for my PayPal button.
59. I love reading. Mostly popular novels that I can whip through quickly.
60. And blogs. I love reading blogs.
61. I don’t watch tv on tv.
62. I only watch it on the computer.
63. Less commercials that way.
64. And I can do it on my own schedule.
65. I like Heroes, Breaking Bad, Glee, and Law and Order (any).
66. I also watch The Real World on MTV, but only if no one’s looking.
67. I’m a little odd, musically.
68. I like Christian music, especially rap, like Lecrae.
69. But I also like Eminem, and Kanye West.
70. I’m sure I’m just the demographic they were going for.
71. I find it terribly satisfying to swear.
72. Although I don’t do it in front of my kids.
73. Much.
74. And I sometimes try to control it, because I think God probably doesn’t like it much.
75. I love coffee, and wish I had more time to go out for coffee with friends.
76. But I am not good about cultivating real live friendships.
77. Maybe because I always have so many kids at home.
78. Or maybe I just use that as an excuse because I’m not good at small talk.
79. I like homeschooling my kids because I like having them around.
80. And because I think a lot of things at school are a waste of time.
81. I wish I could homeschool all of them, but I don’t think I have it in me.
82. And, sadly, the little buggers like going to school.
83. I am a lousy housekeeper.
84. Sometimes I am embarrassed by this.
85. And wonder if people notice when they come over, and think badly of me.
86. So I don’t invite people over.
87. Because it is not a priority for me.
88. Is it really important if the blinds are dusted? I don’t know.
89. Actually, my house if fairly clean, it is just majorly cluttered.
90. Which makes me a little batty.
91. I have a Master’s in Social Work.
92. But I liked community organizing work, and gerontology (old people.)
93. NOT therapy, and NOT kids.
94. I would never want to sit around and listen to other people’s problems.
95. I don’t like GOING to therapy either. No thank you very much.
96. I love Barack Obama, and I am hopeful for his presidency.
97. I am pro-choice, but I pray I never have to make that choice.
98. I believe in equal rights for gay people, including the right to marriage.
99. I believe we (all people) have a moral responsibility to care for one another, to help those less fortunate than us.
100. I believe the most important thing Jesus ever commanded us to do was to love one another.
8 Comments
January 29, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I love your 100 things!
July 15, 2009 at 2:11 am
Hi,
I keep reading your comments on Mama Manifesto, and I thought I’d check out your blog. What’s gerontology? You seem to have a very full and interesting life. Thanks for sharing. I pray that your insurance woes turn out alright. It’s ok to pray about money, but if you don’t like to do it, I’ll offer up one right now for you. Hope you don’t mind if I drop by now and then. I also like coffee, and reading blogs.
Take care.
EM
October 8, 2009 at 4:53 pm
from one blog to another blog and then to another blog (maybe there were more… I lost count), I ended up here and just read through your list. I am not sure why but it made me get a bit teary-eyed (and it is only 4:45 in the pm and no wine-sipping is playing a part…) but it is wonderful how true you are in your words about yourself. Thank you for a wonderful post, I am sure it encourages others to be open and honest about themselves. You find the best fellowship that way! btw, I also like running crazy long distances, home-schooling, caring for the orphan, coffee, reading, and following Jesus. Happy blogging : )
October 27, 2009 at 1:59 pm
ummm pretty much just ditto to the poster above me on this page! found your blog from another blog via another post on someone else’s blog. your 100 things ring so true. so honest and open. i am a fellow swearing (but trying to cut back because jesus doesn’t like it) bad at real life friendships because of too many children underfoot blog and real world loving bad housekeeper. praying for your family – you seem like an amazingly wonderful person. right on with #100. something to remind ourselves of EVERY day.
November 9, 2009 at 10:28 am
LOL. I just read your 100 things. I swear you’re my long lost twin. Except that I actually really do have a twin… I’m thinking you and he were switched at birth and you’re my REAL twin. Just don’t tell my brother, okay?
December 3, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Thanks for #98
I’m legally married in California. It really does feel different to be married than just “domestically partnered”.
It’s awesome to find Christians who have values that are in line with what Jesus taught.
And good luck in your marathon…I ran my first 1/2 marathon in November.
December 3, 2009 at 8:15 pm
I can’t imagine the pain of not being able to marry the person that you love. Or being told that it’s wrong to love that person. Or, once married, being told that your marriage is no longer legal. The cruel things that people do to other people.. and then want to blame on God.. well. I’m sure God has thoughts on all of that. xoxo
December 4, 2009 at 5:41 pm
These 100 things were great ~ just found your blog and am enjoying your humor.