Eight is Great

Ali tagged me and I decided to play along. So here are the rules:

• mention the person who tagged you. (Hi Ali!)
• complete the list of eights
• tag 8 other bloggers
• tell them they have been tagged
  

Eight things I look forward to:

1. School getting out for summer. One more month to go.
2. My twenty year class reunion in July.
3. Publishing my first book.
4. Spending a week with my sister in August.
5. School starting again in the fall (summer can only go so long).
6. Going to bed tonight. It's been a long week.
7. Reading all the books on my summer reading list.
8. Teaching my youngest daughter to sew. (It's way overdue.)
   

Eight things I did yesterday:

1. Subbed at the school.
2. Had a meeting with my youth writing group.
3. Practiced a song that I get to sing in church tomorrow.
4. Put together a craft for the primary activity.
   
5. Prepared food for a barbeque.
6. Did the dishes (sure wish I could get the dishwasher fixed.)
   
7. Hosted a barbeque for my oldest daughter and a bunch of her friends.
8. Chaperoned the high school Sadie Hawkins dance.

Eight things I wish I could do:

1. Exercise and love it.
2. Travel the world.
3. Find the time to devote to all my hobbies.
4. Hire a gardener.
5. Highland dance.
   
6. Speak french.
7. Knit
8. Remember names better.

Eight television shows I watch:

1. Survivor
2. American Idol
3. Criminal Minds
4. the news. . . that's about it. We have peasant vision, so our selection is limited and there really is so little worth watching anyway.
5. If I did have more selection, I'd watch What Not to Wear
6. and any of the home decorating/renovating shows.
7. and some of the sewing shows. So it's probably good I can't get those, or I'd spend a lot of time with the tv on.

I can't come up with eight people, but I will tag Sheila, Christy, Amanda, Melissa, and anyone else who wants to play.

25 Things

This tag has been floating around facebook for a while, but so far I've ignored the people who tagged me. Then Christine tagged me on her blog so I decided to have a go at it. With all the other tags I've done plus the '100 things about me' I did when I reached my 100th post, I'm struggling to think of something new, but here goes...

1. I'm much too easily distracted. In fact, I'm using this blog as a distraction from some editing I need to finish.
2. My 20 year high school reunion is coming up this summer. I'm still trying to figure out how I got this old.
3. It will be nice to see people, but almost half my graduating class still lives in town, so I see them all the time anyway.
4. I bought a baby name book just before Christmas to use as a reference book for my writing. When my step-daughter stayed for the weekend two weeks ago, she saw the book and it freaked her out until we explained why I had it.
5. I get to play the organ in church this Sunday. Funny thing, I don't play the organ. Should be interesting.
6. People have offered to give me organ lessons many times in the past. I've always refused because I remember a lady who played the organ for at least 30 years with very few breaks. I never wanted to be "the organ lady."
7. On my side of the family, I am an aunt to eight nieces and six nephews and my brother announced yesterday that they are expecting another one. Despite my best efforts, I've never been the favorite aunt, but I love them anyway. :)
8. I try to go walking every morning I'm not working. This gets quite interesting when there is tons of snow and ice on the ground.
9. Despite my increased activity level, I'm still not losing any weight.
10. This makes me sad.
11. I've trained my kids to love old musicals. Oldest daughter was watching "Calamity Jane" the other night and told me how the movie helped her get bonus marks in Social Studies. The teacher was going to give bonus points to the student who could answer this question first: "What is another name for Chicago and what state is it in?" She said she got the points because she remembered the song. Who knew this would come in handy at school?
12. We are on a serious Howard Keel kick right now. In the last month we've watched "Kismet", "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", and "Calamity Jane." I'm trying to get a hold of "Kiss Me Kate" to watch next.
13. I sub at the school as a teachers aid.
14. I don't like getting up in the morning and not knowing whether I actually have to go to work.
15. Subbing can be incredibly boring. I'm learning to take a note book for those quiet times so I can plot or outline, or whatever. Anything to keep the mind working.
16. I can't wait to go to Utah in April.
    
17. I like to cook, but only on my terms. Cooking dinner every night is not on my terms.
18. It is stressful to try to come up with nutritious meals everyday.
    
19. I need to get back into the habit of making homemade bread. Actually, I should teach my kids how to make the bread.
    
20. I wish I could find more time to do the crafty things I love. I have so many unfinished projects right now.
21. I used to be part of an embroidery guild. I'd love to get one started up again.
22. I love getting catalogs in the mail. I hardly ever order anything, but I love looking at them.
23. I love getting mail. I wish people wrote letters like they used to. All I get any more are bills.
24. I like lists. I make them, but hardly look at them. It seems like writing stuff down puts it in my head and for the most part, I remember things without having to consult the list.
25. Except for phone calls. I hate making calls. If I know the person, I don't want to catch them at a bad time, and if I don't know the person, I just don't want to call at all. Guess I'm afraid I'll sound like a fool. So I tend to forget about making phone calls until it's too late. Most people don't like the phone ringing at 11:30 p.m. which is when I usually remember that I forgot to call earlier.
    

So there you go...25 things, plus a bonus video. I'm not specifically tagging anyone, since most people I know have already been tagged. If you want to play along, go ahead, then let me know so I can read what you come up with.

Picture Tag

The rules of this tag are that you open your picture file and pick the sixth folder and then the sixth picture in that folder.

This is a picture taken at my oldest daughter's birthday three years ago. (I can't believe we are gearing up to celebrate her sixteenth birthday in three weeks. Time sure flies.) Anyway, her teacher had been reading the class The Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky. Both my daughter and son loved the series so she got the boxed set of books 1-6. These are books I keep saying I'll get around to reading, but I just haven't picked them up yet. Maybe I still will at some point. Considering how much we love books and reading at our house, it's appropriate that the picture is of a book, although I'm not sure why we took this picture.

Anyone who hasn't done this yet may consider themselves tagged.

Something to Think About

ali over at Girl in a Whirl challenged her readers a few days ago. Here is some of what she had to say:

"Sometime in November I was listening to the Glenn Beck show when he spoke on several things we should do to personally be prepared for what is to come. Not so much as physically prepared as spiritually, personally, prepared.

"Glenn said that we need to find ourselves. He said,

"Who are you really? What do you believe? Have you been pushed and challenged? Do you know where you stand? Can you support it with real facts?

"I would like to challenge you to answer these questions, as they come, on your own blog, and/or in my comment trail."

So here goes.

Who am I?

My first response is that I am a Daughter of God. Knowing this gives me the courage to go forward in life with my head high. I know He is behind me and like any good parent, will be there to pick me up when I fall - which is probably far too often. Knowing who my Father is gives me the perfect example to follow in everything I do. It helps me be a better wife, parent, and friend. And because I know I am the daughter of a divine being, I know I have the potential to reach great heights. How reassuring that is during the dark times and how empowering it is during the good times.

What do I believe?

I believe God loves all of us. I believe we are his children and I believe he has a plan for us. He wants every one of us to learn and grow. He wants to to stretch ourselves and become the best we can be. The potential for great and marvelous things lie within each of us. And most of all, I believe He will never leave us to do this on our own.

Have I been pushed and challenged?

Yes. Often. Many times it's as a result of the decisions I've made and many times it's just because life happens. But every challenge has brought great growth and increased strength. I can honestly say that I appreciate all the difficulties I've had. And over the years as I've learned to like myself more, I realize that the person I am today is shaped by the challenges of yesterday. I wouldn't change a single moment.

Do I know where I stand?

Definitely. I have a testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have strong beliefs about the type of community and country I want to raise my children in. Too often, I let opportunities to state my position pass me by because I don't speak up enough, but I am firm in my beliefs.

Can I support my position with real facts?

I believe I can support my position with real facts, but I am always reading and adding to my knowledge because I love to learn. I do need to be more consistent in my study of the gospel, but I'm working on it and I know that every little bit helps. Every morning I get out of bed with a thirst for learning and growing. Hopefully, I know who I am and have clear enough goals that the things I do each day will help strengthen my resolve to be a better person and stand firm.

I'm not nearly so eloquent as ali - her post is definitely worth a read - but it is certainly a good exercise in examining ourselves a little. So how about you? Who are you?

Eight Things About Me

Ali tagged me with this "Eight Things About Me". Its taken me awhile to get to it, but here goes...

Eight things I'm looking forward to:

• The LDStorymakers Conference in April. Okay, I know its really far away, but I'm watching for the registration to come up and then hoping I can afford to go. It might not be feasible this year if I can't get other people to come to Utah with me and share the gas, but I'm still working on it.
• Christmas. Of course. The kids are already listening to Christmas music. I really look forward Christmas when I don't have to plan anything else and I can just relax for a few days.
• Losing all this extra weight. I haven't made it work yet, but I'm still trying. I can't even remember what it's like not to carry 50 extra pounds around.
• My anniversary. December 9th it will be 8 years. My husband and I alternate years planning something. Usually we stay pretty simple and go out to dinner. This year he is hinting at something bigger.
  
• Getting an insert for our fireplace. Not doing it for sure yet, but we are talking about it. It would make the house warmer and also help with our emergency planning, giving us a better way to heat the house.
• The first real snow of the season. I don't want it to be bitterly cold, but I do like a fresh layer of snow. Anyway, if this warm sticks around much longer, I'll be able to cut fresh parsley and lavender next week. The plants have started growing again!
• and of course...My books being published. Don't know how soon this will happen, but I do believe it will and I'm still working on it.

Eight Things on My Wish List

• A writing critique group.
  
• More time to read and sew.
  
• A Bausch kitchen mixer.
  
• To have my years supply of food in place.
• An interior decorator to give me some ideas for my house.
• A vacation to Scotland.
  
• To have my mother live closer.
• A new wardrobe.

Eight T.V. Shows I Like to Watch

• Criminal Minds
  
• Survivor
• American Idol
• The news
• Dancing With the Stars
• The Muppet Show (on DVD).
• I honestly can't think of anymore. I watch so little television these days.

Eight Things I Did Yesterday

• Attend the Remembrance Day services at the school and heard my daughters perform.
• Attend the Remembrance Day ceremony at the cenotaph.
• Did two loads of laundry.
• Cleaned out the cold storage room.
• Emptied the water jugs downstairs and replaced with fresh water.
• Wrote on my NaNo project for awhile (not going well by-the-way).
• Had two of my oldest daughter's friends over for dinner. Learn lots listening to them talk to each other.
• Hung some pictures in the kitchen.

Eight People I am Tagging

• Amy
• Nicole
• Melissa
• Kirsten
• Wendy
• Don
• Queenmemory
• Sheila
  

6 Quirky Things Tag

My friend Ali tagged me, and I'm supposed to list six unspectacular things about me. There are so many to choose from, I don't know where to start...

• I make really good pie crust. Light, flakey, and totally fattening. That's why I don't do it very often, but it is really good. Even though most people think it is too much work, I don't mind doing it.
• My brain has been on holiday for the last few weeks, thus the lack of any meaningful blogs. I'm trying to get things under control and get back to business. Seems to be a lot harder than it should be.
• I'll be applying to be a teacher's aid sub at the school. For some reason, that's a little scary to me. Maybe I just don't like change.
• I've been in the primary presidency in my ward for four years. I think I can almost do the job with my eyes closed. Right now I'm supposed to be writing the script for our sacrament meeting presentation.
• I have another blog where I just post book reviews. I haven't posted anything in quite some time. That's because I haven't read any books for awhile. I really need to get life organized again.
• Tomorrow I get to make a backpack for my youngest to take her things to ballet. I found the best fabric - pink flannel with embroidered ballet slippers. It's perfect. Youngest daughter's birthday is on Wednesday, so it will be a birthday gift.

I guess it doesn't get more unspectacular than that. Now I get to tag six people. Mandi, Amy, Autumn, Melissa, Don, and you.

Here are the rules:

Link to me in your post.

Mention the rules on your blog.

List six unspectacular quirks about yourself.

Tag six other bloggers by linking them.

...and have fun.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Here are the directions: 1. As you comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! 2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

This was on my sister's blog and sounded like fun. Play along if you like. It should be interesting.

A Closer Look Tag

Here is a fun tag from Josi. It was entertaining to do and hopefully interesting to read, or look at.

1. My Kitchen Sink - The kids did the dishes. They do a pretty good job.

2. Inside My Fridge - It always seems to full, but I think I inherited the "I can fit at least one more thing" gene from my great-grandmother. Usually fresh vegetables and fruit take up most of the room. And yes, one of the vegetable drawers is broken.



3. My Favorite Shoes - I wear these most of the time.



4. My Closet - Yes, I have one of those standard little closets with the bi-fold doors. But someday I'll have a walk in...maybe. Not sure if I really want to do the renovations to get it.



5. The Laundry Pile - Today is a good day to look here. But wait until Monday when the kids all bring their dirty laundry down. It'll look like this again Tuesday morning.



6. What My Kids are Doing Right Now - The girls are doing the dishes. (The youngest cleaned the sink). A few minutes later my son got home from soccer practice. It's pretty hot out there. I think that is his fifth glass of water.



7. My Favorite Room - This is probably my favorite because it is usually the cleanest and has the most comfortable furniture. My laptop is on the couch and I sit there quite often and work.



8. My Most Recent Purchase - All those cedar chips on the flower garden. The weeds were taking over and the old chips were nearly gone. Now the lavender and the rest of my herbs are happy again. (Most of them are still too small to see in the picture.)



9. My Fantasy Vacation - Someday I'll go to Scotland. If my oldest daughter gets her wish, we will go in three years when she graduates from high school and attend some highland dance competitions.






























10. Self-Portrait


So there you have it in a nutshell. More than you ever wanted to know about me. I think I'll tag Mandi, Amy, and Ali. Have fun girls.

Fun Interview

Annette Lyon sent me some interview questions just for fun. Enjoy...

What was the first thing you wrote for yourself (ie, creatively, on your own)?

I don't specifically remember the first, but as a kid I used to write stories and poems all the time. One year (I think I was eight or nine), I gathered all the poems I had written and put them in a book. I illustrated them and sent the collection to my great-grandmother as a Christmas present. I'm told she treasured them for years because she also loved to write. I remember the lovely thank you card she sent me encouraging me to keep putting my ideas onto paper. That was when I first decided I would like to be a writer. I don't know where that book is now, although I think my mother may have kept it after my grandma passed away. I'll have to ask her to look for it. Those first poems would probably be good for a laugh.

If you could pick an actress to play you in a movie, who would it be?

This is a hard one. No one comes to mind except for Anne Hathaway. Even though I'm sure her real hair isn't like this, I loved the scene in Princess Diaries where the brush breaks in her hair. Mine looks like that in the morning although I haven't broken a brush yet.

If you were a color, what would it be and why?
On my best days, I think I would have to be lavender. Usually I'm pretty calm and patient and don't let things bother me too much. Most of the time I'm quiet and keep to myself. Just one of those people that sometimes get lost in the background.

What is your favorite kitchen implement? Explain.
My electric tea kettle. My husband gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago. I opened the package and responded with the classic raised eyebrows and the well-thought out comment, "Oh, not what I was expecting." Of course, his face fell a little and I felt horrible. He explained to me that he thought it would make the perfect gift since I am always heating water up for hot chocolate or herb tea. I've admitted to him several times since that he knew what I needed better than I did. I use the thing nearly every day and don't know how I ever lived without it.

What is the oddest thing on or around your writing area?

Okay, I've looked around my writing area and am struggling to find something odd. There are the standard pens and pencils, paper, a dictionary and thesaurus, other writing books and the required chocolate stash. One odd thing is a large (20" x 24") picture hanging over the desk of a samurai warrior someone made for my husband while he was on his mission (my kids call him "big scary guy"). But as different as the picture is, I think the oddest thing at my writing desk may be me, although I'm not there nearly as often as I should be.

Hope you found the answers interesting. If anyone else would like to receive some interview questions, just let me know in the comment section. I'll come up with some and

email them to you.

Seven Things...

I've done a few of these, but this time Josi Kilpack tagged me, hoping I'll clear up some questions some of my previous posts have raised in her mind. It's probably good she gave me a specific challenge because I don't know what things I'd say that I haven't said before. So here goes...

1. Yes, I am old enough to have teenagers, but thanks for thinking otherwise. It really made my day. I had my first baby six months before my 22nd birthday. My oldest turned 15 a few months ago and my second will turn 14 on Mother's Day. Now if you really want to do the math, you can figure out how old I am.

2. My first marriage lasted five years, and then I spent 3 1/2 years as a single mom. Lots of learning experiences in those years made me a stronger. more self-sufficient person, but I wouldn't wish those things on anyone else.

3. I married my second husband 7 1/2 years ago. He is the best thing that ever happened to me and my children.

4. I am a step-mother to three children. The oldest is getting married in June, which means I may get to be a grandma before I turn 40.

5. I don't color my hair and rarely cut it, mostly due to laziness. I can't be bothered to take the time out for hair appointments and I hate spending so much money on coloring when it has to be done so often. You can't imagine how grateful I am that the gray hairs are few and far between. (Although I think that is slowly changing.)

6. I love living in Canada and don't ever want to change that, but whenever I hear all my blogging friends who live in Utah and talk about getting together, or their writer's groups, I feel a little isolated and wished I lived closer to everyone else.

7. My house is my favorite place to be. I'm a bit of a homebody and sometimes my husband has to drag me out and encourage me to be social. I come home from the LDStorymakers conference in the spring and need several days by myself just to recuperate. Being social for two solid days wears me out.

So there are seven things. Hope that clears a few things up for you, Josi.

I think everyone I've thought of has already been tagged, but if your reading this and want to participate, consider yourself tagged.

7 Things About Me

Ali and Rebecca both tagged me for this meme. This is going to be tricky since I just did the hundred things about me, but I'll try to be creative.

Rules of the Meme:
1) Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Seven Things About Me:

1. I love any movie with Gene Kelly in it. Brigadoon. Singing in the Rain. Hmmmm, I think I need to go watch a movie.
   
2. I always wanted to be a figure skater, but I was never very steady on ice skates. Figure skating is still one of my favorite things to watch.
   
3. As a teenager, I wore braces for three and a half years.
   
4. In high school, I was a cheerleader. A friend told me I should try out, but I didn't take her seriously. When I told my mom, she laughed and said I would never try out because I was to shy. I tried out to prove a point and made the squad, much to my surprise.
   
5. My husband thinks these tag games are juvenile and wonders why I keep doing them.
6. I think it is fun to learn new things about everyone and I'm constantly amazed by how much we all have in common.
7. One of my favorite memories of growing up is playing ghost in the graveyard with all the neighborhood kids after it got dark. Good times.

I'm tagging...
Autumn
Mandi
Don
Marc
Kirsten
Kimberly
you :)

And now I'm hoping I can take a break from being tagged for a while. I am running out of things to tell you.

12 Things About Christmas

Tristi just tagged me, so here goes...

1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas

2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word (Josi doesn't even know what the m-word is but she's trying really hard to think of all the dirty words that start with M that she's ever heard. Tristi thinks the "m" word is Meme.)

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

Drum roll please...

1. I love Christmas music. I have been known to listen to it as early as September.

2. I buy a new Christmas cd every year and try to have a wide variety of styles to fit every mood.

3. I usually prefer to make most of my gifts, but over the last few years I have cut down on this because time seems so short, and so many people don't really appreciate them.

4. I love to light all the candles and the Christmas tree lights and just sit and watch them.

5. I used to have a step-mom from South Africa who still used real candles on her real tree. Now that is a spectacular sight.

6. Every year, I look forward to the Christmas baking and always end up making more than I should.

7. After the baking is done, we load up the plates to give to neighbors, family and friends.

8. I love putting up my Christmas tree and decorations around the first of December (I can't put up the tree until the local store brings them in), but I also love taking everything down around New Years and having the house cleaned up and back to normal.

9. On Christmas morning the kids aren't allowed in the living room until everyone is awake, then Dad goes into the room and turns on the tree lights before the kids file in, youngest to oldest. We hand out the gifts one at a time and take the time to enjoy each gift before opening the next one.

10. I unknowingly started collecting nativities. Now the kids like to make a game of counting them and seeing who can find the most.

11. Both my older kids believed in Santa until they were teenagers. When my daughter finally figured us out, we passed the torch to her and told her she had a responsibility to be a Santa and serve all those around her who needed a little Christmas cheer.

12. I still believe in Santa. There have been too many difficult years in my life, when Christmas just shouldn't have happened, but somehow the gifts under the tree are always plentiful and the kid's faces always light up on Christmas morning.

So there are a few things about Christmas. I'm going to tag Mandi and Autumn. Do it quickly girls...only four more sleeps until Christmas. I will get to the seven things about me tag soon, but I figured I should do this one before Christmas becomes a memory.

Six Thoughts

I have been tagged again, this time by mandi. Since I have already posted 100 thigs about myself and done the liar tag, I couldn't think of anything new to tell you. But then I decided to focus the six things all about writing.

Here's how you play...

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.

C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. I wrote my first book when I was 9 years old. It was a book of poetry that my mother sent to my great grandmother, "Gammy" for Christmas. When Gammy received it she called and told me just how much she loved it and said she hoped I would always write. Writing a book was one of my childhood dreams, but that was the first time I thought I might really be able to do it. From this I learned to always encourage children in their dreams. You have no idea when you might say something that will give them the courage to do something great.

2.In high school, my English teacher hated my writing. He marked very little wrong in my grammar and spelling, but he didn't usually agree with my opinion in the essays and would often give me a low mark. He is the only teacher I ever got into an argument with - I can't even remember if I won - he basically told me not to bother writing anything. By the time I got to college, I wrote a little poetry for myself, but didn't share anything with anyone except my brother. I had to take a basic composition class in college and the teacher used to ask me if he could keep copies of my assignments to read to other classes because they demonstrated good writing. I got an A in that class. From this I learned, even though someone might be in a position of authority, that doesn't make them right. It's always good to get a second opinion and more importantly to believe in yourself no matter what others may say.

3. Once I got married and started having children, I wrote less and less. There wasn't much time, my first husband didn't support me, and it seemed like I needed to spend most of my time being a wife and a mother. Once my aunt asked me if I could write an essay about my grandmother as a companion piece to an essay about my grandfather I did in college. It was the hardest thing I ever wrote and I never was happy with it. I determined at that point that I had lost the talent. From there I put it away for a few more years. From this I learned that writing needs to be done all the time. It is a skill and needs to be honed and polished.

4. When my children were still young I wrote them a story. I worked on it, polished it and sent it off. This resulted in my first rejection letter. I still have the story and the letter. From this I learned that the stories we write will never go anywhere if we only send them off once, and we can't start the mandatory collection of rejections if the editors never see our work. I guess I need to pull the story out again and work on some more rejection letters.

5. I took and successfully completed the course "Writing for Publication" from the Long Ridge Writer's Group. In the back of my mind I still held the dream to write a book. I took the course as a way to get myself back into the practice of writing. It helped to have deadlines, expectations, and the positive feedback boosted my confidence and gave me the courage to move forward. I read many writing books and also attended the LDStorymakers conference for the first time last year. From this I learned that one can never stop learning and growing. I can always add to my skills by being willing to study and try new things.

6. Several years ago I worked for our local newspaper. I usually wrote articles on things that were going on around town. I found this extremely difficult because I much prefer fiction. Often I would say to the editor, in jest of course, "Don't you think this story would be so much more interesting if I embellished it with this detail or that." I never did embellish but they did choose to print one of my short stories and a personal essay. From this I learned that all writing experience is good. And even though I still don't like writing newspaper articles, I learned I can do it and do it well.

So there are my six things. I'm not actually going to tag anyone, because I think people are tired of being tagged by me. But if you would like to take on this challenge, feel free, and let me know so I can read the six things you think of.

Answers to Liar tag

Here are the answers to the Liar, Liar tag I posted last week.

#1 - FALSE: This is only partially true. I did have the opportunity to be on a television show called "Spelling Bee", and I did misspell the word "off" on the test that qualified us to go. We didn't win though. I remember misspelling the word "sweet" and spelling "sweat" instead.

#2 - TRUE: I once organized a beauty pageant when I was a teenager. My best friend and I organized a pageant for the little girls in the neighborhood. After the pageant (which we held in my friends back yard - all the parents came) we made a float and entered it in our town's annual parade. The float won first place.

#3 - TRUE: My daughter is the oldest daughter of an oldest daughter, who is the daughter of an oldest daughter, and so in for seven generations. There are twenty years between each of the generations. When I was expecting my daughter, we chose not to find out whether the baby would be a boy or a girl. My mother looked at me and without hesitation said, of course it would be a girl. Tradition you know. As odd as this is, it is absolutely true. I'm certainly not encouraging her to get married that young.

#4 - TRUE: I am more traveled in the U.S. than my home country of Canada. Most people here can't believe I have never been to our province's capital, Edmonton.

So that makes Don the winner as he was the only one to guess #1.

Liar, Liar - tagged again

Carol and Traci both tagged me with a this one. I am supposed to tell you three truths about myself and one lie. You have to guess which one is the lie.

#1 - When I was in grade six I was picked as one of four students from my grade to participate in a local spelling Bee. To determine which members of the class would go, we took a one hundred word spelling test in class one day. I managed to misspell the word "off" ("of" is close enough isn't it?). But when it came time to spell in front of the cameras, I was in my element. I spelled every word correctly and helped take my team to the provincial spell-off, which we also won.

#2 - I once organized a beauty pageant. I was responsible for registration, making sure the entry forms were filled out properly and eligibility requirements were met. I also took care of the talent portion of the show and prizes. You can't imagine how relieved I felt when the whole thing went off without a hitch.

#3 - My daughter is the oldest daughter of an oldest daughter, who is the daughter of an oldest daughter, and so in for seven generations. There are twenty years between each of the generations. When I was expecting my daughter, we chose not to find out whether the baby would be a boy or a girl. My mother looked at me and without hesitation said, of course it would be a girl. Tradition you know.

#4 - I live in Southern Alberta. I have traveled all over Utah, Montana, California, Idaho, Arizona, Washington, and even the U.S. Virgin Islands. But I have never been north of Calgary, which is only 150 miles north of my home.

So which one is the lie? Because it is the weekend, I'll wait until next Thursday before I give the answer.

Another Tag

Devise a list of 5-10 courses you would take to fix your life. It’s more fun to be in classes with friends, so include one class from the person who tagged you that you’d also like to take. Tag five.

Organization 101: I'll be taking this class with Autumn and Tristi. I guess the writer type is too busy being creative to be organized. I spend lots of time organizing, but I never keep it that way. So I need this class to help me calm the chaos of my sewing room, office, laundry room, etc.

Procrastination 102: I would get so much more done if I didn't spend so much time putting it off. I always tell people I work best under pressure, but I think the truth is that I've learned to work better under pressure because I put things off so long.

Meal Planning 103: This might be related to the procrastination thing. I can cook. I even cook well. But usually I don't even begin to think about what to make for a meal until 30 minutes before we eat. That might explain why we have a short list of menus we use repeatedly, and when I do make the time to prepare a different meal, the kids think we are having a fancy dinner.

How to Enjoy Gardening 104: I always tell my husband I would rather hire a gardener than a housekeeper. My garden survives, barely. There are always good intentions in the spring, but by summer, I'm tired of the dirt and the weeds and the bugs, and the flowers never seem grow quite the way they do in the pictures.

Keeping in Touch 105: I used to write up to ten letters a week, every week, to keep in touch with family and friends. You would think with the invention of email, it would be easier to communicate with the people we love. Instead, we seem to send a lot of jokes and funny pictures, but actual communication is lacking. So I guess I need a class on how to get back to the art of letter writing whether it be through email or using an actual stamp.

Now, who to tag...

ali

mandi

and anyone else who wants to play along.

Middle Names

I always knew that not having a middle name would be a problem someday. My dad didn’t believe girls needed a middle name. He figured we could just use our maiden name when we got married. So I don’t have a middle name and neither do any of my sisters, although we almost talked him into giving the youngest sister one, and some of us still call her by that name. And truth is, all my names are so long that I don’t use my maiden name as middle name either.

So now I’ve been tagged by ajoy over at Autumn Ables with a middle name tag. I am supposed to come up with something that describes me for each letter of my middle name. So I figure I have three options.

I could make up a middle name. I have given a lot of thought to that over the years, and I'm not sure what name I would pick. I heard once that my mom wanted to give me the middle name of Ann. Not sure I'm an Ann. Or there is always the option of using my maiden name. Again, each of my names are so long, I don't usually go there. The last option is doing what I have always done and go without one. I have gotten quite used to filling out the "middle name" space on forms with a dash.

So what does that dash say about me? I think it means I am a woman of mystery. No one really knows what goes on in my head. But if I absolutely had to describe myself, I think I would use the following words: Talented, Honest, Odd, Mommy, Soft-hearted,
Organized, Nice.

I pass this tag onto Mandi. Have fun.

Tagged

I was tagged two different times with the same thing, so here it is. The rules are that you’re supposed to remove the blog site at the top of the list below, move all the blog site names up one, and add yourself to the bottom.

A Writer's Ramblings
Musings from an LDS writing mom
LDS Writers Blogck (Connie S. Hall)
ANWA’s Founder & Friends
Write Bravely

What were you doing ten years ago? I was expecting my third child and newly separated from my husband. I had just moved back to Canada. Just trying to make it through each day.

What were you doing one year ago? Enjoying summer with my three children and husband. Recovering from another round of sewing prom dresses.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1-Smoothies, almost any kind with yogurt and fruit, 2-fresh cherries, 3-anything chocolate, 4-a handful of dried fruit, 5-herb tea

Five songs you know all the lyrics to: 1-I am a Child of God, 2-O Canada, 3-The Prayer (even the Italian), 4-Hush Little Baby, 5-Popcorn Popping

Things you would do if you were a millionaire: Pay off our bills and house, travel, finally do something to decorate my house.

Five bad habits: 1- overeating, 2- not exercising, 3-not believing in myself, 4-staying up too late, 5-getting distracted from the things I should do by the computer.

Five things you like to do: 1-write, 2-read, 3-sew or do needlework, 4-visit with family, 5-watch old movies

Things you will never wear again: 1-blue mascara, 2-leg warmers, 3-my wedding dress, 4-last years Halloween costume, 5-hair scrunchies

Five favorite toys: 1-my sewing machine, 2-the computer, 3-ice cream maker, 4-my bike, 5-my kids

Where will you be in ten years: Speaking at writing conferences and attending book signings for my books (positive thinking is the thing)

Five people to tag:
Mandi, My Life in a Laptop, Astle Busy Centre, Aneeka, and Lifelong Bookworm.