100 Things - Part One

I've noticed that it seems to be the trend in blogging lately to include a list of 100 or so interesting factoids about oneself. I think I've finally progressed to the point in life where I understand that life is not about me, so I've been reluctant up to now to undertake such a task. It occurs to me, however, that this might be a useful exercise in self-awareness.

I wrote a poem many years ago that began "Chicken me - I lack the spunk to be a thing." In some ways, I could write the same thing today. I think sometimes I try to blend in with the crowd so much that its not clear, even to me, just who exactly I am in my God-given uniqueness. So here I go, gathering the courage to be me. Ready or not, here I come.

1. I was born on the bayou in Thibodaux, Louisiana. For those unfamiliar, this is a beautiful, small wetland community near the edge of the continent, where people of mostly cajun French heritage enjoy life, love, food, and music more than anywhere else in the world. I no longer live there, but Thibodaux is an integral part of who I am.


2. I am a graduate of Louisiana State University. Geaux Tigers!!!


3. I attended college part time during my last year of high school. Because of this and some clep tests, I finished college early and was unleashed on the world at age 20, brainy but totally clueless.


4. I have a bachelors degree in English with a concentration in Language. (That means grammar, semantics and rhetoric.. but I usually just say I have a degree in English grammar.)


5. I have a minor in Psychology.


6. I originally majored in psychology and minored in English, but switched them before my last semester because I decided I'd rather get married and have babies than go to grad school.


7. I didn't know then that, in the time it would take me to have a baby, I could have gone to grad school twice. Ha! No regrets.


8. I have a habit of calling the people in my household silly pet names such as Boogie, Sugarlove, Honeypie, Dannybug, Sweetcheeks, Babylove, Sethiepoo, etc.


9. I tend to get stuck on one petname and overuse it. I've used "Boogie," so much so that until recently my youngest child thought this was his name. (He does like to dance more than anyone else in the household, so he earned the nickname honestly.)
   
10. I'm fascinated with dialects, particularly those of South Louisiana, and once dreamed of researching their origins, borders, etc., and creating a dialect map of the state.


11. Growing up, I had two heroes-- Helen Steiner Rice and Jane Goodall. I wanted to be one of these women when I grew up.. who know I could be both? In accordance with God's since of humor, it turns out I'm a writer in a house full of monkeys!


12. I am a CLA (Certified Legal Assistant) and a notary public.


13. I volunteer for my church, First Baptist of Bossier, the Preeclampsia Foundation and Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana.


14. I am an artist, but haven't done anything artistic in a long time.


15. Over the years, I've done charcoal portraits, pencil sketching, oil painting, watercolor painting, calligraphy, murals, woodburning, wood carving, soap carving, clay sculpture, paper sculpture, and probably other things I've forgotten.


16. I could write poetry all day long. In high school, I filled several five-subject notebooks with poetry, some of it hilarious, some nonsense, some inspirational. Most of it is now lost.


17. I traveled to Europe when I was 15, visiting Athens, Rome, Florence, Paris and London. I earned 6 hours of college credit in Art and Architecture for this trip.


18. I would love to take that trip over again, or one like it, with my husband.


19. I have been married 10 1/2 years and love my husband more with each passing year.


20. I am passionate about my children's education and character development.


21. I worked as a paralegal for nine years, then left to become a stay at home mom-- definitely the best career move ever made.


22. I strive to live so that Christianity is not just my religion, but my way of life.
23. I play the clarinet, organ and harmonica.. not necessarily well, but I can play them.
24. I used to speak fluent Spanish.


25. There have been six (6) human beings to inhabit my body, besides myself. Two are still living, the rest died in utero at various stages of development.


26. Call me crazy, but I chose to name the babies I lost, regardless of the fact that I only know the sex of one of them. I decided it was my perogative as their mother to choose a sex and name them if it helped me heal. I firmly believe that someday I will hold Maria, Gabriel, Chloe and Anthony (twins) in my arms.


27. My first child, Maria Elizabeth, was stillborn in December 1999. My one regret is not holding her longer or taking pictures of her, even if no one ever saw them but me.
28. I used to visit Maria's grave often, but now haven't been there in a few years.
29. I struggled with infertilty and miscarriage for 2 1/2 years after Maria was born. Those were what I call "the growing years" --growing hurts, but its good for you.
30. I am for all practical purposes blind in my right eye. The eye is not completely unable to see, but it's so weak that my brain has turned it off. I'm completely adapted to this and scarcely notice it.
31. My favorite color is midnight blue--not navy, but the true midnight blue in the 64 crayola box, with a just hint of green in it. This is the exact color of the water in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas, one reason I want to go back.
32. I have always had a fear of drowning or suffocating.
33. In spite of the above, I recently became a certified scuba diver by the sheer grace of God. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength!
34. I am terrified of flying. I fly only when I have to and then only when heavily sedated.
35. I don't do roller coasters-- not even the slow kiddie kind. I even get butterflies on the superslide. Falling just isn't a pleasurable sensation for me.
36. I have OCD, not to be confused with obsessive compulsive personality, in which a person is extremely organized, neat and in-control... I wish I were so lucky. No, instead I have the senseless, quirky, need medication to function in society kind. Hopefully my kids missed that gene.
37. I am extremely disorganized, but I'm working on it.
38. I have a bad habit of staying up until 2 A.M. or later, just enjoying the quiet time by myself.
39. I hope to take a course in underwater photography next year.
40. I love Disney World and basically live from trip to trip.
41. I'm totally hooked on Grey's Anatomy.
42. I love Joyce Meyer's show "Enjoying Everyday Life." She inspires me, uplifts me, and cracks me up.
43. I love the combination of dark chocolate and peppermint.
44. My favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip.
45. I'm a pretty good cook.
46. I like to experiment with new recipes, improvise and sometimes make up my own.
47. I am not a baker, but my hubby is.
48. I love to sleep (just not necessarily at night). Napping is my favorite hobby.
49. I love to crochet. I also knit, but crocheting is more fun.
50. I love to sew. The best gift I ever got was the Singer sewing machine my hubby gave me for Christmas in '97, just before we were married.