Gucci taste on a Goodwill budget

1) Favorite hobby?
Scrapbooking and card making

2) Have you ever smoked heroin?
Are you kidding me?  No way.  And don’t you shoot heroin or snort it?  I don’t think you can smoke it.

3) Do you own guns?
No, but I would like to own a handgun.

4) What flavor do you add to your drink at sonic?
I don’t add any flavorings to my Diet Dr. Pepper
5) Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Not unless I’m on the way to the ER.
6) What do you think of hot dogs?
They are best barbecued until they are blackened.

7) Favorite Christmas song?
the entire “Noel” album by Josh Groban.

What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Frappuccinos

9) Can you do push ups?
Aren’t “push-ups” those little orange popsicles that the Schwann man brings?  Because if that is a push-up, yes.  If it is some sort of exercising activity, then no.

10) Can you do a chin up?
No comprehende.

11) What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
Well, besides my wedding ring, I would have to say a garnet and sterling silver ring I got in Cullen, Scotland in 1998.  My roommate Lisa and I got matching ones.  It’s beautiful and so was Scotland.

12) Do you like blue cheese? 

Is that even safe to eat?

13) Ever been in a car wreck?
Not a serious one

14) Do you have A.D.D.?
I don’t know, my mind does race occasionally.  Look, a birdie!!
15) What’s one trait that you hate about yourself?
Not getting my lazy behind off the couch and exercising.

16) Middle name?
Mae

17) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
1.  Should be outside enjoying this beautiful weather instead of in this office
2.  Speaking of Office, “The Office” sure was funny last night.
3.  Speaking of “The Office”, Jim (John Krasinski) sure is good-looking.

18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday:
1.  Lunch at Subway
2.  My mom a Mother’s Day present
3.  Does paying the cable bill count?

19) Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
Sprite, Coffee, and Diet Dr. Pepper

20) Current worry?
Do you want the long list or the short list?   My car blew its engine.  We are in the process of adopting, but it is taking FOREVER to even get approved.  And it doesn’t seem to be a priority of ANYONE but us.  I want to start my Medical Transcription course, but that money went to the blown engine.  That is the short list.
21) Current hate right now?
Feeling like I have no control over anything going on in my life (which, I of course don’t have any control, but could someone at least let me THINK I do?

22) current craving?

Ice cream, please

23) How did you bring in the New Year?
At a church get-together at The Partridge Family’s.

24) Where would you like to go?
Home and take a nap

25) Name three people who will complete this?
Blah.

26) Do you own slippers?
I think so but I never wear them

27) What shirt are you wearing?
Periwinkle blue with white t-shirt under

28) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
I never have, but I think they would be hot.  As in warm.
29) Can you whistle?
Yes

30) Favorite color?
Green
31) Would you be a pirate?
If I could be on Johnny Depp’s boat, yes

32) What songs do you sing in the shower?
Pretty much anything
33) Favorite girl’s name?
This week?  “Dara”

34) Favorite boy’s name?
This week?  “Dax”

35) What’s in your pocket?
lint

36) Last thing that made you laugh?
my co-worker Sarah, she is funny (and she looks exactly like Sarah Jessica Parker)
37) Best bed sheets as a child?
I had New Kids On The Block sheets

38) Worst injury you’ve ever had?
Broken arm
39) Do you love where you live?
Yes.  We live in our church’s parsonage.  My hubby is the minister.  Our house is free.

40) How many TVs do you have in your house?
2

41) Who is your loudest friend?
brother—Jeff

42) How many dogs do you have?
2 and they are precious.

43) Does someone have a crush on you?
My husband Chad.

45) What is your favorite book?
I like lots of books.

46) What is your favorite candy?
anything peanut butter OR chocolate mint

47) Favorite Sports Team?
Kansas Basketball!  National Champs!  and Dallas Cowboys.
48) What song do you want played at your funeral?
“To Where You Are” by Josh Groban

49) What were you doing 12 AM last night?
sleeping
50) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
“Who is that licking me in the face?  Oh, it’s the dog.”

For being such a terrible blogger!  I am going to be better, I promise.

For now, head on over to our Adoption blog at:

http://wereadopting.blogspot.com

For those of you who think it’s February.  Maybe I’m the only one, but I have felt like it was February for about 2 weeks.

Anyway, here’s a little survey to help unbore the afternoon.

Other than your name, what was the last name someone called you?
My mom always calls me “Precious” in a sarcastic tone.  I call her that too.  It’s mutual sarcasm.

How old were your parents when you were born?
My mom was 16, my Dad was 21.  Isn’t that illegal?

If you could find one long lost friend of the past, who would it be?
They know who they are and why. 

Was your sixth grade teacher a man or a woman?
A woman… Miss McFarlane.  She taught us how to play poker.

What was the last thing you drank?  Diet Dr. Pepper, which I am becoming quite fond of. 

At what age do you think a person starts to get old?   When they give up trying to feel young.

What was the last thing you celebrated?   My grandma’s birthday, we took her bowling!

Have you ever had any teeth pulled?   Yes, and thinking about it makes me hurt.

What was the first job you ever had?   Besides babysitting?  Cashier at a small grocery store.

Do you wash your hair or your body first when taking a shower?    Hair.

Are your parents still married?    Yes.  30 years.

What is the toy you remember the most as a kid?   Lite Brite

Do you think you will vote this year?    I don’t feel compelled to, but probably will just to keep my brother from berating me.

What was the last thing you cooked in the oven?    Casserole Sunday that burnt.  My oven just sporadically jumps up to 500 degrees with no warning.

What craft do you think your good at?    Scrapbooking/making cards

What was the first tape/cd/record you owned?    Actually it was the Oak Ridge Boys, “Fancy Free”.  I loved “Elvira”.  I was 4.  I still have it.

Have you ever eaten something other people might think is gross?    No.  I don’t eat anything remotely gross.

What famous person do you like that others may not?   Josh Groban…he’s not gay and he’s not a sissy or an opera singer.

Have you ever invented anything?   I have cockamamie ideas all the time but never actually try to market them worldwide or anything.  Ask me about my gift shop idea for Helena, Montana (“Helena Handbasket”), my doggie treats (“Lickerdoodles”), and don’t even get me (or Jeff) started on Daisy Lane Gifts.

Where is the most unique place you like to eat?  I like The Artichoke in Wichita.

Who do you think you clash with the most?   People who have blatant disregard for the welfare of children.  Crack-smoking parents and the like.

What time of day are you most likely sitting on your couch?   Whenever I should be exercising.

What color is your toothbrush?    Turquoise

What is the closest grocery store to your house?    Jim’s Foodliner, 17 miles away.

When was the last time you colored with crayons?  Last Sunday morning when I taught the kids Bible Class.

Have you ever owned a plant?  What was it?   Do ficus trees count…..the fake ones?

Have you met anyone famous?  John Mayer, Justin Timberlake, Laila Ali, David Hasselhoff,  Jim Brickman, most of the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team   

What was the worst injury you have ever had?  Broken arm
 

At thanksgiving dinner, what is the first thing you go for?  Ham

When you were a kid, who was your best pal?   Jeni Downs

Do you have any special talents?  Oh, too many to list (sarcasm being one).

Have you ever been to a nursing home?  Who hasn’t?

What kind of job did your mom have when you were growing up?
She stayed home and babysat teacher’s kids so she could have summers off.

Have you ever known anyone thats been on tv, including you?
I did commercials in high school and was a news anchor in college on scholarship for a semester.  I also drive cars in commercials sometimes now that I work at a car dealership.

What was the most interesting animal you have seen in the wild?  I don’t go to “the wild.”

What holiday do you enjoy the most?    Pretty much the whole season between the beginning of Fall and Valentine’s Day.

What was the first video game you ever played?   Super Mario Brothers on Nintendo.

What is the one thing you own, that if it got lost, you would be bummed?  My great-granddad’s wedding band.  He and my great-grandmother were married over 65 years.  I’d also be sad if I lost the piano I inherited from her.  But how exactly does one “lose” a piano?

Do you have a favorite breakfast item?    Cinnamon Rolls and bacon, but not together.

What do you find yourself buying all the time?    Stuff for the house, scrapbooking stuff

When was the last time you got a real letter in the mail?   I do not honestly remember.

Do you have a most prized piece of jewelry?  I’m pretty fond of my wedding set, since it took me 27 years to get it.

Do you own any board games?   Several

What article of clothing would you say you need more of in your wardrobe?  Jeans that fit right. 

What chore seems the most daunting right now?   Finishing painting my kitchen and the spare bedroom.  Cleaning my carpets.

Were you born in the state you live in?    Yes, but I’ve lived in 4 other states in between times.

Have you ever lived in a house that has been broken into?   Probably….you should have seen some of the neighborhoods I lived in.

What is your favorite cheese?   American

Who do you know that watches the most sports?   My husband and my Dad

What was the last magazine you read?    People

I love the beginning of a new year.  I love fresh starts.  We can shed the outer skin of last year and become whatever we want in the new one.  The changes don’t have to be drastic, either.  Making an effort to be a nicer, more thoughtful person.  Taking time to nurture relationships that might have gone by the wayside.  Treating others the way I want to be treated.  Thank you, Lord, for clean slates.

…Christmas is here again!”  If you don’t know that song, it’s too bad, because it is one of my favorites!  Only 7 days left until Christmas and my shopping is done.  Now, I didn’t say I “had” all my presents, because thanks to DHL, two of them are LOST!  Somehow, between Wichita and Norwich (30 miles), the package must have dissolved into thin air.

So my brothers may be one present short this year!  Oh well, they’ve never been good!

I can’t think of anywhere I would have rather been on my 30th birthday than spending the day playing with my niece Chloe and nephew Zach.  They are such sweet kids and have personalities all their own.  Chloe will be 2 in February and she loves to run!  Usually when we saw her this weekend she was running from one side of the room to another.  She loves playing with a ball (and even an exercise ball that was twice her size!) and blocks. 

She also read the sale ads with “Nonna” (Chad’s mom, Cathy). 

You can click on the small picture to get it full-size.  Chad and I are on the right-hand side in the middle.  What a group, huh?  This is the result of Bruce and Louell Maples getting married many years ago.  The number of faithful Christians is remarkable, and many have gone on to be ministers, Bible class teachers, and Christian parents.  I am really proud to have married in to such a wonderful bunch of people.  I am very blessed!

 I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Christmas is coming and I am almost done shopping, thank goodness!  The Proctors will all be in Norwich for Christmas, Lord willing, and I haven’t seen my brother Jeff and his wife Laurie since LAST Christmas!  That is just not right!  Oh well, I guess the Friendly Skies fly both ways, now don’t they?

This week is our annual gospel meeting at church.  I always look forward to this because it’s one morning and four evenings of spiritual enrichment.  This year is especially good due to our speaker, Richard Foster, the pulpit minister at the Stafford Church of Christ here in Kansas.  Richard is a former youth minister and director of our church camp.  He is regarded (wisely) as one of the preeminent youth ministers of this generation in Kansas.

Richard and his wife Cheryl are living, breathing examples of Christ’s servant heart.  They have both been role models for me since the age of 9 years old.  Richard is just one of those speakers that I could listen to for hours!  He is so captivating and enthusiastic for the gospel.  As a small-town minister’s wife, Cheryl is one of those people I look up to, and I pray that I can have the same gracious spirit that she has had ever since I have known her.  Thank you, Fosters!

No, I’m not talking about the sappy chick flick starring Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves…I’m talking about the fact that November and December are my favorite months of the year!  It’s finally nice and crisp outside, and downright cold during the night.  I make it through 100 degree days in August dreaming of these days.

Did anyone watch The Office last night?  It was hilarious.  Pam, Toby, and Oscar started a club called The Finer Things Club, where they bring china and petit fours once a month for lunch and talk of finer things…no work-related talk allowed.  It was great. 

I wish I could have a real Finer Things Club!  I miss that part of my life from when I lived in the Big Cities of Memphis, Wichita, Huntsville, etc., there was always something “cultural” to do.  I went to the opera in Memphis, musicals and concerts in Wichita, etc.  (and I realize I’m just 30 miles from Wichita now, but….) I would love to be a part of a book club or something where I could have philosophical conversation.  At home, I talk to the hubby about football or mundane everyday things, and well, yes, I also talk to the dogs.  But it’s not like Henry is going to elaborate on the symbolism in “Memoirs of a Geisha”.  And Chad wouldn’t dare read a novel!

1. I don’t understand the concept of decorating your yard with wagon wheels.  Someone please enlighten me.
2. I have never in my life been drunk.
3. I have never in my life used drugs.
4. I would love to live in Italy, Spain or Scotland.
5. I am almost done with my Christmas shopping.
6. I am a board-certified EMT in the state of Kansas.
7. In the past, I have sold Pampered Chef and Mary Kay. 
8. I was a Girl Scout.
9. In college, I was a news anchor for Harding University TV news for one semester.
10. I became a Christian at age 11.
11. I am allergic to coconut.
12. I don’t eat seafood.  At all.  Ever.
13. I dress my dogs up in clothes and put the pictures in their scrapbook. 
14. I have the unique ability to forge people’s signatures, although I have never done it illegally.
15. I have a photographic memory.
16. I never wanted a sister, because I didn’t want to share my toys.  Now I have four sisters-in-law and I love them!!
17. I love eating at Japanese steakhouses like Shogun and Osaka, although I don’t know how to eat with chopsticks.
18. I don’t believe in ghosts. (in response to a survey I read this morning that says 1/3 of Americans DO)
19. I got my first email address while I was a freshman at York College.
20. I had 10 college roommates…..I wonder if it’s ME?
21. In college, I survived on Spaghetti-O’s and cereal.
22. I have gone on more than 10 blind dates.
23. I have been a bridesmaid 5 times and have sung solos/duets in 2 weddings.
24. We went on our honeymoon to Lake Tahoe, NV/CA (it’s on the state line)
25. I enjoy filling out surveys about my personality!

1. I love ketchup but hate tomatoes.
2. I would vote for Stephen Colbert if he was serious about running for President.
3. I wish I loved to cook, but I don’t.
4. I had to get glasses in 2nd grade and I’m blind as a bat without my contacts.
5. I didn’t eat at Taco Bell until I was in college.
6. I would adopt 20 kids if my husband would let me.
7. If I had as much money as Oprah, I hope I would give as much of it away as she has.
8. I think stirrup pants should be illegal.
9. My favorite New Kid on the Block was Jordan.
10. When I lived in Memphis, I spent $75 to see N’Sync and went by myself.
11. I love medium-long hair on guys.
12. I have converted and am now an Alabama Crimson Tide football fan.
13. I have a dream to one day see the Dallas Cowboys play on Thanksgiving Day.
14. My brother Jeff, his wife Laurie, and I spent New Year’s Eve 2002 in Times Square.
15. I have seen 39 of the 50 states.
16. When I was a kid, I thought I would be married and have a baby by age 23.
17. I got married at 27 and have no kids yet (I’m almost 30)
18. I want to donate all my organs when I die and be cremated.
19. I love to scrapbook but sometimes I need inspiration.
20. I wish I was more crafty (in the artsy sense, not the conniving, evil sense)
21. I love espresso drinks but don’t really like plain coffee.
22. If I had to categorize guys I’ve had crushes on in the past in one word:  Musicians
23. I played the clarinet in elementary and junior high.
24. I was in Concert Choir at both colleges I attended.  It was my favorite thing about college!
25. I think Jim from The Office is my favorite character on TV right now.