25 things

This feels slightly vain to me, but I gave in and wrote this list on Facebook after several friends had "tagged" me. For all the work it took to come up with 25 random things about myself, I figured I may as well post it here, too.

1. I make a lot of lists and a lot of piles. Neither seem to improve my organizational deficiency.

2. I do not save phone numbers in my phone. I save them in my head.

3. I met my husband via email (at the prompting of a very dear friend). We fell in love and both knew we were meant to be together weeks before we ever met in person. We were right.

4. I have never had a cavity.

5. As a child, when I lived with my mom, I camped out at motocross tracks on Sundays, skied competitively, ate raw cookie dough, watched soaps after school and made my own dinner most nights. When I lived with my dad, I went to church Sundays, did chores, rarely ate between meals or watched TV and sat down for a family dinner nearly every night. As a result, I had a fairly confusing childhood, but I adapt to new situations very easily.

6. I wish I had been born on a farm.

7. I have three fractured vertebrae in my back. Two were fractured when I jumped off a 50-foot bridge into a river (following after 10 guys) at age 20, and the third was fractured in a fall down my basement stairs at age 40. I downplayed the first injury so much (although the pain was excruciating) that I never even knew about the fractures until my back was x-rayed in the emergency room after the basement stair fall. Oh, to be 20 and crazy again!

8. My mom sent me to finishing school when I was a freshman in high school. I do not remember a single thing.

9. I have a tattoo.

10. Until I found my home with Andrew, the only places I have ever felt totally at home - Palmer Lake, CO, Speculator, NY, Nairobi, Kenya, and Paris, France - are nowhere near the places I have lived.

11. I loved everything about giving birth (especially the beautiful boys I got to bring home). I would do it at least two more times if I had started younger.

12. I have a tendency to overreact and sigh a lot, which may be why one of Andrew's nicknames for me is "Mrs. Drama."

13. I jumped out of an airplane once. I don't plan to do it again.

14. I have never met a single one of my in-laws.

15. I wish I were more glamorous, but I can barely find time for basic hygiene.

16. I have a very high pain threshold. See #7, #9 and #11.

17. I almost never finish a book and have 5 to 10 partially read books next to my bed at any given time.

18. I loathe talking on the phone. (But chances are I know your phone number by heart - see #2.)

19. I rarely envy someone's stuff; I envy the absence of stuff. But getting rid of the little things that clutter my home is tough for me. I am too sentimental.

20. The unconditional, adoring love of my grandparents and time spent with them was the absolute best thing about my childhood.

21. If I had unlimited free time, I would take piano lessons (and practice), make all of my own clothes, write poetry and practice yoga on a very regular basis, plant a huge garden and cook a delicious meal for a different person or family every night.

22. I think a lot about homeschooling my kids. I never thought I would think about this.

23. I love what I do to earn money, but most of the time I don't like doing it.

24. Although I had a strong faith and was very active in church in high school and college, I wanted nothing to do with church for many years after I graduated. My incredibly loving, once-atheist, unchurched husband and a wonderful body of Methodists brought me back.

25. The greatest gift I have on earth is my family. There is nothing I enjoy more than being with them.