Lucky Sevens
March 19, 2010 
On St. Patrick's day I wondered if there was anything I might write about the holiday. I did make a hearty beef stew last year, after all, so I could've revisited that, but I decided otherwise.
(Except I think I just did. But that's o.k.... Because that stew recipe of mine? Seriously? Seriously. Try it. Seriously. It is yumolicious.)
After a little more thought I came to the conclusion that I wasn't Irish, I didn't consider myself lucky, there are no green clovers within a hundred miles, so I really didn't have much to say about it.
And you know me... I would hate to ramble on and on and on, meaninglessly. ;)
But since then something has changed. I'm still not Irish, but I do feel a bit lucky.
Why?
Because Tauna over at The Garden of Egan passed on a lovely award to me...
My luck seems to be a'changin'.
But no. It's not really luck. As my dear, dear, dear sweet friend and neighbor in Colorado used to say, "You're not lucky. You're blessed."
So, today I am blessed to be the recipient of this award, and along with it come a couple of fun little assignments...
1) Link back to the person who gave it to you. Check.
2) List seven things about yourself. (See below.)
3) Pass the award on to seven other bloggers. (See farther below.)
Seven things about me...
Welllll... I gave this a little thought and decided that I really wanted to try to share with you things that I haven't written about (at least not publicly) before. Here's my list, in no particular order of importance...
1) I play the piano and I sing. I actually can't believe I've never written about that before, because it's a fairly regular occurance in my life. Most of my family is varying levels of musical, so I grew up with it. (I did happen to mention playing the accordian in my Dad's polka band awhile back, in case you missed it.) I used to play for our church service in Colorado almost every Sunday. Now I play every third Sunday. I also have done some singing for weddings and other events throughout the years. I have composed a couple of songs, which I love doing, and wish I had time to do more. I also have a mandolin -- I like to call her 'MandoLinda' -- that I keep willing myself to learn to play, but I never quite seem to get to that either.
2) I cannot stand the thought of someone giving me a pedicure. A foot rub? I can live with that. (Especially if it is from Mr. Blue Eyes.) But a pedicure? Where they are clipping things on my feet and toenails? I shudder. I can't... even... write about it... anymore. Shudder. I also absolutely loathe if Mr. Blue Eyes' toenails scratch against me in bed (or anywhere, or anyone, for that matter, should the opportunity arise), or if one of my toenails is a little too long and catches or scratches on the sheets. It's like nails on a chalkboard. It's like TOEnails on a chalkboard! I absolutely cannot stand it.
3) When I gave birth to Little Blue Eyes I was on pitocin and eventually had an epidural. When I gave birth to Miss Peaches it was all natural, no drugs. If I am blessed to have more children, I honestly can't say which way I will go... Hopefully all natural again, but I'm open to other 'options', should I need them.
4) I miss my dad, who passed away in October, 2008, almost every day. As pretty much anyone who ever knew him could attest, he wasn't always the easiest man to live with, and there were days he was ornery at best, but there were also a lot of wonderful, sweet, cherished times as well. He had a way of taking in the beauty of the world around him and making it plain for others to see. Most days I just wish I could see his face, hear his voice, one more time. (Aw, shoot... I really wasn't expecting to cry while writing this post. Oh well.)
5) On the other hand, my Mom, who is alive and well, is probably one of my best friends in the world, and I am so happy that we are back in MN, where I do get to see her face and hear her voice all the time.
6) I've gone through two serious addictions in my lifetime. One was to Doritos with melted cheese on top. It almost ruined my life waistline. It got so bad that I finally just swore to God that I wouldn't eat them anymore (unless they stop making them with MSG... that's my escape clause) because I knew if I swore to Him, I would honor my word. My second addiction was to homemade Oreo shakes. It was at its worst during pregnancy, when I considered them 'medicinal' to help with the relentless heartburn. I have given them up almost cold turkey since Miss Peaches was born. But it's a daily battle. I pretty much just make sure that I never have vanilla ice cream and Oreos in my house at the same time. If I did, I don't know that I could resist. It's a slippery slope.
7) This last one... Well... I didn't know if I could bring myself to share this with the world or not, but I feel that the time has come, and I am ready...... I've made brief mention of it before, both here and here, but could never summon the courage to talk about it in detail...... But it is time to let the floodgates open...... When we were growing up, my brother used to make me ride a goat named Clarence. (Excuse me while I go cry in the corner and compose myself.) He was eight years older than me (my brother, not the goat), so he was pretty much able to make me do whatever he wanted. And people, I'll be honest, I was an easy target. Gullible. Naive. But still. Anyhow, when I would make him mad, he would scoop me up, take me over to Clarence -- the mean goat WITH HORNS -- and make me ride him. I would hold onto his horns, like the handlebars of a tricycle, for as long as I could, but it was never long before he threw me. And then... And then... (Gasp! The horror of these memories! They haunt my dreams...) And then... HE WOULD BUTT ME. With his head. I can vividly remember lying there in the grass and seeing his head come at me, butting me over and over again. "No, Clarence, no!" I wimpered. But the evil goat, he heard not my plea. To this day, the emotional scars remain. And then there's the slight indentation of horn marks on my forehead.
Okay, okay, I jest. Well, kind of. He really did make me ride that goat, and Clarence really did butt me when I fell off, and I really can still see it all in my memory as if it were yesterday. But I'm fine.
Or am I?
Hell hath no fury like a little sister with her own website.
Oh, who am I kidding? I don't have a vengeful bone in my body.
Or do I?
Okay, I'll stop.
So there you have it... Birth and death and the beautiful butt-ugly truth that lies between. Now onto phase three, passing this on to seven other bloggers!
The Lucky Seven...
Before I start, I want to say this: I gave out a few awards last year, so if you got one then, I'm disqualifying you from getting this one (from me, that is). I still read your blogs, and still love your blogs, but I want to pass this one on to some other deserving folks.
Also, if I don't happen to list you here but I obviously read your blog and you're on my blog roll, please don't be offended. If I didn't love your blog, I wouldn't read it. Unfortunately, here and now, I'm limited to seven.
1) Cate at Moments of Whimsy. She and I are fairly new to reading one another's blogs, but it feels like we've formed an instant bond. It's a verrrrrry looooong distance bond, as she lives in New Zealand, and I'm here in Podunk, MN, but I guess that's one of the reasons why I so enjoy reading about her life. I'm so intrigued with what goes on in her part of the world, mostly because in a lot of ways it reminds me so much of here. I love how she writes about her day-to-day, whether it's happy or frustrating or somewhere in between, and shares her vulnerable side. It reminds me to try to be honest and vulnerable in my writing as well.
2) In keeping with the 'down under' vibe, Bush Babe of Granite Glen. I stumbled upon her blog several months ago, and find myself going back over and over. Again, I find her life on the other side of the earth so interesting. Also, she lives in the country -- or 'bush', as they call it, which I don't think I could say out loud without blushing -- and they have horses and cattle.
3) She Wears Many Hats. She's right here in the U.S. of A. I love her honest (but not vulgar) style of writing, her clean site design and beautiful photographs. I think her hat theme is very clever and interesting, but not corny. And she is promoting beans to anyone who will listen, which somehow makes me feel happy inside.
4) Rebekah J. Murray Photography Blog. A friend passed this site on to me, and I just love it. Her photography has probably inspired me more than any I've looked at lately. (And believe me, I've looked at a lot!) If you hop over to check her out, make sure you click on the link to her professional photography website as well. Her work is just stunning.
5) Beth at Tennessee Calling. Hi Beth! Beth feels like a blogging friend kind of just like Tauna feels like a blogging friend... We're not really sure how we ever stumbled upon one another, but we're glad we stuck around to read more! Her sweet spirit and love for others shines through in every post.
6) Michelle at One Ordinary Day. Michelle tries out and tweaks a lot of recipes, and I'm almost always enticed by what she comes up with. But I think the reason why I really like her blog is because she seems a lot like me. She likes to have fun, but also has a serious and introspective side. For the most part, she shares recipes with little slices of life in between, and I always get the feeling that she's pretty 'balanced' and doesn't sweat the small stuff.
7) Little Ark (Pikku Arkki) Photography Blog. Again... She's on the other side of the world (in Finland, which I know... isn't exactly the other side, but it's quite a ways from here) and I love to read about her experiences there. However, I still can't quite put my finger on it, but there is just something about her site -- the design, her photography style, her writing style -- that hits home with me. Her content is a good mix (for me, anyway) of professional photography stuff, personal stories, and sharing tips and techniques and experiences.
Goodness, that was a marathon! But a whole lot of fun. I hope you'll check these out. And if you want to check out others, go to Tauna's blog and check out her other picks as well! I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's one of the things I love about blogging... Stumbling onto some else's creative outlet and having a little peek at their life. Just when you think you've perused all the blogging communities out there, you find a new one.
Alrighty, I'm exhausted. Time to go to bed and avoid Mr. Blue Eyes' toenails at all costs while dreaming about being butted by a goat. It could be a restless night. ;)
Reader Comments (9)
Awww, thanks sweetie!! Will do my best to address this... and just so you know, we get just as embarrassed at your 'fanny packs'!!
:-)
BB
Hah! I guess I never even really thought much of that one... Fanny pack. Just goes to show you!
And now I won't be able to say 'fanny pack' without blushing either, thank you very much. ;)
I think saying 'bush' makes me embarrassed not JUST because of the obvious reason, but also because I am as American as apple pie, and I just wouldn't feel right about saying it! Like I'm not supposed to, or something. Just like I don't call my friends 'mate' or 'bloak'... It just wouldn't sound right coming out of my mouth.
Thanks for the list of great blogs! I'm enjoying exploring them, as I'm new to this blogging world. There are so many talented people out there...it's so inspiring.
Hilarious!!! I think I keep coming back here because I love your style of writing, oh and the photography and oh ya, the two little kiddos.
I'm going to have fun reading who you gave the award to. Sounds like a blast.
IF I ever get to meet you I want a personal concert! Seriously. The only thing I can play is my ipod. My youngest daughter sings like and angel and plays the violin so well. I appreciate great music, I just can't make it.
Love ya!
Oh, this is awesome. Thank you so much for the award, but even more for saying such nice things about my little blog and me. : ) I'm kinda speechless! But smiling.... really big!
I'll definitely try to do it justice, and I can't wait to check out these other blogs you've listed.
~Michelle
Aww gee - thanks mate :-)
You are so sweet - and I totally agree with Bush Babe re "fanny packs" - that is just so wrong!!!
Hope that you'll be able to join in my Sunday's Share this week.
C x
hey! thanks!!
my addiction was dr. pepper. i was drinking five dr. peppers a day in high school and maybe a coke every now and then. so, one day i just decided to quit. all fizzy drinks. and i stuck to it.
until i moved to europe where it seems EVERYTHING is carbonated, including lemonade. and they don't know what an actual iced tea is. so, now i can drink sprite zero and orange soda, because let's be clear- no one is going to want to OD on those- but cola drinks are expressly forbidden.
Farmergal, as you know I work with mr. blue eyes and he told me that you are suppose to make carmel rolls and not talk about his gross toe nails anymore.
I didn't say his toenails were gross... I just said I don't like it when they scratch against me. Don't put words in my mouth! ;)
Caramel rolls... Hmmmmm. I'll have to check my calendar and see if I can work them in.