Seventh Photo

I've been tagged by Janet:
The tag how-to...

1. Go to the photos folder on your computer.
2. Go to the seventh folder of photos.
3. Go to the seventh photo.
4. Put the seventh photo on your blog along with a description.
5. Invite seven friends to join.


This is my friend Amy and her family as of Christmas 2000 (ie. a couple kids ago, lol...they now have FIVE). I went over to their house to take pics with my digital camera as they had none. They didn't expect their children to be too cooperative and wanted to know RIGHT AWAY if everyone's eyes were open and that everyone had reasonably nice expressions. :)

Tagged

I was tagged by Janet (and I’m feeling a little short on random and weird facts at the moment, so many of mine are variations on hers.)

RULES:
• Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
• Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
• Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
• Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
My facts:

1) I thought I could never use anything other than brand name Kleenex and brand name toilet paper (specifically Northern)…but Target (LOVE ‘em!) has made cheaper store brands of both, and I really cannot tell the difference.
2) Gotta have a medical reference in here: I have never had to do CPR, but should the need arise, I will now have "Stayin' Alive" stuck in my head. PA or not, I am thankful that it wasn't until about 3 months ago that I even witnessed CPR being performed. Sadly the woman did not make it. Though I work in the Emergency Department, I do NOT thrive on medical adrenal cases. My division is called Fast Track and I see "acute minor" illnesses.
3) I do love total silence while I’m sleeping. Spouse here probably would love to have the TV or radio on half/all the night…Oh, and an occasional owl hoot doesn’t bother me a bit, but woodpeckers in the night would probably drive me nuts (you didn’t think I could go more than a couple days without a bird reference did you? You’d think I’d mention my dog more…)
4) Certain scents bother me regardless of allergy season: strong beer smells (almost didn’t make it through the brewery we toured in San Francisco, much to Spouse's embarrassment), newly mown grass (don’t hate me, but I really hate that smell, probably b/c growing up, it always set off my allergies. Now it usually doesn’t, but it’s a Pavlovian response to hate it, I think.), pine (no real Christmas tree here! Also perhaps a throwback to allergy symptoms).
5) The cow's name, above, is rather apropos...Spouse and I met at the University of Iowa (ie. the Hawkeyes). However, I would not deign to compare Spouse to a cow. Though I know a man who DID, and luckily his wife took it as a complement that he thought her big brown eyes were as beautiful as a cows...I'm thinking "only in Iowa" LOL!
6) I never sleep with socks on, unless my feet are REALLY cold when I go to bed…then I’m decked out with my yummy polar fleece knee socks I purchased on a skiing trip to Jackson Hole, WY. If my feet get hot in the night, I’ll whip ‘em off and find them across the room in the morning. :)
7) Gotta improvise here…Janet has perfect pitch, and I think I’m often off by a note or two (still probably not too bad, but nothing to brag about like perfect pitch)…ok, I said I needed to say something more often about my dog: Reuben, who died at age 12 in July, was my first baby. I’d had him since the moment (pretty much literally) I received my masters degree. Daisy…we are her 4th or so home. I will admit that I love her, but she has to be one of the most exasperating creatures ever! Yes, even a rival to Lily;) She has bunny wanderlust, which is a beagle thing, though Reuben was bred to be a show dog, not a field dog, and had NONE of that hunting instinct. I have a strong feeling this is why we are Daisy’s 4th home. She is otherwise known as Houdini-beagle who can dig out from under a chain link fence in about hm, 2 minutes flat. Poor Spouse has been working on “Daisy-proofing” the yard for the entire 4 years we’ve had her. It’s only been this summer that she’s dug out less due to his constant efforts. It gets embarrassing when the same neighbor finds her more than once or twice a season when she digs out and has been missing for a few hours. It also gets expensive when the pound finds her (at $25 a pop). But she IS a beagle, my favorite breed, and she IS cute, and she IS endearing, wagging her tail so hard her entire BODY sways like she’s hoola hooping or dancing, and she DOES help keep my feet warm in the winter by sleeping under the covers by my feet.  So I have the perfect solution…find someone to take her during the summer, and when the ground freezes and she cannot dig out, I’ll happily take her back until the spring thaw, and repeat the cycle!!

Ok, I work at the ER this weekend, so there may have been 3 posts from me today, but I can almost promise there won't be any more until AT LEAST Tuesday!:)

Random Facts

I was tagged! This time by Mary Perry aka MFP otherwise known as GrandmaPer.

1. I love the end result of gardening, but derive no pleasure from the actual process of getting there.
2. Hm, this may look like a repeat, but I love the end result of cooking, but derive no pleasure from the actual process of getting there.
3. Since others have commented on making beds or not, I’ll chime in on that one: Our bed gets made each time I wash the sheets, and maybe 1 or 2 other times per year, for example, if we are expecting company that might go upstairs. There’s really no point at our house anyway…if I make the bed, the dog will just unmake it to root under the covers for her naps
4. Since I’m on a roll with these: I love the end process of decorating (general home décor as well as any holiday décor), but (you guessed it) derive no pleasure from the actual process of getting there. My DREAM, which I have been touting for years, would be a fully decorated Christmas tree that disappears into the floor after the season with a mere touch of a button. It would then reside in the basement under a gigantic tarp to keep the dust off until the following late November when I would again press the button and it would magically rise back upstairs…lol!
5. Laundry is my favorite household chore. I don’t mind doing it, and generally keep up with it very well. This may change as the boys get older and start putting slimy things in their pockets…
6. I love a good warm pair of slippers! Mine wore out last year before the end of our never-ending 2008 winter, and then even my ancient back-up pair (purchased in high school for fun, and looked like mallard ducks of all things b/c I wanted an animal pair) wore out completely. I had to wear *gasp* shoes to keep my feet warm in the house! I was SO SO happy when Target got their fall/winter slipper collection in this fall

The "Rules":

* link to the person who tagged you
* list 6 random things about yourself
* tag 6 new people
* let each tagged person know they've been tagged by posting a comment on their blog
* link to the 6 people you've tagged
* and let the person who tagged you know that you posted

My tags:
Anyone who hasn't done this yet who wants to:)

Tag; You're It!

Janet has tagged me again:)

Here are the rules:

* Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
* Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
* Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
* Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are my 7 random/weird facts:
1. I have read almost all non-fiction books in the past year, highly unusual (I've always read one now and then, but to be exclusively NF is very weird for me). Currently I'm reading Overtreated, which is fascinating to me (DH finds it a bit dull, but then, it's intimately about MY profession).
2. Lately I spend more time scanning old photos & slides than scrapbooking. I hope soon that can change again!
3. Why is it that on preschool days, I have to wake DS practically kicking, screaming, or whining out of bed, but on non-PS days, he's up within about 20 minutes of that time anyway, cheerful and ready to roll, all on his own.? (Oh wait, these facts were supposed to be about me...)
4. My current favorite You Tube movie is The Mom Song
5. I have spring fever, as in: it's still only in the 40s here and I've barely been out of Iowa in the last 12 months, and I'd REALLY rather be ANYWHERE (well almost) than here right now.
6. We might actually get the big wide space filled around our new TV soon. hey wait, I haven't told that story here yet...give me a couple days, I work ALL weekend long!
7. After a long weekend at work, I really feel weird thinking TGIM!!

Tagged

Tagged by Janet:

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C: At the end of the post, the player then tag 3 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.

10 years ago: We were living in Iowa Falls. I was commuting 35 minutes east to Parkersburg to work full time as a physician assistant (PA) in a very small clinic with one doctor. Jeff was commuting 1 hour (1 way) south to Ames to work at EAI. We had Reuben (beagle) & Max (miniature schnauzer).

Things on my to-do list today: Today is DS #1's fifth birthday, so I'm making dessert and something yummy for dinner, oatmeal cookies to take to the preschool BD party tomorrow, a little cleaning and laundry, a quick trip to the grocery store for cookie ingredients, and I hope, a little time left over for scrapbooking!

What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire: Go delirious just thinking of the possibilities!:) (Seriously, it'd probably happen!). Donate a bunch, buy a new house (hm, where) and of course it would have a kick ASS scrapbook room!, go on MANY, MANY trips, skiing, Europe, get the best Canon or Nikon camera and lenses money can buy, hire a housekeeper (BLISS)...heck, she could even live-in! Oh, and a COOK!:) No one can accuse me of not being a dreamer, that's for sure. Oh, and I'm practical too...invest the rest wisely:)

3 of my bad habits: swearing (yes me...those who know me well and personally will attest...as aforementioned when I confessed to being "loud" the last time I was tagged, this doesn't happen professionally oh, and note use of "kick ass" phrase above), procrastinating at things like housework, and not picking up after myself at home.

3 places I have lived: Ames, IA; Atlantic, IA; and Iowa City, IA

5 jobs that I have had: PA at Fast Track/ED, sales associate/imprinter/cardstock queen at Memory BoundScrapbook store, physical therapy aid (in college), direct care worker at a group home (in college), pizza baker at Casey's (way early in college).

5 things people don't know about me: Can't remember offhand what I've said before, so hope not too many are repeats: I am left-handed, I LOVE to read, I LOVE tomatoes, especially raw, I had a 4.0 in high school and nearly that in college, and number 5...I must not be terribly humble, or I wouldn't have used that for number 4. LOL:) (Hey, I'm running out of things to say!)

I tag: Kristina, Ann, & Rosalie. :)

I've been tagged TWICE!

Considering I've been tagged twice (love ya Janet and Ann!) I better do this one!

These are the rules: You must post the rules before you give your answers.You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name. Each fact must begin with that letter. If you don’t have a middle name, just use your maiden name. After you’ve been tagged, you need to up-date your blog with your middle name and answers. At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they’ve been tagged and need to read your blog for details.

L: loud. I’m pretty sure no one who knows me personally would argue with this one…now professionally is a different story:)
Y: yammerhawing…one of Christopher’s favorite words (almost 5 years old)…used to denote anyone who is talking when he thinks it’s his turn to speak.
N: nice…well, at least, I try to be:)
N: needed, well, at least I hope so, by my family

As far as who to tag...well, let's just say this is one prolific little game, b/c I'm pretty sure most every other blogger out there has already been tagged, lol...if you are a blogger and have not been tagged, consider yourself tagged!:)

I wasn't officially tagged, but I'm joining in anyway:

1. Name your 2 favorite scrapbooking topics: my boys, travel

2. What are the 2 best places you've been to? Italy & Great Britain

3. Name 2 things you do every day: get out of bed, brush my teeth (even check my email doesn't make the list when I'm on vacation or super busy)

4. Tell us 2 things that pretty much everyone knows about you. I have 2 sons and I scrapbook.

5. 2 places you wish to visit: Of places that I haven't been: Florence, Italy & Switzerland

6. 2 things you may not know about me are: I’m an only child and I'm left-handed.

7. 2 nicknames you've had at some time in your life: Loodi and Cher (not really my choice there, but hey)...oh, I know another good one: Turkey Bird (lol)

8. Name 2 of your favorite drinks: Coke Zero, margaritas (about 6 per year)

9. The question Janet added is this: What are 2 interesting (in a good or bad way) jobs you’ve had in your life? I'm not sure how interesting any of my jobs have been: My first job ever was babysitting...........for a purebred mother bulldog and her almost newborn litter of pups. It was a super hot Iowa summer and either the family didn't have AC or it was on the fritz. One of my duties was to make sure the mama didn't accidentally sit on or roll on any of the babies (apparently mother bulldogs don't have enough mothering instinct or something!:) And as long as we're sticking with firsts: My first "real" job was at McDonald's as a HS senior...cured me of any love for fast food for the rest of my life!

10. Ok, here's my question: Name 2 resolutions you've either already broken or 2 that you've kept so far. (And if you didn't do resolutions this year, think up something to comment on, lol)

I will tag my DH (since some days I'm pretty sure he's the only one out there reading this) and Jen (I better send her an email letting her know she's tagged!)

Cheri

A couple years ago I ordered several iris from a catalog in search of a particular one I remembered from growing up. I did actually find one that fit the bill, and I also purposely ordered a couple "rebloomers" in hopes that every once in awhile the first killing frost would occur late enough for them to rebloom. Now mind you, I don't want global warming, just a normal, late frost every once in awhile, lol.
So this was my year...I took these pics in our front yard last week, and I'll be darned if they aren't STILL blooming today. It's gotten down to twenty-eight-ish degrees a couple mornings but iris are hardy spring/fall flowers and apparently that doesn't faze them. I purposely stood on my head and not-so-purposely snagged a new shirt getting the second pic shooting up toward our beautiful maple tree with its red leaves to remind myself that these, in fact, were autumn-blooming iris.
My friend Janet, scrapbooker and teacher extraordinaire, and fellow blogger http://ofcatsandcardstock.blogspot.com/ has tagged me:

You've been tagged!
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself (on your blog -- we all want to know them).
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I'm actually not going to tag specific people, so if the spirit moves you, please consider yourself tagged! Post a comment here so we can zip over to your blog to read your 7 random and/or weird facts!

1. I am trying to learn Spanish, mostly on my own. It would really help out at Free Clinic and I love foreign languages. Honestly, if I could go back in time and have the resources available in the small town in which I grew up, I would want to be fluent in English, Spanish, French, AND Italian...I think Italian is the most beautiful language on earth.
   
2. I have now been volunteering virtually every Thursday night for 6 years at Ames Free Clinic as a physician assistant/PA.
3. If we lived in a community with a Waldorf school, I would almost go into the poor house if necessary to put my children in it.
4. I have more expensive things than ever before on my Christmas list this year...new laptop, new camera...well maybe, and I want to finish the half of the basement we actually use. I would love to be able to look up from scrapbooking and see a lovely color and artwork on the walls instead of the current poured foundation. Grey striped concrete is not really very inspiring. I was amazed to learn that my friend Rosalie has even more expensive items on her list, though, including a new van and a new HOUSE, not just basement, heehee. Maybe I can use her as leverage to convince Jeff to finish our basement, hehehe.
5. I'm running out of ideas, and as I told Janet, none of my seven items will be nearly as exciting/scary as hers...so I'm going to borrow the one of hers I can...my toenails are almost always polished, though my fingernails NEVER are. I simply do not like my thumbs and don't wish to call attention to them. I fully expect that y'all will check them out the next time you see me, oh well.
6. My tastes in music are rather eclectic, as pointed out to me years ago when Jeff and I were "just" dating...he saw in my car, CDs of Aerosmith, Tears for Fears, and Madonna next to each other. Basically I like anything, including classical, except country and rap/hip-hop. I can even sing you a rousing rendition of "Thomas the Tank Engine" :P
7. I hate gardening, but love the end results, so I have a rather large perrennial garden. I also love fresh tomatoes and fresh pesto, so I grow our own tomatoes and basil in the summer.