A little more about me...

My best friend Wendy tagged me on her blog.  I normally don't participate in these types of things, but a few of the questions really intrigued me (and I just happened to be in the right mood! *wink*).  The buck stops here though, as I have not tagged others.  But I hope you will enjoy reading about a little of my history!

What was I doing ten years ago?
Let's see, ten years ago would have been May of 1998.  I had just finished my first year of college and I was beginning my summer full-time work at Casco Bay Lines as a ticket agent.  I was living in our summer cottage on Little Diamond Island and commuted every morning on the very ferry that I sold tickets for all day in town.  I really enjoyed those commutes.  There is nothing like beautiful ocean views and a salty breeze to start the day!  I was dating David and was head over heels in love with him (little did I know he would propose in five short months!).  I had dreams of one day moving to the city and having a high profile job in advertising or fashion.  I really wanted to combine both and become a fashion merchandiser.  I loved the idea of starting out on my own and being independent.  I had $150 in my savings account with the goal to save as much as possible that summer for living expenses the following year at school. It was a fantastic summer, full of newfound love with David and my favorite place on earth to this day.



Five snacks I enjoy:
My homemade guacamole & chips
I shared the recipe last year in a Papertrey newsletter.  I'll make a note to post it here on the blog sometime soon so that you can give it a try yourself this summer!

Multi-Grain Wheat Thins & Cabot Pepperjack Cheese
I just LOVE anything spicy!  Cabot makes THE best Pepperjack cheese in my opinion.  I haven't found another brand yet that I love as much as theirs.

Pop-Secret Homestyle microwave popcorn
This is the only kind of popcorn I will eat.  The summer cottage I spent so much time at while growing up had an electric popcorn popper that was ANCIENT.  I'm not even real sure how old it truly is, but it operates much differently than anything that has ever been for sale during my generation!  Anyhow, it makes THE best popcorn, and my mother always popped some on rainy afternoons when we would stay warm and cozy inside by the fire.  Reading would be the entertainment for the day and I just loved it the little routine that we did.  To this day I love to eat popcorn when reading!  Soooo, believe it or not, the Pop-Secret Homestyle popcorn tastes almost exactly like the popcorn from that old electric popcorrn popper, and that's why I love it so much!

Plain Pringles
I don't really care for any of the flavored varieties, just plain & simple, red can variety Pringles!

Apple slices & peanut butter
Sometimes people think I am strange for enjoying this combination so much, but I love the contrast of the crisp apple &  creamy peanut butter.  My favorite apples for this are Fuji & Golden Delicious.

Five things on my to do list today:
David and I are preparing for a big party we are throwing on Memorial Day this Monday.  So much of my to-do list has to do with that!

1. Go grocery shopping
2. Finish mulching the garden around the pool.
3. Print labels for firefly jars & s'mores goodie bags, then assemble them.
4. Photograph all of the elements of the Memorial Day party and post them on the blog.
5. Finish up some patterned paper I am working on.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

-International travel.  I have never been overseas, but am anxious to do so.  Europe especially.  There is so much history & culture to explore across the ocean and I would love the opportunity to go and take all three of our children as well!

-Donate as much money as possible to my two favorite charities, Habitat for Humanity & Donors Choose.  One of the things I look for in a charity is how they are truly changing lives.  Not just a hand out, but helping to build better lives for the future.  In other words, something that has a long-term effect on everyday life, close to home.

I have been donating to Habitat for Humanity since I got my first job in high school.  I find the entire program motivating and inspirational.  I also feel that having someplace to call home can be the basis of an entirely different outlook on life and how one perceives themselves within a community.  I don't think there is anyone who would contend the sense of pride associated with owning your own home.  And just imagine how much more motivated one would be to be a positive asset to the world when they sleep in peace & comfort, within surroundings that are all their own.  I firmly believe that this charity provides a solid foundation for people to find sucess & happiness in all areas of their lives!

Donors Choose is something I heard about through NPR (National Public Radio).  The premise is that teachers from around the country can add a request to a revolving list.  They ask for a particular amount of money to fulfill a need or wish for their classroom.  With all of the education budget cuts you hear of, this charity sheds light on what could be a dismal situation.  I love being able to choose exactly which teacher's cause I would like to fund, and the donation amounts are almost always small.  A little money can make a HUGE difference in a child' life and their educational future, therefore in the end, preparing OUR future too!  These are our up and coming politicians, lawyers & doctors!  You even get thank you notes or photos from the children blessed by your donation!  Such warm fuzzies!

Five jobs I've had:
1. Ice cream scooper
2. Pizza & sub chef (according to David this was some of the best training, since I make the *best* sandwiches!
3. Clothing store sales associate
4. Portrait photographer (THAT didn't last long!)
5. ticket agent for a ferry terminal

Five of my bad habits:
1. Biting my fingernails
2. Grinding my teeth
3. Leaving milk out of the refrigerator
4. Over salting food when cooking
5. Interrupting people when talking on the phone (especially if I'm excited!)

Five places I have lived:
1. Norridgewock, Maine
2. Bath, Maine
3. Beacon Falls, Connecticut
4. Olmstead, Kentucky
5. Clarksville, Tennessee

Six random things:
1. I don't have a sense of smell, technical term anosmia. Really, I don't. Not even a little. I am fairly certain I was born that way, but it's hard to say.  My friend Wendy told me not too long ago that she always thought it was strange that I was indifferent about missing one of the five senses.  As long as I can remember, I have been without it, so I never really noticed it's absence.  In the last few months I decided to see if there was anything I could do to correct it and began to get hopeful with a little bit of a lead I received from one of the health professionals I had sought out.  But that path ended quickly.  Ever since that glimmer of hope became extinguished, I've had a lot of mixed feelings about this missing characteristic of my life experience.  I spent some time really absorbing the fact that I just needed to appreciate the senses I DO have and not long for something that I will never have.  I think I have finally let go again and have peace of mind about the situation.      

2. I have way too many hobbies that I am overly-passionate about.  And I usually go through phases as to which one is at the top of the list.  My list includes stamping, scrapbooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, gardening, beading, reading, cooking & home decorating.  What I really need is more free time so I have enough hours in the day to squeeze everything in!

3. Both sets of my grandparents are still living.  I will be 29 this summer, and I am proud to say that both sets of my grandparents are here to celebrate with me.  I feel like this is one of the biggest blessings in my life.  I love talking to them, absorbing their history & stories.  I love to hear about the way things were.  I love the silly stories about my parents when they were children.  I love having them here and it will be very difficult to let go when they pass on since they have been in my life for so long.

4. I am the oldest.  I have a younger sister & brother.  I personally didn't care for being the oldest.  I had to *break* my parents in.  I definitely had to battle my way through high school with overly strict rules & regulation that were lightened up quite a bit once my youngest brother got to his high school years.  Although, now that we have all moved out of the house, I enjoy being able to offer my siblings advice when they ask for it, since I've *been there, done that*!

5. I played ice hockey in high school.  Offense.  And I loved it.  My favorite part was when we scrimmaged against the boys team from our high school.  They always thought they could obliterate us on the ice, and it was *too* fun proving them wrong!

6. I adore old movies.  Anything made before 1960, I am so there.  A few of my favorites are Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,  Some Like it Hot,  Gone with the Wind, and The Shop Around the Corner.  I wish they still made movies like this.  So wholesome & non-violent.