Ten Random Things

I did a scrapbook layout once about random things. So I decided to share some random things about myself with you so you can get to know me better. If you want to.

1. I hate spiders. I just do. They look evil to me. I know they eat the "bad" bugs, but to me they are bad bugs. And yes, I know they're arachnids, technically not bugs. But they crawl and creep like bugs. They freak me out. I also don't like killing them. One time I asked my dad to smush one for me and he told me that he couldn't because the spider's mom or dad or brother or sister might be watching and they'd come back and get him. More freaking out. Thanks, Dad. Until the past few years my husband dutifully killed them when I asked. Asked as in screamed my head off. But since I've had kids, I've had to rescue my offspring from the clutches of evil spiders a time or two. But I always keep my eye out for the spider relatives who might be watching.

2. I almost never follow a recipe exactly. And often, I don't make a dish the same way I made it before. I rarely measure out ingredients exactly unless I'm making bread. Bread needs exactness. My grandma cooked this way, and I'm told I cook like her. I'm glad to be compared to her because she was an excellent cook.

3. I was a cheerleader in high school. I attended a small private Christian school, so it wasn't like I had to beat out 50 girls for a spot on the squad. More like 10 girls. I wasn't the most athletic or graceful cheerleader, but I was enthusiastic and spirited. While I enjoyed cheering, I did not enjoy the uniforms. The sweaters were hot and itchy. The skirts were made of polyester and were uncomfortable. But it was a fun experience.

4. My husband was the first man I kissed. Seriously. I met him when I was 26. It's not that I had made a commitment not to kiss any man until I married him. I just hadn't dated anyone who was worthy of being my first kiss. You know that saying that you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince? Not true. I'm glad I didn't go around kissing frogs. And I didn't wait until we got married to kiss him. We had to get in some practice, you know?

5. I have a secret desire to run for public office. I think I'd make a great president! Ha ha! I taught high school government for several years and one of my favorite sayings was "When I get to be president...." Most of my students said they would vote for me, so if I ran for president, I might garner a hundred votes or so. Most people in public office start in a smaller local arena, though. Maybe school board or county commission?

6. John Wayne is and always will be my favorite actor. My husband is amazed at my ability to watch a few seconds of a John Wayne movie while he's channel surfing and identify the movie, the character John Wayne is portraying, and year the movie was made. I love that he always played a good guy. Or a bad guy reforming to become a good guy, like in Angel and the Badman. I have two favorites, The Horse Soldiers and The Searchers. I can watch them over and over again. Nobody did westerns like John Wayne. Nobody. He's not called the Duke for nothing.

7. I'm not a girly-girl. Shopping isn't my thing. I don't spend money on shoes, except walking shoes. I rarely wear make-up and when I do, it's mineral make-up that doesn't cause my skin to break out. My favorite brand is Everyday Minerals. I've gotten my nails done once, for my wedding 11 years ago. I don't like putting nail polish on, so I don't. My husband is perfectly happy with the low maintenance woman he married. When he tells me the barn needs painting, then I'll paint it. Until then, I'm just plain ol' me.

8. I always wanted to be a teacher. And that's what I became. I taught junior high and high school social studies and English for 7 years. Now I homeschool my children so I'm still teaching. I plan to do this until they graduate highschool, so I've got 10 years to go. Some people say I have a gift for teaching. I don't know that I'd go that far, but I do enjoy the teaching part of it. The preparation and grading, not so much. In other words, I'm gifted in the art of talking. Ha ha!

9. Football is my favorite spectator sport. My husband hates it. But he does graciously let me watch it on the hi-def screen TV so I don't miss anything. My favorite team is West Virginia, of course. Alabama runs a close second. My favorite pro team is the Steelers. When I'm watching any of these teams, I find myself jumping up and cheering or talking to the players as if they can hear me. I don't realize I'm doing it. It's like an automated response or something. And I'm told it's funny to watch. Unless you are our dog. She doesn't like loud noises, so she often leaves the room when I'm watching football.

10. I've always wanted to go on a mission trip to a foreign country. My church sends out teams every year, sometimes every other year. But it seems like every time, I've had other responsibilities, mainly kid-related, that I had to attend to. But I'm praying about a mission trip in the future. I even have my passport ready to go. The kids will be grown up soon. All too soon. And then I'll go on a mission trip. Maybe to Africa. Do they have big spiders there?