fabulous blog / fabulous addictions

My good blog pal Processing Counselor gave me a Fabulous Blogger award. Thanks PC!

Here are the rules associated with this award:

You must pass it on to 5 other Fabulous Bloggers in a post. You must include the person who gave you the award, and link back to them. You must list 5 of your Fabulous Addictions in the post. You must copy and paste these rules in the post. Right click the award icon and save it to your computer, then post with your own awards.



Alrighty, here (in no particular order) are 5 of my "fabulous addictions". Although wouldn't the word "hobby" suffice? That sounds healthier than 'addiction'. But I digress.

1. Like Processing Counselor, I'm going to have to say BOOKS -- both regular 'paper' books and electronic books on my Kindle.

2. My bike -- it's my main form of exercise.

3. Tall skinny vanilla lattes. They are yummy, what can I say?!




4. 30 Rock.
Great writing; quirky humor! What's not to like?





5. Photoshopping Presbyterian Gal's head on whatever strikes me as potentially amusing. (OK, so maybe this one is more addiction that hobby!!)


And here are 5 fabulous bloggers!
Presbyterian Gal
Hot Cup
Purple
Diane at Faith in Community
Rev SS

7 facts meme

Processing Counselor and Jiff both tagged me for a meme, and I am finally getting to it!

Here are the rules:
a. List these rules on your blog.
b. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
c. Tag 7 others.

(Mompriest shared her facts with pictures, which I thought was a brilliant idea so I will shamelessly copy her.)

OK, here are my 7 facts...
1. My favorite cereal is:

My only complaint is that there are never any toys in the box. Would it kill them to add a decoder ring or something?!

2. When I was growing up, I had a Boston Terrier named Chumley. This isn't Chumley, but he looked a lot like this when he was a puppy:



3. I do not like to floss my teeth. I floss my teeth, but I reaallllly do not like it.
4. When I see a picture, one of my first thoughts is: How would this look with Presbyterian Gal's face on it?



5. OK, I'll admit it (but only because I am in need of another fact): I like American Idol. In fact, my mom and I recently went to the 'American Idol Tour' concert in Portland. Here's a picture I took of David Cook.



6. I love electronic gadgets; I love books. So of course I covet songbird's kindle.


7. After a long day at the clinic... trying to think of a 7th fact AND trying to think of 7 people to tag is making me feel like this:



I think this meme has made the rounds, but if anybody wants to designate themselves as one of my 7, go for it!

summer meme

That fun-lovin' Presbyterian Gal tagged me for a meme. So here I go!

1.) What first tells you that summer is here?
It's when my Tevas start to beg me: "Wear us to work! Wear us to work!"

2.) Name five of your favorite distinctively summer habits or customs.
* Wearing my Tevas to work (you knew that was coming)
* Backyard BBQ's
* Camping trips
* Summer concerts at the lake
* Making salads with lettuce, tomatoes, etc. from our garden

3.) What is your favorite smell of summer?
Freshly cut grass (since I have no allergies)

4.) What is your favorite taste of summer?
I enjoy eating hotdogs and drinking rootbeer floats over at Presbyterian Gal's. Yep, that tradition goes waaaaaay back:


5.) Favorite summer memory?
Any of our family summer vacations would qualify here!

6.) Extreme heat or extreme cold? Which would you choose and why?
If I had to pick one, I'd rather be cold than hot. (Because you can dress for the cold...)

7.) What books do you plan to read for the season?
Right now I'm reading Julie Andrews' Home: A Memoir of My Early Years which was a gift from Offsprings #1 & #2. After I finish that, I'm open to suggestions!

8.) How does the summer affect your faith? Is it a hindrance or an ally?
Hmmm... the only thing that comes to mind is that a rip-roaring good thunderstorm somehow seems to make me feel more 'connected'. I'm sure it's that whole nature/faith thing for me. (Unfortunately thunderstorms are rare here.)

I'll tag:
Ruth
Processing Counselor
Diane
Jiff
and
Dust Bunny

...if'n they want to play

The "Oddly Familiar" Meme

Both Jan and Ruth tagged me for this meme, so I guess I better put on my thinking cap and finally get to it!

Rules:
blah blah blah, I'm not posting them! :)

Ten years ago:
Hubby and I were working at the same clinic we're both at today (we know how to hang in there!) Offsprings #1 & 2 were ages 11 and 9 respectively. As it was nearing the end of May, I'm sure we were planning a summer vacation. (Hubby the historian would remember where we went 10 years ago, but he is taking a nap right now so it will have to remain a mystery.)

Five things on today's "to do" list:
Since the day is winding down, I'll make this about tomorrow.
* Meet Dust Bunny for toast and coffee at the Red Rooster Bakery before work
* Go to work; check many eyeballs
* Go on a bike ride after work
* Throw together some sort of dinner with whatever I find in the refrigerator
* Water the garden after dinner (unless it has rained, then I will simply admire the garden)

Things I'd do if I was a billionaire:
* Open a Dairy Queen in Artas, South Dakota because it would perk up the few residents who live there.
* Make generous donations to live theatre and live music programs because that would perk up Offsprings #1 and #2.
* Give Rev SS a really, really nice gift, even though she didn't give me one when she was a billionaire.
* Get help to figure out the best way to make a difference in the world with that kind of money (because obviously I'd need help if I'm opening DQ's in towns of 13 people.)

Three bad habits:
* Trying to please all of the people all of the time
* Buying too many books instead of using the library
* Letting the mail stack up on the kitchen counter (and unopened if it looks boring)

Five places I've lived:
Bad Kreuznach, Germany (for 6 weeks!)
Ashley, North Dakota
Helena, Montana
Forest Grove, Oregon
Loveland, Colorado

Five jobs I've had:
* Clerk at our family drug store (however, this was more play than work)
* Directory Assistance Operator (summer job during college)
* State of Montana Water Quality Lab technician (another summer job during college)
* State of Montana "Hydrologic Engineer" (yet another summer job during college)
* Optometrist

People I'm tagging:
YOU if you haven't played yet!

Revelation Friday Five

It's time for the Friday Five! Sally over at RevGalBlogPals writes: With this Sunday's gospel reading in mind, that wonderful revelation of Christ to the companions on the Emmaus road, I wonder where you might have been surprised by God's revelation recently. So with no further waffle I offer you this weeks Friday 5:

How has God revealed him/herself to you in a:

First let me say that "revealed" might be a big word. For me it would be more like hints or glimmers... Having said that, here goes:

1. Book
I recently read the autobiography Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality by Ronald Mallett. Mallet's life goal was to build a time machine so that he could see his beloved father again (who died when the author was, I think, eleven). He shares his struggles with racism and depression as he became a physicist, and he describes his research into black holes and circulating lasers -- which he believe drag time into a closed loop suitable for time travel. I think God is in Mallett's journey and definitely in the science.

2.Film
I'll have to go with the last two films I've seen (which were recommended by Offspring #2): Cinema Paradiso and Kite Runner. I think you can catch glimmers of God in the complex relationships between the characters.

3. Song
I love songs about roads, rivers, and traveling -- obviously a theological undertone there. Just last night I added a "blog tunes" box. It's only got one song so far, "Travelin Thru". It's a great tune, written by Dolly Parton and performed by a contestant on American Idol. (OK, I'm sort of embarrassed to like Dolly Parton and American Idol, but there you have it.) Click to listen!

4. Another person
Perhaps a recent example would be an elderly patient of mine. I think I've seen him for the past 15 years or so, and he's in his 90's now. At our last visit he said, "I'm not afraid to die. I look at it like being in a theater watching a movie that is nearing the end. I'm satisfied because it's been a good movie."

5. Creation
Ah, this is why I love the Empty Nest Hiking Club -- "connecting" with the ocean, mountains, forests, etc.

Bonus answer: your choice- share something encouraging/ amazing/ humbling that has happened to you recently!
Hmm... our recent trip to NYC was amazing (see earlier blog post)!

middle name meme

Jiff tagged me for this meme:

Here are the rules:
1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.

2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).

3. At the end of your blog 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.)

OK, here goes:

M: Montana is where I did my undergraduate work. Carroll College to be exact. Go Fighting Saints!



A: Asparagus is one vegetable I do not enjoy. (It does not quite match the evil of peas, but it is close.)

(He may look cute, but beware.)

E: English horn is an instrument I can play... but if you heard me perform, the noise might Exasperate you. (Whoa! TWO "E" words -- that's a bonus!)

I will tag Presbyterian Gal, Dust Bunny, and Processing Counselor ... if'n they want to play.

my marvy modified marriage meme

Diane tagged me for this marriage meme. (I 'modified' it -- It seemed a bit lengthy, so I took the liberty of ditching some questions.)

Where / how did you meet?
We met in the registration line at optometry school. Always unorganized, I had nothing to write with and had to borrow his pen. (Actually, "borrow" is a euphemism. I stole the pen out of his shirt pocket.)

How long have you known each other?
Yikes, 30+ years.

How long after you met did you start dating?
Not long... (It was the only way for him to get his pen back.)

How long have you been married?
Yikes, 27 years. Guess I'll keep him. :)

When is your anniversary?
November 1st, 1980.

Where was your wedding?
Aberdeen, South Dakota (I guess I could explain why.... but, nah!)

How many people were in your bridal party?
2 bridesmaids and 2 groomsmen... and here we are:

Are you still friends with them all?
One of the groomsmen was a 'fill-in' at the time (long story), and we've lost track of him.

Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?
No, but his parents did. (The Jewish/Gentile thing was a challenge.)

Most special moment of your wedding day?
The reception was at a disco my mom and stepdad owned at the time -- so that was fun.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Minneapolis, the "mini-apple".

How long were you gone?
About 5 or 6 days.

If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
We would have gotten a better photographer.

Greatest strength as a couple?
I just asked Hubby for his opinion and he said, "mutual respect". Yeah, I like that.

Greatest challenge as a couple?
Dealing with things beyond our control.

Who literally pays the bills?
He does... I hate dealing with money.

What is your song?
We don't realllllly have one, but we both usually think of that snappy Al Jarreau tune, "Just the Two of Us"

OK, I tag anybody who wants to play. (And you'll have to go to Diane's to see the entire list of questions...)

ye olde book meme

I was tagged for this book meme by Diane and Mompriest. So here goes!

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)
Alrighty, the nearest book happened to be Rebecca Lee's debut novel, The City is a Rising Tide. (Amazon link here.)

Find Page 123.
Yep, I can do that.

Find the first 5 sentences.
Yep, I can do that too!

Post the next three sentences.
"Especially at sunset, I'll be able to read, and then pivot my head, and see out the window. Because when I read, I don't want the window right there in front of me, because it's too distracting, but I also want to be able to gaze off when I've enjoyed a passage in the book and I want to pause just to soak it in."
I tried to peer through the gloaming and see if Peter and Mr. Tetres were coming back soon.


Wow -- now there's someone who has given a lot of serious thought to optimal window placement for reading.

Tag five people
I think a lot of people have already been tagged, so I'll just pick one! I'll tag "PS".

Friday Five: Read Any Good Books Lately?

Here is this week's Friday Five from revhrod over at RevGals:

1. What book have you read in the last six months that has really stayed with you? Why?
One of the books I am currently reading is Suzuki and Dressel's Good News For a Change: How Everyday People are Helping the Planet. After reading so much ecological bad news, it's nice to read some upbeat stories about people who are making positive environmental contributions to our world.




2. What is one of your favorite childhood books?
Going waaaaaay back, I loved Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire. The things that animal could do with his spots were amazing. Really.




3. Do you have a favorite book of the Bible? Do tell!
Presbyterian Gal asked me this a while back when she "interviewed" me, so I'll stick with that answer... I said Mark since it is (as far as I know) the oldest gospel and therefore probably the most accurate portrayal of Jesus' life.

4. What is one book you could read again and again?
I almost never read the same book more than once. (So many books, so little time!) But, I did re-read Jack Finney's Time and Again because I love books about time travel.

5. Is there a book you would suggest for Lenten reading? What is it and why?
No, but I'm open to suggestions.

And because we all love bonus questions, if you were going to publish a book what would it be? Who would you want to write the jacket cover blurb expounding on your talent?
Hmmm... My grandmother was pretty darn cool, so I'd probably write about her life, times, wit, and wisdom. It would be a quirky book, so I'd have Garrison Keillor write the blurb for me.

Seven Whoppers

I've been tagged by Diane to tell 7 lies about myself. Well, here goes!

1. Deeply inspired as a child by both "Mr. Clean" and "The Man from Glad", I wore only white clothing.





2. In the 70's I worked as a freelance photographer shooting album covers. My most famous was the "Waking and Dreaming" picture for Orleans. However, strangely enough, nobody seemed to want to hire me after this one.




3. I am an avid, "extreme" snowboarder, always willing to try new and exciting jumps. Unfortunately, this one ended in the parking lot. And not well.





4. I primarily went into optometry because writing wasn't working out. I did get one novel published about an attractive bovine detective entitled "Nancy Moo: The Secret in the Old Hayloft", but it was only popular in North Dakota.




5. And speaking of North Dakota... I am a worldclass yodeler. In fact, I have taken the Grand Tonsil Trophy three years straight at the ND Bratwurst and Yodeling Festival in Bismarck, beating out Hilda Huffenflugen (who is pictured below).




6. I have a patent pending for "Pick Up Spaghetti Sticks!" The idea is simple, yet brilliant. You play with the brightly colored pasta, then cook 'em when you are done playing. I'm sure it will catch on.




And finally,
7. With the writer's strike dragging on, network executives are looking to rework old material with fresh faces. As such, I am excited to announce that Presbyterian Gal and I have begun work on "Cagney and Lacey: A New Beginning". I will be playing the role made famous by Tyne Daly and Presbyterian Gal will, of course, reprise the Sharon Gless role. (I'm still working on my New York accent.)




I tag anybody who would like to jump in and shamelessly lie. (How about it, Hot Cup and Purpletologically Speaking?)

Oh Christmas Three, Oh Christmas Three

I'm baaaaack! Since my last post I've made a trip up to Bellingham (via Amtrak) to pick up our van which had been stranded there getting a new transmission. Due to work schedules, etc. Hubby joined me the following day, and we were able to attend Offspring #2's jazz concert on Friday night. (Offspring #2 plays a smooooooth trumpet and he did great!) Luckily, I-5 opened up just in time for our return trip (it had been closed due to flooding). We were saved from what would have been a very lengthy detour. Yesss!

About a week ago, Diane tagged me to do the "Christmas Three Meme" which involves answering three questions about Christmas. So at long last, here are my answers.

What are your three favorite Christmas songs and who sings them?
This is a difficult one because there are lots and lots of Christmas songs I like, but I'll go with:
1. Do You Hear What I Hear? with good ol' Perry Como. This one is all tied up with nice childhood memories.
2. Let It Snow because it is catchy and I love snow. I don't have one particular artist in mind, but I will say Diana Krall does a wonderfully jazzy cover of this song.
3. In the Bleak Midwinter by James Taylor. JT does this song beautifully on his James Taylor at Christmas album.

What are your three favorite Christmas foods?
Christmas foods remind me of my grandmother, and I loved the way she made:
1. Christmas Ribbon Jello (which included red and green jello and cream cheese)
2. "Pfeffernuesse" (peppernut) cookies which had lots of powdered sugar to get on one's nose, all around the mouth, etc. :)
3. Date filled cookies. These were especially good warm.

What are three Christmas Secrets?
I'm not really a 'secret' type person so I have no clue how to answer this question. So. I am going to take a blogger liberty and change the last question to... What are your three favorite Christmas movies?
1. The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. Classic! And Cary Grant as an angel--not a stretch!
2. White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney... although they should have done a little more editing because it did drag in the middle.
And, I'm saving my favorite for last...
3. The Snowman, a 1982 film based on Raymond Briggs' picture book of the same name. If you haven't seen it before, rent it! (You can read one review here.) The picture above is from the film.

If you want to play, consider yourself tagged! (How about it, Jiff?Purpletologically Speaking? Presby Gal? Are you in?)

10 random things

I was tagged by Mags for 10 random things. So here goes!

1. My favorite way to exercise is to ride my bike, because it allows me to sit on my keester while doing so.

2. In high school, I was able to walk on my hands. I haven't attempted this in a l-o-n-g time.

3. My first car was a buttercup yellow '67 Camaro, which I sold when we moved from Colorado to Washington.

4. I love using the binocular indirect ophthalmoscope to check for retinal holes and tears, but since it is worn on the head it makes me have bad hair days.

5. I am currently reading Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes. It's pretty darn good.

6. I believe creamed peas should be illegal. I cannot emphasize this enough.

7. I am sorry that Stephen Colbert dropped out of the presidential race. He had a good shot at my vote.

8. I skiied Big Sky Resort Montana the first month it was open (Dec '73) with some high school friends. We wore jeans instead of ski pants and got very, very cold. I drove the yellow Camaro to get there.

9. I have never taken Amtrak but think it would be fun to go on a train trip.

10. Unfortunately my last experience with church can be summed up this way. But I'm open to possibility.

I'm not sure who has been tagged... But how 'bout Presbyterian Gal, mompriest, Jiff, and HotCup ??

better late than never.... "four things"

I was tagged by by PS some time ago for "Four Things". At long last, here are my answers!

Four jobs I've held:
After graduating from college then optometry school, I've only had one job -- optometrist! So I'll list my college summer jobs to round out the list of four:
* Directory Assistance Operator -- wow, that job really dates me since it has been obsolete for years! After saying "Directory. What city?", we'd look up the phone numbers in big honkin' phone books.
* State of Montana Water Quality Lab technician -- I don't miss how the sulfuric acid ate holes through my jeans. It taught me to major in biology instead of chemistry.
* State of Montana "Hydrologic Engineer" -- This was a DREAM summer job. A co-worker and I got to travel around the Bozeman, MT area (in a state vehicle) measuring and calculating the water flow in streams and irrigation ditches. This meant wading in cool streams on warm summer days with our equipment and enjoying some incredibly beautiful 'off the beaten path' Montana scenery.

Four films I could watch over and over:
* The Trip to Bountiful
* A River Runs Through It
* The Philadelphia Story (1940)
* Field of Dreams

Four places I've lived:
* Germany (for the first 6 weeks of my life -- ah, vivid memories; good times!)
* a small town in North Dakota
* Helena, Montana
* Loveland, Colorado


Four favorite foods:
* Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
* Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
* Knepfla (German dish)
* Grilled Trout

Four websites I visit every day:
* USA Today (it's my homepage)
* Google (to look things up)
* Revgal blogs (this should count for more than one)

Four favorite colors:
* royal blue
* golden yellow
* sky blue
* buttercup yellow
(yeah, I sorta like blue and yellow)

Four places I would love to be right now: (Can I take family?)
* Austria/Germany
* The Big Apple: New York City (specifically Broadway Theatre District)
* The Mini Apple: Minneapolis (with side trip to the Dakotas)
* Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park


Four names I love but would/could not use for my children:
Dang, I can only think of two:
* Chauncy
* Snagglepuss

So there you go! I won't tag anybody else since I think this has made the rounds... But consider yourself tagged if you would like to do it!

Interviewed by Presbyterian Gal!

1. What inspired you to become an optometrist?

Well, I don't know how "inspired" my decision was, but I gravitated to that profession because I enjoyed (and was good at) science & math and felt a career in health care would be rewarding. (And it has been!) I must confess a big reason I specifically opted for optometry (ooh, cool word play) is because of the reasonable hours -- It is very family (and "life outside work") friendly so that's been great.

2. Which book of the Bible is your favorite and why?

I could say Leviticus because the rules are entertaining, but I'll go with Mark on this leg of my journey since it is (as far as I know) the oldest gospel and therefore probably the most accurate portrayal of Jesus' life.

3. What was one of your most defining moments in life that changed or altered your course?

While I don't think I've had a moment that altered my actual 'course' per se, the defining moment that impacted my life was the senseless, random murder of my brother in 1996. My life had been fairly idyllic up to that point (just your normal life stuff anyway), then suddenly I had that evil and its aftermath to deal with and all of the myriad ramifications...


4. Who was your favorite teacher?

No contest -- my first grade teacher, Mrs. Dobler. We bonded so well that to this day she sends my kids birthday cards! She had two boys, so my mother always let her "borrow" me for the annual church Mother-Daughter banquet. (This picture was taken on one of those occasions.) She is one of the kindest people on this planet.

5. If you had to trade lives with anyone living, dead or fictional, who would it be?

I guess I'd pick Kathleen Norris. For me, it wouldn't get any better than living in small town Dakota and writing theological musings.


Alrighty then! If you'd like to play, here's the scoop:

1. If you are interested in being interviewed, leave me a comment saying “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by posting five questions for you. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Credit: original (i.e. unaltered) 'interview' cartoon found here

"Five Things I Dig About Jesus"

Diane tagged me for this meme. Here's the way it works:
(a) Those tagged will share "Five Things They Dig About Jesus".
(b) Those tagged will tag 5 people.
(c) Those tagged will leave a link to their meme in the comments section of this post so everyone can keep track of what's being posted.

Alrighty then! Here are my five things:
1. Jesus was Jewish and I dig Jewish guys. (Of course I do -- I married one!)
2. Jesus was all about compassion -- not just as an individual virtue but as an entire social and political paradigm!
3. Jesus used the language of paradox and I dig paradoxes. (Hmm... is that the plural of paradox? Fox, foxes; paradox, paradoxes. OK, works for me.)
4. Jesus sided with the marginalized and challenged the domination system of his day. You gotta love that.
5. Jesus knew how to have a good time at a party. (After just having thrown a party, I see this as a great quality.)

Always tough to know who to tag, but I'll pick:
Cheesehead
St. Casserole
Hot Cup Lutheran
Presbyterian Gal
Prairie Pastor

tagged

Aargh! I've been tagged by Serena! I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Alrighty then. Here are eight (count 'em, eight!) random Barb factoids.

1. My summer job in high school was working in my parents' drug store (in a small town in North Dakota). Instead of getting much work done, I spent my time writing and illustrating a newsletter filled with stories about the shoppers who came into the store. Since I was writing it "on the sly", I named it The Underground Gazette.

2. I noticed on Diane's blog that she types 80 words per minute. Her sharing of this fact inspired me to present my factoid #2: I was awarded the coveted Speed Typing Award in high school. Oh yeah. Still have the small medallion. Yep, I beat out Ann Vefik. I think she's still bitter.

3. When I was in college I thought that writing movie reviews for Time Magazine would be my 'dream job'. So I majored in biology and went on to get a doctorate in optometry. Yeah, that's close.

4. When we were in optometry school my boyfriend (who is now my husband) and I went to the movies every Friday night without fail. It was a fun tradition. Next fall when we are empty nesting, I'll bet we will revive that old tradition.

5. The book My Antonia inspired me to do genealogical research for my family. My ethnicity is "Germans from Russia" on both sides. I do, in fact, love dumplings, kuchen, and even sauerkraut.

6. I find my kids so cool that even if we weren't related I would want to hang out with them.

7. I am not a great hostess (even though I try!), so the upcoming graduation party for Offspring #2 will probably be a teensy bit stressful for me.

8. Hmmm.... 8. What to write for 8. Dunno. Can I be done with 7? (Why yes, Barb, you can!)

OK, now to think of 8 people to tag. Geez. That's a lot. Can I just do 2? (Why yes, Barb, you can!)
Cheesehead
St. Casserole