CrAzY EiGhT tag

I've been tagged with a Crazy Eight's meme by Debbie over at Gittin' It Outta My Head and since it hasn't been that long since I tagged some of you then I am going to let you pick this up on your own if you feel inclined to do so...it's always fun to learn new things about each other so I really hope you do...just leave me a comment that you are accepting the invitation and I will point and snicker...
I mean show up to reassure you that your life is much more exciting than mine...and here's proof:

8 things I have a passion for:

a personal relationship with God

prayer

being a mom

continuous learning

writing

honesty

gardening

good coffee

8 things I would like to do before I die:

travel abroad

write a novel

see both of my children happily married

hold a grandchild

pay off my house

climb Half Dome

live with the homeless for one week

take a cross-country road trip

8 things I say a lot:

thank you

I love you

be careful

I'm serious

goodness gracious

call me!

oh my

whatever

8 books I have recently read:

The Holy Bible

Voluntary Simplicity

A Loss For Words

Critical Pedagogy

Shakespeare

Out of the Dust

Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself

The Case for Christ

8 movies I have seen 8 times:

I have not seen ANY movies 8 times!

Those few I have seen more than once are:

Serendipity

The Notebook

Calendar Girls

I Am Sam

Gone With The Wind

Dragonfly

The Bone Collector

City of Angels

a little trivia...

In response to John-Michael, I am sharing a bit of trivia about myself and since he so graciously gifted me with this tag, completely unaware of what he was getting himself into, I will do my best to make this fast and painless for everyone who reads my blog AND as my gift to you…I will not tag anyone, but do feel free to feel like you have been tagged, knowing I would be really interested if your life is as mundane as mine or if you simply need something to write about…
The deal is to provide 5 answers to these 5 questions, so here goes…

5 years back I was….

getting ready to turn 39.
employed.
a girl scout leader.
stressed out about my son learning to drive.
purchasing a new car.

Snacks and Treats I enjoy….

fresh fruit.
celery with peanut butter.
tortilla chips and salsa.
pretzels dipped in mustard.
smoked almonds.

If a Billionaire I would…

pay off my house.
set up trust funds for future generations.
help family and friends.
travel.
build homeless shelters.

Some jobs I have had…

bookkeeper.
scan coordinator.
bank teller.
retail sales.
babysitter.

Different places I have lived…

California.
Maryland.
that’s it!

fresh outlook

I knew the nose piercing would be surprising to some of you and being somewhat sheltered myself it was difficult for me to make the decision to have it done, because it would after all, be way outside the image I have so long established for myself, but there is a story that goes with it, one I will gladly share. It kind of comes in three parts so bear with me ~

Firstly, my daughter has her nose pierced and she and I have a very close relationship. Not only is she my daughter, but she is my best friend too, so I could hardly miss out on this bonding opportunity when she and her girlfriends hijacked me and took me to have it done and of course being declared “the coolest mom ever” tipped the scale significantly ~

Secondly, I often make the reference that having a pierced nose makes me bilingual…not in the linguistic sense, but in the generational sense. I am very passionate about teaching and learning, but before any of that can take place there has to be a mutual plane of trust and with a nose piercing I think I am better equipped to reach some students who would otherwise be marginal, so in a nutshell, if my students think I might be able to relate to some of their issues I stand a better chance of them actually listening ~

Thirdly, it is easy to stand on one side of the fence and question anything “abnormal” on the other side. More than once, this nose piercing has put me on the side of the fence where I was being judged by those who didn’t even know me and I know I am a better person for having experienced that…it has been an eye opener AND a heart opener for me. I would challenge any of my “socially proper” friends to dress drastically down with a little dirt on their face and walk into their favorite shopping place and see the reaction they get. I have done this as a project and you would be amazed at the treatment received. Matthew 7:1-3 tells us to not judge others and yet sadly, this happens time and again ~

I don’t know that I will always have it, but for now I think it’s kind of cute…I have yet to post a picture of myself for two reasons…1) I am not photogenic in the least and 2) I’m usually the one on the other end of the camera, but I will try to get the kids to have some camera fun with me so you can see what it looks like.

Hope

I love the Spring. Flowers pop up everywhere...in the cracks and crevices of where we would least expect them.
A little reminder that HOPE can be found anywhere if we take the time to look...

Answers to questions:

Kimberly asked,”Have you always lived where you live now?”

I was born in California and then when I was about three years old my family moved to Maryland. We lived there for about two or three years and then we moved back to California, where I have lived since.
Surprisingly, I remember quite a bit from those Maryland days, but I'm a California girl with roots firmly planted (even though I love to travel).

”What did you do before going to school?”

I worked in accounting for a grocery store. I did all the bookkeeping, payroll, accounts payable/receivable, etc. I worked in the grocery business for 17 years and when they decided to close the doors I thought it was a good opportunity to change careers. There’s nothing rewarding about spending someone else’s money.

bits and pieces...

Today I am answering one of my questions!

Sarah asked, “Do you live near the sea?” and "What sort of home do you live in...i.e is it old/new/apartment, etc? Is it your dream home?"

Lucky for me, I am centrally located within two hours of the ocean, the mountains, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park…lots of great places! I love to go to the ocean and one of my favorite places is here.

I live in a relatively small home (1450 sq ft) that was built in the 1970’s. I live in an established neighborhood that is very quiet with lots of mature trees. My home has cottage appeal to it and I fell in love with it when I first saw it. There are many things I want to do to it as soon as that second paycheck starts coming in. I don’t know that I would consider it my dream house, because I’ve always fancied living in the country with a place for horses, but it certainly has potential to become that for me somewhere down the road. Everything is very shaded and mossy…flowers and ferns flourish here. We have a swimming pool in the back yard that I have considered taking out to expand the garden (I’d really like to have a green house), but that seems like a gigantic project I am going to have to work on in my head before I decide, because I really like having the pool too! So many projects, what’s a girl to do?

bits and pieces

I like…

the smell of rain,
whispering in a horse’s ear,
the look on a child’s face when I say “Good job”,
planting flower seeds,
and curling up on the couch with a good book.

I dislike…

horseradish,
rude behavior,
being overcharged and not realizing it until I get home,
holes in my socks,
and waiting for test results.

bits and pieces

I like…

blue jeans,
my hair pulled up,
a full tank of gas,
chocolate chip cookies,
ice blocking,
and a thermos of hot coffee.

I dislike…

litterbugs,
hair on the soap,
gossip,
junk mail,
negativity,
and green lights that change too quickly.