Vanity Fair Questionnaire

I found this meme over at Here, there, and everywhere.

Quickly name a unique item you have in your house:
A necklace made with the actual hair of my deceased horse, Blue

What are your two favorite names?
I don't have any favorite names.

What do you consider a necessary luxury?
Oh, but I have so many!  I guess the chief one would be my computer with Internet.

What type of car would you like to drive?
I don't drive, but I'd love it if we had another Cadillac, one that was brand new.

What is your favorite color and has it changed over the years?
Blue is my favorite, but when I was a little girl I liked red best. 

What quality do you most admire in a man?
Niceness.  That's it.  I like a man that's nice.

In a woman?
Same as above

What is something you long for?
I have now, or have had in the past, most of the things I've longed for.  Right now, I simply long for spring.

If money were no object what would you buy yourself?
The crazy neighbor's property next door, so I'd be rid of them and their eyesores.

What charity would you donate a million dollars to?
City Union Mission has always been my favorite charity.

What book have you just finished reading?
"Black Heels to Tractor Wheels".

Name one book that made an impact and why?
The Bible, of course.  It framed my childhood and has stayed with me in adulthood. 

Name one liquid always in your fridge?
non-softened water from the outside hydrant, because softened water doesn't taste good.

Name one food item always in your fridge?
milk  (I really fought the urge to say mold)

What could you eat everyday?
pizza

Everyday I drink…
five cups of Eight O'clock Coffee

TV Guilty Pleasure:
Shall I admit it?  Judge Judy and SuperNanny.  

TV Show I Don’t Miss:
The Good Wife!  I've never missed an episode yet.

Name a favorite fictional character from a book.
Heidi

From a movie:
George Bailey from "It's A Wonderful Life"

What phrase or motto do you over use?
"poor people have poor ways"

I own a lot of:
new-fangled Internet-related gadgets

I collect:
dust

I try to avoid:
People (I know, I'm awful)

One thing I know:
I could be a lot better person than I am if I weren't too lazy to make an effort.

Everyday I:
see that Cliff is fed, play on the computer

The last time I wrote a letter and mailed it was:
I haven't written a real letter in years.

Dog or cat?   Dog, of course

Something to change the pace on my blog

I found this meme at "A Shelter From The Storm".

What curse word do you use the most? I'm not above saying a bad word, but cursing doesn't come naturally to me. I can still feel the sting of my mother boxing my jaw when I said "crap", somewhere around the age of six.

Do you own an iPod? Thanks to my daughter finding me a bargain on one, yes.

Who on your MySpace "Top 8" do you talk to the most? I don't have MySpace any more because I forgot my password and they won't send it to me no matter what I do. Besides, I prefer Facebook. I don't think I talk to any one person there more than another.

What time is your alarm clock set for? Midnight, and I can't remember how to turn off the alarm and re-set it, so it's unplugged.

What color is your room? whitish

Flip flops or sneakers? Sneakers. Have you ever noticed how people look from behind, wearing flip-flops?

Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? Doesn't matter to me.

Do any of your friends have children? Most of them.

Has anyone ever called you lazy? Yes, and I've called myself lazy before.

Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? I sometimes take an over-the-counter sleep aid, but never more than twice a week.

What CD is currently in your CD player? Something by John Prine; since getting the Ipod, I like to put it on shuffle and play it through my radio speakers, so CD's don't get much play. They're all on my Ipod anyhow.

Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Regular milk obtained from my Jersey cow, Bonnie.

Has anyone told you a secret this week? No, but I have a secret.

Who was the last person to call you? My oldest granddaughter

Did you watch cartoons as a child? We didn't get a TV till I was twelve, but yes, I watched some cartoons.

Are you shy around the opposite sex? Not so much now, but when I was single, yes. It's really a wonder I ever got married.

What movie do you know every line to? Every line? You've got to be kidding. The one I know the most lines from would probably be "It's A Wonderful Life".

Do you read for fun? yes, when I can tear myself away from the computer.

Do you cry a lot? nope

Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? I have a desktop (Mac) and a laptop that is mostly Cliff's, these days.

What is the weather like? Perfect. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are supposed to have highs in the 70's. This is the first three-day weekend all year with this good a forecast, and because of previous plans we won't be riding the motorcycle to Arkansas.

When was the last time you slept on the floor? We slept on an air mattress at our son's house in Georgia last time we were there.

How many hours of sleep do you need to function? Evidently six, because I never seem to be able to sleep more than that.

Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages? Yes, and cholesterol and transfats and all that stuff; my husband had heart surgery, you know.

Are you picky about spelling and grammar? Somewhat

Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back? my side

Do you enjoy giving hugs? I'm not a hugger; sometimes I have to remind myself to hug my husband!

What song did you last sing out loud? "Till Each Tear Becomes A Rose"

Which famous person, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with? Jesus; I have a lot of questions for Him.

Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? I don't remember.

What one thing do you wish you had? Youth

A year's-end MEME

I found this at Green Olives & Pickle Juice II, and remembered doing it in years past. It's a rather fun way to review the past year.

End of year meme…..Take the first sentence of the first (unfiltered) entry you made in a given month and post it in order to sum up your year.

January: The past year has been a good one for us, all things considered:
We did learn this valuable lesson: don't sell your motorcycle unless you're sure you're done riding.

February: After Cliff and I bought our first place, a small house on twenty acres south of Oak Grove, my parents offered to sell us a milk cow.

March: The saddle I use when I ride is an old Circle Y; I bought it used from a tack store when I first bought Blue because I had gotten rid of my old saddle when I sold my previous horse, thinking I was done with horseback riding.

April: On my rides to the river, there was one spot where I loved to stop, get off my horse, and poke around.

May: I took my usual road to the river; saw a sign ahead, "road closed at RR crossing".

June: That's Cliff, his brother Don (who drove the U-Haul) and his brother Phil.

July: Our son, from Georgia, has been here since last Saturday, and will stay until Sunday morning.

August: Each day, be thankful for what you have.

September: Cliff and I rode 850 miles on our Gold Wing over the three-day weekend.

October: I began blogging on AOL Journals.

November: Cliff took off work Friday, so we decided to take a mini-vacation.

December: Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, and likely always will be.

Twenty questions: a meme

1. How many pets do you have?
Two: Sadie and Blue (I don't count the assorted barn cats).

2. How do you style your hair?
Medium-short and naturally curly, like I've worn it for the past thirty years.

3. What’s new in your life right now?
I'm living in the pasture instead of by the noisy, dusty road.

4. How many colors are you wearing now?
Gray, army-green

5. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
Introvert.

6. What was the last book you read?
I'm reading "Step On A Crack" by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. The last book I completed was "Pretty Boy Floyd" by James McMurtry.

7. Do you nap a lot?
Only when I accidentally fall asleep in my recliner.

8. If you could live anywhere else than where you live, where would it be?
I always say Colorado, but honestly, I hope I don't have to live anywhere else until it's time to move to senior citizen housing... which would be if Cliff dies before me, or when Cliff can no longer take care of this place.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
This recession we're in.

10. What was the last thing you ate today?
I've only had coffee. I don't eat breakfast until Cliff's up, around 7:30 or 8.

11. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Get ready for what?

12. What websites do you visit daily?
My blog, Facebook, Bloglines, aol.com, Tractor Tales, and many favorite blogs.

13. What kind of animal or insect do you not like?
slugs and leeches

14. Do you like to clean?
No, but I like the feeling I get after I've cleaned.

15. What’s the last TV Show you watched?
N.C.I.S reruns yesterday evening.

16. What are you doing right now?
Duh. This meme. Before that, reading blogs. Which is how I found this meme over at Patrick's Place.

17. What is the last song you listened to?
It would have been one of those on my playlist on the left. Haven't listened to any songs today.

18. What would you do if you see $100 lying on the ground?
Use it to buy the makings of my Thanksgiving dinner.

19. Best time of your life?
From age forty to fifty.

20. Tell me something good.
Right now you can go to Craigslist and get an incredible buy on a Gold Wing motorcycle or a horse (I've seen several free horses, even). Recession, I guess, does have its good points.

I’m not tagging anyone: just leave a link if you decide to play!

A MEME

I have been tagged by Lee, of Lee Lee's lulus to participate in 6 Quirks. She lives in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks. Here are the rules for this exercise in social intercourse:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Reveal 6 of your quirks on your blog.
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers.
5. Leave them a comment to let them know.

Here are my 6 Quirks (only six? I have so many!):

I'm naturally left-handed, but was taught to use my right hand when I started school. Still, I do many simple tasks left-handed, and when Cliff notices me doing this, he calls me "Lefty".

I'm a morning person, often getting up before 5 A.M. I LOVE early mornings. However, I don't want to see anyone, or have to converse with anyone, until long after I've had my three cups of coffee.

I don't wear makeup and I hate to dress up. I haven't worn panty-hose for at least ten years, and I only wore high heels once in my life. I'm just not a girlie-girl. In summer I wear T-shirts and shorts; in winter, sweats or jeans.

I'm a loner to a fault. I have no problem spending time in my own company.

I've been known to carry on three-way, out-loud conversations with myself, my dog or my horse (whichever I'm with), and God.

I don't drive, never have. I attribute this to the trauma of being forced to switch from left- to right-handedness. I kid, but not much. I do believe that switch is much of the reason for my sloppy hand-writing and my clumsiness. That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.

I don't tag people for memes. But I double-dog dare all my readers to do it.

The aging meme

Sunday Stealing: The Aging Meme

The Aging Meme: All you have to do is either finish the sentence or fill in the blanks...

At a certain age women should: start believing in themselves.

At a certain age men should: realize life is short and get those toys they'd love to have.

When I was a kid I thought I would: grow up to be an Indian. Seriously!

Now that I am older I wish: I had been able to grow up to be an Indian.

You know you are too old to party when: you go to sleep before the party starts.

You know you are too young to retire when: hmmm, this one draws a blank.

When I was in high school I listened to the music of: Pat Boone, Elvis, Conway Twitty (before he was country), and many others.

Nowadays I find I like the music of: Iris Dement, John Prine, Johnny Cash, Loudon Wainwright III, Waylon Jennings, etc. etc.

On my last birthday I: enjoyed my "new" home.

On my next birthday I want to: keep on appreciating what I have.

The best birthday present I ever got was: This mobile home!

The first time I felt grown up was: So far I haven't felt grown up. I'll let you know if it happens.

The last time I felt like a kid was: today

When I read Egermeier's Bible Story Book, it changed my life.

Last year was: good, but not as great as this year.

Next year I hope: I can still enjoy life.

A tip for local readers... and a meme

I know I have a few readers who live in this area, so I'd like to plug Colonial Nursery at Blue Springs. If you want to plant some shade trees this fall, this is the time to head pm out there: Trees are 25% off. Colonial's employees will bend over backward to help you select your trees, and they'll instruct you on planting and caring for your purchases. You can read more about our experience HERE.

And now, the meme, which I snagged from Mel, which she snagged from "Sunday Stealing".

My favorite age: My forties: I could walk as many miles as I wanted, without pain. My husband and I were enjoying the "empty nest". And I got my first three grandchildren then.

My best friend(s): I'm not one to form a lot of close friendships. My best friend is my husband, Cliff.

My celebrity crush: William Peterson; Anthony LaPaglia

My defining characteristic: I pretty much do whatever I please.

My most evil moment: I was about eight years old and, holding a kitten by the tale, I spun around fast and let go of him. I did this more than once. Even now, it makes me worry about myself.

My favorite food: Pizza

My grossest injury: I'm not sure what qualifies as gross. I had a nasty injury once that required stitches, and I took pictures of the doctor working on it and blogged about it.

My biggest hatred: I usually say it's cancer, but lately it's been politics.

My most illegal activity: Hmmm... I skipped an assembly once in high school. I know, boring. Keep in mind that I don't quite tell everything I know in my blog. I try to "keep it real", as Ree says; but I don't air all my dirty laundry.

My need for justice: My need for mercy is far greater than my need for justice.

My most knowledgeable field: I'm pretty much a jack of all trades and master of none. I know a lot about canning garden produce and raising calves.

My life’s goal: To stop being so self-centered and do something to change the world.

My mother’s influence: Let me count the ways. I owe my Bible knowledge and my values to my mom. She taught me to appreciate my family's history. The older I get, the more similarities I find between my mother and myself; that's not always a good thing, but that's life.

My nerdiest point: probably my love of folk music

My oldest memory: I recall spending a night with my brother's wife's relatives in Iowa and being put in a baby crib, and thinking I was not a baby. With the side rails put up, I didn't know how to get out to go to the bathroom and I wet the bed. I was SO humiliated. I must have been pretty young for all this to happen as it did.

My perfect date: To be taken to a concert performed by any of my favorite folk singers: Iris Dement, Kasey Chambers, John Prine, Loudon Wainwright III: of course, since it's a perfect date, the person who took me there wouldn't make snide remarks about these singers' performances.

My unanswered question: What is heaven like? I'm not really into streets of gold. I'm hoping there's a section for hillbillies, with lots of grass and trees and hills, and plenty of room to roam.

My random fact: I sat in the hot tub this morning while the sun come up and thanked God for about fifty things. And then sang "One Day At A Time".

My stupidest decision: Selling my first Gibson Dove guitar. Cliff and I have made some stupid joint decisions, but I'm not counting those.

My favorite television show: Cold Case

My style of underwear: None of your danged business

My favorite vegetable: butternut squash

My weakest trait: Dear Lord, I have so many. I think I'd have to say laziness. Or we could go back to the self-centered thing.

My X-men power: What's an X-man?

My strongest yearning: To have a purpose and fulfill it.

My moment of Zen: When I'm at my cabin with a campfire going. Or when I'm riding my horse around the countryside.

the alphabet meme

I'll soon be traveling to Wisconsin with my sister-in-law; she's going to (finally) get her divorce, and didn't want to go alone. Oh, and there's a hot tub in my near future. So I should have plenty to blog about before long. But right now, things are going along in the same vein as they have been for most of the summer. We're making progress on our place: sometime next week our back porch and deck should be finished. And I'm still watching hummingbirds.

So, I saw this meme over at Average Jane's place and decided to tag myself.

A. Attached or single? Married
B. Best friend? My husband
C. Cake or pie? fruit pie, warm with ice cream. Or my sister's home-made lemon pie.

D. Day of choice? any day I wake up and find myself alive and able to function
E. Essential item? a computer
F. Favorite color? a certain shade of blue (like the sky at it's bluest)
G. Gummy bears or worms? Eww, I'll pass on both.
H. Hometown? My parents moved a lot, and I lived in Iowa for the first years of my life. But I claim Eagleville, Missouri, and Kansas City as my home towns.
I. Indulgence? The hot tub that should show up here this week
J. January or July? July
K. Kids? two
L. Life isn’t complete without? my husband, a dog, a horse
M. Marriage date? June 16, 1966
N. Number of brothers & sisters? One brother, now deceased; one sister
O. Oranges or apples? apples
P. Phobias? I've never had a drivers license because I'm afraid to drive
Q. Quotes? "It's gonna be a good day, Tater."
R. Reasons to smile? waking up in the morning. If I started to list all my reasons to smile, they'd take up this whole entry and then some. I am blessed.
S. Season of choice? spring
T. Tag seven peeps! Nope; do it if you like.
U. Unknown fact about me? I've been blogging for five years; how could there be any unknown fact about me?
V. Vegetable? potatoes
W. Worst habits? procrastination
X. X-ray or ultrasound? X-ray
Y. Your favorite food? pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken (if all the KFC's around here weren't so dirty).
Z. Zodiac sign? Cancer

MEME: The ABCs of Me

I found this Meme over on Joyful Days.

The ABCs of Me

Accent: If I'm in Wisconsin, I'm told I have a southern accent; if I'm in Georgia, they tell me I have a northern accent.

Breakfast or no breakfast: Breakfast, always!

Chore I don’t care for: cleaning house

Dog or Cat: Dog. And horse. Why is there no horse option?

Essential Electronics: My computer, my camera

Favorite Cologne: No thanks. Cologne and perfume stuff me up in the head.

Gold or Silver: gold

Handbag I carry most often: Whatever cheap Walmart purse I have at the time. I don't switch purses.

Insomnia: I never have trouble falling asleep, but I often wake up often from 2 o'clock on.

Job Title: housewife, I guess.

Kids: One son, Jim; one daughter, Rachel.

Living Arrangements: With my husband in a single-wide trailer house in the country.

Most Admirable Trait: I know how to relax.

Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: telling my mother I hated her.

Overnight hospital stays: When I gave birth to my babies.

Phobias: Don't have any that I know of.

Quote:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference
Robert Frost

Reason to smile: Life

Siblings: One sister; one brother, now deceased

Time I wake up: between 4 and 6 A.M.

Unusual Talent or Skill: avoiding work, writing poems that rhyme (when I'm motivated)

Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: I can't think of a single vegetable I wouldn't eat.

Worst Habit: not having goals

X-rays: routine chest Xrays with my physicals, foot, knees

Yummy Stuff: Pizza, ice cream, ginger snaps dipped in coffee. Oh yeah, freshly ground Starbucks coffee here at home

Zoo Animal I Like Most: all the big cats

Nobody tagged me...

But I'm playing anyhow. I found this on Gloria's blog, Young At Heart.
The Rules:

1) Write your own six-word memoir about yourself.

2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you'd like.

3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible, so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.

4) Tag five more blogs with links. (I hardly ever tag people.)

5) And don't forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Here's mine:

Her pets were her best friends.

I've been tagged!

Yes, I was tagged by Winterskibunny. I won't tag others because I just don't know who would enjoy this meme. If you like it, join in and do it. And let me know in my comment section, so I can read it..

1. I can’t believe I’ve never learned to drive

2. Every time I think about stupid things I've said to people in the past, I still cringe.

3. I wish I’d have enjoyed my babies more when I had the chance.

4. I’ve never felt so out of place as when I went to my old church last Sunday.

5. Supernanny is my guiltiest pleasure.

6. I hope God knows how grateful I am for how good my life has been.

7. In my darkest hours, I secretly blame nobody but myself for my dysfunction.

8. My husband changed my life forever.

.

Nothing is beyond you

The title of this entry is part of the meme (see the last step).

Directions:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, iPod etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY? Autumn Leaves
2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF? Break Thou The Bread of Life
3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Darlin’ Let’s Turn Back The Years
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Mustang Sally
5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? You’re Still On My Mind
6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Couldn’t Love Have Picked a Better Way To Die?
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Just As I Am
8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Home For The Holidays
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? He Is Lord
10. WHAT IS 2 + 2? Unwed Fathers
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR EX? A Damn Good Country Song
12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Let It Rock
13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Here Comes Santa Claus
14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? I Can’t Stand The Rain
15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Dear Hearts and Gentle People
16. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? On The Street Where You Live
17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Sweet, Sweet Spirit
18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? Hearts in my Dreams
19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Can’t Buy Me Love
20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Theme From A Summer Place

Now press "next" one more time and use it as your title.

Because I have lots of religious music on my computer, I was afraid some of my answers might turn out to be sacrilegious. This MEME is silly, but it gives readers an idea of what sort of music I like, at the very least.

I found this on one of the Kansas City blogs I read, General Blather.

A Christmas meme

Cliff's cousin Edna sent me this in e-mail, and I decided to make a journal entry of it.

Welcome to the 2007 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends! You know the drill. Don't be a scrooge! Fill it out, pass it on and send it back to me. I would love to hear your answers.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? eggnog

2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa used to just put them under the tree; if they were wrapped, then they were from us, not Santa.

3. Colored or white lights? colored

4. Do you hang mistletoe? no

5. When do you put your decorations up? Never, these days. Back when we did do decorations, it was usually a couple of weeks before Christmas.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? The cranberry salad my mom always made. And my mom's brown sugar fudge. And my mom's fruitcake. Part of the reason the fun has gone out of Christmas for me is that we can't have that stuff around any more. If somebody told me I only had a month to live, I would spend the whole month eating unhealthy stuff! Don't suggest I just have "a little", because I have no self-control. If I make it, I'll eat it ALL.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Family get-togethers

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Just guessing, I'd say I was 8 years old. How? I believe I just figured it out on my own.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When our kids were still at home we always let them open one on Christmas Eve. We don't do gifts now.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? We don't have a Christmas tree. The year we bought a fake tree, the fun went out of it for me. I always preferred to let the kids and grandkids decorate the tree, back when we had one. I hate a picture-perfect tree that looks like some artist created it. Christmas is for kids!

11. Snow: Love it or hate it? I love snow. We haven't had enough snow to suit me in years. I still like to get out and tramp around in it when I'm able. I could do without all the ice we're getting right now, though.

12. Can you ice skate? Ha! I'm doing good just to walk!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I got a sled when I was six or so, and it snowed right after I got it. So I really enjoyed that gift. I had fun with the Kodak Brownie camera I got at age 13, too.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? happy memories

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? All of them, but I guess I'll choose pecan pie.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I'm Scrooge, remember? I've given up holiday traditions! I do like having a big family meal, though. I even vaguely remember a time when I enjoyed cooking it all.

17. What is on top of your tree ? When we had a tree, it was an angel.

18. Which do you like best: giving or receiving? We jumped out of the giving-receiving rat race a couple of years ago.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? White Christmas as sung by Bing Crosby.

20. Do you like candy canes? not much

21. Snowman or Snow Angel?? Snowman. But I like both.

Feel free to do this as a meme in your journal or copy and paste to e-mail and enter your own answers. Or not. Bah, Humbug.

Tags: meme, Christmas

Tagged for a MeMe again.

Recently I was tagged by Barn Goddess over at Ramblings From The Reservation. The MeMe goes like this:

I have to tell you 9 things that you don’t know about me, only 8 of them are true. Can you guess which one is not?

I'm sure a couple of these "secrets" have already been told in one of my blogs, but there is only so much I am willing to share with the world.

1. I am naturally left-handed.

2. I only have one toenail.

3. I've never been bucked off a horse.

4. I have a guitar that cost $2,000.

5. Although I'm a jeans-and-T-shirt type woman, I love to occasionally put on the makeup and get out a fancy dress and high heels (with a matching purse), and go someplace fancy to eat, and window-shop in upscale stores.

6. I wear size eleven shoes.

7. I've never had a driver's license.

8. I didn't date until I was twenty years old.

9. I didn't live in a house with indoor plumbing until I was twelve years old.

Now, can you pick out the lie? I'll be back tomorrow to tell you the answer.

I tag Mel and my daughter and Celeste.

I've been tagged

Trish tagged me:

The Rules: 1. I will write 10 interesting (?) things about myself.
2. Then tag 10 people. 3. If you've been tagged, do your own list and tag 10 more people. (no "tag backs")

Well, after reading Trish's interesting things, I feel rather inadequate. But here goes.

Ten interesting things about me

1. I was totally bald when I was born, and still had very little hair when I was a year old. The picture below was taken when I was 8 days old. 2. I grew up wishing I was an Indian. I still do wish I was an Indian. I have no idea why.

3. I prefer to do my horseback riding alone, rather than with a companion.


4. At times, for periods of up to four years straight, I’ve written a poem every day; and I self-published a book of my poems. I sold enough of them to pay for the publishing costs. Right now I have no desire to write poems. I don’t know if I’ll get interested in writing again or not. Perhaps my blogging meets the same need that the poem-writing did. 5. I have a blast riding the Honda with Cliff, and I’m often the one to suggest a trip... but sometimes I’m really scared when we're riding.
6. I don’t drive. I’ve never had a license.

7. I went to a one-room country school until I was in the third grade. (I'm second from the back on the right.) 8. With one exception (my friend Carol), all my best friends are Internet friends.

9. Big fancy houses don’t do a thing for me. Big fancy computers and good-natured horses do.

10. I milked cows by hand for twenty-five years. Twice a day. Just because I loved doing it.
I won't tag anybody; I just don't have the heart to do it. If you'd like to do the "ten interesting things" meme, help yourself.

Thursday Thirteen

As I write about a wider variety of subjects here on Blogger, more and more people are led to this spot in cyberspace through the Google search engine. Thanks to the Site Meter, I’m able to see how folks arrived here, how long they stayed, and sometimes where they’re from; yep, I can see when my next-door neighbor reads my blog. And the nice lady who helped Cliff secure his present job. Site Meter rocks! Anyway, here are...

Thirteen Google searches that brought people to my blog:

1. “I hate motorcycles” - Don’t ask me how that person got here; I like our motorcycle.
2. “John Denver Songs” - Yes, I’ve mentioned him a time or two and even linked to a Youtube video.
3. “Can’t catch horse” - That led to an entry I did about "hard-to-catch horses". I can catch my horses, but someone left a comment about how they can’t catch their horse, and in a google search, comments come into play also.
4. “Big red wedding cakes” - I did an entry on my wedding cake. It wasn’t red. I didn’t wear red. Who knows?
5. “Subway hooray for Tuesday” - Oh yeah, Cliff and I were doing this almost weekly until we grew tired of it.
6. “Pretty horse eyes” - Nobody’s horses have prettier eyes than my horses.
7. “Shenandoah I long to hear you” - I put this sentence in the subject line of an entry, and almost daily someone googles that song and ends up here.
8. “Horses unshod” - Yep. Blue is unshod.
9. “Pioneer woman ree” - You bet! Ree is the best blog I’ve ever read. It’s why she has about two million readers. Oh, okay... two thousand?
10. “Kris Kristofferson beat the devil youtube” - Kris is another favorite of mine. Yes, I did a Youtube entry with him singing.
11. “Sears Suburban garden tractor” - Right HERE.
12. “Cliff Elevator” - I mentioned Cliff, my husband, in an entry about the elevator someone uses as living quarters.
13. “Older Circle-Y saddle” - Bingo! That’s what I use when I ride.

For more Thursday Thirteen entries, click HERE.

The Saturday Six

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment at Patrick's Weekender, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal with Patrick so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. Which makes a better pet: a dog or a cat, and why?
A dog. Dogs are sillier. They make me laugh more. They enjoy being hugged.

2. A close friend works with an animal rescue organization and tells you that they are desperate for a foster home for a good dog that there is no room for, and that it will be put down unless you can foster it for one week. Would you take the dog in? For a week? Sure, I think I could do that... one time only.

3. If you could own any pet depicted as a character on a television show, which one would you choose? I'm going waaaay back here, but Roy Rogers used to have a television show. I want Trigger! Not the dead one that is stuffed down at Branson, but an identical horse to him... one that is that smart.

4. Take the quiz: Common dog breed are you?
Well, I couldn't get the HTML to work that had the cute little picture, but I'm a Doberman.

5. If you had the option to reverse places with your pet for a day or have your pet suddenly be able to talk like a human for a day, which would you choose and why? Oh, I'd LOVE for Sadie to be able to talk. I have so many questions to ask her.

6. You find you are being relocated to a ritzy neighborhood that has every amenity you would ever want except for one thing: no pets allowed. If you could live there rent/mortgage-free for three years, would you give up a pet to take advantage of the offer?
Not unless I'm destitute.

Wordless Wednesday

Click on the image to make it larger.

This is a sale bill from the only farm my parents ever owned. I was born in July of 1944, so I didn't live there long. They never bought another home of their own until about 1958, in Kansas City. My Uncle Leo ended up on this farm and raised his family there, not moving away until his age and ill health forced him to town. His widow, my Aunt Mary, still owns the place and rents the land out.

For other Wordless Wednesdays, go HERE.

Saturday Six

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment at Patrick's Weekender, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal at Patrick's so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. PC or Mac? (You must choose one or the other.) I've never even been near a Mac, so PC, of course.

2. How much do you like one over the other, and what's the main reason? PC. I like familiar things, and I hate change.

3. What would be easier to do without for a week: your cell phone, your television, or your computer? It's simple to answer this one. I'd do without food for a week before willingly doing without my computer! Easiest to give up would be my cell phone; I rarely use it.

4. Take the quiz: Are You a Computer Geek?





5. What things do you feel more addicted to than your computer? Absolutely nothing. My computer addiction exceeds all others.

6. If your computer has to go in for service and you're without it for a week, and you have the chance to log on at a different computer, which are you most likely to do first: check news headlines, check email, or update your blog? Hmmm, it's pretty much a tossup between email and updating my blog. I can get the news anywhere.

A meme from Shaz

Thanks to Shaz, who tagged me for this meme, I wasted another half-hour at the computer today.

Three Things That Scare Me:
cancer
riding a motorcycle
a horse that rears or bucks

Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
my husband, Cliff
Ree, of “Confessions of a Pioneer Woman”
My friend Virginia, in Tennessee

Three Things I Love: (I didn't include people here because it says "things")
My cabin
my pets
Colorado

Three Things I Hate:
child molesters
moles that mess up my yard and garden
cancer

Three Things I Don't Understand:
Why anyone thinks I should show on their buddy list, when they won’t let themselves show on mine
Why our troops are in Iraq, when things are only getting progressively worse with our presence there
Why anyone would have three or more dogs, and turn them loose to roam the neighborhood, chase other people's cats, kill chickens... you get the picture.

Three Things On My Desk:
my checkbook
my digital camera
a Loudon Wainwright III CD

Three Things I'm Doing Right Now:
this meme
trying to explain to my dog that it’s raining, so we can’t go for our walk
thinking I should get out of my jammies and into my jeans

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
Visit Wyoming
Visit New Zealand
Get out of debt

Three Things I Can Do:
Chord on the guitar
write an occasional poem or song
make home-made noodles

Three Things I Can't Do:
actually PLAY the guitar
drive
take long hikes (bad knees)

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech
Peter, Paul and Mary singing "Blowing in the Wind" (the video was removed from Youtube due to copyright infringement)
your gut feelings (intuition)

Three Things You Should Never Listen To:
negativity
gossip (but I confess I do; nobody said I was perfect)
the news (although that’s covered by the other two)

Three Things I'd Like To Learn:
to speak Spanish
to ground-break horses properly
how to make a dog behave

Three Favourite Foods:
Pizza Hut Super Supreme Pan Pizza
apple pie and ice cream
Mexican food

Three Shows I Watched As A Kid:
The Lone Ranger
Howdy Doody
Pinky Lee

Three Wonderful People to Inflict My Meme On:
my daughter, Rachel
Celeste in Georgia
Melanie in Oregon

and YOU, whoever you are, if you think it would be fun.