Day 27--Is It Me Or Is This Taking Longer Than Supposed To?

Day 27 → What’s the best thing going for you right now?   Without a doubt--my marriage.  My husband is the best thing that's ever happened to me.  He fits me to a T.  We've been together for 36 years--married for 35--and the love we have is stronger than ever.  He "gets" me.  There's a line in a Trace Adkins song that I think describes us perfectly...."There was a time when love was a flower, now it's a vine climbing up the tower".  A flower may be pretty, but it's delicate and sometimes fleeting.  A vine is clinging and strong and difficult to uproot.  That's how I think of the love Darrell and I share.

Hodgepodge

 Seems forever since I did the Hodgepodge!  Been having withdrawals--for reals!

1. Do you think the world became a more dangerous place on September 11, 2001 or did we just become more aware of the danger? How has your own life changed as a result of that day?  I think we're just more aware.  My life hasn't really changed much.  We didn't travel by air a lot before that date, so the security measures adopted afterward weren't an adjustment.

2. Did you think your parents were too strict when you were growing up? How about in hindsight?   I think they were too strict.  It didn't seem they ever trusted me, so I lived up (or down) to their expectations.

3. Share one random but candid fact about yourself.  I can't swim.

4. Would your nearest and dearest describe you as simple or far too complicated?   Mega-complicated!

5. What is your favorite stadium or carnival food?  Fried dough...yum

6. Tornado, hurricane, earthquake...how many of these natural disasters have you experienced? Which event do you think would be the scariest?   All three!  There was a major earthquake in Italy just a month or so before we were stationed there in 1976.  We experienced several aftershocks.  We lived in NC when Hurricane Hugo came inland.  As a result of Hugo and a tornado earlier that spring, I am very nervous when it's windy.  I don't mind thunder or lightning, but wind scares me to death.

7. Labor Day weekend is approaching so a work related question seems appropriate. Growing up, did your parents assign you regular chores? Were you paid for doing those chores? If you're a parent do you assign chores to your own children? Why or why not?    I don't remember doing chores when I was little, but as I got older, I was expected to make my bed every day (which I still do) and do the dishes.  We didn't have a dishwasher and doing dishes meant washing, drying, and putting away.  None of this leaving them to air dry.  Once I was allowed to stay home alone during the summers, I was responsible for cleaning the house and mowing the yard.  Rarely did I have an allowance.  My kids did have chores.  There were 4 of them and only me and my husband (who worked long hours and often attended school).  I worked full time, so we all had to pitch in to get things done.

That last question was inspired by a post Mindee wrote on Monday. Everyone go say hi to Mindee-she blogs at Our Front Door and she's funny. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.   Kindergarten is a wonderful thing.  My house is semi-quiet again.

Day 26

Day 26 → Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?   Many, many times.  I've suffered from depression for about as long as I can remember.  Most of the time, it boils down to my perfectionism and not living up to my own expectations.  Disappointment and rejection also factor in.  I've written on here about the abyss I feel myself falling into and how sometimes I fight and do everything I can to prevent it--and other times I just don't have the energy and just let it happen.  Darrell has the power to coax me out of it--once I finally let him in.

#20 + 5

Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.   Because I'm a slow learner.  The Lord has things for me to learn and do while I'm here, and I need to get busy!

Twenty & Four

Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)

I actually did this for one of Darrell's Christmas presents one year.  I called it "Darrell's Oh No, She's In One of Her Moods Again, But I Know She Still Loves Me" tape.  Guess it was further back than I thought--it was a cassette!  These are all songs that remind me of Darrell for one reason or another.  He is my best friend, my lover, my rock, the love of my life. 

Fooled Around and Fell in Love--Elvin Bishop

You're The One That I Want--Olivia Newton John & John Travolta

Still the One--Orleans

Bless The Broken Road--Rascal Flatts

Keeper of the Stars--Tracy Byrd

You Sexy Thing--Hot Chocolate

Paradise by the Dashboard Light--Meatloaf

You Leave Me Weak--Toby Keith

It's Your Love--Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

One of Those Nights--Trace Adkins

Two of a Kind--Garth Brooks

I Hit the Mother Lode!

Yard sales were awesome today!

 This little table was actually a bookoo find--only $15!  Do you have bookoo in your area?  You should check.  It's almost as good as craigslist!

Huge picture with gorgeous frame--$10!  My plan is to remove the print and replace it with cork to make a bulletin board for my office.

Beautiful mirrors!  Top one was $3 and the bottom one was $2.  I'm keeping the top one!

Great step stool to help little ones reach the sink--$2

Another step stool ($3) to help little ones reach the $50 trampoline we got last week!

Lovely old table for $5--needs a little TLC

Hanging candleholders--$2 each--wish you could see the true colors

I've always wanted some of these old spools--$1 each!--keeping these, too

Light globe--50 cents--putting this in the garden with a touch light in it

My favorite color combination is red/black/white.  The large carry on bag was $3 and the smaller red (my favorite color) was $2.  Guess what?  Keeping these, too!

Old metal wagon--$5

Maple bookcase headboard--$10--included the rails and footboard

Mission style coffee table--$15--keeping this to use for removing/storing shoes at the back door

Bike--$15

Wooden ladder--$7--planning to whitewash this and use it in the booth to display quilts

We wound up calling both husbands to bring trucks to transport all our loot--after filling up Liz's car!  We traded vehicles with Darrell and kept going.  This is what the truck looked like as we finally made our way home!