Since it's my birthday...

I thought I'd try to do one of those "About Me" lists. I'm limiting it to 50 items because ... well, I think it's hard to read more than about 50 at a time. ;)

1. I'm the oldest of four children, with only 5 1/2 years between me and the youngest.

2. My siblings are two sisters and a brother. (The brother is the third child.)

3. I talk to my mom almost every day.

4. I was homeschooled from age 5-18. My husband was warned not to date me by someone who knew this about me because this person assumed I would be extremely sheltered and uptight.

5. I am uptight, but more in a Type A way, not in a "repressed" way, like that person thought.

6. My husband is 10 years older than me. We got together when I was 19 and he was 29. He was a jazz musician. I was a classical cellist. It was all very scandalous. (Eye roll.)

7. The one thing that irritates me more than any other is misuse of apostrophes.

8. I am really, really into the Renaissance and also a huge Anglophile. My favorite historical figure is Queen Elizabeth I, which leads to...

9. My favorite movie of all time is Elizabeth. I saw it 4 times in the theater and have watched it about 90 times on DVD.

10. My other favorite movies are Love Actually and Pride and Prejudice, primarily because I cannot resist Colin Firth jumping into ponds.

11. My mom is way craftier than me; I just aspire to be like her one day.

12. I am a true auditory learner, which most people find to be some sort of oddity.

13. Another thing which many people are surprised to find out is that my favorite color is pink. Apparently, I do not seem like the type of person whose favorite color would be pink. By the way, it's not hot pink. It's shell pink.

14. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be "The Queen" when I grew up. (Most of the other little girls were saying things like "a teacher," or "an astronaut," or "a veteranarian." But not me. Nope. I was going to be The Queen.)

15. Prior to being homeschooled, I went to preschool for two years. I once lied to the teacher at my preschool about being allergic to oranges so I wouldn't have to eat the pith. She made me eat it anyway. I also once told that teacher that I had a 12-year-old brother who would be picking me up from school on his motorcycle. No wonder my parents decided to homeschool me.

16. I was Completely Obsessed with Anne of Green Gables when I was a girl. I also really liked Laura Ingalls & Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm & Caddie Woodlawn & A Girl of the Limberlost and all that. But it was Anne of Green Gables who held my true loyalty.

17. I kind of want to live in the olden days. I think Elisabeth does, too.

18. Since I'm so high strung, it's a good thing that my husband is a really mellow guy.

19. I am really good at languages and often unconsciously imitate the accents and inflections of people to whom I'm talking.

20. I am really obsessed with Dave Matthews.

21. I have lived in 12 different homes; 9 of those were in the last 10 years.

22. I drive a Subaru Outback wagon, which I've had for 6 years.

23. Despite being Type A, I am really messy. My friend Rachel says that this is called "anal expulsive" in Freudian terms. Not sure what to do with that information.

24. I am typing this one-handed while nursing my baby.

25. I was on swim team for several years in my early teens. I am a more-than-competent swimmer, but I'm still afraid of drowning!

26. I love Martha Stewart and I'm not afraid to admit it. I don't think she was guilty, either. And I really, really miss Martha By Mail.

27. The two things I find most difficult about my daily blogging goal is naming posts and the hideously long process of uploading pictures.

28. I have always struggled with naming things I've written. So much so, that in a poetry workshop in college, I named every one of my poems "infinity." I had some excuse that since everything is contained within infinity, that everything was comprised of infinity. Or something.

29. I say "hideous" a lot. A lot. I have my daughter -- and most of my friends -- saying it now, too.

30. I have not struggled with naming our children, however. Both of them were named long before they were conceived. James my favorite boy's name since I was 12!

31. Speaking of names, I use my maiden name. It has rarely been a problem. I am fine with people referring to me by my husband's last name in family situations, though it does bother me if people refer to my children using my last name.

32. Now, don't get all up in arms about this one, but I don't really care for chocolate. I like hot chocolate. But not chocolate candies.

33. Also, that doesn't really matter anymore, because I found out last summer that I'm allergic to milk, so I can't really have many chocolatey things anymore, anyway.

34. The only thing I really miss is ice cream. Rice Dream just isn't the same.

35. I am still typing this one-handed.

36. I detest plastic in its every incarnation. I mean, except my camera, sewing machine, and serger. Even as a child, I refused to drink from plastic cups. It has always just been "gross" to me. Now I have environmental reasons to hate it. ;)

37. I read for a minimum of 1-2 hours every day. I used to read novels exclusively. Now I rarely read novels. I often read cookbooks & knitting books, and books on educational philosophy. A day without reading is a really bad day for me.

38. Before I was a mama or even a musician, writing was my first love. I've always aspired to publish something (don't know what yet).

39. I have many, many favorite books. Off the top of my head, some of them are: Pride and Prejudice, Millennial Child, Mitten Strings for God, Shakespeare's Complete Works, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, The Return of the Native, Lord of the Rings, You Are Your Child's First Teacher, and lots of others that I won't list now.

40. I collect stuff. All sorts of stuff. Hobbies, vocabulary words, vintage ribbon, paper, fabric, magazines, rubber stamps ... I just hang onto it all.

41. Other than the things that really count (my family, etc.) my three favorite things are: wool, cherry pie, and snow. A snowy day snuggled in warm woolens eating cherry pie is pretty much a little bit of heaven.

42. I really hope to take singing lessons at some point during my life. I'd also like to begin cello lessons again, just for my own growth as a musician, even though I already have a degree in it.

43. Being a musician has opened so many doors for me and literally changed my life.

44. I have the temper to go with my naturally red hair. My poor family. The one good thing is that I usually cool down pretty quickly and do not carry grudges.

45. I am a total homebody. I would rather stay home than anything else.

46. My husband and I dream of moving to a more rural area.

47. I wish I were more into nature than I actually am.

48. I love making fresh lemonade.

49. My favorite flower is the tulip, and I love that it's in season for my birthday.

50. Here I am on my first birthday. I love my birthday and I look forward to it like a little kid every year. This year is no exception! I am so excited that it's my birthday and will be enjoying a fun day with family!

OK, so now that I've shared, won't you all add something about yourselves?

 

Comments

[ilse]

Happy Birthday Grace !!
Wauw that's a long list !! haha great.
( I've sent you an e-card)

Enjoy your family day

[Jennifer]

Happy Birthday Grace! I loved reading your list. I hope your day is lovely.

[tracey]

birthday wishes from me as well, grace! it was fun reading down thru your list. i feel that i've learned a bit more about you...and that we have quite a few things in common: 17,18,19,26,27,32,36,37,44 & 45.
i hope your day is filled with family, snow and gifts of wool and cherry pie! :o)

[patience]

Happy birthday! I loved your list, and was pleased to see someone who feels the same way as I do about so many things ... wanting to live in the old days, hating the misuse of apostrophes, adore Queen Elizabeth, and wishing I was more into nature than I actually am (looking at it is great, walking amongst it is mucky and wearisome.)

[sue (another total homebody;)]

Happy Birthday, Grace! Hope you have a wonderful day, and blessed year!

[Lori]

Happy Birthday Grace!
Sorry about the apostrophes...most of the time I am in such a hurry I dont include them.
Hope ya like me enough to still talk to me. LOL!

ummmm....
I love to sing and secretly wish I would get over stage fright to be on the Praise team at church.
I love to design things and only tolerate the actual sewing of them.

enough of that now.... LOL!

Have a GREAT day!

[Autumn]

Happy Birthday! Hope your day was sweet- Loved reading your list...something about myself? Hmmm...I'd love to get better at knitting, but I have a really short attention span and hard time sitting still for long.

[jennifer]

happiest of birthdays to you, grace! what a wonderful list - always love reading those. something about me... i am a classically trained musician who married a rocker. two early dates of ours included an evening at the symphony under the stars with a night at the metalfest the following weekend. it's all about balance, eh?
happy happy, grace!

[Mohda]

Happy Birthday! Hope your day was wonderful! Something about me that you don't know, I aspire to be crafty but have ADD and can't seem to chose a project and stick to it! What a HIDEOUS (ha ha) feeling.

[katharine]

I'ts my birthday today and to tell the truth, a pretty sucky one. It is Monday after all. Reading your list was truly a little bit of fun. Thanks.

[Péitseoga]

I can't believe topic 14! That's exactely what I said in first grade! I had seen some Romy Schneider costume films and all I wanted for ages was to grow up to be a beautiful queen and wear hooped ballgowns, and I actually thought it would be quite possible that a prince would marry me, and was surprised when the class and the teacher laughed at that notion...

[Tracy Dunne]

Happy Birthday, Grace! You don't know me, but your blog is one of seven I check everyday since finding it. We have so much in common - I wish I had a sister like you!

I was a classical clarinetist and married a red-headed jazz/rock drummer. It didn't work out, though. The good thing was that it led me back to the Church and through an annulment process that was quite eye-opening and cleansing. (I forget whether or not you are Catholic) Now I am married to a software engineer. We are homeschooling and expecting our fourth. Much more stable, but there are things I sometimes miss about my life as a musician. Like green rooms. And going out after concerts for wine and cheese. And seeing a large group of familiar faces on a regular basis, who, though I may not know all of them all that well, feel like family.

And what is up with apostrophes? Christmas cards come addressed to "The Dunne's" and I always think, "The Dunne's what?" It should just be "The Dunnes" shouldn't it?!

[jeanne]

Happy Birthday, I too am obsessed with Dave, don't really like chocolate, always type with one hand and Martha is my idol, and I'm not afraid to admit it!! Love checking into your Blog, you're a natural for honesty.

[mama Heidi]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE!!!!!
And it's a very good idea to share 50 things about yourself: I'm going to enjoy you! I hope to finish it in the weekend (in English!).

[meg]

Happy (belated) Birthday! I'm so happy to have stumbled upon your blog, and got such a kick out of your list. Especially the thing about picking up accents, because I've never known another person who does that. People used to ask me "Oh, where are you from?" Um, here; "where are *you* from?" is the real question. So embarrassing. And as poor as my grammar has become, the apostrophe thing drives me nuts! That and the overuse of the word "myself". Me - just say "me"! :)

[Tara]

Happy birthday darling! Sorry I'm so late to post, but you-know-who is a very demanding diner these days. (NAK right now!) I was glad to be reminded of some of your quirkier traits, like not being able to title things. Can you believe we've known each other for more than a decade?!

[mama manon]

Hi Grace! It is 21 st. march allready, but I still wanted to wish you a wonderfull life to come after your birthday, your blog is an inspiration for all of us creative moms.. By the way, my birthday is feb. 24, probably it is in the stars that we all are creative..?

Love Mama Manon

[Kelly]

These are pretty late bday wishes...but God bless you, mama! I can relate to so much on your list (currently - almost always, LOL - onehanded while typing...haha!) and love the enthusiasm and sense of self that you write with. I really enjoy your blog and wanted ya to know. :o)

[Kelly]

P.S. Anyone who lists Jan Brett's "The Mitten" in her book rotation list is totally a-okay with me. I'm a former Kindergarten teacher and one of my favorite thematic units to teach was an author study on Ms. Brett.