Random Dozen Week #15

Lid was a little concerned she might be repeating questions but they all sure look new to me. Then again, my memory isn't so great any more. Ivan and I just spent 20 minutes trying to remember what we did yesterday. UGH. It's like somebody flipped a switch when we turned 50 and turned off half our brains. Pretty soon I'll be answering these Random Dozen questions like Ollie North during the Iran-Contra hearings, "I have no recollection."

[Hey, do I get extra points for remembering who Ollie North is?]

Anyway... it's late, I'm tired and my brain is fried from doing paperwork all day (with only half a brain), so this post will be short and sweet. 

1. Which physical trait do you now accept--maybe not love, but accept--and no longer feel extremely self-conscious about? Large ears. Not sure if I finally grew into them or it's just that I simply don't care any more, but the "new" (meaning within the past quarter) haircut is super short and exposes my ears in all their elephantine glory.

2. This week Meredith Baxter Birney, best known as the mom on the favorite 80s sitcom "Family Ties" came out of the closet, which led me to formulate this question: Who do you think is/was the best TV mom? Ann Romano on One Day at a Time, which mirrored my own household with a divorced mom and two daughters; although unlike real life I wanted to be the younger sister played by Valerie Bertinelli who was too cute for words. I thought Bonnie Franklin did a great job portraying a single mom juggling work, home and parenting teens.

3. Do you speak any foreign languages? Are there any you'd like to learn? I'd really like to learn Spanish.Oh, wait... I AM learning Spanish. Just so very, very slowly it almost seems like I'm not.

4. Who is your personal hero? My husband. Sometime I'll have to write a post explaining why. This just isn't the place or time to go into all the whys and wherefores of the answer to this question. This question which appears simple on the surface BUT TOTALLY IS NOT. Sneaky Lid, very sneaky.

5. What is one holiday food that you find extremely difficult to resist over- indulging in? Dessert in all its wondrous forms: cookies, cake, pie, cheesecake... Whatever is for dessert, I'm sure to over-indulge.

6. Tell me about a Christmas decoration that has special meaning or sentimental value. Can I cite my entire collection of ornaments? Both homemade and store-bought have such special memories attached to them. Like the little cross-stitch goose wearing a big Christmas bow and the year 1986 embroidered along the bottom made by a sweet lady named Jan, or the crystal snowman my son and his wife gave me, or the three wise men hand sewn with such care and detail sent by my friend Betty one year... When we moved overseas I got rid of 90% of our Christmas "stuff" but I kept my most prized ornaments. And have since added two pear ornaments we bought last year since it's the first time in 28 years that it's been just the two of us -- we're simply a pair again. . 

7. How do you feel about snow? It's pretty in pictures. Not missing the snow AT ALL, or the cold or the ice or the bitterly cold wind. Nope, not one single bit. After 20 years in the frozen north (a.k.a. Michigan) I'm enjoying life in a temperate climate!

8. On average, how many hours of sleep do you get each night? Not that I'm jealous of any number over three or anything. Six to seven on a really good night. Which unfortunately isn't that often. Menopausal insomnia means many, many nights I have trouble getting to sleep and/or staying asleep. Hanging on to the truth that "this too shall pass" and one day I may once again sleep the night through. I seriously got more sleep than this when my kids were babies. UGH.

9. Tell me about your first crush. His name was Larry and he had red hair. I think it was 6th grade and the crush ended abruptly when he embarrassed me to death by serenading me during music class. At that time in my life, I was SUPER shy, blushing when anyone spoke to me -- man, woman, girl, boy...didn't matter, I blushed. So you can imagine my mortification when the entire class looked at me as Larry sang some silly ballad while on one knee. I think I remained beet red for three days.

10. You're stuck in a room for 2 hours with only a chalkboard and chalk. What will you write/draw? Sketch an idea for a new art quilt, also making notes about what kind and color of fabrics I'd like to use, any three-dimensional objects that could be added for special effect, and different quilting designs that might best enhance it. OR maybe just a comprehensive monthly to-do list. Depends on which side of my brain is turned on at the time: creative right side or analytical left.

11. Do you dress for the current temp or for the day's forecast? Forecast. I've learned the hard way that how the day starts out isn't necessarily how it will be all day.

12. Favorite Christmas movie is? Die Hard. Hey, they had Santa hats, Christmas trees, a rip-roaring Christmas office party AND guns and mayhem to make the season bright. 
Okay, get serious, right? 
The truth is, I seriously adore Miracle on 34th Street, the 1947 version. 


It will be very interesting to see what others have to say with this week's Random Dozen. Especially regarding questions #4 and #10. Those at-first-glance innocuous questions which are really deep, probing investigations into your philosophy of life, into your very psyche.

Or maybe it's just late, I'm tired and my brain is fried from doing paperwork all day (with half a brain) so what might seem really profound at this moment could totally be an innocent and innocuous question meant to elicit nothing more than a simple answer requiring little to no thought.

Either way, should make for some interesting answers.