100 things about me - 1st installment

OKay, here's the first installment of 100 things about me. Look for the rest in the next couple of days.

Enjoy!

1. I was an only child for the first 4 years of my life.

2. Those years were spent playing outside, playing outside and more playing outside. There was much tree-climbing, mud-pie making, loud singing, snow angels and running off with my imaginary friend, Albert, to go to Disneyland.

3. Yes, I had an imaginary friend. His name was Albert. He lived in a pink house about two blocks from my house. We liked to go places together.

4. There was a HUGE pine tree in my front yard when I was growing up. I used to get pine sap all over my hands and in my hair. My mother hated it.

5. There was an apple tree in my back yard. It had four slanting branches that made it easy to scramble up. I spent many afternoons creating systems for getting from branch to branch without getting down. I also read many books and ate many peanut butter sandwiches in that tree.

6. I really loved that tree. Honestly, it was a love affair. That tree was my best friend growing up and, like many true loves, I didn't recognize how important it was to me until it was gone. It got chopped down when I was 14 years old so that my Dad could build a garage. I still miss that tree and feel sad about it sometimes.

7. I remember watching Sesame Street on an old black and white television set that was probably only 13 inches wide. That was the only TV we had for quite a while.

8. I lived about a block away from my Grandpa M when I was a kid. I used to run to his house and help him milk his goats.

9. My Grandpa M collapsed in my back yard when I was six years old. He died shortly after this from a blot clot, pumonary embolism, I believe. But, I was six then and don't remember the details.

10. Just before he collapsed, he'd asked me to get him a glass of water. I thought about scrambling up to get a big, grown-up glass for him, but decided on a small tupperware tumbler that I could reach more easily. He drank it gratefully. However, I thought for years after that that I was partly to blame for my Grandpa's death, because I didn't get him a big enough glass of water. When, I told my mother that I felt that way, after I was an adult and aware of how silly this was, she reminded me that I may have been the last person to do something kind for my Grandpa while he was still alive and conscious. I cried all over again. For different reasons.

11. When my mom first told me that my grandpa had died, she says I didn't cry much. I told her that I knew I'd see him again, so I didn't feel sad. I was so certain. That's a certainty that I've carried with me throughout my life, that I will see and hold and love those I've lost in this life again. It is, however, more sad for me now to lose them because I'm more aware of how long it will be before that "seeing them again" comes. But, maybe I really had it figured out when I was six and it really isn't all that long in the scheme of things.

12. I have lots of cousins and lots of aunts and uncles.

13. My Great Aunt Millie and my Great Grandma H raised my Dad. I used to love being at their house, which was full of treasure. They were packrats. So is my Dad.

14. So am I.

15. The reason my dad was raised by his aunt and grandmother is that his parents were killed when he was 15 months old. Between that, my mom's mother dying before I was born and my grandpa dying when I was only six, I've always felt a bit cheated in the grandparent department.

17. I really had a wonderful childhood. Happy, happy growing up years. Lots of freedom to play and explore. Lots of love.

18. I have two younger siblings -- a sister and a brother. I have always (Except for a few years when I was in 4th and 5th grade and somehow got it into my head that it wasn't "cool" to like your siblings.) thought they were two of the most wonderful people in the world. I adore them.

19. I love the theatre. I love acting and directing.

20. The last time I was on stage was in a short play I directed and acted in for the women's organization of my church. It was a musical called "Only a Visiting Teacher" and I had a ball doing it.

21. I also love to sing. I have not performed, other than in my church choir for many years. I feel both sad and guilty about this. It is a talent that I feel I need to share more, but one that I tend to hide.

22. I play the piano and love to write music.

23. I've been working on a musical for years, but I only have snippets of songs and bits of scenes. I keep thinking that I'll wait until I have "time" to complete it. Really, I think I need to just MAKE time. Then, once it's finished, I'll need to learn all about orchestration.

24. I love to write. Period. I especially love to write poetry.

25. I love teenagers. I think they are some of the most intriguing people.

26. I also love children.

27. And I love old people. I used to love visiting the nursing home in the small town where I grew up. I loved listening to the stories the people there had to tell.

28. Really, I just love people.

29. I am a registered democrat, but I always vote based on each candidates merits. So, I voted mostly Republican in the last few elections.

30. When it really comes down to it, I actually consider myself an independent. Probably libertarian.

31. But I'm also a bit socialist in that I believe that decent health care and a basic education are rights, not priveleges. And I have no problem with the idea of the government helping people out with those things.

32. I love playing soccer and I'm actually quite competitive. I'm not afraid to play with anyone and not afraid of getting hurt.

33. I once broke someone's arm while playing soccer. I'm not proud of it and if I could go back, I'd make her chocolate chip cookies and be her personal slave at school until she got her cast off.

34. I'm not very agressive in the rest of my life.

35. Except, perhaps when my Mama Bear comes out. I'll do anything to protect and help my children.

36. I'm a pacifist and a peacemaker at heart. I do not like contention and always try to find a way to help others get along and feel good about themselves.

37. I do, however, love to argue. Not to fight. I love a civilized dialogue and the sharing of ideas.

38. I love any type of good conversation. I especially love to hear what others have to say.

39. I'm always fascinated with what other people think and how they feel and how they express themselves.

40. I especially appreciate people who are willing to "live big" and give the rest of us, through their lives, permission to do the same.

41. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

42. For the last few weeks I've either finished, revised or begun a poem every single day.

43. I still have a hard time riding a bike. Like most kids who grew up in small towns, I rode my bike everywhere. But, I had my fair share of falls and scrapes and to this day, cannot feel comfortable riding a bike long or far or over any major obstacles.

44. I tore one of the ligaments in my left knee the last time I went skiing (2002).

45. I vowed never to ski again. And I haven't.

46. Snowboarding, however is tempting me. Maybe it'll be different. Maybe I'm fooling myself and the only difference is the TYPES of injuries one can get.

47. I met my husband at a church dance when I was 14 and he was 16. For me, it was love at first sight. He just felt like home. For him, it took a few years.

48. We got married here almost 10 years ago. And I'm still so glad we did.

49. Kaitybean was a honeymoon baby. Since she was born three weeks early, she was actually born 4 days before our 9 month anniversary. So, we've had very little "kid-free" time in our marriage.

50. I hope to be a published writer soon. I've got two book ideas in the back of my head, lots of poetry and quite a few finished magazine articles and stories that I just need to get around to submitting.