office art

Harder than it looks

Ruthie J and Jayne
had an idea for a game, so I'm playing along. I'm really curious about how many of you would like to be pirates or have slept on satin sheets. So, give it a try.

37 Random Things About Me

1. Do you like blue cheese? I've never tried it.
2. Have you ever smoked? I puffed a time or two as a teenager--it didn't take, thank goodness.
3. Do you own a gun? Nope.
4. What flavor Kool Aid is your favorite? Grape
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No, my doctor is really nice and I've been going to her for a long time.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? They are yummy at baseball games.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? It's a Wonderful Life
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee
9. Can you do push-ups? Maybe....one
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? Earrings that my husband gave me (he has really good taste).
11. Favorite hobby? Hiking, reading, blogging, sewing--do I have to choose just one?
12. Do you have A.D.D? I like to multi-task, so maybe?
13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? Contacts, extended wear--I love them.
14. Middle name? Elizabeth
15. Name thoughts at this moment? How did all those people stay up late and go to balls and look so good last night? I was worn out from watching the inauguration on TV and was in my pj's by 9.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Coffee, tea, pomegranate juice, water, Polar Seltzer Water--is that more three?
17. Current worry? The economy
18. Current hate right now? Ugly rhetoric on either side of the political spectrum
19. Favorite place to be? In the woods or on a mountain.
20. How did you bring in the New Year? Dinner with friends and an exciting game of Boggle, we made it until midnight but not much past that.
21. Where would you like to go? Macedonia
22. Name three people who will complete this? Rach, Katie and SJ!
23. Do you own slippers? Yes, a pair of L.L. Bean wicked good slippers that my husband bought me for Christmas last year.
24 What color shirt are you wearing? White, still part of my pajama ensemble, too early for real clothes.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Same answer as blue cheese--never tried it.
26. Can you whistle? Oh yes, I like to whistle.
27. Favorite Color? I can't think of one that isn't my favorite!
28. What songs do you sing in the shower? I'm too self-conscious to sing anywhere except the car all by myself and then I sing everything that comes on the radio whether I know it or not.
29. Would you be a pirate? No
30. Favorite Girl's Name? Molly or Sara
31. Favorite boy's name? Ethan or Archie
32. What's in your pocket right now? kleenex
33. Last thing that made you laugh? The Daily Show
34. What vehicle do you drive? Ford Escape
35. Worst injury you've ever had? I've been very lucky--no serious injuries.
36. Do you love where you live? yes
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two, well there might be more stored in the attic but two that work.

A new semester of Maine Life 101

Movie Reviews

Well, that was a surprise! I really expected that my overuse of exclamation marks would have down-graded the level of my blog. I do like exclamation marks and now feel validated in my frequent employment of them as a literary device!!!

Near Brush With Greatness Game

Several months ago, Rach wrote about a game called Near Brush with Greatness. She described it as a simple game: the goal is not to have encountered a famous person, but to know someone who has, and the further removed you are, the more points you earn.

Well, the one that I came up with today, should be a real point bonanza. I am definitely far removed from the famous person but the connection is purely in the realm of speculation--kind of like what the National Enquirer makes millions of dollars doing every week.

Fact: Amy Poehler from Saturday Night Live had a baby yesterday whom she named Archie.

Fact: I have a son named Archie.

Fact: I named my son Archie for my great grandfather Archie Higgins.

Fact: Amy Poehler is married to Will Arnett who played G.O.B. on Arrested Development during its three season run on Fox.

Fact: In five episodes of Arrested Development, a character named Wayne Jarvis was played by an actor named John Michael Higgins.

Fact: John Miichael Higgins' great grandfather and my great grandfather were brothers.

Coincidence? I think not.

Not even close to a Fact: At a fancy Hollywood party, Amy leans over to Will Ferrell and tells him that she and her husband are expecting a baby. John Michael Higgins, is seated across the table and says, Y"ou know, I always thought a great name for a baby was Archie. My great-grandfather's brother was named Archie and they lived in Western Kentucky and fished and hunted and fought the Night Riders."

Well, I'm sure it was a lot funnier when they said it, but it could have happened.

Somehow, this is comforting

I only scored a 24 percent on the geek scale
24% Geek


Created by OnePlusYou

Power of Ten

The friends in my neighborhood have been playing a game called the Power of Ten. So, I'm going to give it a shot.

Ten years ago, I was living in Iowa City, finishing up law school and enjoying Ethan's Babe Ruth games, Molly and Sara's softball games and Archie's t-ball.

Ten months ago, I was reading the first pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows in a sleeping bag at Camp Calumet in Ossipee, New Hampshire after C had done a rockin' good concert for them.

Ten days ago, I was enjoying mother's day phone calls from my three older children and burning a pile of brush with my youngest child.

Ten hours ago, I was wincing as Derek Jeter got hit in the hand by a pitch in a Yankees-Orioles game.

Ten minutes ago, I was sipping my first cup of coffee and trying to remember what I was doing ten years ago.

Ten minutes from now, I will be taking a shower and getting ready for a day of juvenile criminal court in Farmington.

Ten hours from now, I will be home from said Juvenile court and changing into my play clothes.

Ten days from now, I will be hoping for sunshine because I intend to climb my first 4000 footer of the year on that weekend.

Ten months from now, I'll be shoveling snow and trying to figure out if I can afford to fly to Macedonia for a vacation.

Ten years from now, C and I will be living in a little cottage in the woods, working less and playing more.

More games for a rainy day

Amity tagged me to play a game of telling seven things people do not know about me. It seems that I just played a game of telling my life story in six words and now I am to divulge my most closely-held secrets.

Well, let's see.

1. Amity is actually the one who got me blogging. I had never even heard of a blog until we invited Amity over for dinner one night last December and learned about her three years of blogging.
2. Since Molly went to college, I actually miss watching America's Next Top Model, The Gilmore Girls and DeGrassi.
   
3. When I was 18, I worked as a maid at the Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park
4. When I am sad or need a distraction, I read The #1 Ladies Detective Agency books. I secretly wish that I could be Precious Ramotswe.
5. When no one else is home, I like to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for supper.
6. When I was 12, I made my first pair of cross country skis by planing a pair of wooden downhill skis and changing the bindings. I fell for the sport the minute my skis hit the trail.
   
7. I was in a bluegrass band in the late 1970's.
   

Whew, that was hard. I feel bad tagging anyone, since I just handed out assignments a few days ago, but consider yourself tagged if you want to take a shot at it.

Thanks, Amity, it was fun--hard rooting around in the memory attic--but fun!

In Six Words

Nature Knitter tagged me with the six-word memoir task. When faced with the Hemingway quote that started it all, the task is especially daunting. The story goes that Hemingway once bet $10 that he could sum up his life in six words. He summed it all up with For Sale: Baby shoes; never worn.

I am no Hemingway, and I can't possibly sum up my life in six words but I can impart some meaningful pieces.

Happy mom loves to climb mountains.

The rules say to pass it on, so here goes. Texican, S.J., Tom and Atticus and Elementary--tag, you're IT.

Here are the meme rules:

1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person who 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.
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!