Ignorant Historian

1.  Do you believe in magic?

Sorry, Ronald McDonald, I don’t (any other ‘80 kids think of the commercials when you read that question?).

2.  What is something you wish you were better at?

Stepping up to meet a need when I see it.

3.  Have you ever pulled an all-nighter?

For school, no.  Back in the day, I stayed up all night a couple of times for slumber parties and prom.  Also, for traveling (however you want to count that, when the night is either really short or never comes).

4.  Do you believe in aliens?

This might come as a surprise, but yes, I think aliens might exist.  Perhaps the only life God created is here on this earth, but I can’t help but think that it’s man-centered to think we’re the only ones.  The Bible certainly gives us no hint of aliens…but it doesn’t rule it out, either.  I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it, though.

5. Would you have plastic surgery?

Not unless is was medically necessary/recommended.

Friday blog reading should always be light, and in an effort to keep it so (yet fun), I’ve decided to find 5 random questions to answer on Fridays.  Some I might find on other blogs, and some I’ll find with the help of Google.  Not unique, but I hope it’ll be fun.  So, here goes:

1.  Have you ever peed your pants after age 8?

I believe I was 8 the last time.  It was 3rd grade on the bus.  We got evacuated shortly after boarding the bus home at the end of the day because of a tornado warning.  After that passed, we re-loaded the buses.  I was one of the last stops, and couldn’t hold it any longer, peeing my pants while we were just around the corner from my house.

2.  Would you date someone you met online?

Maybe.  But it’d have to be someone that I knew through someone I actually knew.  You follow?

3.  Do you wear deoderant?

Yes. Everyday, in fact.  Sometimes twice a day, if needed.

4.  How do you usually dress?

Work casual.  Though sometimes it’s really casual.  I do love to wear skirts and dresses, but that requires shaving my legs (which isn’t otherwise necessary as a single gal…).

5.  Ocean or pool?

Definitely pool!  Though I will get in the water at the beach, I can’t wait to get home and shower afterwards.

So, this may have proved more difficult than I imagined.  Still, here are the answers:

1.  What’s my brother’s name? Bonus: what’s my sister-in-law’s name?

Riley and Amanda

2.  What state did I grow up in?

Kansas

3.  Where did I go to college?

The University of Oklahoma

4.  What did I major in?

History - I knew this might be a hard one, even though “historian” is in the title of this blog, I rarely talk about it!

5.  What was I scared of as a child? (may be more than one correct answer)

Answers given (and all correct) – People jumping out at me (still am), animals, dogs.  Other possible answers include: people in costumes and our house burning down when I was changing (don’t know if I’ve mentioned that last one on the blog, though)

6.  What’s one experience of Southern culture that left me scratching my head? (again, there’s more than one correct answer)

Correct answers given – half the roads aren’t labeled (though that just may be NC), and the notion that if it thunders in winter it’ll snow in 7 days (it didn’t, BTW).  Other correct answers: boiled peanuts,  Confederate flag license plates being sold by the county, and various Southern phrases

7.  What classic science fiction movie have I used more than once to explain life truths to children?

Star Wars

8.  What’s the working title of my essentially-abandoned novel-in-progress?

Four Friends – I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and have an idea of where I want it to go

9. What country (besides my own) do I love?

Turkey!

10.  If/when I become a full-time teacher, what subject would I teach? (I’ll give a point for either the subject I’m most qualified to teach or the one I’d most want to teach…and 1.5 points for correctly answering both.)

Most qualified to teach math, but would like to teach literature.  Amanda had a better answer though, “You are most qualified to teach math, but that’s simply because your dream teaching job hasn’t been afforded to you just yet; your ideal teaching position is teaching your own children.”  So true…love that my SIL knows my heart!

Amanda got a perfect 11 points, but since she had a majorly unfair advantage (hello, she got a half-point for knowing her own name!), the Paperback Swap book goes to Liz who earned a respectable 9.5 points.

Being that my brain’s all birthday-fied this week (thanks for the birthday wishes, BTW), I’ve been thinking about how there seems to be something special about people who have December birthdays.

I mean, I don’t think we’re something special just because our birthdays fall into a certain period of time (I mean, that time period is arbitrary anyway), but that we share a special bond.  Perhaps others who share birthday months have this, too, but I doubt it.  Or at least it’s not the same.

People with December birthdays share a special camaraderie because we know what it’s like to have our birthdays overshadowed by Christmas.  Presents wrapped in Christmas paper (or combined with Christmas presents or not given at all).  Parties with low attendance as schedules are already overcrowded.  Excitement over the coming holiday greater than your own day.

I’m not trying to complain…I’ve been more than blessed.  But those of us who are in this club simply “get” it.  We tend to make more of a fuss over each others birthdays.  We’re more likely to remember other December birthdayists even though we forget our closer friend’s birthdays.

So, to all my December Birthday Club members, happy birthday!  Thanks for understanding!

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

I can’t believe it’s December.  Like, really.  Last night I thought, “I’ll get a haircut in November or December” thinking that was a long time away.  Now that it IS December, I have no idea when I’d have time for a haircut!

December is always my favorite month, probably because my birthday (the 15th…you still have time to buy me a gift and stick it in the mail ;) ).  I’ve always been a huge Christmas fan, but I haven’t really felt the Christmas spirit this year.  I’ve been dutiful in planning Christmas presents (ordered the first ones in the wee hours when I was avoiding going to bed), but not in writing Christmas cards or decorating.  Still not sure either of those are going to happen.  We’ll see.

I’ve been struggling with a cough since a couple of days before Turkey, and finally decided enough was enough.  I could tolerate it enough for a while, but it’s starting to head south, and the last time I let it, I ended up with bronchitis.  I know something is wrong when I can hear myself breathing in my headphones and they’re not attached to a stethoscope.  (on a totally random note, I don’t think I’ve ever written that word…it’s kinda funny looking!)  I have an appointment to see a PA this afternoon and feel incredibly grownup…usually I have to go to urgent care because I don’t know where else to go (and I’ve always had insurance, it’s just my patheticness).  I’m determined to find a primary care doctor now, though.  I’ll see if I like the office I’m visiting today.

So, to complete this randomness, what are you looking forward to most this much?

Christmas isn’t about presents.

No need to get frustrated at the traffic or the fact that they store is out of the only item you wanted.

No need to worry about not being able to give your family as much as you have in years past.

The greatest gift you can give is your time and attention.  Don’t lose that in all the “packages, boxes, and bags!”

Photo by lechampiondumonde.com

I spend a lot of time pondering.  There’s a lot of subjects I ponder (do we all see colors the same, will we sleep in heaven, will we one day have electronic chips in our heads to communicate instead of cell phones), but one that I come back to again and again is the marvel that is modern transportation.

I enjoy reading missionary biographies, and to read about their commitment to the cause is incredible.  When they set sail for India or China without having  a clue of the conditions they would face, they were leaving for good with no thought of coming back “home.”  It took a lot of time and money to travel (not to mention that it was miserable) so it was a one-time thing usually.

And here I am two days away from jetting halfway across the world for the third time to spend one week in Turkey.  ONE WEEK.

I can’t get over how easy this is.  Not that it’s entirely pleasant or that everything about it is easy, but the stress and worries related to world travel now are nothing compared to what they were 150 years ago.

I know I’m incredibly blessed.

While we’re on the topic, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I always say that I want to go back to Turkey (check), go to Rome (hopefully this summer), and go to Australia (no plans in the works, other than reading the Tomorrow series).  How about you?

Photo by chaosinjune

A Halloween Well Spent Serving Others

- When I think of the word “tidbits” I think of pineapple.

- The other night I had a dream where I had gone to heaven and we were able to fly.  I wonder if we’ll be able to fly…I mean, I don’t think we’d have wings or anything.  Just pondering.

- I can’t believe in one week I’ll be on my way to Turkey.  Don’t worry, I’ll give you all more details, etc.

- I have 16 books checked out from the library, but I haven’t finished one since the Read-a-thon.  Between being sick and working long days, I’ve been exhausted in the evenings.

- I had thought that I’d lose my voice this time around, but now it’s not looking (sounding? feeling?) like it.  Which is definitely a good thing.

- I want to read Catching Fire, but it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to get it from the library before going to Turkey.  I’ll have to put my requests on hold, and be pushed to the bottom of the list.  Almost tempted to give a friend access to my email account and my library card to check it out when it comes in while I’m gone.  No, I’ll be patient.

- Speaking of Turkey, I’m not quite ready to go.  I mean, of course I haven’t packed, but I also haven’t created a packing list (though I did list all the OTC medicine I’ll need).  The only things set out to pack are the books I’m going to take with me…  I might not have clothes or the things I need for the lessons I’ll teach, but at least I’ll be able to read on the planes!

- Have a great (safe!) Halloween weekend!

I don’t like Halloween.

I stopped Trick or Treating at 10.  I realized I could have more fun handing out candy at the door, and could still get the chocolate I wanted from my brother’s Trick or Treat pumpkin (he couldn’t have it…it wasn’t like I was stealing it).  I also realized that if I didn’t go by people’s houses, they wouldn’t feel compelled to try to scare me.

I think the people-jumping-out-at-you part is one of the major reasons I don’t like this holiday.  I just don’t get how that could be fun.  I actually dislike the whole concept so much, that I refuse to play hide-and-go-seek with any kids I babysit.

Another reason I dislike Halloween is the raunchiness of it.  In college, it seemed like Halloween was just an excuse to dress up extra-raunchy before getting wasted.  Somehow, that’s not appealing to me in the least bit.

Then there’s the whole darkness of Halloween: the witches, the ghosts, the ghouls.  Since I don’t think such things exist, I guess I just miss the point.

So, while others might enjoy the holiday, I must say that I just don’t get it.  That’s why Saturday night the only reason I’m going out is to serve the children at our church’s Halloween alternative.