Wednesday Hodgepodge 11/16/11

1. What song reminds you of a specific time in your life and what is it about that song that makes you remember?

This one is very hard, there are a lot of songs that remind me of specific times in my life. Most songs take me back to the time in my life when they were popular and to what I was doing a specific time the song was playing. I've been racking my brain trying to think of a good example and right now all I can think of is the song Footloose. Believe it or not, this song does not bring happy memories. When I hear this song, I remember being at a family function and yet again being compared to the cousin who everyone seemed to love most... "____ can do the footloose dance. Chrissy, do you know the footloose dance?"  It seemed I was always being compared to her, and she seemed to always be better at everything.  Now, however, the tables have been turned, but believe me, I take no satisfaction in the poor choices she's made as an adult and the troubles that came along with them. Who knows, maybe she felt she was always being compared to me and wishing everyone didn't wonder why she wasn't a good girl like Chrissy.

2. What's something you've given up on?

Trying to please everybody.  As you may have gathered from question #1 I spent most of my life looking for attention and affection, and never feeling good enough.  I spent most of my time trying to do what I thought would make other people happy and doing what other people wanted me to do.  This continued as an adult and even up to a couple of years ago when everything came to a head.  Trying to do everything perfectly and please everybody started affecting my health and my sanity.  With the help of a couple of doctors and my husband I've been able to overcome these issues and am much happier for it. 

3. What's something you'll never give up on?

I'll never give up on learning.  I love to learn new things. There is always something new out there to learn and it gives me a great sense of self worth and accomplishment every time I learn something new.

4. If you had to cook something from scratch in the next hour what would it be?  Well, since I have chicken defrosted in the fridge, I would make chicken and rice. It just so happens that is what is on the menu for dinner tonight.

5. Have you started Christmas shopping? Decorating? Listening to Christmas music?

Yes, No & Yes... Our Christmas shopping is pretty much done, I pick up little things for nieces & nephews throughout the year, and we put our major purchases for Dominic on layaway a few weeks ago. We just have a few little things to pick up now.  Much to Dominic's chagrin, we do not begin decorating until Thanksgiving.  (Although he did sneak a Christmas figurine onto one of the end tables the week of Halloween).  I start listening to Christmas music sporadically in October, and full time the first of November, and if the radio station gets switched by hubby at some point, Dominic is sure that it gets changed back as soon as possible.

6. What do you know about your parent's wedding?

It took place in the courthouse sometime in December shortly after my dad turned 18.  I have a "family" picture taken in my grandparents family room that I'm pretty sure is of the day, so I know that my dad's brother and sister where there as well as my dad's aunt and uncle as well as my maternal grandparents who are not in the picture.

From left to right, Uncle Delmar & Aunt Toni Grove (my dad's aunt & uncle) My Dad, My Mom, Uncle Gene (my dad's brother) Aunt Ellie (my dad's sister) Uncle Harvey (Ellie's husband) and Aunt Marty (Gene's wife)

7. I can't believe I __________.

I can't believe I have been married for almost 17 years (anniversary is December 3rd).  Sometimes it seems like such a long time, especially in this day and age, I know very few people who have been married as long. Most of the time it doesn't seem like that long at all, it seems like just a few years ago we were on our honeymoon in the Caribbean, I guess time flies when you're in love and having fun.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Somehow I have found myself with a free day today. I've spent most of my day stopping every few minutes to wonder what I am really suppose to be doing, its so odd to not be running around doing one thing and thinking about what I need to be doing or where I need to be in an hour.  So I've decided that this afternoon, I will work on organizing the "office" which is basically a catch all three season room, so I've just turned on a space heater in there and I'm off to grab some trash bags.  Hmmm. Maybe a before picture would be appropriate... hopefully I'll be able to add an after picture this evening.

So here's before...