100 Things

My friend, Sunshine, over at So What Was I Saying? , has a list of 100 things you've done.

Following her lead, the things **I** have done are italicized.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars (does it count if I was inside a tent?)
3. Played in a band. (Ok, so it was a marching band, so???)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain--climbed on a mountain...
9. Held a praying mantis What are you? Crazy?
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. I don't do the whole "ocean thing."
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch--does knitting count?
15. Adopted a child no, but my parents fostered newborns when I was still at home
16. Had food poisoning don't know if it's food poisoning but I've eaten some "bad" food before and gotten pretty sick.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked--are you crazy?
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill...it's called a MENTAL HEALTH DAY
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb--I THINK so. I've DEFINITELY held a baby goat...
26. Gone skinny dipping no, but I'm skinny and I have definitely gone swimming
27. Run a Marathon--Is 10 miles close enough?
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice too scary...and never been to Italy
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset--Florida/beach and Malawi/Africa...
31. Hit a home run no but I have RUN all the way HOME so my mom would flick an ant off my thumb, does that count?
32. Been on a cruise I ... DON'T ... DO ... THE ... OCEAN ... THING...
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person No, but I've seen Victoria Falls...BREATHTAKING
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors--Mom drove me past the little house she lived in when she was a baby in Arkansas...is that the same?...
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language--freshman in college, goose latin...myby nybame ybis Hybillybaryby
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied Satisfied, yes, but limited enough to still worry about making ends meet. The satisfaction's not linked to the money.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person Nope, but I've FELT like the Leaning Tower of Pisa in my person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa - lived in Malawi for 2+ years, visited Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing I ... DON'T ... DO ... THE ... OCEAN ... THING...
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris nope, but I've been to the bottom of it
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling I ... DON'T ... DO ... THE ... OCEAN ... THING...
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater--AAAUUUGGGHHH!!! JAWS!!!
55. Been in a movie Of course, don't you recognize me??
56. Visited the Great Wall of China No, but I've seen footage of Greg there. Close enough. lol
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies Mmmmm, Thin Mints and Tagalongs
62. Gone whale watching Here we go again...I ... DON'T ... DO ... THE ... OCEAN ... THING...
63. Gotten flowers for no reason There's ALWAYS a reason, like being so dog-gone great, lol.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma Ummm, yes, but only to myself. I have to check because there used to be rules about not donating after you've been to Africa. I don't know if that has changed but I've clung to it as an excuse. I'm so bad.
65. Gone sky diving I ... DON'T ... DO ... THE ... oh, wait, ...nevermind...
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check/cheque Yes, and the bank and I had a very...stimulating conversation, lol.
69. Saved a childhood toy--my Pooh bear who I've had since I was four...and way too many other things.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square No, but I've played Four Square.
74. Toured the Everglades What's to tour? I had an alligator living in the pond outside my patio in my old condo. Close enough.
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London No, but I've seen the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in D.C.
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle Well, does it count if I never got out of first gear?
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book--I have a dreeeeam...
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible--significant portions, but no, not the whole thing
86. Visited the White House Just saw the outside a few times, never went in.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. I plead the fifth.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous ::siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh::
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one--My dad, my bio dad, all my grandparents, a couple aunts and uncles
94. Had a baby - two
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Been to the Panama Canal.

Now it's Your turn...if you haven't yet!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

I teach kindergarten. But most of you guys know that...if not all, seeing as how it doesn't appear that I've got an ever expanding readership. lol Is that a word? Of course it would help if I'd manage to get over to other blogs and you know...read others. I'm so bad. Forgive me guys! I will get to your blogs. I enjoy them when I get there, but I am the queen of procrastination. (Sheesh, I started to type "the cream of procrastination.") ANYWAY... What was I saying? Oh yes, I'll get back out there and reading. I WILL!

On Monday of this week I was beginning a math lesson. I always use my document camera (which is basically like an opaque projector...lay a paper down on the cart, the camera "sees" it...the camera is connected to a regular projector which shines it on the board.) Anyway, I walked up to the board to pull down the screen on which I shine the projected material. Now, I have the nice new shiny shiny projector that is ultra cool. But the screen I use is older than I am. And it behaves much the same as those roll down blinds we all used to have on our windows as kids. You know the ones. You pull it down and unless you get it just right it will fly right back up to the top. Over and over, sometimes. For months I've battled with this screen. For months it was my exercise program. Instead of touching my toes, I stood up, bent down, stood up, bent down, etc., multiple times (like 20ish) before it would catch. Then, among the minor miracles of Christmas, sometime in December I started getting it on the first try almost every single time. And when I didn't get it the first time, I'd get it in two to three, tops. Well, Christmas is over. SO over...maybe not in my heart....and maybe not in my living room...but it's definitely over where my screen is concerned. Monday I tried to pull the thing down. Up it went. Down again. Up it went. Repeat about 20 times. Listen to the giggles of the kids who think it's hilarious. Of course it's probably because they're laughing at my hair flying up and down every time I bend and straighten. But whatever. FINALLY, on the 67th try, it stays down. Before I could heave a sigh of relief, out of the relative quiet comes the sweetest little voice, FILLED with his own relief, "THANK YOU, JESUS!!" I laughed so hard. Now I take my Jesus very seriously and it really and truly sounded like a prayer, but it was soooo adorable and came from the cutest and quietest little guy.

It was priceless.