Meme from Denise

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My old friend Denise (old, as in since I was eleven) sent me this as an email chain. And then I saw it at Dawn's as a meme. So, I htink I'll give it a go.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 5:40 exactly.

2. Diamonds or pearls? Not much of either.  I love my pear-shaped diamond engagment ring and my grandmother's pearls. But they are all about the heart and not about the bling.

3. What was the last film you saw at the theater? Shalll I date myself and reveal how much I dislike movie theaters?  In the past sixteen years, I have seen Beauty and the Beast, The Prince of Egypt and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  That's all. Really.

4. What is your favorite TV show?  The West Wing

5. What did you have for breakfast? Tea and an egg.

6. What is your middle name? Ann

7. What is your favorite cuisine?  To cook: Italian, especially homemade pesto and perfect fresh mozarella, tomato and basil salad.

Eating out: Thai.

8. What foods do you dislike? Liver

9. What are your favorite chips? Chocolate ones, preferably Ghirardelli.

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Steven Curtis Chapman All About Love and Faith Hill Fireflies (sings SUMMER to me--great for cleaning binges). 
11. What kind of car do you drive? A giant Ford 250 extended conversion van that seats nine and gives me anxiety every time I have to park.

12. Favorite sandwich? I can't eat bread, so that pretty much eliminates sandwiches, but the above fresh mozarella and tomato salad works for me!

13. What are characteristics you can't stand? Arrogance that prevents people from really listening and seeking to understand. Also, loudness.  Believe it or not, I like things quiet (even with nine kids here all day).

14. What are your favorite clothes? True confessions: my favorite clothes in the whole world are well broken-in, super soft jeans and a reverse-weave hoodie. Not terribly feminine or modest or anything, but you didn't ask that. If I have to actually be seen in said clothing, I love a knit skirt, low heeled boots and a cashmere sweater.

15. If you could go anywhere on vacation where would you go? Rome. I'd like to go with Mike (we never got that honeymoon). but I'd also love to go with Michael because he's the guide to art and architecture. Closer to home, I want a month at a lakeside cabin in Maine or a seaside cottage on the outer Outer Banks.

16. One random fact about myself: I clean when I'm stressed.

17. Where would you want to retire? On a small farm where my grandchildren will come frequently to visit.

18. Favorite time of day? Morning. I love quiet. I love dawn. And I love that Nicholas wakes up first and needs me to snuggle and talk and ease into the day.

19. Where were you born? Quonset Point, Rhode Island

20. What is your favorite sport to watch? Anything being played by my children.

21. Coke or Pepsi? Neither. Yuck.

22. Beavers or ducks? Ducks.

23. Are you a morning person or a night owl? I have always been a morning person; I took 8:00 classes all through college by choice.

24. Pedicure or manicure? Pedicure. A manicure lasts about three hours and then it's messed up.

25. What did you want to be when you were little? A mother and a writer. :)

26. What is your best childhood memory? Playing Little House in the woods in Chesapeake behind the Wheatons house.  Playing Barbies for hours on end at Denise's house.

27. Ever been to Africa? No, but Denise brought Africa home to her when she adopted Melvin.
28. Ever been toilet papering? Yes, with someone who grew up to bring Africa home to her;-)

29. Been in a car accident? Yes. 

30. Favorite day of the week? The Sundays when Mike is home.

31. Favorite restaurant? You mean there are choices in restaurants and I could have a preference? I don't know; I haven't had the occasion to think about it recently:-)

32. Favorite flower? Virginia bluebells (see the blog banner to understand why).

33. Favorite ice-cream? Starbucks Espresso Chip.

34. Favorite fast food restaurant? The Pho restaurant down the street.

35. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Once.

36. From whom did you get your last e-mail? 4Real Forums

37. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Pottery Barn and the Container Store. I would be clean and matching and organized.

38. Last person you went to dinner with? My husband and kids after the soccer tournament in Richmond last weekend.

39. What are you listening to right now? Hey, Julie! and Sweet Caroline. After Karoline was born, Michael made a playlist and Hey, Julie came right after Sweet Caroline (to which he made linked slideshow). Whenever she got fussy, he or Christian would pick her up and dance to that playlist. Now, whenever she's cranky, Hey, Julie quiets her. With Nicholas, it was Mozart; with Karoline, it's Fountains of Wayne. I wonder sometimes what teenage brothers are doing to her brain.

40. What is your favorite color? Pink.

41. How many tattoos do you have? Ten. Really. Got your attention didn't I?

Before I was radiated to treat Hodgkin's Disease, the doctor gave me ten different reference point tattoos with which to poistion the lead shields. Ten. Elizabeth Foss has ten tattoos. (They're pretty tiny dots that look a little like freckles;-)

42. How many people are you sending this to? I'll never know because I never check my stats!

43. What time did you finish this blog entry? Lunchtime. And yes, Molly, I just got majorly diverted from the task at hand.

44. Favorite magazine: I gave up magazines in favor blogs.

45. Coffee or tea? Tea, and lots of it.

46. Do you tan easily or burn easily? Tan.

47. Do you color your hair? Nope.

48. What was the first car you ever purchased without the help of your parents?  An absolute lemon of a Renault Encore.

49. What is your most dreaded household chore? Cleaning AROUND the toilet. Yuck! (moms of boys get it;)

Bring on the Food!

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"Karieatingmarch190001 Hmmm...she made applesauce. Smells good. Wonder why she put it in that tiny little bowl?  Who in the world would only eat a tiny little bit of applesauce?"

Karieatingmarch190005 "Why does a crowd watch every move I make? I sense something big is about to happen..."

Karieatingmarch190007 "Me?  For me?  I get to eat--for real?"

Karieatingmarch190008 "I can do this all by myself! What took y'all so long to introduce me to this wonderful experience?"Karieatingmarch190004

The Wedding Meme

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1. Where/How did you meet? Freshman year in high school.  His twin sister introduced us.

2. How long have you known each other? 28 years.

3. How long after you met did you start dating? Oh, good grief, this question will totally crack up anyone who knew us then. I have know idea, when we stopped fighting with each other and started "dating!" We're not fighting now; are we dating yet?

4. How long did you date before you were engaged?  We knew each other 7 years.

5. How long was your engagement? 11 months

6. How long have you been married? 19 1/2 years

7. What is your anniversary? September 12, 1987

8. How many people came to your wedding reception?  150

9. What kind of cake did you serve? A butter cake homemade by my mother's dear friend Edith, iced in white with pink roses.

10. Where was your wedding?  at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA

11. What did you serve for your meal? I'm embarrassed to admit that I can't remember. It was a sit down lunch and we had peach melba for dessert but I have no idea what was for dinner. I don't think I ate.

12. How many people were in your wedding party? 8 groomsmen, 5 bridesmaids, and a flower girl.

13. Are you still friends with them all? Some of them. Four of them are godparents to our children.

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? He was a grinning fool.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day? Hearing Mike say his vows.

16. Any funny moments? The best man missed the toast because he was out decorating the car. Someone pinch-hit for him. Then, my father toasted for so long that the best man was back and then he toasted. It was a very long pre-dinner toast.

17. Any big disasters? His brothers were late to the wedding because they went to the wrong church.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? We didn't have a honeymoon. We spent the day after the wedding at the National Gallery of Art. 

19. How long were you gone? Not.

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? I'd invite more children and I'd worry less about formalities. I would visit the Blessed Mother and consecrate our marriage to her (our priest told us that wasn't done anymore). I'd have listened to my mother about that stray piece of hair she wanted to fix.  It's out of place in so many pictures;-)

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?: Currently, I sleep on the left because we're in baby mode and the co-sleeper is there. When I'm pregnant, I sleep on the right.

22. What size is your bed? King.

23. Greatest strength as a couple? Communication.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple? Maintaining closeness despite frequent travel.

25. Who literally pays the bills? He does

26. What is your song? Hmmm...The Stuff That Dreams are Made Of by Carly Simon; and everything on Steven Curtis Chapman's All About Love album

27. What did you dance your first dance to? I Owe You, by Lee Greenwood.

28. Describe your wedding dress: High necked with pearls and alencon lace and a great train that bustled.

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? white roses and freesia

30. Are your wedding bands engraved? Yes. His says, "Once upon a time & forever." My says, "My life, my love." When I told the jeweler what I wanted for Mike's he told me I couldn't write a novel on a wedding band. Thankfully, he has pretty big fingers and I could!

31. How old were you when you got married? 21