Sunday, January 25, 2009

Twenty-five on the 25th

I've been tagged by at least six different people to list 25 random things about myself. I wasn't going to do it, but then I realized that today is the 25th day of January, so why not make it a theme.

Here's my 25 Random Things:

1. I could never be a vegetarian. I love meat too much to give it up. 

2. I don't like chocolate. At all. And yes, I realize that I'm weird and un-American. I don't really like ice cream all that much either. Sadly, not loving those things hasn't made me skinny.

3. I drive a mini-van named Minnie-the-Van. She's seven years old, but she's paid for!

4. I've been married almost 19 years to my best friend. 

5. I refer to myself as a "recovering pastor's wife". My husband was a pastor for years and years and years. Most of those years were good, but there were some rough ones that have left a really bitter taste in my mouth.

6. I am happiest when I am at home with my family of five.

7. Rocky Mountain National Park is my favorite place in Colorado.

8. We're going to Durango, CO this summer...but I still don't think it can hold a candle to RMNP.

9. I want to learn to compost this spring/summer.

10. The 4th of July is my favorite holiday.

11. I love movies. I would watch one every day if I had the time. I especially love independent, artsy films. I recently watched Henry Poole Is Here...and I loved it.

12. The last movie I saw in the theater was The Tale of Despereaux. I loved it too.

13. I'm also a tv addict, but this season I haven't seen one single episode of any of my favorite shows--LOST, The Bachelor, '24', and Friday Night Lights. I'm hopelessly behind. (We don't have a dvr).

13. God speaks to me through nature.

14. I do not like going barefoot. Even in the summer. I usually always have on some kind of footwear--shoes, slippers, flip-flops, boots.

15. I like words. In fact, I see them in my head. Weird, but true.

16. I rarely buy books. I'm a library nerd. I bought a total of three books last year: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. I don't know what got into me. 

17. I like my steak rare, bloody even. My family always asks for well-done while giving me funny looks.

18. I love family traditions. I think our family has some really fun ones. 

19. I've seen a bear. From a pretty close distance. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and an answer to a very specific prayer. 

20. I often think about homeschooling my children. 

21. I cry easily. And I'm okay with that. I'm trying to teach my children that there is no shame in tears or honest emotion. 

22. My husband and I are very protective of our time on weekends. We believe very strongly in rest.

23. Sleeping in for me means 7:30 or 8AM. I made it to almost 8AM this morning. It was wonderful!

24. I would love to go to Africa someday. Specifically, to Rwanda.

25. I sleep every night (even in the summer) with an afghan that my Nana knit for me. I call it my "african"...I don't know why, but I've called it that for years. 

22 comments:

Christi @ Writing the Waves said...

Interesting stuff Meredith. I have also been tagged on facebook to do this, but just haven't gotten to it yet....guess I could be doing it right now, huh? :)

JenB said...

I'm with you on #1, 13, and 21. (did you know you have two 13s?) I'm with you on both! :)
Hey, and if you check out hulu.com you can get caught up on your TV. But then nothing will get done at your house.....

Elizabeth said...

We watched Henry Poole the other night and loved it too. My husband is still talking about it and how much Christians can learn from it.

We are protective of weekend time too, and people make fun of us for it. We just don't have the time to be busy, you know?

I LOVE Durango. I remember shopping at outlets there when I was a teenager and going into a shop that only sold angel-themed stuff.

My hubby went to Kenya and didn't love it, but he said Africa was amazing.

Amber said...

I'm with you on lots of these....but, really? No chocolate? Wow. I'll eat your share. What are friends for?

I still haven't read the Twilight books. I need to, huh?

And RMNP? I even think they top the Grand Tetons....and they were my fav for a really long time. I think the baby moose that I saw last summer when we were there pushed me over the edge. I was so hoping for a bear!!

(And so sorry for the bad pastoring experiences. Not sure why people have to be so mean. But...for what it's worth...you guys are still my most favorite pastor & family EVER. EVER. EVER.)

Jacquie said...

Interesting list, Meredith. You can learn a lot about someone reading these.

Every time I hear you say something about your husband's pastoring days being hard, I feel so sad for you. I know (from a Church secretary's perspective) something about the demands placed on your lives... and also how people can be. I hope that God heals that place in your heart that is still wounded.

Moriah @ Please Pass the Salt said...

I just finished my post for tomorrow; so you'll see why I had to laugh at your specifically mentioning #1.

#20 - really?!!!

Robin Green said...

I think you are the perfect candidate for home-schooling your children because of how much you enjoy having them at home with you. And I really can't grasp the chocolate thing.

Trish said...

I think you and I could be great friends based on that list.
We have alot in common!

I'm a few days behind on your blog, so I have lots to go catch up on........

Jennifer said...

How fun to learn some different things about you. Some I kinda figured from reading your posts for the last year but others no idea. LOL

I also think about homeschooling my kids. I even went to the state homeschool conference last summer.

Kecia said...

"Sometimes when a heart is broken it grows back crooked." Isn't that a great line?
And we call them "africans" too!! My dad started it with us. :)

JJ Kimmel said...

Moment of silence for your hatred of chocolate...

i loved learning more about what makes you YOU!
Thanks for posting this.

Gretchen said...

I love the idea of you wrapping up in your african every night. So sweet.

God speaks volumes to me in nature, too. Hopefully, he'll speak to you in the nature of the PNW this Aug. ;)

We lurve our time alone and in near hibernation on weekends.

I'm even getting Big into FNL. So far, I've converted him to House, FNL, and well...even the Bachelor at times.

I have to side with the normal part of your family when it comes to ordering meat--the well done side. No wonder you like them vampire novels.

Okay...gotta go to the mom thang. xxxooo

Brenda said...

ok, I'll let you slide on the chocolate and the bloody steaks!
My husband and daughter went to Kenya a couple of years ago, they loved it.
Durango is a pretty nice town. You'd probably really enjoy the narrow-gauge railroad. We haven't done it but would like too.
I'm with ya on the Pastor's wife thing. Been there done that.
I'm a easy cryer too.

Lauren said...

Love learning more about you Meredith :) Hope you had a GREAT weekend!! :)

Betsy said...

That was fun! I knew some of those things, but lots of them I didn't know. I bet you would love homeschooling your kids since you enjoy having them home so much. Would they like it as much as you would??

I've never even heard of the Henry Poole movie?? I'll have to look up that trailer!

Hope you have a GREAT week! :)

Cathy said...

What a great way to "get to know you"!

I, too, am sorry for any sour experiences in pastoring... I'll never understand how we as Christians can let things like that happen. I have a good friend who's husband was our worship pastor, before WE moved away. We LOVED them! but they had a rough time of it in several churches, the only thing I knew to say was how sorry I was but so thankful that WE got them! And they're florishing where God has led them. I hope the same for you. I'm SURE you are such a blessing to the people's lives that God has placed you in!

Michelle@Life with Three said...

I loved your list, although I'm still trying to comprehend #2. No chocolate? Or ice cream? Oh, how I wish that was the case for me!!! :)

*carrie* said...

Those first two were really funny, because they're so opposite of me--hate meat, love chocolate!

Thought you'd be interested in this: http://www.momadvice.com/blog/2009/01/momadvice-no-spend-challenge.htm

Rae said...

I love these tags! You learn such interesting little tidbits! A bear? Yikes!

Christen said...

That post about the kids going back to school after break and you so weren't ready, i totally thought, she'd be awesome at homeschooling! (but questioned myself) i'm actually waiting for a sample dvd to come in the mail from A Beka, you can check it out too if you want. i looked into bob jones a couple years ago and fell in love! (but chickened out)

Jenna said...

Meredith, I feel lucky when I get to sleep in until 8 as well (and I don't have children... just the beagle wanting his breakfast)!

I grew up with one of the actress' in Henry Poole is Here (the young girl with glasses). She is a few years younger than I am and we worked at the same museum. I haven't seen it yet but am looking forward to seeing Rachel's performance.

Michele said...

I love random posts like this b/c I think that is how you get to know people better. You are such a neat person and I'm so glad we're friends! It's funny about #20 b/c I've often wondered why you didn't - to me it sounds like you have a heart for it . . . you just may not know it yet. I think you'd be great at it and YES you can do it. I'm here to help and am an open book if you ever have any questions. I know our sons are the same age and I think maybe one of our girls.

I love the bear story. One time when Jon and I were running (for exercise) in the mountains we heard some rustling in the woods and thought it was a bear. it ended up being about 4 deer, but we were still scared to death. Jon had to keep telling me I was crowding him and I had to move over and give him some space b/c I was right up on him for the rest of the run:)

Sleeping in for me is about 7:30 at the latest too. . . my body just will not allow it.

I feel really, really strong about rest on Sunday. Rarely does a Sunday go by that I don't take a 2-hour nap and lay around and read.