Question #95 - Yards

Describe your yard as a child.  Did you help with yard work?

I had 2 yards growing up, a front and back. I know there are some people who only had one, or none even.  I had 2, and they were both used as areas to play with friends.  We had a swingset in the back for years, a pool for a few years. In the winter, my dad would snowplow huge hills in the back, and we'd sled down. That was so much fun!  We'd use both the front and back yards as places to play hide n seek, or capture the flag. We'd also use both yards to split up into teams, and create little skits to show off to each other. Usually the skits involved some sort of moral. They were rather interesting!  The yards definitely got some use!

While I did help with yard work, I probably shouldn't have with my health. But, I did!  I raked leaves, shoveled snow. I'd take forever doing it, too. I tried mowing the lawn once when I was a teen, but lasted only 2 turns before I felt so tired I thought I was gonna die. So, I've never mowed a lawn again!  lol  I also do not shovel, nor do I rake. It's a good thing I have landlords! 

Question #94 - Advice

What is your advice to those younger than yourself?

When I hear of kids younger than me, like late teens or early 20s, wanting to get married right away, I have to say don't do it until you're at least 25.  When teens turn into young adults, they don't know who they are, it takes a while to discover that. I am glad I've had time to realize who I am as a person, and to not settle with someone just because I felt like getting married.  I also would tell them to not get married just because they got pregnant.  It's not always the "right thing to do."  I had a friend who did that, and the marriage is terrible. Their child is starting to react to the tension in the house.  Some more advice: love your family, be there for them. Family can truly help you through times of need.  Be kind to people, do not be judgmental. I know this is easier said than done. But I've often been judged by people who do not know me, and it hurts.  Another piece of advice: learn from your mistakes. Yes, we all make them, and it's a learning experience! 

Question #93 - Wash Day

Tell about a frustrating experience you have had on wash day, with the washing machine, clothes, people, etc, and tell about the outcome.

First of all, I don't have a wash day.  I don't have a planned day of the week for wash, I should say. I'm a single person not working, so I don't have a ton of clothes to wash all the time. So, that being said, I don't really recall any outrageous or frustrating experiences with washing my clothes. Other than shrinking a few items of clothing that I love. lol 

Question #92 - If Looks Could Kill

What did you look like as a child?

I was a short skinny kid, with huge, thick glasses. Most of the time, I had really long hair.  Today, I am about the same. Still short, still skinny, still have long hair (except now it's red). I got contacts years ago, so at least I don't have the glasses anymore!  lol

Question #91 - Traits

What were your mother's best traits, and which do you share with her?

Hmmm. I'm finding this question hard for some reason. While my mom could sometimes be hard with us, I look back knowing she had good reason to be. While she seemed very strict with her rules and making us have chores around the house, I realize that it disciplined us, and got us "ready" to take responsibility for things when were older. I know there are a lot of things that I do as an adult that I also used to do when I was growing up. And there are some that I don't. lol My mom definitely showed us we were loved, no matter what we did. And I like to think that I show it to her, too, and to anyone I come to know and love.

Question #90 - Father

What special things did you do with your father?

I didn't answer this one right away, because I didn't know exactly what to put. I love my father immensely. But I don't really recall him taking us out on little trips, or anything like that. I know one thing I used to love was going to his workshop, and watching him work on cars. He would talk about what he was doing, but sadly, not a lot stuck with me. lol  I also remember spending time with him listening to music in the living room. My love for Simon & Garfunkel started when I was little, because he would play his records and sing along.  I also remember the songs he used to sing to us when we were little. Oh yes, he also sat with us when The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock were on. He loved those shows as much as we did!  Nowadays, my father and I spend time with each other just hanging out and talking. Usually about his aches and pains, or something my mother did, or my experiences with my cat, but it's time spent with him. And there are still times when he sings the songs I know and love. And I know that counts for a lot.

Question #89 - School

Describe a typical school day in junior high school.

I went to Catholic school all my life, and my junior high school was in the elementary building. In fact, all the grades were on one floor, the junior high classrooms all the way at the end of the hall. The big change we had to get used to was switching classrooms for some of our classes. I guess it was to get us used to what it would be like in high school. There's not really much to say about going to junior high. We had harder classes from the year before, and the same teachers as the year before. We also were the same class, many of the students in my class were ones I had been going to school with since pre-K. So I already knew them, the ones I didn't like, the ones who were my friends, etc. I would have to say, my class always knew how to get ourselves in trouble. And there were many pranks pulled by a lot of us...mostly the guys, and some of the girls. It was always interesting, and entertaining!  Some of the highlights I remember quite well:

~ Our 7th grade teacher was brand new, and used to sweat profusely under his arms. So some of the guys would bring Right Guard to class, and spray it in the ceiling fan when the teacher had his back turned. They would also have a radio playing in the back coat room, and tell the teacher it was coming from outside when he asked about it. And he believed it. *shaking head*

~ Sometimes, when there was a funeral in the church, we couldn't eat in the cafeteria since it would be noisy down there, and a lot of times the people at the funeral would go down there for refreshments. So that meant we'd have to eat in our classroom. One time, there were a few guys near the window looking out in the alley. Several minutes later, our one teacher (a nun) came storming upstairs, claiming the boys were shouting outside the window to a woman in the alley. When we asked what they were saying, the nun said, "How does mother f***er sound to you???"  I think we all dropped our jaw! Needless to say, we all had to stay away from windows whenever we ate up in the classrooms. (by the way, the lady in the alley was a person who was known for causing trouble...I know for sure the guys didn't yell out the window!!)

~Another memory was when we were able to watch movies the last week of school when we were in 8th grade. Someone brought in National Lampoon's European Vacation. Now, there is a certain scene in it when a girl opens her shirt and you see everything. When that scene showed up, our teacher (again, the nun!) went up and shut the movie off. She was furious! Somehow we got to finish watching the movie though!  LOL

Question #88 - Christmas

Tell about your own Christmas traditions.

When we were little, we'd all get up so early, that my mom wouldn't let us open gifts until my dad was up. So we'd usually eat breakfast first, and then we would open our stocking gifts. When everyone was ready, then we would open our gifts from Santa. We would also go to mass on Christmas, usually the children's mass. As we got older, we started going to Christmas Eve mass, and then we would open up our gifts to each other when we got home. But we would still have the same morning routine. Nowadays, since we are all in our different homes, we go to my parents' house around a certain time, and open our gifts to each other, and stocking gifts, and then any other gifts under the tree. There have been times the past few years where we don't even open anything until the afternoon!  We also like trying to go to midnight mass, which at my church, is at 10pm.  lol  And in all the years we've celebrated Christmas, we have a nice family dinner where we get stuffed!  And lately, we've been sharing stories of the past, and of what goes on in our lives. It's a wonderful time to spend together as a family. :)

Question #87 - Weddings

Describe your wedding.

At first I thought, wow, this is such an easy question to answer.  I've never been married, so I don't have a wedding to describe!  But then I thought, maybe the question could also be to describe your wedding, even if you haven't had one yet. A lot of women have had their "ideal wedding" in their heads since they were a little girl. I never really dreamed of a wedding when I was little, but in the past few years, I've been in several weddings, and it's made me think of what I would like!  So, here is what I would like my wedding to be!  If it ever happens!

The bridal dresses would be a reddish color, since that is my favorite color. My dress would be very simple, yet elegant. I can't wear any of that heavy crap, so I would love a long, white, sleek dress. Nothing fancy or over the top, but yet very beautiful. Actually, over a year ago, when we were shopping for a dress for my mom, I was in the section of prom dresses, and I saw a dress that I knew instantly I'd love to wear if I ever got married. I almost bought it, but why have a dress when I don't know if it'll ever happen? Anyhow, I want an evening ceremony, outdoors, with lots of candles. Instead of the crowd throwing rice or blowing bubbles, I'd like them to light sparklers!  And I'd love to have one big outdoor reception, with lots of music and dancing!  Of course, in order for it to be suitable for outdoors, I'd like my wedding to be in the summer. I'd be warmer that way, too.  lol  I want to do betta fish for my center pieces, since I am so in love with them. Oh, and I'd like tulips as my bouquet. I think that's all I know for sure. I know there's a lot of other things to plan, but since I'm not anywhere near ready for a wedding, I can think of them later!