Question #115 - Do I enjoy my everyday life? What's it like?

Many people ask me what I do during the day when I tell them I haven't worked for over 8 years. I think they must think I don't do much, and that I'm very bored. Well, most days I'm not. I get up in the mornings usually somewhere in between 9-9:30. I feed Mittens, get dressed and washed up, feed myself, and read on the computer for a bit. If it's Tuesday or Thursday, I go to pulmonary rehab from 11-12pm. On Tuesday afternoons, I host PH chat at 1pm, and it usually lasts an hour or two, depending who is there. Many afternoons I try to make jewelry, or clean, or just take it easy if I feel yucky. Some days I need to get groceries, or go to the store for stuff. Some days, I do things on the computer most of the day, which makes me feel real lazy! However, being on the computer is part of my every day life! Often I take naps in the later afternoon, like around 3 or 3:30. Some days I can get by without one. I make dinner in the evening and always eat around 6pm. I watch some shows, and then get back on the laptop. Monday and Tuesday evenings, I tutor. Wednesday evenings I host PH chat. Many nights I chat on the phone with friends to see how their day went. Every day, I keep myself busy in some way or another. And I am very thankful that I have days I can do nothing if I need to because I feel like crap. I would say I enjoy my life as it is for the most part! Being able to do what I want, when I want, and if I can has been helpful in the past several years. I think if I did have to worry about going to a daily job, I might be telling a much different story!

Question #114 - What are some of my talents?

I know I'm not musically gifted, since it's been a couple decades since I played the organ, and I sure as heck can't sing! I can't draw well, stick figures are a specialty if I must create something. I guess a talent would have to be making jewelry. This was not something that I've had all my life, but something that's been building up for the past eight years since I had to quit teaching. I love to buy pretty beads, and think of patterns and different combinations to make necklaces, earrings, and other things. Most of my stuff comes out really nice, and I guess I must be good at it because I have sold quite a bit over the years!

Question #113 - What's my most favorite movie, book, poem, or song?

I have three favorite movies that I could watch over and over and over, and probably never get tired of them! One is Monty Python & The Holy Grail. I heard friends in high school quote this movie, and had no clue what the heck they were talking about. It wasn't until probably college that I saw the movie, and I LOVED it!! I can't even begin to count how many times I've seen it, and now I own the special edition version, and I play it when I feel like quoting an entire movie!

Pretty Woman is one I fell in love with years ago, and every time it comes on tv (usually TBS!), I watch it. That includes if they play it three nights in a row. I end up watching it over anything else. I know, crazy!

Steel Magnolias is another great movie, and it is one that will forever remind me of my sistores (sisters). It's one we could probably all sit together and quote, and we often do when we talk about stuff. This movie is another one that I will watch if I see it on tv!

One of my favorite books was Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell. I still read it occasionally. I think I liked it so much because it was so descriptive to me when I was a little girl, and the images I had in my head were almost real, like I was a part of the story. I have read hundreds of books since then, and that one always sticks out as my favorite!

I really don't have any favorite poems. As for songs, my favorite one is Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, by Cyndi Lauper!! I have told people that I'd like that song played at my funeral, but I'm pretty sure the priest would highly disapprove!! lol

Question #112 - What is my most favorite thing to do at home?

It's no secret that I love to be online. It's definitely something I am doing quite often throughout the day. I read my emails, write in my blogs, chat with friends, and phriends. I catch up on PH news several times a day, and I also go to social networking sites often. Shopping for stuff on ebay, as well as other sites, makes me happy. And anything bead-related is usually searched for by me! My computer is my network to the outside world, especially when I am not feeling well, and can't really get out in the real world for days. So, I would have to pick being on my laptop (or computer, but mostly laptop nowadays!) as my favorite thing to do at home!

Question #111 - Describe a time when you felt the spirit strongly.

When I was a little girl, my parents would often bring me to healing masses. I think they really hoped that bringing me to one of these masses would allow me to be completely healed, that I would be a whole person again, and wouldn't have to deal with my illness anymore. Most of the time while growing up, my parents (and eventually myself, when I got old enough to really understand my health issues) focused more on my heart than the fact I had PH. I think that was because no one really explained to any of us what PH was. Anyway, I remember that at one of the masses, I stood up with a line of people at the altar, waiting to be blessed by the priest. I don't remember exactly how old I was. Maybe 10 or 11, maybe 13. I just don't remember. What I DO remember is that when the priest put his hand on me for a blessing, I immediately fell backwards. I was caught by someone behind me, and they just laid me down on the floor. I could still hear people around me, but all I felt was an incredible warmth in my chest, right over my heart. I laid there for what seemed like forever, before I finally got up and went back to my parents. I told them what I was feeling, because that warmth over my heart was still there, and it was very strong. I was not healed, but then maybe I was. Perhaps not healed in the physical sense, but I believed that my belief in the Lord was solidified by feeling the warmth in my heart. I used to feel that warmth every once in awhile since then, but not for a very very long time. However, this past Sunday in church, for whatever reason, I felt that warmth for the first part of mass. I felt like a basket case during church, I couldn't get my tears to stop suddenly appearing, but that warmth just made me feel blessed all over again. Maybe the Lord was telling me that he is still here for me, whenever I need Him. It was just a wonderful feeling to have again.

Question #110 - What are some of the events that are happening in the world right now?

We are two days away from one of the biggest Presidential elections ever. This election seems to have gone on for years, it's been on everyone's mind forever. This year will be a first no matter what party wins: could be the first time a women becomes Vice-President, or, could be the first time this nation has a black President. As with any election, campaign ads are constantly bombarding the airwaves, newspapers print "He said this" and "He did that." The internet has thousands of ordinary Americans getting involved by posting videos on YouTube, and in blogs, etc, etc. Other countries are even anxious about who will be the next President, because they obviously want change as much as we Americans do!

The economy is another huge, huge, issue happening in the world today, and unfortunately the news hasn't been good in the past few months. The stock market keeps making record drops and gains, stores are closing up shop, even ones who have been around for decades. The impending Christmas holiday is making people nervous this year because with the housing disaster and lost jobs, this year might be one of the worst on record. It's a scary time for many people, yet others seem to take it in stride and just want to ride out the storm. Shockingly, gas prices are dropping after all time high prices even a month ago, and that seems to be one small bit of good news lately!

Question #109 - What is the weirdest dream you've ever had?

I have had some really bizarre dreams, some that wake me up and make me wonder what the heck that was all about!! I think most of the oddball ones happen when I'm stressing about something, but there are some that just seem to come out of nowhere. I blog a lot about some of the strange ones, and I had to go back to find one I dreamt a month or so ago to find the description. This was the dream!

I dreamt that for some odd reason, my parents had two squirrels as pets, along with Shelby (she's their dog), and they were trying to get the squirrels to learn tricks. The squirrels had these little stuffed animals that my parents were trying to train them to go fetch. (Ok, now I'm starting to laugh hysterically again) I was getting irritated because I wanted one of those stuffed animals for Mittens, because it was the perfect size for him, and he needs a new replacement for his little stuffed bear because it has seen better days. I kept trying to get the stuffed animal away from a squirrel (neither of the squirrels had names), but the stupid thing kept getting it back. And then I woke up!!

I really don't know where that dream came from, but just reading about it again has me laughing all over!! Very bizarre, that's for sure!!!!