I did this long ago in a land far away that has been lost to me forever. I was searching through my archives for my first 100 Things post, but alas, no dice.

So, I decided in keeping with tradition, as I am somewhere around my 200th post . . .

I would share a bunch of things about myself to let some of you new readers get to know me.

Here goes:

1. I am originally from the North.
2. I know, shocking that the Peach is not really a Southern belle. I am originally from Canton, Ohio. Yet, my heart has always been tied to the south. I attribute it to my great grandmother who hailed from Chattanooga, TN. That blood runs thick, y'all.
3. I came to my true home in the South in 1990.
4. In five years, I will have spent half of my life below the Mason-Dixon Line.
5. I knew in 1981 that I'd not spend my life in the North. Don't ask me how, I just knew.
6. I love just about everything about the South.
7. I especially love the beach.
8. The ocean energizes me.
9. My DP (Darling Prince) is not energized by the beach.
10. He loves the mountains.
11. We're thinking California might be a great compromise.
12. I've lived in five states.
13. I love something about all of them.
14. My favorite was Tennessee.
15. I had two children there.
16. My other was born in Texas.
17. She is still a die-hard, native Texan. I'm thinkin' they put something special in that first baby wash at the hospital.
18. I miss the Tex-Mex.
19. Salsa and chips are some of my favorite foods. Yum!
20. I'm a spicy girl.
21. My first car was a 1974 African Red Superbeetle.
22. I wrapped up in a quilt to drive that car in the winter.
23. I drove that car to my first "real" job at . . . McDonald's.
24. I love that sweet tea is a given here in the South.
25. Adding sugar to unsweetened iced tea is a futile practice.
26. I found Jesus at age 14 on a UMYF (United Methodist Youth Fellowship) winter retreat.
27. I asked Him in my heart but changed very little about my life for about four or five years.
28. I re-committed my life to Christ at a Russ Taff concert my freshman year in college.
29. My life has forever been changed for the better.
30. I've been singing in choral groups since second grade.
31. I kept thinking I'd be "discovered" (part of me still wishes I had been).
32. I've been writing in "diaries" or journals since 1978. Blogging is my most recent outlet.
33. My eyes are an interesting shade of green that my DP has likened to summer wheat.
34. I find that so much more romantic than the "hazel" I was stuck with growing up.
35. I have a brother who is five years younger than I am.
36. He still lives in Ohio, seven miles from my parents.
37. He and his wife made me an aunt and will do so again in January.
38. We are not geographically or emotionally close.
39. That makes me sad sometimes.
40. Neither of us is sad enough to make a relationship work.
41. I love pink in just about every shade.
42. Except mauve. The name of that color just makes my nose turn up.
43. Birds are not my friends.
44. I think birds are filthy creatures.
45. I only like birds after they've been dipped in coating and delivered to the drive-thru window as nuggets at Mrs. Winners.
46. I am a tea lady.
47. I collect teapots and assorted tea cups.
48. I can always unwind with a steaming cup of tea.
49. Tea parties house some of my favorite memories.
50. My dearest friend lives in Iowa.
51. We've been friends for almost 29 years.
52. We've not lived in the same state since 1990.
53. We both have three children.
54. We both have two girls and one boy.
55. We are like Anne and Diana.
56. I am Anne and she is Diana.
57. I spent four years coloring my hair different shades of red.
58. I often looked a bit like her.
59. This frightened my potential husband.
60. He didn't like the "Wynonna" red.
61. I toned it down for him.
62. He married me December 18, 1993.
63. We had a Christmas wedding, complete with Christmas carols and poinsettias.
64. I don't even really like poinsettias.
65. They were free decorations at the church.
66. I like free.
67. I am a bargain hunter.
68. I love flea markets and thrift stores.
69. I once bought a nice canvas bag for 10 cents. It lasted us eight years.
70. I recently bought a terrible pair of roller blades for way too much. They lasted 10 minutes.
71. I love to rubber stamp greeting cards and scrapbooks.
72. I don't scrapbook nearly often enough.
73. Maybe when I am a grandma.
74. I always thought I would wear lots of gold jewelry once my man bought me some.
75. Now I wear almost all silver.
76. My favorite pen color is purple.
77. It's my signature color, because I always write my signature with it. : )
78. I love music.
79. I listen to everything from Josh Groban to Journey to Jeremy Camp to Third Day to George Strait and tons more.
80. I listen to Christmas music every month but January.
81. My favorite classic Christmas song is Silent Night.
82. My favorite contemporary Christmas song is a toss up between "Merry Christmas" and "Born in Bethlehem", both by Third Day.
83. I read avidly.
84. I've read more than 30 full-length novels just this spring and summer.
85. I used to live eight blocks from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
86. I only went there AFTER I got married and came back for a visit. My DP insisted.
87. I do like football -- pro football, not so much.
88. I like college football.
89. I am a Vol fan. I know. I know. Girl from Ohio, blood running orange -- just does NOT compute.
90. Rocky Top will always have a piece of my heart after my seven years there.
91. I am a writer/editor by trade.
92. I still dream of writing more than blog entries.
93. I know there is a book in there somewhere waiting to be written.
94. I would like to try my hand at young adult fiction.
95. I am a night owl and don't usually find mornings all that agreeable.
96. I love all kinds of flowers.
97. I consider myself an amateur photographer. I love to photograph flowers. I sure can't grow them.
98. I would love to have a new digital SLR camera.
99. I can't afford to buy that camera any time soon.
100. My DP is adopted.
101. We've talked about adopting since before we had any biological children.
102. We still regularly pray and hope that one day we'll adopt.
103. God has not yet opened that door in our lives.
104. He also hasn't closed that door yet.
105. I still have a desire to travel internationally.
106. Asia is calling my name, but I'd also be willing to follow that calling to Africa.
107. I love shoes.
108. I lost 46 pairs of shoes when I was pregnant the first time.
109. My feet grew half a size with each of my pregnancies.
110. I went from a size 5 1/2 to a 7.
111. I can find lots more shoes in a size 7.
112. I now own about 30 pairs of shoes.
113. That includes a pair of red cowboy boots.
114. I've always wanted to go dancing in red cowboy boots.
115. I have a premonition that I will do that someday in Texas.
116. I love bracelets.
117. I rarely wear necklaces at all.
118. I also love wearing rings.
119. My favorite ring is now a celtic braid that I got for my birthday seven years ago.
120. I wear it more than I wear my wedding ring.
121. I'm a girly girl.
122. I run like a girl.
123. I like fru fru stuff like ribbons and silk.
124. I surround myself with none of that stuff, because I am also quite practical.
125. I am a PBS junkie.
126. I love shows like Colonial House or Frontier House.
127. We haven't had TV now for almost four months.
128. I don't really miss it.
129. Except for Paula Deen. I love that woman ; )
130. I've found lots of other ways to fill up that time I used to spend on TV.
131. I started making cards again.
132. I love it when the creative juices are flowing.
133. Netflix has been a great substitute for TV.
134. We can control what we watch as a family.
135. I love a good hot dog with ketchup, mustard and relish.
136. I also enjoy the slaw dog here.
137. Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite movies.
138. When I get tired, my life is all doom and gloom.
139. My DP has learned to insist I go to bed when I get like that.
140. We are learning we need to do the same thing with Sweetcheeks.
141. She really is my "mini-me" in more ways than just looks.
142. I can’t think quickly on my feet.
143. I was once on a debate team.
144. I was good at it then.
145. I am the most loyal friend you will ever have.
146. Unless you betray me, then I might as well have never known you.
147. I cut people from my Christmas card list every year.
148. I still send out almost 100 Christmas cards.
149. I still always forget someone until it is too late to send a card.
150. I put off getting in touch with people.
151. Then I think it is too late, so I don't call at all.
152. Then I wonder why I am lonely.
153. I am neurotic about getting bargains.
154. I agonized over the square footage available in multi-pack toilet paper.
155. I finally decided Angel Soft is the brand for me, regardless of square footage or price. It rarely clogs our toilet, and that is more important.
156. I am completely and utterly afraid of cock roaches.
157. Though we moved from the coast where they were regular visitors at my house, I still imagine I am going to find one somewhere in my house here.
158. Instead we have crickets.
159. They don't scare me.
160. They just annoy me.
161. I love moving.
162. I just don't like starting over someplace new.
163. It gets harder every time we move.
164. I am starting to feel at home here.
165. My DP has been discussing our next move.
166. My parents just don't get that.
167. They haven't moved anywhere since 1976.
168. My Dad plans to stay where he is until he dies.
169. I've been thinking a lot more about death lately.
170. I wanted to become a famous musician.
172. I once played the clarinet.
173. I wanted to play the flute.
174. The clarinet was free from my cousin.
175. I then played the cymbals in high school.
176. I wasn't very good.
177. I hate to iron.
178. I avoid it at all costs.
179. Downy Wrinkle Release is one of my favorite products.
180. I rarely plan meals ahead of time.
181. I wish I were more organized.
182. Usually I am too tired to pull it together any better than I do.
183. Being a mom has caused me to relax a good bit.
184. I am still too uptight about more than I'd like to admit.
185. I try to unload a little guilt every day.
186. Otherwise I'd never get out of bed each day.
187. I want to go to Scotland someday.
188. These books made that even more of a desire.
189. I love listening to celtic music.
190. I thoroughly enjoyed the Scottish/Irish influence present on Prince Edward Island when I visited there in 1999.
191. I hope to go back there with DP some day.
192. I always wear Daily Conditioning Treatment under my lipstick.
193. I am a certifiable Beth Moore junkie.
194. God has used her Bible studies to change. my. life.
195. Get Out of That Pit is currently changing my life.
196. The older I get, the less I know.
197. The older I get, the more I want to learn.
198. The older I get, the less I fear.
199. I am not afraid to die.
200. I am more afraid to have died, having been truly afraid to have lived.

***That is why I remind myself daily to live each and every moment

Without Fear.

If you have made it to the end of this enormously long list, bless your heart. I'd love to read your list, too, so direct me to it by leaving a comment.

Labels: All about me, blessings, blogging