My Favorite Things #7: Blogging

It's been a little over a year and a half since I started my blog. It didn't take me long to realize what a great way it is to stay connected with friends, and to make new connections with people I may not have had the opportunity to meet. Blogging has been a source of comfort for me. It has been an outlet. It's been entertaining, and it's been uplifting. When life has kept me from being able to post or read others' posts, I've felt like something is missing. I could go on and on about why I love to blog and the positive effects of blogging, but you wouldn't be reading this if you didn't already know. So thanks for taking the time to read my blog, and for putting yourself out there for me and everyone else with your blog. If you're wondering who I'm referring to, check out the blogs on the side of the page. (If your blog is private, I obviously didn't include it in the list, but not because I don't love you.)

So for the love of blogging, I'm going to respond to the tag from Ginger yesterday:

1. Do you like bleu cheese? Not usually, but nothing goes better with hot wings than bleu cheese dressing.
2. Have you ever smoked? I've never smoked a cigarette. I always hated the smell so badly that I couldn't imagine inhaling the stuff.
3. Do you own a gun? No. We're considering it, though.
4. What flavor Kool-Aid was your favorite? Grape, but I was always nervous that it would give me a Kool-Aid mustache, so to this day I'm very careful when I drink it.
5. Do you get nervous about doctor appointments? Only when it's time for one of my kids to get shots. I don't like that one bit.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? About once a year, a hot dog sounds really good. Then it takes me another year to work up a craving again. Of course, that doesn't count polish dogs at Costco. Those almost always sound good, loaded with onions and ketchup and mustard. Oh, and corn dogs are a different thing altogether!
7. Favorite Christmas movie? Because it's my husband's favorite, I've come to love It's a Wonderful Life.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Despite my recent post, in the morning all I want is cold, cold water. Always.
9. Can you do push-ups? I hope I could do a couple, but that's about all I could hope for right now.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring. That's the only serious jewelry I own, anyway.
11. Favorite hobby? Playing the piano. Blogging and sewing are close behind.
12. Do you have ADD? I never have, but I'm going through a stage where I'm having trouble focusing on one thing at a time. It's driving me crazy!
13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? Just one? Procrastination is at the top of the list.
14. Middle initial? M.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? It's really hard to type without using my left index finger. I need to get to bed. I hope Carter sleeps through the night.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Diet Dr. Pepper and water. Those are the most regular.
17. Current worry? My house is a mess.
18. Current hate right now? Headaches.
19. Favorite place to be? In the living room with my husband after the kids are in bed.
20. How did you ring in the new year? With good friends and too much food.
21. Where would you like to go? I am always aching to go to Europe, but I've been thinking a lot about Hawaii lately. I've never been there.
22. Name 3 people to tag? Cassie, Becky K, Becky C
23. Do you own slippers? Yes, but I never wear them. I should!
24. What shirt are you wearing? One that looked cute to me right after I had the baby, but has lost its magic.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Never tried it.
26. Can you whistle? Yes, but I can't do that super loud whistle with 2 fingers in your mouth. I've always wanted to be able to do that!
27. Favorite color? I always say purple, but I like a lot of different colors in different contexts.
28. Would you be a pirate? Never. It would make me way too sad to steal from people.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't think I've sung in the shower since I had kids. I'm always listening for someone to be crying or causing trouble while I hurry as fast as possible.
30. Favorite girl's name? Katelyn Elizabeth, of course.
31. Favorite boy's name? C'mon! Carter, Aidan, and Tanner.
32. What's in your pocket right now? I'm proud to say that my comfy lounge pants have no pockets!
33. Last thing that made you laugh? My little baby looking up at me and smiling and cooing like crazy.
34. What vehicle do you drive? A 2001 Chrysler Town & Country. Minivans rock!
35. Worst injury? Sewing through my fingernail into my bone.
36. Do you love where you live? Yes and no, for many reasons. But I truly believe that there's a reason we live here right now. The people around us are amazing!
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 4
38. Who is your loudest friend? You have to read Ginger's response to this because it's hilarious and it echoes my sentiments. While I don't really have loud friends, my son Carter has the loudest voice you've ever heard - seriously!
39. Do you have any pets? Yes. Two cats and a snake. A big, giant, snake.
40. Does someone have a crush on you? I think my baby does. I catch him watching me, just waiting for me to look at him. Then when I look, he gives me the biggest smile he possible can. Sounds like I'm the one with the crush!
41. Your favorite book? I always have a hard time with favorites. Right now I'd narrow it down to A Handmaid's Tale, 1984, and Crime and Punishment.
42. Do you collect anything? I had a lot of collections as a kid - coins, erasers, small glass animals - but I can't think of any collections that I've held onto or started since then. I'd like to say that I collect shoes, but I don't think I have enough to be taken seriously.
43. Favorite sports team? I really don't watch sports. The closest I come is having golf on while I do things around the house if I happen to be alone. It's peaceful, but entertaining at the same time.
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? I don't ever think about what should or will happen at my funeral. Off the top of my head, I'd say Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto, second movement.