Sunday, June 03, 2007

Late on the bandwagon

Finally, some time to sit and think, and do the 7 things about me post for which I was tagged by both Miss Scarlett and Riggwelter... I found this fairly difficult, because first, I had to actually sit still for a sec to think of 7 things, and second, had to think about things about me, which I find really tough...

so -
1. I have very ugly feet (so naturally I am posting a photo of them for all the world to see), but what is notable about them is the two webbed toes on each foot:P1000575
No, they do not improve my swimming, nor do they have any effect on me other than precluding toe rings, which I don't like that much anyhow.

2. I am a hard-core, lifelong animation, especially Looney Tunes fan, and sometimes at night, when I can't sleep, I come down and watch old cartoons (pre- and during WWII are the best for animation quality) all by myself...

3. I am much more upset when animals are hurt in movies than when people are.

4. Despite the fact that most of my house is in a state of perpetual uproar, I am actually an organized person, and once something has a designated spot, I will almost always put it back where it goes. Seems that finding the spot is the hard part, sometimes.

5. I am petrified of lightning and snakes, and not much else. I think I was okay with snakes until someone brought one for show and tell in Grade 1, maybe?, and it slithered up my arm and through my sleeve, coming out at my neck. Now I can't even watch them on TV.

6. Okay, I lied. I am also deathly afraid of being trapped in a car underwater. No idea where that comes from, but I am unable to watch movies like "The Abyss" - I tried to watch it and had to stop because I held my breath through the whole thing. I know what to do should my car plummet off the side of a bridge into deep, dark water, but I am terrified nonetheless.

7. French was my first language, and by the time I was three, I'm told I was fluently bilingual. Then we moved to Ontario and, according to my mother, I refused to speak to her unless she spoke to me in English. So she did, and I lost my French for the most part. I can understand reasonably well, but am unable to retrieve the words to converse.

What I really want to know is why my mother would have caved to me as a three year old. Was I that tyrannical? Or so strong in personality and will? Was she overwhelmed with her new baby, my brother Pat? There is no way I would have given over that much to my three year old, especially if I knew what benefit it would have been to her down the road. Just sayin', Mom, that's all...

Other items of note this week:

Ben is playing softball, two 2-hour games EVERY WEEK, Wednesday and Friday nights - he's having fun but it is putting a real crimp in our traditional Friday night pizza/movie thing - of course, he's very cute in his team shirt and capP1000535
What I like about this picture is that he was way across the field, and still managed to see me with the camera and smile perfectly - so camera conscious...
P1000539

And for the third year running, we have a mourning dove nesting in the vines surrounding the front door:P1000572P1000573
I can't imagine why they would pick this spot, because the front door is always opening and closing, often with a bang, but we are watching eagerly for babies...

and yes, the euonymous vines are mostly dead, thank you for noticing - I am thinking of planting clematis plants on either side of the door, and having them wind through the vines...

so now you probably know more about me than you wanted to, and I have decided I probably need a pedicure. But I will probably buy plants instead...

5 comments:

Miss Scarlett said...

It is a lot harder to do these memes than it looks isn't it?
Your list is great though.

I like how you fended off the questions about your toes before they were asked - heard them all before eh?

I love the old, old, old Bugs Bunny too. They are totally my favourite - is that when they are on tv? I'll remember that.

I hear you about the animals - I have noticed the same thing about myeslf particularly in war shows- when the horses fall over I am so upset -- about a million guys are dead and I am sure that the disclaimer that no animals were hurt in the filming cannot be true!

I love lightning! We are expecting thundershowers tonight and if they don't start soon I might expire - we are having hot, hot, hot muggy east coast style weather and it is KILLING me.

I love the Abyss - and in fact the 1st time I saw it I turned it off when they put his little rat in the pink water - I didn't want to see him drown. Tie in to #3.
AVON used to sell these weapons for cutting your seatbelt and then tapping out the glass in your car for when you go off the road into a body of water.
No word of a lie. I bought one for my ex-boyfriend (not ex at the time). If I still had one I would send it to you.

Too many parents cave to children over language like that - it is a shame. To lose something like that. Do your parents still speak French?

Baseball - you are a glutton for punishment! At least the practice is not early in the morning. And it is good excercise...He's onto you with the blog.

Love the dove's nest. That is great. Clematis will work nicely to cover the dead vines - it will take a year or so but it will do nicely. I learned last year that they like their roots and trunk to be in the shade and leaves in the sun. So if they are in full sun you can overplant another shrubby type perennial over their base and they will thrive.

Sereknitty said...

I had exactly the same experience with regard to the French language. I was born in Northern Ontario in an area where French was as common as English. I went to a convent school where I was taught in English and French. It was like the current version of French Immersion.
We moved to Kitchener/Waterloo when I was 6. A very German city and one that seemed to offer little in support for a youngster trying to fit in with French as her first language. I immediately set about speaking only English and with essentially the same result as you. I can read and understand spoken French pretty well. I cannot speak it...too self conscious I guess.
Reading your post was like deja vu.

Anonymous said...

At least you can say, at one time in your life, you were bilingual. For me, bilingual is knowing WI slang, as you know, is difficult to understand when one isn't from the Big Woods. Don't cha know...

We have three nests in our yard. The baby robins are ready to fall out of my hanging basket and I am eagerly waiting for them to fly the nest so I can get my plants in them. The front steps, I have a hanging basket with little finches. Then, by the garden, more little finches or some other tiny little bird. The kids are constantly being told to stay away from nest this nest, that nest, that nest over der... We can't relax.

But, the joy of seeing the baby birds every morning and evening is fun.

Ang said...

how wonderful to have a dove nesting in your vines, I can imagine she makes a bit of a mess tho'. Thank you for playing the tagging game and well done you for posting your feet, I don't think I'd have the guts to do that!

zippiknits...sometimes said...

Loved you MEME, and I think all feet are cute. There's just something about them that I seem to like a lot. So, enjoy looking at those feet!

About animals, I had to watch the horse fall in "Man From Snowy River" umpteen times before I believed my Aussie friend that, indeed, the horse was not harmed. I've never, ever, been able to watch "Dances with Wolves" all the way through because of the killing of the mules, even though it was off screen, so my DH tells me.

Well, going for the book here.. Doves are not ever bothered by anything short of a hawk when it comes to nesting. They are brave birds. Every year we have a pair in the patio cover, nesting.