An Award With A Catch

I have one of the loveliest blog friends ever. Her name is Lisa and she writes over at The Meaning of Me, and if you don't follow her, you really should. She and I "met" at Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop blog hop a couple of years ago, and she is, I believe, the ONLY blogger I have been able to convince to join us at the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop. At least I got a good one!

Lisa has nominated me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, and I can't accept this accolade without first answering some questions that Lisa has posed. There's always a catch, isn't there? 

1. What is one of your favorite habits you have?

My bad habits far outweigh my good ones, but I think my favorite good habit would be that I pray every morning before I get out of bed. I pray for family, for friends, and for my preschool students. I also take my shoes off in my closet and don't leave them all over the house. That's a pretty good habit. 

2. Would you prefer to travel by plane, train or automobile? Why?

No brainer. Automobile. I don't like to fly (although I find it exciting to be in an airport), and I've never been on a train. Besides, both of those modes of travel are so limiting. Take our family vacation to Galveston this past summer. If we hadn't driven there, we would never have been able to see the World's Largest Peanut. Or the Texas State Prison Museum. Or stop for Texas barbecue at a filling station. Or swing by the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. 

3. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Before they speak? Their teeth. After they speak? Their grammar. Yes, I'm a Judgy McJudge on that one.

4. If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?

As a general rule, I HAAATE parties. I feel awkward going to one, unless I know everyone there, and then I only feel LESS awkward. And I hate giving them, because I'm afraid no one will show up. But if I HAD to throw a party, I'd invite a big group of friends over to play Bunco. Ever play? It's stupidly fun, ridiculously easy to play, and forces you to mix with people, as you have to change tables and partners every round. Everyone would bring an appetizer or dessert to share, those who wish to imbibe could, and we would have an evening filled with laughter and good food. 

5. What was the first thing you bought with your own money?

I don't remember the first thing I bought, but the first MAJOR purchase I ever made was when I was a freshman in college, and I bought a rabbit coat (don't hate me, you PETA people). It cost around $50 (it was the late 70s) was amazingly warm and I loved it.

6. What was your favorite activity in gym class?

Leaving gym class when it was finally over. I was NOT athletic, and this was the time of the Presidential Fitness Test, the brainchild of President Kennedy. The only time I ever liked P.E. was on Fridays, when all of the classes in a particular grade met in the gym together. The first part of the class was devoted to doing calisthenics to a record (and I can still hear the voice of the announcer), and then, for the rest of the class, we square danced. Yes, you heard me correctly: WE SQUARE DANCED. It was definitely more fun than doing sit ups, the shuttle run, climbing the rope, doing the flexed arm hang, or suffering through any of the other components to the Presidential Fitness Test.

Some call it a gym, some call it a torture chamber.
Whatever you call it, there was one in this building,
where I went to elementary school.

7. If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you say?

If it were something I knew anything about, I'd give it my best shot.

8. What's your favorite part about today so far?

I gave my daughter a bag of candy hearts yesterday, and she left the opened bag on the dining room table. This afternoon, Ruby jumped up on the table (she is getting worse and worse about following household cat rules and doesn't even pretend that she feels guilty about any of it) and pulled a candy heart out with her foot, knocked it onto the hardwood floor, and used it as a hockey puck until she lost it, at which time she jumped back up on the table, hooked another candy heart with her paw, and repeated the activity. Again. And again. And again. I KNOW I should have stopped her, but it was so stinkin' cute that I let it go. And took a picture and sent it to my daughter at school. Who didn't find it funny at all.

Caught red handed footed
and doesn't care.

9. If you were a type of animal, what would you be and why?

Another no brainer. A pampered house cat. Because I am sitting here, typing this post, with a very large, well-fed cat lying next to me, snoring.

This is the life.

10. What story does your family always tell about you?

There are two that come to mind, both future blog posts. In both of them, my parents tried (and failed) to off me. No lie. 

Sneak preview of one of the
places where my parents
tried to get rid of me....

Thank you, Lisa, for thinking of me! As for the rest of you, pick a question (or two) and answer it in the comments.