Travels with ABBA

This morning I was getting ready in my hotel room and decided that I must be having a repeat of Monday...

I cut my knee while shaving...not a big deal and if that had been the only thing, but no, it was not. I get dressed, do my makeup, and dry my hair. I'm looking pretty fly for a white guy. I reach for the hairspray just to hold the do in place. I squirt here, I squirt there, I fluff and mold. And, then I stop and look at the bottle.....it would be a bottle of Febreze:

I then grab the bottle of Dove Hairspray, that was sitting right next to the Febreze,

 and attempt to correct the problem, to no avail. My hair was now soggy and limp and a strange greasy sheen to it (although it did smell fresh).

I quickly took off my shirt, grabbed a towel and shampoo and did a quick washing and drying of the hair, again. In the process, a managed to get water in my eye, thereby completely ruining one side of my makeup, which also had to be redone. Needless to say, it was a long day before the day even started.

(And in case you are wondering, I have moved the bottle of Febreze out of the bathroom so that I will not have a repeat of this issue tomorrow.)

New Month New Goals

So, I've blogged consistently every day last month and am pretty proud of myself. I covered a lot of things and realized a lot of things about myself. One such thing is I'm really bad about making, and keeping, goals. The good thing, though is that I do not feel like I need to berate myself for not fulfilling all my goals. For example. Last month I made the goal that I would run a mile, however, after many attempts I have decided that I'm going to give up running. Every time I try to run, for the following day or two my knees and ankles scream at me. I've determined that perhaps I will never run a marathon and that is okay. I still get out there and walk and a nice clip and I will never stop making the effort.

So with that being said, I'm starting this month off with some new goals and am going to try  really, REALLY hard to meet them. The first goal is to set myself some mini-weekly goals. I have taken the idea from my friend East Coast Andrea to document out on Sunday what she plans to accomplish in the upcoming week. Here is an example of what she does:

So, since tomorrow is Sunday, be on the lookout for what I have planned!!

I also came across the following, which I'm going to try write down just for myself each evening:

I'm trying to focus my mind, body, and attitude towards positivity....

August Blog Challenge Day 30

Today's challenge is to write a letter to myself in 20 years. This should be interesting....

Dear Older Andrea -

I hope that you are a Crone...

I hope that you are able to truly embody what it means to be a Crone. I hope that you have embraced this archetypal figure and are truly a Wise Woman. In doing some cursory research I came across the following from Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD: 

Who is the Crone? She is the most dangerous, the most radical, the most revolutionary woman in existence. Whether in fairy tales or in consensual reality, the old one goes where she wants to and she acts as she wishes; she lives as she chooses.... If you weep, the crone will move closer to you. Laugh, and she wants to hear the joke. Dance, and she wants to dance with you and in you...More so, she has help for the hurt heart and for the one poisoned by bitterness, and she can pull the thorn from the breast; she can tattoo your scars with flowering boughs. This is the crone.

I hope that you have found, accepted, and expanded the creative being that is inside you. I hope you have also found the spiritual being in you and have found the path that you have been searching for oh these many years. 

On a less existential level, I hope you are healthy. I hope that you have gotten a handle on your addictions. I hope you are walking and moving regularly. Have you relocated to the high desert yet? I hope that you have and you are wearing flow-y, artsy clothes and sinking into the woman that you have always been. 

You should be knocking on the door to retirement. I am taking the steps now so that you will be comfortable then, so I hope it is in place and enough. 

Most of all I hope you are happy. Blissfully, smile on your face all the time happy. Whether you are alone, with your soul mate, or part of an accepting and loving community. I hope that you are happy!! 

Oh, and I hope you have lots of dogs. 

Love, Me. 

August Blog Challenge Day 29

Today's challenge is to write a letter to my 18 year old self.

Dear 18-year old Andrea -

You are about to embark on a really wacky life. I'm going to give you some advice that your now much older self would like for you to know and follow just to make MY life a little easier. Okay, so technically this is actually going to be an enumerated list that you need to keep with you and check off when completed.

1. Find some vegetables that you like and eat some daily. Some that you would actually like are broccoli, if cooked correctly, carrots with hummus, celery with ranch, raw spinach in a salad with some tomatoes. Try these things they REALLY are tasty. 
2. Start an exercise routine. It doesn't have to be anything too strenuous but just walk with purpose for 45 minutes to an hour every day. It'll become a habit for you and we won't struggle to workout in our later years. 
3. When you get the feeling of worthlessness or over bearing sadness, find a counselor or friend to talk to (or call Mom). Don't go try and drown that feeling in cheesy bread and ice cream. That doesn't help. 
4. Do NOT get the second and third piercings in your ear. They aren't worth the pain and in about two years after you get them you won't ever wear an earring in them. 
5. Don't bother making that appointment with Dr. Starr. You aren't going to go into Journalism. You don't like interviewing people and you will not enjoy it. Look into the Anthropology department, you would find that interesting. 
6. Join and PARTICIPATE in more activities. Expand your social surroundings beyond the girls in the dorm, while they are a lot of fun in the moment your Freshman years ones all sort of fell away. 
7. Stay home on November 5, 1988. Just take my word for it, you do not need to go out to the club on that night. Period. 
8. Laugh more. Laugh often. Do not take life too seriously. 
9. Get a job while on campus. Invest the money you make into a savings account and don't go blowing it on a whim. We'll be much more comfortable if you start saving now. 
10. Tell your parents thank you more. They are giving you a lot by paying for your education, so show them some appreciation. 
11. Spend more time with you sister and get to know her better. Don't be such a bitch to her. You two grow up and will have to rely on one another some day, why not make that today? 

Okay, younger Andrea, that is probably enough advice. Know this, as an adult life does get better. There are challenges every day but face them head on and don't cower from them. Write your own life story and embrace it. You are special and wonderful and beautiful and goofy and the important people are going to love you for who you are so you really do not need to put on a mask to hide that. If people aren't willing to love you as you, then they aren't worth having in your life. 

August Blog Challenge Day 27

Today's challenge is to post a picture of myself as I was last year and how I am now and then document how I have changed since then. Well, I'm not going to do that....My Blog My Rules!...besides, I think there has been more than enough pictures of me posted in the recent past.

I will, however, document how I have changed since last year. 

I will start off with sort of recapping my year. This time last year I was the Team Lead for my current team. I was traveling to Washington DC every other week and failing miserably in both my work and personal life. I took the leadership position thinking that it would be a smooth hand off and that I would actually be productive in the position. However, due to circumstances that I really do not want to hash out here, nor do I really think I want to ever revisit them, I was actually a pretty ineffective leader. And, because of the travel that was required, I was coming home worn out and unhappy. The weeks that I was home were unproductive on a personal level because I was so very stressed about the work situation. Luckily, come November/December time frame decisions were made that led to my demotion (see Celebration!!). It took a while for all the moving parts to click into place and for the stress to be removed from my plate, but eventually it was. 

My Dad got sick, though he is now on the mend, but that struck home with me that my family is so very important to me and I need to work harder to spend time with them. I mean, I moved back from California so I would be closer, and yet I still don't see them as much as I should. 

I then had the opportunity to do some wonderful traveling through Europe last spring, which was so amazing and I will not go into detail here as it has already been widely documented. 

In the recent months, I have made an effort to 'find myself' and in doing this I have found a church that I like going to (which is really exciting to me because it has been decades since I have found any meaning in organized religion). I have started exercising again, even though I will probably never reach some of my earlier goals, I am at least trying to get healthy. 

In recent weeks, okay this past week, I have found myself back up in my studio doing some quilting and quilt designing, which I haven't had the energy or drive or spark to do in so long that I truly can't remember when. I'm excited about creating again, and that feels good. 

I'm starting to think about what I want out of life and trying to find that balance between being a good worker bee and being the artist that I know is somewhere inside me. 

So, back to the original question...what has changed in the last year? 

A lot and not enough. I am coming to grips with who I am and who I can be. While I am still pretty self-deprecating, I'm learning to love myself again. I cry...a lot...and mostly at good things. I admit that I'm sad and alone sometimes but I don't let it get me down, much. I'm happy, though, that I am alone because I do not have to consider somebody else when making plans, or not making plans. Don't get me wrong, I would still love to have somebody in my life and I'm still looking, but if it doesn't happen, I think I'll be okay with that.....it'll just mean that my niece and nephew get to take care of me in my old age. 

So, to wrap it all up with a pretty bow..... I'm continually trying to change and improve myself. It is a never-ending process of self-discovery and awakening and acceptance. Oh! And I'm no longer as stressed as I was and in general, I'm pretty happy. 

A Little Insight

Kim recently posted about an interesting site where you can go out and find out statistics on who shares your name. So, I had to go out and test this for myself. It is called HowManyofMe.Com. This is what I found out:

380,222 people in the US have the first name Andrea
It is statistically the 156th most popular name
9,941 people in the US have the last name Dodds
It is statistically the 3817th most popular last name
There are 12 people in the US named Andrea Dodds. Two of those people are in the same family. I am Andrea Dodds #1 and my cousin's wife is Andrea Dodds #2.

I also was in an introductory class for new members at my church where they told us about the site WWW.Beliefnet.com recently where you can find a quiz called the Belief-O-Matic. You answer a few multiple choice questions and the site will come back with where your belief system lies. It turns out that I am 100% Unitarian Universalist. This is a good thing since I've started going to and will probably join the church.

August Blog Challenge Day 19

Today's challenge asks what my nicknames are, where I got them, what they mean, etc.

The only nickname I have, really, is ABBA

and I believe we have had enough explanation as to where this came from in the recent months.

I always wanted a nickname, though. I tried to get people to call me Andie for a while, but it never stuck.

I almost forgot that my brother in law does call me AL sometimes. This would be due to the fact that my initials are "A" and "L". It is also because at the time he was first introduced to our happy little family the Paul Simon's song "You Can Call Me Al" was a big hit.

August Blog Challenge Day 14

Today I am to write a letter to somebody who has recently hurt me. I know this is supposed to be a purging and growing exercise, but deciding on who to write that letter to is a challenge (hmm, perhaps that is why this is called a blog challenge). I first thought I would write this letter to somebody who I thought had hurt me, but upon further review, I wasn't hurt by her but rather by my own petty jealousy and the fact that I made the decisions that I have made not her. I then thought, well, maybe I would write a letter to a coworker, but again, they did not hurt me, not really...angered me for a period of time, but again, I choose to remain in my position. So, I cannot write a letter to somebody who has hurt me as there has not been anybody who has intentionally hurt me...at least not in a very, very long time.

I guess I would need to write a letter to myself, as the hurt that I have in me is self inflicted. And, sorry, but I do not want to put all that out here at this time. I know, another cop out on this challenge...

August Blog Challenge Day 13

Today's challenge is to tell my blog story.....

I started blogging on June 17, 2007 and I can't believe it has been that long ago. I started blogging at the urging of Sara (SAngRiA Smiles) as a way to sort of "introduce" myself to more people and it has been good because the blogging has allowed me to stretch my atrophied writing muscles.

My blog name, ABBA (Aries, Blonde, Blogging, Aggie) also came from Sara, once I started actually blogging as she and I are both Aries, Blonde, Aggies who have blogs. The bonus is that I like the band ABBA and definitely car dance when their music comes on. The URL to my blog is ABBAQuiltingQueen, because I love to quilt and only wish that I did more of it. I liked the play on ABBA's song, Dancing Queen and the fact that I'm a quilter. I used to own the URL www.quiltingdiva.com (it now resolves to http://www.karenboutte.com/, who I have actually met), but either the boyfriend who purchased it for me sold it or my ownership rights expired and it was picked up by its current owner. That, however, is beside the point as I'm glad that I did not develop a quilting diva persona as I don't really consider myself to be a diva, not that I'm a queen but at least a queen typically has the good of her people in mind where as a diva is all about herself.

However, I digress from my blog story. The blog has morphed a couple of times in backgrounds, which I'm good with and it will morph again. My blog writing covers a wide range of topics and genres from being a travel log, to place to let my family and friends know what is going on with me, to just day to day thoughts and book reviews. I've never really tried to develop it into a specifically focused theme, although that may change.

I am, at least in my mind, developing a business plan for my quilt making and building that up into something more than a hobby and if that is the case, then who knows where my blog may go next....

August Blog Challenge Day 5

Today's Challenge: A Picture of You and Your Friends

Well, this was very difficult as 1. I dislike pretty much any picture that I am in. 2. Which friends do I choose and more to the point which friends do I have a picture with? 3. Is there a time frame? With that being said, here is a montage of pictures through the years and in no particular order....

My friend Anna Marie and me in Nuevo Laredo. The tall skinny guy is actually a friend of her little brother who was with us. We took a day trip there from San Antonio in 1990ish....

Long, long ago on the campus of Texas A&M there was a tradition called Elephant Walk whereby the Seniors would all tramp through campus and the Juniors would "kill" them by throwing shaving cream and mud, etc. The walk started at the site of Bonfire and went all over campus, through fountains and mud fields and where ever and would end up in Kyle Stadium for a Senior only Yell Practice. This always occurred the week of Bonfire, which was the week of the Texas A&M vs. t.u. game. It was our way of having one more moment with our friends before going off to face the real world.

A couple of years back, some of the HCBC ladies all gathered in Southern California and visited The Queen Mary. It was the first time that some of us had ever met in person. Can you believe how time has passed?

While out in California, it was a semi-regular occurrence to head up to Sonoma for a day trip. On this occasion I went with my friends Jennifer and Vanessa.

For my birthday this past Spring, I went to Scarborough Faire with my friend Angelia. She is a magical wing-maker and always dresses the part of a fairy. This trip, she loaned me a pair of wings and I had the privilege of participating. 

Another Texas A&M tradition is the christening of the Senior Rings. This would be me with my roommate Kim (on the right), a friend of hers, and some random guy. I can't believe how skinny I was back then and yet thought that I was overweight....

So, I'm not actually in this picture, but it is one of my favorite pics of Samantha and Sara.

Lastly, a picture of Sara and Gauri before we took the big skydiving plunge.

First, I really need to get more pictures of me with friends. Second, I have a whole lot of really great friends that are spread all over the place and each teach me and challenge me in new and different ways. 

August Blog Challenge Day 4

Today's discussion point is: "A Habit That You Wish You Didn't Have"...

Oh there are so many, where should I start? I think I might actually have to list them out here with an action plan....

1. Watching too much television. I am in the habit of turning the television on the moment I get home or get up. It should just be background noise for me, but it isn't. Sadly, even though I tell myself I'm not going to do it, as soon as the television is turned on, but couch develops an ass magnet and I am trapped. I have tried to come up with a couple of different ways to overcome this bad habit. On the days that I work from home, rather than turn on the TV and become distracted, I am listening to my Audible books. They provide the same sort of background noise (plot, character development, etc.) that the television does, which activates a certain part of my brain that just listening to music doesn't quite fill, but I'm not distracted by the shiny, moving pictures. Another way I am considering conquering this habit is by getting rid of the television altogether....well, okay, maybe not get rid of the television just the cable and instead get the replacement to the rabbit ears so that I only have the local channels and only in real time....this will cut out a lot of the time that is spent watching recorded shows....But, I doubt if I'll actually go through with that one. 
2. Eating ice cream...I have developed a terrible habit of eating ice cream all the time, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I get a craving for ice cream and instead of refocusing myself on something else that is better for me (like an apple) I will get in the car, drive to Walmart and buy some ice cream. I will then sit and eat the ice cream until I am sick. So, how am I going to conquer this, well it is two-fold and is also part of the first step of a long term goal that I am working on (having a viable budget and savings program)...I have challenged myself to NOT go to the grocery store without a list and to NOT buy anything that is not on the list. I sit down and figure out what meals I will have in the upcoming week and what I need to prepare them and make a list based on that plan. I have also challenged myself that in the month of August I am not going to buy anything for myself, other than the obvious necessities like food and gas. So, this actually leads me to the next bad habit: 
3. Spending money all willy-nilly. I am very bad about just going to Target and buying a shirt or a sweater or going out to Amazon and buying a book or something that I just DO NOT NEED. At this moment in time, there is nothing, aside from food, that I need. I have plenty of clothes, shoes, books, makeup, fabric, etc. etc. etc. and do not need to randomly buy stuff. I am challenging myself to NOT do this. Now, I say that, but there is one thing that I intend to purchase in the month of August and that will be paint and paint supplies for painting my house; I know it is not a necessity, but in order to achieve my goals it is something that I will need to do. 

Okay, those are 3 of the bad habits that I have and how in the next month I'm going to try and exorcise them from my being. Once I get those conquered, there are plenty more to take their place....

August Blog Challenge Day 1

Well, we are starting the August Blog Challenge. Today I am to provide a recent picture of myself and 15 interesting facts. So, here is a recent picture:

1. I recently learned about snow cones and have that I really like them. 
2. I enjoy cooking, but don't really appreciate my own food. I would much rather cook for others. 
3. I am addicted to listening to Audible books on my Kindle...they get me through my day. 
4. For that matter, I'm addicted to my Kindle and find it very handy to take with me for reading where ever I have time. 
5. I am taking up ceramics this fall. I have grand dreams or turning my back porch into a pottery studio...but I have to wait for that first class and learn slowly. Who knows, maybe I'll have a whole new art format to go crazy about. 
6. I am picking out paint colors for my house. I figure I've been in the house going on 3 years now and still haven't really put "my" stamp on it. 
7. I have signed up for not 1 but 2 Half Marathons this fall. I don't know what I was thinking and I haven't even started training...we'll see how that turns out. 
8. I love how my dog smells, not all the time but when he first wakes up in the morning. I think he smells like frito corn chips....I know, weird, huh?
9. I often wonder how my life would be different if the University of Texas had won a certain football game in November of 1985. 
10. I can't decide what kind of new car I want to purchase....or do I want to just duct tape and chicken wire together my current car and keep it going for a while longer. 
11. I despise house keeping, but really like to have a clean house....need to get maid service included in budget. 
12. I've recently started attending a Universal Unitarian church and am greatly enjoying learning more about it. 
13. I want to travel more and see more of this world. My next big trip is going to be to Hawaii but I also want to take some road trips across this great country. 
14. Once in a great while I purchase lottery tickets. I've never won and half the time I forget about them and only check a couple of weeks later....in fact, I think I have a couple that I need to take a look at. 
15. I feel very strongly that the US corporate world needs to adopt a siesta program where every worker is required to take a nap in the afternoon. Think how much more productive we could be....

Okay, so, a very random set of 15 questions and very difficult to come up with, but they are done. Enjoy....

Six Degrees of....

There has been a recent conversation string going on within my little 4-pack of cubicles and the folks that I work with regarding....Top Gun. It started innocently enough:

ABBA: Hey, y'all. I just saw an article that women are no longer going to be required to wear bikinis as the Sand Volleyball uniform in the Olympics.
CoWorker #1: They never required men to wear speedos, did they?
CW #2: Have you all seen that one guy volleyball player who is really tall and blocks everything...
ABBA: I don't know much about sand volleyball, except for the scene in Top Gun.
CW#2: Oh Yeah!!
ABBA: {sarcastically} So realistic when Tom Cruise flexed his muscles to check his watch. And come on that has got to be gross putting on his t-shirt and boots with no socks all sweaty and sandy from the beach. If I were what's her name and he showed up at my house like that I'd be all "get out".
CW #2: Meg Ryan?
ABBA: No, Meg Ryan was married to Dr. Green.
CW#2: Oh right, "Hey Goose, take me to bed or lose me forever..." Great movie line.
ABBA: Yeah. No. Kelly McGillis was Tom's lady friend.
CW#1: I can't picture her. {Google's her picture} WOW, she looks different.
ABBA: Yeah. A little rough looking these days.

Next Day.....
CW#2: Did you all hear that Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins broke up?
ABBA: No!! Really?!? You know, he was Tom Cruise's 3rd RIO in Top Gun.
CW#1: Really?!?
ABBA: Yep. Dr. Green was his first, Goose. Then the guy from Walker, Texas Ranger was his second after Goose died. Then Tim Robbins when they were out on the ship and saved Iceman's ass.
CW#2: You really know that movie, don't you?
ABBA: Yeah. It came out my freshman year in college and at A&M it was a big deal.

Later that same day....
ABBA: Isn't David Duke the KKK leader?
CW#1: Huh? Speaking of the Klan, I watched Steel Magnolias the other day. It was really good.
CW#3: You just lost your man card.
ABBA: Steel Magnolias and the Klan?!?
CW#1: No, wait. Fried Green Tomatos.... That has the Klan and is a really good movie.
CW#3: Who all was in Steel Magnolias?
CW#2: Shirley McClain, Julia Roberts, who was that other funny old lady....
ABBA: Olympia Dukakis?
CW#2: Yeah!!
CW#3: Wasn't Tom Skirrit in that too?
ABBA: Yes. AND he was in Top Gun...

Peeling Back the Covers

Okay, so others are doing this, I might as well also....

1. What song always makes you happy when you hear it? Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry (Oh yeah, I go old school)


2. What, if anything, would you change about your blog? The email that I used to set it up and probably more links.


3. If you could only keep one thing in your wardrobe, what would it be? Brown Suede jacket. I don't wear it much, but I love it. Everything else in my wardrobe is slowly getting changed out as I'm losing weight and nothing fits. (When we say wardrobe, we are not including shoes, right? Because I don't think I could limit myself to one pair...)


4. Warm sunny beaches or snow covered mountains? Snow covered mountains. I love the clean and the solitude and the fires and hot chocolate. Of course, everything comes with a caveat and if I'm choosing where I want to go to relax, this would be the choice and only if it is in a cabin fit for a home decorating magazine with all the bells and whistles. If, on the other hand, it is where I would want to be stranded, I think I might have to choose warm, sunny beaches only because I think I could actually survive there better than on a mountain; that and my whole Donner Party fear that I would be the first person in the party to be knocked off for dinner...


5. What's your favorite book? Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. This book is highly sacreligous, but it makes me laugh whenever I read it.


6. What 3 words best describe your personality? Dependable. Humourous. Supportive.


7. What's the first thing you'd splurge on if you won the lottery? A dome home with some land where I have lots of room for a studio.


8. Do you have an embarrassing song that you rock out to on your I-pod? Convoy by C.W. McCall


9. Do you have a hidden talent? Everyone knows that I quilt, not sure that is a talent. I've started doing some cooking, and think I'm pretty good. A "hidden" talent, not really sure I have one of those.


10. If you could take a one month trip anywhere and money was not a consideration, where would you go? I'd like to do a road trip through the country. Go and see all the really interesting places throughout the United States, much in the same way my folks have done.


11. What's your favorite sport and why? I'm not a big sports fan. I pretty much tolerate it and if I'm with people I'll watch whatever is on, but I don't seek out sports.

Should I Really Be ABBA?

As you probably know my moniker, ABBA, was given to me by Sara when I first started blogging. It stands for Aries, Blond, Blogging, Aggie. Now there are a couple of things that might exclude me from continuing with this name; first, because I'm not really a blond anymore as I've discovered that my natural color is quite a few shades darker and second, because I've been a really bad blogger of late.

However, I'm not really focusing this post on either of those two concerns. I'm actually questioning whether I should be an Aries. In looking into what it means to be an Aries, there is a lot about that sign that just doesn't fit with who I am. Here is a little snippet of what makes up an Aries:

• Adventurous, Ambitious, Impulsive, Enthusiastic (Yeah, not so sure about this.)



• A Pioneer both in thought and action (Hmm, on the fence on this one.)



• Open to new ideas and a lover of freedom (I would agree)



• Welcome challenges and will not be diverted from their purpose except by their own impatience (Umm, sometimes...)



• Courageous leaders with a genuine concern for those they command (I would not say 'courageous leader' but I do have concern for those I command.)



• Being responsible people, it is rare they will use their subordinates to obtain their own objectives (I would agree.)



• Do not make good followers because they are too "take charge" (I wouldn't say I'm not a follower because I'm not thrilled with being a leader, but I do have a 'take charge' attitude.)



• Unwilling to obey or submit to directions for which they can see no reason (Yeah, I totally agree with this one; been this way ever since I was a wee babe.)



• Aggressive and restless, argumentative occasionally, headstrong, quick tempered, easily offended and capable of holding grudges (Hmmm, not so much.)



• Intellectual and objective, but can be bigoted and extremist in religion and politics (Yes and no...Ooo, maybe I'm bigoted about making a decision.)



• Champions of lost causes (Yeah, I think so...at lease I know I've backed some.)



• Quick-witted (I give this one a big heck yeah!)



• Sometimes foolhardy and overly optimistic (Yeah, probably.)



• Prone to headaches, depression, indigestion, and nervous disorders (Sadly, yes.)



• Likes spontaneity (Ummm, no.)

Now, I've noted for each of these whether I actually agree with these. Since my birthday is only 5 days from the cusp of being a Taurus, I decided to check that out and see if I really should have been a Taurus and I just arrived early (which I've always been prone to do):

• Patient and reliable (I'd like to think so.)



• Warmhearted and loving (I'd like to think so.)



• Stable, balanced, conservative good, law-abiding citizens and lovers of peace (I'd like to think so.)



• Respect for property and a horror of falling into debt, they will do everything in their power to maintain security (Hell's Yeah!)



• Keen-witted and practical (I'd like to think so.)



• Apt to become fixed in their opinions (Maybe sometimes, or not, I don't know...)



• Obstinately and exasperatingly self-righteous, unoriginal, rigid, ultraconservative, argumentative (Not always, No, No, No, No)



• Need someone to stroke their egos with a frequent "Well Done" (But really, don't we all?)



• Faithful and generous friends with a great capacity for affection (I'd like to think so.)



• Gentle, even tempered, good natured, modest, and slow to anger, disliking quarreling and avoiding ill-feeling (Yes, yes, yes...I will avoid fighting any way that I can!)



• However, can explode into violent outbursts (Well, it has been a long time, but when I was a kid I could tell stories about tearing up my room when I would get mad.)



• They have aesthetic taste, enjoying art, for which they may have a talent, beauty and music. (I'd like to think so.)



• They have a strong, sometimes unconventional, religious faith (I would have to agree, especially the unconventional aspect.)



• Industrious and good craftspeople (I'd like to think so.)



• At their best in routine positions of trust and responsibility, where there is little need of urgency and even less risk of change (While, I do like my routine and really like being in a position of responsibility where people can trust me, I also get bored easily...)

Okay, well maybe I am more of an Aries with a whole lot of strong influence from my Taurus side....Can I make up my own sign and call myself an Arus...although that could be mis-typed so easily....

Did I Just Hear Angels Sing....

Okay, yeah, that title might be a little sacrilegious but that's me.

The Queen sent me the link to this required reading.

I can't believe they didn't call me to be part of the ceremony!!

The Way My Mind Works

I've been having a conversation with a friend of mine and I've come to the realization that not everybody has an internal dialogue like I have.

We were discussing how she could come up with ideas for her blog in relation to her business that she is starting on Etsy (On Gossamer Wings). She makes fairy wings for costumes, and they are really quite amazing. I was recommending that she come up with a background story and personality profile for each of the "faeries" that would wear the particular set of wings. See, I do that when I'm making a quilt. I have the conversation in my head of how I would give the quilt to a person and their reaction and then how it becomes an heirloom and is passed down through the family, etc. etc. So, when I asked her what she thinks about when she is creating her artwork, she told me she thinks about the next design. She sees things in shapes and colors and I see things in words.

It never dawned on me that not everybody thinks in words, and I realize that is very small-minded of me because now that I think about that, how do people who can't read think of things....

Well, that led us to talk about other things that we do while we are in our creative mode and we both admit that we will put movies on that we are very familiar with so that we can follow along with the dialogue without actually watching the moving pictures. And I commented that that worked fine for me until I tried to listen to "Castaway" and it was very tough to not stop and watch the movie because there isn't a whole lot of dialogue.

And that brought us back to the fact that I will have full conversations and arguments in my head with friends and family and they will never even know that I was mad at them because I worked it all out. And I have come to the conclusion that this is why when I broke up with my last boyfriend it came as such a shock to him because I had already argued out all the points and explained to him why I wasn't happy...I just did it in my own head and not actually with him.

Ah well, I guess someday I'll have to stop living so much in my head...even though for the most part it is my happy place.