100 Things

This one's a work in progress. I want to add more links to photos as I find them. I hope this counts for the meme I was tagged for.

1) I was born in 1968.
2) I’m a monkey.
3) And, an Aries.
4) My name means: red, god-like king, or ewe, depending on who you ask.
5) Red is one of my favorite colors.
6) Not surprising for a red, god-like king, who is ruled by Mars.
7) My Spice Girl name is Grumpy Spice.
8) I've also been called Grumpelstilzkin.
9) I’m an at-home mother of two active boys.
10) H was born 2002, C was born 2006.
11) Their birth weights, added together, total 21 lbs 7 oz.
12) I figure that counts for at least three or four regular-sized babies.
13) I did not have gestational diabetes.
14) I just had huge babies with huge heads and shoulders,
15) The old fashioned-way, hence the vaginormous post.
16) I’m a wife to a sexy beast.
17) He’s a great friend and father; likes old people and small furry animals.
18) He works six days a week.
19) We don’t go on vacations.
20) I was a graphic designer in a former life.
21) I always felt like I was selling my soul,
22) Unless it was for a non-profit.
23) Then, I just felt like I wasn’t making any money.
24) I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
25) But, I do want to use my skills for good instead of evil.
26) I like to grow large quantities of vegetables.
27) One year I grew 256 tomato plants, because that’s how many grew from the seeds I planted.
28) Another year I canned over a gross of pints and quarts.
29) I used to want to be a farmer.
30) Then, one day, all my friends were farmers.
31) Now, I just want to support farmers, specifically my local, sustainable ones.
32) Before I had kids I was very Slow Food-ish.
33) I made elaborate Indian meals.
34) I made intricate Thai dishes.
35) I made expensive Italian dinners, with broth cooked for 24 hours.
36) I’ve grown my own jalapeños and turned them into chipotles.
37) I made tutti frutti that tasted like cough syrup.
38) I just recently made my first sushi.
39) I sometimes cook all frozen dinners, such as: veggie corn dogs, tater tots, and edamame.
40) My kids have never had fast food.
41) I tried to cut out kid video watching.
42) It lasted a week.
43) I learned how to put in a zipper in February 2007.
44) It changed my life.
45) I’m obsessed with sewing garments.
46) I *love* to choose fabrics and patterns to sew from.
47) And, have clothes that fit better.
48) I, also, like to sew for my sister.
49) And my kids.
50) My husband is still waiting for me to sew something for him, besides the gnome hat.
51) I gain the same satisfaction from sewing clothes as when I have a well-stocked pantry.
52) I like to hunt for mushrooms.
53) I stick to chanterelles, boletus, craterellus, oysters and candy caps.
54) If I squirrel away enough food I feel like we’ll "make it through the winter."
55) This reminds me that I need to do some earthquake preparedness.
56) I can do one rope trick — not as well as that guy, though.
57) Blaize would have me on her wagon train.
58) I’ve made two pair of moccasins, ‘cause you never know when you might need to know how to make some shoes.
59) I’ve picked maggots out of a live chicken’s back.
60) I can forage.
61) I can grow things.
62) I’m not sure if I can kill animals.
63) Actually, I did have to kill that chicken with the maggots.
64) I’d probably be vegetarian if I had to kill my own food.
65) This makes me feel like a hypocrite.
66) I have early New England ancestry, on both sides.
67) That means I’m related to several presidents, who all seem to be related.
68) Most of them are of the embarrassing sort.
69) It also means that I’m related to cowboys.
70) And indians.
71) One of my great-great grandfathers was born in California during a cattle drive from Arkansas to the gold country.
72) The family sailed around The Horn on their return to Arkansas.
73) My great-great-great grandmother said she’d never go around The Horn again.
74) So, the next time, they went home via the Isthmus of Panama.
75) I can’t imagine their challenges.
76) My husband and I are seventh cousins, or something.
77) I love to make connections with people; sort of my version the Kevin Bacon thing.
78) I have a goal of visiting as many homes in my town as possible.
79) I thought I was anti-social in high school, like Ally Sheedy in Breakfast Club.
80) Then, I went to my 20th reunion and was corrected.
81) I’ve lived in the same town my whole life.
82) Except the six weeks that I lived in Germany.
83) Where I lived in a castle with a designer.
84) It was a very Dieter-ish experience.
85) I have an art degree.
86) And, art guilt.
87) Especially when I run into a professor who asks if I’ve been doing *Art.*
88) The craft blog helps me some with this, sort of.
89) Because, at least *I know* that I’m being creative.
90) I know how to swing dance.
91) And, sort of play the ukulele.
92) My favorite song to play is Rio, by Duran Duran.
93) I always thought John was the cutest.
94) But, really, I was more of an Adam Ant admirer.
95) Or, Sting — but only when he was with the Police.
96) I walked out of a concert on his first solo tour.
97) I wanted to be “Free, free, set me free” from that awful concert.
98) I saw King Lear as a ballet when Stewart Copeland composed.
99) With a friend who later died in a famous plane crash.
100) I miss him.