Falling into the Random Dozen

So what if the thermometer in my car informed me that the temperature outside was 99 degrees Fahrenheit when I left work at 5 PM today...the calendar says Fall starts this week.

I should break out the flannel PJ's and the turtleneck sweaters any day now. RIIIGGGGHT.

Whilst we wait for more seasonally appropriate temps to move into the Tennessee Valley, here's this week's Random Dozen to take my mind off the heat and the cha-CHING cha-CHING of the air conditioner...




1. Have you, or has someone close to you, ever won an award for anything? (I just came from my dad's ceremony wherein he was given a medal of honor by the French government for service in France in WWII. Pictures to follow.)

I dunno...does the General Foods Family Leader of Tomorrow Award(formerly known as the Betty Crocker Future Homemaker Award, or some other such thing)when I was a senior in high school count? My mother actually laughed so hard she could hardly stand up when her friend the Home Economics teacher whispered to her that I'd won...and then wouldn't tell me what was so funny. But if you looked at my house right now you'd probably laugh along with Mom.

2. Who is the nearest relative to you who has served in the US Military?

My Father-in-Law. He was among the replacement troops sent into France immediately after D-Day, and was wounded by shrapnel from a tank round after only about 2 weeks. The guy he was with was killed outright; Dad lost an eye and has scars that elicit questions from the grandkids. I believe he was 19.

3. Share something that stirs the patriotic spirit in you.

I am a real patriotic sap. I have to fight the urge to say 'Amen' at the end of the Pledge of Allegiance, school kids waving flags at parades uncork the tear ducts and I choke up and lose my voice every time I'm in a crowd singing 'The Star Spangled Banner.' (just out of curiosity...who among you knows the third (oops...need to fix this...)  fourth verse -
'Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the wars desolation.
Blessed with vict'ry and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just
And this be our motto, 'In God is our trust'
And the Star Spangled Banner in vict'ry will wave
O're the land of the free and the home of the brave.'

I learned that two or three years ago, just because it is so amazing...)

4. Where are you in the birth order in your family? Do you think your "placement" made a difference in your personality?

I'm numero uno; my next sibling is a fuzz less than two years younger than me. And I have no idea if that played into my personality. Maybe just a pinch...but, as Aslan says, 'No one is told what would have happened.'

5. Name one trait you hope you carry that was evidenced in your parents or grandparents.

My grandparents had an amazing work ethic...but they also knew when to stop work and enjoy a little relaxation, even if it was just a break in the middle of the day for half an RC cola or a slice of watermelon.They worked hard when it was time to work and saved some time for real rest. At least, that's how I remember it.

6. If female, do you prefer wearing a skirt or pants? If male, shirt and tie or polo?

I actually prefer to wear skirts...but, in my life, pants are much more practical. So I'm normally in pants. Sigh.

7. Approximately how many times do you wake during the night? What do you do to go back to sleep?

I've got some low back/sciatica issues right now, and I wake up once or twice a night. But after I rather carefully and laboriously roll over I usually drop right back off.

8. Share a favorite movie quote.

Oh, this one is HARD!!! So many great lines!!! But the first thing that popped into my mind was this one: "Whaddya think I am, dumb or somethin'?" - Lena Lamont, "Singin' in the Rain," (that MUST be quoted with the full-out Lena nasal accent) which is one of my Absolute Favorite Movies of All Time, full of great movie moments. The payoff at the end is marvelous!

9. What is your favorite Fall candle scent?

Alas, I'm one of those folks who really don't handle scents well at all. However, a good pine-scented candle doesn't give me a headache. Last year The Princess gave me a Mountain Pine candle from Yankee Candle Co., and it almost made up for the fake Christmas tree that doesn't smell like a Christmas tree.

10. What is one Fall activity you're looking forward to?

Roasting marshmallows in the fireplace and eating s'mores! But not while the AC is running...it may be a while for that one.

11. Tell us about a pleasant surprise that happened to you recently.
Um.....(pulls pizza out of oven and eats it with kids while playing half a game of Racko and then returns to the computer)...um....it's not that pleasant things haven't happened, it's just that I haven't been really surprised lately...

12. What was it like when you first met your in-laws-to-be?

December 30, 1978...I carpooled into my job in Indianapolis, and My Future Sweet Baboo drove all the way from Elkhart to Indianapolis (a fuzz over 3 hours) to collect me a little after noon (I'd worked extra so I could leave early), then turned around and drove back to Elkhart. We arrived at his folk's house just in time for supper. His Mom taught high school biology, his dad taught high school chemistry and some math, both his brothers were engineering students and his sister was a high school senior. The topic of conversation at that meal was, I kid you not, the thermal effects of hardening concrete, and about halfway through the meal I knocked my glass of milk over. We were off to a great start...I was certain I was way below the family average IQ and proved myself a klutz to boot. Fortunately, my in-laws were and are gracious people and they didn't let that first impression ruin our relationship.