TAGGED

I was Tagged
by Pat http://gatherings100.blogspot.com/ and Kim http://skybellarts.blogspot.com/

Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs

1. I never knew my father and was the only person I knew as a child who didn't have one. As a very young child ~ I remember my Sunday school teacher told our class that God was our Father and I had a child version of that light bulb moment when everything came together. I spoke to the Lord and I felt Him speak back. I sang to Him when I would swing on my swings and I felt His love all around me. I remember my grandfather and grandmothers flower garden ~ I would go in there and talk to Him there among the gladiolus. When I was older ~ the wonderful pre-teen and teen years ~ no matter how "bad " I was ~ I never ran from Him in shame ~ ALWAYS towards Him. Sometimes His voice is silent. I remember moments of crying out to Him in desperation ~ SILENCE. These are the times I ultimate learn the most. He taught me to be mature enough not to always need to"feel" His presence to know He's there. FAITH. I love Him so much. He has never failed me. For so many different reasons ~ I should have been a very messed up girl. Instead He poured His love and life into my soul and has given me compassion and mountains of HOPE in even the darkest of storms.

2. I love a great glass of wine, NEW YORK CITY, big belly laughs and just having FUN!

3.I have had 4 major health scares in the last 12 years. Hyper-thyroid 12 yrs ago, a large tumor removed from my neck wrapped around my jugular vein ~ 11 yrs ago , a 2 yr battle with major depression 7 yrs ago, a 6'' tumor removed from my breast one year ago. When I had the tumor in the neck they were very concerned it was cancer. My youngest daughter was just 8 and didn't know what was going on. One night when I was tucking her in ~ she said she wanted to paint her name in stars on her ceiling. I said "Let's do it now" and we did! I wanted to leave "footprints" of myself around her in case she lost me. When we were cleaning up our mess ~ she got some of the "glow in the dark paint" on the tile bathroom counter. Long after my cancer scare was over ~ I would walk into the bathroom at night and see the paint still glowing on the counter. It always made me giggle and thank God for the good outcome. That counter top "glowed" until last year when we redid the bathroom. I wish I had thought to save those special pieces of tile! (if you are suffering from any of these ailments ~ I'd be happy to share the path I took to getting well ~ just ask. It was mostly organic eating, vitamins,prayer with some massage therapy and acupuncture mixed in)

4. I have always liked an adventure! I once gave up my apartment of furniture, my car and most everything else to move to Aspen ,Colo. with friends when I was 20 yrs old. I silk screened t-shirts at a shop in Aspen and Snowmass and loved every second of it! Now my adventures consist mostly of taking off for a day in NYC or taking the ferry to Port Jeff,L.I. for the day ~ often by myself. Now that my kid's are mostly grown ~ I plan on those adventures growing Bigger and Better!

5. I like to be alone. In fact ~ as outgoing and social as I can be ~ I require more time alone to recharge, read , think or spend time in my garden in a "mindless" state.

6. No matter what wonderful thing's lie ahead ~ nothing will be as wonderful as raising my children. I have twin girls Jaci and Cheri age 24, my son Franky age 22, my youngest Ashley age 18. I always knew when I was raising them ~ that I was RIGHT were I was meant to be. The joy and contentment I experienced then will always be the template I will use to measure my future success.(by the way ~ I never referred to Jaci and Cher as "the twins" ....... I always thought of them as 2 completely different amazing blessing that happen to arrive at the same time.

7.I DO jump on the bed when I am in a hotel and encouraged my kids to do it whenever we stayed at a hotel.I LOVE random acts of kindness and do them often ~ the goofier the better! The one thing I HATE ~ the act of judging others.I feel very sad when I do it. We all have places of weakness ~ the world could be won by compassion ~ not judgement.
I tag the following wonderful blogs ~

http://thecottagenest.blogspot.com/

http://deardaisycottage.typepad.com/daisy_cottage/

http://thefeatherednest.typepad.com/the_feathered_nest/

http://nieszvintagefabric.blogspot.com/

http://corinaj.wordpress.com/

http://lavenderhillstudio.blogspot.com/

http://purple-fan.blogspot.com/