20 Random Things about Me...

So Greg tagged me and I am thinking about random stuff. Probably a good thing to do occasionally. Here goes:

1. I was Editor-in-Chief of my highschool yearbook my senior year. My sister JoAnne was also EIC her senior year.

2. My parents totally over-indulged their darling daughters at Christmas when we were little. There was always a mountain of toys. I still remember the year Lin and I got the newest doll, Barbie in 1957 and a boatload of her clothes.

3. I have always loved to sew. I made my first wedding gown, a business suit for Denny that he actually wore to work a lot. And I am published in a quilt book. Fabrics are intriguing to me.

4. I have been selling electronic components for over 20 years now and I still do not know Ohm's Law. Take that, Greg.

5. I love relationships but there were many years I thought of myself as shy. Boy, has that changed! And it is my habit to call most people I know my friend, not an acquaintance. I am blessed to have many wonderful friends.

6. Like Katie, I once TP'd a house. However, I did it as an adult and never fessed up to it. Nor did I get caught by the police!

7. My kids will love this one: My sophomore year in high school I was the champion female shot putter. Now isn't that just too feminine for words?

8. Broke my arm roller skating at a roller rink in MI when I was about 10. Broke my collarbone while riding on the Northbrook Bike Racing Track when I was 16. Broke my thumb skiing in WI when I was 35. Not the most athletic chick am I?

9. My all time favorite movie is the old Romeo and Juliet by Franco Zefferelli. I love how beautiful it is.

10. I like to pretend the Beach Boys song, "Barbara Ann" was written for me.

11. Other than the births of my kids, the most moving day I have ever experienced was in South Africa in the squatters camp called Zandspruit. A place meant for 350 families, actually was home for 25000 people. Although the conditions were abject squalor, the kids there were unbelievably joyful and charming. I look forward to going back again some day and spend quality time and make a difference there somehow.

12. The grossest job I ever had was a motel maid at Arlington Motel on Northwest Highway. Yuck! Second grossest job was fitting shoes on women at Rothschild's in Randhurst.

13. Doing a 3000' sky dive with son Chris 17 years ago was cool. Doing a tandem sky dive from 13500' with Laurie on her 18th birthday was super cool. Now look forward to another someday with Katie and granddaughter Ashley.

14. My senior year of high school I took some home economic courses since I was engaged to be married. I entered the cherry pie contest in foods class and won for the school and then went to the regional and got blown out at state.

15. Babbles is my clown name. When Pete and I started dating I loved the weirdness of clowning and Pete helped me become a full fledged clown. Won 2nd place in make-up competition at my first Midwest Clown Convention.

16. I believe am the unofficial Accessories Queen. I love and have far too much in the way of jewelry, shoes, purses, scarves. I am looking for the appropriate 12 step program for help.

17. In 2001 I literally drove cross country. I flew to Oregon where Katie and Tommy had lived while he went to Culinary Arts school. We drove them, 2 kids, 2 cats and all their stuff back to IL. Then a few weeks later the whole family drove two gi-normous RVs to West Virginia for a rafting trip. Lots of miles, lots of laughs, lots of memories.

18. I have gone to Willow Creek for over twenty years and served in many ministries. PADS, our homeless ministry and WCA is where I mostly serve now. I love WCA Summit because for the last four years we have gone to four different cities and made wonderful friends in each new place.

19. Being married to Pete is a delight. I am married to a very shizophrenic guy. He is a clown, a stiltwalker who's characters include a toy soldier, Elvis, a leprechaun, a scarecrow, Frankenstein. He's a DJ, a magician, juggler. AND he has brought me flowers almost every week since we were first married...16 years now. That is a lot of flowers!

20. I really love to laugh. Thank goodness for laughter.