The first memory I have that I can actually say is a memory is when my brother was born.
I remember when he and my mom left the hospital and they let me “push” my mom in the wheelchair. I was standing on my very tippy toes trying to push it. Either my grandpa or my dad was behind me doing the actual pushing.
I remember I was so very proud to be “big” at that moment.
Everyone has a story. And it’s a good story. But not everyone tells their story. It is our stories that connect us. Recording our story is very important.
I’ve kept a journal off and on since I was 8, daily between age 11 and 21, more sporadic at other times. I’ve thought I probably shouldn’t wait until I’m old to start compiling my own personal history. Because by then it will be a huge project. Right now it’s only a few decades worth of a project.
So this month, for National Blog Posting Month, I’m going to put a bit of a dent in the project. For each day of the month I’ll be telling a memory I have from that age. My first memory that is mine and not a story I’ve been told is when I was 2, which works out great. So you’ll get to find out about that memory tomorrow.
I’m really excited to tell a bunch of “I remember” stories this month. In 2008 I set out to make a quilt with one square for each year of my life. Which I haven’t completed yet (I just finished the Halloween wall hanging I started in 2006 last night, I’m on a roll!) so I’m working on making it for my next square birthday. Maybe I’ll tell some of the stories of those squares.
What things do you remember? How are you telling your story?
See also: The Record Keeper (6 June 2011)
Each November since 2007 I have written at least one post a day (November is NaBloPoMo – National Blog Posting Month). Since 2008 I’ve had a theme for those posts. This year I will be posting daily about different memories I have had growing up, in roughly chronological order even.
We need to tell our stories. I invite you to find a way to tell your story, whether that be on your blog, video taping it, or simply writing it down somewhere. We all have a story to tell.
In 2008 Brett and I went to the institute dance and he decided that morning what he wanted to be and I went out and found him a wig and a name tag. In 2009 I convinced him we should be bikers and I went out and bought a bandana he tied on his head and got in a car accident (the accident was not on the list of things to do that day). Last year we missed the Halloween party and so I pushed last year’s costume to this year. And then this year I decided I was a bit too busy to put together that costume idea so we went with a different idea.
This year’s idea required a bit of creativity, but not the level the other idea would’ve required. We decided that the requirements for our costume were: Brett – a short sleeved shirt, dark tie, pocket protector and ID, and a bag; Me – black clothes, knife, hair sticks.
We used colored electrical tape to turn Brett’s black shoes into Converse All-Stars. I found a place on-line where you can make your own Nerd Herd ID badge and then we used clear packing tape to attach it to one of my old teaching ID badges. Brett had a long-sleeved dress shirt with sleeves that were a little too short, so we made them shorter. I used some scraps from a quilt backing to make a black tie. Scraps from some other fabric were used to make a leg holster for a knife. And I have some roof flashing I bought two years ago that I cut a small knife shape from. Brett pulled out one of the bags he got from a conference at some point and I put on my black snake skin skirt, black shirt, and black jacket. And we were set. I love being able to pull together some great costumes like that. Yea creativity!
At the ward party, people who were familiar with the show said we got it spot on. People who aren’t familiar with the show, well, they’re just missing out.
For class today I’m wearing my black and white striped socks, my trick-or-treat shirt, my black witch hat, and I went with a black-eye again because I thought my drama students would appreciate it. A professor in the department saw me and asked how the class went. Honestly, it went just like it would on any other day. They’re a great group and even a funny looking teacher and free candy doesn’t throw them off. And the hat has a great wide brim that blocks the sun.
And… Random Giggles now has a frequently asked questions page. On this page you will currently find the answers to all of these questions. More answers will be added as I make them up.
Where are you from?
What are you studying?
When are you going to graduate?
What can you do with your degree?
What’s your plan after graduation?
What did you learn today?
What are you reading now?
How are you? (and mean it!)
What’s your most embarrassing moment?
What are my options? (in response to me asking “What do you want for dinner?”)
Why is the top of my head bleeding?
Do you have feet?
What did you have for breakfast?
When are you having kids?
Are you pregnant?
One of the things I do lately to relieve stress is knit. I’ve especially enjoyed knitting the instant gratification toys that I can finish in a day (conference dinos and random crafties). Some days you just need to know that you can create. I repotted some of our house plants this week too because I enjoy making things grow and feeling the life they have.
I decided I wanted a time I could designate to do knitting. When you are accountable to others you tend to actually do what you set out to do. So I started a monthly knit night. Normally it will be on the third Thursday (I’m really into alliteration here), but this month I was at a meeting that night. So the first knit night was tonight. I probably could’ve called it needle night because people could bring their crochet needles or their embroidery needles or their cross stitch needles. But just a couple of hours set aside to make stuff and unwind. And I figure one day someone will come who can teach me how to crochet. I keep thinking I’ve almost got it but it never looks right so I’m not sure.
Tonight’s knit night was sparsely attended people wise (there were two of us), but the conversation was great. At the beginning I was the only knitter but by the end we had a new knitter going home with a project to work on till the knit night next month. It reminded me of when my parents were teaching me to knit. And I made some good progress on one of my projects too.
Maybe if we keep this up I’ll actually finish the sweater I started working on almost 15 years ago.
On Friday night we like to do a super healthy meal for dinner. It’s either a super large salad or what we call a “toothpick” meal because we ate it with toothpicks when I was growing up. This last time Brett said every time we sit down to it he always thinks it won’t be filling. And yet we’re always full with plenty leftover for munching through the weekend. The meals are full of colors, which is an indicator of health too.
A lot of people believe eating healthy costs more. So we did a quick comparison. When we get a $5 pizza and Italian crazy bread (yum!) from Little Caesar’s, we spend just under $10. That will give us each one meal and I generally have some leftovers from my half. So that’s about $5 per person per meal.
The last time I bought fruit and veggies for the toothpick meal I spent just under $12. However, I splurged and bought the expensive apples (they were super tasty – sweetango). And, we’ll be eating the rest of the carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, apple, orange, pear for the equivalent of three meals each. And that comes down to $2 per person per meal.
As an added benefit, our veggie meals don’t heat up the kitchen at all in most cases (sometimes we cook chicken for the salad if we don’t have any leftover chicken from earlier in the week and sometimes we make biscuits for the toothpick meal). And in Southern Arizona, not heating up the kitchen is always a good thing.
I am an educator and PhD. I quilt, belly dance, run, read, and try to grow things. I am a Mormon. I am infertile. I am a daughter, sister, aunt, grand-daughter, friend, wife, and mom.
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