Blog Challenge, Day 1

Blog Challenge Day 1: A picture of yourself and ten facts

This picture is one of my favorites because it was taken on the day I retired. I had two daughters and one son visiting and grandchildren all around. They threw me a retirement party and several friends came--although, the best part was having my family there. As an aside, we moved our TV into another room over the weekend, and when we moved the cabinet, my granddaughter Calysta opened one of the cabinet doors and found a lei at the back and remembered that it was from my retirement party. She enjoyed reminiscing about all the things she helped with to get ready for my party.

1. I was born on the North Island Naval Base during World War II (1943). It is located adjacent to Coronado at the end of the peninsula across the bay from San Diego. My mother rode the "nickel snatcher" across the bay very early in the morning. She said the captain of the little boat was very nervous carrying a woman in labor. He called ahead and there was an ambulance waiting at the dock waiting when they arrived. Mother was embarrassed at the fuss and made them let her ride in the front seat.

2. I had the chicken pox in about 1948 at the same time as my brother, Bobby, and our cousin Lorna. My mother was working and we all stayed at Lorna's house while we were sick. Her mom, my aunt Shirley took care of us. I remember all of us lying in bed and Shirley bringing us drinks of water and Kool-Aid--and telling us not to scratch. I was 5 and Bobby was about 1 1/2.

3. I walked and played all over our neighborhood in San Diego. We lived on the side of a hill called Grant's Hill and we used to play on the top of the hill (before there were any houses there) climbing all over the craggy edges and jumping off where we thought we could. I skated down the hill, grabbed the street sign, swung around it and turned the corner. I was skating really fast and wonder how I lived through it!

4. I frequently took the bus to downtown San Diego to meet a friend from church when I was 11 years old! I don't know what my mother was thinking! --different world, for sure.

5. I have always felt that I don't "fit in." I believe I have Asperger's Syndrome. I'm not disabled by it, but I see so many parts of the Syndrome in myself that I don't think it could be coincidental. I don't see it in all of my children, maybe some. I think there are degrees of being affected, so maybe I'm on the far end of "more normal."

6. I was always told by my family that I am very intelligent, and I always believed it. When I was in Junior High and got my first semester report card (7th grade) with more A's than B's, and nothing lower, I was called into the girls' Vice Principal's office (Dr. Daugherty), and she told me I had a really good report card and she thought I could probably get straight A's. I was surprised and wondered how I could get better grades. I did my homework and took tests. I didn't really understand how I had gotten the report card I had. I always thought (still do) that being intelligent is kind of like having green eyes. You just have them, and can't make then "greener". I think this is probably related to the Asperger's thing.

7. I love making quilts. I love choosing the fabrics and patterns, putting all the pieces together and coming up with a usable and beautiful product. I don't mind the hours of labor required; in fact, I enjoy the process. Who would ever have thought I could enjoy something so tedious and repetitive? I used to sew and make quilts for my children, but never put that into the category of "hobby." It was just part of what a mother would do.

8. I obsess frequently about how many mistakes I made as a mother, and how awful I was much of the time. I don't know if this is normal, but I believe it's a miracle my children are wonderful adults. I always wished they would hug and kiss me (they wrestled away) but figured I had made just too many mis-steps for them to want to show affection.

9. I enjoy cooking. My mother hated it, and I always thought it would be disloyal (or something else weird like that) if I loved it. Since she died, I have acquired many kitchen "toys" and now I really enjoy finding recipes and putting good food together. Who knew?

10. In addition to my own family, I love my extended family--siblings, siblings-in-law, nieces and nephews, etc. I thought it was wonderful that I felt great love for the family members I recently "found." and am excited to meet and talk with them in person later this year in the fall.

I'll wait to see what Cami posts next on this "Blog Challenge." Hopefully I can follow her good example.