Anyone who has ever been on Facebook has probably been tagged in one of these schemes or another.  A fairly new thing that pops up on my Facebook page is called On This Day.  What came up was the 25 Random Things About Me that I wrote in 2009.  Upon reading it I was struck by how relevent it is today so I thought I’d share.

25 Random Things About Me

1. I live in two worlds – urban and rural. I’m sooo in love with the rural and try to make my urban residence feel as rural as I can. I’m one of the fortunate few in Enfield to actually have more than a postage stamp yard so I have large perennial gardens. We used to sit in Adirondack chairs every night and pretend it was quiet and peaceful (with the traffic going by and the jets making their landing approach to Bradley). Now we have inconsiderate neighbors who let their dogs out into their postage stamp yard abutting ours and they just sit and bark at us (the owners stay in the house). Sometimes people are jerks.

2. I’m currently unemployed but I have a long list of jobs I’ve had beginning with picking blueberries for Jack Cable in Heath. When I think about it now – that job would kill me. I’ve worked as a bookkeeper for Lamson & Goodnow, a photographer for at least 4 different studios over the years as well as owning my own for about 5. I worked as a Nuclear Engineering Clerk, a waitress – which is one of my favorite jobs, sad as that is. I’ve been an Activities Assistant in long-term care, worked in hospice and with people with dementia. I’ve set up offices, been in Administrative Support and was an Executive Assistant to the CEO of a large corporation (if you’ve ever seen “The Devil Wears Prada”, that was totally my job). My favorite job has been mom to my two girls and a fine job I did (with Bill’s help of course).

3. I love dogs, all kinds of dogs. I could have 20 of them but my family keeps me in check. Someday you will read about the lonely old lady who’s house was condemned and they took away 30 dogs.
4. Gardening is a passion. I think I got it from my mother. Flowers mostly and I photograph them all the time.

5. I prefer to drive a standard shift car. One with power.

6. I’m a pile person. I keep my papers in piles. I have a very good memory and know where everything is unless someone touches something.

7. I can multitask like you can’t believe – kinda scary sometimes.

8. I’ve been working on the genealogy of the Alix and Semanie families for over 8 years. I love social history but my kids get scared looks in their eyes when I tell them I can make history come alive for them.

9. I photographed over 4,000 historic quilts for the state of Connecticut’s Quilt Search Project (and made many friends along the way).

10. I collect vintage cabinet cards (old photographs made between 1880 and 1900 or so but only with children and dogs on them. It’s a little surprising how many other people collect them as well.

11. I make hand bound books with photographs and stories for my family.

12. I’m a very good cook. We entertain every Saturday night in Rowe. I love it because it gives me an opportunity to plan a great meal, serve great wine and have a fabulous dessert and I have the whole day (usually) to work on it. It’s actually very relaxing for me – and then we have people over that make us laugh until we’re sick (isn’t that supposed to be therapeutic?).

13. I’m a little obsessed with having my own chickens and making cheese these days. A little concerned about where my foods coming from. I’ve been cooking from scratch for a very long time but now I think about growing my own ingredients. My family thinks I’m a little weird.

14. My favorite flowers are lilies.

15. Lake Winnepesaukee is just about my favorite place on earth I think. We usually go there once a year and stay on Bear Island. We never see our truck for the entire time we’re there and do everything by boat. We have a view of Mt. Washington on a clear day and the water is spectacularly clear.

16. I like the idea of community – this may be because I live in an urban area. When we’re in Rowe we are really surrounded by family and friends. Work gets done as a group. Cutting a spitting wood, putting up a building, painting, demolishing and redoing a room, there are always people there to help us or we’re helping them. This is the way life should be I think.

17. I had a rather odd childhood because my Dad is a bit of an eccentric. Someone was laughing the other day when I told them how many times we had our pictures taken on the backs of trains, trolleys or anything that had anything to do with tracks. Train wrecks – oh the excitement of visiting train wrecks.

18. I have about 3 books in me right now but I can’t get them down on paper. I’ll bet everyone else does too they just won’t admit it.

19. I am the laundry queen – no one goes there.

20. I forced my kids to sit and let me photograph them more times that any of us can count. Now I’m glad I did – except they are all in boxes and not sorted out.

21. Wow, 25 things is a lot. Let’s see, my kids are begging me to write down my story (like every kid begs their parents), I just didn’t think I was that old.

22. I had a total knee replacement in December – I’m doing okay, a little freaked out about having a prosthetic and a metal card. Another reason I felt old – everyone that was on the ortho floor with me was over 80.

23. I love walking in the back forty in Rowe.

24. I have big plans for Middletown Hill Rd. A lot happened this year with minor set backs. I think Bill’s a little scared sometimes at the scale of the whole project.

25. I love winter when it is sooo cold the snow crunches under your feet when you take the dogs out for their nightly constitutional and the stars are so bright you can’t believe your eyes.
There, that’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about one of your bloggers.  Practice this yourself, write down 25 things, be honest.  Put it away for a few years (like a time capsule).  When you bring it out into the light again, if you were honest, things are probably very much the same.  I’ve learned that life – the big picture – really works in slow motion.  We want things, we work towards things but everything takes its time.  The problem we have is wishing our time away when all we really have to do is work towards what goals we have or be our authentic selves and things slowly unfold the way they should.  Maybe that’s the key, stepping away and taking a look at how everything is unfolding.  It’s not a race, we have to enjoy the ride.