Friday, April 4, 2014

Kendra Tagged Me

Wow! Kendra at Catholic All Year won a Leibster Award and because of that she tagged me as a blogger (with fewer than 3,000 followers) to ask a million (11) questions to. I have 32 followers so I'd say I fit the requirements just fine. As I read over the questions I couldn't help but to think one or two were written with me in mind (little grimacey face) but I love Kendra and she loves me so she probably knows what she is doing or AT LEAST she knows how to make things funny. Ok, all 32 of you (if you still, actually follow this blog) here are my 11 questions. I know you are positively riveted.

Let's begin.

1. Where do you live? And why do you live there?

I live in Fillmore, California. A little (for real little) agricultural town about 40 min north of L.A. I live here because we were getting kicked out of student housing and needed to move, we couldn't afford anything desirable in the valley, we wanted a change of scenery, but we still wanted to be near friends and family, and we still loved SoCal, but we kinda hated the sprawl, and we met friends (through Jim and Kendra!) who evangelized us to this funny little town that hardly any one that's from Los Angeles even knows about. We have kept living here because it's a great little town, tucked into a valley filled with citrus and avocado groves, up against a mountain range that gets GREEN in the spring, there is a foggy ocean breeze that rolls in in the mornings, there are no billboards or helicopters, and we have an amazing local community. It's affordable (cheap) and raising our kids in a sleepy little town has proven to be awesome. Come live here!


2. What are you currently watching/reading?

I am currently not watching a million things. I seem to have fallen out of my nook of possibility for watching anything. I'm not sure how I can get back into the nook but when I do, I will be catching up on The Walking Dead, Sherlock, Downton, House of Cards (although I might be done da done done with this show as it is getting increasingly raunch), and Pretty Little Liars don't judge, ok go ahead and judge.

I feel like I've been out of a reading nook for a long time, too. At first I blamed it on being at the end of a harder than usual pregnancy and then having a newborn but now I blame it on my phone! I think I waste all the time that I could spend with a book in hand on my phone, wasting time! Bad habit, must quit. I would like to read the third installment of one of those end-o-the-world teen drams (Allegiant), I would like to finish reading A Landscape with Dragons by Michael O'Brien and I would like to re-read Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck because it reminds me of the summer. On my phone I am currently reading Friends of God by St Josemaria Escriva.

Why? Because this:
"Well, late one afternoon, during one of those marvelous Valencian sunsets, we saw a boat approaching the shore. Some men jumped out, swarthy looking and strong as granite, dripping wet, stripped to the waist, so weather-burned that they might have been made of bronze. They began to haul in the net that trailed behind the boat. It was laden with fishes, all shining like silver. Their feet sank into the sand as they pulled with amazing strength. Then all of a sudden a little boy appeared, all sunburnt too. He came up to the rope, seized it with his tiny hands and began to tug away with evident clumsiness. The tough, unsophisticated fisherman must have felt their hearts soften, for they allowed the child to join in, without chasing him away, even though he was more of a hindrance than a help.

And I thought of you and myself. Of you, whom I did not know as yet, and of myself; of our daily tugging away at the rope, and of many things. If we come before God our Lord like that child, convinced of our weakness yet ever prepared to second his plans, we shall more easily reach our goal. We shall haul the net onto the shore, bursting with an abundant catch, for the power of God reaches where our strength cannot."

3. What kind of Catholic are you: cradle, convert or considering?

d. None of the above! I am an ex-evangelical Protestant Christian turned Catholic which is technically a "catechumen" (just learned this fun fact) but who wants to tell people they are a catechumen?? Pretty obnoxious/confusing if you ask me. So, I just call myself a convert. Ok, there, convert.

4. Can you point to one moment or experience that made you want to be a practicing Catholic? (Or want to be?)

I can point to a million moments. Every time I walked into a Catholic Church. Every time I went to mass. Every time I had a conversation about history, Sola Scriptura, birth control or miracles. Every time I watched a documentary on Mother Theresa or Padre Pio. And there was that one time that Kirby and I went to Assisi and to Avila and to Rome. Then. Then, I wanted it all.

5. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

13! Two pairs of sandals, one pair of black ballet flats, two pairs of booties, one pair of tall boots, one pair of combat boots, one pair of clog heels, one pair of black wedges, one pair of converse, one pair of ratty gray nikes, one pair of moccasin booties, and one pair of no-name sneakers that used to be vintage roller skates. You were dying to know, I'm sure. How many pairs of shoes do you have? These seems excessive all written out and all.

6. Are you a good dancer?

Pretty good, I think. See #11.

7. Who usually drives, you or your husband?

This question has two answers. Who technically, actually, physically drives? Kirby. Who mentally drives? Me. Obnoxious habit, I know. I'm trying to remember to work on it.

8. What's your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it?

Definitely, definitely Christmas.
We celebrate like this.
And this.
And this.
And this.

And food and wine and wiiiiinnnnne.
And we keep celebrating it until this.


9. Which is the proper way for the toilet paper roll to face?

I honestly had to check both bathrooms for me to figure this answer out. It must a. not matter to me or b. be totally second nature to install the roll with the hangy part closest to the wall. So, that's my answer. Hangy part closest to the wall.

10. Do you have any scars?

Yes. My most notable scar is slashed right across my throat. I had my cancerous thyroid removed in 2000. I wonder what my neck looked like, all agape... Gross. Fascinating.

11. What's the most famous thing you've ever done.

I choose to answer this question 5 ways.
Way 1. (And most favorite way.) Being a sister to my brother.




Way 2. Taking a picture of Tom Hanks holding my baby. This is technically my baby's most famous moment, but I'm stealing it.

Way 3. Taking a picture of Caleb from Pretty Little Liars holding my other baby. Again, stealing.


Way 4. Filming a YouTube segment for Have A Little Faith (which I guess is technically pre-famous since it hasn't aired yet.)

Way 5. Being in a pop girl group in the early 2000's with a record deal and a non-album and a song on this beloved record. No, this is not a joke. My most famous moments in a said group were going to Jay-z's birthday party at a roller skating rink in Northridge, riding in an SUV with Ja-Rule (I am seriously laughing out loud as I type this) and flirting, more than once, with Justin Timberlake. No, this is not a joke.


Ok. I did it. You did it! Thanks, Kendra, for a fun way to spend my time while my children play with 3,000 of my brother's old beanie babies. Check her blog to get to know the other bloggers she tagged in her post! They are all awesome and deserve your lurking.





12 comments:

  1. You're right.

    And you nailed it. I love all of these and you make me want to move to Fillmore. (My parents would not approve!)

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  2. Just think- you could sell your place and buy you AND your parents a house (maybe...;)

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  3. Hello from one of those "32". Thanks so much for a lovely post. It is so comforting to know that there are other bloggers with smallish followings. I too have a few followers and it is so encouraging to know that not everyone out there has a big big following. Thanks for the reality check.

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  4. Found you through Kendra's linkup. How fun! Your blog is fun! Yay I'm happy to find fun blogs! And yes, if we ever have to move to Cali from Ohio (Which I did almost do many years ago), I'm looking up Fillmore. You sold me!

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  5. Ladies! Thanks for your comments. It's so true how easy it is to forget how many of us blogging to small (and usually near and dear) audiences. It's fun to connect this way and I'm super glad you both found me. I'm excited to get familiar with your blogs! And, for the record, I highly recommend moving here, no matter what.

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  6. I'm one of your Grace/Hallie newbies. Hi! Okay, I have some questions. One: what series of events led Tom Hanks to holding your baby? Two: Which girl band? I looked at the album and can't figure it out. Which might speak to my sleep deprivation level at the moment. Three (not a question): we have family in Fillmore! They own a farm. It is beautiful there. We live in stinky, sprawl-y OC (I love it here too, actually).

    I, too, am a former evangelical convert. I looooved your video; you represented all of us beautifully. Thanks for being brave and making it!

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    1. Woah! Amazing connections! Which family?? My brother was playing Conan and Tom Hanks was the guest! So awesome. I accosted him backstage and made him hold my baby. And the pop group name was Shorty101. Oh man... Now you're gonna find it. Eek!!

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  7. It's the Stehly Family. Know them? They've been there forever (I think)... they're on my husband's side.

    And I think if I met Tom Hanks while holding one of my kids I'd do the same! Who could resist?

    I did Google your group a bit and found some just awesomely early aughts pictures. It reminded me that I had sparkly blue capris in high school. I loved them.

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    1. The stehlys!!!!! They are such dear friends. They are practically family! That pic of hero in the tall grass was taken on a hike on the ranch. So that means we are practically family! Do you guys come up often? Hunt us down when you do;) and I knew you would google... Dred!

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  8. How fun! I thought you might know them... my husband's family are the sort who knows everyone (in the best way). We haven't been up in a while but next time we do we will look you all up! Totally happening!

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  9. Oh my goodness! Just found you threw Kendra's post on your youtube video. And I have to say, I LOVED growing up in Fillmore! (I live in Seattle now.) Actually, I didn't love it growing up (sooooo boring!). But now, I'm so glad I did get to grow up there. I hope your kids look back on growing up in Fillmore as fondly as I do! BUT, you're saying TOO MANY GREAT (and all true!) things! Shhhh!

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  10. It's very nice. Thanks so much for a lovely post.

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