20 Questions

[Ellemeno]

1. What was the happiest period of your life and why?

Now.  I have my heart's desire - a home, a wonderful child to raise, good health for all my family members.


2. What was the saddest time?

Having miscarriages in our early marriage.


3. Who is your best friend?

I haven't had that for a few years, I miss it.


4. What’s something about you that not many people know?

I can sing the entire Beatles canon.  At least I used to could.


5. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A veterinarian til I realized I would have to work with sick animals, not just pet and play with healthy ones; a hairdresser til I realized I would have to do anyone's hair who asked me, not just young women with hair like Barbie; a teacher - I became that one, because I didn't realize I would have to have any kids in my class, including ones who didn't want to be there.


6. What simple pleasure gives you the most joy?

One simple pleasure is a quart canning jar with organic English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea, local honey, and half and half.


7. If you could go back in time and change anything, what would it be?

I'm taking a long time trying to decide the moral implications of this.  Moving on.


8. How do you relax?

Breathing.


9. Describe your perfect day.

Waking up healthy with my healthy family, in a clean, peaceful home, with something fun but not too overwhelming to go do, or lovely friends coming over.


10. Who is your celebrity crush?

Bobby Sherman.  Just kidding.


11. What part of your body gives you the most trouble?

Feet.


12. What’s one thing you want to do before you die?

Live.


13. Describe the best meal you’ve ever had.

I just ate thai glazed coho salmon and pickled beets, with a milk chocolate w/hazelnuts chaser.  That was pretty good.


14. What six things are essential to your health?

Clean, fresh air; clean water; sunlight; sleep; laughter; love.


15. Are you healthy?

I've got a tree pollen headache right now, and a sore knee, and I'm way too heavy, but yes, I'm healthy.


16. What is it that you can’t live without?

Clean air and water.


17. What is it that you don’t understand?

Why civilization isn't progressing better.


18. What do you fantasize about?

The San Juan Islands.


19. What is it about you that your friends do not understand?

Most, but not all, of my non-homeschooling friends say they don't understand how I can want to homeschool.
http://homeschoolimage.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-i-decided-to-homeschool.html


20. What’s your 5-Year Plan for the future?

Plan?  What's that?

[Lynne]

I missed this one...here goes!  

1. What was the happiest period of your life and why?

Right now.  I'm where I want to be.  I'm in love.  I am starting to feel as if I can make plans.  My friends are wonderful.  Life is good.

2. What was the saddest time?

The summer of 2005 through the summer of 2006.  I wasn't taking care of myself; I was exhausted from work and caring for Mom for seven years.  I don't know I was 'sad', but I was not in a place that was good emotionally.

3. Who is your best friend?

That's tough.  I rely on different friends for different things...they're all 'best' in my book.

4. What’s something about you that not many people know?

I was on the equestrian team in college, won a few ribbons.  

5. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I alternated between doctor and teacher, though there was a period of wanting to be an equestrienne performer with the circus - I call the horse-crazy phase.

6. What simple pleasure gives you the most joy?

Cuddling under a snuggly blanket and watching a movie.

7. If you could go back in time and change anything, what would it be?

No, that's not allowed.

8. How do you relax?

It's not something I do often or well, to tell the truth, but I read, watch movies, go out to dinner and have a glass or two of wine.  I'm learning to meditate.  The Quaker meetings are helping.

9. Describe your perfect day.

I wake up on time, and I've had enough sleep.  I get to work on time, and I can focus on work throughout the entire day, with just a few BetterMost breaks.    All is quiet on the Tennessee front.  I have dinner with my precious at one of our homes - something we made together ourselves. We then retire for that cuddling/movie watching I mentioned earlier.

10. Who is your celebrity crush?

Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, Charlize Theron, Jodie Foster

11. What part of your body gives you the most trouble?

My esophagus...I have some acid reflux at night...weight and stress and spicy foods  

12. What’s one thing you want to do before you die?

It seems indulgent, but I still want to do that Grand Tour of Europe that a lot of kids do during or after college...Eurail pass, hostels, the whole thing.  Am I too old for that?  I could meet and/or see a lot of Euro Brokies that way too!

13. Describe the best meal you’ve ever had.

Another really tough one...I love food and even unremarkable food comes with great memories...Mexican food with my precious - mole and margaritas - where we sat on the same side of the table, fed each other and probably caused the other diners misery, BBQ at Paul's in September four years ago, frozen pizza at Truman's house, this ultra extravagant birthday dinner Paul treated me to - the details are a blur - I just remember every single bite was scrumptious.

14. What six things are essential to your health?

my friendships
my work
managing stress
knowing my family is OK, or at least as OK as they get
getting exercise
losing weight


15. Are you healthy?

I don't think I'm in imminent danger, but I'm certainly not as healthy as I want to be; it all seems to come back to weight.

16. What is it that you can’t live without?

I don't know.  There is much I wouldn't want to live without.  But I'm the type to go on because I don't like the alternative.  

17. What is it that you don’t understand?

I don't understand why people are mean to other people.  We're all just trying to do the best we can.

18. What do you fantasize about?

Being financially independent so I have as much free time as I want for the Important Things.

19. What is it about you that your friends do not understand?

Most of my friends understand me pretty well - that's why they're friends.  A few don't see why I don't put Mom in a nursing home; we've mostly agreed not to discuss it.

20. What’s your 5-Year Plan for the future?

Five years! Well, I'll still be at BetterMost on a regular basis.  I will still live in Boston and perhaps I'll own a condo by then.  I will probably have different work - maybe teaching.  I am going to finish one of my master's degree and start my PhD.  I can see myself asking for convinced membership at my Quaker meeting instead of being an attender.  I can also see myself leading workshops on various aspects of Quakerism within my meeting and being active in the national American Friends Service Committee and the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

Man - we need to remember this thread, so we can come back and check in 5 years!!  

[ifyoucantfixit]

1. What was the happiest period of your life and why?

When I had a new baby.

2. What was the saddest time?

When my brother committed suicide.

3. Who is your best friend?

My grandaughter

4. What’s something about you that not many people know?

Lots of things.

5. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A Doctor.

6. What simple pleasure gives you the most joy?

Spending time with my loved ones.

7. If you could go back in time and change anything, what would it be?

I would warn, about the impending death of John F. Kennedy.

8. How do you relax?

Going to dinner and a movie.

9. Describe your perfect day.

A holiday with a special meal, with my family, and or friends.

10. Who is your celebrity crush?

Viggo Mortenson   He is so brilliant, handsome, and very sexually manly.

11. What part of your body gives you the most trouble?

My back.................................................pfttttt...stupidcrap

12. What’s one thing you want to do before you die? 

I know I will never get to do it.  But I would love to go and tour Egypt, and all  of the ancient museums and places.
                                                                                                           
13. Describe the best meal you’ve ever eaten.

Boy I don't know.  I have had a lot of great meals.

14. What six things are essential to your health?

My pills, my family, and reading.

15. Are you healthy?

From time to time.

16. What is it that you can’t live without?

Food and water, and Kelsey.

17. What is it that you don’t understand?

Why people have to have, clinical depressions.

18. What do you fantasize about?

Finding a cure for cancer, and mental illness.

19. What is it about you that your friends don't understand.

How much I depend on music to keep me sane.

20. What is your 5yr plan for the future?

To still be around when Kelsey gets her doctorate, and attend the
graduation..

[Kerry]

Kerry, I love that teacher who chose you as ink monitor.  That sure is a great honour - the care and focus you must have shown as a ten year old, to be trusted with mixing ink!  Thank you for telling us that story.

  {{{ Clarissa }}} 

[Kerry]

Man - we need to remember this thread, so we can come back and check in 5 years!!  

That's a great idea, Lynne! I'll make a note to re-post it in 5 years!  

[Kerry]

12. What’s one thing you want to do before you die? 

I know I will never get to do it.  But I would love to go and tour Egypt, and all  of the ancient museums and places.
                                                                                                           

Can I come with you, Janice? Pleeeeeeeeease?! 

[Buffymon]

1. What was the happiest period of your life and why?

Probably when I was younger and didn´t have to worry about "grown-up" things like work and money. But life has in general been good to me. Sometimes I feel like I've already done all the things I wanted to do as a child.

2. What was the saddest time?

I have a feeling it has yet to come. I've always feared the time when my parents will die


4. What's something about you that not many people know?



5. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A murder investigator!

6. What simple pleasure gives you the most joy?

Bantering with my parents, curling up in bed reading Jack/Ennis fan fiction, sitting down with a friend and talk

7. If you could go back in time and change anything, what would it be?

I would help out my family with different things.

8. How do you relax?

Spending time in front of the computer

9. Describe your perfect day.

I wake up in the backseat of a car, it's early morning and I'm on a road trip. I check a map, decide where to I want to drive that day, and get back on the road. I drive through a beautiful landscape with the car radio on full volume. I stop every now and then to eat, to hike, to simply sit on th grass and read and relax.

10. Who is your celebrity crush?

Jake Gyllenhaal. Those eyes, those thighs!;D

11. What part of your body gives you the most trouble?

lately, my knees a little

12. What's one thing you want to do before you die? 

I want to have visited all the places where I want to go
                                                                                                           
13. Describe the best meal you've ever eaten.

The one that comes to mind right now, is the Five Leaves burger in New York. That meal comes with so many great memories.

14. What six things are essential to your health?

Being able to travel, family, friends, money, to have a home where I feel safe and relaxed

15. Are you healthy?

I'm overweight but I feel good, so I'm not sure I should answer yes or not to that question.

16. What is it that you can't live without?

My parents, travel, fiction

17. What is it that you don't understand?

Religion. I understand it on an intellectual level, but not on an emotional.

18. What do you fantasize about?

Driving, hiking, exploring, Ennis and Jack

19. What is it about you that your friends don't understand.

How much travel means to me, and that I'm often more sensitive than most think

20. What is your 5yr plan for the future?

I don't ever make any 5 years plans.