Inspired by One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern, I've decided to ask people some thought provoking questions about themselves, as I feel that everyone has a story to tell. If you're just joining me on this journey today, please check out the previous posts from this series, as well.
I've known this storyteller since I was 17 and refer to him as "Will." You can read more about our friendship here. I haven't seen him in almost four years (given we live on opposite sides of the country), but it still feels like we just hung out yesterday. He's close with my sister, as well, and I'm glad they have such a great friendship. He's someone very special to me and I hope you will enjoy learning about him in this way.
Name you'd like to go by: Daveed R.
Age (or age range): 30something
Gender: Male
Location: Orange County, CA
What is an experience that is legendary for you?
Last year, I won tickets to the Grammys, but not only that, I also won a trip into the VIP gift room. It was an experience to last a lifetime that I will never forget.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate (Dark) and eating it regularly!
What is something you've never done but you would like to do?
Go to Hawaii with a significant other. :-)
If you could give someone one of your favorite things as a gift, what would it be and why?
Good music. It soothes the soul, especially in live performance.
What is something you did that changed someone's life?
I have brought music to people at times of great need and also at times of great joy. These are intimate moments that I get to be a part of because of my job as a cantor (Jewish clergy).
What part of your personality is now extinct?
I think all parts of my personality are always there, even if they lie dormant.
What is one thing that you find really funny?
Margaret Cho-- well her old standup. She got pretty raunchy in recent years, crossing over the lines, but I still love her.
Tell me one thing you love about yourself (or a gift you'd like to get yourself, where money is not an issue):
My love for so many diverse things in life, in culture, in the world. I have an insatiable desire to learn and keep experiencing new things.
What TV show, book or movie is most like your life?
The Wonder Years
What is something that not many people know about you?
I have a super goofy side and a more serious side, so if people only know one or the other, they don't know me fully.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Sight for sore eyes
I've been blogging with three fabulous women for two years and have been enjoying all the fun topics we come up with week after week. If you want to see what we've discussed in the past, check out our posts here.
This week, Mom of Many asks: Have you ever had an injury stop you from doing something you really wanted to do? How did you deal with that?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
Not to give myself a kaynehore, but I have thankfully never broken any bones. I can't really say I was sidelined from doing anything exciting or important. (Unlike my sister who had to travel around Disney World in a cast when she was in high school and missed a season of Color Guard competitions.)
I've dealt with some ridiculous injuries, but those didn't even stop me from doing stuff I wanted....at least until a few weeks ago.
I love to relax on Shabbat and can usually get through a good chunk of the novel I'm reading during that time. However, a few weeks ago, I was playing with my daughter and she did something where she whipped her hand at my face and managed to scratch my eye. I thought it would be something simple as her poking my eye and a washcloth with water on it would make it okay in a few minutes. No....this was like the time I injured my eye on a shelf right before my job interview. This time, she scratched the "bad eye" (meaning the one I don't see as well out of if the other one is covered). I thought I could get by with keeping that eye covered with a wet washcloth and see out of my good eye. Being in a well lit room made me want to also close my good eye, so seeing anything wasn't really an option. To top it off, my husband was at shul and I was home with all three kids who expected me to make them breakfast when I couldn't even see to get my own breakfast. I had to leave them to their own devices and hope that the boys would keep my daughter out of trouble. Naturally, I found her standing in an empty bathtub demanding to have a bath. The boys were upset that I couldn't do anything for them. And worst of all, I couldn't read! For the most part, I laid in bed with my eye covered and listened for any trouble from the kids. (Since we forgot to turn on the basement light before Shabbat, the kids had to play upstairs.)
When my husband got home, he took over getting our lunch together and watching the kids so I could sleep afterward. The nap helped a little. I was able to get out of the house by late afternoon to go to a gathering at a friends' house. Of course, I looked horrible. Everyone kept asking me what was wrong with my eye and I had to explain that my toddler did it. She had no idea she did anything wrong.
By the evening, it was feeling better and I was able to keep it open for longer periods of time. I'd go back to the washcloth every now and then. It healed on its own and was fine by the next morning. Nowadays, I keep my face away from my daughter whenever she's in one of her moods and acting all wild. She likes to play with my face, so I am very careful to watch where she's putting her hands and move them when they get to close to my eyes. I can't deal with another eye injury! (Especially when it keeps me from reading....)
This week, Mom of Many asks: Have you ever had an injury stop you from doing something you really wanted to do? How did you deal with that?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
Not to give myself a kaynehore, but I have thankfully never broken any bones. I can't really say I was sidelined from doing anything exciting or important. (Unlike my sister who had to travel around Disney World in a cast when she was in high school and missed a season of Color Guard competitions.)
I've dealt with some ridiculous injuries, but those didn't even stop me from doing stuff I wanted....at least until a few weeks ago.
I love to relax on Shabbat and can usually get through a good chunk of the novel I'm reading during that time. However, a few weeks ago, I was playing with my daughter and she did something where she whipped her hand at my face and managed to scratch my eye. I thought it would be something simple as her poking my eye and a washcloth with water on it would make it okay in a few minutes. No....this was like the time I injured my eye on a shelf right before my job interview. This time, she scratched the "bad eye" (meaning the one I don't see as well out of if the other one is covered). I thought I could get by with keeping that eye covered with a wet washcloth and see out of my good eye. Being in a well lit room made me want to also close my good eye, so seeing anything wasn't really an option. To top it off, my husband was at shul and I was home with all three kids who expected me to make them breakfast when I couldn't even see to get my own breakfast. I had to leave them to their own devices and hope that the boys would keep my daughter out of trouble. Naturally, I found her standing in an empty bathtub demanding to have a bath. The boys were upset that I couldn't do anything for them. And worst of all, I couldn't read! For the most part, I laid in bed with my eye covered and listened for any trouble from the kids. (Since we forgot to turn on the basement light before Shabbat, the kids had to play upstairs.)
When my husband got home, he took over getting our lunch together and watching the kids so I could sleep afterward. The nap helped a little. I was able to get out of the house by late afternoon to go to a gathering at a friends' house. Of course, I looked horrible. Everyone kept asking me what was wrong with my eye and I had to explain that my toddler did it. She had no idea she did anything wrong.
By the evening, it was feeling better and I was able to keep it open for longer periods of time. I'd go back to the washcloth every now and then. It healed on its own and was fine by the next morning. Nowadays, I keep my face away from my daughter whenever she's in one of her moods and acting all wild. She likes to play with my face, so I am very careful to watch where she's putting her hands and move them when they get to close to my eyes. I can't deal with another eye injury! (Especially when it keeps me from reading....)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
52 Stories: 1,000 Envelopes
Inspired by One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern, I've decided to ask people some thought provoking questions about themselves, as I feel that everyone has a story to tell. If you're just joining me on this journey today, please check out the previous posts from this series, as well.
I knew this storyteller in person before we actually connected over a shared love of the same kind of books. She now is part of my book blogging team and I'm glad it gives us an excuse to talk even more.
When I contact people to do this project, they have the option of answering all the questions or just answering one with a longer story. This is the first storyteller to choose the latter.
Name: Miriam
Age: Withheld
Gender: Female
Location: Maryland
What is something you did that changed someone's life?
Every year, I mail close to 1,000 college recommendations. Whenever I think about the sheer act of licking that many envelope flaps, my brain reels, but there it is.
As the sole eleventh-grade English instructor in a program that caters to high-achieving humanities students, I get a lot of recommendation requests. During the course of a typical school year, anywhere between 75-90 students will ask me to send in their recs. Since I tend to like almost all of my students, and because I understand just how vital the college admissions process is for their future, I have a really hard time saying no when they ask me for help.
One thing I insist upon, however, is a well-written thank you note. It's the least a student can do for subjecting me to endless unpaid hours of work. Every year, I post the notes on my office closet, and though the cards often come with little tokens like chocolate or Starbucks gift cards, it's the notes I love the most. Quite often, students tell me that they got into school because of me, or that I changed the way they look at something important. The first assertion I almost never believe, so I tell them that they got themselves into school and I just nudged it along. But the second compliment I let myself accept whole-heartedly. It's my job to teach teenagers how to think and critically analyze situations so they can carry those skills into adulthood. If I help even one student each year (and I'm hoping that it's more, but whatever), then it's worth all of those unpaid hours of sitting under piles of college forms and letters.
I knew this storyteller in person before we actually connected over a shared love of the same kind of books. She now is part of my book blogging team and I'm glad it gives us an excuse to talk even more.
When I contact people to do this project, they have the option of answering all the questions or just answering one with a longer story. This is the first storyteller to choose the latter.
Name: Miriam
Age: Withheld
Gender: Female
Location: Maryland
What is something you did that changed someone's life?
Every year, I mail close to 1,000 college recommendations. Whenever I think about the sheer act of licking that many envelope flaps, my brain reels, but there it is.
As the sole eleventh-grade English instructor in a program that caters to high-achieving humanities students, I get a lot of recommendation requests. During the course of a typical school year, anywhere between 75-90 students will ask me to send in their recs. Since I tend to like almost all of my students, and because I understand just how vital the college admissions process is for their future, I have a really hard time saying no when they ask me for help.
One thing I insist upon, however, is a well-written thank you note. It's the least a student can do for subjecting me to endless unpaid hours of work. Every year, I post the notes on my office closet, and though the cards often come with little tokens like chocolate or Starbucks gift cards, it's the notes I love the most. Quite often, students tell me that they got into school because of me, or that I changed the way they look at something important. The first assertion I almost never believe, so I tell them that they got themselves into school and I just nudged it along. But the second compliment I let myself accept whole-heartedly. It's my job to teach teenagers how to think and critically analyze situations so they can carry those skills into adulthood. If I help even one student each year (and I'm hoping that it's more, but whatever), then it's worth all of those unpaid hours of sitting under piles of college forms and letters.
Friday, May 10, 2013
I don't only read books!
I've been blogging with three fabulous women for two years and have been enjoying all the fun topics we come up with week after week. If you want to see what we've discussed in the past, check out our posts here.
This week, I chose the topic: Magazines
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
When I was a kid, I developed a fascination with magazines. My parents would leave People and Redbook laying around the house and I would find articles of interest and read them to my heart's content. When my parents felt I should have age appropriate magazines, they would buy me the ones with pin-ups and information about celebrities, such as Bop!, Teen Beat, Tiger Beat, etc. My bedroom walls were covered with the pin-ups of all the hot guy celebrities of the time. (Think New Kids on the Block and Patrick Swayze here.)
I also wanted more intelligent magazines with articles of interest to pre-teen and teen girls, which is how I got started on Seventeen, Teen, YM and the best one of all, Sassy. I found some pen pals through Teen and entered a contest to write for Sassy. (I was 13 and coming off a high from working on the school newspaper.) My teen magazine addiction carried through high school and partially into college.
Around my last year of college, I started reading Cosmopolitan and subscribed shortly thereafter. Then I found out about Glamour and, of course, had to subscribe to that too! They are magazines more suited to a 20-something crowd. I lost interest in them when I became a mother. (However, I'll read parts while waiting in line at CVS or at my hairstylist's.) At that time, I got more into magazines like Parenting and Parents, as well as the freebies like Baby Talk and American Baby, which were both really thin.
Realizing that I needed some magazines that spoke to me as a woman, I subscribed to Redbook and Ladies Home Journal. I also get Family Circle, but that's more for recipes and special interest articles. In the meantime, people would bring back issues of People and US Weekly to my office and I'd grab them as soon as I saw them laying in the kitchen, waiting to be read again. (Recently, a co-worker left them on my chair instead of delivering them to the kitchen, as they'd end up with me anyway.) I also got a deal through a website for Entertainment and have a year subscription now. I love catching up on movie and TV news that way.
My magazine tastes are definitely diverse and I end up looking like a hoarder with the variety I have laying around my house. In all fairness, I give them to my friends when I'm finished, as well as bring the back issues of my woman-themed magazines for others at the office to read.
Magazines have so much to offer....advice, pop culture news, recipes, decorating tips, ways to entertain kids, fashion and make-up ideas, etc. They're just so entertaining and addictive. I am glad they're available as extra reading material when I don't have time to focus on the book I'm currently devouring or I just need something light to distract me after a long day.
This week, I chose the topic: Magazines
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
When I was a kid, I developed a fascination with magazines. My parents would leave People and Redbook laying around the house and I would find articles of interest and read them to my heart's content. When my parents felt I should have age appropriate magazines, they would buy me the ones with pin-ups and information about celebrities, such as Bop!, Teen Beat, Tiger Beat, etc. My bedroom walls were covered with the pin-ups of all the hot guy celebrities of the time. (Think New Kids on the Block and Patrick Swayze here.)
I also wanted more intelligent magazines with articles of interest to pre-teen and teen girls, which is how I got started on Seventeen, Teen, YM and the best one of all, Sassy. I found some pen pals through Teen and entered a contest to write for Sassy. (I was 13 and coming off a high from working on the school newspaper.) My teen magazine addiction carried through high school and partially into college.
Around my last year of college, I started reading Cosmopolitan and subscribed shortly thereafter. Then I found out about Glamour and, of course, had to subscribe to that too! They are magazines more suited to a 20-something crowd. I lost interest in them when I became a mother. (However, I'll read parts while waiting in line at CVS or at my hairstylist's.) At that time, I got more into magazines like Parenting and Parents, as well as the freebies like Baby Talk and American Baby, which were both really thin.
Realizing that I needed some magazines that spoke to me as a woman, I subscribed to Redbook and Ladies Home Journal. I also get Family Circle, but that's more for recipes and special interest articles. In the meantime, people would bring back issues of People and US Weekly to my office and I'd grab them as soon as I saw them laying in the kitchen, waiting to be read again. (Recently, a co-worker left them on my chair instead of delivering them to the kitchen, as they'd end up with me anyway.) I also got a deal through a website for Entertainment and have a year subscription now. I love catching up on movie and TV news that way.
My magazine tastes are definitely diverse and I end up looking like a hoarder with the variety I have laying around my house. In all fairness, I give them to my friends when I'm finished, as well as bring the back issues of my woman-themed magazines for others at the office to read.
Magazines have so much to offer....advice, pop culture news, recipes, decorating tips, ways to entertain kids, fashion and make-up ideas, etc. They're just so entertaining and addictive. I am glad they're available as extra reading material when I don't have time to focus on the book I'm currently devouring or I just need something light to distract me after a long day.
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| Some of the latest from my "collection" |
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
52 Stories: A Whole New World
Inspired by One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern, I've decided to ask people some thought provoking questions about themselves, as I feel that everyone has a story to tell. If you're just joining me on this journey today, please check out the previous posts from this series, as well.
I met this storyteller through...you guessed it...my book blog. She's always participating in giveaways and I've enjoyed getting to know her through her answers to all my bonus questions. I also love that she calls herself a "Literary Chanteuse."
Name: Margaret Faria
Age: 41
Gender: Female
Location: British Columbia, Canada
What is an experience that is legendary for you?
I worked on a Cultural Representative program for a year at Disney World in Orlando,Florida. It was an amazing experience! I met people from all over the world and to this day I am in touch with all of my international friends.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate
What is something you've never done but you would like to do?
I have always wanted to be the voice for a Disney character both the speaking and singing.
If you could give someone one of your favorite things as a gift, what would it be and why?
I'd give a book and often do. I love to read and love to share the reading experience with others.
What is something you did that changed someone's life?
I remember a friend once was having a difficult time making a decision and I was supportive and helped her make her choice.
What part of your personality is now extinct?
I used to be quite shy as a child. I've gotten over that fear and am usually very chatty.
What is one thing that you find really funny?
I love British humor. It is dry, witty and sharp but I love it.
Tell me one thing you love about yourself (or a gift you'd like to get yourself, where money is not an issue):
I love that I have the ability to sing and have a very good ear for music. It comes naturally and as far back as I can remember it's been a part of me.
What TV show, book or movie is most like your life?
I'd say Selena with Jennifer Lopez. Of course more her early years as a child singing.
What is something that not many people know about you?
I love classical music and listen to it often. Although I sing music that is more popular I have always loved classical. I have also read about many composers and travelled to many European sites just to see their homes etc.
I met this storyteller through...you guessed it...my book blog. She's always participating in giveaways and I've enjoyed getting to know her through her answers to all my bonus questions. I also love that she calls herself a "Literary Chanteuse."
Name: Margaret Faria
Age: 41
Gender: Female
Location: British Columbia, Canada
What is an experience that is legendary for you?
I worked on a Cultural Representative program for a year at Disney World in Orlando,Florida. It was an amazing experience! I met people from all over the world and to this day I am in touch with all of my international friends.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate
What is something you've never done but you would like to do?
I have always wanted to be the voice for a Disney character both the speaking and singing.
If you could give someone one of your favorite things as a gift, what would it be and why?
I'd give a book and often do. I love to read and love to share the reading experience with others.
What is something you did that changed someone's life?
I remember a friend once was having a difficult time making a decision and I was supportive and helped her make her choice.
What part of your personality is now extinct?
I used to be quite shy as a child. I've gotten over that fear and am usually very chatty.
What is one thing that you find really funny?
I love British humor. It is dry, witty and sharp but I love it.
Tell me one thing you love about yourself (or a gift you'd like to get yourself, where money is not an issue):
I love that I have the ability to sing and have a very good ear for music. It comes naturally and as far back as I can remember it's been a part of me.
What TV show, book or movie is most like your life?
I'd say Selena with Jennifer Lopez. Of course more her early years as a child singing.
What is something that not many people know about you?
I love classical music and listen to it often. Although I sing music that is more popular I have always loved classical. I have also read about many composers and travelled to many European sites just to see their homes etc.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Treasures over Time
I've been blogging with three fabulous women for two years and have been enjoying all the fun topics we come up with week after week. If you want to see what we've discussed in the past, check out our posts here.
This week, Moma Rock chose the topic: Talk about some of the items you have in your possession that you've had for a really long time. They can be heirlooms, or other priceless treasures of yours that you've held onto.
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
Back in good ol' 1990, I graduated from the most hellish place on earth...junior high. To commemorate this milestone in my life, my (late) maternal grandmother got me a necklace with my name. It was simplistically pretty. The writing was in gold (probably not authentic gold, but it was still gold to me) and there was a little diamond-like gem dotting the "i". I wore it every day for quite some time. I even made a speech about it in a Forensics class that I took during sophomore year of high school. What drove me crazy was people thinking they could call me by name without actually knowing me. Although I didn't mind the cute guy who figured out my last name just by looking at my necklace that bore only my first name. I still have that necklace and still wear it often. It's something I'll always be able to remember my grandma by.
I don't really know what else to talk about in terms of what I've owned for a long period of time. Some of it is random, like journals or mix tapes that friends made for me. I have some clothes dating back to my college days. I still even have my high school jacket and ring. I have photos from various periods of time. I also have stuff in our china cabinet that was passed down from grandparents on my side and my husband's side.
The other item I'd like to give mention to is the diamond from my engagement ring. After the Holocaust, my husband's grandparents moved from Hungary to Cleveland. His grandfather was a jeweler and saved two diamonds for my husband and brother-in-law to give to their wives when they asked for their hand in marriage. I love that there's history behind my ring, even though I never met my husband's grandparents. It's more meaningful to me to know that these diamonds were chosen by someone who instinctively knew that they'd go to the right people someday and that they weren't just chosen at a random jewelry store.
This week, Moma Rock chose the topic: Talk about some of the items you have in your possession that you've had for a really long time. They can be heirlooms, or other priceless treasures of yours that you've held onto.
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
Back in good ol' 1990, I graduated from the most hellish place on earth...junior high. To commemorate this milestone in my life, my (late) maternal grandmother got me a necklace with my name. It was simplistically pretty. The writing was in gold (probably not authentic gold, but it was still gold to me) and there was a little diamond-like gem dotting the "i". I wore it every day for quite some time. I even made a speech about it in a Forensics class that I took during sophomore year of high school. What drove me crazy was people thinking they could call me by name without actually knowing me. Although I didn't mind the cute guy who figured out my last name just by looking at my necklace that bore only my first name. I still have that necklace and still wear it often. It's something I'll always be able to remember my grandma by.
I don't really know what else to talk about in terms of what I've owned for a long period of time. Some of it is random, like journals or mix tapes that friends made for me. I have some clothes dating back to my college days. I still even have my high school jacket and ring. I have photos from various periods of time. I also have stuff in our china cabinet that was passed down from grandparents on my side and my husband's side.
The other item I'd like to give mention to is the diamond from my engagement ring. After the Holocaust, my husband's grandparents moved from Hungary to Cleveland. His grandfather was a jeweler and saved two diamonds for my husband and brother-in-law to give to their wives when they asked for their hand in marriage. I love that there's history behind my ring, even though I never met my husband's grandparents. It's more meaningful to me to know that these diamonds were chosen by someone who instinctively knew that they'd go to the right people someday and that they weren't just chosen at a random jewelry store.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
52 Stories: A yarn of a tale
Inspired by One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern, I've decided to ask people some thought provoking questions about themselves, as I feel that everyone has a story to tell. If you're just joining me on this journey today, please check out the previous posts from this series, as well.
I met this storyteller through my book blog, as well. She's taken the time to e-mail me to thank me for books that she's won, and I've enjoyed chatting with her about other topics, as well. I found that this 52 Stories post was a great way to get to know even more about her, which led to conversations I never thought we would have.
Name: Lauren McCormick
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Location: Fort Worth, TX
What is an experience that is legendary for you?
I agreed to go on a blind date and it was love at first sight! We went to dinner and a movie on a Friday, then Saturday we spent 12 hours at Six Flags, and on Sunday I invited him to my house for dinner and a movie. It was on that day, our third date in a row, that we both knew we'd get married. We dated seven months, spending every day together, and got engaged on Christmas Eve. Two months later, my husband, who was a crew chief on the B52 in the Air Force, was scheduled to go to the Gulf War. He asked me to marry him before he left, so we sort of eloped, however my parents gave us the loveliest wedding ceremony and party in very short notice! Since my in-laws couldn't make the trip, we had them on speaker phone so they could be a part of our wedding. Our pictures have a phone cord running down the center between us! We have been happily married for 21 years as of Valentine's Day 2013. Other than the birth of our son, our Valenersary, is our favorite day of the year! The best part is, a month later, his plane was taken off the list and he never went to war! He told me I was his lifesaver, and even bought me a lifesaver jacket charm!
What is your guilty pleasure?
I'm a chocoholic! I have to be careful because once I get a craving for chocolate its hard to control myself! My favorite guilty pleasure however, is Bottle Caps! I've loved them since childhood and now they come in a box for just a dollar! When I go to a movie theater there's a box in my purse. Shhh, don't tell. I say an open box is an empty box!
What is something you've never done but would like to do?
That's an easy question for me! Through an online game, I met my best friend who lives in Spain. We would communicate on each other's walls and wanted privacy after a few months, so my husband found an App that we could text and send pics for free. After a few months we wanted so much to speak to one another. Again, my husband found an App that allowed us to talk on our cell phones for free! We talked for hours every day! We just celebrated one year of our blessed friendship, and now I pray with tax return I'll go to Spain, so we can finally meet!
I'm actually afraid of flying even though I've flown a lot, and going all the way to Spain has my heart beating in my throat! Getting to meet my best friend, however, is well worth facing my fear!
If you could give someone one of your favorite things as a gift, what would it be and why?
I've been crocheting for 40 years now. This hobby allows me to create items from my heart.
When I'm making something, I meditate and pray with every stitch I make. Giving what I make to someone is very therapeutic for me. I love to make washcloths while waiting for the nurse to call me for back for my doctor appointment. It warms my heart to surprise her with it!
What I enjoy most, is giving an elderly woman in a nursing home a prayer shawl or lapghan to an elderly man. That act of kindness has blessed me ten fold throughout the years. I rarely keep anything I make. I always have someone in mind, and when I hand them an item, I know they'll cherish it for many years to come. Crocheting is a blessing and I love sharing it with everyone!
What is something you did that changed someone's life?
When my son was nine years old, after years of infertility and artificial insemination procedures to give him a younger sibling, and being told by one of the top professionals that my husband and I were one of the one percent of couples who have a biological child and have no reason to not reproduce, we chose to adopt. Our son had just seen the movie, Annie, and exclaimed, "I want a sister and she needs to be five years old!" Out of the mouths of babes!
We had workshops and licensing classes for about a year. When our adoption agency called us and told us they had found exactly what our son wanted, only she had a younger brother that they didn't want to separate, my first thought was, "Oy Vey, what are we doing?!?"
We met the children a few days later and instantly knew in both our hearts, these were our kids!
Yes, it was a difficult transformation to go from a family of three to a family of five overnight! There were counseling appointments twice a week and many hours of documenting behavior, conversations, and how we as a family were acclimating to our new lives together. We had home visits by our agency and CPS three times a month. All this and learning to parent three kids, all with their own baggage! Yet through it all, my husband and I knew without a shadow of a doubt, we signed on for a life long Mitzvah, and God had hand picked these kids for us!
What part of your personality is extinct?
I was a workaholic from the time I graduated college to just six years ago. For 22 years I was a school teacher and my day started at five a.m., because I "had" to walk into the school with the custodial staff! Even though I was working on curriculum and my classroom for a good two hours prior to students walking in, I then stayed after school for another two hours. The routine was, when my husband called, it was time for me to head home! Time seemed to fly during those years!
I loved teaching, and unfortunately my career was cut short way before I was ready to retire. Due to a spinal injury, neck and shoulder damage, and nerve pain, my day starts whenever I wake up. I move much slower, and make appointments as late in the day as possible.
So, I'd say for sure, being a workaholic is definitely extinct! I went from the speedy rabbit in the race to the turtle. I'm okay with that though, as I sure can read a lot more books than I've ever read! And time still seems to fly by.
What is one thing that you find really funny?
I'm going to say there are two things I find really funny. My husband and my oldest son always know how to have me in tears from laughter! Whether I'm feeling sad or stressed out, one of them or both together, will tell me a joke or act out someone's actions, and every time without fail, I'm laughing, giggling, and feeling much better! I love that about them! I have to be very careful when we're out in public, because when they get going, I may not have a bathroom close enough to run to from laughing so hard!!
Tell me one thing you love about yourself or a gift you'd get yourself where money isn't an issue?
I like how easily I can strike up a conversation with anyone. I have a very outgoing personality and when I go into a store I'll talk to the clerk behind the counter or someone standing in line. I'll tell a woman passing by me that I like her purse and ask where she bought it too! Haha
What TV show, book, or movie is most like your life?
I think the relationship between Monica and Chandler, from the sitcom Friends, reminds me very much of my husband and I. One of my favorite moments was when Monica was upset that she was high maintenance, and Chandler told her, But I like maintaining you. My husband and I laughed all day about that because he'd already told me that long before we saw it on the show!
If you are familiar with the show you'll understand the comparison when I say my husbands always telling me to be quieter as I speak very loudly, and like I mentioned earlier, my husbands always making me laugh, just like Chandler always had something funny to say no matter how serious the situation was.
What is something that not many people know about you?
I don't have a sense of smell. I had to do a lot of diaper changing because of that! Smell and taste are very important together for most foods, so I also taste foods differently than most people. My kids favorite thing to do, whennt hey were young, was to have me taste Jelly Belly's and tell them what flavor they were. I could never win at this game!
I met this storyteller through my book blog, as well. She's taken the time to e-mail me to thank me for books that she's won, and I've enjoyed chatting with her about other topics, as well. I found that this 52 Stories post was a great way to get to know even more about her, which led to conversations I never thought we would have.
Name: Lauren McCormick
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Location: Fort Worth, TX
What is an experience that is legendary for you?
I agreed to go on a blind date and it was love at first sight! We went to dinner and a movie on a Friday, then Saturday we spent 12 hours at Six Flags, and on Sunday I invited him to my house for dinner and a movie. It was on that day, our third date in a row, that we both knew we'd get married. We dated seven months, spending every day together, and got engaged on Christmas Eve. Two months later, my husband, who was a crew chief on the B52 in the Air Force, was scheduled to go to the Gulf War. He asked me to marry him before he left, so we sort of eloped, however my parents gave us the loveliest wedding ceremony and party in very short notice! Since my in-laws couldn't make the trip, we had them on speaker phone so they could be a part of our wedding. Our pictures have a phone cord running down the center between us! We have been happily married for 21 years as of Valentine's Day 2013. Other than the birth of our son, our Valenersary, is our favorite day of the year! The best part is, a month later, his plane was taken off the list and he never went to war! He told me I was his lifesaver, and even bought me a lifesaver jacket charm!
What is your guilty pleasure?
I'm a chocoholic! I have to be careful because once I get a craving for chocolate its hard to control myself! My favorite guilty pleasure however, is Bottle Caps! I've loved them since childhood and now they come in a box for just a dollar! When I go to a movie theater there's a box in my purse. Shhh, don't tell. I say an open box is an empty box!
What is something you've never done but would like to do?
That's an easy question for me! Through an online game, I met my best friend who lives in Spain. We would communicate on each other's walls and wanted privacy after a few months, so my husband found an App that we could text and send pics for free. After a few months we wanted so much to speak to one another. Again, my husband found an App that allowed us to talk on our cell phones for free! We talked for hours every day! We just celebrated one year of our blessed friendship, and now I pray with tax return I'll go to Spain, so we can finally meet!
I'm actually afraid of flying even though I've flown a lot, and going all the way to Spain has my heart beating in my throat! Getting to meet my best friend, however, is well worth facing my fear!
If you could give someone one of your favorite things as a gift, what would it be and why?
I've been crocheting for 40 years now. This hobby allows me to create items from my heart.
When I'm making something, I meditate and pray with every stitch I make. Giving what I make to someone is very therapeutic for me. I love to make washcloths while waiting for the nurse to call me for back for my doctor appointment. It warms my heart to surprise her with it!
What I enjoy most, is giving an elderly woman in a nursing home a prayer shawl or lapghan to an elderly man. That act of kindness has blessed me ten fold throughout the years. I rarely keep anything I make. I always have someone in mind, and when I hand them an item, I know they'll cherish it for many years to come. Crocheting is a blessing and I love sharing it with everyone!
What is something you did that changed someone's life?
When my son was nine years old, after years of infertility and artificial insemination procedures to give him a younger sibling, and being told by one of the top professionals that my husband and I were one of the one percent of couples who have a biological child and have no reason to not reproduce, we chose to adopt. Our son had just seen the movie, Annie, and exclaimed, "I want a sister and she needs to be five years old!" Out of the mouths of babes!
We had workshops and licensing classes for about a year. When our adoption agency called us and told us they had found exactly what our son wanted, only she had a younger brother that they didn't want to separate, my first thought was, "Oy Vey, what are we doing?!?"
We met the children a few days later and instantly knew in both our hearts, these were our kids!
Yes, it was a difficult transformation to go from a family of three to a family of five overnight! There were counseling appointments twice a week and many hours of documenting behavior, conversations, and how we as a family were acclimating to our new lives together. We had home visits by our agency and CPS three times a month. All this and learning to parent three kids, all with their own baggage! Yet through it all, my husband and I knew without a shadow of a doubt, we signed on for a life long Mitzvah, and God had hand picked these kids for us!
What part of your personality is extinct?
I was a workaholic from the time I graduated college to just six years ago. For 22 years I was a school teacher and my day started at five a.m., because I "had" to walk into the school with the custodial staff! Even though I was working on curriculum and my classroom for a good two hours prior to students walking in, I then stayed after school for another two hours. The routine was, when my husband called, it was time for me to head home! Time seemed to fly during those years!
I loved teaching, and unfortunately my career was cut short way before I was ready to retire. Due to a spinal injury, neck and shoulder damage, and nerve pain, my day starts whenever I wake up. I move much slower, and make appointments as late in the day as possible.
So, I'd say for sure, being a workaholic is definitely extinct! I went from the speedy rabbit in the race to the turtle. I'm okay with that though, as I sure can read a lot more books than I've ever read! And time still seems to fly by.
What is one thing that you find really funny?
I'm going to say there are two things I find really funny. My husband and my oldest son always know how to have me in tears from laughter! Whether I'm feeling sad or stressed out, one of them or both together, will tell me a joke or act out someone's actions, and every time without fail, I'm laughing, giggling, and feeling much better! I love that about them! I have to be very careful when we're out in public, because when they get going, I may not have a bathroom close enough to run to from laughing so hard!!
Tell me one thing you love about yourself or a gift you'd get yourself where money isn't an issue?
I like how easily I can strike up a conversation with anyone. I have a very outgoing personality and when I go into a store I'll talk to the clerk behind the counter or someone standing in line. I'll tell a woman passing by me that I like her purse and ask where she bought it too! Haha
What TV show, book, or movie is most like your life?
I think the relationship between Monica and Chandler, from the sitcom Friends, reminds me very much of my husband and I. One of my favorite moments was when Monica was upset that she was high maintenance, and Chandler told her, But I like maintaining you. My husband and I laughed all day about that because he'd already told me that long before we saw it on the show!
If you are familiar with the show you'll understand the comparison when I say my husbands always telling me to be quieter as I speak very loudly, and like I mentioned earlier, my husbands always making me laugh, just like Chandler always had something funny to say no matter how serious the situation was.
What is something that not many people know about you?
I don't have a sense of smell. I had to do a lot of diaper changing because of that! Smell and taste are very important together for most foods, so I also taste foods differently than most people. My kids favorite thing to do, whennt hey were young, was to have me taste Jelly Belly's and tell them what flavor they were. I could never win at this game!
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