My dear friend Joanie sent me this. It’s supposed to be one of those email lists that you fill out and pass on to other people. I decided I would grease my blogging wheels by doing it on here instead, and inviting anyone who reads this to fill it out on their own blogs …

Let me know if you do, so that I can come over to look – ok?

And so … here goes …

1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing?

I don’t like blue cheese dressing … I love blue cheese dressing. *drool*

2. Have you ever smoked heroin?

Smoked heroin? Is that what you’re supposed to do with it? No, I’ve never smoked heroin … or done anything else with it, for that matter.

3. Do you own a gun?

Yes … more than one. After last fall’s burglaries, I sleep with one. Hubby works nights, and there’s no way to secure this old house.

4. Your favorite drink at Starbucks or other specialty?

I’ve never been to Starbucks … and don’t normally go places to buy drinks.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?

Emphatically yes. Pathologically, in fact.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?

Not my favorite, but I really do like an occasional steamed dog with lots of stuff on it.

7. Favorite Christmas song?

Minuit Chrétien (Oh Holy Night, in French)

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?

Perked coffee – strong, hot, black and unsweetened.

9. Can you do push ups?

Never. Not in my whole life.

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?

Not into jewelry. I wear a cheap Walmart watch for convenience. I (very) occasionally wear earrings. I do, however, wear toe rings all year long. No favorites, though.

11. Favorite hobby?

I have a lot of “favorites” … depending in the season, and other things going on.

I love gardening … blogging … Tunisian crochet … creating areas for online MUDs … playing on online muds … etc. … etc. …

12. Do you have A.D.D.?

I really don’t think I do.

13. What’s one trait that you hate about yourself?

My inability to communicate verbally with certain people.

14. Middle name?

I’m a Franco: Jeannine-Marie

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?

1) Wondering if I should be doing this.
2) Wondering how forthcoming I dare be.
3) Wondering if I’ll actually click “Publish” when I’m done.

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?

There are only two: perked coffee (both hot and iced) and Moxie

17. Current worry right now?

Ummm … you don’t wanna go there, believe me.

18. Current hate right now?

Officials who are dishonest.

19. Favorite place to be?

Camp – up in Acton, Maine

20. How did you bring in the New Year?

I slept.

21. Like to travel?

I love to travel. If I could afford it, my next stop would be India. :o)

22. Name three people who will complete this?

Absolutely no clue – whoever’s as numb as I am, I guess. *LOL*

23. Do you own slippers?

Yes, but my bare feet are a lot more comfy.

24. What color shirt are you wearing?

I’m not – I’m in a nightgown. ;o)

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?

No. I like the feel of nice soft jersey better – or even just plain cotton. Not into satin.

26. Can you whistle?

Oh my goodness! The poor birds would fall from the sky in mid-flight if tried! (Make that a NO!)

27. Favorite color?

Cobalt blue – particularly clear blue glass.

28. Would you be a pirate?

heh … Dude! I am a pirate! LOL

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?

I don’t sing in the shower. I’m sure I would drown if I tried.

30. Favorite girl’s name?

If I’d had one more girl, she would have been Dawn Althea.

31. Favorite boy’s name?

Hmm … Doug and I had to bust our brains to come up with a name for the third boy. I think I’m out of boy names.

32. What’s in your pocket right now?

My nightgown doesn’t have any pockets. ;o)

33. Last thing that made you laugh?

Watching my son Dougie’s antics … *rolls eyes*. He was a GREAT kid … but he saved all of his mischief for when he became an adult! Now he’s bigger than I am, so I can’t spank him! ;o)

34. Best bed sheets as a child?

… ??? … eh? Bedsheets were bedsheets. I didn’t know one from the other. They were all white, clean, and smelled nice.

35. Worst injury you’ve ever had?

Busting a kidney when I fell down a flight of stairs as a toddler.

36. Do you love where you live?

No. No. No. No. No. No. … ad nauseam …

37. How many TVs do you have in your house?

1 … which is seldom turned on.

38. Who is your loudest friend?

Fr. Bob G.

40. Does someone have a crush on you?

Omigod. Poor deluded souls. I should hope not.

41. What is your favorite book?

Don’t have one. Haven’t read anything but text books in years.

42 What is your favorite candy?

Baking Soda Candy

43. Favorite Sports Team?

I cannot abide sports. My eyes glaze over at the mere mention. I don’t know one team from another. I don’t believe there’s been a sport on our television in this house – ever. None of us watch them.

44. What were you doing 12 AM last night?

Talking to Hans Engel on Skype, I believe … while also holding an IM conversation with SmallTownDoc. I don’t multitask well at that time of night, but I do enjoy talking to both of them.

45. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning?

That I was already nearly at the end of my vacation … :o(

Okies! That’s it! If you read this – consider yourself TAGGED! (YO! Vijay!!!! *cough*)

Sometimes, I feel a bit like a juggler … trying to keep too many balls in the air. A week, maybe two, go by, and I think that it was only yesterday that I put up a post … or well, maybe the day before yesterday; I’m almost always shocked to discover how long it’s actually been. I’ve got a load of posts in mind which I’d really like to write, but it’s been so hard to find the time.

I want to apologize to my dear friends (here and here) who keep trying to draw me back into blogging by feeding me Memes … only they know how far behind I’ve gotten in trying to keep up with them all.

Dear sweet Cathy meme’d me in the beginning of September, and I’m just now getting around to doing something with it. Here are the rules:

What’s in a name?

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts
.4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Cathy has a nice middle name … short and sweet: Lynn. Her post looks great! However, I’m from Franco American stock (French Canadian immigrants to the US,) and my middle moniker is easily longer than my first and last names together! Folks, this is gonna take a minute … *cough*

My middle name is Jeannine-Marie … after my Godmother (Jeannine, née Thériault.) The second part of my middle name, Marie, is traditional … my mother was Anne-Marie, I’m Jeannine-Marie, and my daughter is Nataine-Marie. People from my parents’ generation, and my own, almost all had some variant of Marie or Joseph as part of their middle name, if it wasn’t already their first name.

Okay … without further ado … here goes …

1) J In several different MUD games, I’m known as either Jubilee or JudicÄ…. Both of those characters are “immortals,” or “GMs,” and are known for the original playing areas they’ve created.

2) E – I think that almost anything is Easier than math! I flunked Every math courses in High School but Geometry. However, I redeemed myself in college last year by getting a nearly perfect score in Algebra. My HS teaches would never believe it! (Even I don’t believe it!)

3) A – I was once a hippy on the streets of Atlanta. Peace, man! We traveled Across the country in a van, and had an awful Adventure on the Mexican border. Hmm … that might make good blog fodder … ;o)

4) N – I once began writing a fantasy/sci fi Novel, which I named Jardin. I stopped when I was less than 2 chapters from the end of Volume 1, although I had the entire trilogy outlined in advance.

5) N – I have a very low tolerance for Noise, and I seem to be getting worse as I age. I think it’s due to my otosclerosis.

6) I – I spent some time in Great Lakes, Illinois as a younger woman. I was on the last passenger train trip between Milwaukee and North Chicago … when we got off the train that night, they retired that route.

7) N – Until my late teens, I always wanted to become a Nun … but I got over it … *cough*

9) - – I think that men in uniform are simply —ing ;o)

10) M – I’ve written reams of Music in the past, some of which is still sung by certain religious groups in New England.

11) A – My favorite place to be is on a quiet little lake in Acton, Maine.

12) R – I Regret that I wasn’t able to have more children. I wanted another daughter very badly, but it wasn’t meant to be.

13) I – Of all the countries I’ve ever visited, Israel is my favorite, and India is where I want to visit next.

14) E – I would give Everything I own (plus some) to leave New England and move back down south …

That’s it! I did it! And those of you who are still awake get a medal!

And now, I’m not going to tag anyone … I mean, come on, people! I’d have to tag over a dozen of you! *blink* If you like the meme, consider yourself poked at!

Also … I’m going to have to put a moratorium on accepting MEMEs, for at least a little while. I would really like to have time to work on other posts, and but I’m always so far behind with the MEMEs that I can’t get beyond them. Please forgive me … I don’t mean to be a spoilsport. Once I’m caught up again, I’ll declare the moratorium over by launching an original MEME at a load of you … so look out! ;o)

JMB was given a rather nice award by Lady MacLeod from over at Braveheart does the Maghreb.. It’s called the Thoughtful Blogger Award, and it was originally created by Writer’s Reviews. Here is the information behind the award:

The Thoughtful Blogger Award

For those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for all of those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping others bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.

While I have no problem understanding why JMB got the award, I’m still amazed that she chose to pass it on to me. I haven’t been in here much in the last few months, although I’ve wanted to be. I guess JMB is one of those special people who read intentions rather than actions …

Thank you, dear heart!

Now … for people to pass it on to …

First of all … I’ve got to pass it on to Vijay. Yes, I know! I always hit Vijay when I get something like this, however this isn’t just to pull his chain, he really deserves this. He has a very friendly blog, is always helping people, and always interacts with everyone who visits him. If anyone deserves this, Vijay does.

Another person who comes to mind immediately is Chrysalis Angel. Those of you who don’t know her – are missing out. She’s one of the kindest, sweetest and most thoughtful people I know. Take a look for yourself.

Almost afraid to do this … because I never know what the heck he’s going to do once he gets the ball in his corner of the court (Llamas, anyone? *blink*) … but Dr. Rob deserves this award, too! He’s not only courteous, helpful, and friendly, he’s also better than Prozac if you need an uplift!

Cathy is another one who really deserves this. She spends herself selflessly for so many causes, and is always there for her blog friends. When she deleted her blog a while back, I panicked. I couldn’t imagine what the blogosphere would be like without her …

And finally, Dr. Anonymous … he’s not only friendly and helpful, he’s also made a home for Blogaholics Anonymous! Another thing I’ve got to say that he’s pretty good about answering personal emails … with personal questions in them. I still appreciate his answer to one I sent him a year ago this month. :o)

I could send a ton more of these out … because there are a lot of you who deserve it. I’ll hold off so that my tagees have someone they can tag, too. That’s the hardest part of getting an award … :o(

Before I quit … I’d like to give Vijay yet another award. I think I’ll call it the “Super Duper Wicked Busy Blogger Award” … and here’s why:

Back in May, our esteemed Vijay posted the following:

$456 Billion Meme: This is twice in a row that someone else has tagged me ahead of the Arch-Tagger. Someone ought to tell her that she’s slipping.

Slipping??? Moi???

I’m not slipping! I’ve just been busy working on a top secret government project, and I’m not supposed to whisper a word about it to anyone! They’ve really had me all tied up with all of that super-secret stuff … *cough* ….

Anyway, I couldn’t help but notice that, as I’ve been busy taking care of, um, really important business, the memes have been piling up fast and deep at my doorstep …

I decided that I’d better tackle them now – before they completely take over!!!

MEME #1

First, I’m going to answer Vijay’s $456 Billion Meme. That’s a real tough one. If you haven’t seen Vijay’s response, you should – it was excellent.

If I could choose where to put all of that money, I would like to see it poured into healthcare. Among the things I’d like see done with it include programs which would encourage more young people to go into general medicine, since stats show that in the last decade, there has been a better than 50% drop in med school grads who chose to go into general practice. Reports are that we’re heading for a shortfall. A friend who left his practice to become a hospitalist told me last year that he expected family practices to be staffed solely by medical support staff in the next decade. This is not a comforting thought. I’m not knocking each profession’s role in the healthcare scheme, but I still believe that the family physician’s role should be performed by those who are, indeed, family physicians or internists. Their years of study and training were geared for exactly what they’re doing.

One more thing … I would not like to see the government be responsible for such a program. I think that the medical community understands its own needs better than anyone on the outside looking in.

MEME #2

Ipanema, that dear sweet lady, also tagged me in June. As I was going over her blog looking for the tag, I found yet another tag from this past January which I’d missed seeing. Now my face is really red! I guess I have been having a harder time getting in here and blogging than I realized … *blink* Please be patient with this old Moof … it’s not intentional, believe me …

This meme is about the “Top songs when I was 18!” Hey people, I’m not sure that music had even been invented by the time I was 18!!!

The instructions are as follows:

1. Go to www.popculturemadness.com
2. Select the year you turned 18.
3. Get all nostalgic over the hit songs of the year
4. Write about it
5. Pass this tag onto 5 others

Okay, as strange as this might sound, I’ve never followed pop music. When my peers were screaming and fainting at the sight of the Beatles, (and yes, I’m that old!) I was listening to folk music, and old French songs.

Here is the list of number one hits for the year I turned 18:

December 14 – January 31: – I Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
February 1 – February 14: Crimson And Clover Tommy James & the Shondells
February 15 – March 14: Everyday People Sly & The Family Stone
March 15 – April 11: Dizzy Tommy Roe
April 12 – May 23: Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) The 5th Dimension
May 24 – June 27: Get Back The Beatles with Billy Preston
June 28 – July 11: Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet Henry Mancini
July 12 – August 22: In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) Zager & Evans
August 23 – September 19: Honky Tonk Women The Rolling Stones
September 20 – October 17: Sugar, Sugar The Archies
October 18 – October 31: I Can’t Get Next to You The Temptations
November 1 – November 7: Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley
November 8 – November 28: Wedding Bell Blues The 5th Dimension
November 29 – December 5: Come Together The Beatles
December 6 – December 19: Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye) Steam
December 20 – December 26: Leaving On A Jet Plane Peter, Paul & Mary
December 27 – January 2: Someday We’ll Be Together Diana Ross & The Supremes

Of those songs, I believe that only three of them actually made any impression on me at the time: “Aquarius“, “In the Year 2525,” and of course “Leaving on a Jet Plane“. Some of the others, I still don’t recognize.

The songs I could wax poetic over from that era would include music by Simon and Garfunkel, Peter Paul and Mary, Rod McKuen, Joan Baez, Marianne Faithful, Joni Mitchell, Arlo Guthrie … et al.

Ipanema, my dear friend, please forgive me for dropping the ball with your lovely memes!

MEME #3

And now, another one by Vijay. Yes … dear, sweet Vijay … two, two in less than a month!!!

I’m trying hard to think up some appropriate retribution thanks for Vijay for being so kind … >;o)

This one is called: “Eight Random Facts.”

Here are the rules:

1. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
2. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
3. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been
tagged.

Oh boy. Eight! That’s a lot! I’m not even sure I can count that high …

Let me see …

1) I prefer salty flavors over sweet flavors, which is bad, since I’m not allowed salt.
2) At the age of 13, I left home to attend an all-girl’s boarding school. I loved it there.
3) Over 20 years ago, I founded a retreat ministry. It was the first of its kind.
4) All of my typing is done with 9 fingers – my right pinkie has an old mallet fracture.
5) I’m about to be a grammoof again – very very soon.
6) I can’t get my favorite food (poutine) without driving all the way to Canada … :o(
7) I want to live in the south again …
8) I love to fly in small planes, but am terrified of flying in commercial jets.

I will do my best to not drop the meme ball again. For this time, there are are just too many memes for me to tag anyone, however if anyone would like to do one these, you can certainly consider yourself tagged! Just let me know so that I can be sure to come take a peek! :o)

I have one more week off from school – just bit more than that, actually. I hope to have time to do a full blogrun over the next few days; Bloglines tells me that I’m 6074 posts behind … I think it might take me a minute or two to get caught up again, eh? *blink* If I can make that happen, I’d like to actually get into here and do a few regular posts before I have to give up my life to my next course – a doozy this time: Connectivity with Lab. This is going to be another toughie for me. I’m taking CIS with a database track, because that’s where my strengths and interests are, and where I want to end up with Medical Informatics; I’m afraid that the technician’s side of the coin is never going to be my forte – someone else is going to have to troubleshoot gnarly networks and unresponsive routers …

As you sow, so shall you reap. (Cicero)

Wise man, Cicero. A truer truism is to not be found anywhere …

Alas my friends, I am reaping the bitter fruit which was sown by my own hand …

If you look at all of those Meme’s, you’ll find that they have one thing in common: each one them has Vijay as a tag-ee! In fact, I think that the only time I was ever tagged that I didn’t in turn tag Vijay was on March 15, 2007 – An Award – in the Form of a Tag – because someone else beat me to it, and he still got an honorable mention in that one!

Well, just a bit ago, I went to take a peek at my dear friend’s blog, and lo and behold, this is what I saw:

Congratulations to Ian for tagging me before the usual suspect got around to doing it.

And thanks Ian, for giving me an opportunity to do unto the Moof before she does unto me.

Moof, I can’t wait till the end of this post to say this, so here it is…

You Are Tagged

… And he did it with such apparent relish! You would think he actually enjoyed picking on a poor, sweet, innocent, little Moofie … *blink* …

Well, there’s nothing for it but to drink the bitter dregs of revenge … *tries to muffle a stray giggle*

And so, without further whining ado … here are my 5 Reasons for Blogging …

1) Capability – It’s far, far easier for me to write – than it is for me to speak. Although I’ve gotten better at speaking up in the last year or so, my deepest feelings and thoughts still find expression far more easily (if at all) in the written word. Many of the things I write in my blogs would otherwise never find an outlet.

2) Therapeutic Value – How would I ever broach some the of subjects I write about here if I were speaking with someone face to face? Blogging gives me a means to indulge my whims (and needs) … and release the pressure wherever it builds up.

3) Friendship – What began as a mere journalizing tool – soon became an affective, and vital means of reaching out to other people. I’ve “met” people through blogging that I’ve not only become very fond of – I would really be desolate without them.

4) Growth – Reading other blogs has expanded me far beyond anything else I’ve ever done in my entire life. Getting to know people from other cultures and countries, who speak other languages, and live far different realities than my own … and all the while realizing that we are all far more alike than we are different … has stretched me, and caused me to overflow my parochial boundaries. More than anyone else, I want to thank Vijay for that. I have to keep reminding myself that we’re not next door neighbors … நன்றி விஜய!

5) Connectedness – I’m part of something far bigger, far greater, than I could ever be alone … something I’m fiercely proud of, and which I believe has the capacity to change the world – one reader at a time. I feel connected to distilled purpose – driven by the the gift of so many who continue to pour themselves into the greater work, unique and individual, yet unimaginably interconnected, and therefore immeasurably powerful.

We have no idea the strength of the material we weave through our blogging …

And now … for my five. I can’t believe that I can’t tag Vijay … 0.o …

1) Ipanema … citizen of the world … in the hushed green of the rain forest, why do you blog?
2) Pattie … sweet and gentle, a thoughtful friend. Why do you blog?
3) Cathy … my fearless friend whom I admire, why do you blog?
4) Fat Doctor … who’s been a guest in my dreaming, of late … why do you blog?
5) Dr. Wes … ahhh yes. You thought, perhaps, that I wouldn’t eventually send it back in your direction? >;o) Why do you blog?

If you link back to the Blog Meme Tracker, you can see who has already been tagged and record who you tag.