5 Words Meme

My friend Lynn is helping me out of the blogging rut I feel I've fallen into. Between being busier that I expected so far this fall, potty-training (STILL), and all the other things going on in my life, I've just run out of ideas.

It's all part of a meme that you can do too if you'd like. Here's how it works. Someone gives you 5 words and you post about those things. If you want to join in, tell me in the comments section, and I'll send you your own 5! Here are the words Lynn sent me.

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1. ART: as far as hobbies go, it's my first love. You could say it's in my genes. Siblings, cousins, parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents--there is definately an artsy, creative gene that runs strong among both sides of my family.

My favorite medium is pencil. A close second is charcoal. My favorite subject matter? People. It's been a long time though since I've completed a portrait. Having kids kind of does that to hobbies that require hours and hours upon end. Currently I'm hoping to learn more about photography and acquire some technique where all I have now is an artistic eye.


2. FALL: Autumn is my absolute favorite season of the year. I wish I could switch the duration of fall with winter here in Lancaster County. I love making soup and fresh bread, smelling the scents of harvest in the air, sleeping with the windows open under a cozy comforter, apple crisp, pumpkin bread, bright blue skies with cottonball clouds, farm fairs, woodsmoke, walking through crunchy leaves in the woods, wearing jeans, and of course gearing up for the holidays.

You know how in the beginning of the movie "YOU'VE GOT MAIL," Meg Ryan's character is recounting all the things she loves about Autumn in New York? The smell of freshly sharpened pencils, farmer's markets, the brisk morning air...

I find the fall season, here in the countryside, to be the most sensory for me. I just love it!


3. TEACHING: Never did I imagine that I would be a teacher. For one thing I was always on the shy side as a kid growing up. Wait, let me rephrase that. I hardly talked to anyone as a kid. I was REALLY quiet. As a teen things got better but I still hated to be up in front of a group of people and preferred small groups of people I knew well. Then I went overseas on a missions trip after graduating from high school and everything changed. Drastically. Long story short, I ended up teaching full-time in our previous church's school for 4 years and L-O-V-E-D it! All of the varying classes and majors I had throughout college prepared me quite well actually. Little did I know how God was going to tie all those strings together in the end, but He did...and I miss it. (Though I am really satisfied to be at home with my kiddos full-time.) Oh, and I taught high school World History, Geography, World/American/British Literature, Writing, Rhetoric, and Art.

The things I miss most about it? The kids and staff, but also the constant stretching and challenging my brain. Though I must say, parenting stretches and challenges my brain in other ways.


4. EXERCISE: I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. :o)

I used to be very active and athletic. Now? Not so much. Whereas I used to never have to do anything to maintain a healthy weight, now I struggle with it...alot. Whereas I used to starve myself and have a distorted body image, now, by the grace of God, I no longer view food as the enemy. Currently, I feel I eat pretty well but my metabolism is pretty pathetic. My goal is to get back into a regular walking routine since our neighborhood has a lot of great places to do so and I have a nice double stroller. And really no excuses. :oP I miss my walking buddy. Since she moved and I've had kiddo numero dos my motivation for exercise has sadly gone out the window.

I find myself in the midst of that proverbial motherhood dilemma: if I place a higher priority on exercise, some other "important" thing is going to suffer. However, if I don't take better care of myself, my children and husband will ultimately suffer anyway.

What I'd really enjoy would be the means and time to play racquetball at least once a week. I did this during college and I loved the quick-paced, challenging cardio/muscular workout it always delivered.


5. TRAVEL: I got my first real taste of travel in the early part of '96. I mentioned before how I entered a missions program after graduating from high school. After spending 3 months in training, my team and I spent 1 month in one of the many poor neighborhoods of Guatemala City, GUATEMALA, followed by 3 months in the mountains above Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS. Needless to say my horizons were widened, my world view expanded, my comfort zones vaporized. :o) It was the most challenging experience of my life up to that point, and one of the best. It was also a turning point for me spiritually.

Since then my husband and I have been to Venezuela on a 2 week missions trip. We did that 1 month after we were married. And it is our dream and goal to make at least 2 trips to Europe. I want to see where he spent his first 14 years, we have friends living in England for another year or so, Pete has family in Belgium, Austria, Germany, and Poland, and I would love to see Italy and France too. One day... :o)