Alabama Women Bloggers - Getting to Know You Questions

I decided to link up today.  Back when Lauren and Glenn were living with us, I signed up with the Alabama Women Bloggers . . .and promptly forgot about it!!  I was reading Alabama Slacker Mama's blog today and saw that she had linked up . . .and remembered that I had signed up so decided to answer today's questions.  I don't have a lot of followers nor a lot of readers . . .but here goes anyway!

1. What part of the state do you call home?  I live in a suburb of Birmingham - just south of town.  I grew up in another suburb of  Birmingham that is northeast of town . . .and it is not a very nice place now.  Really makes me sad to see the area and what has become of some of the places I remember.  I now live in what we called the "over the mountain" area.  As a kid, I thought that was where only the rich folks lived.  Just FYI, we aren't rich, but we sure are blessed with good friends and family.


2. How long have you been blogging?  I started blogging in June of 2009. 

3. Why did you start blogging?  One of my "children" had just graduated from college and the other was about to graduate and I had been to the farmer's market and was thinking as I was driving home. (I do my best thinking in the car) I was thinking that I love to talk and now that the kids were grown there was no one to listen (I think Mark tunes me out :-). I was also thinking that I love to write down my thoughts. I had the highest grade in my class in English 102 in college where we had to keep a journal every single day . . and it was read by the professor and graded. (that love of writing!)  I was also thinking that I love to scrapbook but never have enough time. I love memories (my mom died right after her 50th birthday and I don't want to miss a thing!). I actually love being on the computer and the amazing ability of being able to connect with folks like my sister who live out of town. I guess it was a logical progression in my mind to blogging. To be honest, I really had no idea how to even start one and I think I may have googled it when I got home that day.



4. What is your favorite part of being a member of the Alabama Women Bloggers community?
Considering that this is the first thing I have really done with the community, I don't really know.  Someone share some ideas with me.  My sweet daughter-in-love over at Simply Free has made some great new friends via her blog.  They have even met for blog dates . . .what does she call those?  blates?  That is not right . . .what is it?  I'm going to the She Speaks conference later this summer and I am taking some blogging workshops.  It will be nice to say that I am a part of the Alabama Women Bloggers.  It would be nicer still to actually be able to make some comments about the group :-)


5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I'm on staff at a church and I hope I will still be working there because I LOVE my job.  I imagine I might be a grandmother by then.  I imagine that I might be a mother-in-law to a son-in-law by then (our son is married but we are waiting on God to send Mr. Right for our daughter).  I think I will still be blogging.  I wonder how blogging will change in 5 years.  Technology changes so quickly.



6. If you could choose an actress to play you in your life, who would you choose and why?
Hmmmm. . . .good question.  When I was young and thin, one of the radio announcers in Birmingham compared me to a young Sophia Loren after I was first runner up in a beauty pageant (this would have been back in 1980 . . .a long time ago!)  I just googled fat, funny actresses and pulled up Melissa McCarthy.  I'm overweight and I like to laugh so she might work.


7. Name 5 things on your Bucket List that you hope you’ll check off before you die?
1.  I really really really want to see the Northern Lights -- problem is my husband says we have to go north when it is really cold to see them
2.  I would love to go to Alaska (but not when it is so cold)
3.  I would like to go back to a tropical island - we've been to Nassau (on our honeymoon for a week - not the best trip - I need to blog about that some time!!).  We've been to St. Marteen.  We've been to Hawaii.  I would love to go to Bali.
4.  I would really like to go to New Zealand and Australia and Greece.  (my bucket list seems to have a theme here - travel)
5.  I would like to go on a hot air balloon ride.  (I'm sure there are some really important things I want to do also - like help end poverty and bring about world peace . . .but I can't think of those at the moment)


8. If you could be known for one thing, what would it be and why?
I've told our Sunday School class this a million times (exaggeration).  I would love to be remembered as a philanthropist.  There is a major problem . . .I don't have that kind of money!!!  So . . .I would love to be remembered as a good wife and mama . . .and a good friend . . .and a prayer warrior . . .and a good Sunday school teacher . . .and the lady who welcomed  lots of folks into her home . . .and the person who shared Christ with many.  Yeah . . .I know that was way more than one thing.  Sorry.  I sometimes have a hard time following directions.


9. Describe the best moment(s) in your life.
Shoot -- I've lived a lot of years.  I don't think I can narrow it down to one.  When we dedicated the prayer labyrinth at church, I told Mark, "this is the biggest thing I've ever been a part of." (I was on the committee . . .poor grammar in previous sentence - oops).  He reminded me that the prayer garden was a thing and that I had given birth to twins.  That was indeed a pretty big moment in my life.  I was pretty scared and they were pretty amazing and I remember being awestruck by the miracle of God . . .not just one but TWO tiny babies . . .six weeks early . . .perfectly formed.  The day that Mark and I married was pretty special, too.  I also preached a sermon from our pulpit at Trinity one time.  That was terrifying and amazing all at the same time.  It is a good thing to have more than one "best" moment . . .it would be sad if I had only one after living all these years.  As soon as I hit publish, I'll think of a whole lot more.


10. If you could “be” anything (no consequences, no fear), what would you “be”?
probably a preacher . . .I would probably go back to school and become a preacher.  Maybe I'm "preaching" right where I am though . . .so maybe a graphic designer or something else creative.  I love to create. 


11. What or who inspires you to blog?
My family, friends, memories, and events all inspire me to blog.  As things are happening, I actually think, "oh my goodness I can hardly wait to blog about this."  Even my husband will say, "take a picture of this so you can blog about it."  He did that on my last post about cleaning the fuzz from the bottom of the chairs!!
I think I want to make sure that when I'm old (really old) I can look back at the stories and pictures and remember.


12. We’re headed to your neck of the woods… what restaurant would you recommend?
Hot and Hot Fish Club and order the Hot and Hot Tomato Salad or maybe Cafe' Dupont - both of these are actually in Birmingham - not in our suburb but they are well worth the 15-20 minute drive from our house.  We only go to those kinds of places for special occasions.  Tecate is great for Mexican food.  Bluff Park Diner is good for meat and three kind of food.  Tip Top Grill is a great place to watch the sun set and have a burger and some fries.  Sam's Deli down in Homewood has a great burger and some good hummus.  The Pita Stop and Taziki's both have great Greek food.  Birmingham has great food.  We have just about anything you want from Sushi to a taco food truck to cupcakes.


13. What’s a southern tradition you and your family have?
I've been thinking about this one.  I think our southern tradition is that we eat together as a family every Sunday after church at my mother-in-law's house.  She is in her late 80's and she prepares a home cooked lunch including dessert (a meat, two vegetables, a starch and a salad) EVERY Sunday and we all gather around her dining room table.  My husband and I and our three (daughter, son and daughter-in-love) are there.  Mark's (hubby) twin brother and his wife and daughter are there.  Their other brother and his wife are there (but they are usually late).  Sometimes someone invites a friend.  If any other family members are in town, they are with us.  The only thing is that my mother-in-law HATES sweet tea so we have to have unsweet tea.  To me that is not very southern . . .but everything else is southern to the core.  We sit around the table and tell stories and laugh.  We've heard the same stories a million (oops - there goes that exaggeration again) times but we laugh every time.

14. If you could pick your favorite blog post from your blog this year, what would it be?
I had a hard time picking . . .I really love the ones with lots of pictures because those are memories but this one has the best advice I guess.  It is called Ten Best Tips for Mothers.


15. We all love social media, tell us your links so we can follow you!
Well, you know my blog . . .Musings of a middle-aged mom.  I would love for you to come and visit often.

You can follow me on twitter (maybe I'll try to remember to tweet!!)