Ten Years Ago...

I rarely do memes… yet always enjoy reading them. So, when Janel tagged me last week, it seemed to be about my turn. Janel, a knitter, yarn dyer and expert, just released her new book on knitting socks, pictured above… If you’re a knitter (or just smitten with color), you’ll love looking at this one. Ok, so here’s the meme…

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

1998 is certainly a year to be remembered! Head-over-heels, totally-bonkers, jump-up-and-down in LOVE, I floated through the entire year, not in the least troubled by selling my business (Beads Indeed) and packing up the cozy Seattle home I’d bought 24 years earlier.

I was 55 years old then and had never been married. Although a few special men had earlier crossed my path, I wasn’t ready to settle into a permanent relationship until I met Robert, who also had never previously tied the knot. But 10 years ago, I knew I’d met my future husband, as indeed I had. We married Jan. 12, 2001… Some things are worth waiting for… I know, because it just keeps getting better and better! Here he is... during a silly snow storm we had this April...


2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

• I get about 15 legitimate email messages per day. One of my bad habits is to let them go for a few days, and then have to spend several hours getting caught up. That’s the situation today… so it's number 1 on my list.
• Kits. Akkkkk! Can you imagine what it’s like to put together 150 kits? That’s what I do every time I teach at a conference… order supplies, print handouts, package beads and other materials for days... and days... and days. Alarmingly, just around the corner is the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach. So, today, getting started on kits is number 2 on my list. I'm making this public commitment right now... I WILL get the kits for at least one class ready today.

Geeeest, that’s enough for one day… I already made the bed, fed the cat and took a brisk 2-mile walk, for goodness sakes.

3. Snacks I enjoy.

This is a tricky question because I’m doing Weight Watchers (on-line). I’ve lost 12 pounds so far and have about 40 more to take off before reaching my goal. I’m a little afraid to mention this, because I don’t want to jinx it… oh well…

My sister-in-law has done VERY well on WW and is a tremendous inspiration to me. She is the one who taught me a very valuable dieting trick. “Snacks,” she says, “are important! But they must be managed.” She finds certain things that appeal to her for snacks and using the package information, she calculates how many of the item is equal to ONE point. Then she counts out the items and puts them in little zip bags to have available as one-point snacks. These are the ones I use:

• Kellogg’s All-Bran Crackers, Multi-Grain. Yummmmy! Crunchy, a tad sweet, a tad salty, a little hint of graham, good fiber count, 9 crackers = one point!
• Newman’s Own Pretzel Nuggets. Not so delicious as the crackers above, but nice for a change of pace, and I get 12 of them for one point!
• Peeled baby carrots. Juicy, fresh and filling! I get 20 for one point!

Before WW, I used to snack on just about everything. Peanut butter, nuts and dried cranberries were my favorites. I still fit a few into my WW days.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire.

This one is impossible to answer. I simply can not wrap my mind around the concept of a billion dollars. I’ve always lived near the edge of poverty (by US standards), and am quite content to do so. I would hardly know what to do with a thousand dollars if it fell into my lap, let alone a million. Whoeeee… a billion? Ha!

5. Places I have lived.

• Los Gatos, CA – born nearby in San Jose, CA.
• Sutter Creek, CA – a sleepy little place back then, definitely NOT the tourist town it is today.
• St. Paul, MN – moved there when I was 7 yrs old, moved away 20 years later.
• Seattle, WA – love at first sight, lived on a house boat for several years, then an apartment, then bought a little bungalow home in Ballard, no thought of ever moving again until I met Robert and moved to the island to be with him.
• San Juan Island, WA – close to paradise in every way except high cost of living.

Places I could live? I love Hungary and the Hungarian culture! I would be happy living there, except for the heat in the summer, which is what ultimately drove me away from MN. Robert and I have thought about where we might move (especially every time the price of a ferry ticket to the mainland goes up), but nothing we’ve seen has the appeal of this beautiful island.

6. Peeps I want to know more about.

• Acey
• Pink Moon Hallow
• Arline
• zquilts
• Free Bird Sings
• Heidi Beads & More

I'm tagging the above cyber-friends for this meme and hoping you’ll be willing to do it. By the way, “doing it” means you get to answer the same 6 questions as I have, and then tag 5 or 6 more people. Of course, you don’t have to do it. But if you do, please let me know so I can be an appreciative reader!