Did You Really Want to Know...?

Recently I had the honor of being awarded the versatile blogger award by Sara over at Simply Sarafina Paints. If you aren't a follower of Sara, you should be! ;) She's a hugely talented, creative, humorous blogger who always has something interesting to share. I look forward to her daily posts (how she manages daily, I have no idea! Something to aspire to... ;)

Here are the rules ~

1. Thank and link back to the person who nominated you

2. Share seven random facts about yourself

3. Pass the award along to five deserving bloggy buddies

4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them

Seven random facts about me... I had to think hard to come up with some tidbits you don't already know. As anyone who follows my blog knows, I'm pretty much an open book! ;) Here's what I came up with ~

1. I have to shower before getting into bed each night. I have this thing about clean bodies greeting clean sheets. Sometimes I think I'd like to start the day with a shower... but then I'd have to take another before bed... and well, that would just be wasting water. ;)

2. When I was a teenager I woke up during the night to see Nellie, the ghost of the woman who had lived in our house years before, sitting on my bed. I promptly pulled the covers over my head and stayed there, most likely terrified. Boy, what I wouldn't give to see her now, but alas, that was her one and only visit to me, although many others have spotted her. My favorite story concerning Nellie is from years ago, before my parents bought the house, and it was on the market. When prospective buyers would enter the empty house it would smell of Thanksgiving dinner, a turkey roasting in the oven, how cool is that? She has often been seen gazing from an upstairs window, but not for some time now. I wonder, has she moved on?

3. I have never spanked my girls, believing violence only begets violence. To my knowledge it has never spawned love and compassion and certainly not world peace. I am living proof that you can raise polite, respectful kids without ever laying a finger on them... although there were some tough days when I was sorely tempted!! ;)

4. Over the years I have developed "the look". It's my " I mean serious business, and if you don't get moving, immediately, you will suffer swift and unpleasant consequences." I don't need to speak a word. Dogs cower and slink away, children quickly zip their lips and their eyes suddenly  find something very interesting to study on the floor, husbands slink away, properly apologetic. It's very powerful stuff. I've often thought I should give lessons in how to cultivate it... ;)

5. I had a horse growing up and I adored her. She was stubborn, could be nasty, had a terrible parrot mouth and so hardly any grain actually made it to her belly (hence the very fat pony companion), but I loved her to death. To this day I can close my eyes and feel her soft nose and smell her delicious horsey smell. She was something else. Come to think of it, I probably learned "the look" from her!! ;)

6. I grew up liking exactly 2 vegetables (literally): corn and potatoes. Yet now I'm a thriving, happy vegan. Whenever someone tells me they "wish they could", I have to laugh! Because if I did it, anyone can! I crave veggies now, even preferring them over desserts, how crazy is that? One day I gave up my brownie for more cabbage! All it took was determination and patience as my taste buds acclimated and accepted new foods. I'm still amazed at myself! :)

7. I do not believe in the existence of hell (except as a version here on earth that I created and inhabited for several long years) I beleive hell to be a man-made invention created to keep people in line. I have discovered that when you're truly connected to spirit/God/Universe no rules are needed. One behaves with love, kindess and compassion simply because their heart asks them to do so. And there is no choice but to respond. :)

And there are 7 random facts about me that you may or may not have wanted to know. Either now you feel you know me better, or I'm even stranger that you originally thought. Either way is fine with me. :) I'm not sure who wants to participate, between Taylor, Jordan and Sara, they managed to hit most of the blogs that I follow that I think might be interested . But for the sake of playing along, and also a chance to learn more about my favorite bloggers, here's who I've chosen:

Renee of ElfRenee




Sonya from Kanelstrand

I hope that everyone enjoyed a most wonderful Sunday. I'm sitting out in the sun as I write this, basking in the warm spring sunshine. Wonderful. :)

Peace ~ Melinda