22 Things I've Done

This post is inspired by Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop. Thanks for the inspiration Mama Kat!


I'm 42 years old.

I have:

1) Been to Loch Ness and searched for Nessie (but didn't find her).

2) Flown across the country to meet and stay with a women I met on the internet. My family was convinced she was a serial killer. She wasn't. She was a Presbyterian minister, in fact, and a lovely person.

3) Lived in Seattle and commuted to my stressful job in a high-rise building in downtown (hated it).

4) Lived on a farm and raised cows and grew my own organic vegetables (loved it).

5) Won a Kodak camera in the 3rd grade for winning the school spelling bee. Smart chicks rule!

6) Lost in a beauty contest in the 6th grade (should have reminded myself of #5, but didn't and felt terrible).

7) Had a visit with my deceased grandmother's spirit in the middle of the night. It was beautiful and not at all scary.

8) Helped my grieving friend by unwrapping the Islamic covering from her deceased husband's head so she could see his face and say goodbye. I still have no idea where I got the strength to do it, but I did.

9) Almost had both of my daughters die; one from severe illness and one from being premature. Thank the Lord, they are both alive and thriving and are the joy of my life!

10) Jumped off a 50 ft. cliff into a raging river (don't tell my mother).

11) Graduated with honors from college while married and with a small child. I'm still tired from that experience!

12) Canned my own pickles and dilly beans.

13) Visited Mayan ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula.

14) Attended a world-wide gathering of my family's Scottish Clan in Scotland. Our clan still has an estate and Castle in the Highlands of Scotland! Can you imagine?

15) Chopped down my own Christmas tree.

16) Owned a drive-thru espresso stand.

17) Experienced the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's personally, as it is located near my childhood home.

18) Worked as a cherry sorter, waitress, tree-planter, lifeguard, swim instructor, day care operator, small business owner, and realtor, just to name a few. If I ever served you as a waitress, I apologize now! I only took the job because I was 16 and had a crush on one of the cooks!

19) Survived 7 surgeries.

20) Snorkeled with my husband in a blue lagoon in the middle of a jungle.

21) Been bitten by a poisonous Brown Recluse spider. I hate spiders to this day.

22) Lived in the State of Washington my whole life.