Where I'm from

Brandy nudged me to do this meme so here goes!

I'm from clotheslines, hound dogs and snapping beans on the porch, back before Buckeye came along.

I'm from home-cooked meals, gardens filled with squash and 'maters and kick ball in the backyard.

I'm from swing sets and Bugs Bunny, Judy Blume and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I'm from "Good night, John-Boy" and Fonzie jumping that shark.

I'm from a BB in the butt on Christmas morning, biscuit toast and snow ice cream.

I'm from lightning bugs and honeysuckle and "bundling up" 'cause it's cold.

I'm from Southern Baptists who eat their dinners on the grounds and "Jesus Loves Me" --- just as I am.

I'm from a daddy who is my training wheels, a mama who is my rock and a beloved uncle who doesn't know me anymore.

I'm from Miss Edith's "I swannee" and Miss Sarah Belle's "stories". 

I'm from my Granddaddy's ice blocks and my Paw's stubbly chin.

This is me.  And this is where I'm from.

Some ABCs of Ginger Rudy!

Age - 43

Bed - queen

Chore I hate - changing the A/C filter!  It's in the ceiling and I'm 5'5".  :(  I'm definitely turning this little household chore over to Larry!

Dogs - I have one in heaven.

Essential start my day item - 600 mg of Neurontin

Favorite color - Pink!

Gold or silver - Silver

Height - see C

Instrument(s) I play - electronic testing equipment  :)

Job title - receptionist at a pediatrician's office

Kids - love 'em!  See J.

Live - her song comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines...

Mom's name - Alice (or Lucy or Mama or Maw Maw or Miss Alice and sometimes Alley Oop)

Nickname - since my legal name is Virginia, my nickname is Ginger.  Other names I'm called are Ninner, Ginger Rudy (that one's for Margie!), Gingeroo, Ginger Ale, Ginger Snap or sometimes just Snap, Gin, Baby, Sunshine and Sunny.

Overnight hospital stays - when I had anemia as a baby

Pet peeve - intentionally misspelled cutesy words like kewl and kuntry

Quote from a movie - "I'd rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special." (Shelby, Steel Magnolias)

Righty or lefty - righty

Siblings - one brother, Ricky, who's a lefty, and one sister, Ami, who's a righty

Time I wake up - 7ish

Underwear - not if I can help it

Vegetable I don't like - beets

What makes me run late - sleep, the Today show, my hair akkin' a fool

X-rays/MRIs - teeth, back, abdomen, neck, ankle, brain, boobies (I am NOT afraid of a little radiation from Japan!)

Yummy food I make - poppy seed chicken!

Zoo animal I love - baby pandas

My Interview Meme

1 - Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2 - I will respond; I'll ask you five questions.
3 - You'll update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers.
4 - You'll include this explanation.
5 - You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.

My questions came from my friend, Brandy.

1. Why did you decide to go back to school and why did you choose electronics?

I've thought for several years that I'd like to go back to school and learn something totally new. I'd spent 20 years of my life working in the financial industry, in loan offices, and when I was laid off by Citigroup last year, I thought more and more about the school thing. I always said if I EVER got out of finance, I'd never go back. I really hated it. I hated charging people high interest rates, I hated calling them to collect payments, I hated the long month-end closeouts. There really was nothing I liked about the business. I'd just done it for so long, I felt stuck. I decided on electronics because (1) it was something totally new and (2) the school has an awesome co-op program with the Air Force base here. My plan is to get a job on base and be set for the next 25 years!

2. How on earth did you find my blog? (I know this one's weird but I can't for the life of me figure it out.)

I found you through good old Google. About five years ago, I started spending a lot of time online researching and learning about simple, organic living. I was just fed up with the fast-paced, wasteful, harmful way the world was living all around me and I wanted to separate myself from that. I learned how to make soap online and taught myself. I learned how to make chemical-free cleaning products to use in my house and I started recycling and composting. One day during my searching, I happened upon your blog. You tagged your blog with all the things I was looking for! And now we're friends. It was Divine Intervention! :)

3. Tell me about growing up in Georgia--your family, your neighborhood, etc.

I am the oldest child of three. I have a brother, Ricky, who is 15 months younger than me, and a sister, Ami, who is 9 years younger than me. I had a very, very happy childhood with a loving, hard-working daddy and a devoted, protective mama. I grew up in the country, on a dirt road, in a small house that to this day, I consider home. When I dream about home, I dream about that house. It's really weird. I've been gone from there longer than I lived there. My favorite memories are of the summers I spent there growing up, playing outside with my brother until 9:00 at night, catching lightning bugs and eating honeysuckle. I will still eat a honeysuckle bloom if I see it!

4. Tell me about the best day you've ever had, so far. ;-)

I have had SO MANY great days!! But I guess the best day I've had in my life so far would probably be my wedding day. Larry and I were so blessed to have all four of our parents there and it was just the sweetest, most romantic little wedding. He's the man I've wanted all of my life and it only took me 21 years to find him!

5. Do you feel like the South Beach Diet has changed the way you eat forever? Why or why not?

This is a definite YES! I've only been doing this for four months but I have already changed the way I think about food. I used to just drive through somewhere and get something and not think twice about what I was doing. I don't even want that stuff anymore. I'm not saying I won't get in a pinch and grab a cheeseburger from time to time, but this diet is the easiest one I've EVER tried and I have been on so many diets. It works!!

6. Just for fun, what does happen if you give a pig a pancake?

Ha!! She won't be satisfied. "If you give a pig a pancake, she'll want some syrup to go with it. You'll give her some of your favorite maple syrup. She'll probably get all sticky, so she'll want to take a bath." It's hilarious. You should read it to Fred.

If I Were A...

I took this from my friend, Kim's, blog. How fun!!  (The meme not the thievin'.)

If I were a month, I'd be...June.

If I were a day, I'd be...Sunday.

If I were a time of day, I'd be...9:00 pm

If I were a font, I'd be...Apple Chancery.

If I were a sea animal, I'd be a...baby sea turtle.

If I were a direction, I'd be...south.

If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be an...overstuffed sofa.

If I were a drink, I'd be...sweet tea.

If I were a gemstone, I'd be a...pearl.

If I were a tree, I'd be a...magnolia.

If I were a tool, I'd be a...trowel.

If I were a flower, I'd be a...daisy.

If I were an element of weather, I'd be...rain.

If I were a musical instrument, I'd be a...banjo.

If I were a color, I'd be...pink.

If I were an emotion, I'd be...joy.

If I were a fruit, I'd be a...strawberry.

If I were an element, I'd be...iron.

If I were a car, I'd be a...hybrid.

If I were a food, I'd be...cereal.

If I were a movie, I'd be a...documentary.

If I were a place, I'd be a...beach.

If I were a material, I'd be...cotton.

If I were a taste, I'd be...sweet.

If I were a scent, I'd be...patchouli.

If I were a room in a house, I'd be the...kitchen.

If I were a dessert, I'd be...ice cream.

If I were a body part, I'd be...eyes.

If I were a song, I'd be sung by...Janis Joplin.

If I were a bird, I'd be a...flamingo.

If I were a gift, I'd be...wrapped in pretty paper.

If I were a city, I'd be...San Francisco.

If I were a door, I'd be...red.

If I were a pair of shoes, I'd be...flip flops.

If I were a season, I'd be...autumn.

If I were art, I'd be...on your refrigerator.

What would you be?

Something Blue

I saw this meme on a blog I read and thought it would be a fun thing to write about. I didn't realize how hard it would be! You're supposed to come up with seven blue things that you love, are in your home or define your life in some way, things that make you you. This is what I came up with.

Larry's beautiful blue eyes. I can't think of another blue thing (or things!) that I love more than my husband's eyes. In them, I find comfort, protection, desire and so much love that it takes my breath away sometimes. I hope that if we ever have a child, he has his daddy's eyes. I really wish I had a better picture of Larry in his gray fire department uniform. That color makes his eyes POP! Mmm mmm mmmm, I could sop that boy up with a biscuit.

Another "blue" in my life that I don't love so much but it's there and it does define my life in a way would be the blues Larry and I get when we're not together. :( Thanks, baby, for coming up with that one!

The ocean! I am truly a beach baby.

I love every-thing about it, even getting sand you-know-where. Give me beautiful blue water, a chair and...

...a sunny blue sky and I'll stay out there all day. I'll come in looking just like a tomato but I'll be happy!

Blue jeans!

I'm almost always wearing jeans. Even when I'm not. :)

Blue cheese!

I could just eat this wedge UP.

Nom nom nom.

My blue sofa!

This is where you'll usually find me at night, camped out with my laptop.

This was fun! Now all you bloggers try to come up with seven blue things in your hearts, your lives or your homes!