And guess what? I was just given this fabulous Kreativ Blogger award by Ruben at Rattus Scribus a blog that is dedicated to thought and inspiration or as he also likes to put it "Writing is an Itch. This is a place to scratch."
Part of the process in being given this award is to come up with seven things you don't know about me. So cinch that seat belt tight, it's going to be a bumpy ride! Here we go...
1). I am a lover of all animals but when I was younger I LOVED horses. I collected little figurines and I even had a fanciful one that was pink with a white mane and sat upright on her haunches. She was bejeweled and bedazzled with scattered rhinestones and wrapped in a “fur” stole. I enjoyed reading books like Misty of Chincoteague, The Black Stallion and my all time favorite National Velvet. I used to dream that one day a little pony would come walking up our driveway; who knows it could still happen.
2). My mother introduced me to my love of reading. One Christmas she bought me The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew. A few years later, she brought home a slightly tattered paperback from a thrift shop (my love of thrifting goes way back). She said it was her favorite book as a young girl, the book was Anne of Green Gables.
3). After school, my friend Gail and I would high tail it as fast our oxfords could carry us to the fountain at Woolworth’s where we would enjoy such fanciful drinks as Green River, Cherry or Chocolate Coke. We would stuff our book bags under the counter and just gab the rest of the afternoon. We would also explore the makeup counter and sniff exotic perfumes that came in little bottles. I remember one in particular that was called Blue Danube and it stunk to high heaven!
4). My neighbor and I used to perch ourselves in her mango tree where we would write little stories. When we discovered 16 magazine and Tiger Beat I’m afraid we took the low road and began writing our own gossip columns featuring outrageous stories of our favorite celebrities like David Cassidy and Bobby Sherman! The Star and the Enquirer had nothing on us!
5). I used to play the piano and actually loved it. What I didn’t love was the teacher, Sister She Shall Be Anonymous. She had a habit (hehe) of hitting me with a ruler because of little infractions like maybe I didn’t wash my hands before playing. I would go out of my way to avoid her if I saw her walking down the hallways. This was 4th grade, when I became a freshman, she was my homeroom teacher. She told me “you still have a chip on your shoulder,” ah well; I guess you could say nothing changed.
6). When my dad retired, our family accompanied him on his last flight (he was a pilot). It was a very short trip from Honolulu, Oahu to Lihue, Kauai but very exciting. I had flown with him many times to many places but this was the first time I was on a plane he piloted. He actually had his own plane but gave it up because it made my mom nervous. He was a very kind, well liked and generous man who would give you the shirt off his back even if it was his last one. He enjoyed working with his hands and if he wasn’t working on cars he was working on our house. You could say the house was his pet project! At his funeral, a second parking lot had to be opened up because there were so many people. He had many friends and I can only say it’s because he truly exemplified what we call the Hawaiian Spirit. I really do miss him.
7). I grew up in a family of seven kids that eventually expanded to become eight. I’m not kidding when I say my parents were everyone’s favorite aunt and uncle! Our house was always stuffed to the gunnels spilling over with kids, friends, family, neighbors and animals. Each summer the house was pushed to its limits with the arrival of our cousins from the Big Island. (Think Brady Bunch but double that.) Our family lived by this Golden Rule: What’s one more!
Hope you enjoyed the ride and hope it wasn't too bumpy! The last portion of the blogger rules is to pass the award on. That will be forthcoming in another post. I must put on my thinking cap as I'm afraid I don't get out much!
Thank you again to Ruben for being so kind as to honor me with the Kreativ Blogger Award. Ruben is the lucky husband of The Lovely Anita at Castles, Crowns and Cottages. You can read all about Anita in a post I did entitled She's All That at my other blog the Bhive Buzz!
