GardenMom Deals Out the Honest Scrap

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my friend cityslipper from Your Small Kitchen Garden had nominated me for the Honest Scrap Award.  I respect him very much, and I know he sees a lot of blogs, so that he would pick me to be one of his nominees means a lot.  I am also honored to be among the ranks of the other fantastic bloggers he mentioned.

Recipients of the Honest Scrap award are supposed to reveal ten truths about themselves, and then extend the award to seven other bloggers.  This was somewhat dificult for me, because I tend to use my blog as a online journal of sorts. On the other hand, I am usually talking about gardening, cooking, or my son, so this is a great opportunity to bring out some more random things that you may not know about me.

Here goes nothing...

1. I used to be quite the tarot card reader.  I own several decks, and when I was younger, would go around reading people's fortunes at parties, and even work.  I got really good at it, and while I felt I was just using good intuition and common sense, people were quite surprised at my 'accuracy'.  I still have a somewhat superstitious regard for the tarot, which is why I hold onto the cards.

2.  I have several tattoos and piercings. I was always a 'good' girl.  I'm not sure why I decided to express myself with body modification, but maybe it was a way to be 'bad' without actually getting in trouble.  I have 3 pairs of ear piercings in my lobes, and two piercings in the cartilage. My naval and my nose are pierced.  I have two tattoos on my back, and one on my ankle.  I am 100% positive that I am not done.  I'm already planning a tattoo for my foot and my ankle.  It will be garden-related. My father is so proud.... (probably not)

3.  I have an unhealthy obsession with high-heeled shoes.  I used to own many, many pairs. Everyone that knows me jokes that I don't own flat shoes. My fiance thinks I even garden in heels (a two-inch stacked wedge sandal is NOT a high heel).  I tell people that I have to wear those shoes because my feet are shaped like a barbie doll's. I have paired down my shoe collection in the last year or so.  However, shoe shopping remains high on my list of nongarden related pastimes.

4.  Prior to 2003, I was a plant murderer; I couldn't even keep cacti alive.

5.  I HATE being cold.  I HATE it.  I live in Iowa, so I must be some kind of masicist.  When I think about being cold, I use the word HATE.  HATE HATE HATE HATE. Any questions?

6.  My absolute favorite food in the world that is not a real food is the Triple Chocolate Utopia from Dairy Queen.  I will drive far out of my way to find one that still carries it.  It is the perfect combination of ice cream and perfect chocolate goodness. There is no hormonal imbalance that this thing won't cure.  I guarantee.

7. I am somewhat addicted to Star Trek Voyager.  Don't always care for any of the other ones.  However, I can watch Voyager for hours on end.

8.  I married for the first time at 20.  We moved from Missouri, where we grew up, to Illinois, where I went to school.  I lived in the dorm and 2 different apartments before I graduated and got my first teaching job in Des Moines, Iowa.  After a year working in Des Moines, we bought a house and had a baby.  Unfortunately after that, we separated and divorced when my son was 1 year old.   I started dating my current fiance while living in an apartment with my son.  We realized we were made for each other (we are both nutty, just in different ways) and moved into a house together, blending our families. Now, two rentals later, we are finally buying a house and hope to get married sometime in the future.  No, I don't have a date.  We will figure that out later.  After getting married young and fast the first time, I am in no hurry now.

Okay, this is getting hard...

9. I managed a McDonalds for 4 years in college.  It wasn't my dream job, but when I went to college I needed money.  They would work around my college classes and I could walk to it from my dorm.  Showing once again that all being responsible gets you is more responsibility, they promoted me to a manager.  Again, not my dream job, but I was good at it. My crew respected me, and my boss knew the restaurant would be clean, and the work would get done.  Too this day, I could step behind the counter at a McDonalds and probably be back in the swing in very short time.  That was before my eating and consumer values changed, I didn't know or care where my meat came from back then.  It is quite a different perspective now.

10. I have been teaching for 10 years.  I teach blind and visually impaired children of all ages. That means that I teach my students things like reading braille, using talking computer software, how to use magnifying equipment (depending on their vision), daily living skills, social skills, and many other blindness techniques.  I got into this field because I did a Lion's Club Kids Kamp for Blind and VI for 5 years when I was a teenager.  I love my job and I am very involved with my students' school lives. I can follow a student from grade to grade, or from school to school.  I have one 7th grade girl that I have been working with since she was 4 years old.  Most of my students are in a regular classroom.  I go daily or several times a week and pull them out to give direct instruction in necessary skills.  As a result, I drive to several buildings every day.  I love the field I'm in, but will probably round out my skills with a master's degree in learning disabilities and/or behavior disorders in a few years.  This degree would compliment the training I already have. 

The following are the seven people I am passing the Honest Scrap Nomination onto.   They are people whose blogs I always enjoying reading.  I don't always have time to check all the blogs I love every day, but these are ones I try to stay up to date on.  I know that you will love them too if you give them a visit. 

Jenn at Jenn's Cooking Garden

Melissa at C'est la Vie

Lisa at Get In the Garden

Tatyana at My Secret Garden

Jenn at Cheesehead Gardening

Amy at Go Away, I'm Gardening

Jennah at Jennah's Garden