Can You Be An Honest Liar?

I had this post all prepared in my mind about how we are all such terrible liars. I thought about it all night at work. My point was about how we all say 'I want to lose weight' or 'I want to quit smoking' or 'I want to take a vacation to the Bahamas someday', but we obviously don't. Really. Cuz if we did really want those things as badly as we say we did, then it would be no hardship to make the daily sacrifices needed to actually DO it.

I am probably the worst offender I know. I say I wanna lose weight, but don't seem to want it badly enough to turn away from a bowl of steaming pasta or put down the bag of potato chips. I say I wanna quit smoking, but I light up with just the slightest provocation promising that I will quit 'tomorrow'. I talk about how I want a clean house, and a beautiful garden, and to be more self-sufficient, and that there are 24 usable hours in every day; yet I can't seem to get up off my duff and actually USE those hours to the best of my ability in order to accomplish those things.

Then Wendy tripped me up by acknowledging me as an 'honest blogger'.

So what do I say? I know I try to be honest. I have seen folks lose a lot of respect and credibility by telling too many 'fish stories'. I don't wanna be that person. While I really think a little 'embellishment' sometimes spices up a story (kinda like a really good mustard on a bratwurst), I firmly believe that it should remain a condiment and not the full meal.

Can you tell I am on a diet? My brain is completely stuck in food metaphor.

So the deal is that I am supposed to share some honest things about myself, and then nominate other folks that I would like to share in the fun.

Here goes...

1. I don't send holiday cards anymore. Ever. To Anyone. Too many times I would take the time to write them all out, address the envelopes, and put stamps on them only to stick them up on a shelf to be found covered in dust some time around the 4th of July. I give up, folks. Just take my word for it that I think of you during the holidays.

2. I have a not-so-secret fear that life is just some cosmic test....and I am failing.

3. I have a passionate obsession with lists. I make lists of EVERYTHING.

4. I am ashamed to admit that, though I know theoretically how to do lots of things, I am too insecure in my own abilities to just DO them.

5. I have always liked the directions of North and West better than South and East. I don't know why, but when the wanderlust strikes in the fall those are the directions I always look towards.

6. I think that the person who invented peanut butter and jelly sandwiches should be sainted. And knighted. And given their own national holiday. Nothing beats a good PB&J.

7. I still don't know what I wanna be when I grow up.

Well, that's all the honesty I can take for today....

I know I am supposed to pass this on, but I am really interested to see what EVERYONE has to reveal about themselves. So, if you have read this consider yourself tagged. Just leave a little note in the comments section so that we can all come and read 'the baring of your soul' and use the info for our own evil purposes....

Awarded

I got and award! Yay! Pam gave me this one....

So now I am supposed to list 5 addictions. Hmmmm....

1. Smoking. Like a chimney.

2. Mt. Dew. My blood is green and carbonated.

3. Books. I get the shakes if I don't have a dozen or so books waiting for me to read them. And I can never give up one that I have read, whether I really liked it or not.

4. Crafting/Craft supplies. There is no such thing as too many supplies, and I can lose DAYS to my crafting endeavors.

5. Sleep. The more I get, the more I want

K. Now I am supposed to pass this one along to 5 folks....

Jenny
Deb
Katie
Lisa
Wendy

Alright, get to it, folks....

I Kick Ass! And Other Things

Wendy says so! I am so dang proud!

So the deal is that I am supposed to name 5 kick-ass bloggers. Huh, how can that be hard? There are so many!







Here goes, though:







Lisa. Definitely. Have you seen the coolness in her etsy shop? If I weren't as poor as a church mouse, I would be after visiting her place. And her gardens are beeeeooooootiful since she has been half killing herself weeding and laying down mulch. Oh, and her spaghetti squash? To die for.

Then, of course, Kati. My beloved friend who makes me feel like I live in the balmy south (her being in Alaska and all) . Anyone who has the guts to try and garden with a growing season as short as hers has GOT to fit into the "kick ass" criteria. Not only that, but the girl is planning on homeschooling her 10 yr old DD this year. That is just insanely kick-ass, and way out of my league.

Then there is Deb, who is just now moving into her brand new home. You gotta take a look at her new place, it is FABULOUS. But what really makes her kick ass is the fact that she and her whole family managed to survive living in an itsy-bitsy cabin while the new place was being built. She also knows so much about birds and local wildlife...she gives me a bit of an inferiority complex, to tell you the truth.

Also, Gina just blows my mind with how kick ass she really is. She keeps telling me she isn't really, but look at her list of accomplishments there on her little homestead and it becomes clear that she really is selling herself short. The woman is TOTALLY kick ass.

Last, but definitely not least, we have the King of Doom Cake, commonly known as Thomas. Seriously, the guy is FUNNY. He reminds me so much of my Bro with his sense of humor. It's just a little scary that this twisted mind actually molds the youth of our nation. Just kidding. I really love his Notes to Self. I so often have the same kind of thoughts, but they are never quite as funny as his.

K, well that strained my brain plenty. Now I have to get on to the NEXT thing that Wendy asked me to do, which is to list 100 Things (flora and fauna) that can be found within walking distance of Barefoot Manor.

I am not entirely sure that I can come up with 100 Things without a few more weeks and some serious field guide time, but I will do the best I can.

Plant Life

Oak

Spruce

Fir

Pine

Maple

Birch

Elm

Service Berry

Hydrangea

Lilac

Daylily

Lily of the Valley

Bridal Veil

Moss

Daisy

Coneflower

Russian Sage

Impatiens

Petunia

Sedum

Hosta

Wild Grape

Ivy

Clematis

Pinks

Geraniums

Dahlias

Zinnias

Lily

Grass (who knows what kind)

Animal/Insect Life

Flies

At least 4 variety of spiders

Squirrels

Crud...that appears to be all I can think of right off hand. Unfortunately, the area I have moved to seems to be short on birds and butterflies, though I hope to change that with my future gardening efforts. I haven't noticed any deer issues so far, and I am close enough into town that I don't foresee having that be an issue. The yards around here are very beautiful and well tended, but all the gardens seem to use the same flowers. Sorry, but this is pretty much it.

So, that is that I guess.....More from Barefoot Manor at a later date, and that is a promise!

Tagged!

The Incredible Catty Ax Lady went and tagged me for this super fun meme, so I figured I had better get right on it. I am unsure what the "ax" is for in her name, so when that gal tells me to do something, I do it.

This one requires, among other things, that I list 6 things that are a little off about myself, but not necessarily anything of import. So...




Rules, because everything has them:

1. Link to the person that tagged you. (See above)
2. Post the rules on your blog. (Right here)
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (Check it out below)
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (More checkin' it out below)
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. (Will do as soon as I figure out 6 people).



1. I have an issue with open storage. It drives me nuts. We have lots of open shelves at our apt because they are cheap, and I hate the way they look. I always want to cover them up with something.

2. I also have an issue with messy cupboards. I like having everything stacked neatly according to size and function. It really freaks me out that my cupboards don't stay so nicely organised all the time.

3. Sometimes I like to play with the Sprouts' toys when they aren't around. I guess I never really grew up. :)

4. My feet are always cold, even in summer. Probably due to bad circulation (and I should probably worry about it), but it is so fun to put chilly toes on Mr. Barefoot's legs when he is sleeping. I figure it's good payback for all the nights I have lain awake listening to him snore like a freight train.

5. I love jewelry, but I rarely if ever wear it. It has been really hard to break myself of getting new costume jewelry, but it seems a waste to get it if I am not going to wear it.

6. I actually enjoy doing housework. It is so fun to see things get done and know that I have accomplished something.

Okay, now for the tagging part:

Kati

Gina

Willow

Ruthie

Wendy

Jenny

Oops!

Man, I am such a loser. I started this post, and then forgot about it (life tends to get in the way of posting some times).

Anyway, I got some awards back in Feb.


This one is from the fabulous Jenny, who felt it would cheer me up. She was right!

I just love her, she is just a fabulous woman. You gotta go check her out.



The same day (can you imagine my happy dance?), Kati gave me this award.

Kati is my "twin" up in the Even More Frozen North. It's nice to know that I can make her smile.



Theoretically, I should be passing these along. Ummm, how about I just send these babies out to everyone who reads this. Especially those of you who comment, because comments are better than cheesecake, as far as I am concerned. Good? Great.

Seven Weird Things About Me

Lisa tagged me, so let's see what I can come up with.


1. I really like the taste of sardines. Even better is kippers.

2. Most of my favorite movies are animated or are Jim Hensen productions

3. I "spin" when I sleep. I actually do a super-powered push-up, lifting my entire body off the bed, and flip over. I don't even wake up when I do this. Mr. Barefoot has gotten several bruises by being too close when I do this.

4. I talk to myself---alot. If you think I am chatty here, you should hear me when I am alone.

5. I am mildly allergic to chocolate. I get a stuffy head and a really bad headache whenever I eat it.

6. I don't like cake, and I HATE frosting. Too much sugar, I guess.

7. I count my steps. I don't even notice I am doing it anymore.

Um, I am supposed to tag folks, but it seems a lot of you have done this one already. So, if you haven't done this one yet and you are reading this consider yourself tagged. Leave a comment to let me know where you are at so we can all come and read about your weirdness!

Woot! I Got Another One!!

I think maybe I won't hate Valentine's Day this year! Everyone seems to be in an award-giving mood, and I love it! Ruthie of Nature Knitter passed this pretty little gem on to me. She says that I always have something interesting going on in my life. I am going to take this as a compliment to my writing, because (evidently) I can make things sound much interesting than they are. Hehe. I wish I could turn around and give it right back to her, but I think that is against the rules.

I am to pass this baby on to 10 people. Holy Smokes! Let's see what I can do about that....


The Nameless One (yeah, that's you, Mysti). The woman is fabulously cool, and she made my day just recently by returning to Blogland.

Gretchen. I don't know that I have ever commented on her blog, so I don't really "know" her, but she always posts about the funny things her 3 kids do. Guaranteed giggles, I swear.

Dirk. The dude said he loved me. Talk about making my day. He is also, through his own passion, making me more interested in politics than I have been in years.

E4. Also found here. He is good people, as is his wife. They are having a baby soon and I am so excited!

Lynne is a birding diva who has been going through some tough stuff lately. Still she maintains a positive outlook and is taking the time to show us the beauty she finds in her daily life.

Wendy quite simply inspires me. Her dedication to living a simpler, more sustainable life is amazing. I think it is so cool that she makes so much of her family's food from scratch. Wild, I tell you.


Whew! Over half-way there. This is turning out to be easier than I thought. Who would have thunk I have so many blogging buddies?

Ms. Style. Living lightly on the earth without sacrificing style? I love that!

Whim's story is so incredibly inspiring. Again, I don't think I have ever commented, but I have been lurking for a long time. What better way to introduce myself, huh?

Em is a great guy who is also going through some miserable times just recently. I hope to make his day a little brighter with this.

Last but not least, Willow. I am incredibly jealous of this gal. She lives in England. It is warm there. I bet she has an adorable accent. need I say more?

Well, I made it. Now I am off to let all these fine people know that they have treasure waiting for them here at my place.

Feelin' the Luuuuv

Kati, sweetheart that she is, gave me this award. I gotta love Kati. She and I have so much in common. I am even more determined than ever to take a vacation up to Alaska, just so I can see her. Unfortunately, once Mr. Barefoot heard how much alike we are, he started sabotaging all vacation plans!! J/K.

I would like to pass this on to:

Lisa. I mean, really, the woman is so funny and talented! I can't even be jealous (though I do try). I am too in awe of her crafting skill and quick wit.

To Gina. Gotta love a woman who walks the walk.

Jenny. Somehow she always manages to remind me about the good things about being a mom. So sweet, and always positive even when things aren't going the way she would like.

Ruthie. She always makes me feel welcome, and makes the sweetest comments here.

Enjoy, my friends!

Yay! Someone Likes Me!!!!!

Lisa gave me this award. So cool! *bows* Thank you, my dear.

Now I get to spread the love.

First, to Kati for reminding me that MN winters could be so much worse. ;)

I gotta send one out to Catty Ax Lady. Only she truly understands my passion for the "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels Saga"

One goes out to Deb, because I envy her musical talent (I can say that, now I have heard you!!!) and really respect the life she is making for herself and her family out there in the northwoods.

I think that about does it!