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The Backward Life

“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.” —Philip Roth


Christmas is finally over and the next holiday—Erin's Birthday Month—will soon begin. Most of you know I have not always been a fan of my birthday. This year I am going to try to be positive and enjoy gaining another year of wisdom (and many more gray hairs). 

Jon is off in sunny California helping our friends Tony and Beth move with their mother to Colorado. He said it was 66 degrees there yesterday. It was 29 degrees here. I am a bit jealous. I can't seem to get warm. I am grateful for the bit of sun we have had recently though. It breaks up the dreary days a bit. 

I do feel a bit lazy lately. I honestly had every intention of being productive during my winter vacation, but those plans have gone the way of the warm weather. I read a whole book yesterday and am partway through a second. Funny how exhilarating it is to come to the last page of a novel. I hadn't realized how little time I have spent reading these past few months. Reading also makes me want to write. I found myself sitting up in the middle of the night last night to write down a sentence I had dreamt. In the morning it was a little hard to decipher, but it wasn't bad. If I keep doing this I could have a whole notebook of single lines, but very little sleep.

Maybe that's what I will write next—a book entirely out of first lines. I'm good at opening lines, it's the middle and ending ones I get hung up on.  :)

I was awarded the Kreativ blogger award this week. This makes me feel very good about myself (even if it was awarded to me by a relative).
According to the award rules:

  • I must thank the blogger who nominated me and provide a link back to their blog.
  • Share 10 interesting things about myself.
  • And nominate 6 other bloggers to receive the award (informing them about their amazingness).
Thank you Judy, at Life...Minute By Minute for the nomination. I will try to do you proud.

Ten interesting things about me. Hmmm... 
1. I have a ton of gray hair and have decided to live with it.
2. My sarcasm often gets me in trouble- many of my readers already know that.
3. I call some bloggers I follow my friends when I talk about them – even though I have never met them. 
4. It drives me nuts when someone eats the cookie dough out of the bowl while I'm making cookies. (I've been known to throw a pretty good fit about it too.)
5. I care way too much about what other people think of me, even though I act like I don't.
6. Like Judy, the blogger who nominated me, I have not shaved my legs in several weeks. Only difference is, I don't plan on doing it anytime soon.
7. If my house caught on fire and I could only take one item – I am a little ashamed to admit – it would probably be my iPad. If I had asked myself this question 6 months ago I would have said my kids.
8. I get enough food caught in my ample bosom each week to feed a starving child for a year.
9. I still think the lyrics say, "Blinded by the light. Wrapped up like a douche in the middle of the night."
10. I think I could construct a mid-size dog out of all the dog hair I swept away from my baseboards this weekend.

And now for the nominees... (drumroll please)

Jenny at The Bloggess
Rachel at Come What May