Hmmm— So, I just found-out what all these 100-things lists are that I’ve seen on a bunch of blogs.

Apparently the list is supposed to coincide with one’s 100th post. So I’m quite late.

It is, I think, the ultimate vanity. But as that is largely the purpose of blogs anyway, I see that fact being constantly forgiven/indulged.

So, craving the same patience of my readers (and largely because Jay has asked me to make an annual habit of self-description–!– as a reference, I suppose) I present my 100 things.

• Beginning with a thank you Prov 31 for the idea of organizing the 100 (some categories I borrowed, some modified), without which I wouldn’t have attempted this.

A. The things I pray most frequently:

1. No-bad-dreams for my girls each night
2. Safety for my family
3. Wisdom for me and my husband
4. Wholeness for my future sons- and daughter-in-law

B. Four Things I miss about growing up:

1. Having rabbits, and their greenhouse as my “secret” place to get away
2. Wrassling with Dad and my sibs
3. Only one room to keep clean
4. Hours of time to spend creating stories with my toys

C. Five things about my family:

1. Jay and I complement each other perfectly
2. I used to think I wanted four kids, but now three seems the perfect fit.
3. My three kids were born in less-than 3 1/2 years
4. Kids this close together fit my personality better than I could possibly have guessed
5. We plan to homeschool once our children are older. Currently I am most intrigued by Charlotte Mason’s ideas.

D. Ten things I like to do (in no particular order):

1. Read
2. Write
3. Explore (in every way– museums, woods, new–or old– houses, libraries, the internet)
4. Sing
5. Guitar
6. Tell stories
7. Listen to stories
8. Learn new things
9. Watching a T.V. series on DVD that I enjoy (Currently: Monk and House, M.D.)
10. Watch good movies

E. Ten favorite movies:

1. Undercover Blues
2. Kate and Leopold
3. Sabrina
4. Oklahoma! (London version– there’s irony for you)
5. Sahara
6. Sense & Sensibility
7. Stargate
8. Singin’ in the Rain
9. Bewitched
10. Hitch

F. Ten favorite books, or, The minimum I’d want to start over with after a fire:

1. A durably-bound bible (along with a good bookmark and a number of colored pens)
2. The Perilous Gard
3. Jane Eyre
4. Professionalizing Motherhood
5. Taking Charge of Your Fertility
6. Good Poems
7. Enchantment
8. Favorite Folktales From Around the World
9. Sea Wolf
10. Devotional Classics

G. Nine Favorites:

1. My Best Friend (Jay)
2. Homemade Ice Cream!
3. “Jewel” tones: saphire, ruby, emerald and amethyst
4. Having the right answer at the right time
5. Soft clothes
6. iPod-accessibility and mixability of Music!!!
7. Rose: Sterling Silver
8. Wildflower: Iris
9. Drink: Milk (1%)

H. Ten verses/passages underlined in my bible:

1. Hosea 2:19-20
2. 1 Corinthians 15:58
3. Exodus 33:13-16
4. Deuteronomy 4:29
5. Ephesians 4:29
6. Hebrews 12:11
7. Psalm 139:14
8. Phillipians 2:3-4
9. Phillipians 4: 4-7
10. Isaiah 43:1-2

I. Ten things I don’t like:

1. Being misunderstood or misconstrued
2. Being startled/caught off-guard
3. Forgetting
4. Thinking of something too late
5. Saying something unkind
6. Being tired
7. Mashed potatoes
8. Watermelon
9. Dr Pepper (Whenever my Dad or husband don’t want to share their soda, this is what they get. I don’t like that either.)
10. Wearing tennis shoes/sneakers with dresses or skirts

J. Ten random things about me:

1. I’ve never dyed my hair. (One acquaintance from childhood adds, “You never needed to.” It’s blond.)
2. I “collect” information: phone numbers, addresses, middle names and birthdays. Gift ideas too. It all goes into my palm. I love it when a friend says, “But how did you know?” and I can say,”You told me.”
3. Music is in my blood. I can’t not-listen or not-make it. I *always* listen to the words.
4. I don’t buy something because it fits a theme, I buy it because I like it. As a result my surroundings have always been… eclectic.
5. I memorize relatively easily.
6. I have vivid dreams. If I had time to write them down on first-waking, I’d have a lot more story seeds.
7. I have pierced ears, but only occasionally remember to wear earrings.
8. I understand the strength of my glasses prescription means I’m legally blind (without them, of course). I’m never up without them, even in the middle of the night.
9. I don’t think much of diamonds– the main stone in my engagement ring was an opal– I loved it. It showed how much my husband knew me, even then.
10. My children are spaced nearly exactly as my Grandmother’s were, only with the first two being close together, instead of the second two, as hers were.

K. Eight Goals I want to want enough to make happen:

1. A routine for maintaining the house
2. Regular guitar practice time (and correspondingly regular improvement)
3. Consistent in-home activities (fun stuffs) with the kids, so “leaving the house” didn’t automatically equal “more fun.”
4. A real bedtime routine for the kids
5. Sticking with a scheduled time for computer
6. Regular exercise
7. A mom’s group
8. Planning ahead more (I’m *really* good off the cuff. Boggles the mind how I could do by actually preparing…)

L. What I’d wish for if I had Ten wishes (and there was nothing more important to wish for…)

1. A gallon(+)-size ice cream maker that was quiet and durable.
2. A well-trained dog (A Brittany or small vizsla).
3. A self-cleaning kitchen
4. Someone to come fold my laundry every week
5. Normal eyesight
6. The ability to play any instrument I pick up
7. The ability to speak any language I hear
8. A salt-water fish tank for seahorses
9. A “captain”style bed
10. The decor of my home to feel coordinated or planned