Mimmsical Creations

Jamie at Starshyne Productions tagged me with a new meme!

The rules are:

1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Copy these questions (originally 8, plus Jamie's added 9th, and my own 10th) but add your own answers to them
4. Add one question to the last one, don’t forget to answer your own question
5. Tag as many as you feel like but you have to a least tag one
6. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
7. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
8. If anyone catches this out in blog world is welcome to jump on board


The Questions:


1. Real or Fake tree?

I haven't put up a holiday tree in many years. The last time I did was probably about 11 years ago. I had two young cats - Lissy and Oscar. (Oscar is still with me!) They got rambunctious one evening and knocked my tree (fake at the time) over and broke a whole bunch of my antique Shiney Brite ornaments. I was so mad!! I haven't put up a tree since! I have a ton of ornaments and decor, but I never get it out anymore! I should pass it on to someone who would use it I guess!

2. How many do you expect at your family holiday dinner?

On Christmas day, it will just be Mike and I. We have made it our tradition to stay home on the day of - just the two of us. I make a breakfast casserole for the morning and then we do something different each year for our meal. Last year I made Cuban food. I'm not sure what we're doing this year yet!

3. Do you know one of your great great grandmother's name?

I honestly cannot remember either one. I feel like I should know, but I can't find it in the old memory! I knew my grandparents, but not my greats, and definitely not my great, greats! I'll have to ask my mom for some names! (My paternal grandmother was Lula Annis Travis, and my maternal grandmother was Elma Etta Evans.)

4. Did you have chocolate today?

Not yet, but the day is young!

5. Do you visit all of your blogging friends everyday?

I definitely try to. I don't make it every day, but usually at least every couple of days for sure!

6. Do you have carolers come to your home?

Never

7. What is on your feet?

Black socks with multi-colored hearts and black tennis shoes

8. Do you make Candy for the holidays?

I haven't made candy, but this year, I'm in a cookie baking mood! I saw a recipe for salt caramels yesterday that is tempting me. Maybe this will be a first for making some candy!

9. What's a favourite holiday memory of yours?

I loved my first Christmas on my own. I lived in an apartment with my (still) best friend Andrea. We got this giant (real) Christmas tree. It wouldn't even fit in the door of our apartment. It sat outside on our porch until my dad could come over and saw off like two feet of it! It was huge! (I'm not sure what we were thinking!) We way overestimated our space! It was so much fun to have our own tree in our own place though!

10. (my question) What is your favorite holiday song? (sticking with the holiday theme here!)

I get irritated by holiday music in stores this time of year. You hear the same songs over and over. And yet, there are so many good songs that you never hear! My favorite song is Silver Bells. I haven't heard it one time this season and that makes me sad!

I also really like White Christmas as sung by Bing Crosby. (actually - I like anything as sung by Bing!) I like the old classics, sung by Bing, and Frank, and Deano! :)

I'm tagging to do this meme:

1. Lila
2. Mary Ann
3. Jana
4. You!! :)

Janet at the Lavendar Loft did a fun meme-y thingy a bit ago and I asked her if I could play along!

If you decide you want to play along, leave a comment for me. Ask me for a letter (and leave me a way to contact you!) Then all you have to do is list 10 things you love that start with that letter on your blog!!

My letter from Janet is M (appropriately since I am in the process of changing my name and eliminating a bunch of Ms from my last name!)

M type things that I love:

1. Mike - I have to start with the obvious here -my new husband! :) Handy for me that his name starts with M! :)

2. M&Ms - I love these candies - especially the new "designer" ones - raspberry almond = YUM!

3. Movies - I'm a huge movie fan. I don't go to the theatre as much as I used to, but I just love movies. I'm not a critic - I like most shows! (and most genres with the exception of horror!)

4. Making things - Although I haven't been creating art lately, I do love to make things. This includes cooking, art, crafts, etc. Cooking has been at the top of my list lately - with the cool weather, I want to make cookies, bread, soups - fall type foods!

5. Moving - Well - OK - not really the act of moving... but wanting to move. Moving to Oregon is high on my list at the moment!! We are in a bit of a holding pattern with the job market the way it is... but we're still hoping to move to the ocean next year!!

6. Murping... This is what we call the noise Miss Girl makes. She has taken to "murping" when we come into her room (she is isolated much of the time - it works better for her and for the other cats!) We go in and play with her, and she comes out and visits when we are home. She Murps happily when we open her door. She is a much happier cat now than ever before! Murps = happy Miss G.

7. Music - Mike might disagree with me on this one - he loves music WAY more than me, but I really do love it! (We don't meet on very many genres or artists either!) My favorites include Alison Krauss, Melissa Etheridge, Dixie Chicks, Pink, and loads more! My favorite radio station is KBCO. Every year, I stand in the cold to get a copy of their Studio-C CD!

8. Mollie - the name. I've always loved this name. If I were ever to have a little girl, I'd use this name! (I'm not going to have kids, so maybe a cat will be named Mollie down the road!)

9. Mom - my mom, Carol. Nice that Mom starts with M, so I could fit this one in here! I don't talk about my family a whole lot. Mom and I play Scrabble via email all the time - it's a fun, enjoyable way that we keep in touch!

10. My Maiden Name - weird saying maiden... Mimms. I really love my maiden name though. I debated about actually taking Mike's name or not when we got married. I decided I wanted to though. For so many years of my life, I've had so many Ms in my name. (Tammy Mimms - 10 letters, five of them are Ms!) It's a bit sad to leave Mimms behind, but fun and exciting to move on to my new name too!

This meme has been making the rounds, and as I'm such a huge movie fan, I had to get in on the fun! (I borrowed this from DebR, but I have seen it in so many places lately! Let me know if you play along too!)

The Rules: I pick the quotes from some of my favorite movies off the IMDb website and list them, then you guess which movies they’re from without any help from IMDb, Google, or other search engines. Leave your answers in the comment section, and as people get them right, I’ll start marking off the ones that have been guessed correctly. No prizes awarded, but it's fun to play anyway!!

Guessing is closed - I stumped you all on #6, 7, 11 and 14! I've added (in green) those movies! :)

(A little clue - the music player that I added to my blog yesterday will give you hints to the movies! The playlist is all songs from my 15 movies! Also Pretty in Pink was a guess for #6 - but that's not it! Pretty in Pink IS one of the quotes though!

Another clue - one of the quotes IS from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Kristen figured that out from the songs, but not which quote!

DebR correctly guessed that one of the quotes is from Singin' in the Rain. This is my all time favorite movie! She didn't guess the quote though. Anyone, anyone?)


1. "Short people have long faces, and long people have short faces. Big people have little humor, and little people have no humor at all. What's the first thing an actor learns? 'The show must go on!' Come rain, come shine, come snow, come sleet, the show MUST go on!" (DebR got this one {and I didn't even add an additional quote... I forgot!} It is from my all time favorite movie - Singin' in the Rain!)


2. "You truly love each other and so you might have been truly happy. Not one couple in a century has that chance, no matter what the story books say. And so I think no man in a century will suffer as greatly as you will." (The Princess Bride - DebR got this one in a snap!)


3. "Wilt thou give me a lock of thy jet-black tresses?"

"But I don't have any black dresses." (Anne of Green Gables - Kristen got this!)


4. "Do you remember that night? As long as it's not Swiss or tap water it will be fine, preferably French, no bubbles. I want it cold, no ice, no glass, just the bottle and a straw. Do you want to write it down? I don't want Swiss water, I got sick on an imported Swiss water once... " (This is Jill too -This is Return to Me. Said by "the date from hell".)


5."He can really cook, can't he?"

"Yeah, although for grilled cheese, I might use the wool setting."

"That's what I told him."

"Really? What did he use?"

"Rayon. Silk would have been too soggy. Cotton would have..."

"Would have burned it."

"Right. Fortunately, he consulted me before giving it steam. I was four square against it." (Correctly guessed by Jill - This is from Benny and Joon.)


6. "You're my knight in shimmering armor. Did you know that?"

"I think you mean shining."

"No shimmering. You shimmer, and you glow." (This is NOT Pretty Woman as has been guessed.)

(Another quote - which I forgot earlier! - to help you out: "Match in the gas tank, boom, boom!")

This quote is from another of my all time favorites (top 5 for sure!) "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?"


7. "Oh, there's nothing worse than a finicky agapanthis."

(Another quote to help you out in guessing: "Every now and then everybody is entitled to too much perfection.")

This movie is "Bed of Roses" - total chick flick, but I love it!


8. "We don't have none of this stuff in the boy's room! Wait a minute! We don't got none of this... we don't got doors on the stalls in the boy's room, we don't have, what is this? What's this? We don't have a candy machine in the boy's room!" (Jill got this one too - Pretty in Pink when Ducky gets thrown in the girls' bathroom)


9. "Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you." (Dirty Dancing - DebR got this one too!)


10. "What's the décor? Early Mexican brothel?" (Chocolat - Kristen got this one also!)


11. "I know I can't the make the bad go away. You're right, I can't. But when the bad comes again, I am gonna be next to you."

(Another quote to help in guessing: "I'm a BLT down sort of person, and I think you're looking for someone a little more pheasant under glass.")

I'm surprised no one got this one! It is from "Frankie and Johnny". A truly great movie in my opinion!


12. "Dancing's just a conversation between two people. Talk to me."

(Another quote hint: "Why does everybody keep asking me if I've been drinking? What? Is there like a coaster stuck to my butt or something?") (Dragonfly got this one - these are quotes from Hope Floats! The first one is Harry Connick Jr. speaking to Sandra Bullock. The second is Sandra Bullock's character!)


13. "What fun. Baby bottles of booze."

(Hint: "That's just what this country needs: a cock in a frock on a rock.") (With the help of an additional quote and some music to inspire - DebR got this one too! This is from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It is a fantastic, but vulgar movie, which I absolutely love! The soundtrack rocks!)


14. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing that a rooftop and an AK-47 won't take care of."

(And one last hint: "My regime? The regime from which the radicals are trying to get free? Are we selling face cream or staging a coup?")

There are many good lines in this movie, but my first quote is my favorite! I've used it on occasion! It is from "The Truth About Cats and Dogs".


15. "You'll never find peace by hating, lad. It only shuts ye off more from the world. And this town is only a cursed place, if ye make it so. To the rest of us, 'tis a blessed place!" (DebR and Kristen guessed right - one of my favorite musicals, Brigadoon! Gene Kelly is my favorite and another of the quotes is a Gene Kelly movie!)

anything interesting to say... but I'm so close to the end of NaBloPoMo, I won't give in now! So... I'm going to share more interesting (?) facts about me! Suzie "unofficially" tagged me to share eight random things about myself. Now... coming up with new things about me is hard, but here is my attempt!

1. I LOVE shoes. But, here's the weird part, I hate to wear shoes. I kick off my shoes very first thing in the house (and also in other people's houses too!) I sometimes have them off in my office also. Why do I like shoes, but not like wearing them? It's a mystery! My favorite style is Mary Jane's because then my tattoo shows!

2. If (when?) Mike and I get married (which I think we'll do at some point!) I want to wear red! I've never dreamed of a big wedding like some girls do. I don't want anything traditional at all! I'm thinking outdoors, fairly pagan in nature, and definitely a red dress! Perhaps a sari (like this one?) and I'd definitely like to have traditional Indian mehndi on my hands too.

3. I love Ethiopian food. I didn't even know what it was until I met Mike. We have a wonderful restaurant here in Fort Collins called Nyala. The food is so yummy! It's eaten with no utensils. You use a bread called Injera to scoop bites. I don't really like the Injera, but I like the food so much it's worth it! My favorite is a butternut squash dish! YUMMY! And the mushrooms - to die for!

4. My mom and I play Scrabble via email. We have been playing like this for a couple years. She used to always beat me, but now I beat her every now and then.

5. When I get a new CD, I tend to listen to the one song that drew me to it in the first place over and over. Right now, I can't get enough of Brandi Carlile! (Playing now on my blog!) I love The Story and Turpentine. I play these two over and over and tend to ignore the rest of the songs!

6. KBCO is my favorite radio station. Each year they make a Studio-C CD - live performances for their station put on a CD. They release it in early December, and you have to stand in line for several hours to get one (and they sell out FAST!) I have done this three times! It's always freezing cold, but fun. I am trying to decide whether to do it this year or not! It comes out on Saturday and has a great line up of songs... we'll see if it's snowing or if I'm willing to brave the cold!

7. I could eat Chinese food for every meal. No, really! I love it that much. Unfortunately, Mike isn't a huge fan, so I can't talk him into ordering nearly as often as I'd like. I get it for lunch at work whenever I can talk others into it! Cold Chinese for breakfast is about the best thing ever! (I DO prefer the leftovers cold!)

8. I love to re-read books. I have re-read my favorites SO many times. I think I've read the entire Harry Potter series at least 4 times. And Nora Roberts - I re-read my favorite trilogies by her often. I know the story, and the outcome, but somehow it doesn't matter. It's like an old friend!

OK - that's all the weirdness I could think up for today! I'm not tagging anyone specifically, but if you do play along, let me know!

I was back at work today... but still feeling pretty bad. I called the doctor and we're going to try antibiotics since this illness is being so stubborn. I sure hope they help!!!

I thought I'd "borrow" a meme from DebR for today. She did this a while back and I thought it was fun - tucked it away for a future post - and here it is.

The rules are - spell out my middle name and tell you something about myself starting with each letter.

My middle name is Dale (named after Tammy Wynette and Dale Evans)

D - Drink - my favorite drink is Canada Dry club soda - raspberry flavor. It's not sweetened - just has a hint of flavor. I go through many bottles of this a week. I have to run to the grocery store often to procure more fizzy water!!

A - Anne of Green Gables - one of my all time favorite book series AND movie series. I've read the whole series numerous times and watched all umpteen hours of movies many times. I recently watched the first four hours again! Love it just as much as ever!!

L - Libra - I am a Libra - totally! I fit the bill on everything about Libras - my chart is full of Libra and very little else. This makes it hard for me to make up my mind because I can always see both sides! I have to find balance in everything.

E - Energy - Until I met Mike, I had never done any energy work. Because he does Reiki, I've been introduced to that and to several other modalities of energy work. I like it! I don't feel the energy as much as Mike does, but I can feel energies now!

Some silliness for a Friday!

I saw this on several blogs over the last few weeks, and thought it was fun! I finally decided to do it here! :)

Following the instructions here are my different style names. I added a bonus at the end! :)

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Beau Beau Sunfire

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Raspberry Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
T Mim

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Purple Cat

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Dale Greeley

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Mim-Ta

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Green Fizzy Water

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Charles George

9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Lavendar Chocolate

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Louisa Leon

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Boatwright Berthoud

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Autumn Stargazer

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Grape Shoesies

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Toast Willow

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Sharpie Rain Tour

Bonus: If you write a book, what is your pen name? Mimms Tamdale and the title of the book will be "Never Date a Dave". I don't know if it's a mystery, true crime, or self-help book!

I meant to do this yesterday, but my reminiscing got way too long! Misty (a new blog friend) tagged me to tell seven random facts about myself. The rules are:

A) Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog...

B) Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself...

C) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs...

D) Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I'm going to do A and B, but C/D - well, consider yourselves tagged!! Let me know if you decide to play! :) (I never said I played by the rules!)

***Warning!! Warning!!*** Randomness ahead!

1. When I was a little girl, my favorite activity was playing school. I would line up my dolls and stuffed animals and be the teacher. I even had a blackboard! My favorite part of this game, though, was picking out names for each and every student! First, Middle, and Last! I love names - and that's the only reason I would want a child (a good reason I'm NOT having one) is to name it! I've loved the names Mollie Jayne and Gilbert Andrew for a very long time.

2. I had dogs growing up (Beau Beau and Little One), but desperately wanted a cat. My dad always said no. When I moved out on my own, I overcompensated. Since 1996 I have had 10 (ten) cats (not all at the same time). My first was Coise (ko-shee, Gaelic for toe - he had mitten paws). He was my sister's cat and I took him in. He went psycho on me, quite literally, and without spending a ton of money, which I didn't have, I had to have him euthanized. I then got Lissy. She was a great kitten, but a not so happy cat. There was something seriously wrong with her too. I think she was probably inbred - a barn tabby. I had her for seven years before having to euthanize her as well.

Oscar is still with me - he is about 11 now and quite the grumpy old man. But he's my boy. I will be extremely sad to lose him! Bear was an outdoor kitty that a friend asked me to take in. He was an awesome buddy - always near the house, and waiting for me whenever I got home. He lived with me on the farm for about 6 years until he got a tumor in his mouth, and had to be euthanized. Melvin was a stray tomcat who attached himself to me for a couple of years - outside only. He wouldn't let anyone but me touch him. He's named after Jack Nicholson's character in the movie As Good As It Gets. Melvin disappeared one day and I never saw him again.

Zen was another cat that I took in. He was indoor/outdoor. Oscar and Zen did NOT get along. Zen was a very cool cat. He was huge and so calm. He could sit with his butt on my lap and put his front paws around my neck - so tall! He also disappeared. I still miss my Zen cat. Now I have Henry, Luna, Ben and Miss Girl, as well as Oscar. Five cats in one house is too many, but we love them all!

3. (Am I only on 3? This is going to be LONG too!) I went through a long period of time in high school where I wore all black. I'm not sure why - I wasn't "goth" or anything. I just preferred black. My favorite shoes were these granny lace-up boots. I wore them out! I still wear a lot of black, but definitely have lots of color too!

4. I'm a slob. (Mike will corroborate this one.) I try to keep things tidy, but it just doesn't work. We do our cleaning on weekends, and ignore the mess in between. My "art room" is just a disaster - I collect too much stuff, and then it all runs all over the place! I'm not really bothered by the clutter - but once in a while, it gets to the tipping point and I have to clean! Right now, I'm trying not only to clean, but to down-size! Need any old magazines? I've got tons!!

5. My secret pleasure is reading all the celebrity "news" websites - like People.com. I love reading about what celebrities are up to - what they are wearing, who they are dating, who is having who's baby (is that grammatically correct?), etc. I don't know why I love this as it has absolutely no bearing on "real" life. I guess this is why I love Dancing with the Stars so much also.

6. As you know - I'm from a big family. It's growing!! I was an aunt when I was only 6 days old. Now I have 13 nieces/nephews, AND I have 8 great-nieces/nephews. The most recent great-niece is just about one month old now. She was born early and is doing really well. Her name is Ella Marie and she joins her big sister, Claire. Although I don't see my family much (by my choice) I do love my nieces and nephews and now their children. I love getting photos and updates!

7. Mike and I have been together for almost three years (our meeting anniversary is December 22!) We met online through eharmony.com. I had tried online dating before with NO success - in fact, some pretty horrible guys (think suicidal, alcoholic, abusive...) I'd almost given up, but decided to try once more - a different site. I'm glad I did!! I had a number of matches that I was talking with when I got matched with Mike. But - we clicked right away. I closed off communication with everyone else pretty quickly as I realized that we were going somewhere. We talked for about a month via email, then moved to phone conversations and then to meeting in person. We met at Rasta Pasta and sat and talked over dinner for three hours that first night!! And the rest, as they say, is history!

Pshew - that's seven!! Misty might think twice before tagging this blabbermouth again!!

I've been tagged for two different memes! I'm going to do one today and one tomorrow! (I was going to do both, but this first one got LONG!)

Suzie tagged me for the 10-20-30 meme - a look at my past. Here's what I remember! (Thanks for the tag Suzie - this was fun!)

10 Years Ago (Age 23, 1997) - I was living alone in my little house in the country. I moved there at the beginning of 1996. During 1997, I was working in Windsor (about 15 miles from my house) at the local Hallmark store as the assistant manager. I bounced between working at Barnes and Noble and at Hallmark in 1996-1998. I left the Hallmark store for good in 1998 because the owner sold it to some new owners and I didn't want to transition with them. (A friend took some great photos of me, along about this time - it may have been 1998 or so, but it's close! This was one of my favorites of the batch.)

My memory is bad, but I think I also started back to school during 1997, about 4 years after graduating from high school. I took night classes at Regis University. Working full time, taking night classes - left me little time for socializing. I was pretty introverted still and I didn't have much of a social life. I spent a lot of time with Nancy and her family - my landlord/surrogate family! I learned to cook from Nancy - Vietnamese, Indian, Thai, baking - you name it! We also played a lot of Uno and Monopoly with the kids! I also had my friend, Andrea to count on - and still do!! Other friendships had fallen apart during this time too.

I was definitely single during this time. I didn't have my first "relationship" until a couple years later. I didn't meet Mike until much later! I wish I'd met him first, and been able to skip all the bad relationships I had between then and now! Although - I have no regrets. I learned a lot and didn't make the same mistake twice!

20 Years Ago (Age 14, 1987) - This was a tough time for me - as it is for many people. I was in Middle School, in Windsor, Colorado. (I still live only a few miles from where I grew up!) We had middle school rather than junior high - it was 6, 7, 8 grades. High school was then 9-12. (I think this photo is about this time - maybe 13? I'm holding my sister's cat, Jethro. Check out those glasses!)

Middle school was hard for me because I was the shy, geeky kid. I had known most of my classmates since grade school (and before) but we also had some new kids moving to town too. My best friend from grade school and I weren't really friends anymore. We were quite different now and she had some new friends that didn't like me - or so it seemed anyway! (she was a popular kid - and I never was!)

In sixth grade, I had almost died of a ruptured appendix. I missed the entire 4th quarter of that year. I managed to keep up on schoolwork, and moved on with my class, but I think being gone that long had an affect on my next year. 7th grade was definitely the hardest year. I remember it being lonely, even though I had friends. I spent a lot of time with two sisters in my grade (they were adopted - therefore the same age). They were so fun - we did a lot of dressing up and lip synching to our favorite songs.

I was in the school band and choir, both of which I loved. I played the French Horn in middle school - and would switch to the bass clarinet later in high school. I was always first chair, although Jeff, the only other French hornist would dispute that! :) Eighth grade was a bit brighter the next year. I was cast in our school musical as one of the female leads, and I even had a solo! Definitely a boost to my confidence! Thanks Mr. Madore!

30 Years Ago (age 3, 1977) - If my memory is bad for 10 or 20 years ago, it's even worse for my young childhood. I don't have good memories of when I was little. A lot of what I "remember" is stories I've been told. (The photo below is about this time - I may be a bit younger than three... I'm not positive!)

My brother Tom is the youngest next to me, and he would have been 18 at this point. Probably he was a senior in high school. I do remember (vaguely) going to his basketball games at the high school gym. I also remember the night of his graduation. He couldn't find his mortar board, and was very angry. He put his hand through the glass part of our porch screen door. I don't know if he had to have stitches, but he went to the ceremony with his hand all bandaged up.

My sister, Mary may have also been still at home. She came and went a bit when I was little. I remember one night - I had a nightmare and Mary was the one who came in when I cried. I didn't even know she was there until she showed up. She used to love the heaters in our old house. She was perpetually cold, and would curl up on the floor on or near the floor heaters.

I learned to read somewhere along in here - probably the next year. Once I learned, I've never stopped reading. We didn't have a TV and my mom read to me constantly. She read out loud to me until I got too busy to stop and listen (in high school!) We also played a lot of games together.

Well, that's what I remember.

Cheesy title? Check!! Crazy list of questions? Check! I borrowed this meme from DebR, who borrowed it from... you get the picture! :)

Ocean or Lake? Ocean! For sure!! I'm going there in a couple weeks! :) (the Atlantic - Wrightsville Beach, NC!)

Pizza or Chinese? I like both, but I guess I'd usually choose Chinese over pizza given that choice!

Mansion or Penthouse? Probably neither. I'd never really want the space of a mansion, and I don't think I'd like living at the heights of a penthouse! I'd choose a house on the beach!

Have you been on a Jet Ski? Nope - not interested thank you!

Are you afraid of clowns? Yes, isn't everyone?!

How many brothers/sisters do you have? I have three brothers - Tom, John, Joe. I have four sisters - Connie, Rhonda, Mary, and Vicki.

Favorite band/group? I don't know if I can narrow it to a favorite - I like so much different music!

Baseball or football? Both! I have lived in Colorado my whole life, so I have to root for the Broncos! (And I do, regularly - watch football that is!) I love baseball too, but I rarely see a game. I like to go to Rockies games, but haven't in quite a number of years... they're not as fun to watch on TV.

Favorite brand of makeup? Makeup?! I don't really wear the stuff. What I do have is Mary Kay as my best friend, Andrea, used to sell it. I only put on makeup for a special dress-up occasion! (I used to always wear eyeliner/mascara, but Mike told me he prefers me without it... so who am I to question?!)

Do you have an IPod? I don't. It might be fun to have one though... someday, maybe...

Bike or scooter? I don't have either, but I'd choose a bike.

Ever go in a hot air balloon? I haven't. I think I'd like to try, but the height fear might be hard for me! Maybe someday though!

What brand computer do you have? It's Mike's, but I think it's a Dell!

How many times have you been to Disneyworld? I haven't been to World, but Land several times.

Favorite city? It's not Fort Collins (where I live now...) I'd have to say I loved Manhattan - to visit. I love Seattle a lot and think I could live there for sure! Hopefully, I'll love Raleigh, NC when we visit as we might wind up living there!!

Do you think you are fat? I don't like this question! As Deb said though, I know I'm overweight. I have never called myself fat though. I want to be healthier and I'm working on that, slowly. We have an exercise bike on the way, so we're trying to change habits (Mike and I both!)

Ever throw up in a public place? I'm sure I did in school, but I don't remember for sure. (and, ICK! What a question?!)

Do you have a pool? Nope, not many pools outdoors in Colorado. It used to be too cold to have one, but it's gotten warmer since I was a kid!

How many times a month do you go to the movies? I probably make it about once a month, maybe.

Last movie you saw? The last movie I saw was ... hmmm... I can't remember! I'm planning to go see Hairspray tomorrow!

Do you chew ice? Yes. Not always, but some.

Have you been to California? Yes, many times - my dad has lots of family there. And my folks live in Desert Hot Springs for the winters.

Last book you read? I re-read a childhood favorite called The Trolley Car Family. I'm reading a great, intriguing book now called The Echo Maker. It's very fascinating - I started slow, but now I really want to know what happens!

Do you like to go fishing? NO! Absolutely zero interest in this activity!

Favorite professional team? The Denver Broncos.

Do you like mohawks? Not particularly.

How many pairs of shoes do you own? I don't know for sure, but I think Mike would tell you "too many"... I think probably only around 30 pairs.

Do you floss? Not as often as I should!

Do you have braces? I don't know, and never have. I probably should have.

Do you bite your nails? No, and I never have.

What is your last thought before falling asleep? "I wish this cat would get out of my face"... with five cats, there is almost always one trying to cuddle up!

Do you fall in love easily? I don't think so. But with Mike it wasn't hard!!

Ever have a crush and they never knew? Of course!

Do you babysit? I used to, all the time! But, now, it's been MANY years... I would do OK with a baby, but toddlers/kids would try my patience too much I'm afraid.

Ever been shot at? NO! (who came up with these questions?)

Do you consider yourself nice? I think some of the time I am. I know I can be pretty grumpy too, and I get really irritated with stupid people (like when driving!)

Do you go to camp for the summer? I used to, as a kid. Every summer, we went to camp in Durango.

Have you been on a boat? I have - it's been a long time. It's not my favorite activity because I get motion sick!

Ever break a bone? Not that I'm totally sure of. I think I broke a toe once a long time ago, but it wasn't "official". It still hurts if I ding it!

What is your ultimate job? Working out of home - doing art, creating websites.

Do you want to walk on the moon? Not really. I love seeing the view of it from here, but I don't think I want to go there.

Can you name the seven dwarfs? I doubt it... Dopey, Sneezy, Doc, Sleepy, Grumpy, Happy, Slappy, Wacko, and Dot... Oh, wait...

Favorite TV show? Alias. Yes, I know, it's been cancelled. But it's still my favorite. The one that's still on? Dancing with the Stars. And I like Lost too. I am hoping Season 3 comes out in time for us to watch it before Season 4 starts!

Apples or oranges? I prefer Oranges. But, I can't eat citrus... so I eat an apple now and then...

Favorite model of car? I'm not a huge car fan. I do notice old cars though - I like the old muscle cars - GTO, GTX, etc. They catch my eye!

Favorite flower? Stargazer Lilies!! (and Roses!)

Favorite color? Green

Ever climb out your bedroom window? I don't think so. I had a door out onto a "balcony" when I was a kid, so I didn't have to go out a window.

Do you live in an apartment or house? House

How many times in the last month have you had the hiccups? Many - I get them pretty frequently!

Ever laugh so hard milk came out your nose? I don't drink milk! But other liquid, yes, I have!

How many cousins do you have? I really have NO idea - but lots. I think at least 12 first cousins.

Do you believe in ghosts? Yes.

If you were a bird, what would you be? I don't really like birds, but I'd choose one who gets to live somewhere tropical!

Ever get stitches? Only when I had surgeries.

If you could, would you want to know what your future was going to be? No - I don't think so. Although I'd really like to know where/when Mike and I will be moving!!

If you could change your name, what would it be? I've thought about this one. I'm not a big fan of Tammy. I've considered trying to go by my middle name, Dale... I was told once I should change my name to Phaedre. (fay-dra)

Dogs or cats? I only have cats - I think I'll always have cats. But, I do love dogs too! We saw the most adorable black pug this morning and loved on it for a few minutes. I wanted to bring him home with us!!

Do you believe in love at first sight? I'm not sure. As I said, with Mike, it was easy, and relatively quick! I don't know if I loved him at first sight, but there was definitely something there!

Do you go to church? No.

Would you marry outside your religion? I don't have a religion, so I guess, I'd marry no matter what as long as he were accepting of me! (Mike and I see eye to eye, so this is a good thing!)

Ever ride in a limo? I have! It was fun - my senior prom with two other couples. We were geeky enough that we sang (and harmonized) songs from our choir while riding back from our dinner to the prom!

Ever drink champagne? I LOVE champagne. I was lucky enough to have a glass (two actually since Mike doesn't like it) when he took me out for dinner for my birthday on Wednesday. The manager of the restaurant brought us glasses to help us celebrate (and to make up for Mike's undercooked steak - which they also replaced and made perfect!)

OK - that's it for the Tammy Trivia round! Let me know if you decide to answer these on your own blog! It's fun to read all about you!! :)

Boy, this has been quite a long week - busy and I'm tired! I'm still not feeling the best. I scheduled a Dr. appointment for August 1, just to get a checkup and make sure there's not something more going on here... My blood sugar levels are quite high (I have a diabetic co-worker who thought I should test them...) so I'm going to have that checked out too.

I finally got a few photos that I took during our friends' visit last week. I didn't get to go with them up to Rocky Mountain National Park, so my photos are all from the CSU Trial Gardens here in town. So pretty!!

This is the four of us together. Mike was really happy to have Jeff (and Sarena, of course!) visiting - you can tell from his goofy faces! :) (order is Sarena, Jeff, Mike, and me!)

Next, we have Mike and Jeff mugging and being "manly" in front of all the pink flowers!

This photo was a happy accident. I was trying to take a different angle on this columbine and didn't realize that Sarena was in the frame! It's a cool picture if you ask me! :)


And one more fun shot - I was experimenting with angles. I like the sun in this shot. The flower looks all spiky against the bright sun and blue sky. If you want to see more photos, check out my flickr.

Lila, Indigo Pears, tagged me to do a meme where I tell you eight things about myself. I have probably shared these things at some point or another, but here goes anyway!

1. If my whole immediate family gets together there are 43 people plus one on the way. This includes my parents, siblings, and their families. Yikes!! I have 13 nieces/nephews and 7 plus one on the way great-nieces/nephews.

2. I am afraid of thunder... not lightning, but thunder. (Yes, I know thunder can't hurt me, but it doesn't make it less scary!) My cat Oscar gets very concerned when it's thundering because he knows I'm scared!

3. I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, and I'm very excited about the book that comes out tonight!! I have it pre-ordered and I'm HOPING it shows up tomorrow so I can read it this weekend and avoid getting caught in spoilers!

4. I have only moved six times in my life. I lived in the same house in Windsor, CO until I was 18. And I lived alone in my little country house for exactly 10 years before moving to my house with Mike.

5. I have never travelled anywhere (YET) that required a passport. I hope that changes!!

6. I am sure I've shared this before, but ... I'm named after Tammy Wynette and Dale Evans (Tammy Dale). If I'd been a boy, I would have been called Charles Travis for my grandpa and dad. I think they would have called me Chuck!

7. I love to buy shoes. I hate to wear shoes. Anytime I can be, I'm barefoot!

8. My favorite food is anything Asian. Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese - all are yummy! I also love Japanese... mainly because of Sushi! YUM!

I don't think there's anything earth shattering there - if I think of something even more random or weird to share, I will! :)

Consider yourself tagged if you want to play along - leave me a note if you do, so I can read your eight things too! Happy weekend!

Melba was interviewed on her blog recently, and the deal is - you get interviewed and offer to interview other bloggers. I took her up on answering five questions of her choice for me. (This is gonna be a long post! I am long-winded when I get going!)

Her questions:

~ Sometimes families mis-perceive who we are as adults (especially in larger families like your own) What is the biggest misperception your family has about you?

I think in my case, this is especially true. Because I was born so much later than my siblings (15 years after the next youngest) I think it is harder for them to think of me as a sibling. My oldest sister had a baby only six days after I was born - my nephew. It seems to me (MY perception) that my sibs don't think of me as an adult even still. I don't know how old or what situation I'll have to be in for that to happen though.

I think that their mis-perception is that I'm a very weird, off the wall person. (OK - so they may be right in this perception!) But, what I don't think they see, is the real me. They haven't ever taken the time to know me as an adult, as an individual. And partially, I'm to blame for this as well. I have removed myself from many family situations because it is easier. I haven't put myself out there for them to know either.

Maybe my perception of their perception of me is skewed. I don't know... but that's how it is at least for now. I am very different in my beliefs, political views, ideas, etc. than most of my family. It is easier for me to not be very involved. It works for me. (The picture above is seven of the eight of us. Vicki wasn't there. It was taken about 3 Christmases ago. That was the first time I'd gone to a holiday gathering in about 4 years, and the last time. Top left to right - Joe, Tom, John. Bottom l to r - Connie, Rhonda, Mary - I'm on the floor in front. Check that red hair I was sporting!)

~ Does your family know you blog? Do they understand what a blog is?

Some of my family know - I know that they read my blog. My moms knows about my blog for sure. I know that two or three of my sisters and one niece read my blog as well. When I first started my blog, I was quite careful about what I said, where I linked, etc. because I wasn't sure about my family reading my words. It took some time for me to come to a point where I decided I would open up and be myself, even if they did read it, and didn't like it.

When I write now, it is me. I say what I want to in spite of the fact that my family might not like it. It has taken me years to get to that point "off-blog" and not quite as long "on-blog". (I like my made up terms!)

My mom even has her own blog now! She isn't writing very regularly yet, but I think she will. I helped her with some design - a header and a sidebar. It was fun to help her. I know that some of what I write about isn't what my mom would choose for me, but I think she's OK with the fact that I will live my life my way now. I know I am OK with that!

My sister Vicki is extremely supportive of me. (Some of you all helped me out by sending art and goodies to Vicki not too long ago! Thank you!! It cheered her up immensely. Her health is still very bad though.) She loves to read my blog and hear what's going on with me - see my art, photos, etc. It's fun when she does comment!

~I know you love animals. When did your love for animals begin? Did you have a pet growing up?

I did have a pet growing up. His name was Beau-Beau - he was a French poodle. We had him from the time I was 2 until about 13 I think. I loved Beau very much - he slept in my room - usually on the bed with me. We had to euthanize him when I was in middle school. My dad took him to the vet. If I knew then what I know now, I would have wanted to go too. But, I didn't. I remember crying at school. My mom was away - in Germany visiting my brother Tom when he was euthanized. (on the left - me age 2ish holding Beau.)

I had various other pets along the way - Hamsters, a bunny (I cannot remember his name!), and fish. I loved my hamsters! I had one named Theo that was so friendly. He died a tragic death though - he choked to death if you can believe it. So sad - even my dad (big softie) cried. (below is Theo in his ball with our friend's dog Hansi - I love Hansi too!)

I never remember not loving animals. Especially cats! My dad (pretends) to not like cats, so I never had them until I was out on my own. My sister Mary's cat Jethro was my favorite. I also remember my friend/neighbor Bobbie's chinchilla! I loved watching her take a dust bath!

Who knew that I'd wind up working in a pet related field? I never wanted to be a veterinarian - too much science! But, working at World by the Tail and being able to help people with the loss of pets, this is a good place for me! I love that what I do genuinely helps people through a difficult time! I have ClayPaws® prints of my own cats (Lissy and Bear) and I love having them!

~ I read in your bio that you went to art therapy. What was that experience like for you?

Art therapy truly changed who I am. I had "regular" therapy sessions for several years where I worked through a lot of things - nothing major, but a lot of stuff that had me stuck. When we happened upon a stumbling block I couldn't get past - my therapist recommended art therapy. The block was actually being creative. I knew the creativity was there, but I could NOT get to it. I was so hard on myself, that putting pen to paper to "draw" wigged me out. I couldn't do it!

I did numerous individual art therapy sessions to start with. I cried in the first one because Andrea asked me to draw a house, a tree, and a bird. I knew that I couldn't do it... so instead, we scribbled. No pressure when you're just scribbling! I don't remember a lot of what we talked about as I drew and scribbled... I just know that something broke loose at some point, and I branched out quickly. We did collage, painting, drawing, etc... Then, I was ready to try an art therapy group. (one of my first scribbles to the right.)

I did group sessions for over a year - every Wednesday night! It was always groups of 5-6 women - and we all just did our own thing each night - talking and working together. At the end of the group - we would all post what we had worked on that night and discuss. I learned SO much from the various women in the groups and Andrea. I have all of my work in a portfolio! Some of it is quite elementary, but that's OK - I like each piece. I tried to do another group with Andrea this spring, but not enough people signed up this time. I hope I can do another group - it has been over a year since I did one. I miss them! I do a lot more art on my own now, so I don't NEED the group setting, but it is a great place!

I highly recommend art therapy! Without it, I don't think I would be where I am! I certainly wouldn't be creating anything, and I doubt I would be blogging truthfully. This is a form of creative expression for me in many ways - and I couldn't have done it a few years ago!

~What is your creative dream for yourself?

I would LOVE to find a way to make enough money to support myself through art. I haven't figured that out just yet, but I think at some point I will. I want art to be my job. Many aspects of the job I do now are creative and fulfilling. I love that! (designing our website especially!) But, I want to be a Stay at Home Artist (not mom!) To create, and support myself by creating, is my creative dream!

Pshew!! That was long-winded!! Thank You Melba for such great, thought-provoking questions. Now, if YOU would like to be interviewed by ME - here is the deal.

1. Leave me a comment saying "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

I finished this up this weekend - it is the first page in my new, shiny journal from Holly in the Create a Connection Journal swap. I don't journal on a regular basis, but Holly was kind enough to send me a journal that had heavy pages - I can sharpie-ize without bleed through!! Yay!

It is mostly doodles, with some words - things on my mind - written in.

You can see it in a larger format over at flickr.

I have also been tagged (TWICE) to do a meme - Jolene got me first, followed closely by Lauri! So, for both of you, here are my answers for the meme:

List seven random facts or habits about yourself. Then I'm supposed to tag, but I'm going to cheat... I'm tagging ALL of you - anyone who wants to be tagged, do the meme, tell me you did it and consider yourself tagged! (Why did I have a song from Oliver pop into my head just then? "Consider yourself...")

Random facts about me (I may have already told you all of these, but I can't remember, so hopefully, neither can you!):

1. I have migraines (not a big secret there) and I have several food triggers. I don't eat anything citrus, anything with peanuts, aged cheeses, or red wine. I hate giving up these things, but not having a headache caused by them is worth it! I miss orange juice and peanut butter!

2. I am terrified of thunder! I know, I know - it's the lightning that can hurt me, but I HATE thunder. I am better now than I used to be - I used to hide when it thundered - now I just cringe and whimper!

3. I have 7 siblings, all of them are married. All of them have children - a total of 13 children among them, my nieces and nephews. Some of them have kids - a total of 7, plus one more on the way. When all of us including our parents (and Mike and I) get together - it totals 41.5 people. YIKES! No cousins, aunts, uncles - just my siblings and their families! We haven't all been together in many years though - not since all of the additional children started coming along!

4. If I ever write a book, my pen name will be Mimms Tamdale. I like my last name very much - Mimms. My first name is Tammy, middle Dale = Tamdale. My boss/friend Laurel came up with this name!

5. I have lived in Colorado my whole life. I grew up in Windsor, Colorado. I lived for one year with my best friend, Andrea, in Greeley, CO. I've lived in Fort Collins, CO since 1996. If Mike and I do move to North Carolina, it will be the first time to live somewhere other than northern CO.

6. I have had a lot of cats since I moved out on my own. Coise (KO-SHE) was my first - he was my sister's cat initially. He had mitten paws - extra toes - Coise means TOE in Gaelic. I had to have him euthanized. I also have had to euthanize Lissy and Bear. Zen and Melvin both disappeared. Zen was indoor/outdoor - and a very cool cat! Melvin was a stray that attached himself to me for a couple years. I currently share space with Oscar, Henry, Luna, Ben, and Miss Girl.

7. I do not plan to have kids. I love babies - but I like to be able to hand them back to mom when they poop or scream. Cats are hard enough for me to deal with!

There you have it! Randomness about the random queen! :)

I saw this great book Meme over at Planetshannon, and decided to borrow it! I can't resist talking about books ever!! (thanks Shannon!)

The instructions are:

"Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a ten foot pole, put a cross (+) by the ones on your book shelf and an asterisk (*) by the ones you’ve never heard of."

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) +
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) +
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) +
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) + - I LOVE the book - refuse to see the movie!
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) +
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) +
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien) +
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) + - I own the whole series - some of my favorite books ever!
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) + - I own the whole series - and just finished re-reading them all again - wonderful stories!!
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry) *
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling) +
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling) +
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling) +
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald) *
18. The Stand (Stephen King) - I have never read any Stephen King...
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling) +
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) +
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) +
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) + This book is my favorite of all time!!
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) - I haven't read it, but I did see the recent movie...
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) +
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) + - I have them all!
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) - I haven't read this one, but I know of it.
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert) - I haven't read this one, and probably won't...
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) + (I prefer the Fountainhead though!)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) + - probably #2 on my list of favorites! It changed my thinking completely!
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay) *
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant) +
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) +
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible +
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) +
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt) +
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) +
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) - I don't think I ever read this one... I can't remember!
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence) *
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling) +
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) - I haven't read this - not to say I won't some day though
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) +
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) + - this is high on my list of favorites too!
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy) +
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) - I don't do vampire books!
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davies) *
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares) +
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) +
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) +
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell) - haven't read it, know of it, probably won't read it...
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) + - one of my favorites from childhood!
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence) *
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) + - another childhood favorite!
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley) *
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) + - love the movie with Gary Sinise
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) +
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams) + - I have never read this classic - I own it though!
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago) *
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer) *
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje) *
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck) +
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd) +
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) - I have seen the movie, but not read the book
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) +
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield) +
100. Ulysses (James Joyce) - I know of this one, but probably won't read it.

Wow - I'm amazed at how many of these I have read, and own! There are a number on here that I really do want to read and haven't gotten around to it. I LOVE to read - can you tell? If you want to play along, there is a blank list below! Let me know if you do play, I want to see your lists! :)

I have READ 60 out of the 100. I OWN 41 out of the 100. I want to read 15 that I haven't yet read. There were only 8 of the 100 that I had never heard of! What a fun meme!

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davies)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)