playing catch up and a freebie

In my last post I mention this thing called Blog It or Lay It Out that we have over at the DSO forums. Well there is a new one posted everyday and I told myself I was going to do them all. So here I am playing catch up..

What was your favorite childhood past time? Did you do it alone of with someone?
My favorite past time was spent with my Uncle Don.. My mom didn't like him very much and didn't want him around me, but he would sneak over after I got out of school (before mom came home from work) and we would sit on my front porch and talk about everything. He told me our talks kept him going day by day.. But I guess they weren't enough after a while, he committed suicided when I was a freshman in high school. He was my best friend and my big brother (he was only 7 yrs older than me and hated the though of being an uncle, told everyone I was his baby sister) I am not made at him for what he did because I know that he is in my heart and will always be there to listen to my problems.

Describe your childhood bedroom...
hmm.. My bedroom was nothing much.. The first one I can barely remember except that it had bunk beds and I shared with my sister. After my grandma passed when I was 8 we moved into her house (dads childhood home) and I finally had my own room. It had white walls, teal border, white dresser and bed with teal drawers on both (bed and dresses) and a white entertainment center, with a TV, VCR, and RADIO. I had a 3 foot care bear till my mom throw it out (I am still made about) that was then replaced with a 3 foot tweety, my nephews father got me as a birthday present while he was dating my sister (which I think my mom through out or gave to my cousin), umm I had a phone, I won't describe, I went through 10 different ones.. the main thing I do remember was.. IT WAS A MESS!!! No one understood that even though you couldn't see the floor, in my own weird way it was organized, I knew where every little thing was.. lol

Where did your dad go to work everyday when you were a kid, and what did he do?
From the time I was a baby till I was about 8 (or maybe 10) my dad was a truck driver, whether it was in state or cross country, I still remember riding in the trucks with him, I would sit on the steps on the day he came up from cross country trips and wait for my ride, we would take the truck to the park n ride (city wanted them parked there now on side streets) and then walk back home together. After that I remember he went to work for a heating and air conditioning company till he moved to Alaska, when I was 16.

What did your mom do when you were a kid, was she a SAHM or did she work?
As a baby she was a SAHM, but then went to work at Pathmark (grocery store), she also worked at Dunkin Donuts for a few years (while still at Pathmark) to this day she is still at Pathmark.

Did you have a special hideaway or playhouse as a child? What did it look like?
My friends and I had the same hideaway.. Across the street (behind my friends house) were woods, it had a nice clearing (where the boys went dirt biking) but there were a lot of other areas that were covered. We would all go hide out in there when ever we had a problem, it was nice, no one but the few friends knew where to find us, so it gave us the time to think and calm down.

Recall some of the MOST important lessons you have learned in life.
hmm.. I think the most important one was to stop living in the past.. A wise man once said
"Stop looking at the past, it only causes you hurt, look at the future and ways to make it better for you"
Share a special poem or writing passage that has special meaning in your life...
I am going to have to go with the same poem Bunny chose..
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Nothing Gold Can Stay
--Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.


Do you remember one of the first meals you cooked after you were married? Has you cooking changed since then?
Umm.. those boxed meals.. but since then cooking as evolved to actually cooking.. lol.. tonight we are having a steak pot pie made by ME (with the help of a recipe of course)

Who taught you to drive, and what was your first car like?
umm.. when I get my license we will come back to this one lol

What was your favorite pet growing up? Why was it your favorite?
My favorite pet.. hmm I had 3..
1. Dog - Oreo Cookie Ice Cream (named by my dad, he likes names like that).. We called her Oreo for short, but she did look like the ice cream. She was great to play with, we kept her at my grandmothers, and she was always happy to see me. I came went to my grandmothers one day and she wasn't there, she had puppies and we couldn't keep her anymore, my dad didn't want to separate her and the puppies, so they found a farm that would take them all.. Now I know most times when parents say the animal went to the farm it means they died, but I know she didn't, I was taken to the farm to see her a few times, and she was happy and healthy..
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2. Cat - My mom got this cute cat from a guy she works with.. OMG.. I feel in love the second I laid my eyes on him.. He was different, unique.. He was all grey, would eat anything you gave him, he favorite was sneaking potato chips.. His name was Tailless.. Can you guess why?? The poor little guy was born without a tail, but he was just soo cute..
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3. Bird - Ignats - Iggy for short.. She was a Conjure my dad bought for me and my mom, she was supposed to be my moms birthday present, but mom and me got into a car accident on that day, so my dad gave it to both of us.. She wasn't supposed to talk, but my gawd, that little thing had a mouth on her.. She learned to repeat everything that was said around the house.. which wasn't always a good thing.

ok.. I think I will stop for now.. There are a lot more to catch up that I will get to tomorrow..

Here is your freebie

I was fiddling around around with shape and dodge and burn tools and this was the outcome.. It was supposed to be out for valentines day (hence the heart petals)
download here
As always.. Freebies are up for 1 week, so this will come down on Feb 26.
Please comment if you download :)