Forty-seven (yes, 47) Truths about Moi

Today is my birthday, so I thought I'd write a post with some facts about myself that you may not already know. Before I even got to number one, I realized I had two problems:

1. I've been blogging for a number of years no, so there ain't too much y'all don't already know.

2. Were I turning thirty today, the blogpost would not be so much of a challenge. After all ... Thirty Things you May Not have Known about Me ... well, that sounds do-able. But Forty-Seven things ...?? Gimme strength!

There are hardly forty-seven facts about me in existence. But I need to find ones I would actually tell y'all. I mentioned this a wee while ago on the Homeschool on the Croft Facebook page, and some suggestions have begun coming in. I'll include them, telling who sent me the comment.


1. Until the past few weeks, I thought I was going to be forty-eight this birthday. This happens to me often because all year I'm thinking, 'I'm gonna be 47 this year', but by the time November comes around, I've been saying forty-seven for so long, I assume my next birthday will be forty-eight!


2. I am very logical. See #1


3. I am dreadful in my concept of passing time. In conversation, I'll often say, 'Last week, when ....'. Then my kids say, 'Mum, that happened two months ago'. No idea.


4. My dad is having a knee operation right now, so I'm in the process of baking him a cake. After all, cake is the answer to all knee problems, right?


5. I love the winter and dark nights (Thanks, Magaidh, for that one). This is true, and is unlike most folks who live in this far-north-part-of-the-world.


6. I've just finished reading Conn Iggulden's four book series on Genghis Khan.


7. I've realized that if I am able to sit and read with an hour of silence each day, this charges my batteries better than any amount of pampering would.


8. I cannot drive out to the peats without wanting to cry. (I have begun a blog post about this, but I can't quite articulate what I wish to in English.... It's odd, but what I wish to say comes out in Gaelic.)


9. I laugh hysterically at the weirdest and un-funniest things. (My sister, Marina wrote that one on my FB post). She may, or may not, be accurate in her assessment.


10. My favourite joke ever, ever, ever is this:

Q. What's white and can't climb trees?

A.  A fridge.

I first heard this joke about thirty years ago, and I cannot even write it here without laughing hysterically. Maybe #9 is accurate after all.


11. We've never had chickens (to raise, I mean. We've eaten plenty of them.) despite having ample space in which to raise them. (Thank you, Thomas, for that one!)

12. I have an unusual interest obsession with the ships that pass by the Butt. (My sister-in-law, Donna, wrote that one on fb, and reminded me of her hysterics when she realized I had a folder full of photos and information re our passing ships. That's perfectly normal, right?)


13. I have realized that my Dad will probably not have much of an appetite for cake today. That means Mum and I will have more to ourselves. Sorry, Dad :)


14.  Ever since I watched a wildlife programme on eagles in the Norwegian Fjords, I've had a longing to visit this beautiful part of the world.


15. Right now, the Wee Guy and I are reading through a series called Viking Quest, by Lois Walfrid Johnson. He is now desperate to visit the fjords too.


16.  I work from home, translating materials from English into Gaelic.


17.  We are not having turkey for Christmas Dinner this year.


18.  One of my favourite themes to hear being preached is Christ in the Old Testament sacrifices.


19.  I can not abide flavoured teas. Bleugh!


20. At times, I allow our house phone to ring out and don't answer it. This drives certain members of my extended family nuts, but if I have a visitor, I give them priority over the phone.  


21. Montana and North Dakota have a special place in my heart even though I've never been and I don't know anyone from these states. If I ever arrive in either of these states, I may never actually leave.


22. I love most soups.


23. My Mum's chicken and rice soup is probably my favourite soup ... followed by Scotch Broth.


24.Very shortly after this photo was taken, I was pregnant with the Wee Guy. My sister was married just in time. :)

Isn't Katie so, so, so, so cute? And isn't the Wee Guy a dead ringer for the Big Guy, who is ten in this photo?


25.  I was a passionate supporter of Rangers FC when I was growing up. When I say 'passionate', I mean passionate.


26.  Roses are my favourite flower.


27.  The Builder never got that memo.


28.  My right knee has a scar right across it where I had 12 stitches. I fell off my bike, heading to Primary School. I think I was about nine at the time.


29.  When I was growing up, we had a miniature Shetland Collie called Game. She was gorgeous.


30. G-A-M-E spelled backwards is Emag. If you're not from Ness, that will mean nothing to you.


31. That came to my mum in a dream the night they bought Game, and we all reckon Mum's smartest moments are when she's asleep.


32.  I often go to bed far too late because I love that time of silence when everyone else has gone to bed.


33.  I stayed in town today for ages. It was nice to visit with Mum and Dad. 


34.  My dad's operation was cancelled at the last minute because of complications the surgeon was dealing with in theatre. That meant Mum and I had to share the cake with him. 


35.  I'm quite sure mushrooms were not put on the face of the earth for human consumption.


36.  I am five foot. As in, five foot zero. The Builder is six foot. Maybe six foot something, but it's too high for me to check.


37.  Another of the Fb readers, a friend of mine, said I was 'a great listener and confidant'. It's certainly true that, although I 'blether' a great deal on the blog, I do prefer real talk, rather than chit-chat in real life.


38.  I'm now the only person in the house who's not in bed. 


39.  It is also now no longer my birthday. That means my next birthday will be my forty-eighth.


40.  The kids and I began reading through the Bible, chapter by chapter, every day quite some time ago. We're now in 2nd Corinthians. My favourite time was when we were reading through Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. I'm not kidding. The precision of the teaching concerning the Tabernacle was AWEsome. God's detail simply blew me away. Then, the differing sacrificial laws - oh, I loved reading them, and finding Christ and His work and sacrifice being typified in them. Paul's letter to the Romans is in second place for me.


41.  I know what we'd have called a baby boy, had we been blessed with another son, and I know what we'd have called a baby girl. Micah, which means 'Who is like Yahweh', would be my boy's name. The prophecy of Micah also contains one of my favourite verses: "Who is a God like unto Thee, who pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy." Micah 7:18.

I love it!

Oh, a baby girl would have been called Hannah.


42.  This photo was taken around 1977.

Can you find me in it?

43.  My maternal grandparents' grave is in our local cemetery. My granny passed away before I was born, and my Grandpa passed away in 1975. My mum has never been to the graveyard since Granny was buried.

I was named after her.

44.  I love going for walks through cemeteries. I would love to know the stories behind the words on all the plaques.


45.  At the moment, I'm doubting any reader will have reached this far. If you've dutifully read all the way to #45, please let me know in the comments. I wish I could say I had a prize to give you: you deserve it.


46.  My first car was a Ford Fiesta. 


47.  My favourite car ever was my brother's RS 2000. 


And so, there you go. Forty-seven mostly useless pieces of information that will not change your life one little bit. Thank you all for listening to my ramblings.