25 Random Things About Me

This activity has been making the rounds on Facebook, so I figured if it was already written, it could totally double as a blog post.

1. My dream job would allow me to read children's and YA literature, write reviews, teach college courses about it and travel to events where I could hobnob with authors and big wigs in the publishing industry.

2. If I had to do my life over, I would pursue a career in musical theatre.

3. I enjoy watching beauty pageants and figure skating.

4. I have never consumed an alcoholic beverage.

5. When I go shopping, I never take the item at the front of the shelf or the rack because I think it has been touched by too many other people. So I take the one that is 2 or 3 behind.

6. I love office/school supplies. Even if I go to Office Max with a list, I leave with much more than I came for. Thus I am no longer allowed there without a chaperone.

7. When I was little, I used to think old people's poop was white. Probably because their hair was white and they were old.

8. I also used to think women got pregnant from kissing.

9. I am a perfectionist. I like details and symmetry.

10. I love to frolic around my house for no particular reason.

11. I love working with kids, but I do not love the state of the public school system in Texas.

12. Talking to large groups of people doesn't phase me, but I get very nervous and shy when trying to meet new people or make new friends.

13. I was on drill team for two years in high school and loved it!

14. I was diagnosed with depression about 5 years ago.

15. I sing in a barbershop quartet.

16. I believe singing is the best medicine for a headache or a bad day.

17. I enjoy working out, but I hate having to get up at 5:00 a.m. to do so.

18. If I ever win the lottery, I will hire a chef to create and maintain and salad and fruit bar in my home.

19. I didn't watch MTV until I was in college.

20. I don't like scary movies. I don't like the dark. I don't like for people to try and scare me.

21. Whenever I go back to the Baylor campus, I feel calm, joyful and nostalgic.

22. All my college roommates had names starting with "J."

23. I love reality television, but I do have standards when it comes to the ones I will watch.

24. I own a librarian action figure. Her name is Nancy Pearl and she came with "shushing" action.

25. I tend to be an overachiever, which is why I am compelled to list 30 things on a list that is only supposed to be 25.

26. I think there are some books that every librarian is supposed to have read, and therefore feel guilty that I have not read them. Some of these books are: The Chronicles of Narnia, Little Women, and Old Yeller.

27. I never finished reading Bleak House by Charles Dickens in college, and now his ghost haunts me each Christmas through the variety of versions of "A Christmas Carol" shown on TV.

28. A couple of years ago, it was determined that I had arthritis in both my knees. I had to have a series of shots of artificial joint fluid under my knee caps. As a result, needles and shots no longer bother me a bit.

29. I prefer to write with pen and paper first and then transfer my work to the computer. I find my ideas flow more freely that way.

30. I love to take naps.

Start Spreading the News!

I'M HERE!

In case you don't know, I am Sean and Katie's beagle, Sinatra. I came to live with them about 3 weeks ago and I am LOVING IT! For my first post, I will list all the things I have done since coming to live with the Curry family.

1. Sniffed everything
2. Marked the fence that separates my yard from the neighbor dogs' yard
3. Marked one of Sean's shoes
4. Rested
5. Gone for lots of walks
6. Checked my messages and left messages for other dogs during my walks
7. Cleaned out Katie's purse
8. Chewed the gum in Katie's purse
9. Jumped on many surfaces, including the kitchen counter, kitchen table, couch, futon, bed and the desk in the office (I am a very good jumper-my vertical rivals that of many pro basketball players)
   
10. Dismembered and disemboweled some toys, including a snowman and an elephant (I was kind and tore out his eyes first so he wouldn't have to watch me)
11. Eaten a set of small salt and pepper shakers
12. Escaped from my kennel
13. Visited my grandparent's house for the first time
14. Loved on my Aunt Lindsay
15. Met my dog cousin Queenie
16. Crawled under the beds
17. Nosed through the trash-I love trash!
18. Climbed in the trunk of Katie's car
19. Chewed up a chip clip
20. Found hiding places for all my rawhide bones so they can't find them/eat them
    
21. Taken several baths
22. Gave Katie a black eye when I accidentally stepped on it (In my defense, we were playing and her head was in the path of my wiggly legs)
23. Played with Sean's action figures and found out he doesn't like that so much
24. Destroyed the annoying can they shake at me when they think I am making bad choices
    
25. Posed for pictures

Speaking of pictures, here are some wonderful pictures of me for you to look at.

Sean and me

Resting in the sun

I have one blue eye and one brown eye. Sean says it gives me that "Bond villain" quality.

The can I destroyed

They made me a stocking! I love my stocking!

Investigating the contents of my stocking

Giving Lindsay kisses

Well, I think it is time for me to do some more resting. But I am sure I will have more to blog about soon!

Happy Turkey Hat Day!

Today, my aide and I celebrated the 4th annual Turkey Hat Day.

If you are unfamiliar with the origins of Turkey Hat Day, go here to learn more. While we didn't make Turkey Hat Day t-shirts, several students were inspired to make their own Turkey Hats, and enhanced them by writing what they were thankful for on the feathers of their hats.

If you are concerned that you have missed out on yet another Turkey Hat Day, never fear! Turkey Hats can be worn tomorrow and on Thanksgiving Day as part of any turkey-related celebrations.

We're sort of famous!

Well, not really. But we are the "Couple of the Month" on our Sunday School's blog! Go here to read our Couple Feature entry.

Happiness is . . .

A good book

A fun soundtrack
(You know, to keep up with what the kids are listening to :)

Fun new pajama pants
(which I promise not to wear in public, Mom)

Lauren and Katie: United in Paleness

This week my dear friend Lauren was in town for a few days and I got to see her!

How we met
Lauren and I go way back-to my sophomore year at Baylor. It was after a rehearsal for a choir concert that I boldly went up to Lauren and asked, "Did you used to be in the Houston Children's Chorus?" You see, those that know me know I have a bizarre ability to remember people's names and faces-even from years and years ago. And I thought Lauren looked familiar and decided that she and I must have sung together in the chorus back when we were in elementary and middle school.

Well after giving me a look that said "You are weird, I am creeped out, how do you have this freakish ability to remember such things, but yes I was in the chorus," Lauren smiled at me and thus began our friendship.

In addition to attending Baylor and singing in one of the Baylor choirs together, Lauren and I were also members of Sing Alliance, a non-greek organization that participated in All-University Sing. While most of our time in Sing Alliance was spent singing (and Lauren has some serious pipes!), dancing and putting together a seven minute, completely student-produced production, Lauren and I bonded over some of SA's extracurricular activities. Namely torturing our Sing chair and friend Chris.

Here are Lauren and me, along with our friends Heather, Tracie and Shawna, after stealing the bench outside Chris' apartment and painting a threatening message on it. This incident earned Lauren the nickname "The Phantom"-partly because Chris never knew she was involved in this stunt (at least until the picture surfaced) and because she drove a cool silver car.

The next year Lauren transferred to Rice, where she finished out her academic career. Yes-Lauren is crazy smart, which is one of the many things I love about her. She can discuss literature like nobody's business and she has a vast vocabulary, which I very much appreciate. I still got to see Lauren during the summertime, and we spent many Monday nights together going to Metro bible study and laughing our heads off.

While at Rice, Lauren met Nathan Benesh, her husband. Nathan (who is also crazy smart) got accepted into Harvard's PhD program, so after they got married, Lauren and her hubby moved off to Boston.

Six degrees of Katie and Lauren
Meanwhile, my sister graduated from high school and went on to major in theatre at Baylor University. While there, she met a fellow thespian and theatre major named Deborah Benesh. And for those of you who are paying attention-yes Deborah and Nathan are related. Siblings in fact. Deborah and Lindsay became friends and realized that they were connected to each other and to us in a way only the Lord could have orchestrated.

When the opportunity presented itself (via Nathan having an internship in Houston for a summer, with Exxon- which is also my dad's employer), Deborah drove down from Waco and we all met up at my house to celebrate our connectedness!

Left to right-Katie, Lauren, Lindsay and Deborah

We discovered that we all enjoy doing impressions of velociraptors.

I think I said something that made Lindsay sad. Either that, or she was intimidated by our amazing velociraptor faces.

This picture involved the telling of a story about Deborah's favorite hamster being kept in the freezer.

Reliving the Baylor glory days.

My favorite picture of all.

Reunited and it feels so good!
Since that meeting a few years ago, Lauren has become a mommy to a beautiful little boy named Noah. This was my first time to meet him since he was born, and as you can see, he is precious.

It was so much fun to see Lauren again-to see how great she is as a mom, and to reconnect with her in person. Lauren has always been diligent about keeping up our friendship-even when it has been from a distance and even when I haven't been great at keeping up my end of the communication. Getting to visit with her in person reminded me what a blessing it is to have known her as long as I have and to still have her in my life. I am praying that the Lord will bring them back to Houston when Nathan finishes at Harvard next year so that I can spend more time face to face with my witty, intelligent, caring, talented and incredibly fun friend Lauren.

Where the "peculiar" in Peculiar Treasures comes from: Why Sean and I are a perfect match.

Most of you know that as a pilot, Sean generally works for four days in a row each week, and then is off for three. Maybe you've been wondering what he does with those three days of free time.

He transforms his Transformers.

He admires his handiwork.

He surveys the amazingness which is his Transformer collection.

He thinks about how lucky he is to have a wife who doesn't mind the large battalion of action figures.

Now to be fair, I also enjoy my share of frivolity-especially during summer, when I get a big chunk of time off. Here's one example of what I do with my free time.

We bought a king size bed for our anniversary, resulting in the purchase of really large, king-sized sheets. Apparently I decided to be one large, king-sized ghost.

Then the ghost melted.

Then I popped out of the ghost's stomach. Hey, you would look strange too if you had just pretended to be a blue ghost, then melted, then popped out of said ghost's stomach.

Does it concern you that I work with kids? Or does it just explain some things? These are really just rhetorical questions.

We may appear strange and peculiar to others, but God knew we were just right for each other.