Share Your Lighter Side

Today’s post is going to be a little different because I want to hear from YOU! Yes, you, you who rarely comment or you who often comment. You who are reading this. Hi! Hi to you :). We had so much fun last summer sharing 10 questions around the topic of enjoy, we thought we’d bring it back. Not enjoy per se, but 10 questions that are fun and fluffy, allowing us to connect on other aspects of who we are.

I’ve written 10 questions around the topic on the lighter side of life. I’m going to list them here so if you want to just cut and paste the questions, you can and I’ll answer them below. Feel free to share as little or as much as you want. You could even pick just one question to answer. Want to know one thing that’s not fluffy? Hearing from you :). We can’t wait . . .

1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?

2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?

3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?

4. What are some of your favorite movies?

5. Do you sleep with your socks on?

6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?

7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?

8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?

9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?

10. What smells do you like?

::

1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right-handed with lefted handed jealousy. My nieces keep telling me left-handed people are especially clever and intelligent. Are they trying to tell me something?! I’d like to point out that none of them are left-handed either. Apparently right-handed people aren’t above being annoyed by other right-handed people.

2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? I fully planned to be the president of the US. I fully 100% planned NOT to be a teacher. My eyes nearly rolled out of my head every time a classmate kissed up to our second, third, or fourth-grade teaching saying, “I want to be a teacher just like you, Mrs. Gridley,”

3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cream, which would you choose? Vanilla. With either hot fudge or carmel sauce! YUM.

4. What are some of your favorite movies? I have a feeling we’ll all be showing our ages :). And that is cool! Princess Bride, Hoosiers, The Little Mermaid, and that one with Tom Hanks and the football. Can’t remember the name for the life of me right now.

5. Do you sleep with your socks on? This is my trick question that I planted just for you. I would like to flush out those of you weirdos who sleep with your socks on. HOW?! How? Don’t your feet roast? Are you a robot? I’m just wondering. 🙂

6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? Right now, I am enjoying being in Denver in post Super Bowl hung-over bliss. It was a longing of mine to be in Denver for one of the victories, so I’m happy. Also, I’m enjoying the amount of trees (no leaves yet) and I am anticipating spring flowers!

7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? I have needed them, I’m not sure this is a good story, but it’s the only one I have. When I was in second grade my sister and I were shoveling the neighbors driveway too close to each other. As I went down to stick my shovel in the snow, she went down half a second after me and split open my thumb. It was my phase of being deathly afraid of doctors so I remember my mom telling me that if I screamed and acted ridiculous the doctor may have to tie me down to the table. Well, I wasn’t all that keen on being restrained so I behaved calmly and only needed three stitches and my parents still got to the Broncos game on time!

8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? I love that the class at the gym doesn’t start until 8:30, so I can lounge around reading and drinking hot tea until 8:15. I LOVE Saturdays.

9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Today it’s fairly warm (meaning about 50 degrees Fahrenheit which for February is nice!). We are supposed to get up to 70 this weekend, but it’s also the season of high winds. I’m not a big fan of wind.

10. What smells do you like? I love the smell of original Jergen’s lotion (I think it is cherry and almond mixed together). I love the smell of hot pot in Sichuan provide (that bubbling broth just makes me happy!!!), freshly baked bread, and candles burning.

::

Your turn. I know others can’t wait to hear about your lighter side too. It’s powerful to have “me too!” moments, but those can only happen if you comment :). I can see why enjoying is mentioned so often in Ecclesiastes, it’s good every now and then to stop and chat about topics that can get pushed to the margins in light of all the “important” work. So, thanks for letting me share a bit of my lighter side.

108 Comments

  1. Emily Smith February 25, 2016

    I’ll come back to these questions later. Just have to say I laughed out loud with your stitches story…and now the guy across from me on the train is giving me funny looks. I don’t mean to laugh at your pain, but I was also deathly afraid of doctors at that age.

    1. Malia February 25, 2016

      Emily, picturing that man on the train made me laugh out loud!

    2. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      I remember telling my mom (prior to that incident) I’d rather die than go to the hospital. 🙂

  2. Monica F February 25, 2016

    Favorite movie?  Chariots of Fire!  Always has always will be:)

    Favorite line from that movie is not fluffy though… “God made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure” – Eric Liddel.  That line has been so meaningful to me over the years, as I discover more of my gifting and passions.

    What did I want to be as an adult?  An Olympic swimmer!

    Thanks for this fun stuff!

    1. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      That IS a good movie!

      Olympic swimmer? I love it. Were you a swimmer? Or inspired by seeing them on TV? Or a movie? What peaked your interest?

      1. Monica F February 26, 2016

        Yes, I swam on a team for 10 years, and had some high hopes:)  When I was eight years old I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis- back in the 80s they were still trying to figure out how to treat kids like me.  My doctor suggested my parents have me swim for physical therapy…I loved it, quickly joined a team and was competing by age 10.  Swimming has been my therapy in life…it’s really the only ‘athletic’ thing I can do that doesn’t cause me pain.  After living in rural East Asia for 10 years with no pool in sight, I can definitely say that being back in the States, and swimming laps on a regular basis has been so good for soul.  It brings me pure joy!

        1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

          Monica, thank you for sharing part of your story! I hate hearing about any illness people have had to face, but I’m thankful that swimming is a release and doesn’t add pain to your life!

  3. Malia February 25, 2016

    I love this! I’ll answer some…since a few answers wouldn’t actually be fluffy (the stitches one!) but rather disturbing. 🙂 Thanks, Amy!
    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    I am right-handed. Several years back, I traveled to China with my left-handed brother, and I remember how our hosts couldn’t believe their eyes when he used chopsticks with his left hand. It was like he was a magician (or a comedian) for the whole meal.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    I wanted to be a gymnast in the Olympics. I was taking gymnastics when Shannon Miller was representing the USA, and my teammates would call me by her name. 🙂
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    Chocolate ice cream or vanilla frozen yogurt or a strawberry shake
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    Pride and Prejudice, You’ve Got Mail, Elizabeth–and recently Zootopia!
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?
    Okay, Amy, its coooold right now, so yes, I wear super fuzzy socks to bed! In the summer (and for my entire childhood in Hawaii), I don’t wear socks (or shoes) AT ALL unless I’m playing volleyball or hiking.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    Koreans love children and have helped me with mine since they were born–on buses, on subways, on sidewalks, in malls.
    10. What smells do you like?
    Plumerias growing in my parents’ front yard, the salt-spray of an ocean wave, baking banana bread, my kids’ shampooed hair, my Filipina grandma’s kitchen
     

    1. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      (Non-fluffy answer welcome!!)

      I bet your brother was a hit! Did they tell him how clever he was? 🙂

      I love how you worked chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry into an answer! Can I ask a follow-up on the socks questions … do you ever take them off while you’re sleeping? On the rare nights when I have gone to bed with them, I find them tucked under my pillow by the morning and I never recall it 🙂

      1. Emily Smith February 26, 2016

        Wow. Tucked under the pillow is impressive. I kick mine off. I woken up with one sock on. I’ve woken up holding my socks. Just yesterday, I was changing my sheets and found 5-6 socks shoved to the bottom of my bed.

        1. Amy Young February 26, 2016

          Wow, now I’m impressed! All those socks :). Um, based on how often I DON’T change my sheets, if this were me, I’d end up with a sock mound 🙂

      2. Malia February 28, 2016

        Oh socks: they are my daily reminder that I am not in the tropics! Unfortunately, since having kids, I am a much lighter sleeper and can’t kick off socks without my eyes snapping open. But being quick to wake up isn’t a bad thing when everyone else in my family has been caught sleep walking at some point. I’m glad to help keep people safe at 2am. ^^

    2. Joy February 25, 2016

      Oh Malia, I have to share how this made me laugh. Your grammar was excellent but I was speed reading and thought you meant that your babies had been born on the bus, on sidewalks, subways, and in the mall, etc. Had to laugh at myself and it just tickled my funny bone all morning! 🙂

      1. Malia February 28, 2016

        Ha! Those would’ve been some good stories, if only they were true!

  4. Kim February 25, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?  Right handed and now that I’m having some issues with arthritis in that hand, wishing I was ambidextrous!
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? I wanted to be a paleontologist!
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Chocolate, of course 🙂
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Sweet Home Alabama, Pleasantville, Grosse Point Blank, Patriot Games, 9 to 5, any of the Narnia movies, Temple Grandin, Chef, The 100-foot Journey… As you can see, I’m all over the map with movies (and books!)
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? On, If I don’t have socks on my psoriasis acts out and I itch like crazy and can’t sleep.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? The laid back pace of life (it’s also the thing that makes me craziest when I need to get something done. ha!).
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? Only due to c-sections. I don’t think they hardly count.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Early morning walk followed by a yummy breakfast of yogurt with loads of fruit, and then just chilling for several hours, with time to catch up on blogs I haven’t read, or the news cycle.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Hot, hot, hot!
    10. What smells do you like? Clean smells, fresh mown grass, not a big fan of heavy floral scents, I do like the smell of good food! The best smell of all is a baby right after a bath.

    1. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      This is so fun to read! I love seeing the variety in people’s answers :). You remind me, Kim, there are so many good movies in the world! (and good books). If you don’t mind me asking, what’s psoriasis? 

      As you can see, I cut and pasted :). I wasn’t sure I’d spell it correctly.

      Your Saturday mornings sound lovely! And I think c-sections are very interesting stories . . . they end in a baby being born!

      1. Kim February 26, 2016

        Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that can affect any part of your body. Mine happens to be on my feet (where at least I can hide it under socks and shoes!). Extra layers of skin build up in spots, occasionally turn into blisters, and itch like the dickens. Mine used to be really bad, and I’d often have blisters on the bottoms of my feet (making it rather painful to walk). Since learning I have celiac disease and going gluten free, the blisters have mostly cleared up (when I get them now, it’s a pretty good indication I’ve accidentally gluttened myself) but I continue to have very dry skin that requires lotion at least once a day, and often twice, and without socks I’m a mess. I do wear sandals occasionally in the really hot weather, but cannot wear them all day. At some point I have to lotion up and put the socks back on. It sounds kind of horrid, but there are worse things in life 🙂

        1. Amy Young February 26, 2016

          There are worse things, but you’re right, it certainly sounds unpleasant! Thank you for explaining it to us :). Itching like the dickens can be so maddening!!!

  5. Mary Kay Jackson February 25, 2016

    This is fun – and I loved reading all the “enjoy” responses from last summer, too – somehow I missed that post???
    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?  Right.  The two lefties in our family are my Uncle Kenneth, and one of our sons, also named Kenneth – so we wonder if it goes with the name?  We found out when our Ken broke his left wrist that he is really ambidextrous – writing wasn’t even a problem.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?  Ballerina!  I loved my pink tutu.  Too bad I was a klutz…
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?  Chocolate – always!  If I have to go with vanilla, I want chocolate sauce or Nestle’s Quik on it.
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?  Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, any sappy chick flick.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?  Only when I am home in the US in winter (like now).  Not a problem in Ghana!
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?  Dancing in worship.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?  None for me.  Both of my boys have had to have facial stitches on vacation though – fortunately both in Cancun, which happens to be the plastic surgery capital of the world!
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?  Sleep late, and enjoy a brunchy type breakfast with my sweetie.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?  Freezing (to me) at 38F (Im used to 38C), and very windy.  Yesterday was interesting as we watched bands of fog, rain and sunshine roll across the lake where we are.  Apparently we are missing extremely dusty, low visibility conditions in the annual harmattan in Ghana now – drat (not!).
    10. What smells do you like?  Cinnamon baking smells, real roses, the dust and smoke smell of an African village.
     

    1. Sarah H February 25, 2016

      Great movie choices! 🙂 Mary Poppins is a family favorite and we still enjoy watching it when we are all together (even though we’re all in our 20s).

    2. Malia February 25, 2016

      I laughed at your temperature comparison between F and C. I’m right there with you! Brrrr. And your story about your son’s broken arm is fascinating. ^^ Does he use both now to write–or choose left still?

    3. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      I love the potential future jobs! Isn’t the variety fun. And I didn’t know Cancun was the plastic surgery capital of the world.

      Dusty conditions do not sound like fun!!

  6. Spring February 25, 2016

    Sichuan sounds lovely makes me hungry!

    I love this post, and your comment about weeding out the people who wear socks to bed!  Personally before we moved to this ever hot climate; we kept our heat at 50 degrees at night.  It felt frigid. At that time yes I did sleep with socks.  Here in Belize? No way!

     

    you were obviously more calm than I was with stitches. I screamed so much I didn’t get them!  Thanks for sharing and making this exciting!

    1. Amy Young February 26, 2016

      It is fun to hear from everyone! :). I love when we can just be a little on the lighter side . . . recharges me for the wonderful, but at times, heavier stuff 🙂

  7. Sarah H February 25, 2016

    It is so fun reading everyone’s answers!
    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right handed. Sometimes I try to train my left hand to do things, but without much success.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? A writer! My best friend Elizabeth and I wrote a “book” together when we were about 8 or 9- I wrote the story and she did the illustrations.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Most of the time chocolate or a combo of vanilla and chocolate. It is one of my favorite trips when we travel to the big city!
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, old non-animated Disney movies like Pollyanna and Freaky Friday.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? In Cambodia, definitely not unless it gets cold (which only rarely happens in the dry season). The night before we moved from our village house to a bigger city last month, it got down to below 60 in our house and we had already packed up our blankets and sheets and any kind of warm clothing. I was WISHING for some socks!
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? The coffee, sweet hospitality and help, buying my veggies in the local market
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? Only once when I was about a year old. I had a black spot on my arm that had to be removed, and then it came back and had to be removed again so the scar isn’t nice and neat. I’m thankful it wasn’t cancer like they thought it might have been!
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Sleeping in, getting the apartment cleaned (I love that sense of accomplishment), reading or watching a TV show in the afternoon just to relax, our family Google Hangout.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? It is actually cool this morning- lower 70s F!
    10. What smells do you like? Coffee, plumeria, ground beef and onion frying, my parents’ house, hay after it is cut, corn being harvested.

    1. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      I agree :)! I like reading people’s answers!

      Now I’m thinking about the smell of hay and the thought makes me happy! Sarah, I’m sure glad it wasn’t cancer too :)!!

  8. Adeline February 25, 2016

    I have to address the sock question. Yes, I am weird, yes I wear socks (and right now, wool socks) to bed in the Dominican Republic. Yes, I am aware it is in the Caribbean, but when it’s a cold winter (28C down from 38C+) and it’s been raining a lot and very windy, I sleep under 2 fleece blankets, a sheet and yes, wool socks from Canada. I have acclimatized, no shame in that. 🙂 I will probably freeze into a human popsicle if I go back to Canada in the winter. What do I enjoy about the culture where I’m living in? Friendly and helpful people. Smells I like? Freshly picked BC strawberrries, log fires on cool fall evenings, real pine, the ocean, after a rainfall, sesame oil, vanilla, south east asian curries, good food cooking and bread baking in the oven. 🙂

    1. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      I will say, your sleep set up sound very cozy :). The descriptive words you used for the smells — you are good with words, Adeline! I felt like I was going on a short trip as I read them 🙂

  9. Sarah Beth Harmon February 25, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    I am right handed.  I’m actually so right handed that I can hardly write an X with my left hand.  I just hope I never break my right arm!  My mom is left handed but I’ve never really had a desire to be a lefty.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    Veterinarian all the way.  But then I did my first year and a half of pre-vet in college and realized that I don’t like other peoples animals enough to be a vet.  Or rather I didn’t want to work with other peoples poorly behaved animals and get hurt in the process.  I have never regretted the decision to change my major.  Vets work LONG hours.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    Strawberry!  And if it’s available I would probably put caramel sauce and nuts on it too!
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    Tangled, Jurassic Park (all of them except the 3rd one), Harry Potter (all of them), Any super hero movie.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?
    Almost all of the time I don’t sleep in socks.  The exceptions were when I used to work as a horseback riding instructor.  In the winter after teaching evening lessons I would be a Popsicle and it would take half the night for me to warm up.  On those nights I slept with socks on.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    The night market right down the street from me.  The lights and hustle and bustle are so fun.  I haven’t seen anything like it where I am from in America.  I also appreciate how they make things easy to carry such as toilet paper packages with handles and using a plastic bag with handles for a to go cup instead of those stupid cardboard trays they insist on using in America.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    Nope.  Even being a horseback rider, I’ve never needed stitches.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    Sleep late!
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    Sunny, high of 49 (heat wave!), and moderate air pollution.
    10. What smells do you like?
    B&BW warm vanilla and sugar lotion.  It makes me smell like a sugar cookie and I love it!  I also like some forms of Japanese cherry blossom fragrances.

    1. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      Sarah Beth, I love how animals are woven into your story (and I can see how not caring for other people’s poorly trained pets would not be pleasant!). Was your work as a horse trainer a summer job? Or during the year? Just curious 🙂

      I have a medium-interesting story from falling off a horse one summer at camp 🙂

  10. Joyce Stauffer February 25, 2016

    This is sorta fun!  Quick answers…

    1. Right-handed

    2. Wanted to be an overseas worker when I grew up — seriously!

    3. Strawberry ice cream– if it has pieces of strawberry in it

    4. Movies: LOTR, Narnia, Apollo 13, Beautiful Mind, Chariots of Fire, Luther, Amazing Grace, Pride and Prejudice… and more

    5. Cold nights in China, socks were on!

    6. So many things I enjoyed when living in China… too many to list I believe..

    7. No stitches

    8. The special feeling of a weekend… unless I had to work..

    9. Cold and windy with snow showers today– 40s F

    10.  Smells: the first rain after a long dry winter, warm earth, rice cooking, spices, fresh flowers, fresh air, ginger, garlic,  etc.

    1. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      Pieces of strawberry in ice-cream. Yes :). I like that too!!

      And YES to that special feeling of a weekend. I love that.

  11. Bek February 25, 2016

    1.  Left for writing, eating & cooking, right for cutting & sport. Lots of leftys in my extended family but none of our kids so far.
    2. I wanted to do everything! Librarian, police officer, social worker, coach, M. Now as an M mum I often think that I do all of those jobs every day 🙂
    3. Chocolate or vanilla with milo sprinkled on top
    4.  Love sports movies (except boxing)
    5.  No socks for sleeping unless freezing cold, so uncomfortable
    6. Love the communal ways of doing things. Kin women support one another. Love to laugh.
    7.   Lots of stitches. All my brothers and I have almost identical stitches scars on our heads, from childhood but all from different causes. My best was from racing my younger brother home from school with our eyes closed – needless to say I veered off the path and ran straight into a wall at full speed!
    8. Saturdays are best when we have slow time with the kids, games, leisurely breakfast, reading.
    9.Warm. Light breeze. Beautiful.
    10.  First rains, clean kids after a bath, hot chocolate at the end of the day

    1. Amy Young February 25, 2016

      Your job interests sound like mine when I was in high school . . . I was ALL over the board :). Um, your job interests sound like my actual adult jobs . . . all over the board :).

      Wow! You are brave to bike with your eyes closed. I’m impressed!

    2. Catherine Grier July 7, 2016

      Thanks so much for sharing. I thought I was the only one who had specific things that my left hand could/would do and others for my right hand! And I love the smell of rain – we had a big rain last night, the second or third since Sept last year, so the smell was fantastic!!!

  12. Kaylee February 26, 2016

    Amy, that Jergens lotion is the smell of my grandma to me! So funny! 🙂

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?

    Definitely right. . .so much so that I hated playing the piano as a kid because my left hand wouldn’t cooperate for chords! One hand at a time, people!

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?

    Yup, I was one of those. I wanted to be a teacher and then a doctor.

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?

    Vanilla, plain. Yum.

    4. What are some of your favorite movies?

    BBC Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion are my top two.

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?

    Normally no but when the cold winds blow in South America it can get cold with no indoor heating so I definitely do then or I can’t sleep.

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?

    I love the family orientation and the “take care of the group” mentality.

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?

    Nope. But one of my first experiences overseas was with my youngest, an ER experience, limited language and surgery to stitch up the skin around her eye after a glass shelf had fallen on her face and ripped the skin. It was horrible!

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?

    Taking it slow.

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?

    Still in the US (for 5 more days!) so it was sunny but cool (50*F).

    10. What smells do you like?

    Lilacs in the US and the roses in Bolivia

    1. Amy Young February 26, 2016

      Kaylee, my grandma too!!! It seemed so exotic as I’d pump out lotion and the rub it on my arms and hands and breathe it in :).

      A glass shelf fell on your daughter’s face?! It DOES sound horrible!!!!

  13. Emily February 26, 2016

    1. Right-handed, but I tried really hard to be ambidextrous when I was around 6 or 7 years old because I thought it sounded so awesome. I tried every day to practice writing with my left hand. It never stuck.
    2. Doctor, dentist, vet, or some kind of scientist.
    3. Chocolate! But only if it’s REAL chocolate ice cream. Chocolate ice cream in Asia can be very disappointing.
    4. I have a hard time picking favorites. I love watching movies!
    5. When it’s 6C in your bedroom at night, you’re crazy not to.
    6. One thing I was thinking of this week is how much I like that people go out for walks after dinner. It is such a nice custom, and I love seeing everybody out for a stroll in the evenings.
    7. I had a very memorable bike accident in college. Among other injuries, I needed stitches right along one eyebrow. I sometimes joke that I got cosmetic surgery because it slightly changed the shape of that eyebrow. I’m not sure it was an improvement, though!
    8. I alternate wildly between wanting to do NOTHING and wanting to go do something fun and adventurous.
    9. Cold enough to be wishing for indoor heat.
    10. I overlap with a lot of previous commenters. 🙂 Freshly mown lawn, baking bread, Arizona desert after a rain (it has a distinct smell), onions sauteing in butter, campfires, the smell of the air before it snows, old books, new shoes, itty bitty babies, garden dirt, pipe tobacco, roasting turkey. Amy, YES to original Jergens! Fun fact: the smell of Chinese dried sausage in supermarkets used to make me gag. Now it makes me hungry.
     

    1. Amy Young February 26, 2016

      Emily, I love all of the science/doctory things you wanted to be :)!

      And walks after dinner IS lovely.

      How many bei-zi’s do you sleep under in winter? I was freezing cold when i lived in Sichuan with no heat for five years (it’s kind of scared me and freaked me out about the cold, not that you can tell from these comments where I look like a heat ogre :))

      1. Emily February 27, 2016

        Just one beizi, but a blanket and long underwear, too. And a heating mat on the mattress that we turn on before getting into bed (then turn off because it seems too scary to leave it on all night.) Despite all that, I honestly don’t mind the cold very much.

        Heat/humidity, on the other hand…UGH. I have a hard time functioning in steamy weather. Definitely no socks in the summer! 😉

  14. A February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right handed, but I do use my left hand for a few things.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? I wanted to be a doctor overseas. I got the overseas part, but I am not a doctor.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Definitely Chocolate
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? The Cutting Edge, Dumb and Dumber, Fried Green Tomatoes, Ever After and Brokedown Palace.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? Almost every night! Have since I was pretty young. Even when it is hot. And yes they stay on all night long 😉
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? Not much unfortunately
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? No stitches here
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Laying in bed and reading
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Rainy and cold (about 7C)
    10. What smells do you like? Vanilla, cookies or brownies baking and cinnamon

    1. Amy Young February 26, 2016

      A, I love how the smells you share are food related. That’s just makes me smile :). Are you more of a fiction or non-fiction reader? Sorry about the local culture piece. That must be rather challenging :(.

      1. A February 27, 2016

        My first choice would probably be non-fiction but I do enjoy fiction as well. Especially if it is based on history! I used to be an English teacher so I have read lots of genres and find that I like most of what I read. And ya the culture part is hard, but I do believe it can get better. I am sure my attitude doesn’t help 🙂

        1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

          God, we pray for A right now . . . knowing that when the culture piece is hard, it is hard! There is much out of her control, but internally there are corners where you can work right now, today. We ask that some of the more jarring parts of the culture are softened a few degrees today and that A would notice the softening in her heart and see it as a good gift from you. Thank you God that you don’t tell us to “Get a better attitude!” Instead, you help birth one from within us. Amen and amen.

  15. Sometimes We Need the Fluff | February 26, 2016

    […] theme this week at Velvet Ashes is “Fluff.” I think what they had in mind was lighter, fun, funny posts. Ironically, […]

    1. Paula Dannenberg February 26, 2016

      Wow! I’m a first-time responder here…short & sweet will be my style this AM (since we are going to the pool as soon as the washing machine finishes)! 1. right-handed 2. a concert pianist or professional ice-skater 3. chocolate/vanilla swirl 4. a wide variety of movies 5. nope 6. face-to-face communication, buying fresh food at the gate, friendliness of people 7. never 8. going out for pastries and cafe-au-lait with my hubby! 9. Hot & sunny 10. lilacs, sweet roses, Johnson’s baby powder, fresh mowed grass.

       

       

      1. Amy Young February 26, 2016

        Paula!!! So glad to hear from you :)! Lilacs. Me too. I love that smell. It triggers such, “It’s spring time!” feelings.

  16. Sue February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    Right, but I lean a little towards ambidextrousness 🙂
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    I can only remember being very clear on this as a teenager – I wanted to be a mom…and now I have 6 children…
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    Chocolate. Anything with chocolate is from Heaven.
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    Shawshank Redemption; Dead Poets’ Society; The Notebook; Nacho Libre 🙂
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?
    NEVER!
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    The simplicity of lifestyle; and no one is ever in a rush.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    I have only needed stitches once, and they used staples instead. Ugh.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    NOT doing homeschooling!
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    Cloudy, humid and warm.
    10. What smells do you like?
    Vanilla, the smell of rice cooking in a Malagasy home, rain in summer.

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Sue, you peeked my interest with ” leaning towards ambidextrous” :). What does that mean?

  17. Emily Smith February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    Right handed. My siblings are both lefties, which means I learned to eat left handed. This came in useful while studying in college. I could eat with one hand and do homework with the other. Then I went to Ghana this summer and had to sit on my left hand so I wouldn’t use it while eating.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    A princess, a queen, a bride…clearly I had very practical aspirations. (Really, I just wanted to wear pretty dresses)
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    The more chocolate the better.
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    I’m liking the above favorites. Princess Bride, Pride and Prejudice…I just watched Beauty and the Beast and Mulan while packing and sorting.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?
    In the winter in Japan, I do. We turn the heat off at night so it is about 6C in my apartment by morning. When my bed is somewhere not in danger of being colder than my refrigerator, no socks for me.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    The order and predictability. Even without the language ability, I can follow the routines and know what is going to happen. (Shopping, riding trains, anything)
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    I have never needed stitches. My favorite story having to do with needing stitches…my dad slipped on the ice and hit his head early one morning. I woke up to a family in chaos. I had previously been working as a Home Health Aide so I used butterfly closures to close up his cut, told my mom to make sure he didn’t go to sleep in case it was a concussion and to call the family doctor at a reasonable hour. I promptly went back to bed and woke up two hours later. My first question was, “did I dream that something happened to dad?” (He was fine…but did have a real doctor examine him.)
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    Coffee. I don’t really even need to say more, but a good book or talking to my family via Skype and sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee at a leisurely pace is wonderful.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    Today just dropped colder than it has been (about 6C) but sunny and blue skies.
    10. What smells do you like?
    Coffee. The Japanese Cherry Blossoms. Rain. Fresh mountain air. Melting snow. Fall leaves. If I can be outside with coffee…perfect.

    1. Ellie February 26, 2016

      Haha Emily, I want(ed) I job with pretty dresses too! I couldn’t think of one that I could do/wanted though.. (Princess Diana was a pretty good role model for nice dresses when I was younger but I didn’t think I could follow her career path!) the dream still hasn’t gone away. I think we need a “posh dresses VA reunion! or something! 😉

    2. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      The pretty dresses made me smile too :).

      AND I loved that stitches story! I can picture you waking up and wondering … Wait? Did that really happen?!

  18. Sydnie February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? I’m right handed.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? I’ve alwayswanted to be a teacher. But I also wanted to be a motivational speaker. Like the ones would go on talk shows and yell at  the kids for skipping school.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Vanilla! With chocolate syrup and fruit!
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? Drop Dead Gorgeous. Mystic River. Stand by Me.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? Only if it’s really cold. I live in southern China and we don’t have heat. So I definitely sleep with socks on in the winter.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? The food. People are helpful. Cost of living is really low.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? I got one stitch when I got my wisdom tooth pulled. I took 5 shots to get me all the way numb.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Nothing. I usually sleep late, have a huge cup of coffee, and take my time doing my devotions.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? It’s about 55 and sunny.
    10. What smells do you like? Whatever my neighbors make for dinner. Men’s cologne. Gain laundry detergent. Lavender.

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Men’s cologne! Me too :).

      And the part about motivational speaker yelling at kids skipping school made me smile!!

  19. Sheryl February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?  I’m right handed although I do a lot of things with my left.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?  Secretary or overseas worker.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?  Chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks and chocolate topping (maybe chocolate sprinkles too.)
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?  Sweet Home Alabama, You’ve Got Mail
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?  Sometimes
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?  fresh produce all the time
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Several times. 
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?  Just relaxing
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?  Tropical, humid and very warm.
     
    10. What smells do you like?  Trees, flowers, outdoor smells.

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      So 🙂 … chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, with some chocolate.

       

  20. Jennifer February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    Right handed
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    Overseas doctor
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    Chocolate
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    Sound of Music, Dead Poet Society…
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?
    Occassionally… not usually where I live which happens to be very very cold… because it is so hot inside. The last time was actually just over a month ago in Thailand when there were a couple of unexpected unusual very cold for there days.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? Food and community focus
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Busiest morning of the week… church co-worker meeting and training.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Right now… -9C… feels like -14C… warmer than this morning when it was down to -18C… light snow fall this afternoon… Still winter…
    10. What smells do you like? Lavender… roses.. freshly baked cookies… lemon…

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Brrr, brrr, brrr!

      Your Saturday mornings sound full and enriching — and as you said, busy 🙂

      1. Jennifer February 29, 2016

        Amy…. That day was “warm”… and until I just spent 3 weeks in Chiang Mai would have felt that way. I have felt colder since I came back… than I did before I left when it was seriously cold… But the coldest I have felt this winter was actually not here in the Ice and Snow City… but in Chiang Mai… when we had the cold snap for a couple of days… Then I understood and felt what it is like in the South of China in winter without heat… I will take winter here any day.

        1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

          Agreed!!! My five years in southern China “scared” me :). When I moved up north, I was SO GRATEFUL for heat. Really!

          1. Grace L March 2, 2016

            Living in south central China in the winter was pretty intimidating at first. But soon we learned how to handle it. Everyone here wears winter coats inside all winter. And we have some great heating devices such as little space heaters that we keep near our feet; or we put the space heater (we call them “bird cages” because that’s what they look like) under a small square table with a beizi (quilt) on top. Everyone gathers around the table with their legs under the beizi. It’s amazing how warm that will keep you (and yes, with your winter coat on too:). We have learned to heat our own personal space instead of the whole room; that is the key for people living in this climate.

            I also love the electric hot water bottles that are like a hand muff. You plug it in and let it warm up. After you unplug it, you can put it in your lap or warm your hands inside the muff part. And with these chilly winter days, we can still grow a garden all winter. I am about to pick our first broccoli head to serve for dinner! Just have to put a word in for us “south of the Yangtze folks). It’s not so bad!

  21. Rachel February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? I’m right handed, but as a kid I always wished I were left handed. All of the left handed girls I knew had such pretty handwriting.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? astronaut. Space is amazing!
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? I’d really rather not choose. I like variety, and these 3 flavors are especially good together, but if I HAVE to choose, I’ll go with chocolate.
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? I like to watch Rush Hour with my husband – it seems to be the place where his cultural sense of humor (Kenyan) bisects with mine (American). My favorite movie to watch with my kids is Big Hero 6. Also love: Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Men in Black, Princess Bride, and Elf.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? Only when it’s cold inside.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? the food. The first time my sister-in-law cooked for me, I asked my husband what kind of sauce she used on the prawns. He said, “Sauce? That was just tomatoes and salt.” It was soo gooood! Since then I’ve enjoyed coastal Kenyan dishes with actual sauces and spices, and they’re all awesome, too!
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? I’ve had stitches 3 times. Twice were related to childbirth, and while interesting, not very fluffy. The first time I had stitches, I was only about 3 years old. We were moving in to a new house and my mom dropped a bed frame on me. I had been a bald baby and had only just started growing some hair by this age, which the Dr shaved in order to put stitches in the crown of my head. So in pictures of me, I am near bald until I’m 4 years old.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? I stay in bed until 7 am, then I drink coffee on the couch and try to convince my 6 year old that he is old enough to cook breakfast.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? It’s hot. Feb/Mar is our hot season. The temp is 92, “feels like” 103.
    10. What smells do you like? coffee, plumeria, cinnamon

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Okay, I want to have you or your SIL cook for me! That sounds delicious!!!

      Picturing you bald until 4 — why does that make me laugh? Sorry 🙂

      And wow, I just read about someone in super cold weather and you are in super hot!! This planet is amazing. God is amazing.

  22. Cecily February 26, 2016

    One time when I was little and my mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I said I wanted to be a nurse or an alligator 🙂  I graduated with honors from nursing school, but after nursing for a few years, I walked away from it to pursue other things.  See you later, Alligator!

    1. Ellie February 26, 2016

      Haha!

       

  23. Allysa H. February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?

    Right-handed, but my mom is left-handed so I learned to do some things backwards and they feel completely natural that way.  Growing up, I always wanted to be able to write with either hand.

     

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?

    I always wanted to be a teacher.  In 2nd grade, I decided I wanted to be a 4th grade teacher.  I have no idea why considering I’d never even been in that grade yet!

     

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?  My favorite is chocolate, but I do enjoy vanilla with chocolate sauce.  No strawberry for me, I don’t like fruit.

     

    4. What are some of your favorite movies?

    Anne of Green Gables, Chariots of Fire, Hoosiers, Ever After, any true story sports movie

     

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?

    Yes!  I have always had cold feet, and if I don’t I wake up because my feet are so cold. I did spend a summer in Africa with no A/C and slept barefoot.  It’s not an obsession, just practical.

     

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?

    I love the community feel.  People exercising together in the park, play and watching games on the sidewalk, sitting on the steps of the convenience store talking.

     

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?

    No, sorry, no stitches here.

     

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?

    I used to like to sleep a little late, then read or watch a hallmark movie.  Now that I have two early risers, I enjoy a little time snuggling and watching cartoons with them.

     

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?

    30s this morning, 60s later, and sun for the first time in a week!

     

    10. What smells do you like?

    Actually, I can’t smell.  Never have been able to, I was born that way.  People tell me how sad it is, and I’m sure I missing out on some things, but boy am I avoiding a lot of bad smells, too!

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Now I have so many questions :).

      No sense of smell — since you’ve never smelled (HA!), this might be hard to answer, but smell and taste seem to be related. Are you able to taste food?

      No fruit? Like at all? Or just in ice-cream.

      Saturday morning cartoon snuggles sounds fun 🙂

      1. Allysa H. February 29, 2016

        I remember when I was little people would say if you don’t like the taste of something, then hold your nose and you won’t be able to taste it.  I tried it and it never worked.  Also, I can tell all the different tastes and I have things I definitely like the taste of things I don’t so as far as I know I’m tasting normally.  I think it’s one of those things like when people who are blind can hear really well.  That is a question everybody always asks.

        I eat apples and bananas, but that’s it, and I don’t like cooked apples.  So basically, no fruit.  Weird, I know.

        Yes cartoon snuggles are fun, but it sure would be nice to sleep in sometimes 🙂

         

        1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

          I don’t know why it makes me so happy … but I’m happy to hear that eating has variety in taste to you! One niece recently did a taste test involving smell and no smell for a science project. We were blindfolded and fed babyhood. I was surprised how even without smell, there were very strong sensation/flavors to some. Funny thing, my BIL had more accurate results with no smell than with smell :).

          At least apples and bananas are fairly common :). Are they were you live?

          And here’s to sleeping in too!

  24. brooke February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?  Right
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?  I wasn’t concrete about any one job:) I did like pretending I was a spy lots – somehow I knew that wasn’t a reality.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?  Strawberry -if it has real strawberries!
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? The Saint, Sabrina, Minority Report,
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? -off! even if I start with them on, they come off in bed!
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? The friendly people.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? sorry. Probably a good thing since I faint when I see needles:)
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?  My “Saturday” is actually Wednesday – No one comes to work, just me in my house. I like to sleep in, enjoy long shower, and egg and cheese sandwich.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? It rained for a few hours this morning, which was good because we needed to collect rain water.  Now it is sunny and almost 80 F.
     
    10. What smells do you like? Gardenia, lilac, mint chocolate, fresh bread,

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      It’s fun seeing you wanted to be a spy and then one of your favorite movies is Minority Report!

  25. Grace L February 26, 2016

    I read the post this morning and have been waiting all day to have a chance to share. Fun questions, Amy.
    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? I am right handed, but when I was in high school, I learned that I was “left sided” which meant I should have been left handed. Over the years I have discovered that having a balance of using both hands (such as typing, or kneading bread dough) gives me great satisfaction. When I broke by right arm, I learned pretty quickly to type with my left hand only. I doubt that I could ever learn to use chopsticks with my left hand!
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? An airline stewardess. To this day when on an airplane, when I watch the stewardesses, I wonder why I wanted to do that. But I guess that back in the early 60’s it seemed like a glamorous job that allowed you to travel a lot.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Definitely vanilla, but with hot fudge sauce! I am even okay with a MacDonald’s hot fudge sundae.
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? Julie and Julia, Must Love Dogs, Les Miserables, Miss Potter, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. My husband and I love watching movies and we often have private jokes by quoting movie lines to each other:)
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? When the weather is cold, always. And I snuggle my heavily socked feet around a hot water bottle to boot! It has to get pretty hot before I take my socks off!
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? I love hanging around people who are so much younger than I am, and that they love being with me. It keeps me young.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? Soon after moving to this rural part of China, I tripped on something when we were out walking and flew to the ground and hit my head. I screamed bloody murder as I put my hand to my forehead and saw all the blood. Yuk! But there was no way around going to the local hospital and getting stitches. The examination room was not very clean but my husband stood by my side and made sure that everything that touched me was clean. Amazingly, the doctor did a great job and there is no scar. It helped me to get over my fear of using the local hospital. Well, sort of…
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Sleeping late with no have-to’s.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? It was warm and sunny today with highs close to 60. Oh, another thing I like about this place is that we rarely have any wind.
    10. What smells do you like? So many that have already been mentioned, but here’s my list: freshly brewed coffee, freshly baked bread, fried onions or garlic, my husband’s homemade spaghetti sauce, rice cooked in a rice cooker. My favorite flower smells are lilacs and hyacinths. I also love the smells of the ocean and an open camp fire.

    1. Emily February 26, 2016

      Grace, I laughed about you liking the smell of rice cooked in a rice cooker, and here’s why:  it made me absolutely nauseous during the first trimester of my last pregnancy! Before that, I had never really even thought about rice having a smell, but with the Preggo Superpower of Smell, I could smell it a mile away (well, not really, thank God), and it never failed to make me feel like vomiting. Since we were in China, I encountered that smell a whole lot more than I would have liked to. Anyway, now the smell doesn’t bother me, though it may take a few more years for it to make my “smells I like” list.

      1. Grace L February 27, 2016

        Emily, when we were in the states last year, I really missed the smell of rice cooking in a rice cooker. It was tough to get a good bowl of rice there. Now that we are back in China, I can enjoy it again. Sorry it brought up such bad memories for you(: Well, anyway, there are many other delicious food smells we can enjoy. It is so interesting to see what people enjoy for smells.

    2. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Grace, so fun to read through! Thank you :). I had to laugh at the local hospitals and “well sort of….” I think that’s my feeling towards ANY hospital 🙂

  26. Rachel D. February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?

    Right handed 🙂

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?

    Hmmm… I wanted to be a veterinarian, but that went out the window in 5th grade when I couldn’t bring myself to even dissect a grasshopper 😛

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?

    Chocolate a thousand times over.

    4. What are some of your favorite movies?

    Hmmm… so many good ones :D. Of Gods and Men, Leap Year, Pride & Prejudice (Kiera Knightley version :)), Hundred-Foot Journey, The Good Lie, The Bourne Trilogy, the BBC Narnia series from wayyy back (just for laughs!), Mulan, Freaky Friday (with Lindsay Lohan), Sound of Music…………

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?

    Always in wintertime! It drives me insane to try and sleep with no socks on when it’s freezing out… So most of the time, I sleep with socks on, except for summertime.

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?

    I really like the attitude of the American military and how they view themselves as a family of sorts… I really appreciate the diversity of Maryland/D.C. 🙂

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?

    Nope, no stitches. Though, I did break my arm and had a cast once.

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday mornings?

    I like doing all of my chores on Saturdays, after a good hot breakfast! Like washing my sheets, vacuuming, etc.

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?

    Yesterday was more interesting, as we had very strong winds, the sky turned a creepy greenish gray color, we were under heavy rain and a tornado watch… Today though is very windy and the clouds are rolling quickly under an overcast, gray-blue sky.

    10. What smells do you like?

    Fresh lavender, grapefruit scented things, fresh eucalyptus, clean sheets, a warm summer morning when the dew is sparkling on the grass, turkey cooking in the oven, the smell of pumpkin pie.

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Rachel, what I love about your scents, is the seasonal tour they take us on! Fun :).

      What’s your cast story :)?

  27. Ellie February 26, 2016

     

     

    2. What job did you want? Prime minister, cookery show host.

     

    3.  I don’t really like ice-cream so I’d rather have a yoghurt or something that tastes as little like ice cream as possible and is still ice cream – Ben and Jerry’s for example, or mint leaf ice cream in Portugal which was amazing..

     

    4. favorite movies? Made of Honour is a super escapist film for when I want to run away from my life/work!

     

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? Now Amy, that’s just sockist! You can see here that you are way outvoted by sensible people who do sleep with socks on *when it’s cold* 😉

     

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? Fried things, seafood, warmth towards children.

     

    8. Saturday morning? Chilling out with my kids for a lazy french toast/pancakes breakfast

     

    9. Today, what’s the weather like? Rainy and cold and grim

     

    10. smells? my boys after their bath(!), toasted almonds, baked potatoes, lemon zest

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Hahahah!!! Sockist! I’ve been chuckling over that one all weekend 🙂

  28. Hannah February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? I think at age 5 my highest aspirations were to be a mommy, cowgirl, ballerina, chef, and teacher (all at the same time).
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Chocolate with a mix-in. Peanut butter. Caramel. Pretzels. More chocolate. Raspberries. Strawberries. If only ice cream didn’t cost $8/quart here…or if we had berries
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? That Thing You Do, Pride and Prejudice, Stranger than Fiction
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? I wish it were cold enough to! When I worked at summer camp during college I would wear socks even though it was unbearably hot to cover up the dirt. I hated the feeling of my dry, dirty feet rubbing against my sleeping bag so socks saved me. Here I rarely wear socks becuase of the heat, but I love to cuddle up with lots of blankets and cozy socks.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? Community. I love dipping my hand into a bowl of fufu and peanut sauce with five other people. I love being welcomed at any house I visit when the hosts are unaware of my arrival. I love receiving and giving plates of food for holidays from our neighbors. I love random students stopping over to play games.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? I had to have stitches after an operation on my ankle. While in college I went on a floor date to a place full of inflatables. There were two obstacle courses which we deemed perfect for a relay race. At the end of the course you had to slide down a slide, crawl under something, and then tag the next person. We learned quickly that pushing off into a dive from the bottom of the slide was the best way to tag the following person so that is what I did. But my foot was not so quick and decided to stay at the bottom of the slide while the rest of my body catapulted forward. Seven screws, a metal plate, and who knows how many stitches later, my ankle is decently strong again.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? I love lingering on my devotions while sipping a hot beverage, then blasting into productive mode before going to the pool with another M friend.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Weather.com tells me that it feels like 100 F. I would have to agree and I also feel the humidity rising. Unfortunately, we haven’t even reached the hottest month yet.
    10. What smells do you like? Some quality black loose leaf tea, campfire smoke, the first rain after Harmattan, limes and pineapple.

    1. Hannah February 26, 2016

      Oops I obviously can’t read directions and thought the pic would be used for my profile. Fail.

      1. T February 27, 2016

        People do it all the time on here, Hannah.  You are just the latest!  🙂

         

      2. Amy Young February 29, 2016

        I can remove it if you like … but I like seeing people’s faces :). So unless you want it down, I’m leaving it :).

        You’ve given us such a lovely picture of your life with your words, it’s nice to have the picture to go with it. I will say, that college injury sounds PAINFUL 🙂

  29. Jilida February 26, 2016

    1. Right handed. Every once in awhile I remember a study which shows people have better brain function later in life if they make more use of their non-dominant hand, and I’ll brush my teeth with my left hand. But, really, I’m right handed.

    2. When I was REALLY little I wanted to be a princess and a ballet dancer and a movie star. Thus, Grace Kelly was basically my hero. As soon as I gained an ounce of pragmatism, I wanted to be a dietitian. In grad school I could have gotten an ESL certification if I’d taken a few more classes, but I was absolutely positive I never wanted to be an ESL teacher. And then I did just that for three years and really enjoyed it.

    3. It depends on my mood. None of these three flavors crack my top ten. I like the ice creams with massive amounts of stuff put in, so if I’m offered plain ice cream, it depends upon what I’m craving.

    4. Thanks for not making me choose one: Chariots of Fire, You Can’t Take it With You, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and The Marx Brothers’ Night at the Opera.

    5. Ah, yes, the question that prompted me to answer: I wear socks to bed 99.9% of the time. This is because I have something called Raynaud’s syndrome. It sounds serious, but it isn’t. What it means is that my feet and hands have poor circulation. If my fingers get cold and wet, they turn white up to my knuckles. And my feet are always, always, always cold. You know that feeling in the winter when your feet are going numb in your boots? I live at that level of numbness. So, yes, I wear socks to bed. In the winter I often wear a second pair over the first, usually something that is wool or made for skiers. The upside to this poor circulation is that when it is 85F and everyone is roasting, I take off my socks, wear sandals, and am comfortable. Until it reaches 95F, and then I’m hot too.

    6. After returning to my passport country I moved to a state I’d never lived in before: New Hampshire. New England can be quite an adjustment, but one thing I’ve enjoyed is being more politically engaged this year than ever before. For some reason, this state is important politically, and there were candidates holding multiple forums, so I went to a couple of town halls. It’s kind of like seeing a celebrity. Or someone who might be a celebrity someday.

    7. Nope, sorry. I’d apologize, but I’m happy I’ve never had stitches!

    8. My Saturday mornings vary, so I don’t really have a routine. Overseas I would sleep in a little (7 a.m. instead of 6 a.m.), take the morning a little slower, then jump into my work, usually shortly after 8. I had translation work to do for our group that was assigned Friday and due Monday, and one thing I am NOT is a procrastinator! And I enjoyed it! I enjoy getting my work done and out of the way and seeing my diligence in studying begin to pay off (I still needed Google translate to give me the jist sometimes) and feeling useful.

    9. It’s bright and cold today. Yesterday it was around 50F (10C) and most of the snow melted. The cold snap has returned, and the atmosphere is lovely with that cold brightness that only comes at this time of year.

    10. The first thing that comes to mind, I mean really comes to mind, not just a, “Oh, yeah, I like that too” while reading others’ answers, is the smell of the incense used in Russian and Greek fellowships. When I was 14 my family visited the middle east, and in some of the buildings there that mark His birth and death, these fellowships were holding meetings. I never grew up smelling such smells, but I immediately loved them. Years later, when I decided to pick out a perfume that would be my “signature scent” I picked out a spicy/sweet one that reminds me of this aroma.

     

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      So fun to get a glimpse of your life (and influences) as a child, when you were overseas, and now in another context! It’s comforting for me to think of sane people, like you, attending town hall type meetings. Gives me hope. And your foot and hand disease! It does sound serious, I’m glad it’s mostly just a nuisance!

  30. Ruthie H. February 26, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? I am right-handed and have quite a noticeable callous on my right middle finger because I have always held my writing instrument with a grip and written quite hard.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? I wanted to be a disc jockey, detective, writer, and a teacher. Since I worked in journalism for a time, I feel I was a writerly-detective of sorts and I “fell” into the position of teaching here, though I have no professional background in it. Still working on the dream of being a DJ… 😉
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Strawberry, but if sherbet was available, I’d choose that instead. 🙂
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? “The Life of Walter Mitty,” “The Sound of Music,” “Pride and Prejudice.”
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? Heavens, no! It’s too hot here in Uganda! Though I admit sleeping in socks when visiting some of the “cooler” regions of the country.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? I love the climate, the foods, the friendliness of the people, the relaxed pace (though that can be frustrating at times), the joy and freedom in worship, and the emphasis on relationships.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? No, no stitches nor any stories of broken bones.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Drinking coffee and reading a good book.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Here in Jinja, Uganda it was a high of 82F with 76% humidity. Tonight it has cooled to 75F.
    10. What smells do you like? Coffee, popcorn, good men’s cologne, new shoes.

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      The smell of new shoes. I’d never thought of that!

      And I can just see Ruthie-the-DJ . . .  drop the mic 🙂

  31. Amy Young February 26, 2016

    I am LOVING this … but I have got to work on some things for next week for VA :). SO, instead of rushing, I’m going to come back and read and savor. Please keep commenting! This is so fun and everyone getting to know each other a bit more is so lovely :).

    I repeat, please keep commenting :)!!

  32. Christy J February 27, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right. My left hand is appallingly inadequate. I better not ever break my right arm.

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? Teacher. Then I went through a phase where I thought I would hate teaching. But guess what I became? I think kids intuitively know what they are good at.

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Vanilla with fresh raspberries on top.

    4. What are some of your favorite movies? LOTR, The Sound of Music, Frequency, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Inception, Star Wars (episodes 4-7).

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? Absolutely not, it drives me crazy.

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? Everyone is very welcoming. Also I appreciate how resilient people are here in spite of obstacles they encounter daily.

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? Only once, I had a blood blister removed. Boring story.

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Staying in bed, reading, watching TV. It is currently 11:45 on Saturday morning and I haven’t gotten up yet.

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? HOT. I am super grateful for A/C.

    10. What smells do you like? The air after a heavy rain, vanilla, and cinnamon bread.

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      It delights me to think of you on a Saturday mooring reading through things on the internet and then connecting with us :).

  33. Anna February 27, 2016

    It is fun reading everyone’s answers.  Here’s mine. 🙂
    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right handed
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? I had lots of different options, but one funny thing is that I was sure I was going to be a single career lady.  No husband or kids.  I had a rather negative view of marriage.  Now I’m a homeschooling mom of 3 and I love it.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Chocolate- although it has to be dairy free, so some kind of chocolate treat, the darker the better.
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?  Hard to pick.  Princess Bride is a classic that I always come back to.  It’s one of the few movies I’ve watched repeatedly and enjoyed.  Also all 3 Lord of the Rings.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve watched those.  A recent favorite- “Bride and Prejudice”  I didn’t think I was going to like it, but I did, and I want to watch it again.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?  Only if I’m cold, and then I usually kick them off once my feet are warm.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?  Currently in small town USA.  I love small town life, the proximity of things.  Within a 2 block radius of our house, there is my hairdresser, bank, library, post office, dentist, photographer who did our passport pictures, and more.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?  While in Congo, I had a couple of suspicious looking moles on the back of my shoulder.  My husband cut them out & stitched me up at our school table in our house.  Then a visitor carried the samples in her luggage and sent them to be tested.  (Everything was fine.)  That was definitely one of those “My life is not normal!!!!” moments.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?  I like having a laid back morning with no schedule, and no pressure.  What I do can vary- baking at home, just hanging out doing nothing much, outings, but what I like is the lack of needing to be somewhere specific or get certain things done.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? In northwest MT, fairly cold and windy, but it’s the warmest winter in many years, and I’m not going to complain.
    10. What smells do you like?  Baking bread- OK, most food smells 🙂  Rain, flowers, new books

    1. Emily Smith February 27, 2016

      First, I love “Bride and Prejudice” and also didn’t think I would.

      my question is, does your husband have medical training of some sort? Either way…brave woman. Yes, not a normal situation.

      I am also imagining the humor of trying to explain this to customs officials. The question “has anyone given you any items to carry in your luggage?” Would definitely give me pause. ?

      1. Anna February 27, 2016

        Yes, I should have included that my husband is an ER doctor & Pediatrician.  That does make it a little less dramatic. 🙂  I never thought about what the person carrying it might have had to explain.  That could be interesting!

    2. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      This is what I LOVE . . . finding the nugget of a good story :). For some it’s in smells, for some it’s in the movie choices. But this stitches story is a keeper. I love, love, love it.

      I love your poetic description of small town life.

  34. Debbie February 28, 2016

    Left, but due to a rt-handed mom, I learned some things early, such as blowing my nose :), right-handed, which I still do that way.  Other things, like scrubbing the floor or painting furniture, I can switch to my rt hand if I get tired.  But for writing and cutting with a scissors, I am totally left-handed.  One funny thing about my dad’s side of the family:  he and his 4 siblings and their spouses are 80% rt-handed, but the children produced by those 5 couples, my cousins, my brother and I, are mostly left-handed.

    Due to a Sunday School teacher telling us a story about an M being eaten by cannibals (What was she thinking?!), I told God I’d be ANYthing BUT an M.  At the age of 12, He clearly called me to be an M.  For about a month, I resisted, but was miserable.  When I said ‘yes’, that set the direction for my life.  My husband and I have been M’s for 30 years, since the week after our honeymoon.  🙂  (For the past 23 years in England.)

    Chocolate, definitely, but has to be dairy-free.  Great recipes out there with coconut milk.

    Socks, all the way.  My feet get so cold.  I sit typing with warm microwaveable slippers on now.  It has to be really warm weather for me to forego socks at night.  Much of the year here in England, I also have a hot water bottle at my feet at night.  🙂  (We never turn on the heating at night.  We prefer a stack of blankets.)

    Cultural parts I enjoy?  tea rooms, the Eng understatement, their ideas of ‘proper’, the year-round hurt-your-eyes green (1 good thing benefit from all that rain…)

    Stitches–from my 3 c-sections.  My deer hunting, macho husband can butcher a deer, but can’t handle human blood, at least from his own family.  He took our 6 year old in for stitches, and HE fainted.  The nurse caught him, and sent our injured 6-year old out into the hallway to call for help!!

    Sat a.m?  ‘Pottering’, the glorious Eng word which means ‘to busy oneself in a desultory though agreeable manner’.  I then had to look up ‘desultory’, which means ‘lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected’.  Ie, to just randomly flit from job to job, letting myself get distracted, with no guilt, no pattern.  Happy distractions.  🙂

    Weather today was gloriously sunny, though cold.  We had to call the ambulance for a good friend at church (my husband never did preach) and I waited at the roadside to direct them.  We were out in the country, and it seemed to take forever for it to arrive, and I about froze, but a lady brought me her long wool coat, and since she is bigger than I am, I put it on over my shorter wool coat, and that was wonderful.

    Smells?  Lilacs, always tops.  Then homemade baking of anything, rain on a warm day, my mom’s house, a newborn baby, Eng bluebonnets in May.

     

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Debbie, agreed!!! What WAS the Sunday School teaching thinking?!

      What I am absolutely loving about this comment thread is the cultural variety. It feels like a mini trip-around-the-world. So fun! If only I could pop in for some tea with you 🙂

  35. Debbie February 28, 2016

    PS  That 6 yr old mentioned above is now 20 and preparing to be an M.  🙂

  36. Anndee February 28, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? President of the United States
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Chocolate
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? Pride and Prejudice (both Colin Firth and Kiera Knightly versions), Anne of Green Gables, American President
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? Only if it’s VEEERY cold.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? Greeting warmly, Argentine Asado (it’s a grilled meat feast)
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? I busted my chin open when I was five or six and needed six stitches.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Taking time to focus on the kiddos.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Warm, it’s summer.  It’s been HOT (like 101º heat index), but the last few days have been nice (like high 80s).
    10. What smells do you like? Brownies (except on fasting day)

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      Rock on sister! Girls who want to be president and then grow up to be M’s . . . I love it 🙂

  37. Anndee February 28, 2016

    Okay, so I didn’t read that I was adding a comment image.  Pardon my HUGE photo of myself.

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      It’s lovely :). You are lovely. I like seeing your face, but if you would prefer, I can remove it 🙂

      1. Anndee February 29, 2016

        Thank you for the compliment.  If you could remove it, I’d appreciate it.  I’ll look into making it my profile pic.

  38. Rachel February 29, 2016

    1. I am Right Handed
    2. As a little girl I wanted to be a Teacher
    3. Vanilla is usually my preferred ice cream flavor (I take after my dad!)
    4. Favorite movies: Tangled (anything Pixar, really), Narnia series, LOTR, Cinderella (2015), Gifted Hands
    5. Yes, I sleep with my socks on
    6. Fresh and cheap year round fruits and vegetables!  Also love how the church culture isn’t so “separate” from everyone else.  It’s when you get to know someone who’s a believer and you’re blown away by how different they are.  Just love how it’s so heart focused and not outward focused!
    7. I needed stitches when I was 2.  We were at an annual family Christmas gathering at a fire hall.  I was playing with cousins and siblings with a row of highchairs off to the side of the main room.  I fell from one and busted open my chin.  I don’t remember any of it but I can see the slight scar to know it happened!
    8. Saturday mornings are when both children are home (so it’s my least relaxed morning!).  I like to have my 3 yr old help me organize and clean up clutter for our house helper who comes to clean floors.  It’s fun to find some you tube movies, like Shaun the sheep to watch and stay out of the way of the floor cleaning.
    9. Weather today is cloudy and windy!
    10. Smells that I like: I’m weird, but I always smell book pages when I’m reading (and obviously not kindle ones, ha!) – I don’t necessary “love” the smell though, it’s just a habit.  Anyone else? 😉  Um, I love the smell of fresh tomatoes still on the vine, fresh cut hay, the smell of my open windows here, spring air, fresh baked bread, my husband’s cologne, my baby’s breath…

    1. Amy Young February 29, 2016

      You know, I do sometimes smell books, but I had never really thought about it. More I’ll hold a book and see how it feels — rub the cover, flip it open and see how easy or difficult it is to flip open.

      With the ages of your kids, I can imagine that Saturday’s are busy in your home 🙂

  39. Catherine G July 7, 2016

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    Ambidextrous, left hand for cutting and most writing, right hand for sport and strength things. I like to see if my students are awake in class by writing with both on the blackboard!
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    Overseas worker nurse in Africa.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    Not sure, as we can only get white or pink ice cream here and so I forget what the real stuff tastes like!
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    Shrek, Sleepless in Seattle, and Much Ado About Nothing.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?
    During December when it gets really cold here and our houses are not heated, yes. But I normally kick them off during the night.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    Everyone visits everyone else, without invitations. I love the spontanaeity of never knowing in advance.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    No, not that I can remember.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    Saturdays are work days, but on Friday mornings, after an exercise video and some coffee, then I can settle down with some knitting or crochet, or a book to relax.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    35*C (95*F) hot and sunny, though a little humid after the rain last night.
    10. What smells do you like?
    Rain, Perfume in the market, Cinnamon, Freshly baked cake, and when in UK, freshly cut grass.

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