Off-Topic Tuesday: Some Thank Yous and Other Things

A little over a week ago, I was delighted to see that AutumnLeaves, whose blog I adore, honoured me with The Beautiful Blog Award.  I am deeply moved and very grateful.  As you know, A.L., I think you are an amazing human being with a beautiful spirit, and it means a lot coming from you. I am not using your real name here, because I don't know if you use it here.

Now according to the rules, I am to write 10 things about myself, and award this to 10 other bloggers.  Today I will write the first 5 things about myself, and award the first of the 10  bloggers. I will write the next 5 things about myself next week and award other bloggers on Tuesdays to come.

1. I was very good at school, and I completely skipped the third grade. I wasn't informed that I would be skipping a grade. On the Friday of my first week in Grade 3, without warning I was asked to pack up my desk and move to the Grade 4 classroom.  I was told that the reason was because they had "too many desks" in Grade 4. It was very confusing.

I therefore missed out on many of the fundamentals that are taught in the 3rd grade, such as learning cursive writing, multiplication and some sports such as volleyball and softball.

On my first day in the Grade 4 classroom, being a Friday, there was a spelling test.  We were told that we had to write in cursive, and not knowing how, I wrote the spelling test by copying the letters off the alphabet chart above the blackboard.  I still remember that I only got 24/25 on that test, only because my "q" looked like a "g". I did spell the word correctly though.

I had the intelligence, but I did not have the self-esteem or confidence to have skipped a grade, and it made life tough for me for many years. I became painfully self-conscious and I was not readily accepted by my peers.  By high school, things improved, but I never again did take a gym class.

2. I met my husband in 1981.  We dated for 5 years before moving in together, by which time we were so used to one another's habits, that our first year living together was easy and very happy.  We didn't have the adjustment period that many couples have during their first year of marriage or living together.

3. My husband and I married on a Tuesday without telling anyone.  We didn't want a big wedding, and we didn't want a big fuss.  The reason we married on a Tuesday was that it was the anniversary of our first date.  I thought it would be easier for my husband to remember our anniversary if it was the same as the anniversary he already knew.  It worked.

4. We have two children, a daughter who is 21, and living on her own, and a son who is 19, still living with us.

5. When we got our first home computer in the year 2000, I had never touched a computer before. I didn't even know how a mouse worked. After about 3 months our computer crashed. The computer company replaced our computer, but we lost all of our data.

After that, I made it my business to learn everything I could about how computers run. I learned how to optimize performance, maintain the computer's health and how to fix problems.

Some years ago, we had a crash on the desktop computer, and a friend of ours who is very IT savvy said that there would be no way to fix it without losing data. Undaunted, I did fix it and saved the data. I can reformat and make a clean install of Windows, and I know how to import my saved data.

We have never had to pay for computer repairs. I admit to being quite geekily proud of my skills.

I'll write another 5 next week.


I would like to give my first The Beautiful Blogger Award to SchnauzerMom. Her blog is truly a gentle haven, written with a down-to-earth voice. Each entry is always embellished with a lovely photo she has taken and an inspiring thought. I unfailingly feel that The Shaggy Dog Journal is very comforting and soothing, a gentle voice in a harsh world. It is also aesthetically beautiful.

Thank you also to Ktani for the very kind mention in your blog. As you know, I am in awe of the lengths you go to in order to research hair care. Your research has paid off for me; especially your research on coconut oil reducing peroxide damage. I have mentioned your research in this blog in the past.

In any case, your kind words really delighted me and made me feel good.

Love to all.  'Til tomorrow, my friends.