Okay, I'm going to do something that I hate..

[KBear]

I usually delete these kind of things and get annoyed when sent them. What are they you ask? The oh so wonderful 'a little about me' questionnares that flood the email inbox from all your 'friends' daily. Well, I decided after the discovery that Justin is a twin, that we really don't know any fun stuff about each other... but, by golly, we have each others meical file memorized! So, thought it would be interesting to share a little about ourselves, totally un-spine related. No questionnare, tell what you want, skip the arrest record. So, here's mine:

Formerly known as Kathy, nicknamed Kathy Bear; my parents loved to embarass me with this nickname, so I finally decided to embrace it. I have been married to Joe (who has also been inducted to the bear hall of fame) for almost 7 years. We have 2 daughters, Emma almost 6 years (nickname: Milk Monster) and Ava 3 years (nicknames: bird, bird dog; when she gets hurt we holler 'bird dog down, we have a bird dog down'... she doesn't think it is very funny; but we do).

I live in North Texas, with my brothers, and parents all within a few miles of me. I am the third of 4 children, Melanie 33, Chris 31, Me 29 and Brian 27. I also have 2 step brothers. I talk to my sister daily, we are very close, wish she lived closer to me. I grew up in a small German community (my great great grandparents, both sets on my mom's side and were the first one's to buy land in our town). The town was so little that it only had 500 residents and was 1 square mile large.

I love music, all kinds (rock, pop, rap, country, christian, oldies, classic rock, 70's, 80's and 90's, and some jazz). I like to listen to my radio really loud in my car and sing loudly (I can not carry a tune to save my life; but with the radio up, not bad). I even will be doing my little dance moves behind the wheel, yeah, I am THAT person. My kids call me a 'crazy driver' but I think I am a good driver, generally don't speed, not a big risktaker behind the wheel (maybe because I am living the consequences of someones else's idiocy) and I am a very defensive driver. I drive a 2008 GMC Yukon, for now it is my ideal car; but one day when the kids are grown, it will be a Ford Mustang GT or Chevy Camaro.

My favorite color is blue; but love earth tones in my home. I live in a subdivision, with a population larger than the town I grew up in. I love living in the city, having neighbors close by, kids for my kids to play with and all that there is to do. I love shopping, the cashiers at Target know me by name. I enjoy scrapbooking, spending time with my family, hanging out with my friends and reading (non-fiction and usually Christian books; love to learn). I just finished reading Death By Prescription, very interesting book. I am addicted to sudoku and solitare online. I like to watch tv, usually sitcoms, or reality tv (Jon & Kate plus 8, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, lots of SpongeBob with the kids and my guilty pleasures are Greys Anatomy, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives). I also really enjoy doing home improvements, some of my best memories are of weekends we spent at home doing work around the house. I really like using power tools and am not afraid to tackle anything.

I am a stay at home mom; but have worked in lots of areas. Before I stayed home, I was a real estate assistant, had an in home childcare for 4 years, bartended, car hop, stocker (not that kind), and bookeeper. I always wanted to be a mom and wife, wanted 10 kids as a child, went down to 5 by the time I married, had 1 kid and decided to take it one at a time from there. I would like to go back to school, maybe become a nurse (kinda feel like I'm being 'called' into that, weird I know).

I hate being late, and don't like it when others are late; although with kids it is hard not to be late. I am obsessively clean, like my home being very clean and orderly. One last thing, I tend to be a night owl; but can be an early bird if I need to be.

Ok, I went from thinking I would tell a few things about myself, to writing a novel, so now, your turn. Oh, and there will be a quiz on me later, so you better not have skimmed!

[KBear]

Come on, I know I'm not the only one who is going to share. I promise, you don't have to write a novel, like I did! Maybe stuff you think everyone knows about you... but maybe they don't. Bob, I know you can come up with something funny, maybe not true; but funny.

[Katie]

You know, I think a lot of people are afraid of putting too much personal information out there on the internet, and this is why no one has participated in this. I'll play, but just a tiny bit. I'm one of those who don't even like Facebook because of what it says about you and your family, etc. Once out there, it can't be taken back. Here's my bit!

I have two gorgeous daughters, the love of my life, and well into their own lives now, one married and one engaged. One has moved nearby, thankfully, but the other travels the world and I rarely see her. I also have two terrific stepchildren and their precious gift, grandchildren.

I'm married to the most handsome man who spends most of his time trying to make me happy...a very hard job at times ;-) We've only been together a few years, and our plan is to make every day seem like our honeymoon.

I'm a professional artist and love teaching, especially beginning artists. The look of wonder on their faces when they complete a piece of work that they never thought possible is priceless. It is usually the older students who appreciate this the most, and it's like they get a new lease on life when they discover that they have talent.

We live in a picturesque historic village, full of artists and tourists in the summer, but our property is far enough out on the edge to avoid all that when we want to. But once in awhile we wander in to get the best home made ice cream in the country. Rhubarb, ginger, roasted almond, spicy chocolate...yummmmmmmm!

Since I fall asleep within ten minutes when I try to read for our book club, I usually find a book on tape that I can listen to while working or driving.

The activities I plan on getting back to when better.....hiking, bicycling (but not as much as Terry ), working my horses and my Australian Shepherd pup (hoping to do herding or agility with him soon), learning to play my guitar (again) and of course gardening...lots and lots of gardening. I'm hoping to put some blueberry bushes in this summer as well as raspberries to make jam. Dear Heart cleaned out a big old overgrown flowerbed last week, full of saplings and scrub, and we've put in clematis, peonies and poppies as well as day lilies so far, with room for lots more. ( I love the royal 'we'...it covers a lot of jobs!)

I love jewel colours, purples, gold & sapphire blues, but my walls are all quiet earth tones..go figure!

I got hooked on TV once again, after giving it up for years...we honestly never had it on for five years. But when I couldn't move for the pain, the idiot box helped distract me, and now I am tuned into the CSI type of shows.

And unlike the bio above, I hate malls and shopping with a passion. They seem to have a white noise inside the stores that drives me crazy. And I'd rather spend my tiny bit of extra cash on my horses or family. A coffee with a cookie will buy a bale of hay! Now I have to pay some kids to do the chores I used to do...like unloading a few tons of hay or landscaping the gardens. Very lady like...LOL! But despite the above tomboy image, we both loved to dress up and go out once in awhile to some ritzy parties...a princess in disguise Ahhhh, to dream for the days when I can get back into my heels and slinky black dress! To bad I need more than back surgery to make that happen

That's it for now....next?

[Gilbert P]

Hi Girls

I will play but not now I will post ehen I have some time. Cooking dinner

Post soon

Gilbert P

[Justin]

Kathy, err... I mean K Bear , thanks for sharing! I personally think the highlights were the nicknames for the family and that your kids think you are a 'crazy driver.' Priceless.

I gotta run...

[Mary.Mary]

OK!!

I PROMISE to come back and do my part, BUT at this point I don't have the ability to sit and type for long. I wanted to send this post so that you knew I am interested and when I am able will 'fill you all in', hopefully it won't be a novel, .

Have a good night!!

Mary

[Cindylou]

Ok, I'll give this a go. It's nice to talk about something besides pain, no? I am a 56 year old gal (still act like I'm 30) with 3 sons and 1 step-son and a step-daughter. I have been in my second marriage for 19 years. Thank God (and I mean it) for second chances. My oldest is Seth who is almost 31, Micah (Micah-Bear) is 28, and Zach (the Zee-man, Z-meister, and just plain Zee) is 21 and finishing his 3rd year of college at St. Thomas in St. Paul. All my boys live in the twin cities area for which I am most grateful. My step-daughter is Kate 24, who is just now slowly getting her life together after years of trouble. Definitely our biggest challenge. She lives near her mother in N. Carolina. My step-son Mike, is 22, and he has served 1 term in Iraq and is currently at boot camp again in Tucson, planning a return to this God-awful war this summer. He will be gone for another year again. I have two incredible daughter-in-laws and of course, you have all heard, one terrific first grandchild, Tully, who is now 11 1/2 weeks old.
I graduated from the U. of Texas @ Austin like a million years ago, and actually lived in Texas for over 28 years. My Mom still lives in North Dallas, however, she also is originally from Minnesota, like me. It feels great to be back in Minnesota. We moved back here almost 10 years ago due to a promotion for my husband. I have not looked back. Of course, my bike accident happened just one year after moving here, so all my new friends have pretty much only known me as "the gal who has had alot of surgeries and pain." Not the former super athletic me. Activities I hope to return to are: alpine skiing (I am a certified instructor and used to teach), bike riding (again, not like Terry tho! ), hiking, and gardening. I love to garden, but very hard on the back. I only do a little now and hire out the rest. I am a voracious reader and have fantasies of being a writer. I am writing a memoir currently, about....you guessed it, my rough road. I love to fish, boat, and spend time at our cabin up north. I also love decorating my home. My favorite colors are green, red, and gold, and those are the colors you see in my home and furnishings.
I had a career in social services w/ a double major of psychology and special education. I went to graduate school studying child psychology but, alas, never finished this degree. I had the good fortune to become a full-time homemaker back in the 1990's. Periodically I would do consulting work for extra money and brain stimulation after retiring.
I am typically a very upbeat person, and love to laugh. Chronic pain has fought a battle with my soul in this arena. Although I am not currently a church-goer, I have a strong faith in God. And it does not go unnoticed that He is there and that there has to be a reason for what I have had to endure, and that I am still here. Having survived not one but two pulmonary embolisms, a car wreck that necessitated the jaws of life to retrieve me, and finally a near drowning (in a friend's hot tub in Colorado) where my girlfriend found me floating unconscious. God is definitely not done with me yet, ya think?! Ok, way more than anyone cares to know!
Gosh, I should have mentioned that I come from a family of 3 other siblings, two brothers, one sister, and me, the youngest. My father died back in 1986 and my mother died in 1990. I am very close with my step-mother. My oldest brother died in 2004. One of the things I am most proud of in my life (besides my children, of course) is finding my oldest brother after he was missing from our family for 17 years. I found him through the missing person's division of The Salvation Army, for a $10 application fee, and a timeline of about 5 months. He was a Vietnam Vet, having served two terms. He had always suffered a very rocky relationship with our Dad, hence his disappearance after his last tour of duty in Vietnam. We enjoyed about 10 years of rediscovering each other until he was stricken with cancer. At that time we brought him to live with us (he was living in Alaska), along with his 2 cats, eventually having to hospitalize him due to his grave condition. He died 6 weeks after we got him back to his home state of Minnesota. God bless my brother.

[Justin]

Wow CL, thanks for sharing. It sounds like you are "living the life" despite your set back with pain.

I love The Lounge it is a place to talk about anything. I'll have to jump in this thread when some other parts of my life slow down. BTW, I'm so glad that you are still with us after all of your hardships.

It's too funny...I always smile when I read the name "Tully."

[Cindylou]

It's a great name, isn't it? Irish-Gaelic, Tullia (Tully for short)

[KBear]

CL- Longhorn fan? My hubby is a huge Oklahoma Sooner fan, with my entire family being Longhorns. My sis lives in Austin, and really gets into dressing her kids into all the Longhorn garb. When her 3rd child and my 1st were babies, she threatened to put a longhorn onesie on her. I told her that doing so would have the same effect on my hubby as when a human touches a baby animal and the parent refuses to care for it because of the scent left behind, hubby would do that!

Where in Texas did you live? I live north of Dallas in Denton (home of the University of North Texas, Texas Women's University and North Central Texas College).

Wow, I can not believe all the near death experiences you have had! And I thought I had bad luck (guess it just proves the old saying, if you think you have it bad, then just look over your shoulder). After my wreck with the 18 wheeler, I told hubby "Guess I haven't reached perfection yet, God decided to leave me a bit longer".... I'm darn close though I also am not in church as much as I would like; but I just can not sit that long. I usually end up in the hall, trying to pay attention to the outside speakers and inevitably someone I know comes by and talks (and I love to talk), so I miss the entire sermon. Thankfully, I can download podcasts of the sermons on itunes, so I don't feel like a total pagan.

Thanks for sharing, it is fun getting to think about stuff other than backs!