a lil pick me up

imagine my surprise, as i was drowning in a sea of me one day, a friend gave me an award. what? well, i'm not sure my blog is fabulous, but mama4real, one of my visitors thought so, and that's good enough for me! and as i was struggling through the drama of sending my last child off to college, she seemed to know when i needed a lil pick me up.

Ok, the rules are that I have to list 5 obsessions, and then tag 5 other people. i'm pretty relieved i only have to list 5 obsessions. i'm not sure i want to bare that much of my soul here!

so here goes:

words. talking, writing, learning. i love words. i'm slightly obsessed by the word verifications (i've mentioned it before here) and would actually like to use those nonsensical words in everyday communication. anyone who knows me knows that i talk. alot. i don't know what is at the root of that, only that as long as i can remember, i've been a talker. my mom used to tell me when i was a little girl, "take a breath." you'd think i'd listen. but that would require me being quiet, which, ummm. . . ain't in the cards. who knows where this comes from? i think it's a selfish streak and perhaps an opportunity to let you know that i'm not stupid. i know stuff. it's awful. what the world wouldn't give for me to come down with a small bout of laryngitis??

good n plenty. what is not to love about pink n green candy?? i do not know where this started, but i'm addicted. and whatintheworld?? black licorice?? i abhor, hate, despise, will spit out a black jelly bean. so why in heaven's name do i like these candies?? and i like the stale ones. the harder to chew the better. this is my favorite movie time candy. on a side note, the hubster loves fruity candy and will put good n fruity WITH the good n plenty in a bag when we go to the movies (i've just exposed our candy smuggling into theaters transgressions). what kills a good n plenty party in my mouth faster than a fruity interloper?? bleccch.

blogstalking. seriously, people. i get no work done. i am captivated by stories. i love to know why people do what they do. i love to live vicariously through people who still have little ones. i'm all about learning hints, tips, decorating advice, etc. i love my ifriends. hearts bared to complete strangers. no fear of condemnation. i don't know what it is about this blog-world, but i love it. i've "met" some really inspiring, creative, winsome, precious people on the net. the hubster thinks i'm certifiable, and if he know how much a) time i spend reading or b) stuff about me i've shared, he'd have a stroke. and along with blogstalking, i spend the rest of my time googling, of course! seriously, i google everything. it's the handiest thing out there. whoever is collecting information on me due to my google searching has a preeeeety thick file. and it's all over the place. if i'm thinkin it, i'm googlin it. (sounds like i could make a tshirt on that one)

ch*na. after three trips there, a huge chunk of my heart is there. oh, how i wanted about 3 ch*nese children to come live with us. forever. grafted into our family. our kids would have loved that, but the hubster couldn't wrap his mind around the astronomical expense of international adoption. i'm pretty sure we're not the only couple that has not been on the same page when it comes to yearnings to adopt. i always wondered why God would put such a desire on my heart only to break it. . . so i've "adopted" some of the students i've taught while there. i still email with some of them. . . but yeah. i'd move there to be a m*issionary in about a minute and a half.

reading. i know, seriously, does it get any nerdier than that? blogstalking, words, google and reading?? yikes, i sound like some agoraphobic hermit in a library. i'm not that sequestered (not that i wouldn't relish the idea) and have other interests, but we are talking obsessions, so i'm comin clean. i dig a good book. and i love christian fiction. i just finished every single karen kingsbury book about the baxters (14 of 'em) i'm currently on elin hilderbrand's last novel, the castaways. i've read every one of her books this summer. yumm. i also read non fiction, and am pretty obsessed with middle eastern stories. . . three cups of tea, the bookseller of kabul, etc. i'm totally going to read the stoning of sorayah m.

i have passions, too. but this isn't about passions. i have a passion for students to know Jesus. i have a passion to encourage, love well, and be a good mother.

i have things in my life i should be more passionate about. like knowing Jesus better, reading my Bible, saving money/budgeting or being a better wife.

i can work on that next week. after i finish the castaways.

now the tagging. . . this is harder than it looks, because many of the blogs i read are already pretty well read and they certainly don't need blog-fodder like this. but i'll try my best!

stefanie at ni hao y'all. what can i say? she's a new ifriend, she's from the south and has adopted from a country i'm obsessed about!

shaina from just because i am me. i love her photography, her humor, her momness. i want to live next door to her!

kristina at pulsipher predilections is hardly someone who needs an "award" but i find her so completely irreverent and hysterical i cannot believe she's a regular reader of mine and always leaves the most precious, unhysterical encouragement on my comments. she says exactly what i'm thinking. she turned me on to the naked cowboy. is there anything else to say? oh yeah, snuggie. embrace the fleece.

jen d at simple things mean so much. she is an ace encourager, precious mom of two. i swear, i'd snuggle up to her kids (and freak the ever livin crap out of them, scarring them for life, so i won't) if i was close enough to them. she's seriously, simply the best.

raechel at finding my feet. she's one of the best things to have come from that whole internet debacle called "april." i'm blessed by her perseverance in life and also for the knack of finding treasures for next to nothing. she. is. an. inspiration.

so there you have it. i hope you'll play along. i enjoyed the activity!