25 Random Things about Me

This meme comes via MiniKat. The rules are: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to publish a blog post with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose up to 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

Here are my 25 random things:

1. My parents lived in Fairbanks Alaska when I was born, but since there was no hospital, my mother had to go stay in Seattle until my birth. I was almost an Alaskan.

2. I was a late life surprise, so the year I was born, my mother also became a grandmother.

3. My mother learned to knit from the Red Cross as part of the war effort – the first world war! She taught two Sharon Campbells to knit, me and my step daughter, Sharon Campbell.

4. My family is long lived. I have a 97 year-old-uncle and a 102 year-old aunt. Frankly that scares me.

5. My grandmother was a camp cook in the Yukon gold rush and so hiked the Chilcoot Trail. The gold bracelet I wear was made from a single nugget. My mother wore it until I was in high school, then she gave it to me. It’s so tight that I can’t get it off my wrist. It bleeps in security scanners so I’m always wanded as a potential terrorist.

6. My father built our house in East San Diego County out of recycled lumber. For the first year, we had no running water. We had to take baths in a galvanized tub in the kitchen and use an outhouse.

7. I had to walk a mile to the school bus, uphill both ways. Okay – kidding, just one way.

8. My father’s hobbies were working in his huge garden and raising honey bees. My mother kept chickens and goats. We ate what we grew and it was all organic. We didn’t eat goats, just goats milk.

9. My mother played piano in church but send me to accordion lessons. I can play Beer Barrel Polka and Lady of Spain I Adore Thee….

10. I lived in the Philippines for two years and my oldest son was born there.

11. He graduated from high school the same year I graduated from college.

12. I fidget.

13. I weigh what I weighed in high school. Then I was the fat kid, now people tell me I’m thin. Sadly I’m stuck with the image of the former.

14. I like salty foods. I don’t like chocolate. Our fridge if full of different kinds of pickles.

15. I like strong dark-roast coffee and I like beer, especially India Pale Ale.

16. My mother and grandmother were cooks. It’s not hereditary.

17. My grandmother taught me to make pie crust. I can’t cook but I can crust just about anything.

18. I can’t bear to knit only one project at a time, ditto anything else.

19. I decided to learn to weave because my mother wanted to but couldn’t afford a loom. I now have three floor looms.

20. I am a hand spinner and start every morning at the spinning wheel with a cup of coffee, see #15.

21. The hardest thing I have ever been though is when my daughter lost her baby.

22. My most favorite woman on this planet is my daughter. She lights up my life every day.

23. I walk, knit and talk fast, but I drive slow. Okay, I drive fast, kinda.

24. I love to read and just wish I could read faster.

25. I was a white blonde until high school. I once met a girl who looked like me and my feelings were hurt because she didn’t talk to me. Mother explained that she was a Mexican and an albino. I think of her when I hear Johnny Winters.

I'd like to hear from from some folks but I'm not going to tag 25 - that's the Facebook version of this Meme: Robin, Barb, Vickie, Mim and Becky. If you read this and I didn't specifically tag you, I'd still like to see your list of 25 random things and I hope you'll post a list. I've really enjoyed reading the lists on Facebook. Even my SIL posted one. Please play - it's fun to read.