I Am

I AM...

Simple. I like simple things. I like nights at home with the TV or a book, taking walks, entertaining myself, beautiful scenery and sometimes just being quiet.

Country. I feel more comfortable in a small town than a bustling metropolis, and love being with family and just doing nothing. I like pot luck dinners and old family recipes and I love accepting people just the way they are.

Casual. I am jeans and tank tops and summery skirts. I like my purse to match and could care less how much it costs. The better a bargain an item of clothing is, the more I enjoy wearing it, and I will tell anyone who comments on it just how little I actually paid. I like to get dressed up occasionally, but enjoy it for just that reason: it's rare. I think the perfect outfit is either a funny tee-shirt and jeans with a hooded jacket, or a 50's-60's inspired dress with a cute handbag and sandals. I definitely have a "look" but I have no idea what "look" it is.

Domestic. I'd rather have a family than a million-dollar career. I read relationship/seducing/cooking/parenting/cleaning/organizing/decorating books with a hunger I can't explain. I just always want to be better at it. I am endlessly happy just being a wife and mom.

Sarcastic. I love to laugh. I love people who make me laugh. Cutting wit and sly comments are the staples of my humor diet. Any joke that requires thought or brains to understand it, or a memory for movie quotes or song lyrics will be a winner with me. The quicker you are, the more amazed I am. I am blessed to have a few people in my life who constantly dissolve me into a puddle of laughter.

Verbose. I have a love affair with words. I relish the feeling of finding the perfect word to describe an emotion or a situation. I imagine it is akin to a musician finding the perfect note. Words are the melody of my existence. I often carry a dictionary with me, and study word books in the way an artist shops for paints and brushes. Words are my friends, and sometimes I have more fun with them than I do with people.

A Survivor. Often I will recount a story from my life to someone who doesn't know me, and they will say, "Wow. I can't believe you lived through that." But it's just one story... and I have a million more. I have had an exhausting life. I know there are many who have been through more or worse, and I never want to seem 'poor me'. I am rather thankful for all of the hardships and betrayals I have weathered. It made me who I am.... and at the end of the day, I like who I am. If I could talk to myself when I was young and say just one thing, it would be, "Don't be afraid. You can take much more than you think you can."