January 26, 2012

I was tagged...

Someone who I admire and have LOADS of respect for tagged me in a blog game (btw, you should DEFINITELY check out her blog). I am to share 11 facts about myself and then answer the questions Ali asked me to answer.

Facts:
1. I grew up on a farm and wouldn't change that for a second. I am a farm girl through and through. In fact, part of me considered taking over the family farm before it was sold. My mom and dad bought the farm and built our house as I was turning 3. Here we are, the first summer in our new pad (I think - basing it on the fact that my sister isn't born yet and she was born in August).



2. I am the defacto oldest in my family. How does that happen? Well, my older sister was born with PKU (phenylketonuria) - a recessive genetic disorder that affects ones ability to digest/breakdown the amino acid (protein buildking block) phenylalanine. Untreated, this condition can lead to problems with brain development. Kerry wasn't diagnosed until she was 2 1/2 years old, and is severely developmentally delayed. She has spent most of her life in a group home, so I became the oldest in my family.

3. It took my 9 years to complete university. I enrolled at McMaster University in their physical education program in 1993. I switched majors 3 times (who can decide what to focus on??) and ended up graduating from the University of Toronto with a honours degree in modern European history. I then graduated from the University of Toronto with my Masters of Arts in Child Study and Education. You can't rush a good thing, right? ;)

4. I was constantly mistaken for a boy as a child, and I have a complex about it. When everyone called Ro a boy before her hair grew in, I inwardly freaked out. Guess it was our fault for calling her Rowyn, typically a boy's name. :)

5. My hubby was my first boyfriend at the ripe age of 17. After dating him for 3 months, I knew I was going to marry him (and yes, I told him. Who tells their boyfriend this? Was I looking for him to run away screaming?)

6. I played volleyball in high school (amongst other sports) and considered accepting a sports scholarship to play at university. I had an agent and everything. But there were two things that made me decide not to: being away from Ben, and the fact that I was uber competitive and didn't let God's light shine when I played ball. I didn't like who I became when I stepped onto the court. Regrets about this? No. Curious what it would have been like? Only a little. I lived vicariously through a younger cousin who played volleyball for U of T. I went to all her home games one year.

7. I struggle with body image. Do most women? Probably. I know I shouldn't, but I still do. It's not that I want to be a size 2 (I skipped this size, I seriously did. I went from a youth size 16 the spring of grade 6 to a women's size 5 the fall of grade 7). I just want to be the healthiest I can, and right now I am not in that zone at all. It's tricky with 2 young ones and a hubby who works a lot.

8. I am WAY more ignorant than I ever thought I was.

9. I'm a ESFJ. Ali, we are the same!

10. Reading is my escape. I l.o.v.e. to read. It brings me such pleasure. It energizes me. It challenges me. It distracts me. It can consume me. I am emotionally exhausted and spent after reading an excellent book (I just finished Still Alice - incredible read). I need to take some time off before starting my next one. Any good reads lately?

11. I have an eclectic sense of style, loving rustic, with clean, simple lines. No clutter please. I even like a touch of country (depending on the touch). You can check out some of my likes here.

Ali's Questions and My Responses:
1. What is your middle name?
My middle name is Stacy. Really, it is. Tamara Stacy. My parents had chosen the name Cassandra Joy, but upon meeting me, "decided I wasn't a Cassie". 

2. What is the best movie you've ever seen?
Hmmm, this one is difficult for me. I do have some favourites - Braveheart, Lord of the RIngs trilogy, Gladiator...

3. If you could see any band/artist in concert, who would you choose?
U2 - I got to see them once, and would see them again. They are epic, awesome. 

4. Dog or cat?
Well, I am a neat freak (this is where you gasp in shock, and say, "I had no idea".). Thanks for playing along and making me feel better about my inadequacies. Pets aren't on our horizon for that reason, plus we have 2 young kids, plus I get pretty angry thinking about the North American pet industry. Did you know that North Americans spend 3 BILLION dollars on their pets? That money would go a long way to provide clean drinking water... That being said, if our girls ask for a pet one day, and we decide to take the plunge, I think it will be DOG. Cats bother me. 

5. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
Oh boy. This is a spicy meatball. I would erase intolerance. Leads to too much crap, know what I mean?

6. What do you do to recharge?
Oh brother. Ali, what are you trying to do to me? I fail at this miserably. I love to blog and read so I guess I would say blog and read. I also love to run or go for a great walk. 

7. What would an ideal weekend look like for you?
This depends on my mood. Today, my response is this: waking up on my own accord, leisurely yummy breakfast, read something sometime, hang with my hubby and family, do something active, get out of the city...

8. What is one thing you wish you could blog about but you feel like you can't/shouldn't?
I blog about everything and hold nothing back. 

9. How many hours a week do you spend watching TV?
Maybe 2? Ben and I sometimes watch a movie on the weekend. I don't watch TV during the week - too much happening and I MUCH prefer to read. :)

10. If you could do anything with your life to make money, what would you choose?
This is a great question. To tell you the truth, I have never paused long enough to ask myself this question. Part of me has always wanted to run a bookstore, a cozy, comfy hole in the wall kind of store, in a place like Paris. *Sigh* But I think I might be doing it right now - hanging with my children, helping shape them and disciple them. Being a mom. 

11. What is your favourite smell?
I love the smell of baked goods and freshly cut grass. However, my smelling of baked goods leads to eating said goods, and that can be a little dangerous for me.

Well, now you all know me a little better. It was fun!

Ta-ta for now,
T


1 comment:

Ali Raney said...

Awesome! Love learning more about you Tammy. And thanks for your email. Really thankful for you this week!