Tuesday, October 28, 2008

More Memes...and behind!!! ;-)

I was tagged by Bobbi for this meme a week ago. I know...it's been a crazy week! Thank goodness she's a good friend and won't hang it over my head! It seems everyone has been tagged so I'll spare you!

7 unknown facts about me...

1) I love tea. Hot tea and iced tea. My favorite is "Constant Comment" by Bigelow and it is a black tea that is flavored with rind of oranges and sweet spice. This is a picture of me having tea with my tea set at Nana and Papa's house...tea and tea parties started early!

2) My Nana and Mom used to call me Gerry Giraffe when I was little. I was always tall and skinnier than a rail. At the time, I didn't think it was too funny. In the early 90's, Mom bought me this whimsical folk art giraffe to always remind me. It is a treasure to me now!
3) In 1970, when I was 12, I spent the month of July in Mexico with 9 other friends from school as an exchange student. We all stayed with host families. While there, we visited the anthropology museum, floating gardens, caves, and the pyramids. This is me (white pants and red shirt) coming down the pyramid. I'm not sure if it is the pyramid of the sun or moon. But I remember that the steps are huge and it is steep!
4) In the summer of 1974, when I was 16, a friend and I picked up two hitchhikers while we were on a family vacation in Bend, Oregon (hitchhiking back then was common), and were kidnapped. They drew a knife and pistol and told us to drive the car toward Paulina Lake which is located in the Deschutes National Forest. They had us drive off the road into the forest. We were gagged and tied to trees while they stole our wallets, money, and my mom's car. Long story short...a few hours later they came back (furious) for the key to the gas cap. When they took the car, the first time, they only took the ignition key. They kindly untied us for a bit because our hands were swollen from being tied so tightly. During this time, I asked if I could take a pill that was in my purse because I remembered my nail clippers were in there. They let me and while I took the Tylenol, I slipped my nail clippers down the back of my pants (un's) without them seeing. They tied and gagged us again and left. About an hour later, I got myself cut free and freed my friend and we ran to the road and sat in the bushes until someone drove down the road (that wasn't my Mom's car) and we flagged them for help. That person drove us to the State Police in Bend. They put out an APB (all points bulletin) in the seven western states and at 3 a.m. they were busted in a motel room in Portland, Oregon. They were arrested and charged with armed robbery, kidnapping, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle (unauthorized...STEALING is more like it! ~wink~). They were also busted for doing the same thing to an older couple that were tied up in their apartment and were hit over the head and knocked out, in California, while they ripped them off and stole their car. Do you think I've EVER picked up another hitchhiker?

5) I was introduced in the summer to my husband, by a mutual friend, when I was (14) and he had just graduated (17). I fell head over heels and it was love at first sight for both of us! We were married on my 19th birthday, May 13, 1977, on Friday the 13th at 7:00 p.m. Nope, not superstitious. I carried thirteen red roses in my bouquet. The 13th of May also falls on Mother's Day some years. We have been married for 31 years. Other than my two boys...Mark was the best gift I've ever received!!!

*Notice his jacket...5 minutes before we were to walk down the aisle...he put on his jacket and they forgot to alter the sleeve length...the sleeves were about 3" too short! Still makes me smile when I look at our pictures.




6) When we were first married and renting an old farm house, we were finally able to have some pets. So we bought two female Korat cats and named them Ebony and Amber. I didn't know about Korat's until my boss told me about their two cats and they were 22 and 20 years old. Mark and I bought them from the same lady in Woodburn, OR, 20+ years later. They are native to Thailand and are considered a symbol of good fortune. They are beautiful cats with a blue-gray coat with silver tips. They only have one coat and do not shed much hair. They have heart shaped faces and when they are little their eyes are amber and once they are a few years old they turn a beautiful and vivid peridot green. At night with a spotlight their eyes reflect green rather than the usual red that most cats do. They are very sweet-natured cats.

This is Ebony when she was a baby.

7) Twenty years ago, I got my business license and started my own medical transcription business. It was called Southwest Transcription Service. I started it so that I could still work for the doctors I worked for, but I could stay at home with my youngest while he was young. I stuck with it for about eight years.

Extra tidbit #8...my husband made me do it! I was a car thief!!! When I was 13, and my Mom was asleep, I took her keys and my little sister (10) and went for a joy ride in her Buick Skylark! The passing gear was very exciting! Thankfully, I did no harm and we are both still ALIVE!!!

Did you know Grace came to Oregon this past week? I was so fortunate to meet her and three of her very fun and dear friends this past Thursday. I drove about an hour to Hillsboro to meet her. Historic Hillsboro is a quaint little town that was founded in 1842. Being a native Oregonian, I have truly only been to Hillsboro once or twice in my life but never to old town. We met at Planet Bead and shopped, then the five of us had a delicious lunch and lots of laughter together at the Stratford House, a very L O N G photo shoot...thanks to me always closing my eyes~wink~, and then we all went to Craft Warehouse. We even went into a an old drugstore that had an old fashioned soda fountain and bar stools that was very cool. Believe me...Grace is just as sweet and down to earth as you can imagine she is! I was so excited and kind of nervous when I left home about meeting everyone, but as soon as we said hi...the nervousness was gone. It was like picking up where you left off with an old friend. It was such a pleasure and honor to meet 'AMAZING GRACE' and her sweet friends. I have always loved the name Grace and thought it was so special...there is a reason why her Mom named her that! I had the best time and will always cherish the afternoon we shared. The hardest part of our visit was how fast the time flew by! I've been fortunate to meet Bobbi and Grace and I have found that there is something very special about artists...we are all the same...honest...kind...kindred spirits! You'll have to watch her blog...I'll bet she'll post some great snaps of Oregon! She visited the Columbia River Gorge...Mt. Hood...and even went to the beach...and the weather has been BEAUTIFUL...all week! Anyway, it was such a pleasure and my honor to meet her and you would adore her too!!! Thank you Grace, Anne, Bobbie, and Sammie for sharing your time with me!

Wouldn't it be fun if we could all meet one day! ~Lisa ;-)

9 comments:

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Great stories. Its good to remember the good times and the bad so you can appreciate the good so much more.

Glad you got to meet your bead friends. Thanks to this internet we can have friends all over the world, but not much chance to meet. Lucky you!

beadbabe49 said...

You may be behind, but girl, when you get here you really deliver the goods!
WOW!
(We're going to have a lot to talk about the next time we get together!)

Cathie said...

How absolutely awesome - you and Grace got together. I LOVE the picture of the two of you - and indeed, you do look like kindred spirits. As for your meme, I'll save my comment on that for a personal e-mail.

*~tabby~* crooked heart art said...

hi lisa
how fantastic that you and grace we able to meet!!! says she with a little envy :)
interesting meme....very interesting
we have another thing in common-medical transcrition-VBG
big 'its cold out' hugs from the east coast

Timaree said...

Enjoyed your 7 + one! Lucky you getting to meet with some other beaders. Sounds like you had a really great day.

Timaree said...

Can I steal the poppy in your header? I just want to draw and paint it in my journal but if it turns out nice I'll probably post my page on my drawing blog so if you don't want me to I'll understand.
Timaree

GraceBeading said...

Great post Lisa, I enjoyed it immensely! And here I find another coincidence... you and my grandma share the same birthday. How cool is that? It's one of my favorite days of the year.

I posted photos and notes from my trip. I didn't post a photo of us though, my pictures were not very focused. I'm glad you got one!

Cathie said...

P.S. Did I tell you YOU ARE HOT!!!

Dot said...

Hi Lisa

Thanks for the wonderful comments you continue to leave on my blog. I always smile when I see a comment from you. Hope you are well and happy!

I am so pleased that you and Grace got together and LOVE the photo of the both of you. And you look very happy to be in each other's company (gorgeous women you!).

Found this post very interesting. Am so glad you ended up being OK after your terrifying experience when you were 16. You were SO brave! Goodness - what a terrible thing to have happened.

So glad you met your husband so early and have been happy together. Hope you have many (many) more years together.
Sending you lots of love

Dotxx