Leap Year Tag:

The 'A' Team tagged me in a blogging game. I tend to ignore these things, but as it comes from such a wonderful family, I shall comply.

THE RULES:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

I think I'm a fairly open person, so this is quite difficult. Most of my readers know most things about me and I've had trouble coming up with 7 things to say, but I'll do my best.

1. I love food. Okay, no surprise really, but I've begun cooking of late and I love that too. I'm getting fairly good at cooking veggie dishes (Tuscan Bean Stew, Vegetable Goulash, etc.) and I find chopping vegetables to be really stress-relieving. I now like to eat fennel and celeriac when cooked of course. Yummy. But onions still make me cry. And I hate that because I like how they taste when cooked.

2. When I was a kid my best friend Emelia and I had our own language. I suspect those around us could figure out what we were saying, it wasn't too clever. But we enjoyed it and still use it from time to time.

3. I can still remember songs I sang as a child in the Louisville Youth Choir. I'm talking notes, words, harmonies, basically everything from when I was about 8 years old. I think I've used up far too much of my brain with song lyrics. Emelia used to hear a song for the first time and look at me to see if I knew it too. Most often, I did.

4. I know far too little American history to be a historian. I'm acutally ashamed of it. My medieval European knowledge is adequate, but I know only the basics about the US. Maybe I should start reading history books of varying topics.

5. I can quote by heart from a part of Shakespeare's Macbeth because we had to memorize it in English class with Bryan at Brown. I can't actually remember which year, but I can remember the quote. I'm sure most Brownies can.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

6. Continuing with the theme set from Macbeth, I find cemeteries extremely comforting. I'm not a fan of death (who is really?), in fact it scares me sometimes. But I enjoy the peace and history of cemeteries, as well as the importance of family it signifies for me. I am on a quest to know more about my family and hope to continue my cousin Mel's work for the other sides of my family.

7. I have a secret desire to be a proper athlete. I was a dancer as a child and very good at it. But after one season on the bench in middle school not playing basketball, I gave up on my desire to compete and became an uber-fan (as you all clearly know). I've dabbled here in various activities and found myself running about 2 miles yesterday. Today, I cannot walk. I'm serious. Muscles I never knew I had are angry that I didn't know they existed. Though I'm in a lot of pain, it has occurred to me that it cannot hurt this badly again if I keep at it. So if I can move tomorrow, I'm gonna run. If I can't compete in a team I can surely compete with myself. And frankly, myself is my biggest competition in most things in my life. I'm always the only one holding me back. So bring it on self. Bring it on.

So I don't know enough other bloggers to ask anyone to do this, and I won't even tag them properly, but Erika, Aidan, Joe, Mars, Clare...feel free!

Love to all, and owww,
Elizabeth

P.S. 8. I actually hate email and much prefer real letters and cards. So send 'em people! I will happily send you something back. :)