Meme - 8 Facts about THE Lady

The "one who cannot be named", tapped me. I thought it might be interesting to presume I am “the Lady”. So I also read up on Meme and this IS supposed to be some kind of art form . So, here as challenged, are eight facts about the Lady. (now you will have to wonder whether these facts are about THE Lady or her Alt (alter ego in this case).

WORDS

1. I belonged to a book club when I was four and wrote my first book when 14 (it was meticulously hand-printed on lined paper, bound between two pieces of silver, spray-painted thin boards of plywood and held together by my favourite turquiose blue kniting yarn (and now I am a dinky-di (authentic) international author (published by McGraw Hill). Last year on a trip home to my little (now six-foot tall) brother’s house, I found one of my favourite, childhood picture books, filled with amazing four-coloured plates of unique flora and fauna around the world. As I carefully opened the cover and began to turn the heavy pages, just the scent of the ink brought back memories of the many hours I spent devouring them. The images of animals and plants instantly reminded me of my child-like and naive determination to see every one of them.

• Here a fig tree with roots above the ground so large you can stand hidden with them (and I have).
• Here a temple on stilts in the water (where I walked).
• Sculpted formal gardens (where I sat smelling the sage, rosemary and thyme and made my own pen and ink drawings).
• A rubber tree scored with special marks to drip its white, viscuous liquid into a bucket (that I rubbed gently between my fingers).
• Oh yes, and the spider that trapped water around it’s abdomen and could last forever like that until an unsuspecting person or animal played with them to find, if bitten, they face eternity in under 45 minutes (they live not far from my garden now)

So many memories in the book and a life devoted to seeing each of these images for real. And I have you know. Travelled that is. The only one with a passport from a family that never travelled more than 71 (to where Grandma lived and university was) miles -- except for grave exceptions. And written and written and written.

Life Goals

2. I wanted to be a ballerina first, but at three was stricken by Scarlet Feaver and gave that up as I barely crawled unknowlingly from the brink of personal extinction. Next, I wanted to be a doctor, but was told by everyone I couldn’t be, because only men were doctors, so I decided I would be nothing and got married. Which as it turns out was almost the same thing. That ended (no kids) and my hope of true, deep, lasting, profound love ended too (Extra! Extra! Read all about it in a forthcoming blog segment here: “Mysteries of Attraction”). Alone, and having not worked in the real world, I took receptionists jobs hoping to be “discovered” and remarried to a kind, intelligent, man of faith who was thoughtful, very honest and had enough money to give me time to write, but that hasn’t happened either. (Although, in one year I must confess, I received proposals from seven very wonderful men, but declined them all – what a cheeky woman!) From receptionist, I was promoted to editorial assistant in a medical publishing company and was promoted again to be their promotions director (direct marketing when it was just mail) and realised that writing (even compelling commercial writing) was what I loved to do the most – it is almost as satisfying to me as that “s” word.

Motivators

3. I have five constant motivators in my life since I was about 16 and first wrote them down. They change priority as I slip through life but today are in this order:

A. To write.
B. To speak (public speaking and facilitation of workshops).
C. To travel (give me a ticket to some place new and I am there).
D. To share my joy (I have had so much I can dole it out by the buckets).
E. To make enough money (for my own needs and to have enough to share with those I love – I do not hoard money and intend to work until I drop dead at my keyboard.).


Strong & Solitary

4. I have never had anyone to actually lean on or depend upon. I took care of my family -- still help take care of my brother -- and have always been the strong, independent one, the glue, the peacemaker, the healer, the “bringer of Christmas”; and the one who is tireless in supporting those who are sad and lonely. Somehow giving keeps me from noticing that I still hope for someone to help me.


Blended Family

5. I live in a very large home with eight bedrooms and a lovely back yard – now with grass so lush from all the rains and the heat of the promised summer and I love pottering around pulling weeds and trying to make grapevines obey me. I have a wonderful family that lives with me. The Mom is my very bestest friend ever. And I have a few good friends, but none like Carla, who demonstrates unconditional love to me in the most humbling and constant manner I am ashamed to even write about it here. She has a supportive husband (Paul) and they have two boys. David “discovered” me and introduced me to the family and for that I will always be grateful. He was seven at the time and is now 13 (with a newly discovered moustache). Finally, Matthew who was 13 months old and is now a grown-up seven. He loves me with an innocence I had not expected but truly am amazed by (hope it lasts just a little longer). As a special kind of family we share everything -- plus the boys fix things, climb up on ladders and kill spiders for me anytime I need that done too.

Slick

6. I met my life mentor when I was about 30 years old and thought I knew it all. He calls me Slick – and only one other person in the world does. But Fred has helped me keep many things in perspective over the years and has believed in me when no one else has. I only wish he didn’t still live in California and I was so far away. You can read more about him in another forthcoming article on this blog called, of all things, “Slick.”

Geneology

7. In my geneology I am actually descended from people from Switzerland, who somehow travelled through England (my great grandmother served the Queen as an actual lady-in-waiting), some settled in the USA, and somehow through a series of adventures has me clearly in the family line of Wild Bill Cody! So you take your pick am I more like Buffalo Bill or a Lady in waiting…/me smiles.

Private

8. I rarely share personal things with anyone, well not really important things about myself because I feel like a little snail who has extended herself out of her shell once too often to be greeted by a salt shaker. (you would have to have snails in your garden to appreciate the metaphor).

This was difficult! (And BTW (by the way): this is just a new form of chain letter, you understand, but no money is involved, unless you want to send some to fund my writing, of course). I tend to obfuscate my actual identity in fluff (and probably still did more than I realise. But I have enough critics (the good kind) who will tell me if I did). So now it is over to eight others to take the challenge of the MEME (feel free to email me your reply, if you don’t have a blog site yet).

1. Valla
2. Rill
3. Juniper
4. Gorthaur
5. Rijani
6. Shane
7. Jip

8. Iago