6 Random Facts

I was over here at my friend Sara's blog and am playing along:

1.) As a young girl, I often thought about getting married and having children. I grew jaded and bought into the American "dream" of money and a career. I found the singles life saping and discouraging and, frankly, thought I'd never marry. I wanted to get a PhD and get paid lots of money to read books and talk and write about them. I thought I might find some ground-breaking topic concerning women and history.

2.) When my husband and I were first married, we were in a dinner club with two other couples, all of us living "in town" Atlanta. We'd go out once a month, either to a restaurant or to a gourmet meal cooked at home. I will never forget the fennel-ladened perfume of a seafood stew made by friend Mary. She served it with pureed, roasted red peppers.

3.) This reminds me of all the lovely foodie movies I've seen, like Babette's Feast. Like Sara, I love movies; and, when I lived in Madrid, it was about exploring cuisine and, oddly, seeing lots of movies.

4.) Oh, and jazz. I love jazz and think I will put some on now to get us going this very chilly morning. I saw Miles Davis in Madrid. And, people think of Paris and jazz cafes, but they were all over Madrid, at least in the late 80's, when I lived there.

5.) By far, the best thing to happen to me was to meet my husband, settle down and have children. Becoming a mother was like fireworks for me. I had travelled alot, as a youth and young adult (Mexico, Europe, South and Central America, many US cities...), but the journey of family life has, beyond my wildest imaginings, been the most profoundly beautiful journey.

6.) Being a Catholic has helped me overcome, in part, my natural tendency to ingratitude. I think we live in an ungrateful culture. If everyone could feel the depth of God's sacrifice for humanity, there would be world peace. As a young "ivy-leaguer," I was a "bleeding heart liberal," meaning I pined for the suffering in the world and was young enough to think I might just stop it all, on my own, or, with a little help from my friends.

Thanks for this exercise, as 1.) I want to read and watch "the ultimate gift," and 2.) you blogging moms show my tired bones that it is time to perk up and save the world, one day at a time!