7 Things I Love

I read on someone else’s blog that along with awarding 15 other bloggers the Stylish Blogger award I was given last week, I was also supposed to list 7 things about myself. Since today is Valentine’s day, I’ll tell you about 7 things I love.

1. I love MUSIC! Probably more than any other form of art, music impacts me deeply. I’ve been involved in learning and performing music since I was a young child. I’ve been in countless choirs of all types, I can play piano and clarinet (though I haven’t touched my clarinet since junior high) and perpetually intend to learn guitar. I’ve done lots of musical theater, and done the whole folsky-guitar-on-the-porch-with-other-musically-inclined-friends thing a bazillion times. Plus: KARAOKE. Ha. I’m really just a barely mediocre musician, but I sure do love it.

Girls Don’t Cry 12x18 Photograph by blueorder at Etsy

2. I love to dance. For me, dance is very connected to music. I’ve also been involved in various dance pursuits since childhood – lessons, dance teams, teaching, choreography. I have a hard time NOT moving if music is on, and if I go out with friends you’ll usually find me begging to hit a dance club. Even though I probably love music more than I love dance, I’m a better dancer than a musician. I can sense what music is going to do and my body interprets that. I love, love, love to dance. And if you are ever in my home I will force you to watch my college dance team routines on DVD.

Sunday Dance In The Park by silasstubbs at Etsy

3. I love Coca Cola. Classic. Not Diet, not Zero, not Cherry Coke (though it was a favorite in childhood and I enjoy it occasionally). Regular, ice-cold Coke in a can, please and thank you.

Recycled Soda Can Art by ideasthatbloom at Etsy

4. I love MTV’s skit show from the 90s, The State. A lot more people know about it now than they did back then, but still, finding people who have any idea what it is, is difficult. Some of my closest friends and I have spent HOURS watching the epidsodes again and again, and have never seemed to tire of bringing up old skits. A few of my favorite skits are: Manzelle and Boyotes, Pants, Origami, Porcupine Racetrack, Doug, The Pope’s Coming!, Blueberry Johnson and my very favorite, ever, Free Market Store. You’ll probably recognize some of the members of The State from TV, movies and stage projects, including Stella, Reno 911!, Ed, Wet Hot American Summer and tons more.

Redicuf---inglous cross stitch by vegkat at Etsy

5. I love the internet. Oh, internet. You make me so happy, yet you make my family so angry. I have a feeling many of you know what I’m talking about, so do I really need to go into detail? Note to self: Spend less time online. Even less. Less than that. Keep going.

 will you marry me the internet by willyoumarryme at Etsy

6. I love farms, ranches and the less-is-more, outdoors, natural way of life. I don’t live that sort of life at all, and who knows if I ever will. I was raised in a small city but had easy and frequent access and exposure to rural life, including farms, lakes, rivers, mountains, ranches, cows, horses, chickens and so on. I never wanted to be associated with those things growing up, but now that I live in the 3^rd largest city in the U.S., I’m very nostalgic about that other way of life. I tend to surround myself with images of natural settings, and things that remind me of that part of my life. Right next to my laptop at work is a photo of a country road next to a flat green field with round haybales spread out every 50 feet or so.

A KANSAS WHEAT FIELD by SteinhackerEditions at Etsy

7. I love social justice. The issues I’m most drawn to deal with racism, class/money/poverty and of course where those things overlap. Other issues that spark my passion are sexual abuse & trafficking and where politics/religion coincide and get mixed up. I can talk about this stuff all day.

vintage victory FIST rebel print by ExLibrisJournals at Etsy