Ann Miller

Living a dream under the blue skies of Texas.

Let's see, about me? Maybe I should take a cue from other bloggers and try to come up with 100 things about me? Hmmm..this may take awhile.

1) I was born in Illinois a verrrrrrrry long time ago. (Not in a small log cabin.) 10:56 on 10/4/56

2) I just recently moved to Texas!

3) My best friend-Heidi is a person that I met online close to ten years ago.

4) Heidi lives in Florida and we meet at least once a year for the annual Flo Ho Fest.

5) I just started knitting again a few years ago to relieve stress.

6) I learned to knit when I was in the third grade, my first project was a headband.

7) My kids think knitting makes me an old lady..do I care what they think?

8) I just started a new job.

9) I decided to go back to school in my 40's to complete my education.

10) In December 2005, I finally finished my bachelor's degree in Digital Communications/Marketing.

11) Life is way too short to be taken too seriously.

12) Sometimes I care too much.

13) I am very generous with my time and my resources.

14) There used to be days when I want to run away from home. (I finally did that!)

15) One day I hope to have a red mustang convertible.

16) I enjoy writing erotica---shocking isn't it? :o)

17) I have made many great friends online.

18) I am a good listener.

19) I love to have fun.

20) I have a 16 year old inside of me that loves to come out now and then to have fun.

21) I want my next job to be a fun job. (I found it!)

22) When I was 16 I had a fun job at an amusement park for two summers.

23) The people I work with are fun, crazy, talented, creative and simply amazing!

24) My boss lives in Texas and some of my best trips have been to visit her. (So much so that I finally moved here.)

25) The Stockyards in Fort Worth are one of my favorite places on earth.

26) Fall is my favorite season, I hate extreme hot or cold weather.

27) I wish I was thinner.

28) I enjoy walking when weather permits at a local prairie.

29) I am not very tall 5'3".

30) I love to laugh.

31) I enjoy a challenge.

32) Reading used to be my passion--now I try to find time to read now and then.

33) My favorite part of my job is working with students.

34) I enjoy teaching and training.

35) I am shy--ok, maybe not so much anymore.

36) I used to be afraid to stand up and talk in front of people.

37) I love pedicures.

38) I love being a mom.

39) I love it that my kids are moving on with their lives at school and beyond.

40) I like the empty nest syndrome--my life did not end when both of my daughters went to college.

41) I love to go out to eat.

42) I love the beach.

43) I have now seen both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and beaches.

44) I love to travel.

45) My birthstone is Opal and I have a growing collection of opal jewelry.

46) I prefer silver to gold.

47) Friends and friendship are very important to me.

48) I am loyal.

49) I am a responsible adult--mostly, probably too much.

50) I like to think of myself as 50+ and fabulous!

51) I like to flirt.

52) I can be outrageous, but not often enough!

53) Special friends make me smile...

54) I am a hugger, I would much rather hug a person than shake their germ infested hand.

55) I love scenic vistas.

56) I enjoy photography.

57) I like all sorts of music, oldies, country, stuff that my kids like to listen to.

58) I love concerts, two of the most memorable, James Taylor with my daughter Shelly, and Tim McGraw with my daughter LeighAnna. This summer my kids and I did two 80's concerts featuring Eddie Money, Rick Springfield and Loverboy and my favorite concert ever Journey and Def Leppard with two of my daughters' friends.

59) I love to shop.

60) I love bookstores and could spend hours wandering around inside of one.

61) I love walking in the rain in a summer shower.

62) I don't drink much, maybe a few times a year at the Flo Ho fest--or a single drink at dinner. (That seems to have changed a bit since moving to Texas--lots of Friday nights spent sipping margaritas on a patio)

63) I love to dance...and sing...and shake what my momma gave me.

64) I hate spiders with a passion...

65) I love the zoo....

66) I am still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up--if I ever do-not.

67) I love to cuddle and snuggle---and touch.

68) I wear my heart on my sleeve and am hurt easily.

69) I take things way too personally at times.

70) Whatever seems to be the word I use these days to deal with stress and tension--it works great. (Since my trip to Ireland I seem to be saying "feck" these days.)

71) I cry easily--Hallmark commercials, the Star Spangled Banner and the flag.

72) I am patriotic.

73) I am a democrat---I DID NOT vote for that asshole.

74) I am an overachiever.

75) I have a strong work ethic.

76) I like to try new things.

77) I don't like to eat "green stuff". Salad is ok, green beans, but no broccoli and that sort of green stuff.

78) I enjoy quotes.

79) I am addicted to a few vices, namely the web.

80) I would love to be worshipped and adored...taking applications.

81) I don't plan to ever retire...people who retire tend to fall apart.

82) I am enjoying life now, not waiting until I am old.

83) I am very proud of my daughters and the people they have become.

84) I am a middle child.

85) I am an iced tea drinker. I used to be addicted to Pepsi..I also have a few diet pops that I like.

86) I love to read bodice rippers.

87) I have been to a nude beach---nude.

88) I love trips to the day spa and massages.

89) One of the biggest influences in my life is my good friend Michael. He has helped me to be more tolerant, more understanding, and inspires me everyday by the person that he is.

90) I have a plan for my future....Hopefully there will only be small bumps and no detours on my way there...

91) I have fallen in love, and been loved deeply...and had my heart broken.

92) "Is this as good as it gets?" Just isn't good enough anymore...

93) I love to torture newbies in chat.

94) I love driving along the coast in a convertible with the top down--on the car silly!

95) I love to Google!

96) I am a dog person, but I find that I like a few cats.

97) I have a huge candy jar on my desk.

98) I would do anything for a friend.

99) My life is changing-I'm still a work in progress.

100) I am not ready to be old...I want to enjoy life for as long as I can..and the adventure that it brings.

2007 The Year of Choices
I present the 2007 things I want to do..I hope to do..I plan to do..I might do...in no particular order, and they may take me more than a year to accomplish, some may never be accomplished and there are more than likely things not on this list that I will do.

1) I want to continue my charity crafting work and match my goal of 2006 of 25 Things for Charity. For me it's about just knitting and quilting to relax, enjoying the craft.

2) I want to knit myself a sweater. I have the yarn, I have the needles, I just need to re-measure myself.

3) I hope to travel to new places this year that I haven't been before like, Reno, Nevada-El Reno, Oklahoma-Graham, North Carolina-Claremont, New Hampshire-Boston, Massachusetts-Orangevale, California-Norwich, New York, New York City, New York and Atlanta, Georgia. They sound like interesting places to me. Great people there too I hear.

4) I am going to do a better job of calling my mom, visiting my mom, sending cards and flowers to her this year. I saw her yesterday and I know that even though I am 50 years old she is worried about me--last year I saw her maybe a total of three times, that's just not acceptable. I told her that I am ok, that she doesn't need to worry...she said you can tell me that, that doesn't mean I am going to stop worrying.

5) I want to buy a new car..something that doesn't cost me a fortune to fill up with gas. I want to be able to decide if I am going somewhere not based on if I have enough money to feed the machine but if I want to go.

6) I am going to try to be more spontaneous and go with the flow when friends call with invitations and options.

7) I am going to pick up the phone and call friends just to check in to make sure they are ok--or for no reason at all.

8) I am going to learn more about 52 new things. I have learned so much by being part of the online knitting blogging community. There are blogs out there about everything. Each week I am going to find a topic that interests me and find a new blog to add to my Bloglines. At the end of the year I will be a little bit smarter about 52 different topics.

9) I am going to lose the last 8 1/2 pounds to get to my goal weight before March 1. I want to have a few pounds in reserve so I can go to Ireland and have the time of my life and not worry about the calories or numbers on the scale.

10) I am going to learn to speak Irish before my trip---that made me laugh as I typed it..I was just checking to see if you were paying attention here. :o) I think I have the blarney down already.

11) I am going to write. Journals, blogs, short stories...maybe even a novel. I am not setting any limits here...I think the online fiction writing class that I begin in a few weeks will help me get to this goal. I have no clue if what I write will be anything that can be published, but if I don't try, how will I ever know?

12) I am going to work on becoming a better photographer..at work, taking photos of knitting stuff..just in general. I have always enjoyed photography--I am going to focus on taking more photos, because in order to get a few good photos..you need to take lots and lots of photos.

13)I want to meet at least five of the bloggers from this online community before the end of 2007. I am not sure how I will accomplish that goal yet...but tossing it out there, so be very afraid..I may be appearing on your doorstep.

14) I am going to try to attend the Late Night Knit at the LYS. I am so inspired by the things that I see all of you working on, meeting some other knitters face-to-face and looking at their projects might be fun. I will go at least once to see if it's for me. They also have a charity knitting meeting group one Sunday a month..why not try that too? I would also like to take a class every other month or so to learn something new, maybe even crochet?

15) I want to belly dance more. Driving to Dayton twice a week is not in the cards, but there is a place closer to home that offers lessons one night a week. If my Tuesday night web design class is cancelled I am going to sign up.

16) I want to step outside of my routine at the gym..it's getting boring and I find that I have to force myself to go quite a bit these days. I am going to try to make it to at least the Saturday aerobics class. Maybe a Monday night class if I am not teaching. It kicks my butt and that means I am working out more..that should help with reaching the weight loss goal.

17) I need to get my eyes checked and stop being in denial about needing bifocals..it will be nice to read a map and be able to thread a needle on the first try instead of the tenth attempt.

18) I want to laugh more..live more..love more, appreciate more and learn to enjoy my life, the paths that I choose.

19) I want to be able to say no more...to not just go with the flow to make everyone else around me happy.

20) I want to do one thing every day that scares me...

Whew..it feels good to get all of that out there. I am going to print out the list..tape it in my journal and when 2007 comes to an end I can see how many things I can mark off the list..how many need to go onto the list for 2008, and how many things aren't nearly important in a few months as they seem to be today.