Art from 3

Where Did We Go?

I used to see this blog and smile
It was good and useful for a while

Something must have happened here
What is here for us to fear?

Should we start it up again
Or let it get swept by the wind

Away?

Top 10 Most Disgusting Foods

Let's get another topic going, eh? How about this one?

One by 3

This is one I already have electronically, I think. If I can figure out how to post it, you'll see it in the comments. LOL

Old doodles by Seven

I found some old doodles... Since lots of pictures on one webpage tends to make it load longer, I'm putting them after the jump break (so the main page of the blog doesn't take forever to load).

3 Says...

12 pounds down, 38 to go! I went to the doctor today and I now weigh 12 pounds less than the last visit a few weeks ago. Yay!!

I'm on a new regimine... excercise and eating right... go figure! It seems to be working.

Four Just sat down with a bunch of cheese.....

:D  Funny enough, I wasn't even thinking about finally putting my opinion out here when I sliced up many slices of the good orange stuff and came and sat down in my chair.  Then proceeded to eat it while catching up on everyone's posts!

I love, love, love cheese!!!!  I can't live without it.  It is probably my favorite food.  I eat it probably every day.  If not every, five out of seven days.  I take sliced cheese with me to work.  I pull out three slices (I have three varieties) and cut them into nines.  Then I count out 27 crackers and that is my meal at work.  There are only a few types that I don't like.  American and Colby.  Well, colby just doesn't have much flavor to me, so it's a little boring..  Cheddar is my staple, but I think that's just because it's the easiest to get from the supermarket. (and cheapest)  I do like other varieties too, but it isn't always in the budget.  :(

Anyway, four and cheese are friends!

Ok..

Time for a new topic, unless four has something to add?

Cheesy Seven

I'm not as huge of a cheese fan as, say, the rest of my siblings, but I don't dislike it. Unless it's those fancy ones. We had to eat a whole bunch of kinds of cheese in a home ec class... only one wasn't totally disgusting. I don't remember which one it was.
Eh, I'm not a cheese connoisseur, so I don't really have a clue as to what I'm talking about, aside from cheddar. The sharper, the better.
Whatever it is on pizza is fine.
I really hate that nacho cheese sauce. And the cheese sauce in macaroni & cheese boxes. Guh-ross.

I guess in general, sometimes I'm good with cheese and sometimes I'm not. Not all cheese flavorings are created equal. For some things, cheese is a highly beneficial addition; for others, it is just too much for that particular food.
I think I like cheese the least of us four here on this blog.

Three's Cheese

Yummmmmm! I LOVE cheese. I think cheese is a wonder food. It is terribly sad that it is so fattening because it is glorious. Yes, glorious!

There is nothing like a good bleu cheese dressing... nothing like a good baked brie... nothing like Meunster or colby-jack on crackers with sausage. Too good.

Also, cheese is one of the main ingredients in my very favorite food, lasagna. Alas... I must change my cheese consumption to special occasions, as eating it as much as I want to would defeat my current weight loss goal.

But, in response to One's post... again I say: Yummmmmmm!

One Has a New Cheese Theory

My theory is that supertasters like cheese because it coats the tongue with (luscious) fat thus blocking some of the receptors and lessening the full bitter effects of certain foods. Hence, the empowering effects of a good Hollandaise sauce on asparagus, for example. (I'm not sure if this is a good example, not having tested this particular example per se.)

This theory is based solely on the two supertasters closest to me who both love cheese but find many other foods to be disagreeable.

Any thoughts?

Ones Failed Attempt..

Is it time for a new topic? The bros were hard to write about because they aren't on here to defend themselves. ;-) So I tried to pick something that wasn't a big deal.

Oh, I guess I could analyze Three and Fours take on the Bros... Hmmm. Nope. It's not there. I'm too scared. Speaking for myself, it somehow feels like relationships with the bros are a rare and blessed commodity that is hard to talk about. And some interactions have been strange and that is hard to talk about too. SO.

Do you concur? Shall we move on? Or is there more you all want to expound upon?

Bros by One

Our shortest brother is 6'1" which is awesome. Not sure how tall Six is these days (taller than 6'1" but he has a lot of presence so I'm foggy on the actual height) but Five is 6'4". I love having a bunch of tall ass brothers. Put them together with Dad (6'3") and my husband (6'1") and you've got a gaggle of tall ass men standing around posturing. Well actually only one (Six) of them would be posturing and another would posture (Five) when provoked. Actually, Dad might get in on it too if it went on for a period of time. Two would laugh at the others posturing. My hubby postures for me in private which works out just fine for me.

It was hilarious to me and unexpected when I brought my husband (to be at the time) to meet the family and the guys were all totally posturing. Evidently they were impressed by his broad shoulders and had to take his measure. So they started passing around the hot sauce with the tacos. They were sprinkling little drops of the hottest sauce on their tacos. Then P took the bottle and completely doused his taco with a thick stream and ate it calmly without a flinch. OMG. It was so funny. Fives' eyes bulged out and he got all worked up and had to try it too. Then Dad tried and had to leave the table to cry. Oh yes. Brilliant. And P earned some respect that day. Isn't it so much easier for guys? Down the hot sauce and you're in.

Seven on Two, Five, and Six

If you, random reader, have wondered why no one claims to be Two, Five, or Six, that is because they are our brothers. Yes, they exist. No, they are not aware of this blog.

I'm told that Two and I are extremely similar. I don't know him very well, however. I'm sure Four would be very capable of enlightening us... hint hint.

Five is logical and intellectual. He can explain things to you so that you understand. Or, at least I always seem to get it when he explains something to me.

Six is super fun and funny. He seems to get along with everybody.

I think we got the coolest brothers... but I'm definitely biased.

Three is Barefoot

I am currently barefoot. I felt obliged to point that out, since we desperately needed a new topic and that seemed like a sensible one to follow up on general depression. Feet are funny. Small feet. Fat feet. Big feet. Flat feet.

I especially like baby toes. Alaina's are like little sausages. Super cute!

I really don't like looking at adult feet much, unless the feet are really clean and the nails reasonably short. NOT a fan of long, unkempt toenails.

I think I have a foot-a-phobia related to adults or large children putting their feel close to my face. It is extremely disconcerting to me, in fact one of the things that bothers me the very most. Wierd, huh? But there it is. I confess it. I'm foot-a-phobic.

Seven is also depressed?

(But not because of postpardem-ness, more along the lines of "anxiety disorder")
Geez, what's with all four of us having crappy days? I had a sucky week starting on Sunday. I'll just call it "Attack of the inferiority complex". So, uh, if anybody was somehow psychically picking up on it, soz about that.

I'm eating one of your popsicles, Four...
Oh hahaha... Spellcheck thinks that "popsicles" should be Pericles. Sorry, nope, not eating philosophers...

Three is Depressed

I went to the doctor yesterday and it turns out that I have postpardem depression again. Whoopie! *sarcasm* So, I've started taking Zoloft again. It did really help me out when I went through this with Faith. It seems more severe this time, but that's probably because I'm going through it right now and don't have clear memories of 7+ years ago.

Also I've decided to get an IUD, in the hopes that it will spur my love life into new heights (actually any heights would be appreciated...lol).

So, hopefully not too many strangers are viewing our blog at this point, but if they are truly strangers there's no reason for me to be concerned or embarrassed in any degree.

Here's a poem that expresses just how much I really care about other people's opinions right now:

I do
Not consider
Your ideas
About me
To be
Worth my
Time to
Worry about
I have
Plenty of
My own
Things to
Obsess about
Take a
Long hike
And fix
Your own
Life's problems

There. That was satisfying, although it doesn't really apply to anyone, since noone is really judging me. Well, just in case. There it is. LOL

Humour of Seven?

Humorous is a difficult concept to define...

I tend to find ironic things amusing.. also sarcasm when it's not meant to attack someone... Uhh... When something is altered slightly aside from the norm, just so much that it's hilarious to think of the result? I doubt that makes sense. >_<
Ummmm. Stupidity? Some types of cheesiness? (Some types of cheesiness - such as that Batman movie from the 60's - are extremely funny to me. But some are just really bad. Like, most television ads.)
I don't really know. Specific things?
Lolcats...

Uhh... Homestar Runner...

Ummmm I can't think of anything else right now.

One is in a sour mood today.

I think it's funny when people say and do things, especially accidentally, that create moments in life that are unusual. I like it when people can laugh at themselves and their craziness. And I love it when the humor can bring something positive out of a bad moment.

It's less funny to me when the humor is based on making fun of someone who takes themselves too seriously, as I have a high amount of compassion for those people. ;-) I have seen too many needed changes sabotaged and sidetracked by the people sitting on the side mocking. It's a form of control that doesn't hold the user up to any accountability. Probably they are nervous and scared by change so they use humor to diffuse it. Some things just aren't funny, no matter how much you want them to be.

I find certain people especially funny. For example, Otis makes me laugh all the time. He is hilarious. And the older he gets, the funnier he can be sometimes. Kids are funny because they are discovering the bizarre things about life that adults pretend are normal.

One is in an angry foul mood today. Is it me or is it you? I do have several good reasons for it, so maybe it's me.

Four finds many many things funny!

Let's see, I may have to post several things as I think of them!

The perfect one two start with.  I love listening to someone ask for an explaination of things until the explainer gets tired of explaining (and I can hear it in his voice).  Then I wait for a minute (acting like I hadn't heard the conversation) and ask the same question.  :D  I can tell those who are on the same page as me because they get the joke.  Although even if they don't it's still funny to see the reaction!

Animals are funny!  Especially cats!  There is a real reason for the whole "scaredy cat" thing.  When I used to see Eustace stalking onto the kitchen already on alert, ears pricked the whole schabang, I would reach out and hit the washer, and he would jump!!  It was so funny...  (Don't hate me 7!!!!)

That's all I can think of for now, I'm pretty sure I'll have more later, though.

Three's House

For years I've thought of having a house that was built into a hillside or mountain that has a regular sized house that you can see from the front, sides, etc. but that has a secret door inside that hides an elevator that descends into a giant mansion underground.

The mansion is built around a central open space, that is an indoor conservatory/park. It has a waterfall, lots of green plants, grass and trees. The water collects into a small pond, which feeds a couple of streams that course throughout the house, covered with clear flooring in the places where people walk. The streams are filtered in key places so they don't get cruddy. There are 3 floors surrounding the conservatory, with rooms that face it, some with balconies and some with windows. The roof of the conservatory is a glass (or transparent aluminum...) dome, the panels are shaped like a giant flower, the center circle is a stained glass design which also is the center of the flower.

Standing on the conservatory floor you will see four doors. One of the doors leads to a swimming pool/hot tub room with large dressing rooms for men/women including showers and toilets. Another door leads to a training room with weights surrounded by a small track (1/4 mile) made from recycled tires. There is a short hall connecting the dressing rooms shared between the pool room and the training room. The fourth door leads to a long, wide hall that has sculptures, paintings, live art and several other doors. There is a kitchen, dining room, children's play room, and a door that leads to a winding stair to the surface garden. There is a long slide carved from the rock and polished right next to the stair so people can slide down the 3 floors if they choose.

In the two levels between the surface and the conservatory floor are bedrooms, libraries, offices, living areas. Some of the bedrooms have balconies overlooking the conservatory. The largest living room has the largest balcony overlook. All areas are pet friendly and wheelchair accessible. The guest bedrooms are decorated on themes (like favorite books, art, poets, songs, etc.). The family bedrooms are decorated as the members wish.

The top house is a 5 bedroom 3 bath house with a large garage. It is backed by a steep hill/mountain, surrounded on the other sides with trees, a large lawn and flower and vegetable garden. There is a field for the milk cows, a pen with pigs, a coop for chickens and a couple of horses for riding around the rest of the extensive property.

The power for both houses comes from renewable energy, solar panels on the house above ground, a generator hooked to the waterfall, several wind mills on the hills above the beach.

This house is located half a mile to a mile from the ocean, but high above the surf. One of the doors from the second floor down in the house has a walkway that leads to a path to the beach. The path itself winds up and around above ground to the house, perfect for riding a horse or taking one of the 4 wheelers down.

I could write more, but I think this'll do for now. It was a pleasant flight of fancy.

Seven's dream mansion features

Uh, things it must have...

It must be designed by me. Not some other person.
There will be tunnels, climbing structures, and the like built in to most of the house, for cats. There must be multiple cats living in/around the home. (Though there will be a part of the house in which no cats will be allowed, so that people with cat allergies can visit without being sick.)
There has to be somewhere to swim... preferably a heated swimming pool.
There will be secret passageways & hidden rooms that only me and a select few will know about.
It will be in a location in which it is not too sunny, hot or humid.
There might be a tower designed especially for children to explore and do their imaginary playing in.
There ought to be tree houses.
If technology improves quickly enough, there will be a holodeck.
There will be a studio... or multiple studios: a music studio, an art studio, and a crafts/sewing studio.
There may be an underground lair somewhere.
There will be a small pond with those fish, where you stick your feet in and they eat the dead skin off of you.

Four Needs a wall of fish

This was kind of a difficult one for me, as don't often think about "my dream house".....  :D  However, I did remember while talking to three the thing that is super important to me.  I must have a wall of fish.  The wall is the tank perhaps with an arch to walk under and see the fish from both sides.  And while I'm at it, I think a pool right above the tank would be awesome!  So that some natural light can filter down to the fish and some light from underneath can filter up to the pool...  I think I'd like a room for sewing and room with books and lots of comfortable seating!  It would be pretty cool to have a maze room.  One that could be shifted periodically and could be helped along by puzzles or logic.  :D  How cool would that be?  This may sound silly, but I'd really like to have a garage!  I know that's simple, but 2 + years of baby birds and berries have given me a constantly dirty car.  I would also like extensive grounds.  Space for sports courts and a bit of a forest to walk through, also I think a stream.  Sounds good so far, huh?

One Dreams Big

My dream mansion would be built to look unassuming on the street but open up to a glorious ocean view at the back. I like homes that are built with an inner court yard and that have big panels or sliding glass doors that can open up to the courtyard. Mine courtyard shall have a beautiful garden with trees of fruits and water fountains, perhaps a lappool surrounded by beautiful foliage and statuary. It will be in a warm, sunny climate.

The mansion would be built with four connecting wings in a square shape with the courtyard, with the front facade completely hiding all that from the front. The back side of the square would have an arch leading out to a patio with an outdoor kitchen, beautiful water views and perhaps an infinity swimming pool. All the rooms at the back of the square would have big glass windows and balconies. Included on the property would be a garden and greenhouse like those in the Tale of Peter Rabbit, an orchard, and a duckpond. There will be a grandmothers garden up on a hill surrounded by a white picket fence that would include a Magnolia Tree and a goldfish/Koi pond. There will be peacocks roaming freely around the property.

My dream mansion would come with a cook and housekeeper, as well as several gardeners and maids. I wouldn't like to live in such a huge house with just our small family, so there would be a guest wing and perhaps even a guest house on the property, down a path from the back patio, also overlooking the ocean. The inside of the house will be decorated simply and beautifully, displaying a collection of art created by women. Lots of natural woods, white linens, soft carpets, comfortable beds and beautiful views. The bathrooms would be stone and wood, with a spa feel and clawfoot bathtubs. I would like the house to be as space efficient as possible. For example, a wall of tube bedrooms, built up into the wall like in a gnome home. There would be just enough room in each tube for a mattress, shelves, suitcase and wall lamp. The walls at front and back would be made of reversible frosting glass, so that they can be made clear or opaque at the push of a button, controlled from inside. (Just some interesting architectural features like that.)

The entire property would be fueled by solar panels, also located on the property and everything would run as eco-friendly and off grid as possible. And there would be a second greenhouse that is a full hydroponic system, with big round tanks of fish that feeds the plants which in turn filter the water for the fish.

Four saysTrekkie not Trecker

I am a fan!  I think I've seen all of the Original Series, The Next Generation and Voyager.  I've seen some of the Deep Space Nine and maybe one of Enterprise.

I think my favorite is the Next Generation, although rewatching them as an adult, it's a little different then when we were kids.  One of my favorite StarTrek moments is when, on a break from college, me, one and two watched an episode of Deep Space Nine featuring Quark and his brother returning home and interacting with their mom.  It was pretty awesome  We laughed and laughed and laughed at all of the Ferengi humor.

I absolutely loved the newest movie!  I enjoyed it through and through (and not only because they had so many actors that i love!)

There are 4 lights

I like all of the Star Treks, even the first few of Enterprise. Alisha and I were going to go to a Star Trek convention to meet Chikotae (sp?) but that didn't end up working out. I LOVE Voyager. The Next Generation is great too, Seven of Nine is one of my favorite characters.

I also think Picard is hot, not because he is bald though, I think it may be his commanding but fair and compassionate personality in the show. I liked that he was confident in himself. One of my favorite lines is when that woman in one of the movies said "I wonder if you are aware of the trust you engender, Jean Luc."

My husband thinks I'm a little wierd because of my Trek knowledge. Ah well, we can't all be enlightened.

My supervisor, a licensed clinical social worker, told me about a client he had that one day in his mid 20's woke up as a Borg. He was serving in the Air Force in Britain and heard the borg mother calling him to Eugene (his home town), so he drove his truck into the British Channel. He felt perfectly safe because he had deposited nano probes into the dashboard and since he was cibernetic he would be fine. Apparently in his reality, Eugene and south was Borg territory, north of Eugene was human. He told my supervisor that he would be assimilated. I guess if you have the genes to go crazy, a Borg reality would be the one to cling to... they are kinda unstoppable... unless you are Locutus.

One's Star Trek Confessions

#1: I love bald men. Go figure. Picard is one of my Star Trek favs.
#2: Captain Kirk has always reminded me of Dad, even into old age. They must share some genetic material.
#3: I'm not a huge fan of the original Star Trek series. I love the movies though.
#4: My call sign here at home is Captain Janeway.
#5: The new Star Trek movie is in my top 10 favorite movies of all time.
#6: I would like to learn Klingon, dress up, and go to a convention sometime.
#7: Tasha Yar is annoying.
#8: Leonard Nemoy is the ultimate Star Trek actor.
#9: The character I would most like to see more of is the biologist/whale expert woman from the Whales movie. I think it would be cool to check in and see what happened with her once she joined the future.
#10: Is Babylon 5 part of the Star Trek world? I love the psychics on Babylon 5.

Seven of... not quite Nine

Just Seven of Seven here, on the topic of Star Trek!
The Star Trek series that I have seen are the Original series, Next Generation, and Voyager.

Oh, right, I'll start at the beginning... if there is one.
As a kid, I didn't like Star Trek. I thought it was boring. I have memories of coming home from Awana and everyone at home would be watching Next Generation on TV.
The only episode I liked as a kid was the original series episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles"... Yep.
I don't know exactly when it happened, but, at some point in my teenage years, my attitude towards Star Trek changed. Now I am a big fan of Star Trek.

I would like to live on the planet Vulcan. Seriously. Or in the Holodeck.

Uhh, yes, Star Trek is a huge topic. Maybe I'll think of more later.

Feeling Strange - a song from Three

I feel so strange
Tonight
I feel that something
Isn't right
Should I just give up
Or fight?

What can I do?
Part of me wants to run
To something new
Maybe even to someone

I've been through this before
I don't want to go again
Living can be such a war
I'll fight what I've already been

I feel so strange
The night
Speaks to my heart
In whispers
Tearing me apart

What can I say?
Part of me wants to cry
To scream away
To force these things to die

I've been through this before
I don't want to go again
Living can be such a war
I'll fight what I've already been

I feel so strange
Tonight

Seven Sneezes

I love to sneeze! Seriously. Except for that rare time when I'm sick and it hurts. Aside from that, it's all good.
Hearing really big sneezes is also great. Though really tiny sneezes kind of annoy me sometimes because it's like... "What? That's it??"

I don't have time for a collage at the moment, and, umm... a collage about sneezing?? I mean, I like sneezes,  but, what sort of magazines have pictures of people sneezing?

One Finds Thinking About Sneezing Annoying

Because I think in pictures. And because I've had a continual cold lately. Do I need to explain that further? Yuck.

There is something satisfying about a good sneeze. An innocent sneeze. (if you know what I mean!)

I do like what some Spanish-speakers say:
First sneeze: Salud (Health)
Second Sneeze: Dinero (Money)
Third Sneeze: Amor (Love)
They make it into blessings for useful things. I like that.

I'm going to try to do a collage.

Three on Math

One's observations are great! I think you are mostly right on that. I don't usually enjoy math, although it is very satisfying when I am able to solve a problem. I can think logically if I have to, and I generally do have to at work.

I cook, so I do use math for that as well, though lately I've done little recipe following and mostly just throwing things together. Artistic cooking I guess, abstract artistic cooking at that!

Here's a little poem about what math means to me:

Math
It hurts me
It angers me
It boggles me
It aggravates me
Sometimes it stumps me
But
I do it
I do math
I work math
I puzzle math
Sometimes it saves me
If
It's true
That what
Doesn't kill you
Makes you stronger
Then Math
Has made me
VERY strong indeed

Three on Sneezing

So I'm not sure if this is going to be under the proper topic, but here goes.

I generally don't like sneezing... usually it hurts. Sometimes it just winds up but never resolves, which is also unpleasant, or if not unpleasant at least disappointing. Occasionally it comes out hard, I try to stop it and it comes out like an elephant call, embarrassing.

When other people sneeze, I do enjoy listening to them (from a safe distance) and I will say "Bless you!" If it is someone I like to tease or talk to I usually verbalize some sort of observation, for example if someone sneezes with a tiny little "choo!" I might observe "Did that actually accomplish anything?" If someone sneezes loud and strong "aAH-CHOOO!!!" I might say "Good one." One person I worked with used to sneeze "zzZZZzzzt" which made me laugh.

Alaina sometimes has a tremendous wind-up "aahh ah aaaahh aaah aaaah aaaahhhhh" then wrinkles her little nose and doesn't sneeze at all. Super cute!

Over all, I guess I have to say that sneezes are great, as long as I'm not doing them and the person who is, is well away from my face. There is little more unpleasant than having someone's sneeze shower me with mucus or whatever else their body is trying to expel. Being puked on is definitely worse, but that's a different topic.

Sneezing Clarification

Extra Credit: Does this mean make a collage on topic and then post it? Or just make any collage and post it.?

Sneezes are interesting - Four

Sneezing.

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that when someone sneezes at work, I like to say "BLESS YOU" loudly about three beats after everyone else has said it.  Mostly I just started doing that because I would forget until I heard someone else say it, then I said it loud to make up for it and make it sound like it was planned.  But then people started to expect it, so it became at thing.

I typically like to sneeze. It seems like a good cleansing thing.  I only times I don't like it is when it hurts, but that doesn't happen very often.

I think sneezes are interesting.  There are all types of sneezes.  It's always fun to hear the different ones.

Four Loves Math!

I realize that One has already posted on this subject, but I thought I'd compose my post before reading her conjectures.  (Fun, by the way- I may predict others sometime in the future, too!)

One of my favorite movie quotes is, "Other than numbers, she's all I think about."  This happens after the main character is told to give up on a girl.  I can relate, although there are many, many things I may obsess about from time to time - certain song, how rude a co-worker was, a guy, etc etc... - trust me, the part of my brain that thinks about numbers is always going.  I realize that numbers and math are different.  I like numbers better than math.  Of course math is awesome.  While in school, math came very easy to me.  Although I don't think that I pondered too much the reason why, I think that I've come up with an answer.

Math and my brain use similar language/processes.  Hmmm...  I'm not sure that really communicates what I'm trying to say, so I'll explain better.  My brain constantly tries to figure out what happened and why.  Whether it's about why a person reacted a certain way, or why something fell and landed a certain way, or what that noise was.  One, I hope this doesn't stress you out, but my brain is kind of putting things in order constantly seeking to know what made that things happen how they happened and why.  Often something will kind of confuse and later I'll hear the clue that makes it all make sense.  Those are little victories for my brain.  All that to say, math is all about finding solutions to problems, figuring out why things work a specific way, so my brain already does that, so math has always just clicked for me.

I enjoy math, it almost always follows a pattern, or at least there's a reason for the way things work out.  That makes it way easier than all of the little "problems" that my brain constantly tries to make sense of.  Sometimes if I have spare time, I'll figure out squares and cubes and higher exponents to try to make an equation to represent how they relate.  Or other fun little math exercises.  I often when seeing a number figure out whether or not it's divisible by three, six or nine or 11 or 37.  Mostly  it's just subconscious these days, it's just part of the background conversation that my brain has with itself.  So I love math, it's a mental breath of fresh air.

Ones Take on Three and Four Math

Sooo, we haven't heard from Three or Four about math yet and I'm wanting something to write about so I will do my best to guess Three and Four's math perspectives. Please forgive the poetic license I am taking here.

Three, I would guess, does not spend a lot of time pondering math, although from time to time she might come upon a juicy morsel or experience that gets her thinking about it and she will delight in that bit of math trivia or puzzle, etc. She probably uses math frequently in her job and life without thinking much about it, and hence probably does math a lot more than she thinks about math. She is not one to shy away from math when the topic arises and due to the differential between the amount of time talking vs doing math, might surprise those around her when her math skills come to the forefront. Being surrounded by a number of siblings and family members who pride themselves in their math and logic skills, some of whom have gone on to specialize in math, she is more likely in a family discussion to sit back and watch any math theatre that may arise, without putting too much of her input in. That being said, if there is a math related problem to be solved, she would not hesitate to dive in and give it a go.

Four loves numbers. Numbers flow easily for her and she has systems for remembering numbers, dates, and combinations of numbers. There's something about the patterns inherent in math that appeal to her. She is very good at numbers and math and she truly enjoys them. I can't relate very much to Four when it comes to math but I admire her for it. I would like to teach my kids to see numbers more the way she does than the way I do, not as a utility but as something to be savored and explored. I might hypothesize that Four relates to math the way One relates to Food, but I'm not sure. Just an idea.

I look forward to seeing what Three and Four have to say about Math themselves. I hope I'm not too far off. Now it's Michael Weston time. Adieu.

A couple more photos

"I wasn't going to light it up."

Glad to be home...

but glad we stayed camping long enough to get relaxed and enjoy it. I'm bummed we all got rained out. We were all looking forward to having you guys come camping and fishing. ;-)

Seven and Math are best friends

Seriously, I love math. Numbers, patterns, rules, consistency... math has it all! I have often said (not yet on this blog) that I understand numbers better than people, which is true for the most part.

Two plus two is always going to equal four. It's never going to equal three or five. People constantly change, which can be either good or bad.

Some people doodle. Sometimes I doodle, too. But I doodle random abstract designs/patterns... and math.

This is just part of one where I was finding patterns in exponents of 2.

Most people prefer algebra class or geometry class - like, they prefer one over the other. I don't have a preference. I enjoyed both equally.

I love to... well, these are my favorites: factor, find roots (square, cube, etc), find permutations, find all possible combinations. I like pretty much everything math. The only thing I find annoying is long division, when the divisor is more than one digit. But even this isn't very annoying.

One Loves Algebra

I use it all the time. A balanced equation makes me happy. Finding the value of x is something I find that life requires of me frequently. Math as a practical application. That's how I like it.

Four: If I were a pokemon

The pokemon that I think is most like me is the whooper.  It seems a little silly but can do some powerful things.  It's blue with red antenae like things sticking out both sides of its head.  I've felt an afinity with it since the first time I saw it.

However, if I was to choose the pokemon I'd want to be to fight with, it would be a big one.  Like Onyx or possibly Gyrados.  I also like the larger legendaries.  I think I'd choose Gyrados, though.  It's pretty cool looking.  Also, Five caught one and named it after me. 

If Seven were a pokemon

I took the quiz that One mentioned to see what it was like.. and because I like taking quizzes...
My result was Blastoise, but, ehh. The thing about the quiz is, there are only 30 possible results. However, right now, there are 649 pokemon! I am not content with what I am out of 30 choices when there are 649 actual possibilities!
But One, don't misunderstand, I'm not criticizing you for taking the quiz. In fact, it was probably a good idea for you, as you know less about pokemon.
In fact, here's another quiz that I like because of all the different responses to the questions, and the author's descriptions of the resulting pokemon are interesting - though I might disagree on some. Link

The downside of 649 choices, is that it is immensely difficult for me to pick just one. So I'll discuss several that I like, that would fit me that I wouldn't mind being.

Gastly, Haunter, Gengar - These are possibly my favorite of all of them. Though ghost-types tend to be portrayed as mischievous, which I'm not, it is very much like me to stay hidden.
Chikorita - In mystery dungeon games, I'm a chikorita. Though I'm not typically very fond of the sun, I am very fond of leaves, and if I had a gigantic cool awesome leaf on my head, I would probably love the sun.
Mawile - Look at it.
Altaria - Very different from mawile, but still, look at it.
Lileep, Cradily - They look really weird, like me.
Drifloon, Drifblim - flying, floaty ghosts. WIN.
Solosis, Duosion, Reuniclus - psychic, floaty blobs of cell. WIN again.
Tynamo, Eelektrik, Eelektross - They look like fishey things. And they are cool looking.
Litwick, Lampent, Chandelure - A candle, a lamp, and a chandelier. Ghosts. My oh my.

Okay, so, maybe this is more of a list of pokemon that I'd want to be. Ehh. I'd probably just be happy if I was any pokemon, you know. Even magikarp - it's orange!

One is Espeon and Venusaur

Phew! That was a long quiz. After 6 pages of questions, I had to answer a tie breaker: Are you obsessed with plants OR Do you believe things that others don't. The results are Venusaur or Espeon. I like it. I picked the second one first, Espeon. But I'm happy keeping both. Espeon is psychic and loves the sun. While I'd love to be a psychic powerhouse, my abilities are more garden variety, like Espeon. But I love cats and this one is lavender, one of my best colors to wear. Perfect. Venusaur is totally into plants and physically strong. Venusaur can manipulate nature, ie make flowers bloom, etc and can also calm emotions. Has one heck of a body slam. Sounds good to me.

http://quizfarm.com/quizzes/new/Ermine/if-you-were-a-pokemon-which-one-would-you-be/

What are you guys? One of the questions is Do you like the color Red? LOL.

One=Lemon or Food is an Artform

My moniker is a clue to how I feel about food. I love food. I love the full body experience of food. Sight, smell, touch, taste, sound. Lemons are one of my loves in the kitchen. I love how they smell and how bright they are and how amazing a little splash of freshly squeezed lemon/orange/lime juice can make a dressing or a drink. Food ties into my gardening love because I love to grow delicious food and cook with it. Take, for example, the perfect winter squash I grew in my garden a couple years ago. It wasn't perfect by any outside standards, I don't mean that. When I cut it open, the color was amazing. Deep vibrant orange. I loved that. Then I made it into a creamy soup, and it tasted so good. I also put into the soup garlic that I had grown in my garden. I love to have a container of fresh lettuce and greens growing on my porch just to look at, regardless of whether we eat them all or not. Peas just picked from the vine are almost like candy. Nature's candy. They are beautiful to photograph also. While I admire melons for their beauty and look forward to learning how to grow them when I have more space, I don't eat any melons. I've tried many times to like them, but I just don't. It's the only type of food I don't enjoy. Also, some tropical fruit are included in that, but I'm wondering if I don't like them because they aren't fresh. They're picked unripe and travel so far before they get to us. I'm suspending final judgement on those until I try them in person. There is a lot of "food" sold in stores that I don't consider real food. Fake food. Anything with a long list of ingredients that includes words I have no idea what they are, I view with extreme skepticism. Fake Food. Anything with a shelf life of 2 years or more that's not canned. Yuck. That's why store bought brownie mixes are a desiccation to me. Yuck. Give me good old fashioned eggs, cream, butter, chocolate and flour and I'm happy. I try to only by 100% organic popcorn these days because all of the other stuff is genetically modified. But that's another topic. My most recent food love was some smoked ribs I made and bourbon baked beans. Oh yes. They were so good. The spice rub and barbecue sauce were made from scratch. No corn syrup, no msg. Marinated in the spice rub, smoked over cherry wood for 4 hours, slathered with bbq sauce and carmelized on the grill. OH YES. A grand experiment.

Four finds Food stressfull

I don't tell too many people that because most people don't understand.  It's hard for me to choose.  I need options.  If someone asks, "What are you hungry for?" That's a very difficult question for me.  It makes it that much harder if people are wanting to go out to eat and decide on a place.  So then there's more pressure and it makes it almost impossible to come up with and answer.  I think my favorite place to eat out is either a salad bar or a breakfast place.

I am pretty picky about food.  But if I like something I can eat it over and over again.  Hm... as to specifics:

I like any onion but red.
I don't like diet pop, root beer, cream soda or Dr. Pepper.
I like almost all cheese (except American) Cheese is probably my favorite food.
I cannot stand cilantro!
I'm very, very picky about chocolate, must be milk or white, but never dark.
I don't like any berries.  However, I do like most berry flavors, but not strawberries! Yuck!
I like oranges, but not most apples.  I like bananas, but can't eat them.
I don't really like pastas, but will eat them sometimes.
I like most nuts, but can only eat almonds.  Peanuts give me terrible headaches, and other nuts choke me.
I try to avoid MSG because it makes me feel mentally off.  Also in large does gives migraines.

I don't really have any texture issues, it's all about flavor to me.

First Time Posting With...

Reading Glasses. Yep, I got my first pair of reading glasses. Does this mean I'm old now? LOL! I don't plan on being old for a good long time. I LOVE my reading glasses. I resisted a couple years ago when the eye doctor recommended them but I love them now. I can see so much better.

Seven and Food

I have more of a complicated relationship with food than Five does. I asked Five what foods he doesn't like. His answer was waffles. That was it. There are some foods that he prefers over others, but he is willing to eat anything... but waffles.
So yeah, my first thought when it comes to food is my extremely picky eating preferences.

There are three big factors in whether I can eat something or not.
1. Taste
The flavor. If the flavor is more than a tiny bit bad, I can't eat it. Or if it has no flavor. Bland = blech. If I were going to list all the bad flavors I could think of, I'd have to do it later because it's a really long list.
2. Texture
How something feels on my tongue. If something is the 'wrong' texture, I can't eat it. 'Wrong' textures tend to be either slimy or goopy. I like the flavor of onions, but I can't stand the slimy texture they always seem to have.
3. Temperature
If something that should be hot is cold, I can't eat it. Even if it was hot, and simply cooled down. There is a temperature when I just can't eat the food anymore. Or, if something is supposed to be cold, and it is not. The notable food I can think of right now is ice cream. I can't eat it when it's melted at room temperature.

One more thing that is a quirk of mine regarding food is.. yeah, you're going to think I'm a little kid or something... food mixing. I can't do mixes of things in these mental groups of food/flavors. Some of them can cross, but not all.
Here's a list of the compatibility groups.
Fruit
Vegetable
Meat
Bread
Pastries, muffins, cake, etc
Sweet flavors - chocolate, vanilla, caramel, cinnamon
Seasonings - salt, garlic, etc
Nuts
Cheese
Potatoes & rice

Meat, bread, seasonings, and cheese are all compatible with each other. Replace bread with potatoes & rice to form another compatible group.
Sweet flavors and fruit do not mix. Nuts group can only be by itself.

Yes, my foodness is complicated. This is about all I can think of for now.

One Loves Food

and this topic is way too broad to answer. Someone else will have to go first and narrow the field. There are thousands of ways I could write about it. So instead I will post some food quotes that I found on chowhound.com:

Voltaire said, «Rien ne serait plus fatiguant que mangeant et buvant si Dieu ne leur avait pas fait un plaisir aussi bien qu'une nécessité. »...which translated into English is something like, "Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking, if God hadn't made them a pleasure as well as a necessity."

Cheese - milk's leap toward immortality. ~Clifton Fadiman

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers? ~Author Unknown

A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat. ~Old New York Proverb

I'll bet what motivated the British to colonize so much of the world is that they were just looking for a decent meal. ~Martha Harrison

Favorite/Good Songs by Four

I don't know what my favorite song is.  I love so many!!  I have a play list entitled, Obsessed.  I put in it songs that I heard and focused on for some reason or other.  It has 154 songs in it....  That's a little too many for a list like this... However, I'll try to explain a few of my favorites, not only from that list. I'm just looking through my iTunes at various play lists and telling you my thoughts on songs.  I guess my favorite changes from moment to moment.  There are probably many that I love that I'll miss.  Oh well...

Outside by Staind
I remember the first time I heard this song on the radio.  Wow!  It just spoke volumes to me about what people hide from the world, and present to the world.  I mean I think that we all have things we don't want people to see, but just kind of knowing that everyone has things makes it easier in a way...  hope that makes sense.
"I'm on the outside I'm looking in.
I can see through you See your true colors
Inside you're ugly Ugly like me
I can see through you See to the real you"

Perfect by Sarah Evans
Love this one.  It's like my life philosophy, well at least it sums up how I view many things.  It's kind of like, worry the appropriate amount about things.  There will be some things that aren't perfect or how it was expected, but they're still just fine.  Don't think I explained that too well...
"Baby, every piece of the puzzle doesn't always fit perfectly
Love can be rough around the edges, tattered at the seams.
Honey if it's good enough for you it's good enough for me."

My Favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow
I love to sing this song.  It's one of my very favorite to just belt out.

Mary Jane's Last Dance by Tom Petty
I will always like this song, probably because I was riding in the car with Five and told him I didn't think he could sing all of the lyrics, and he proved me wrong, right then and there...  :D

Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman
I think this song is genius, if you haven't heard it, you should listen.  It's clever.  I like clever.
"Give me one reason to stay    and I'll turn right back around
...
I said I told you that I love you           and there ain't no more to say"

Comfortable by John Meyer
I'd love a comfortable love.  That's why I love this song.  It talks about a previous girlfriend compared to the current one. And also, there's harmony that's beautiful.
"Our love was comfortable, so broken in
She's perfect, so flawless
I'm not impressed!
I want you back!"

Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
"I walk a lonely road  the only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes  but it's only me and I walk alone..."


White Flag by Dido
I watched this video over and over and over, just so I could hear the song.  I love love love this song.  Although funny enough I don't necessarily agree that I would go down with the ship [and ended relationship]

Unwell by Matchbox 20
Sometimes I do feel a little unwell..  Love this song.
"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay a while and soon you'll see
a different side of me"

One Last Breath by Creed
I think it took a little while to understand the lyrics, so once I got them it just made me like the song more...
"Hold me now I'm six feet from the edge
and I'm thinking
Maybe six feet, ain't so far down."

Underneath it All by No Doubt
I just love a specific line in this song.  Love that concept.
"You see the colors in me   like no one else"

Set the Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol featuring Martha Wainright
Amazing, Amazing harmony.

I Love You by Sarah McLachlan
Two reasons this song resonates with me.  When I love someone, everything else dulls when that person is around.  Also, there are many people I've loved and never told.
"But everytime I'm close to you,
There's too much I can't say
And you just walk away
And I forgot
To tell you I love you"

Celebrity by Brad Paisley [click on the title to watch video]
I love a good sense of humor.  And this song totally mocks celebrities that take themselves a little to seriously. Brad Paisley is totally my country crush.  I think I first really started liking this song after seeing the video which features both William Shatner and Jason Alexander (George from Seinfield).

SexyBack by Justin Timberlake
Good beat.  "yeah"  Just a fun song.  I wanted to mention JT because I love his voice, especially when he breaks into the falsettos.

Scenes by Burlap to Cashemere
Just a good, clean, fun song, which I haven't quite figured out yet.  But it quotes a long section of Shakespeare kind of in the background and I memorized most of it.

Kindness by Chris Tomlin
Hands down my favorite worship song.  God's kindness is a concept that I didn't start out with, but it's key.
"It's your kindness Lord, that leads us to repentance
Your favor Lord, is our desire
It's your beauty Lord that makes us stand in silence
and your love, your love is better than life"

Bubble Toes by Jack Johnson
Another one that I love for one line:
"If you would only listen,
you would realize what your missing
You're missing me!"

Whatcha Gonna do with a Cowboy by Chris Ledoux and Garth Brooks
Fun, fun duet, I like to sing with Three.  Pretty much always makes me happy.
"Whatcha gonna do with a Cowboy, when he don't saddle up and ride away?"

This is a small random sampling.  There are many more songs that I love, some probably more than I've listed here.  Hope you like it....

One is Alive!

Hand me a pillow...today is the 12th anniversary since I fell down the mountain and tried to convince my guardian angels to meet my maker. And they said No. Did I ever tell you that they were two tall handsome men dressed in jeans and plaid flannel shirts? Sigh. I like that memory. I am thankful to be alive today and I am glad I had the chance to meet Patrick, Otis and Sofia. I guess they know what they're doing up there. I'm glad that you all have survived to this day also and I hope that you have joy and good pillows.

Seven's responses to One's comments

I thought One's comments on my previous post deserved [in a good way] more than a simple comment reply, so I decided to make this post in reply.

Quoted from One's first comment: "I might even have a touch of it [social anxiety] myself: ie, reading over the situations they listed their left me feeling stressed out and sick. IE: talking on the phone to anyone except those closest to me stresses me out and I usually have to pace for a while before I make the call running over and over what I am going to say. Then afterwards I go over and over what I said and I worry about what they thought, etc."

I do that exact thing with the phone, too! Also, the going over what I said thing, I do for pretty much every applicable situation, so I definitely know what that's like.

Quoted from One's first comment: "I am curious to know more about the cognitive behavioral therapy they talked about. Do you know anything about it?"

From what I understand of CBT, it is an attempt to replace negative thoughts with more positive, realistic thoughts.
Example of negative thought: "I said the wrong word, I should have said something else instead... Oh no, I bet I've offended her and now she's mad at me..."
Example of a more positive thought: "Okay, I misspoke, but she probably knows it was just a small error on my part, and it probably wasn't enough to offended her. After all, she knows that everybody makes little mistakes like that once in a while."

Quoted from One's second comment:"I'm interested to know more about the lyrics thing. Is it because of the poetic nature of songs (in which interpretation is left up to the listener) that you find the lyrics hard to understand? Or that you literally can't understand what they're saying because you're focused on listening to the musical patterns?"

Both, though I was mostly referring to the poetic/interpretation aspect.
*Edit* I realize that I got horrendously off topic here with my answer, lol. I can't play lyrics in front of someone because I don't know how they will interpret it. I don't want to play something that might offend someone, but I don't know what would offend someone, so I don't play anything, unless I am extremely sure that they won't be offended. So, umm, the rest of this post isn't so much about the original post I made, but more about how I see lyrics. *End of edit*
When I can make out the words, but don't know the meaning, that is what is bothersome. (Though with some songs, even knowing the meaning is bothersome.) When I can't tell what words they are saying, that does not bother me - though one annoying thing that has happened is, the radio will be on and the singer's voice will be unintelligible. But after listening for a while, my mind starts to 'sync' with the singer's words and decode them, and I suddenly understand the words. This drives me crazy, and usually ruins my enjoyment of the song (since the songs that are unintelligible are often rap or similar styles with un-tasteful lyrics). However, it is especially nice when the lyrics are not English, because my mind cannot 'sync'/decode them, and I can enjoy the whole song, guaranteed.
Allow me to explain. You know about my particular synesthesia, how I 'see' music? Each instrument/type of sound has a different shape, and it moves according to what notes it is hitting. The size is typically determined by how loud the sound is. 'Watching' music is where I derive nearly all of my enjoyment of music - these abstract shapes I see are very entertaining/absorbing/relaxing/whatever, unless it's a genre of music that I don't like. (For instance, I don't like country music - even if it didn't have lyrics - because the shapes tend to be rougher and grainier, and they tend to be brownish and boring.)
When I understand the words being said, my mind shifts away from the abstract shapes and more into a sort of 'music video' sort of thing. For instance, if it's about a guy breaking up with his girlfriend, I'll see some guy breaking up with his girlfriend (boring!), instead of those cool abstract shapes. Well, I shouldn't say instead, I should say that it really distracts me from the abstract shapes when my mind can understand the words and is trying to make sense of them.
However, when my mind does not understand the words (like, when it's in another language), then the voice simply becomes another part of the music and takes on its own shape and motion, and thereby adds to the music.
If I concentrate, I can see the voice as a shape, even when I understand the words. But my mind does not do this by default; I have to be choosing to do it the entire time I understand the words.

Umm, so I kind of rambled on that last one, hah. I don't know if you'll understand entirely, but, if you maybe get just a little more of an idea, it'd be worth posting it.

Seven's take on songs

Seven has two particular quirks which make this sort of post difficult: 1. the way her mind categorizes things, and 2. social anxiety disorder.

1. I don't have single 'favorites'. I have tiers in which the things I like are sorted into. So, I don't have one 'favorite' - I have a whole genre of 'favorites'.
The other thing about having mental tiers is that there is a different tier for each genre of music. So I don't have 'favorite' songs from all music - I have to be specific about which genre it is my 'favorite' in.

2. If you don't know anything about social anxiety disorder, go read about it here.
One of the areas in which social anxiety disorder affects me is listening to music when other people can hear. Often, if there is a time coming when I will be choosing the music to listen to with someone else, I will have to make a new playlist/cd specifically for that occasion.
I cannot play a song with lyrics in front of someone, unless I have observed them to listen to the same song on their own time. I don't understand lyrics myself, so I am clueless as to how someone else will interpret them.
This is why several of my playlists are labelled 'safe' or 'S'. Yeah, it's dangerous to play music... social anxiety disorder is ridiculous. If you don't have it, be grateful.

One's Top 10 Songs/Artists

1. Amazing Grace with/on Bagpipes. Such a timeless song. I feel connected to those who have gone before when I listen to it. It reminds me of this verse:"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us."(Hebrews 12:1) To me, the cloud of witnesses are those who have gone before, who know how hard it is and who are watching us and cheering us. Sometimes, I feel their presence and it comforts me.
2. Forever and For Always by Shania Twain. Shania Twain is on my top ten lists for artists and this song is one of my favorites. When I listen to it I imagine that Jesus is singing it to me and I feel loved.
3. Beautiful Day by U2. This was the song we played at our wedding just as the pastor introduced us as a couple and we walked back down the aisle. "The heart is a bloom that shoots up through the stony ground......the bird with a leaf in her mouth, After the flood all the colors came out" Redemption, pain leads to growth and beauty, hope, it's a theme for me.
4. Stay For A While by Amy Grant. When I listen to this song I feel warm and sunny in a nostalgic way. It reminds me of times past and treasured friends who were so important to me at different times of my life.
5. Pat a Pan by David Archuleta. A slightly different take on my all-time favorite Christmas song, the little drummer boy. It's not the same song, but it shares elements. I love David Archuleta's voice. I also like his song Riu Riu Chiu.
6. Frou Frou. This is one of my top artists to put on repeat. Their songs are so mellow and beautiful. Favorite songs: Hear Me Out and Let Go. "Let go, jump in, it's so amazing, it's all right 'cause there's beauty in the breakdown" Love to find beauty in the breakdown. ;-) "such boundless pleasure there's no time for later" Living in the moment, I love it. This song is boundless pleasure. Music therapy.
7. I Love You by Donna Lewis. This song just makes me happy. "out of the stillness, soft spoken words: I love you, always, forever..." and one of the best lines in a song ever: "You've got, the most Unbelievable blue eyes I've ever seen""As we lay there under a blue sky with pure white stars, exotic sweetness, a magical time". Romance, Magic, Wonder. Sofia calls this her song.
8. Far Away by Nickelback. After ten years of marriage (or as best friends or sisters), we all probably at one time or another need to hear "I love you. I've loved you all along. I forgive you." While forgiveness is a popular theme, not many songs actually say "I forgive you" in the positive. I find it powerful. Also love their song If Everyone Cared. "And I'm singing Amen... I'm Alive!!"
9. Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield. I have read that you should focus more on your strengths than your weaknesses. Having a rich inner life is a strength for me, while relating to people publicly/socially causes me the most stress. This song helps me celebrate what I have. I HAVE a beautiful inner place where I can go and rest. I HAVE a pocketful of sunshine that I can access whenever I need it. I love it! Nice imagery.
10. Beauty For Ashes by Crystal Lewis. I am so thankful for the promises that God has given us and that God is good. These twelve words I would like to make into a necklace or bracelet and wear with me: Beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning, peace for despair.

Honorable Mention:

• Will You Be There by Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was so talented, a genius in music and dance. And so wounded and sad. His life was an amazing triumph AND tragedy. I hope that he found forgiveness both before and after his death. I loved his music.
• Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy. Eva Cassidy is a new find for me. I love her voice and music.
• Para Continuar by Sara Valenzuela. Brand new find. I'm digging it.

Music Therapy

I prepared my post on music, in which I list my top 10 favorite songs/artists and commentary on each of them but it's too personal for me to post while this blog is still connected to my other google blogs. I've got to separate it and get a new google account. I wrote it with you guys in mind, but not for everyone I know! (Not that anyone checks those blogs as I haven't written them for a while, but it's theoretically possible.)

Anyways, I really enjoyed doing it. Listened to all my favorite music and had some music therapy. Just what I needed!

Four Loves Water!!

Water, water, water!  What would I do without it?  I love to drink water, cold water, warm water, hot water, it's all good!  I like to drink it a lot, and I like to drink a lot of it!  Water is cool and powerful, destructive and nurturing!  Very, very cool!  I love to swim and ice skate, and the smell of rain.  One of my favorite memories of rain was when three and I went out singing in the rain.

One Admires Water

Have you ever observed water without thinking of it as water? I like watching its' viscosity as I jiggle the glass or slowly pour it. It holds together so nicely. If I was on an alien planet, I would wonder what it is and if it has a life or form of its' own. When it comes out of the faucet or hose it seems so wet, but when you observe it in glass all things are possible. Usually I take it for granted, like oxygen and dirt, but when I stop to look at it I find it impressive.

Water is responsible and/or a part of some of the Earth's most beautiful things. Rainbows, flowers, snow, ice crystals and patterns, the ocean, rivers, popsicles in the summer.

I don't think about water very often, but when I do, I admire it.

Seven likes water

I'm a bit picky about drinking tap water, but bottled water is typically okay.
Cold water tastes good, warm water tastes bad, and hot water tastes horrible.

I like to swim, but pools are usually crowded. I don't like swimming in crowded pools. I also don't like the process of leaving the pool, being wet, and drying off. Adjusting to the temperature of a non-heated pool isn't as annoying as either of the previous two things, but it is annoying. Aside from those things, I really like to be in the water. I like to go underwater and half sink, half float as long as I can. I also like how it looks underwater.

I really hate it when my socks get wet [while I'm wearing them]. Really really really haaaaaaaaate it.
Once I poured water in my cereal by mistake.
In grade school, there was a place where rainwater would come out of the gutters. The water would trickle through this gravelly area and we'd make little dams and puddles.

I like it when it rains. I don't really like excessively hot or bright weather, though.

Is it time...

for one of the randomized topics?

Bizarre Awakening

by One.
Early this morning, 5:45 ish, I jerked awake to the sound of singing "I know you, I've walked with you once upon a dream...." I jumped up and went looking for the source of the noise. Everyone was asleep so I ended up downstairs where I found Percy frantically trying to get in. He likes to spend these summer nights out on the prowl but he likes to get back for breakfast. On the way up to bed I noticed Sofia's Sleeping Beauty doll sitting on the edge of the bathtub, with her legs dangling over, politely, with the very nice posture you would from a doll. I laid in bed for a few minutes trying to figure out what happened while simultaneously trying to ignore Percy and go to sleep. Percy was sitting on my nightstand with his face about two inches from mine (as Four might say..he was pulling a Liz) meowing. Sigh. So I waved the white flag and got up. About ten minutes later, Sleeping Beauty misfired again, loudly. I raced up to the bathroom, grabbed her and flipped her to the off switch. I was not fast enough and a moment later Sofia came down the stairs excitedly exclaiming about the doll. I guess the doll went off because Sofia put her in the bath? It was a strange morning. But it was fun to come down early and find that you all had posted.

Description of Contributors from a Four perspective

One: She's amazing, a force to be reckoned with!  She has all of this energy and drive.  She's very passionate about the things she believes in.  She has a green thumb and I believe would spend all day in her garden if she could.  She's kind and supportive and is very fun to laugh with!  She loves eating and cooking and -awesomely enough  for me- feeding people.  I love that she wants to help people find their true calling/passion.

Three: I just love her!  She's artistic and fun and doesn't freak out.  She has dimples when she smiles and curly hair.  She has this amazing random fact recall, like what DNA stands for and stuff like that.  She really is Superwoman.  She's tough, but still feminine.  She's someone who's always ready to help if you ask.  I respect her faith, which is strong yet not judgmental.  She's still my favorite person to sing with.

Four: That's me!  I'm fun-loving and love to laugh. Maybe those are similar.  I'm very loyal to and protective of the people I love.  I have volume control issues, I never really know how loud I'm speaking and tend to be way too loud at time, and way to quiet at others.  I have a big heart and a short fuse.  That's probably enough to get started...

Seven:  Ah MDSG...  My Dear Sweet Girl.  She doesn't like when I call her that, so I shorted it to "MDSG".  She defines the word unique!  I love it!  She likes bright colors and displays them in how she dresses.  She like big dangly earrings.  She is one of the people I can tell anything to without fear of it leaking out.  She is logical and likes to think things through.  She's cool and has a unique view of the world.  She loves Japan and wants move there someday.

On the subject of: the authors

By Seven.
Seven isn't really very good at describing people, even the people she knows well.
One has kind of the opposite way of thinking as Seven, who thinks very logically. But that's not a bad thing.
You know, the four of us are all artistic, each in our own way.
I don't really know what to say about Three, though I do have fond childhood memories of singing, "Oh, where is my hairbrush?" and similar songs.
Four and I have a lot in common. We're both picky eaters, for one.

Umm, yes, I understand numbers better than people [in general], so I'm not very well equipped for this post. I mean, I know my sisters. I understand them, to an extent, but I can't translate that understanding into text very easily.

three = superhero

Description of Self; Description of Other Bloggers

Ok. Let's see. Blogger Seven is colorful and unique. She hears and sees the world in ways that I admire and can't completely comprehend. In patterns, in sounds, in color, in designs. She follows her own path. Blogger Four. Her favorite color is red. She's good at reading people and good at loving people. She loves numbers and puzzles, skydiving and tattoos. Her best friend married her favorite brother. Life is kind of perfect that way. Blogger Three. The superhero sister. Strong and coordinated with the curvy figure to match and cool response in times of crisis. Complete with an alter-ego as mom of three who works and keeps her knowledge of cars up to date via her husband who is a mechanic. And, sometimes hidden behind all that, a talented artist and poet. Blogger One. That's me. Harder to do. I guess I don't like being defined, either, Four. Well I do. But I don't.

I'm One

One, such a basic number. You can make computer programs with it. Umm. About tattoos I don't have much to say, except that I look forward to seeing yours. xoxo.

I'm Four

Seven, I'm glad that we started our blog.  It was a good idea.  When you draw that tattoo, and when if/when I get it tattooed, then, I'll have to post that picture too.

I'm Seven

Four, I really need to actually remember to design you a tattoo, like you asked. I'm trying to think of a cool design. Perhaps I'll post it here on this blog when I draw it.

In other news... YAY WE STARTED OUR BLOG!