Love 'em or hate 'em MEMES

I actually think some of them are interesting. This one I found at When Your Only Tool Is A Hammer, a blog I enjoy reading. So here goes:

List 5 things that you consider an accomplishment but might be considered lame by others.

1. Getting my daughter to move back home. She had her own apartment for a little while but financially things were really difficult and she gave it up and moved in with friends. After becoming a new Mommy to a preemie, her Dad and I wanted her to have more stability and the chance to save money again.... as if once you become a parent you get to have any money to yourself ever, ever again?? Well, she was reluctant at first.... our relationship was rather difficult for a few years...but did agree. Maybe it's something about motherhood that has shown her the reasons we do things as parents and I think she's happier that she did decide to come home. It's not forever.... I'm sure sometime next year she'll be leaving us again... but for now, it's working really nicely. :)
2. Winning a business club competion in high school. Back then I guess I had some idea I would become a woman to be feared but admired with regard to my secretarial skills?? I was a whiz on the typewriter... yeah, back then we used typewriters.... and in a state competition I placed First in the Job Interview catagory. Being the last one standing on the stage at the hotel meeting room that day to receive my honor was like my 15 mins. of fame. I got an all-expense paid trip to California to compete in the Nationals, and while I didn't place there, I got to see San Francisco, took a charter boat past Alcatraz (hmm, seems I have a thing for prisons), and visited Muir Woods. Muir Woods is a beautiful redwood forest near San Fran. Interestingly, I didn't go on to do much secretarial work. I had met the man of my dreams also in my senior year of high school and marrying him and having his babies won out over typing memos and being chased around a desk by some old perverted boss but I'll always remember winning that competition.

3. Learning to drive. Yeah... that sounds so silly. To those who know me now, I'm out and about daily. Today I hauled about 90 mins. roundtrip in NJ morning traffic IN THE RAIN to pay a registration fee for a craft show I'm doing this Saturday. But that wasn't always the case. In high school, most people take a driver training class. Because I was on the work program and went to Philadelphia weekdays during my senior year and worked another job part-time, I could never fit the class into my schedule. I took the speedline to the City and my other job was right across the street from my house. No real need to drive. My girlfriends drove, my soon-to-be hubby drove, my family drove. It wasn't until after I got married and had my daughter and my husband was working out of town occasionally that I HAD to get a license. By that point I was a little freaked about it and actually had to hire a driving company for lessons. Well, I did pass and have been driving MANY years now, but back then it was a big deal for me.

4. Being married for almost 24 years! With the divorce rates as high as they were for awhile that is an accomplishment, altho for me, with a guy like my Ron I'd love to have another 24 years with him!

5. Starting my own home business. Okay, I'm still in debt with it because I didn't realize all that was involved even with a small venture like 'arts and crafts'. But it's something that I LOVE to do. I make jewelry and greeting cards and figure people will always want or need those items and with all the technology growing so fast around us, I feel that it's still important to have connection with things made with love and by hand. Might seem lame, I dunno, some days it seems like it would be easier to just go get a part-time job for those extra things we'd like sometimes. But I'm giving it a shot. Registering my trade name was an exciting day for me.

Guess that about takes care of my 5. I'm sure I could have given the condensed version, you know, just an actual short list with no commentary.... but it's good to keep up those typing skills.