Thursday Thirteen~Letter O

13 Things About Me (& My Family) Beginning with the Letter 'O.'



1. Occupation~I am currently a stay-at-home mom/housewife. I am comfortable with both terms. I hope to someday be a housewife that works as a teacher's aide at one of our local grade schools. I have my degree in Elementary Education, but I can't ever see myself working full time unless finances get really tight because I want my focus to be on my family.

2. Owl~I recently had a dream where an owl was flying around my house. It later flew out into my garage, and the garage door closed on it and killed the owl. Weird right? According to dreammoods.com "To see a dead owl, signifies a narrow escape from desperate illness and death. Death in this sense may also represent a symbolic death, as in an important transition in life." Hmmmmm??? I'm pretty sure there is a meaning behind this dream, but I'm still not 100% sure what it is. Heck, I'm not even 10% sure. ;-)

3. Ohio~I was born in Ohio, and I lived there for the first 5 years of my life. We still have family there, and we recently went back for a visit.

4. Orchestra~I played the violin in the orchestra when I was younger. While I showed some talent, this activity was short lived. I would love to take violin lessons again someday.

5. Opera~My minor was theater in college, and I often had to go see different plays for classes. One that I had to attend was an opera, and Jeff agreed to go with me. It was a very painful experience for both of us. I'm not convinced all operas would be that painful, but I am also not willing to try again just in case I'm wrong.

6. Ophthalmologist~I recently took my son, Josh, to see a pediatric ophthalmologist who informed us that he didn't need to be wearing glasses. He has been wearing his for a little over a year. We have ordered his files from our old eye doctor to see if they unnecessarily prescribed them or to see if his eyesight has gotten better in that time. I'm betting they prescribed them without cause, which makes me wonder about my little Meghan. Time to get her in to see the pediatric ophthalmologist. They sure were cute in their glasses though!

Here was Josh back when he got his glasses...

Here is Meghan with her big sister, Ali.

7. October~This is my absolutely favorite month. I love it because the weather gets cooler, the leaves change colors, and the air feels crisp and smells delightful. It's a time for beautiful mum flowers, and it is also the time for visiting the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. We drive north for our annual family weenie roast around the middle of October, which is a highlight for all of us. Of course, we can't forget that October is the time for Halloween. It is just a fun filled month! Here are some pics from my kids last October.

Here is Josh getting ready to ride the barrel train at the apple orchard.
Here is Ali, Josh and I standing in front of a crazy mirror at the apple orchard.
The past two Octobers we have visited friends at a local campground for a Halloween night. Here is Ali with her friend, Madison, and Josh enjoying the campfire.
Spoon River Drive is over two weekends in October, and it is a time to drive around to see beautiful scenery, as well as enjoy the tents of food and fun goodies for sale. Here are Ali and Jeff at a food booth during last years Spoon River Drive.
Here are all three of them on Halloween night. They got a ton of candy!
Here is Meghan with her Aunt Angie at the annual family weenie roast.
Ali enjoyed roasting and eating marshmallows at the annual family weenie roast. So much fun!
October rocks!

8. Onion~I absolutely love onions! White, yellow, red, green, sweet...you name it, I love it! They add so much flavor to food, and I can't imagine not cooking with them.


9. Oasis~We lived in Wisconsin for a good part of my childhood, and we would often travel to see family in Ohio and Illinois. I can't even tell you how many times we stopped at the Janesville (WI) oasis, which was home to a very large cow. I say was because the oasis is apparently gone, but Bessie the cow has survived...so far. Here is a picture of us with Bessie from our honeymoon.


10. Okra~Fried okra is yummy, but it isn't something that I normally make at home. Whenever I think of fried okra, I fondly think of Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, MO. This unique restaurant is the only home of throwed rolls. When I was in college, my roommate and I decided to drive there for dinner. It was an hour and a half drive, and I was apparently trying to get there in record time, but all I wound up doing was getting a speeding ticket. Ugh!

11. Odometer~I have always have used cars, which is perfectly fine by me. However, this last time we bought a vehicle it was a 2006 Kia Sedona, and the odometer only read '7'. It is kind of nice to know that I have been the one to put the miles on this vehicle. I only wish there weren't so many!

12. Organic~It seems like everything is organic these days, and I am sure I should be better about buying organic, but to be honest I rarely ever do. I don't know what my problem is, but the word organic is a turnoff to me. I like what it stands for, but the word itself just triggers negative feelings for me. I know I am odd!

13. Ocean~I have only been to the ocean once, and I actually don't remember it very well. I hope to take my kids to see an ocean someday. Maybe we will get to visit St. Thomas or Tybee Island, which my friend Betsy tells me is wonderful.

Join in on Thursday Thirteen, and don't forget to check back next week, when I look at the letter 'P'...it should be a perfectly good time! ;-)