quirks and random facts

 

Happy Wednesday friends! Today I thought it would be fun to share some quirks and random facts! I wrote a post similar to this back in 2017 (you can read it here!) and a sweet blog reader messaged me recently and suggested I do this again. I laughed and then thought it would be fun! Many things are the same as seven years ago but there are some new fun ones that I am giggling about! 

I am also giggling because I am wondering why I think this will be fun to share the things that make me strange. *hahaha* But seriously - we all have quirks and over the years it has been fun in bloggy world to read others posts so I know this is going to be so fun to realize what makes all a bit special. *smiles* Please share with me in the comments some of your favorite random quirks because I would love to read them! 

PHOBIAS

spiders

I have a serious fear and phobia of big spiders. It is huge. Several years ago when I was living in Georgia I came home from a day of teaching and saw THE hugest brown recluse that I have ever seen in front of the stairs to get to my apartment. I literally called my mom sobbing and wouldn't go up the stairs. 

Y'all I waited an hour for someone to come and help and by someone I meant my next door neighbor.... okay his 9 year old son. *hahaha* When he got off the bus and started walking towards the stairs, I got out of the car literally screaming "Be careful of the huge Brown Recluse" to which he calmly looked at me like I was insane and went and picked up his TOY. Y'all. He looked at me like I was crazy and I proceeded to cry tears as I shouted- "Oh I am so glad you are safe!"

Now before you judge- why in the world do people give children toy and pet spiders. Just say no to the spiders. For all of us. *hahahaha*

I once had a group of students that would hide "baby plastic spiders" in different parts of my room. Y'all I would scream every single time. They said it was in love and I am half giggling and half cowering in my bed as I write and remember those pranks. 

But not as much as I am giggling remembering being put in a soccer net. *hahahaha* 

Or a hilarious day of April Fools jokes that started with taking Brett's parking spot and ended in post it notes and Proey being "stolen" to another parking spot. HAHA. 

high heights

I sound all brave about heights until I start climbing up high and the thought of jumping out of a plane or off of something high scares the life out of me. SO you may be surprised to learn that I did do bungee jumping off a high bridge while I was living and studying abroad in France. Let us blame that on a cute boy. I screamed the entire time and unsurprisingly he did not find it cute when I threw up. *hahahaha*

RANDOM FACTS

random things about me

1. I have several food allergies, but the one that always surprises people is that I am allergic to chicken. 

2. I love wearing skirts and dresses more than anything. I love purses. I love jewelry. I am definitely a girly girl to the fullest even though I love being out in nature.

3. I love to dance. Literally love it. It may even be a requirement for the future hubby. *hahaha* I joke... sort of. Hahaha. 

4. I love to travel and explore- even if it is just to a different road that I have never been on. 

5. I love developing community and deep friendships. My motto is that if you are a friend you are part of my family...some people think that it is a little over the top... I believe in loving big. 

6. When I am done eating I cover my plate with a napkin. I honestly don't want to see it anymore. 

7. I have never liked carbonated drinks. Ever. And so I have never had an entire soda/coke in my entire life.

8. I drink almost 300 ounces of water every single day. 

9. My favorite place in the world, the place I call camp is where I most love to be with family and friends. 

10. I have been the recipient of such extreme grace that I truly believe in extending grace to others freely and fully. I truly believe that we are all just trying our best. 

11. I carry the biggest purse. Haha. Some of have said it looks like a suitcase. I am giggling as I write this! 

random things about my tribe and those that I love dearly

1. My mom is my absolute bestest friend. She has seen me at my worst and loved me unconditionally. I absolutely love living life with her.

2. My sister is "hoopster" and I am "pom pom". Let us blame this on a very bad break up in 2008 that resulted in a marathon watching of Alias and thinking that the way they had code names was "cool". Hahaha- somehow this has stuck and it continues on to this day. 

3. My grandmother, who was also a best friend (and today is her birthday and I am missing her even more today) I called "Ba". The name stuck so much that our entire family called her that and was so fun! Before he passed away I called my grandfather "Pa". 

4. I miss my dad more than words could ever express. Over the decade of being sick my dad started calling me "Becky". I am not sure when it started or why, but I really loved it and I miss hearing that each day. No one else calls me that and it was definitely one of those "secondary griefs" that hits hard. 

random things about living with me

1. I really love a clean car but I also love a well loved car that has been lived in and people feel comfortable in for long road trips. Haha many times these things are the opposite of each other. 

2. Grief hit me very hard over the last five years and I am so grateful for my mom extending a LOT of grace that the important things were first and if that meant that we spent time just processing, relaxing, resting, and leaning in instead of vacuuming and dusting it was more than okay. It allowed me time to process and it allowed both of us to start to heal in deep ways. 

3. #2 was hard to learn to be okay with because I love things neat and organized and even at one point before I got sick had my clothes color-coordinated. (Don't judge until you try it. *smiles*) But life has taught me in deep ways to pick what is most important in life. 

4. Because of the December Caravan Shop, it is very common to find craft supplies in various rooms if I walk around with those items throughout the day. Haha.

5. I can literally have a bottle of water in almost every room in the house and a book that I am in the middle of at any given time leaving people to see lots of 1/2 bottles of water that I am finishing and lots of random books I am in the middle of from all different genres. 

6. I am known to be a scissor stealer. Haha. I can literally lose a pair of scissors all the time.

7. I can eat dozens of black raspberries each day. They are my favorite food ever. And are SO good for you! (Read this post HERE for all the health benefits!)

random things about my business with Caravan Sonnet

1. More than ten years later of writing here on Caravan Sonnet and I still don't edit my pictures on the blog (except to add a watermark) or on my Instagram. I will literally take hundreds of pictures for the couple to use. I know, I know. Crazy but true.

2. Every month I write and write and write. In this month alone I will write, edit, and re-write over 300 pages of writing for books I am working on, articles I am writing, and the blog. (And of course it needs to be edited in colored pens because as y'all know I love colored pens. *smiles*)

3. Working on Caravan Sonnet Brand (and the offsets) takes a lot of time and discipline behind the scenes that people do not realize. Most mornings I am up at 3:30 or 4am for work long before my full-time job starts. 

4. Creating resources for Caravan Sonnet Shoppe on Teachers Pay Teachers has been such a blessing and is SO humbling to see these items making their way into classrooms around the world. My teacher loving heart, which deeply misses being in the classroom in this season, is speechless.

random annoyances

1. When people say "wow, you are so tall" I literally want to roll my eyes. I mean, honestly people. 

random major things that make me upset

1. People being cruel to other people or animals is absolutely unacceptable. 

2. Rudeness is the biggest turn off for me and is my biggest pet peeve.

3. When people give "helpful" (notice the sarcasm) single/dating advice. Please do not ever tell an older single gal (anyone over the age of 30) how to handle being a single or how it was hard for you in the waiting process (when you met your spouse at age 12). Absolutely unhelpful on one of the most tender areas of my life.

4. It bothers me when medical professionals (including those in the medical community, insurance companies, and government officials, etc.) refer to Lyme Disease as "Lymes". The reason is that there is already so much confusion and mis-information about Lyme that exists that saying the name wrong feels slightly like an insult. (Or calling it a completely different name all together like when I was asked how my fight with "Lame Disease" was going!) (If you don't know what Lyme Disease is that is okay! I really didn't either before I got sick so that I why I wrote the post, "What is Lyme Disease?" to make it simple!) 

5. Ghosting. Let's just leave that there. *smiles* I had to learn the very hard way that this was not just ghosting in relationships, but ghosting in friendships... but the beautiful thing was learning the importance of healing from these situations. If you have encountered this check out this post HERE to help encourage you. 

6. People who speak death words over me or situations in my life (and those that I love) are not allowed in. The code exists for a reason. (You can read about the Code HERE). I love how Kristian Anderson in his book Days Like These, (found HERE) states his "code": 

"When you come to me or my family, there is now a dress code in effect. Come to us wearing Faith and Hope, you will be warmly welcomed. Come to us wearing Fear and Doubt, and you will be politely asked to leave. This dress code will be strictly enforced."

Going along with this is one of my favorite quotes is from Paul Tripp: 

"Everyday you preach to yourself a gospel of your loneliness, inability, and lack of resources or you faithfully preach to yourself the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."

 -Paul David Tripp-

random favorites

1. Going to the hairdresser is my favorite thing ever. I love people playing with my hair and the washing/massage of the scalp is amazing. 

2. I had a love affair with all things being pretty and colorful even when I was teaching which meant poor former students were stuck in a classroom with tons of pretty flowers and happy colored powerpoint presentations even when learning about wars and terrorism. 

3. I am a words of affirmation person and a quality time and touch all rolled into one. I will cry at a genuine compliment, the greatest gift is spending time with my loved ones and a hug from my loved ones is the perfect answer for everything. *smiles*

Okay friends, there are just a few of my random things. What are some of your strange quirks and random facts? I would love to know!