Personality

Jon and I are going through the New Members Class at Wedgwood. It's a four-week Sunday afternoon class that helps us get to know the staff, the ministry opportunities in the church, the grounds, the budget, plans for the future, etc. It's been a very informative class. There are four young married couples in there, all from our Sunday School, as well as several other people.

Part of the class involves taking several tests: Personality, Spiritual Gifts and some others. My spiritual gifts were not a big surprise to me: mercy, exhortation and hospitality were my top three. But my personality! I had no idea!

I'm an otter! Who knew?! Well, apparently everyone else. Even the minister going through the test results with us said he wasn't surprised! Here are the "otter" words that I feel describe me: compassionate, disorganized, easily distracted, exaggerates, eye for nature and art, impulsive, insecure, people-centered. But I don't feel like I'm: extroverted, influencing, inspiring, natural magnetic grace (grace? me??), undisciplined.

I understand that people don't fit into any one category perfectly, but I never would have labelled myself as an otter. I have always thought I was a labrador. Labradors are loyal, have a few deep friendships, keep a fairly even-keeled life, etc.

A fear I have had is that I'm moody with a tendency toward depression. It's the artist in me that realizes that most artistic people aren't normal. But fearing depression and moodiness can actually bring about the very thing I don't want, even if I hadn't actually tended toward it in the first place. However, I'm an otter! I am bubbly and carefee! :) I don't need to worry about "no steenking depression!"

It's funny how having a new label has made me so happy. Few people who read this will know how I was when I was little. I was the gregarious, outgoing one who was always on the phone and always doing something with many friends. Then we moved, and then we moved again, and I increasingly became quieter and more introverted. I realized the change, and thought that's just the way I am now. My experience has made me this way. But it wasn't true. What I hadn't realized through my college years (and now after) is that I have been coming out of that, and once again becoming outgoing and making lots of friends. Those quiet years were actually just a healing process, and I hadn't realized it. In college--still thinking of myself as fairly introverted--I considered any outgoing personality to be a cover for my insecurity. I always thought to myself, "I know I don't make friends this easily. It's just my need to cover up my timidity." When, actually, I do make friends easily. I can carry on conversations and get people involved.

When I found out I was an otter, I looked at Jon in disbelief, and yet he had never had any doubt! I told my friend Margie at church (who is also an otter) and she said, "Of course! You couldn't be anything else." So what has been to me a discovery is to everyone else a fact of life. I'm an otter.

Jon, on the other hand, is a beaver, which is a good thing, because we balance each other. As the minister put it, the otter is going to have a great party, but there may not be any food. So the beaver has to be around to remember plates and cups and the logistics of things.

Here is a visual of what a beaver and an otter are like, and their dynamics together:

See? We're a perfect match. :)

Congratulations!!

I wanted to send out a loud CONGRATULATIONS to my wonderful friends Leanna and Joe on their ENGAGEMENT!!! I'm so excited and happy for you, and I can't wait to look through wedding books and help you try on dresses (speaking to Leanna here, not Joe) and do all the things you did to help me with my wedding.

We love you both and will be praying for you during your engagement (and beyond!).

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

Today during lunch I watched Mister Rogers with Friday (I'm trying to be a good parent!).

Click here for a trip down memory lane.

Most of you know that I didn't grow up with a TV. What you probably don't know is that my family actually did have a TV when I was very little. John was watching Mister Rogers when it broke. Leave it to my brother to ruin things for me. :) Well, my parents had two little kids and no money, so we didn't get a TV, and then we were all used to no TV, so we never got one until I was in high school, and only then because my grandmother moved in with us and she already had one.

Anyway, though I didn't have a TV at home growing up, I always liked to watch Mister Rogers at my grandparents' house. I mean, with songs like "You Are Special", who couldn't like it? Mister Rogers was just what little kids needed. They didn't know where they fit in the world, he said they were special. They had so many creative things running through their heads, he harnessed it with the trolley into the imaginary neighborhood. They saw different sized, shaped and colored kids, he explained that we were all different and unique. They couldn't express their feelings, he sang a song about being sad or angry and how to deal with those emotions. Mister Rogers spoke slowly, explained anything unclear, and always had a smile.

I feel like the experience today has helped my little kitty, too. He seems much calmer. The ADD of this morning has turned into an afternoon nap. Hopefully he will know that he can be like Henrietta Pussycat and play and learn all day long!

So to end my blog, always remember that you are special, and that you have made my day special. Just by being you. Isn't it a good feeling to be alive?

And my kitten has poop on his tail...

Some things are just funny.

And this is. Friday has what Jon fondly refers to as a "Klingon" on his tail. He doesn't seem to notice, and it's like toilet paper on someone's shoe, you know? Just funny. Friday is oblivious.

I, being the devoted mother I am, am not about to clean my little boy's heinie. He can figure it out on his own, or I figure eventually it will fall off of its own free will. But it's been two days now, and it seems to be here for the long haul. Someone's gotta cave pretty soon.

So, kitten or not, Friday is still just a little boy, getting in messes, making messes, and carrying them around on his tail.

Just funny.

Edit: Well, Jon got home and read the post and was grossed out, so he, the GOOD parent, cleaned it up. What a great dad! As for the post, you can tell I just haven't posted in a long time, and was coming up short on what to post, so this is what I came up with! Maybe next time will be a little more high quality and a little less toilet humor (literally).

Click here for pictures of Little Friday.