Pieces of Eight

Not the coinage...but that which was formerly known as the "seven sevens" game.

I've been tagged by my friend Queen Shenaynay, (whom I haven't gotten to spend time with for far too long) from the Beehive. She made the game a little more interesting by adding to the rules ;-).
Being a pretty good follower, here is my list, patterned after hers, which she began thusly:

"Eight comes after seven...
Well, honestly now -- did you really think I'd play by the rules?"

8 things I’d like to do before I die:

~See my brothers, sisters and their families, but especially my children, grandchildren and great+grandchildren walk with the Lord; to be the matriarch at the family reunions, with all the family singing and worshipping together, as my 99 yo Granny did before me
~float in a boat down the Amazon River
~drink coffee in Alaska and Hop over to Russia for a tour
~have more self-discipline to study, not just read, my Bible every day
~be a better communicator
~know where my foster sisters are...all seven of them.
~sing on a project that sells well on a national (or even international!) level or
~write a book that isn't just "more of the same" which hundreds upon hundreds of authors have written about before.
~extra: to spend money without having to give it a second thought as to whether I can spend it or not


8 things I can’t do (but would like to):

~scale a large rock or rock wall without any problems!
~own some gorgeous, scenic property in another country, preferably near rolling hills or mountains
~see just fine without glasses
~be totally consistent, but that's too predictable, and a bit boring
~stay focused while preparing lessons quickly, even now I'm supposed to be preparing for my American Lit. class instead of playing this game!
~keep to one point. I'm too global and random
~juggle (literally and someitmes mentally)
~let myself off the hook sometimes


8 things that attracted me to my husband:

~He played a jumbo Guild guitar (still does, but prefers a smaller Martin, now) a la William Ackerman or Alex Degrassi. He plays beautiful songs without words, many that he composed himself.
~His commitment to live like Jesus Christ. He is a peacemaker in most every way. He wanted to work with kids in some sort of ministry even before I met him. He started out as a youth minister and became a fulltime High School English teacher after we married.
~He loved traveling and camping; talked of visiting Europe again (we'd both already done that, but once is not enough!), so we had that...and a couple of German friends, in common.
~His incredible wit and his laugh!
~He's very good at writing "silly songs" on the fly. He's not bad at poetry, either :-)
~He is extremely gracious with me, and treats me well. He takes me to the symphony, encourages me to pursue my interests, and to travel still, (without him sometimes). He makes musical instruments for me, the family, and even for friends now...AH, what more could a gal ask for?
~He likes listening to the radio show "A Prarie Home Companion" with me (in the 80's, and now).
~He is a dreamer, but also a realist


8 things I say most often:

~BOYS!! or Jordanandrew (said as one word, [grin]
~what? (as in: Are you talking to me? It's that juggling or switching gears thing)
~WHAT!!? (as in: What *now*?)
~I'm getting in the car, now...(we should have left five minutes ago)
~Listen! (said quietly, usually for birds singing or a gorgeous piece of music on classical radio)
~wash hands!
~(I'm) washing reds!!
~Get off my computer...*Please* just give me the courtesy of asking me first...


8 books I really like -

I was late coming into the enjoyment of reading. My first introduction to one of my favorite authors, Francis Schaeffer, was through his daughter's book:
~How To Be Your Own Selfish Pig (and other ways you've been brainwashed) by Susan Schaeffer Macauley
~several other books by Francis or Edith Schaeffer.
~Mere Christianity and others by C. S. Lewis
Pride and Prejudice and others by Jane Austen
~Tokien's Lord of the Rings trilogy
~Little Women, Jo's Boys, Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
~The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith
~Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain

(more than) 8 movies I could (and do) watch over and over:

~The Princess Bride
~Secondhand Lions
~Sense & Sensibility
~Pride & Prejudice (almost any version)
~Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
~Much Ado About Nothing
(I should say, just about anything that Emma Thompson or Kenneth Branaugh have been in)
~Enchanted April (We are also fans, Queen Shenaynay)
~Howard's End
~Shadowlands
~Les Miserables
~Tea With Mussolini

Adding to this list:

Movies that are fantastic, but hard to watch more than once:

~The Patriot
~The Mission
~Wit
~Schindler's list
~La Vita e Bella

I tag: the oldest son and anyone else who wants to play