I had the honor of being tagged by my dear friends, The Bookworm and Plainsong, for the ten Random Facts Meme. Here is my list, and I sincerely hope it will not be too tedious with all those I's in every single sentence!
1. Like my friends, Rebecca and Kim, I am an only child. (My husband is one of eleven!)
2. I am one of those people who has never quite mastered my right from my left. (Trivia question: Did any of you notice the glaring mistake in my original posting of "The Heart of the Priesthood"?)
3. I have been a lector for 25 years without ever taking a hiatus (beginning in grammar school--I mention this because I don't want you twenty-something moms to think I am a hundred!)
4. I was the valedictorian of the graduating class in the last school I attended. (Sorry to be vague. I am trying not to give away too much information on the internet.)
5. I did not learn to drive until the age of thirty. (And, no, driving school is not the school mentioned in number 4, although that would be pretty funny.)
6. My granduncle, Joseph Dunn, was a victim of the Matawan Maneater. My grandfather, Michael, pulled him from the shark's jaws.
7. In December of 1980, a picture of me mourning for John Lennon outside the Dakota appeared on the cover of New York Newsday.
8. When this woman first told me her plan to home educate, I was surprised because I had never heard of anyone doing such a thing. While on vacation that summer (1996), with her plan fresh in my mind, I had an instantaneous and irrevocable "conversion experience" watching the home education episode of The Abundant Life with Johnnette Benkovic on EWTN. The show made me see that home education was not only a good idea, but my clear calling in life. Two weeks later, I met this woman at a local bakery. Do you think God was trying to reinforce my decision, or what?
9. My name, Alice, has been passed down for at least two hundred years on my mother's side of the family.
10. Some of you sharp readers may already know that Beyond the Heather Hills by Melissa Wiley is dedicated to my four oldest daughters and me. (Run and check your shelves now!) You may not know that the girls and I helped name the book. Lissa asked us to choose between "Beyond the Heather Hills" and "Fair City by the Tay." I hope you like our pick!
Tag:
The Journey of a Mother's Heart
I've really been enjoying getting to know people through this meme. I have a grandmother who never learned to drive - and she lived to be 93!
Your part about meeting Lissa two weeks after watching that show is SO amazing!
Posted by: Love2learn Mom | October 26, 2006 at 06:31 PM
Oh, Alice, this was a JOY to read! I'm sitting here with my copy of Lissa's book and I feel like I have a little of you both here with me. :) Thanks for sharing all this, my friend.
Posted by: Dawn | October 26, 2006 at 06:51 PM
Wow, Alice. Sounds like you have led an interesting life.
Do you have a copy of the newspaper photo to share?
What's the story behind not driving until you're 30? Have you always lived in/near New York where there's subway and buses? ;)
I love the name connection and all the other connections. How neat!
Posted by: Cay | October 26, 2006 at 08:04 PM
>Do you have a copy of the newspaper >photo to share
I tried to find it online without success. My mother definitely has a few copies buried in her house somewhere. She moved two years ago, so it may remain in an unopened box. I will scan and post if it ever turns up.
>What's the story behind not driving >until you're 30? Have you always lived >in/near New York where there's >subway and buses? ;)
This is not uncommon where I lived because there was practically no parking, and trains, buses and cabs were everywhere. When we moved to a less urban (much less urban), place, I needed to learn to drive right away. Do you know how stressful it is to take your first faltering steps as a driver with three babies strapped in the back? I was petrified of getting into an accident with them, although it probably made me that much more careful.
Thank you for asking!
And thank you Dawn and Love2learn Mom!
Posted by: Alice Gunther | October 26, 2006 at 09:26 PM
Alice, that story about your granduncle and grandfather is quite amazing! I certainly have never heard anything like it before now. I also did not know you were an only child!
(Lastly, because this comment is WAY too long :) already!) I always wondered how you and Lissa met. Do you know that I lived very close to that bakery in the summer of 1991?
Posted by: Rebecca B. | October 26, 2006 at 10:16 PM
Alice, I'm so glad you did this. Far from tedious, all those I's are what make your list so interesting. It is great to see the hand of God in the lives of others. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Suzanne Temple | October 26, 2006 at 10:26 PM
Alice,
Thank you for sharing your little known facts. I enjoyed learning about the kindest lady I have "met" online!
Posted by: kristina | October 26, 2006 at 11:00 PM
Thanks for sharing. It's so nice to get to know everyone. And thanks for tagging me. I'll see if I can come up with 10 interesting things (hmmm). :)
Posted by: Katherine in TX | October 27, 2006 at 12:19 AM
you are one interesting lady, Alice. Does it count that I know exactly where I was when I heard of John Lennon's death??? Thanks for tagging me, sweetie. :)
Posted by: Cheryl | October 27, 2006 at 12:51 AM
Oh, Alice, we can never have too many of your "I"s ... and what a wonderfully fun and interesting list! Thank you!
Posted by: Karen E. | October 27, 2006 at 10:02 AM
This was an interesting new layer to getting to know you - enjoyed it!
Posted by: Lynn | October 27, 2006 at 11:04 AM
That was an interesting list! I'm glad I'm not the only person out there stumped on the concept of left/right. I'd like to see the photo also!
Posted by: Jennifer | October 27, 2006 at 11:32 AM
What a fascinating list! Thanks for yet another day of smiles during my visit to your "cottage". :)
Posted by: Amy | October 27, 2006 at 02:30 PM
Thank you Alice :). What a piece of family history - "oh, that was great-uncle Joseph. He nearly got eaten by a man-earing shark ... ". This meme is a fun one!
Posted by: Kathryn | October 27, 2006 at 03:27 PM
Learning to drive at 30? You are one intrepid soul.
I remember being terrified driving around with that tiny, wobbley-headed darling who seemed to be rattling around in her monsterously huge carseat.
Egads! I wanted a huge neon sign on my car to warn other drivers to PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!!!
Thanks for tagging me :-)
Posted by: Ann | October 27, 2006 at 07:57 PM
Love this list, Alice. You are amazing. I'm thinking #4 must be a university---wow! I noticed the dedication of #10 long ago and imagined how thrilled your girls must have been. Please tell them they made an excellent choice for the title.
Thanks so much for tagging me. I just posted my list.
Posted by: Diane | October 27, 2006 at 09:54 PM
I love love love this list! And dare I say I love love love its author? We all do, I think! When are you having us over?
Posted by: Margaret in Minnesota | October 28, 2006 at 09:08 AM
I completely agree with every word of Margaret's comment. Tea at Alice's, anyone? Now that would be worth making a trip across the Atlantic.
Posted by: Diane | October 28, 2006 at 01:18 PM
Gang, if I could have one wish, it would be to have all of you over for tea, coffee or anything else. You are all so great. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Posted by: Alice Gunther | October 28, 2006 at 01:38 PM