Confessions: Answering a Proust Questionnaire

Because I don’t have any creativity for original writing at the moment…

The Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized (though not devised) by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature. Here is the basic Proust Questionnaire.

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Living a life in obedience to God's plan for me.

2. What is your greatest fear? Death or harm to my children.

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Lack of self-discipline.

4. What is the trait you most deplore in others? It would be a tie between dishonesty and fakeness. (Although, fakeness is really just a form of dishonesty, isn’t it?)

5. Which living person do you most admire? My husband.

6. What is your greatest extravagance? With my husband’s blessing, the manicure that I get every other week. (Bud says it’s worth it every time I scratch his back!)

7. What is your current state of mind? Calm

8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Is there such a thing? Although, I do despise "honesty" used as a disguise for maliciousness!

9. On what occasion do you lie? Possibly to spare someone deep hurt. Although, I prefer avoidance over lying if at all possible.

10. What do you most dislike about your appearance? As much as I like lists, I’m not going to start this list right now. Ha!

11. Which living person do you most despise? Child abusers and molesters.

12. What is the quality you most like in a man? Integrity. (See my answers to questions number 5 and 30.)

13. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Integrity.

14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Apparently” and “No, what did YOU say?” (The latter just to irritate my kids!)

15. What or who is the greatest love of your life? My husband.

16. When and where were you happiest? Now! At every stage of life I think, “This is the stage I’ll look back upon and think was the best.” Then, I reach the next stage and think the same again!

17. Which talent would you most like to have? To be a great singer.

18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? More self-discipline.

19. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Being a mother.

20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? A cat because they have nine lives. Right?

21. Where would you most like to live? On the coast – preferably in a southern region.

22. What is your most treasured possession? Videos of my children over the years and linens/quilts that were made by my great-grandmothers.

23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Godlessness.

24. What is your favorite occupation? Homemaker, baker, writer. In that order.

25. What is your most marked characteristic? I’m the boss. Don’t believe it? Just ask… I’ll tell you!

26. What do you most value in your friends? Faithfulness/loyalty.

27. Who are your favorite writers? In no particular order: Jane Austen, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Janette Oke, Robert Frost, and Betty Crocker.

28. Who is your hero of fiction? That would have to be Betty Crocker! (I'm not going to debate this answer. Betty is a fictitious character and she's a hero in my kitchen - which completely qualifies my answer!)

29. Which historical figure do you most identify with? I’d like to say Ma Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) but I’m not sure I could live up to her standard. My husband has dragged me all over the country (VA, to TN, to IL, to TX) but he never made me do it in a horse-drawn wagon or required my help to build our home with my own two hands. But, I do like to think that I can “roll with the punches” like she did! (Updated to add: When I said Bud has "dragged me all over the country," I didn't mean to imply that he made me move against my will - I've happily anticipated every move we've made and fallen more in love with each home/community than the prior one. I simply meant that we've moved more often than many couples and each time to a very different region of our country.)

30. Who are your heroes in real life? My dad and Bud. Both are godly men of integrity who live their lives for the good of their family.

31. What are your favorite names? My kids’ names: Burrito and Kat.

32. What is it that you most dislike? Lack of integrity.

33. What is your greatest regret? I don’t have any great regrets – just things I might have done differently.

34. How would you like to die? In my sleep at a very, very old age.

35. What is your motto? There’s no guarantee of tomorrow!

So, who's up for answering next??

Works For Me Wednesday - Household Chore System

I've mentioned before that I don't mind housekeeping. (Except for laundry.) And, I love lists. I love lists! I think it's the checking things off the lists that thrills me the most.

So, I've been on the lookout for a housekeeping routine that had a calendar or list to keep me motivated and on some type of a schedule. I've tried quite a few including the Fly Lady. That is a good system for some people - it just didn't work for me. The emails did me in by about the third day. I have enough trouble keeping my email read and cleaned out without the nine million she sent me each day, thank you very much!

Last week I found IT. The system that will work for me. I wish I could tell you how I stumbled across the Motivated Moms website... but I don't remember. The system was created by two moms, for moms. Well, that certainly is me!

These motivated ladies have developed a daily calendar that lists daily chores down one side - tasks that are routinely completed every day. Each day's page also has an additional list of tasks to complete - these tasks change each day and are organized so that these chores are completed in a reoccurring manner. For instance, the kitchen floor gets mopped every Thursday. It even includes tasks like changing the filters in the HVAC system. One of the things I like about this system is that there is no guilt (other than my own!) when items aren't completed. If you don't get to something, well.. it comes back around again another day/week/month. No playing catch up. These calendars also include space for your own appointments and notes.

They have several versions available to purchase for the very minimal fee of $8. Once you pay, they email you the file to download to your computer. I purchased the half-size (two days to a page) version. They even have a version that includes daily Scripture readings intended to guide you in reading through the Bible in one year. I've printed the calendar and placed it in a three-ring binder but you could just as easily check it on your computer each day. However, that would eliminate that satisfying feeling of checking the items off the list as you complete them!

And that, ladies, works for me! For more great Works For Me Wednesday ideas, head over to We Are THAT Family.

Pondering...

(Sea gulls in sky over the Galveston Bay, July 2008)

"If I say, "My foot is slipping," Your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.

When worries threaten to overwhelm me,

Your soothing touch makes me HAPPY."
(Psalm 94:18-19 New English Translation)

What Scripture is speaking to you this week?

Happy Mother's Day!

Blessed to be their daughter and friend...

(The Queen Mum... aka, my beautiful mom.)

(My mom-in-law... and my sweet friend.)

Honored to be their mother...

(Burrito and Kat, summer vacation 2008)

Just for the fun of it because all mothers can relate to at least some part of it...

Are you praying?

Today is the day...



"May your unfailing love rest upon us, Oh Lord,
even as we put our hope in you." (Psalm 33:22)

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

The outnumbered Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army that had not been defeated in almost 50 years. However, Cinco de Mayo is not "an obligatory federal holiday" in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily.

While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. However, a common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, which actually is September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish), the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

(Thank you, Wikipedia!)

For those of you who know me and my family, you know that Cinco de Mayo is just another excuse for us to eat Mexican food. (Like we need an excuse.) This year is no exception. We're grilling chicken fajitas on the grill and serving rice and refried beans on the side. We'll top off the meal with a confection that combines two of my favorite desserts into one: sopapillas and cheesecake.

And, because you are my good friends, I'm going to share this recipe with you!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 pkgs. crescent rolls

2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese (softened)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teasp. vanilla flavoring

2 eggs

1/4 cup lime juice (use Key limes if possible)

Topping: Combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 2 teasp. cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Open and unroll one package of crescent rolls. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. (Make sure all perforated seams are pressed closed.)

In a separate bowl, use a mixer to combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla and eggs. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add lime juice and mix 'til blended.

Pour mixture over crescent rolls in pan. Smooth with a spatula so that it evenly covers the rolls.

On a piece of waxed paper, press second can of crescent rolls to the size of the baking dish. Flip onto the top of the dessert and peel away the waxed paper.

Sprink top with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top. Let cool and then refrigerate until cold. This is very good served with sliced strawberries!

Notes:

This recipe may be halved and prepared in an 8 inch square baking dish.

Omit the lime in the filling and the cinnamon in the topping to serve this as a breakfast danish with fresh fruit or pie filling (cherry or blueberry).

Enjoy!

Coming soon...

National Day of Prayer - Thursday, May 7, 2009
"Prayer... America's Hope"



"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." (Psalm 33:22)

For more information, visit the National Day of Prayer website.