Monday listicles

I've just discovered a great blog, The Good Life, which has a list on every Monday--a writing prompt for bloggers. I've always been a great list maker, so I think I will give this a try. Here goes!

Monday Listicles

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, and find line 4. What is it?

Brownie uniform from the 1970s

"I think of Joy, her knowing smile." --from The Descendants, by Kaui Hart Hemmings (book group selection)

2. How many times a day do you say Hi?

25? Mostly to my kids in the morning and people in the office, walking in the hallways or in the coffee room.

3. Have you ever worn a uniform?

Yes--bussing tables at Village Inn, working at Arctic Circle (now-defunct fast food chain), being a Brownie/Girl Scout and Campfire Girl, and volunteering in the NICU (a Precious Beginnings shirt).

Oh--how can I forget??!!! And of course, when I was a Spur my sophomore year at Pacific Lutheran University. Spurs is a sophomore service sorority...with a song, and a uniform, which I made myself. We were informed that we "made it" when we were kidnapped in the middle of the night and taken to the rose window chapel for a somber ceremony. That was the first of many rituals and ceremonies, in addition to service to the community. We had "big Spurs" and "little Spurs" as each new group came in.

Every Tuesday during my sophomore year I wore a blue skirt, white polo shirt, and yellow jacket!
We even had a song we sang at the end of each meeting, which I still remember. Funny enough, my sister Nadine (and a number of my younger friends) also became a Spur...and one of the Spurs a year ahead of me became Nadine's sister-in-law! During my year, Spurs became coed--we had our first (brave) male member, a young Tom Selleck lookalike. I remember that the year involved a lot of sewing! (Uniform, doll for my Big Spur, scrapbook for my little Spur, Lucia Bride costume)

With some quick Internet sleuthing, I unearthed the PLU yearbook from that year and took a few screen captures. Hilarious!

Every year back then, the Spurs ran the annual Lucia Bride festival. For weeks beforehand, we would meet on lower campus at ungodly hours of the morning to learn the traditional Scandinavian songs and dances. The males were provided by the university's prestigious folk dancing group, the Mayfest dancers. We performed in our hand-sewn Scandinavian costumes and also baked hundreds of cookies for the reception afterward. It was exhausting, but SO much fun! The next year (when I was a junior), they scaled the festival WAY back. The Mayfest dancers did all the dancing.

Spurs pages in the yearbook
(I'm in the group photo, front row, second from the
right--the shortest one!)

Sadly, I don't think that PLU even has the Spurs any longer...yes, it was kind of hokey, but it was fun! Maybe all the sewing burnt them out. Somehow it's hard to imagine today's generation holding hands and singing the Spurs song at the end of a meeting!!

4. What do you think about the most?

Hmm...hard question. Probably at the moment, all the various dramas going on around me (fortunately not in my own family or job, but in many other parts of my life). Otherwise, my family, my job, what I'm reading.

5. How many keys are on your keyring?

Seven--two hardly ever used but a pain in the ass to remove from the keyring.

6. What was the last thing you bought?

Lunch at Cha Cha Cha for me and a close friend going through cancer treatment.

7. Are you growing anything these days?

Tomatoes, lettuce, eggplant (doing horribly), dill, zucchini, basil, snap peas (yum--had some yesterday)...also, our apples will be a bumper crop this year!

8. What is under your bed?

Some hand weights, ear plugs that have fallen behind the bed, Mike's shoes, a Costco coupon book.

9. What is most important in life?

Love, family, friends

10. What is the strangest word you used this week?

Must be something I used in "Words With Friends" (my new addiction)--not sure...

Stay tuned on Mondays for more "Listicles"!