Ten things no one knew about me...

An awesome thread started on facebook by Hollywog ... an awesome OH friend I met on here .... she told us ten things we did not know about her ... and as we responded she threw out any # for each responded to tell that about of things people don't know about them... this is my response and I want to share it on here..... it was awesome walking down memory lane too ... and pitching a few secrets out of my closet...

I got #10 seriously Holly Ann? ten things that people don't know about me? YIKES ,, lets see.. 

1.  I lived in a huge house that my grandpa built on a finca in the interior (country) in Panama, grandpa also built a makeshift hydraulic gasoline operated plant that would pump water from a well into these 8 or 10 huge barrels that sat on a tower-like structure at the level of a second floor balcony ... I was 20 years old before I lived in a house with electricity (when we moved to the city) we had light by sunlight during the day and kerosene lamps in every room at night ... we watched TV in our living room from a TV set that was powered by a standalone car battery thanks to my uncle Edgar Jean-Louis (RIP) invention before cars even had TVs in them...  said battery was charged/re-charged in the sun ... we listened to news, music and radionovelas on a powder blue transistor radio and on holidays we had awesome 'electricity' coming from light bulbs that were all attached to a makeshift power plant (gasoline operated) that ding ding ding MY GRANDPA BUILT..

2. We all took turns grinding corn that we picked on our own finca's cornpatch to feed granma's chickens, we also had to catch, kill and pluck the feathers of the chicken of choice from the chicken coop while chased by roosters and running hens  and we sucked on the seeds of the cocoa plant that grandma would dry in the sun, then roast, then shell and grind and make chuncks of awesome cocoa for hot chocolate with supper. Coffee beans were also picked from trees in our yard and we had coconut trees and mango and soursap tree lining the entire finca ... we had tangerines and plums, and mangotin and caimito (star apples) right on our land ...and tons of ground provisions planted and homegrown by our awesome gramps... 

3. I used to be my grandpa's barber ... I got to shave him and cut his hair every two weeks while he sat in the rocking chair on the balcony and taught me to recite the Marsellaise and the Lord's prayer in French. I used to clean his pipe too and as his vision was poor I would take a pull or two and sputter and spit at the burning tobacco ...  I loved that old man Jacques Jean-Louis and his wife Noemi my awesome Nani whose porridge with a big chunk of cinnamon stick send me to bed warm and comfy most nights.  I loved her cornmeal and rolled oats porridge but the 'creama de plátano' (plantiain cream) porridge had to go YUK. I miss sitting on grandpa's lap where with his pocket knife he would peel the sugar cane and cut it in chunks for all of us to have a piece... 

4. I can write cursive perfectly holding a pen between my toes with no assistance from my hands. Like perfectly as well as I write with my hands.

5. I can pick up things with my toes ,, seriously... I can pick something off the floor ... from shoe to paper you name it and bring it up to my bed or even as high up to over my head ... yup gripped with my toes and no help from my hands...

6. I love pinching with my toes ... my kids and DH my favorite subjects to torture ... my ex thought I was nutz because .... I loved 'playfully' pinching with my toes ...

7. I am a computer hardware and software geek yet I am electronically challenged as in I DO NOT KNOW TO OPERATE THE REMOTE FOR TV/STEREO/CABLE and DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ... I call my son or my DH to turn it on/off or switch the channels ...

8. I am panic stricken by electric storms ... thunder and lightning freak me out I am under the covers with the pillows over my head thank you. 

9. I am so pigeon toed I trip on own my feet but I have disciplined myself to concentrate on straightening my feet when I walk ... but at times I forget cause I get too comfy and down I go... 

10. I can make the most AWESOME fabric covered wedge shoes ... and I started doing them when I went to the University in Panama and wedges were the style .. I decided to recycle mine by redoing them in fabric and still do to this date... there are even awesome online tutorials nowadays ... but back then it was just me, my creativity and my imagination ... I LOVE MAKING THINGS...   

This was fun ... and I am glad it is FRIDAY ... YAY .... this is me before and now 6 years and 9 months post RNY... I would be awesome if in getting to know each other we can feel free to jump in and share ...any number of things/thing no one knows about you...

off to work with hugs and kisses from my lil poodle Chip....

HAPPY FRIDAY TO ALL!!!!

! 

THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE ... SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY...

Love it and I want some wedges:)

Definitely ... send them over and I would recycle them for you LOL ... I just did a pair today and shared them right on here .... they are easy and fun to make...

Awesome! You've lived a unique, interesting life from your description. Sounds as if was filled with love too, wonderful post. You had me missing grandpa too by the end.