1. I can hula hoop! Now, I can't do any nifty tricks with the hula hoop. I've tried, but I endanger small children and low flying birds every time I practice, so it's best to just leave that alone. BUT! I can keep that hoop going around and around for 30 minutes at a time! Seriously! I do it as my aerobic exercise. Or something in lieu of aerobic exercise. Or in an effort to look like I'm exercising without actually doing any... you know...exercise. Okay, just shut up! I'll bet you can't hula hoop for 30 minutes, so let's quit talking about my lack of exercise.
2. I can decorate a cake. Now, it doesn't look anything like one of my daughter's masterpieces:
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| You can see more of her creations here. |
3. I can drive a stick shift. When my kids learned to drive, their dad insisted they learn to drive stick, so I learned with them. Now that's a real skill right there. I can't even think of anything to make it sound like it's not. I can drive stick, and I can do it well. So there!
4. I can take pictures with a camera that's not set to automatic. I know how to set the aperture and shutter speed to get a correct exposure. So far this has not guaranteed amazing pictures, but I'm working on that. I need to get back to posting about my adventures in learning photography as soon as I find time to have some adventures in learning photography. Here are some of my pictures:
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| Students |
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| Grandpa and The Athlete |
5. I crochet. I have made several blankets for several babies. I made a sweater set before granddaughter #1 was born. Little booties seem to be beyond me unless we happen to get a baby with two different sized feet. When my daughter was engaged, we sat and watched The Green Mile on TV, and I crocheted her a whole set of pot holders during the movie. As I finished each one, I tossed it across the room to her like a Frisbee. I made this blanket for granddaughter #2, The Model:
6. I sing. I have to say that very quietly because I know so many really good singers that I'm embarrassed to seem like I'm trying to put myself in their company. Let's just say that some people have told me I'm a good singer, and I sang in a wedding once. Let's move on.
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| Pay no attention to the woman in the green makeup. |
8. I can recite a poem from memory. A poem I learned in the sixth grade no less! For those who might not realize it, it has been 40 years since I was in the sixth grade. Wow...I guess I hadn't realized it either. 40 years??? Well, now I'm depressed. I'll cheer myself up by reciting my poem: "Jabberywocky" by Lewis Carroll. " 'Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe, all mimsy were the borogroves and the momewraths outgrabe." I have just lit the Blogger spell check on fire! I feel much better now.
Here's Christopher Lee reading "Jabberwocky." You need to listen to it.
9. I can pick things up with my toes. Okay, I know I'm stretching it here. I'm getting a little desperate! But anyway, I can pick things up with my toes. I've always had very nimble toes.
10. I make the World's Greatest Pie Crust! I know this because The Hillbilly tells me so. He doesn't like anyone else's pie crust now that he's had mine. He brags about my pie crust to other people, sometimes to complete strangers. It's light; it's flaky; it's yummy. It's my mom's recipe, so I'm not the only person who makes the World's Greatest Pie Crust because my mom does too, obviously. And maybe my sister. The baby sister, not the other one. The other one doesn't make pie. I'm not sure why not. Anyway, this is not a cooking blog, or I'd give you the recipe. Just take my word for it; it's awesome.
And number 11 just for good measure: I know how to appropriately use semicolons!
So there you are! My special, amazing skills. What are your greatest talents? How hard is it for you to come up with 10? Because this list took me an amazing amount of time!
