Tag, and I'm it

The rules of the game:
*Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
*Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, we all want to know them.
*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
*Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

My good friend Karisse tagged me, and as I've never been tagged, here goes: seven weird/strange items about myself.

1) If I find a song I like, I will play it over and over again until I have it memorized.
2) I love writing things down. I actually think it may be a learning disability. I have To-Do lists that I have to consolidate before actually doing anything on them. I have to take notes and write down quotes, even when reading for pleasure. When I was little, I used to copy down all the states, their capitals, their mottos, the state tree, bird, flower, etc. All in a nice little list. Or I'd copy, word-for-word, the dialogue of a favorite TV show we'd tape. Usually it was, "Hey, Dude." Wow, that's embarrassing.
3) I hate horror movies. I know it's "just a movie," but if it could've happened in real life, then I do not want to witness it. Fake blood is still too real.
4) I believe in time warps and your future self guiding your present self through decisions. I love thinking about the possibilities of this, should it actually be true.
5) My camera is probably my most prized possession. I organize all my pictures using iPhoto, and separating them in albums by event. I have 4,000 photos just from the past four months of school. For family/friend events for 2007? 6,500. I love taking pictures.
6) When I paint, sometimes I feel like I'm waking up. It's like I zone out and 30 minutes later, I have completed a layer. Maybe it's time to switch to acrylics. Or watercolor.
7) I have entertained the idea of opening up our home and letting people just take things to somehow demonstrate (or test) my supposed detachment from material possessions. I don't think I'd do it, but it's an interesting concept. Similarly, I feel like I could talk a mugger out of robbing me, because we're both people, and he's just trying to meet a need. I really don't want to test that one out, but I do truly believe that everyone is good at their core. We have to believe that, and act as if that is true, or peace doesn't have a chance (no matter how much we say it).

I am going to tag my sweet brother-in-law, Jeff. And I know I need six other people, but honestly, I don't know too many people who blog. Happy New Year!

An Advent Experiment

Yesterday being the first Sunday in Advent (already?!), I decided to start some resolutions early. Since one of my resolutions is to stop procrastinating, I wanted to get a head start. One of my resolutions (also one of Eric's) is to become more efficient. We've been inspired by the work of this father in New York City. If he can have vermicomposting in his apartment in New York, surely there's more WE can do! So when it got dark yesterday (and it was dark for most of the rainy day), we didn't turn on any lights. We ate, read, folded laundry, wrote, cleaned up and lived by candlelight. It really was beautiful and peaceful. I remember Advent with Mom and Karen growing up. We'd turn out all the lights, light a candle (or candles, depending on what week of Advent it was) and talk about the good things we'd done that day. For every good deed, we'd put a straw into a little manger - to prepare for Jesus' coming. We'd admit to bad things we'd done, and have to take out a straw. I remember sometimes being too tired and not wanting to participate in this ritual, but I was always pulled in by the glow of the candlelight. And it was always worth it. So, thanks, Mom!

So far, this ritual has been cleansing and therapeutic for me. I'll keep you posted!