"You can hug me if you want to" on this Fun Random Tuesday....

I begin by interrupting our regularly scheduled "Random Tuesday" program with a quick "Sayings by Scout" update. I couldn't let this one go by!

Yesterday, she and I were making blueberry muffins together and, after we finished and she was apparently pleased with how she did, she smiled smugly and looked at me and offered, "You can hug me if you want to." I tried not to laugh too loudly and, of course, gave her a hug. Then she batted her eyes and said, "You can kiss me if you want to." How could I resist? I gave her a kiss too.

And now...for my Random Tuesday post, I thank Dawn for tagging me last week with this cute idea.

You take your middle name--mine happens to be Annette--and use every letter in it to tell something about yourself! I'm officially tagging you all on it and asking you to play along. Put your answers in my comments section, or post a comment letting us know that you are doing it on your own blog.

Here's mine...

A Alabama gal. I wasn't born in Alabama (see "T" below for "the rest of the story"), but I have lived here since I was 15. So, it's absolutely home! I love so much about Alabama, which really gets a bad rap from the people who haven't ever visited or lived here. The food is wonderful, the scenery is beautiful (we have mountains and the beach in one state!), the people are so incredibly friendly, and there is a slower sense of enjoyment than in other places. I love other places--and even love big, northern cities (Chicago is one of my very faves!)-- and dearly love to travel, but I always want to come back home to my South. (And, besides, I have three girls who are all Alabama born and bred!)

N Nuts about my family, good girlfriends, fried green tomatoes (and most things fried!), donuts (and most things that come from a bakery), Alabama football, flying anywhere an airplane will take me, scrapbooking, John Cusack, rainstorms at night, Diet Dr. Pepper, birthday parties, a really great photo, cozy mystery novels, poetry, convertibles, sports radio, my faith, a good cry,old Seinfeld episodes, a roaring fireplace, lying on the beach, science fiction movies. (And boy could I go on and on...but I'll think I'll stop there.)

N Not so nuts about getting up early in the morning, mayonnaise, heights (deathly afraid!), slow people, getting stuck in a line, cereal with milk (without is okay), people who don't think of their children first, processed meat, whining, an unmade bed, prejudice. (And boy could I go on and on...but I think I'll focus more on the good!)

E Exciteable. I tend to get really excited about things when I'm having a good time! I will squeal over any gift I get; I will scream way too loudly at sporting events; I will jump up and down, dance, and act really silly if I think the situation warrants it (and it's even better if it embarrases one or all of my daughters! lol). It's all about joy!!

T Texas native. Though I consider myself an Alabama Gal, I am a Native Texan and nothing can take that away from me! Yes, we native Texans are a little proud (but don't say elitist!) but for good reason. We have awesome history (yes, we were once a nation all our own), great food, great sports, beautiful cities (San Antonio is my favorite!), and cool people! In fact, I think the two most perfect words in the English language might just be "barbecue brisket" (either that or "chili relleno" or "Dallas Cowboys")!

T Tapping my toes to really great music from the 80s (I tell my girls all the time that I grew up in the 80s--turned 12 in 1980 and graduated from college in 1990--so they will just have to suffer through some Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses, and Paula Abdul! lol); praise music; loud contemporary Christian; Radio Disney (we have this on our satellite radio and Gary and I sadly enjoy it way too much!); great music from before my time (I was raised by a wonderful Dad who taught me the fine points of the great music from the 60s and 70s, so give me some Beatles, Stones, Byrds, Cat Stevens, Moody Blues, Van Morrison...oh yeah baby!); and plenty of helpings of today's rock and pop music (I'm a big fan of all music, so I really believe in keeping up with the music my kids like. And it's nice that I actually like a lot of it. Right now my favorite songs are "Umbrella," "The Great Escape," and this great new song by Linkin Park on my video player.)

E Expectng today to be better than yesterday. Which means that, even though I have my negative days when I feel depressed, I live 99% of the time in a world were my glass is half full. I tend to see the best in people, the positive in a situation, and the better thing around the corner!

That was Fun, Fun, Fun!!

Join in... and have a wonderfully, fun, random Tuesday!!