Getting to Know Me

15 Questions: 1. What makes you smile?  I smile when I think about how proud I am of my kids. 
2. What are your favorite things to do in the past? What about now? My favorite things in my past are still things I love to do.  It this is a funny thing about me.  I never give up anything once I start something.  It kills me to give anything up.  Carshows, gardening, puzzles, couponing, rummage sales, reading, music, movies and crafts. I still enjoy everything I used to do 20 years ago.  Back 26 years ago when I started waitressing, I hated it.  But through the years I learned to love it.  The thought of quitting and doing something else upsets me.  I would miss my co-workers, the regular customers and routine of the job.
3. What activities make you lose track of time?  Working on the computer makes me lose track of time.
4. What makes you feel great about yourself?  My kids.  I'm so proud of them.  Rarely do I feel embarrassed by their actions.
5. Who inspires you most? (Anyone you know or do not know. Family, friends, authors, artists, leaders, etc.) Which qualities inspire you, in each person? My mother and Mother inlaw inspire me on how important it is to have a family and a home life.  Blogging inspires me to be creative.  My best friend is a deeply caring person and I learn so much for her.  My daughter also is a caring person she teaches me new ways in caring everyday. My father inspired the love of cars and how I can be just like him.  My husband inspires me to try new things.  My son inspires me to continue to be his mother even at his age!!!
6. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts etc.) I don't think I'm naturally good at anything.  But I challenge myself to work at things until I get it right!
7. What do people typically ask you for help in? Computers, waitressing skills and of course my kids asking questions all the time.  Their questions are now mostly life experience.  I can't believe that I'm now old enough to qualify for life experience.  When did that happen??
8. If you had to teach something, what would you teach? I could feel comfortable teaching about waitressing and couponing.  I think I could teach computer but it would be limited.  Right now my daughter is interested in learning to cook.  So I have been showing her the few things I know about that!!!
9. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?  Really I don't regret much in my life.  Maybe not having a larger circle of close friends.  I my close circle of friends I hold very tight and rarely let casual friends into that circle. 
10.What would you change about your past?  As a teen I didn't experiment with new things.  I was very cautious.  I see myself holding back my kids, because I'm still too cautious.  I want them to experience things we don't do... like sports and hobbies, however I'm always warning be careful.  I know my words hold them back from enjoying new things.
11. What are your deepest values? This is a very hard question, hard to talk about my values.  I can't really put them in order.  But there goes.. faith in god, trust, friendship, loyalty, strength, fairness and truthfulness.  I think I covered the ones that I have mastered.  However I believe I can always work on improving all values in life.

12. What were some challenges, difficulties and hardships you’ve overcome or are in the process of overcoming? How did you do it?  I haven't had continuing struggles or hardships throughout my life.  I have had deep difficulties that lasted a short time in my life.  Such as my fathers illness and passing.  I over came that with faith and strength.  I think love for him, his love and my families love got me through this.  I'm not completely over his passing but I can deal with it in my own way, it's getting more manageable. 
13. What causes do you strongly believe in? Connect with? I don't have one cause that I'm completely devoted to.  I will do what I can for any cause. 
14. If you could get a message across to a large group of people. Who would those people be? What would your message be? My message to all is buy and support American owned companies.  Thinking before we purchase all items.  Even if it will cost us more money or we have to give up a little leisure to do it. Such as buying a new car.  Buy American made, it will put people back to work.  The price might be slightly higher or it doesn't have just the right accessory, but it will get you to point A to point B and keep our fellow American's working!
15. Given your talents, passions and values. How could you use these resources to serve, to help, to contribute? ( to people, beings, causes, organization, environment, planet, etc.)  This is also a very hard question, first it seems as though I'm bragging.  So I will give a very simple answer...  I'm willing to help anyone that needs it in any way that I can.  Being time, friendship, money or items.