Introduction

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a blog for some time now.  It’s not that I think I’m a good writer, or that I anticipate a huge following.  It’s more that I have things I want to say and this might be a way to get them said.  Basically, this blog is about me and my life.  Is that what most blogs are about or am I just a complete narcissist? 

I chose the name “My Slip is Showing” for my blog because that is what I anticipate will happen here.  I imagine I will reveal more than I intended.  Maybe even more than is polite.  But it will be MY slip that is showing.  That’s why I didn’t call it “Your Slip is Showing”.  

I heard once that we read to know we aren’t alone, and I think that is true.  I also think I talk to know that I’m not alone, but sometimes that backfires and I end up feeling more alone.  I call it “talkers remorse”.  Who knows, that may happen here, too.

SO, before I get started, I thought I should tell at least a little about myself.  I am closing in on 50 years old.  I’ve been married to the same man for nearly 30 years. I have five children, four of them grown and one teenager.  I have three grandchildren.  I am a Mormon living in Utah, but I am not from Utah.  I grew up on both coasts but was born in Texas. My husband  was in the military, so we moved many times during his career.  For over 20 years I was a stay-at-home mom.  I then went back to college, got a bachelor’s degree, and worked in a hospital for a couple of years.  I recently quit that job and am back at home full time.

I love to read.  I love to sing.  I love babies.  I try really hard to not be a fanatic about anything. I like to quilt, but not as much as I used to.  I love to plant flowers in the spring, but I tend to lose interest before fall.  I try to exercise every day, but sometimes I miss a day.   I don’t like to cook.  Food just isn’t my thing.  Oh, I don’t miss meals, I just don’t like to think about it until I’m actually hungry.  I am not a huge pet lover.  I guess I’m barely a pet tolerator.  Ok, pets don’t actually last long in my house.  We are down to one 8 year old cat right now and if I had my way...  I’m not a fan of fur or hairballs.  

I like to take hikes.  I like to stay in luxury hotels near hiking destinations.  I like the idea of camping, but not the reality.  Crackling campfires, skies full of stars, the murmur of crickets and frogs, wildlife sightings - these are all wonderful.  But I also like comfortable beds, warm showers, flush toilets, and central heating/cooling.  We bought a two-man kayak last year and I’m looking forward to taking it out. We got the two-man so my husband can do the work and I can enjoy the scenery.

I like to imagine things I would do to modify/improve my house.  Sometimes I actually do them.  We had the kitchen and family room remodeled last year.  I have plans for my bathroom and for the backyard but I don’t know if they will ever come to fruition.  When the cat dies I’m getting new carpet.  I plan to call the installers that very day.

I love history and archeology.  Whenever I dig in the yard I always hope to find artifacts.  So far the most exciting thing I’ve ever found was a horseshoe.  When I stripped the wallpaper out of my house I was excited to find several layers underneath.  I didn’t love the extra work, but I enjoyed the glimpse into the past.  It’s true I wondered what the previous owners were thinking when they chose that newsprint-like wallpaper, but I reminded myself that my choices might seem just as hideous years from now.   Whenever we travel I like to tour historic sites and I love hiking to ruins of any kind.  But part of me is always a skeptic - how do we really know?  Maybe that wasn’t a temple -  maybe it was a casino.  

So as I begin this blog, I’m planning to write about my thoughts and experiences. My preferences and shortcomings will surely show. Everyone’s slip shows sometimes, right?  I’m not alone.