26 Facts of Courage

HAPPY VIEWS DAY!

Several readers asked for my list of weekly posts so far in this Year of Courage. This is the halfway through the year Facts of Courage. Anticipating your input, Christina

First dog: a black Pekingese/Poodle mix named Boomer.

My 5-year-old answer to, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” A kindergarten teacher (that was before I started babysitting at 11 years old).

Favorite color combination: Lime green and royal purple or mint green and lilac.

Favorite veggies: Celery topped with peanut butter; green beans and fresh mushrooms sprinkled with dill; chopped broccoli drizzled with olive oil; red peppers with spicy hummus.

Musical Instruments learned: Accordion, piano, recorder.

Favorite book genre: Fiction: historical stories about Amish life Nonfiction: biographies, especially authors and wise sages.

Favorite comedians: Danny Bhoy and Sebastian

First Concerts: Statler Brothers, Lawrence Welk, Hall and Oates (all in 5^th-6^th grade).

Best Childhood Trip: South Dakota where I fell in love with prairie dogs.

Best Adult Trip: Alaska cruise with my Daddy and one stop was Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada. The Butchart Gardens – Over 100 Years in Bloom – Victoria, Canada. That’s my heaven on earth!

Favorite Chore: Vacuuming

Dream House: 1 acre of country land to house a 600-700 sq. foot chapel house/studio.  Choir loft will be used as my office. I’ll have several outdoor sitting spaces with porch swings, hammock, gazebo, benches, rocking chairs and gliders.

First job after babysitting: Pizza Hut, hired as a cook when I had just turned 15.

Core values: To encourage beginners, the underappreciated. To support organizations doing good. To be trusted with intense confidentiality.

Least favorite task: Clothes shopping (I love grocery shopping early in the morning)

Favorite book genre: Fiction: historical stories with characters who represent honor; Nonfiction: biographies.

All I want for Christmas 2021 Wal-Mart or Dollar Tree gift cards. (Seriously, for real)

Funniest adult moment that I can share: Fell asleep at a professional sports game. We were right behind the band and mascots. I woke up to see myself caught mid-slumber on the jumbotron.

Favorite way to use money: To travel and/or give experiential gifts & outings. Donate anonymously to organizations and people I believe in…like Tinker Bell with a pocketbook 😉.

Best year of school: Sophomore in high school. I got to take typing, journalism, psychology classes and made show choir.

Unusual jobs: Managing a Chinese restaurant; Server at a Mexican Restaurant. As a blue-eyed, blonde-haired lady, I was a stand-out employee 😉

Biggest change for 2022: Have a producer create 3-minute clips on a You Tube channel (extremely bold act because I’m not a fan of video and need much technological assistance!)

Second biggest business change for 2022: Move from my home office into a 600-700 ft. structure that resembles a small chapel with a loft. Current financial terms delay this business expansion. I know the “what.” Now I wait for the “how” and “how soon.”

Third biggest business change for 2022: After 3 ½ years and 6 published books, it’s time to accept speaking engagements. Instead of teaching to large groups as I had done before 2018, I’ll make myself available to 12-40 person audiences. Priority goes to soul care venues: spirituality centers, holistic hubs, monasteries, retreat homes, and country settings. I’ll also accept new life & new author coaching clients. A new lease on life!

First car: Mercury Topaz that only functioned in 3 gears.

College degree: Wanted journalism/communications. Graduated with Business Administration-Personnel degree. (As an author, speaker, retreat leader and life coach, guess which degree would have been better suited for my real lifework? I got a doctorate in life experience! 😉)