I chose to write 45 things about myself instead of the usual 10, 25, or even 100 for three reasons. It’s a ‘different’ number to use and I’m not the girl next door. 45 is halfway to my goal of living to 90. I like to hear music played on 45’s.

1. I have three kids, 1 boy and 2 girls. They’d be embarrassed if I wrote any more about them so I’ll just leave it at that.
2. My superhero is my mom. She’s my angel wonder woman.
3. Warning:  “When I am old, I shall wear purple. With a red hat.”
4. I am woman, hear me roar.  Enough said.
5. I was born and partly raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.  By the way, Sault is pronounced the same as Sue, not salt.
6. I was born on the 50th birthday of Canada’s 15th Prime Minister. Canada’s 15th Prime Minister.  Years later, I met him on our special day.
7. I celebrated my 50th birthday at a murder mystery dinner based on Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell. I embarrassed my kids of course.
8. I have lived in the following cities/towns, all in Ontario:  Sault Ste. Marie, London, Trenton, Toronto, Manitouwadge, Burlington, Guelph, and Stratford (current).
9. My three siblings are 9, 10, and 12 years older than me.  My mom said I was a surprise.
10. Of my parents and siblings, I am the only full-bred Canadian.  They were all born in the US.
11. My great-great-aunt was one of Canada’s first recognized and published poets.  Writing is in my genes.
12. There is a park named after her in downtown Toronto.  I visit it several times a year.
13. I don’t have a spleen.  But I’m fine with that.
14. I do have temporal lobe epilepsy.  I’m fine with that too.
15. Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison is my favourite song.  Don’t know why, it just is.
16. When Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond comes on, wherever I am, whoever I’m with, doesn’t matter, I’ll sing the “bah bah bah” part out loud.  Ask my kids.
17. I collect vinyl.  Many of them find their home in a $2 record stand I found at a garage sale.  It still has the price tag on it.
18. I play my albums on the turntable my mom gave me for my sweet 16 birthday.
19. I also have a $2 typewriter I found at a flea market in Cleveland with my kids.  Yes, it also still has the price tag on it.
20. I don’t have a will (yet) but I do have a file of songs I want played at my funeral.  One of them is Pilgrim by Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band.
21. One of my favourite movies Shawshank Redemption. My kids and I toured the prison where it was filmed. If you haven’t been you can do a virtual tour.
22. My favourite books?  Too many to list but this one I read every year: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, by Robin Sharma.
23. Currently, my favourite podcast is by Mel Robbins.  Her mission is simple: to share proven tools that empower you to create a better life.
24. I like watching TV commercials.  Really, I do.  I look for the creativity in them.
25. My motto is:  ‘Write like nobody’s reading’.  I painted it on a pottery bowl and gaze at it daily.
26. One of my favourite places to write is at Tim Hortons. And yes, I call them Timbits by the way.
27. I’m a fan of the Oxford comma, but prone to using dangling modifiers.  Past English teachers, apologies.
28. My posts often have ‘typos’ in them.  But that’s mostly because I’m Canadian eh?
29. As much as I love words and writing and such, I’m terrible at crossword puzzles.  That’s always kind of befuddled me.
30. I can write with both hands, at the same time, in opposite directions.  It’s my silly human trick.
31. In grade 10 I wrote an essay on Nabokov’s Lolita.  All because it was referenced in a pop hit by The Police.
32. In grade 8 I played the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz school play.  “Pay no attention to that [wo]man behind the curtain!”
33. The first play I took my kids to see was The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Unusual choice perhaps. I’m unconventional that way.
34. I like lists.  A lot.  At Christmas I’ll have 5 on the go in a spreadsheet.  I’ve done that for over 20 years.
35. I like steps.  12 to be precise.
36. My nurse thinks I drink too much coffee.  I keep telling her I only drink one cup.  It just somehow keeps refilling itself.
37. The first thing I did after realizing the 9-11 events were acts of terrorism was call my kids and my mom to tell them I loved them.  Just like the Alan Jackson song.
38. I saw Terry Fox on his Marathon of Hope Journey, just weeks before he had to end the run.  Inspiration in motion.
39. I am courageous and brave but I have some silly fears.  One is driving behind an open-bed transport truck.
40. I say a prayer every time I get into a vehicle.  I like faith.
41. I stand still or pull my car over when a funeral procession passes.  I like respect.
42. Once a week, I pay for the order behind me at a Tim Hortons drive-thru.  I like kindness.
43. I had a mohawk.  Just for a few minutes while my head was being shaved for a cancer fundraiser.
44. I like to eat Hershey Kisses and plain ripple chips.  At the same time.
45. When I win the lottery, I’ll open a combo bookstore, vinyl shop, and cafe.  With jukeboxes and open mic sessions for poetry slams and local indie musicians.

Picture credit:   PublicDomainPictures user on pixabay.com

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“A word after a word after a word is power.”

Margaret Atwood