Not like you asked or anything. Well…MJ did…a while back…he tagged me on his blog. I wrote the list and never posted it. Here it is…me in all my quirkiness.

1. I’ve lived in Virginia all my life.
2. I was born at home, on my Granny’s couch to be exact.
3. I have 2 sisters. They’re older than me. *giggle* I have 6 brothers. Only one is younger than me.
4. I have nieces/nephews that I’ve never met.
5. I learned how to speed read in 5th grade.
6. When I was in the 5th grade, I started writing my mother’s biography.
7. I lived with my grandparents until my Granddaddy died.
8. Raising a grandchild (girl) was a tradition for my grandparents.
9. I miss my grandparents & sometimes wonder if life would be different if they were still alive.
10. My favorite color is PURPLE…all shades of purple.
11. I’m finally going to paint my bedroom lavender. Such a soothing color.
12. My other favorite colors are green, blue (shades that remind me of water), & mauve. I like jewel tones too.
13. I am a candle aficionado. I LOVE CANDLES!!
14. When I started this list, candles were lit in my bedroom, office, bathroom & the kitchen/dining room. There are only two other rooms in the house. LOL
15. One of the first things I do when I come home from work is light candles in the living room. I even light candles when I’m doing housework.
16. I think everything is better by candlelight (except maybe surgery).
17. In college, I had an “invisible fiancée”. Twice.
18. I love being near water – river, lake, pond, creek, ocean…Jacuzzi.
19. I love, love, love bubble baths.
20. I have a Sunday night ritual that includes a warm bubble bath.
21. The ritual also includes lots of lit candles, a glass of something cold and slow songs.
22. Based on #21 above, my bathroom is full of candles and bath products – scrubs, lotions, gels, oils….
23. I find a really good bath nurturing, nourishing, relaxing…therapeutic.
24. I find music to be therapeutic.
25. I find writing to be therapeutic.
26. I think crying can also be therapeutic.
27. I find sex (good sex) to be therapeutic. LOL
28. I pretty much find lots of things therapeutic & need a lot of therapy though I’m willing to trade off on a few categories in lieu of others.
29. I’m afraid of heights.
30. I’m not nearly as tough, independent or confident as people think.
31. I’m a reformed drama queen.
32. I used to think of schemes like I was a soap opera diva done wrong.
33. Girls used to come to me for ways to get back at their boyfriends.
34. I’ve learned to channel my power for good, not evil. LOL
35. When I’m stressed or depressed, I clean the house…baseboards, windowsills, the whole nine.
36. I’m rarely stressed or depressed. *giggle*
37. Um…you might want to call before you drop by based on #35-36
38. I love slow kisses.
39. Slow, tender kisses in the rain. Slow tender kisses in the shower. (See? My love of water shows up yet again!)
40. I think some of the sexiest kisses are those planted on the collarbone and in the small of a person’s back.
41. A love song by Peabo Bryson will transport me to another place.
42. I love music. Specifically - R&B, Soul, Neo-Soul…HipHop.
43. It is almost impossible for me not to sing along with the radio/CD.
44. It’s not uncommon for me to be found singing in the shower at 5am.
45. I’ve been told that I have a nice voice.
46. I rarely sing in public – other than at church or around family.
47. I love jelly beans.
48. My Mom gives me jellybeans every Easter.
49. The year she was in Germany, two coworkers brought me jellybeans to keep me from pouting.
50. In the 9th grade, I was kicked off the softball team.
51. In junior high school, I took wine to school one day.
52. I “think” I have a slight addiction to the internet & email.
53. I believe men & women can be “just friends”.
54. My birthday is New Year’s Eve.
55. I think I was 15-16 before I got separate gifts for Christmas and New Years.
56. I think New Year’s is more romantic than Valentine’s Day.
57. A man who shows up on my birthday with Valentine’s candy and mistletoe will definitely win favor with me.
58. My favorite fruits are pineapples, strawberries, kiwi, mango…
59. Human fruit salads are as interesting as human sundaes…um, that’s what I heard.
60. I love kids.
61. I don’t have any kids of my own.
62. I’ve considered adopting
63. I worked as a mentor to 6th grade students for about 5 years.
64. I want to learn to belly dance.
65. I don’t like cold weather. I don’t do snow.
66. I love tea. My fav right now is Mango.
67. I love hot chocolate too… preferably with marshmallows (right now, I’m digging French vanilla).
68. I’m rarely ever without paper and something to write with.
69. I have written on toilet paper, napkins, matchbook covers, receipts, fast-food bags…
70. I’ve pulled over to write a poem or thought that came to me while driving more times than I can remember.
71. I once held up the drive-thru line at Wendy’s writing down snatches of a poem. It’s one of my favorite pieces.
72. I crumble Wheat Thins or pretzels into my yogurt.
73. I sprinkle salt on my Granny Smith apples.
74. I eat vanilla ice cream with potato chips. Literally.
75. I love TV commercials (the Jimmy Dean commercial where the Dad explains he has to light/heat the earth; the gum commercial where gum is shoved under the onion’s door; the Fruit of the Loom commercial where they make a video)
76. I cry watching movies and TV…and sometimes commercials
77. I laugh a lot. It is rare (and scary) not to find me in a good mood.
78. I love my family, wacky bunch of people they may be…
79. I have a great group of female friends.
80. I don’t understand women who say they don’t have female friends.
81. I was about 24 before I let anyone read my poetry.
82. I’ve only read my poetry in public twice.
83. On the second occasion, a grown man was moved to tears. I didn’t know how to respond.
84. He asked me to read it to his wife. She cried. He cried. Again.
85. I’ve cried either writing or reading only 3-4 of my poems. I can name them.
86. I’m the only person I know who’s ever had an “Amputee Barbie”.
87. I blame my Mom for this. She called us in for dinner & we couldn’t go back outside. Doll fell out of the tree & our dog, “Snow White” chewed her arm off.
88. I don’t even think Snow White had any white on her. I’m sure my brothers named her.
89. I’m the only person I know who’s ever had a doll with a weave.
90. Again, I blame my Mom for this. Again, she called me home for something. I left the doll at my friend’s house & she cut all the hair off.
91. My brothers glued corn silk (yes, real corn silk right out of the garden) on her head.
92. Once during a workshop, I dropped an M&M inside my bra & someone asked me if I had considered organizing a manhunt to find it.
93. Hmmm….
94. I snagged my pantyhose once and by the end of the day, I had created my own ‘Frederick’s of Hollywood’ pantyhose.
95. My “real name” IS Jackie.
96. I’ve worn my hair natural for the last 5-6 years.
97. I’m toying with going back to the “creamy crack”.
98. I’m toying with locing it also.
99. I will sing a silly song at the drop of a dime for my niece.
100. I’m a good listener.
101. I’ve had premonitions/dreams that did actually come true.
102. I’ve had the same one now for about 4 days.
103. If it comes true, I’ll be singing the Campbell Soup Song for life! Mmm Mmm Good!
104. I’m not as well-traveled as I’d like to be…but I’m working on it.
105. I’m a high school honor grad.
106. Not a college honor grad but I did make the Dean’s List.
107. I have a really good memory. I’ve been known to freak people out by what & who I remember.
108. I know there is a difference between intimacy and sex. I don’t think everyone knows that.
109. I know there’s a difference between making love and having sex. I don’t think everyone knows that either
110. Those differences are important. At least to me.
111. I think we should have parenting classes when people find out they are expecting. Or when they’re considering it.
112. I think the cruelest way to end a relationship is to emotionally withdraw.
113. I miss the days when “love songs” were just that: LOVE SONGS.
114. I treat myself to flowers on random occasions.
115. I collect ink pens.
116. I have a collection of pins/brooches. My favorite is of a woman in a phone booth – you open the door & she’s in her Superwoman costume.
117. I love greeting cards.
118. I’ve been known to buy cards and never mail them.
119. I will frame them & hang them as art.
120. I think people take marriage too lightly.
121. I have fibromyalgia. It sucks! It’s such a weird thing, especially the places that ache.
122. I should get more massages than I do.
123. I’ve considered becoming a masseuse. Probably won’t happen now due to #121.
124. I’ve always wanted to learn to play the flute.
125. I’ve been told I was a flirt.
126. I am a flirt.
127. I’ve been called a “prude”, “inhibited”, “frigid”.
128. Ha!
129. I believe in soul mates.
130. Not sure if I think there’s only one soul mate per person.
131. I’m still on the fence about soul ties.
132. I’ve only picked up 3 books in my life that I could not read - I literally couldn’t make myself finish reading them.
133. I love sunrise.
134. I love sunset.
135. I read a lot. Gotta work on boosting the number of reviews I do.
136. I have a ‘crush’ on a friend….I’ve had this crush for about 3-4 years now.
137. I think it’s a ‘crush’ that should never be acted on.
138. I’m weaning myself off Mountain Dews.
139. As much as I love water, I don’t swim.
140. I curse too much. Not a lot but still…too much.
141. I think the group ‘Kindred’ is so underrated. Check out “Who Would I Be” and “Woman First” on their latest CD. What an affirmation!
142. Fred Hammond is my favorite gospel artist.
143. I love to write. Poetry. Prose. Fiction. Resumes. Flyers. Promo ads. Business documents. Whatever.
144. I think I’ve finished edits on my first poetry collection.
145. I’ve started assembling poems for 3 other collections.
146. I’ve started a collection of short stories.
147. I’ve got pieces of 3 different novels written.
148. I want to start a line of greeting cards.
149. I have an idea for a line of T-shirts also.
150. Sometimes I have way too many ideas.
151. For years, my family thought I couldn’t cook.
152. I played along with it. You tell me - who’s zooming who? ☺
153. I truy believe the mind is a terrible thing to waste.
154. I had a collection of men’s jerseys that I used to sleep in.
155. I had an ex-boyfriend who took my favorite t-shirt, shorts, and lingerie when we broke up.
156. I’ve been in 3 relationships involving physical violence (“minor”). Very few people know that (until now)
157. I never told that to my brothers, especially Brothers #1 & #6.
158. Incident #1 occurred on a busy street during the holiday season. He pushed. I shoved. He slapped. I kicked - hard. Game over.
159. Incident #3 was the scary one.
160. My knee once gave out on me once when I was bowling.
161. I still bowled a strike.
162. No one knows why I have a bum knee…other than me, not even the other person involved.
163. I’ve never been arrested.
164. I’ve gotten two speeding tickets in my life.
165. I drive too fast.
166. I really talk too much trash when driving…mild case of road rage.
167. I’ve had my house broken into before.
168. It really irked me cause they didn’t steal anything. Walked right past the jewelry on the TV stand by the door they kicked in. What a genius.
169. I’ve been known to talk beaucoup shyt….
170. I’ve toned that down.
171. I belong to way too many online groups.
172. When I was a sophomore in college, I was selected to take a grad level course at UVA during the summer. Only sophomore invited. Ever.
173. I’ve let way too many opportunities pass me by.
174. I can’t listen to Tina Turner – especially Private Dancer. I have an ex-boyfriend to thank for that.
175. I was over R. Kelly long before his arrest came along. He’s a talented singer/songwriter but…he lost me when he compared women to cars. *sigh*
176. I don’t think enough people understand the concept of “dating”.
177. I think regret is a wasted emotion.
178. My greatest fear is getting to the end of my life & realizing that the one thing that kept me from living my dreams is ME.
179. I like seafood and Italian food.
180. I’m a social drinker.
181. I haven’t had a beer since my sophomore year in college. Something about being chased by a bear. No further details are available. Refer to Item # 192.
182. I don’t like wine. Can’t find a quality wine that’s sweet but not dry.
183. My grandfather used to make wine. He’d give me a small amount with lots of sugar added to it.
184. Same thing with coffee. I’d have “coffee” sitting at breakfast with him and my Granny. (Translation – a little bit of coffee loaded with cream & sugar.)
185. I don’t like driving at night. Especially if it’s somewhere I’m not familiar with.
186. I remember my two youngest brothers and me finding my grandfather dead in the back yard. He’d been cutting grass.
187. We were so young & naïve, we didn’t realize he was dead; thought he was playing a game with us.
188. My grandmother died during the Christmas holiday many years ago. Christmas Day. Well, it was Christmas morning when the news came.
189. I think that, in another life, I was a torch singer.
190. I love entertaining, just having a bunch of family/friends over just because.
191. At a college party, I told the guy I had a crush on that he stepped on my foot so to make up for it, he kissed me…it lasted through 3 songs. Um, he didn’t really step on my foot.
192. I can keep a secret.
193. I want to become a life coach.
194. I am happy with who I am, with who I am becoming.
195. I’ve kept a journal ever since college.
196. I think it’s important to establish traditions your family.
197. I think it’s possible to seduce someone in 60 words-less of Spanish.
198. I KNOW THERE ARE GOOD BLACK MEN IN THE WORLD!!
199. I know there are good black men in the world who are single, heterosexual, and want/appreciate/honor the same in black women.
200. I think that nothing compares to loving a black man…unless it’s him loving you back.
201. I BELIEVE IN LOVE.