Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
Spooky

1. Does anything about Halloween “spook” you?

Nope. I'm not wild about kids stealing jack-o-lanterns from porches and busting them up, but it doesn't spook me.

2. What is the favorite costume you have ever worn for Halloween?

Probably the zombie. I went all out that year at work: bought a second-hand dress to destroy, wore loads of fake blood and gray-green make-up all over. Awesome. Much better than the lame M&Ms that two coworkers chose.

3. What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

Seeing the little kids on our porch.

4. What one topic is (or was) the most painful to discuss with your parents? Why?

With Dad, it was politics; he was liable to get emotionally torn up about raising 5 left-wingers. With Mom, it was how I lived my life. I never felt like I was good enough; she was always finding something to be critical about.

5. What was the happiest day of your life? Do you think you'll ever top it?

College graduation, wedding day, several days with Sparky as a child, many of our vacations ... I can't find One Perfect Day that stands out, but I've been fortunate enough to have had many. And I hope to have many more.

6. What animal would you like to be able to communicate with?

Birds. I would love to know what they talk about. About five minutes ago, one flew into the glass on a window, then perched on the sash and looked in at us for a good ten seconds. Why?

7. In what way do you come nearest to perfection (as you define it)?

When I'm not thinking about being perfect, just trying to improve on past performance.

8. Do you have any recurring nightmares?

Not anymore.

9. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be and why?

See question #4. As a parent now, I understand what Mom was about, but OMG...just once I would have appreciated an unqualified "attagirl" from her. What is the most frustrating is that I keep doing the same thing to Sparky and seeing the hurt and frustration on his face that I experienced.