Honest Scrap Award

Jean Henry Mead of A Western Historical Happening awarded me the Honest Scrap Award for “telling it like it is.”

I’m a little confused about the meaning of honest scrap, but perhaps it refers to an honest “detached piece of something written or printed.” Recipients are supposed to tell ten honest (and interesting) things about themselves, so perhaps each thing is a scrap. I can come up ten honest things, but you’ll have to be the judge of whether they’re interesting.

1. When Jack and I went through premarital counseling, the priest cautioned me that I would likely spend years of my life caring for my nearly-14-years-older husband in his old age. In fact, Jack had to care for me when I had a stroke at the hands of a chiropractor at the age of 45.
2. My fingernails are like my father’s, which means they’re usually broken off at the quick. I don’t bite them—I just break them.
3. Although I never lost my faith, there were several years that I didn’t attend church. Once I started back, I got involved in a big way and have continued to be very active for the past 12+ years.
4. My mother used to say, “I know I taught you to cook. Now all you do is put something in either the microwave or the crockpot.” I mentioned that to my sister recently, and she said Mama is probably looking down from Heaven and saying the same thing.
5. I used to do a lot of public speaking and have spoken to groups as large as several thousand. At one convention I spoke at, I acquired a groupie, a guy who followed me everywhere I went picking my brain about interior landscaping (the topic of my speech).
6. I was healed of a seizure disorder by prayer. I’ll write about it someday.
7. When I was younger, I used to be a meticulous housekeeper. Now my house hasn’t had a spring cleaning in many, many springs.
8. My grandmother used to say I “couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.” Since the stroke, I can’t even sing off-key without starting to cough.
9. I am incredibly blessed to have been born of amazing parents with wonderful siblings and to have been married to a loving and supportive husband for nearly 42 years.
10. I found my job as an employment counselor rewarding, and I enjoyed owning an interior landscape company for nearly 20 years. However, nothing compares to being able to make a living doing what I love (writing, editing, and helping other writers). And to top it off, I get to entertain myself and make friends around the world with my blog.

Now I’m supposed to pass the award on to seven bloggers. Though my original list had more than seven names, I narrowed it down to meet the criteria of the award. I’m selecting people whose honesty and willingness to “tell it like it is” I respect. Not all of them will choose to respond. Being honest enough not to respond if they prefer not to will simply reinforce my recognition that they deserve the Honest Scrap Award.

• Catherine Lawson
• Jason A. Clark
• Karen Swim at Words for Hire
• Lori Widmer at Words on the Page
• Matthew Keegan
• Mihaela (Mig) Lica at e-Writings, Online Public Relations
• Renae Brumbaugh @ Morning Coffee