Getting To Know Me

Gina from Sweet Serenity asked me along with a few other bloggers to share a bit more about ourselves.  I 'm a bit of a strange one when it comes to questions like these.  To give you an example and show you my personality.....my kids can ask me my favorite color and I have no idea.   However, it's a fun way for people to learn more about me, so here goes.
1. What makes you really happy?
I love the beauty of water!  God's creation of the ocean and it's wildlife, seas, rivers, lakes and waterfalls, oh waterfalls are captivating to me!!  
2. What 5 people would you invite to a dinner party if you could invite absolutely anyone ~guaranteed they would come.
Jesus and Francis Chan (and his family, which makes up more than 5, does that count?).  If you're not familiar with him, look him up.  God has given him an incredible gift of getting back to the basics of the Bible.  Let's throw out those traditions and ideas we get caught up in and just seek God and His Word!  When I hear him speak I have such peace and I see how God just radiates and speaks through him.  He's been given an incredible gift of sharing God's love with others!
3. What is the best travel advice you could give?
I have two!
1.  Take some time to get out of the touristy areas and experience how the locals live.  We've made a point of doing this since the beginning of our traveling days.  One of my favorite memories is walking off the beaten path in Venice.  Kids playing ball in the streets, wash strung on lines between buildings.  Friends chatting and laughing loudly in doorways, men playing games on the street.  It gave us a look into life of the locals.
2.  Be smart against pick-pockets and not a target.  Try not to look like a tourist.  Even if you have that big camera hanging around your neck, you can do this.  Walk confidently, be aware, stay alert!  Look for areas on trams or metros where people are jammed up for no apparent reason and get out as quickly as you can!  Wear a bag that straps across your body, holding the bag in front of you.  When you're in a crowd it's easy to hold it close to you and it's well secured to your body.   By following these simple steps I have been so very fortunate after this many years of living in Europe and not been targeted.
4. What is your favorite breakfast foods?
I love some french toast & bacon especially if I'm eating it at Cracker Barrel.  *Sigh* Temporary moment of homesickness.  I also love breakfast burritos!
5. You have three hours of spare time....what do you do?
How to narrow it down?  A date with my hubby, a girl's night out or have cream tea (I didn't know what this was until moving here.  Cream tea includes a pot of tea, a scone, clotted cream and jam.  Yum!) with a friend.
6. Best book you have ever read and why?
This is that other hard one for me.  Honestly, I'm not a huge reader other than spending hours perusing blogs!!  I'll just say that I love reading Christian fiction novels of just about any sort.  That is, when I take time to read.
7. If you could book a vacation/trip right this minute, where would you go?
I'd take a New Zealand/Australia trip!
8. What is your fondest childhood memory?
Giving my life to the Lord at a young age is forever stamped in my memory like it was yesterday.  Next to that would be deep sea fishing in Homer, Alaska every summer. That love of water I mentioned stems from those childhood memories of spending hours on a boat fishing for halibut, seeing all kinds of wildlife and hearing the water slap against the boat.  Beautiful memories!
9. If you could learn one random skill, what would you learn?
Maybe not so random, but if I could learn it easily, it would be working with sea life.  There I go again!  Water and wildlife!!  I am seriously a weepy mess when I go somewhere like Sea World or watch movies like Dolphin Tale, the story of Winter.  I love to watch all types of sea creatures!  Whales, dolphins, seals, I love them all!!
And there you have it.  Now you know some random things about me.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend!!