Thursday, November 3, 2011

Ten Things That I've Done And You Probably Haven't

Saw this little "get-to-know-you" survey over at Freaky Frugalite who picked it up at Right Where We Belong who saw it at Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. Mama Kat started us off with 22 things, it got reduced to 12, and Freaky Frugalite gave us 10. I was beginning to think I wouldn't be able to come up with 10. But here goes...

1. I have sung with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, NYC--twice. My mother-in-law, myself, and a couple of other ladies attended the Ta
bernacle's choir conference in 2008 and 2009. We went to singing sessions with the choir, smaller break-out sessions, and then sang with the choir on the platform on Sunday for services. I'm in the picture below. Really.


2. I played Glenda the Good Witch of Oz in sixth grade. Albeit in a strange, Christmas-themed version with "Wizzie Claus" instead of the Wizard himself. But, still.


3. I have paddled my way through parts of the Boundary Waters between Minnesota and Canada. At one point I paddled fast 3 miles against pretty stiff winds with one of the Boy Scouts in order to snag the last remaining camp site on the lake we were on.


4. I have been four feet away from a live, adult black bear. Who was NOT in a zoo. Great Smoky Mountains. Granted, we were above him with a stone wall in between...but the wall was not solid and if he'd chosen to come 'round the end, we might have been in trouble.


5. I have been surrounded by buffalo in South Dakota. We (my family caravan
of campers) went out looking for buffalo and heard from other campers about a road where we would see "a few"--they were all over the hills, along the road. Again, had we irritated them in any way.....

6. I have judged a boxing match. At Silver Dollar City before it became Dollywood. Was chosen from all the kids in the audience to judge a match between the skinny, 90 lb. weakling good guy and the big, hulking, mustachioed bad guy. Who do you think I chose (despite threats and bribes)?


7. I have panned for gold. Another adventure in South Dakota. Didn't find any......


8. I have waded in the headwaters of the Mississippi River. With my great-aunt. In panty hose (my great-aunt, not me).


9. I have "driven" the Barney car from the Flintstones. All sort of interesting things happen in South Dakota. (Click link to see a picture)


10. I have run a Cub Scout Day Camp obstacle course--perfectly (and in very good time too). And then I went home and sprained my ankle in my very own front yard. I'm talented that way.


10 comments:

Rebecca Mecomber said...

LOL I got a good chuckle out of #10. Same here.

Thanks for joining in! You have definitely had some unique experiences! I especially liked #1 and #4.

JLS Hall said...

You've certainly had a lot of adventures! Any photos of you in your Glenda costume?

I've been close-up with a black bear, too! A couple of times, actually, in Shenandoah National Park, my hubby's favorite place in the whole world. Fortunately, I was in a car both times, but close enough to reach out and touch Mr. Bear. If I'd wanted to. Which I didn't.

Bev Hankins said...

@Joy: Yes, I do have a photo. Well. My mom does. I wish she were better at the whole technology thing...there are many pictures that I'd like her to scan and send me. But she's conquered email and that's about it.

J F Norris said...

We were hiking he back country in Great Smoky Nat'l park and encountered a black bear as well. Twelve feet below in a ravine foraging for food. We happened to be eating sandwiches by the trail side at the time. So we left as quietly and as fast as possible. Bears have keen sense of smell and can move very very fast when hungry. When we got to the end of our brisk trot we ran right into a stag! We were more startled than the deer.

Bev Hankins said...

@John: Bear adventures are always a bit scary. We saw another one when we went to the Boundary Waters--but he was a small one and was running across the road in front of our van on the way back to the Outfitters. No danger at all there.

Jenners said...

What a fun and interesting list.

I haven't done these … but I did paddle the boundary waters between Canada and Montana and I did have an encounter with a mama grizzly and her cubs on a hiking trail but we were more than 4 feet away … or else I doubt I would be here to tell you about it.

Debbie Rodgers said...

You're right - I haven't done any of these. It was fun to get to know you in a little different light - quite an active person, aren't you?

I'd like to try this meme but I honestly can't think of more than a couple of things to put on it....let me think :-)

Yvette said...

This was so much fun to read, Bev, that I fashioned my own list. I'll be posting it this afternoon. With a link to yours, of course. :)

I haven't done any of the things you've done, kiddo. Surrounded by buffalo was my favorite. :)

Todd Mason said...

Black bears are actually rather sweet-natured, unless cornered, their cubs threatened, or wounded. But this is Considerably less true of every other sort of North American bear, from grizzly to polar to Kodiak brown (the ones that could if provoked, with some effort but little chance of defeat, take a grizzly apart).

Vikk @ Down the Writer's Path said...

You're right: Ten things I haven't done. :) Great list and I sure do know more about you.