Another Tagger

by Joyce Smith, Guest Blogger

Tag - Playing tag is a game we used to love when my three siblings and I were kids on the farm in Tempe, Arizona. My younger brother and sister were born just prior to our family moving to Mesa from the farm, so they missed out on farm life. Dad farmed 38 acres (which is now all desolate looking industrial land overlooking the dry river bed just east of ASU). We would run from one end of the yard to the other playing tag, occasionally venturing out into the row of pecan trees or into the cow corral (which was NOT a good place to play tag). Mom especially wasn’t fond of our games through the corral, for she’s the one that did our laundry – mind you with an old wringer washing machine and a clothesline.

Writing five things that no one knows about me… hmmm now that’s a difficult request in some respects – but then it could be over in a sentence if we’re talking about things my ANWA writing group knows about me. – I’m shy, ya know.

1. Years ago when we lived in Oregon, I was Secretary in the Stake Young Women’s program for our church. I was privileged to attend girls’ camp with all of the girls aged 12-18 in the area, along with their leaders. Those who don’t know me well wouldn’t realize that I have a funny sense of humor. (I must have inherited that from my dad). This particular day Sue and I were in charge of seeing to the salad being served to the leaders. Donna was one of the main leaders whom everyone in the whole area knew and loved, including me. Donna had a great sense of humor and is one of those women whom everyone loves to be around.

Before needing to take care of the lunch that day, Sue and I decided to go for a walk. While walking we encountered a fun surprise in the wet grass. Light bulb moment - I told Sue that we should give this special surprise to Donna at lunch, so I carefully put it in my pocket, not wanting to ruin it. We eagerly went back to the lodge and started preparations for lunch. Fixing a fine green salad for Donna in a “to go” box, I carefully stuck the surprise in the yummy green lettuce among the tomatoes and other condiments. With everyone at the table being served I announced that since Donna was such a great sport and had been a terrific leader we had made a special salad just for her. Donna sat there beaming when I placed the boxed salad on the table before her. She opened it and the cute little green frog jumped onto the table then into her lap as though it had practiced the script and knew it perfectly! Donna screamed and hopped up. Someone caught the little frog and relegated him to the green grass outside where he belonged. This remembrance still brings a smile to my face.

2. I’m one of those people who weird things happen to. I’ve decided that’s one of my talents, because there aren’t many people who have the same cool and some not-so-cool things happen to them - well maybe a few, my daughters are starting to have this curse. You know, the one that always gets the bent fork, the bone in the boneless meat, the nut shell in the candy. One time my son told me the easy way to blow up an air mattress was to stick an empty paper towel tube on the end of the vacuum exhaust and stick the other end to the air mattress – he showed me how, then walked away. Within seconds I was screaming in pain and hanging onto my big toe. He came running over and asked to see (he later became a paramedic). When he finally convinced me to turn loose of my toe, we discovered that my toenail had been mangled by the vacuum when it had sucked my unsuspecting toe into its beater bar. Blood started running everywhere. Everyone sat around laughing at me – Sheesh what sympathy I get! Now I ask this, how many people can vacuum their toe up when not even vacuuming?

3. I hate filling out those talent surveys. I feel like people look at it and say, “Yeah right… no one could know how to do that much stuff.” This has especially been brought forth since we moved here. At church I’m one of the “ancient” women (my friends from High School, which I still run around with, lovingly call us “old bats”). I sit among “women” – some even younger than a couple of my grandkids! They, of course, have not had the years of experience that I have nor have they had to learn a bunch of stuff out of pure necessity – but still...

4. I love to read. I currently own huge bookcases my husband built me that are full of over 820 books -probably close to a thousand now. Is it any wonder I decided to try my hand at writing? I’m currently writing two novels, and six children’s books. I have a notebook full of poems I’ve written over the years, three of which have been published, because that’s all I’ve ever submitted. And I’ve written a play that was put on by people at church when we lived in Oregon. We’ve lived from Alaska to Spain and back again, having many treasured experiences along the way.

5. I asked my husband what was a little known fact about me that I could add. Do you know what he said? He said, “That you’re gorgeous.” I laughed and said, “Little known, huh?” Boy, that one is food for thought. But this compliment comes from almost forty three years of marriage, fun, tears, and laughter together - such a romantic!

In my years of life’s experiences I’ve learned a few things. One of the most recent of which is that you should NEVER try on bathing suits on your birthday UNLESS you are a size eight or smaller – which I most certainly am not!

I tag Rachel Trim.