No tennie runners for you! Great way to handle a meme...the merest hint of tagging! Now that is following along and breaking the rules! Monica, I have long admired that you have taken a risk to find the right career/job. Btw, Do you like olive oil? gail

Now that I am older I most appreciate the support that walking/jogging shoes give my feet. I hope you find your dream job soon...if you want to.

Nice to know you better. Independent - me too. Can't believe it's been 20 years for those tennis shoes! Have a great weekend.

Well, I didn't speak English when I started kindergarten either. ;-) Not until I was 13 did I learn some English. And some French and German too.

It's nice to get to know you a bit better through this meme, but I must admit that most of what you wrote came as no surprise except for the tennis shoes and the olives. ;-)

Thanks Monica, I'll give it a go!
A nice mix of interesting things about you .... I know what you mean about tennis shoes - and they make my feet SO cold!!!

Glad you decided to jump right in with this fun meme Monica. I'm not crazy about tennis shoes either. I prefer flip flops. ;)

You'd rather talk to an audience of 300 than six? I would quake in my shoes with fear I tell you.

I have to wear tennis shoes to walk distances or for exercising, but they come off as soon as I'm home. Now that I've gotten, ahem, older and had some foot problems, flip-flops don't work, but I've come to love Birkenstocks. I was tagged, too, but I'm still trying to figure out seven interesting things about me; I'm a pretty boring person:)

Picked up my plant yesterday--thank you so much! I let Beckie take the first pick, since she was the tour guide. I was secretly delighted when she picked the penstemon, so I could have the chocolate Joe Pye. He'll fit right in the butterfly garden!

These are so fun! I think I'll do mine after the weekend. Time will go by WAY too fast. I love tennis shoes, what do you wear???

Monica, You have had the most interesting times this Summer... and I, too, admire you for taking the risk you've taken to find the right career/job/vocation... It seems you could pick one of Many things. :-)

I love the variety of interests you share. Tennis shoes... hmmm. I wear them when I need the support on a long walk, but my favorite shoes are ones that will soon be wearing out... good, strong leather loafers that have been my gardening shoes for a long time.

Thanks for sharing.

It's trainers I hate...I feel as if I'm wearing clown's shoes!

I'm independent too...and so is my hubbie...giving each other space is what makes the marriage work, I think :)

Monica I have always liked you since we met last year after I posted photos of your homeland..and will again soon just for you! Now I know a bit more about you the independent confident public speaker who does things her own way! All good qualities ..come by I'm taking you to ((Paris))) for the weekend!!

Fun!
We were interested in checking out Fiona's rear end. Uh, that sounds strange, doesn't it? Anyway, we're sure she's only already preparing for Winter.
Purrs, Siena & Chilli

Fiona, we studied the picture en detail and we are both absolutely pawsitive that this is Winter floof. We agreed on that you look stunning!
Your furriends, Siena & Chilli

Hi Monica.....I am an olive fan but I hasten to add the only member of my family that does like them. I am a chocoholic to, in fact, I have just eaten a couple of squares.....yum.

I am with you on the bigger audience Monica but I think that I would baulk at 300 !

Hi Monica,

Nice to learn some more things about you. I did this meme in '07 and I'm lame because I can't think of anything new to reveal. Here's the link to that post.

http://is.gd/2Ytfl

No olives???? My favorite food. HA

Thanks for sharing these interesting facts. You are so brave with your employment choices, too! :-)

Frances

I remember doing this one..it is fun to get know people....I found a site for migratory birds in Michigan...

Bird Migration

It's quite a challenging thought that - being a total rule follower yet going your own way. It also tempts me to think how nice it would be if I could set the rules and have everyone else follow them.

And it's interesting what you say too about the six or three hundred. In some ways, it's one of the appeals of blogging. You can 'take questions', chose what you answer and how - but the people there (here) can't 'all speak at once'.

And as for asking Esther about herself . . . bit risky I'd say. I have a suspicion she makes most of it up! (Though, you never know, when she gets back from her blogging break . . . )

Monica, what language did you speak in the first grade?? German would be my guess! I love the German language though so I am biased.

You are the second one today to mention you don't like tennis shoes. I love my running shoes, they are the most comfortable shoes I own. They keep my feet aligned and provide support. (Sorry didn't mean to sound like a Reebok commercial;)

Always been afraid to follow my dreams job wise. Hope you find something wonderful.

Marnie

I enjoyed reading this - good to get to know more about you! Chocaholic! - I've just eaten about 3/4 of a large block of milk chocolate and 3/4 of a large block of white chocolate!!! And I love olives too.

Interesting what you say about being a total rule follower and one who often goes her own way.

Fun facts about Monica! I didn't know about the olives or tennies aversions.

I can't imagine life without either. As much as I love just about any kind of olives, I'd give them up before giving up nice, cushy, supportive cross-trainers. All that cushy-ness keeps me out of the podiatrist's chair and cortisone shots. They're not pretty, but they sure are comfy for my messed-up feet.

Interesting list! I can relate to the preference of a large audience over a small one. Being on stage in high school productions was no sweat when you realize the audience was just a "sea of faces". But reading a report in front of 15 students-yikes!