Inspired by Cheese

There is nothing more splendid than the lowly cheese sandwich like the one I just had for lunch. Nothing more than 2 slices of sharp cheddar cheese cushioned between fresh sprouted bread with a schmear of Best Foods to adhere it snuggly to the bread. Grilled cheese sandwiches are a culinary marvel on to themselves; all buttery in its melted goo-ness, but ode to the simple wonder of a plain, unadored cheese sandwich.

Inspired by milk solids aged to tangy perfection and the earthy crunch of sprouted wheatberries, I now offer 50 Phatgirl Facts.

1. I'm passionate about everything and lack an opinion on nothing.
2. I consider roasted brussel sprouts the vegetable of the gods.
3. I once laughed so hard while I was eating gummy bears that one of the little gelatinous cubs came out my nose. I was able to replicate this feat one other time. On purpose. Don't ask.
4. I slept in a sleeping bag for an entire year in high school because it was easier than making my bed. Dana refuses to consider it as optional bedding.
5. I'm like my dad in that I'm affectionate, generous, and stubborn. I'm like my mom in that I'm thoughtful, independent, and stubborn. A double-whammy I prefer to reframe as tenacious and determined.
6. Were I in charge of the world, individuals who are dismissive of children and disrespectful to the elderly would be spanked.
7. I don't recycle consistently and I'm embarrassed by that admission.
8. I whine. Often.
9. I can sing every word of Carole King's Tapestry album by memory. I haven't heard it in years but it's embedded in every cell of my brain.
10. The changing colors of autumn are so glorious that watching fire-red leaves fall to the ground like splashes of paint makes me cry.
11. I look ridiculous in hats of any kind and yet I own a full-body Tigger costume and wear it any time an opportunity presents itself.
12. You'd have to sedate me with heavy narcotics to make me listen to opera music.
13. Babies love me. I love babies. It's a good thing.
14. I use to have a trained pony named Buttermilk who would teeter-totter with me, but no amount of cajoling would get him to try swinging on the monkey bars.
15. I eat my breakfast every morning with a minature butter knife. Breakfast consists of a bowl of yogurt with raspberries. You figure it out.
16. I miss my dad every day since he's been gone.
17. I'm given to certifiable bouts of obsessive-compulsive behavior.
18. When I was a little girl I wanted to grow up and be a nun even though I wasn't Catholic because I wanted to be married to God and wear a robe with big pockets.
19. I've been meaning to close my AOL account for four years. Maybe tomorrow.
20. My favorite outfit is a comfy white sweatshirt with loose-fit jeans and sneakers. Bra optional.
21. I love my cats so much my heart could nearly explode when they curl up beside me.
22. I went to three music concerts during my high school years; John Denver, David Gates from Bread, and Captain and Tenille. During the same time period I destroyed my sister's Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers and Janis Joplin's Pearl albums because I thought they were evil.
23. My biggest fear is that something would happen to Dana.
24. I don't need a whole circle of friends, just two or three close and trusted ones.
25. On the Myers-Briggs Personality Test I score INFJ (introverted, intuitive, feelings, judging) with feelings distinctively expressed and the rest moderately so.
26. My clothes closet is stuffed with Life is Good teeshirts because I love them and because it is. Good, I mean.
27. I smile everytime the phone rings and it's Dana telling me she's on her way home.
28. As a child when it was a starry night I thought the stars were holes in heaven's floor. It's still nice to imagine that's true sometimes as an adult.
29. My older siblings would tease me that I was adopted and could be given back anytime. There have been times in my life when that being true would have helped to explain things.
30. I've been to Israel six times and know just enough conversational Hebrew to ask where the number four bus is and to tell my mom I'll answer the phone.
31. I love cardboard boxes, paper bags with handles and the Container Store.
32. I have a tattoo on my left shoulder of a butterfly taking flight from a heart, symbolizing the transforming power of God's love in my life.
33. I'm a high maintenance wife but a low maintenance friend.
34. I make lists for everything. It's all about the details.
35. The teacher comment on my third grade report card read "Anita needs to work on not being so bossy." I'm still working on it Miss Jensen.
36. I'm a great baker and a sensational cook but to this day have never been able to successfully make my mom's raspberry jello mold which has led me to believe she's continually altering the recipe just to mess with my head.
37. I drive too fast and follow too close.
38. The glass is usually half-full. It's the fingerprint smudges around the rim that trouble me.
39. My favorite time of the day can happen at any moment.
40. I try hard to do my best and give my all to whatever I do. It can be exhausting sometimes.
41. I'm always surprised and delighted by the ways in which God shows up in life.
42. For the past few years every time I drive away from my parent's home I honk three times to say "I love you."
43. My favorite color is Dana-blue.
44. I go to therapy weekly as a gift to everyone in my life.
45. I wish people would be more kind to each other. In general.
46. My current shoe collection consists of four pairs of Ascis running shoes, one pair of Brooks running shoes, six pairs of multi-colored Crocs, and one pair of Birkenstock sandals.
47. I'm a procrastinator and a multi-tasker. The two are not unrelated.
48. If I could spend five minutes with three people no longer living they would be the prophet Jeremiah, Queen Esther, and my dad.
49. I value authenticity, integrity, and justice in people and institutions.
50. If I could only eat one food for a year, it would be the humble and divine cheese sandwich.