Seven things, give or take

1. I like getting to know bloggers. That’s one reason I read blogs instead of just looking at recipes online or using cookbooks. That’s also why I’m playing this game. I hope I’m not flattering myself in thinking that someone might be interested.

2. With it being Friday afternoon, I’m trying not to think about work. Work is off-limits (and irrelevant) for this blog, but here’s an interesting tidbit: I hate talking on the phone, but it’s how I spend the majority of my day. I also make calls for other people that I’d be too shy to do for myself.

3. I am a wannabe gardener. I’ve grown basil and mint with great success, and this year I tried to grow tomatoes and jalapenos. I started them too late.Well, the cats ate them and then I had to restart. Twice. Here’s my first two tomatoes, which may not ripen at all:

and my first jalapeno (yes, in a container):

4. I am not really an adventurous eater, although I do like nearly all fruits and vegetables. I’ve been trying to be more open minded about some seemingly weird combinations. It took me a long time to try a green smoothie, and now I love them. Yesterday I made a blender soup from Kristen’s Raw. This includes mango, spinach, avocado, lemon juice, ginger and cardamom. Not really the kind of thing I typically eat.

5. I am a reluctant cat person. I never had a cat until a roommate got one, then left the cat with me when she moved out. Now I’ve had Athena for seven years. Thankfully, Alex truly is a cat person and takes good care of these guys. Me? I annoy Twinkie waking him up from nap time.

6. We rent our house. Right now we’re both commitment-phobic about getting a real place of our own, and we’ve moved three times in as many years. Each time, we add new necessities to our dream housing list. Now I’m adding no wood paneling (even in the basement) and good wiring.

7. In college and graduate school, I spent a lot of time learning ancient Greek. What a waste of time, but an interesting factiod. I don’t use that skill now, but it was neat to see that I picked up a book of Plato and recognized the words.

So, to pass it on… to five bloggers. This is just as difficult as coming up with my seven things! In no particular order, my Most Versatile Bloggers are:

VEGeneration, where Diana shows off her love of oatmeal (don’t roll your eyes, she makes it look good!) and her adventures around New York City as a student. Although I was vegetarian back in college, I didn’t eat nearly as well as she did. Plus she and her family have an awesome garden.

lovinlivinvegan, where Michelle documents her journey as a new vegan. I love to see her trying new things and finding foods in a small city in my home state of Tennessee. I can’t wait until she reports on her first trip to Whole Foods as a vegan!

Coffee & Sunshine, where Carissa shows off her pets as well as delicious food she whips up on the fly. She’s a passionate animal lover (yes, that’s in her bio, but I was looking for the right word – ‘cause she really is). Plus she recently moved to Nebraska. I love seeing how other people navigate cities that you wouldn’t think of as being veg-friendly.

Vegan Awakening is a blog I’ve only recently started reading, but it’s one where I started digging through the archives because I find it so interesting. Kiersten addresses some questions that come up sometimes, like when veganism is viewed as an overly restrictive diet rather than a healthy, compassionate lifestyle choice.

And that’s only four. I am super shy about these kinds of things and I don’t want to leave anyone out, but I did want to play this time. So if I didn’t mention you, it might be because you’re very open about your life already or you’re a mysterious character who frowns upon memes. Maybe you’re busy getting back to school. Here’s an offer: let me know you want to be my #5 and I’ll update this post, ok?