I've been tagged for a second time!

Little ol' me! Can you believe it?

It seems while I was away tending to my sick family (and later my sick self!), I was tagged by Snowbird at Sand Between My Toes. I really did need something to kick me back into the daily grind of blogging after the terrible influx of germs, so maybe I should send her some flowers in thanks. Or wait! We could just pick her up on our way down to WDW the next time we go. Instead of following along with us on our blog, she could be part of the fun! :)

So here's the deal. I have to share 5 addictions with you all and then figure out 5 other people to tag. Since most of my Florida friends have already been tagged, I sure hope that I can manage 5 other people! Here goes, and not in any particular order...

#1~Walt Disney World. Snowbird was right...I am totally addicted to Walt Disney World! If I also had the chance to visit Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disney, or to enjoy a voyage on the Disney Cruise Line, I would probably be just as addicted to them. Luckily for us, Walt Disney World is only a seven hour drive away so it makes a long weekend with the Mouse totally doable. I love the sights, sounds, smells, and even the people who work there. Wait--especially the people who work there. They bring the best smiles to our faces! For that I will be forever grateful.



#2~Laughter. I know that must sound like such a weird thing to be addicted to. I've always loved to laugh, but after losing my only sister, I quickly realized that I needed it--craved it. I needed it to get through the dark days that followed and have continued to depend on it during other trying times. Maybe that's why I love the Citizens of Hollywood at MGM Studios (Oooops-I mean Disney's Hollywood Studios!) so much. They are family friendly (and therefore Renee appropriate), with an incredible amount of comedic timing. What's not to love?



#3~Animals. I just couldn't imagine my life without them, so wouldn't that mean I was addicted? As a child, my sister Renee was highly allergic to many things--especially things with hair. Amazingly, we still found a way to have pets. Fish led to hermit crabs, and as she outgrew her allergies we progressed to hamsters, Guinea pigs, and birds. By the time I was a teen, we had a houseful of cats that Renee managed to smuggle up the stairs! After Mark and I were married, we brought along the remaining cats and added in an English Springer Spaniel. Indy was a terrific dog and our hearts were broken when we lost her to epilepsy right before I was about to give birth to little Renee. Although we are without a canine companion at this moment, we do have two crazy kitties that we rescued while we lived up in New York. Cannoli and Cheesecake are the best lap warmers...evah!



#4--My Family. This one is easy. I am addicted to the amazing man that I married 17 years ago and the beautiful little girl who is the result of our love. I know that sounds ridiculously corny, but I can't help myself. I love his laugh, her creative stories, and their incredibly blue eyes. Hopelessly devoted...yup, that's me. If you haven't figured that out by now, just take a look back at most of my posts. You will find that they are my favorite subject of all. ;)



#5--My Computer. I'm pretty sure I could come up with a few more addictions but believe I will end with this one. It's amazing how our life totally revolves around this little piece of electronic wizardry. It plays a pivotal role in Renee's schooling, keeps Mark up to date with the goings on at work, allows me to blog and keep in touch with faraway friends, and gives the now retired Grammy a chance to play solitaire to her heart's content! I know that this list was about my addictions but it's obvious that the computer is one addiction we all share. Even Cannoli and Cheesecake love it for its warmth!



So, who to tag? I believe I will start with Debbie at the aptly named, Debbie in Paradise. Debbie is originally from the cold, snowy North, so I am curious to see if one of her addictions will be the beautiful weather in Florida.

Next up is Ed from Carribean Soul. Ed is a hardcore Buffet fan...does he fight a daily urge for cheeseburgers in paradise?

Christa at Teetering on the Edge of the Empty Nest...do you think that you're getting off that easy? Your Senior is headed off to Georgia Tech next fall, so you'd better deal with those addictions now. You surely won't want them to take over your life once the house is quiet!

I'm also going to tag Robin at Love Ya, Mean It! because she's another one who shares a love for all things Disney. She's usually very busy writing, so I'm sure that she'll appreciate me giving her a hint of an idea (cough...Disney....cough) for at least one of her addictions. ;)

Last but not least, I am tagging Jody at Just for the Fun of It!. Jody is such a loving Mom and Grandma, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if she is addicted to her family just as I am!

Have fun my friends!

Tag...I'm it!

If you take a peek over to the left and scroll down a bit, you will see a little list known as my 'Daily Reads'. When I stop by these blogs, I really feel like I am being handed a gift. It's a gift of escape, and it's never disappointing. =)

One of my favorite reads is Tink's My Mobile Adventures. It doesn't matter whether she's mobile blogging from Disney World, shelling in Sanibel, or just staying close to home and sharing her innermost (hysterical!) thoughts. She always makes me laugh and smile, and I truly appreciate that!

Last week on her Blogless Thursday, she gave me (and the cat sleeping on my desk) the gift of shock when I clicked on a sound link on her page. Today, she surprised me again, but at least there wasn't any cat hair flying through the air.

I know you are sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to hear about the surprise, aren't you? Since you are sitting ever so patiently, I won't make you wait any longer. ;)

So...what did she do? She tagged me-twice! First time ever! I feel sort of silly being excited about that, but I'm not ashamed to admit it. Honestly, it's pretty cool!

The first meme was a Google game. Tink mentioned that it was optional, but I'm all about immersing myself in the moment. It's simple...just Google your first name with the word 'needs' after it, and then post the first ten results. If you like, grab the idea and tag away!

Here we go!

Mare needs....

1. Your help-Hmmmm. I usually like to take care of things on my own, but thank you anyway.

2. A name-If I didn't have one, silly, I wouldn't have been able to participate in this game!

3. A loving home-Mark sometimes calls me Suzy Homemaker; I'd like to think that I've got that covered.

4. To go now-Where? To WDW? Sure! Are you filling up the tank, too?

5. Man candy-Ummmm...Can't...stop...laughing!

6. A new rider-Oh, you must mean a new rider on my insurance policy. ;)

7. Good family-Yup, right here with me in my loving home. =)

8. A lift-Is this a premonition of vehicular difficulties?

9. Name-See #2 above.

10. A name-Aren't you paying attention? Even though you added an 'a' to it, we covered that twice already!

I regards to this search, did you know that a female horse is called a mare? I did, because in my past life, I was very 'horsie'. I got a huge kick out of the fact that each and every result had to do with horses. Even the 'Man Candy' one-LOL! It was either a sign, or just coincidence. ;)

Now that I am through sharing the first tag with you, would you like to see the second and even greater tag?

That, my friends, would be the BLOGGING FRIENDS FOREVER GOLD CARD, or just BFF Gold Card for short. Pretty impressive, huh? ;)

With this award comes some rules and regulations. Since I am a Mom and have to make a good impression, I will follow the rules. They are as follows...

1. You have to tag 5 people.
2. 4 have to be dedicated followers of your blog.
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

Okay, this is a little hard for me because I am pretty new at blogging. Although I am sure that folks are visiting our blog, most are either very shy or just not into the whole commenting thing. Then I have a few dedicated readers who love to read and comment, but they don't have their own blogs. What to do? Rules are bendable, right?

Since I can't re-gift to Tink, here are my five. At this point, I don't know of any readers who live in another part of the world. How about if I start with the nearest reader and end at the furthest? Fair enough?

Talk about close, Christa actually lives in the same town that I do! She's married with a daughter heading into her senior year of high school, and Teetering on the Edge of the Empty Nest pretty much describes her life right now. If there is something going on in our town, I will usually find a photo of it on her blog. She always has the scoop-LOL!

Next up is Debbie. Like Tink, she doesn't have to shovel snow anymore. No matter what the weather, it always feels like summer when I visit her blog, Debbie in Paradise. I love her travel photos...from Jamaica to Walt Disney World, there's something for everyone. She also owns Tropical Travel and Adventures, and is always ready to answer questions and help me with any travel plans. How helpful is that?

Jody has been a little busy with her family this summer, but I really enjoy her posts on Time to Simplify-Jody's Journey. I love reading about her family; her love for them shines through! Oh, and her hints on organization are just awesome.

Glo has lots of travel plans this summer, and at Our Little Corner, they are all being documented for posterity. I love popping in to see where she is taking us next...what fun!

Last, but not least, is Mari. From flowers to fowl, there's lots of gorgeous eye candy at MariBy on the Learning Curve. Her enthusiasm and desire to improve her photography skills have really inspired me to pick up my camera more often!

So there you go! Tag...you're it! Enjoy your Gold Card, my friends, and have fun spreading the joy with others. Just make sure to follow the rules, okay? ;)