I've been tagged by Stuart over at Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas to tell seven random things about myself and tie them to this blog. First off, thank you Stuart! Secondly, here they are: 7 random things about me (followed by the seven people I'm tagging.)

1. I've wanted to be a writer since I was eleven years old. My first love is fiction, but in the last several years I've developed an almost equal affinity for nonfiction writing as well. This website and blog are the ultimate symbols of what writing means to me---writing should help others, either by entertaining, informing, or inspiring, and it should ideally be done with a healthy amount of dialogue between the writer and readers. I think this is why I'm so inlove with blogging....the dialogue, the give-and-take add a whole new dimension to my writing.

2. Although I agree with most of what the Renegade Gardener says, I disagree with his tenet that rock music and gardening don't mix. My iPod is always on me, and I've usually got the White Stripes or Nirvana blasting while I garden. Early mornings, I'm content to hear the birds singing. After that, it's all traffic on my little corner, and I'd rather hear Jack White or Kurt Cobain than the rumbling of traffic.

3. Most of the time, I still feel like a teenager, and summer time makes me feel it even more intensely. At 29 (I hit the big three-oh next month....), with two kids, a house, a husband, and a nice little writing business, I still feel like a fifteen year old. Most of the time, I almost feel like I'm "playing grown-up," and it still amazes me that anyone sincerely thinks I have something interesting to say.

4. My favorite plants are lilacs and lavender. They're old-fashioned and sweet. Lilac takes me back to my grandparents' old house in Detroit. I didn't become acquainted with lavender until I was older and on my own (why no one I knew growing up ever grew this plant, I'll never figure out...) but I love it just as much.

5. There were no gardeners in my family. None. My grandparents (the ones with the lilac bushes) just lucked out having mature lilacs in their yard. My mom grew roses planted in a rectangular bed the ran the length of our back yard, but it wasn't "gardening." She planted the roses and never seemed to get lost in their fragrance, or the feel of the sun on her shoulders when she weeded, and she never extended beyond that straight line of roses. I don't know where gardening came from, but I'm glad I found it.

6. If I ever hear that this website inspired someone to start gardening, or turned someone from a "yardener" into a gardener, I'll feel like I've succeeded.

7. I'm the ultimate dreamer. I can easily get lost in ideas, great books, gardening, movies....and totally lose track of what's going on around me. My husband and kids have gotten used to me staring off into space (most likely with a fairly unintelligent expression on my face....) and they know that I'll be back eventually. I truly believe that anything is possible, and that if you don't follow your dreams you might as well be dead. I come from a family of alcoholics, and I truly believe that unattained (or even unrecognized) dreams are a big part of the allure of the bottle. I myself am a non-drinker...past experiences innoculated me against any interest in drinking, and seeing how much alcohol numbs people from life has kept me away permanently. My biggest goal: to live life to its fullest, to not feel like I've wasted any time. In its own way, ITGO is part of that goal.

There they are: way, way more than any of you needed to know about me

I'm tagging the following 7 of my favorite people (for the record, I would have tagged Kim and Stuart as well if I hadn't already been beaten to it ):

Christa from Calendula & Concrete
Tracy from Outside
Caren from A Gardening Year
Layanee from Ledge and Gardens
Anthony from Compost Bin
Barrie from Garden Mob
Carol from May Dreams Gardens

Here are the rules:
Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 random facts as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.