POD for Tuesday, 9/12/2006 Julia S. (Brekkesmom)

[Brekkesmom]

1. Where do you live? Bakersfield, California
2. Spouse? Significant other? Husband Rick, since February 7, 2004
3. Children - how many and ages. One 2-legged stepson, Alex, aged 17, who is 6’ tall, blond hair, blue eyes, is a freshman at Oregon State, one adopted, four-legged, hairy child with dark brown and tan hair, hazel eyes, doesn’t talk, named Brekke Schokolade von Braun, aged 5.
4. What do you do for a living? I teach second grade in an elementary school that has ten other second grade teachers (11 each of first grade and kindergarten teachers as well)
5. If you dare...your age and describe yourself! I am 56 years old, 5’5”, green eyes, red hair(thanks to Elisa, my colorist, who understands I was genetically deprived �" 3 of 4 grandparents had red hair), but I am actually brunette, and I weigh 135 pounds.
6. What is your dream car/vehicle? A 1933 Pierce Arrow convertible   Color? dark green with butterscotch leather upholstery (but since I’ll never have one, another Saturn Vue will be fine.  Mine is gold, I’d like the Dragonfly Green like Marcia’s, or maybe a gorgeous metallic charcoal gray if they’ll make one by the time I need another!
7. Other than your passion for dachshunds, what are your hobbies? I like to sew, cook, read, garden, watch movies, and go shopping!
8. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? I would love to see the Fiji Islands (my parents’ favorite place after Dad retired), Australia, New Zealand (Dad was there while the Korean conflict was on �" he was in the Navy), North Dakota, Vermont, and Idaho �" my last three states!, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany (my ancestors’ countries), and France.  Then I’d go back to Hawaii and Alaska!
9. Do you collect anything? I collect friends, Coca-Cola items, strawberry things (like dishes, glasses, dresses, pajamas, and sheets), Egyptian- style artwork, dachshund things, dragons, a few select Barbies: Queen of Egypt, Irish Barbie (red-haired of course!), Gone with the Wind Barbie in the green print barbecue dress, a business Barbie with red hair, another Barbie with red hair, dvds, and books!  My license plate says “BOOK RDR”.
10. Favorite Food/ Favorite junk food. My favorite meal would be sirloin tip roast, steamed red potatoes, green beans, salad with Ott’s French Dressing, strawberries, and chocolate pecan pie.  My favorite junk food �" it’s a toss up among Baked Doritos, Baked Cheddar and Sour Cream Chips, Hershey’s Cherry Crème Kisses, and anything made with dark chocolate!
11. Favorite Movies: It Happened One Night- Gable/Colbert, The Mummy �" Brendan Fraser, most black & white classic monster movies �" especially vampire movies, Star Wars �" all 6, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Harry Potter �" all so far.  TV shows : The Avengers with Diana Rigg, Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, as well as Kolchak:Night Stalker with Darren McGavin �" we just got the dvds.
12. Favorite Color: you mean there’s someone out there who doesn’t know green is my favorite?  My mom says green was always the first color I’d notice, once I learned my colors!
13. Favorite Songs/Artists: Locomotion �" Kylie Minogue, Seattle �" Perry Como, White Wedding �" Billy Idol, For the Longest Time �" Billy Joel, and newest is Bed of Roses �" Jon Bon Jovi
14. Tell us a funny story about yourself. It involves the furkids.  Whenever I go to work, now and in the past, I always warn the dachsie(s) �" “No wild parties, no long distance calls, and no boyfriends may come over, unchaperoned!”  When I had my four-pack, 8 little eyes would look up at me and their heads would almost nod…
15. What is the most exciting thing you have ever done? I got married for the first time at age 53, to a man who had a crush on me since high school, but was too shy to talk to me, much less ask me out!  (Glad he changed!)
16. If you won the lotto, what would you do with the money?  I would pay off the house, sell it, and we’d start building a big (2400 to 3900 sq. ft.) home in the mountains �" probably in Tehachapi, 40 miles away.  I would still like to have Rick design that dachsie town quadrangle with the large fenced area, like an atrium where all the furkids could run around �" I’m thinking it’d be the common backyards for everyone!
17. What are you most proud of?  The deep love and respect my parents nurtured in me, for God, country, family, and animals �" and teaching for 33 years and still loving it!
18. Any other tidbits about you that you would like to share?  My first grade teacher (also my dad’s first grade teacher!) would always make us eat every bite of our school lunches.  I cannot handle cooked spinach!  Luckily, my dad �" also a teacher, showed up the first time we had spinach for school lunch.  He told Miss Johnson that unless she wanted to watch me throw up, I shouldn’t eat cooked spinach!  She told him that was fine, but I’d have to wait until all my classmates left the table before she could excuse me.  Dad asked me if that was okay, and I immediately agreed.  I love raw spinach, but cooked is a no-no.  I also don’t do Brussels sprouts, beets, liver, or apricots, but I love or tolerate  all other foods, as far as I know.
Miss Brekke

some of my dragons

a few Coca-Cola items...

Dachshund stuff - a portion

Lippizan stallion "Airs Above Ground", August 16, 2006 - my birthday

[Leslie]

14. Tell us a funny story about yourself. It involves the furkids.  Whenever I go to work, now and in the past, I always warn the dachsie(s) �" “No wild parties, no long distance calls, and no boyfriends may come over, unchaperoned!”  When I had my four-pack, 8 little eyes would look up at me and their heads would almost nod…
..... I would still like to have Rick design that dachsie town quadrangle with the large fenced area, like an atrium where all the furkids could run around �" I’m thinking it’d be the common backyards for everyone!

Yay Aunty Julia!   We wanna come and live wit you in Dachsie town!  We are sending  to you out on the left coast.  You are a neat lady, and someday we'll get to meet you!  Momma will try to get on chat soon!
p.s our momma tells us "no boyz" when she goes to work, too.

[Barb]

Happy Person of the Day Julia !!!  I love the pictures of your collectables!!!!  When you were naming off all the food you DON'T eat - I thought - dang - that is my list too !!!! I also had the pleasure of seeing the Lippizan's - it has been probably 10 yrs - but something you never forget - amazing !

Thanks for sharing your life with us !!!

[PattyInAK]

Super write up!!!  Loved the Brekke photo!

[Sandishooligans]

Wonderful write up, Julia!  Mmmmmm, spinach!  Brussel sprouts?  PASS!  Have a great day!

[Ruth in MT]

Oh!  We like your         collection !  And of course your dachshund collection.
Happy POD     

[David C.]

I used to get those stares as if they really understood what you were saying.  I remember right before I left for my first date with Margie, I looked at them and said "I'm going to try to get you a mommy tonight".   I was right!   When you talked to Rudy, he would continue to look you in the eye, but he would go from a stand to a sit.  The only thing that would move was his rear legs.   Everything else stayed stiff and straight.

[Jenny G]

Happy POD Day, Julia!  What a great profile - it's funny when you were talking about the red hair, I thought, I bet she likes strawberries - and you do!  Have you really been to all the states but 3?!?  That's amazing!

Hope you have a very good POD Day - have some strawberries and stay away from yucky cooked spinach!

Oh yeah - all of your "don't do" foods are on my list of gross foods too!

[Lisa Frederick]

Hi Julia Happy late POD! hope it was a good one! I enjoyed learning more about you! I have an Irish Princess Barbie (pic included) is it the same as yours?? I've always wanted Red hair myself and hoped my girls would get red hair but oh well that didn't happen.

[Brekkesmom]

Thank you, one and all! Leslie - I would love to meet you and your girls... hoping for soon, too! :apls:
Barb - I knew I liked you (foods we don't like!) even though your Rudy didn't seem to like Brekke the first time they met!  I have seen the Lippizans 3 times - 1974, 2003, and 2006.  I was really disappointed that they did NOT have the dachsie security go around at "halftime"!  I only saw that at the 2003 outing.
Patty, I have finally wised up and started putting my digital photos on disk, then I don't have to worry about computers crashing on me - more photos should be forthcoming.
Sandi- we both like Adela's Lemon Drops and hate Brussels sprouts... I think I can finally overlook Dolly's theft of my piece of Mike's shortbread!
Ruth - I love that dragon smiley! :thumb:
David - not too many will confess to having seen the little sit after getting a speech.  Brekke does that, too, although Heidi did it more. :scratch:
Thank you, Jenny!  I'll have to take a poll and see how many redheads like strawberries! I had never seen a connnection before.  And yes, I have been to 47 states - I love domestic and Canadian travel.  I have been to Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario - loved Stratford - saw King Lear, and Montreal has a fabulous Botanical Garden with a running train!
Hey, Lisa - no, your Barbie is way better!  My Irish Barbie is in a green dress and white apron with a little mop cap, red haired, of course.  I'll have to add a Barbie pix to the post.... :thinik:

[Roberta]

hay Brekke your mums a cool dude, my dad says no to all of them things to but my mum says get over it........dear ....maybe he should joine auntie barb and your mums club.

Oliver don't include Amyas she eats ANYTHING including the above vegies.

Julia love your bio

[DeeanDave]

Julia, good write up and hope you had a super POD -- I'm just a bit behind in reading the posts! 

[TerriL]

Sorry that I missed your POD Julia!  I really enjoyed reading about you! 
Congratulations on all of those years of teaching.  It takes a really special and dedicated person to teach little ones without burning out! 

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

I totally missed this Julia, what a great write up! I thought I knew quite a bit about you...but I learned a whole lot more.  :thumb: (all good of course!) Love the photos too and of course the Brekke one especially!

Leave it to Ruth to find a dragon emoticon...LOL Ruth you rock!

(we hope you win the Lotto too!!!!  )