Poetry Potluck, My Grandmother, and Me

Over at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup, Jama has been hosting a Poetry Potluck to celebrate National Poetry Month. She invited poets, author, bloggers, and other lovers of poetry to share an original poem and favorite recipe. It's my turn today, so head on over to Jama's place to read Counting Chips with Miss Rumphius and see what's in store.

Many, many thanks to Jama for honoring me with an invitation to the party. Now if only we could get all the potluck contributors together with their scrumptious dishes in tow . . .

Meet My Pooch (and Me)!

Why yes, I'm back and just filled to the brim with poetry. Until I have a chance to write about it, head on over to coffee with a canine and learn more about me and my lovable pooch. (Sorry all you cat lovers!)

Thanks to Marshal for the profile.

Meme - My Life According to Poetry

I'm blaming and thanking Monica at educating alice for this one. The idea here was to take your list of books read in 2009 and use them to answer some questions. However, I don't always play by the rules, so I've modified this one. What follows is my life as defined by the books on my poetry and writing shelves, most of which I read this spring for my Poetry Makers series.

Describe yourself
Eats: Poems

How do you feel?
I'm Glad I'm Me

Describe where you currently live
Over in the Pink House (okay, it's brick, but pink is close enough!)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Monster Motel

Your favorite form of transport
Always Got My Feet

Your best friend is . . . ?
A Kick in the Head and M Is for Mischief

You and your friends are . . .?
Voices From the Wild

What’s the weather like?
Full of Lemonade Sun

Favorite time of day?
Fireflies at Midnight

What is life to you?
Pass the Poetry, Please!

Your fear?
America at War and a Dirty Laundry Pile

What is the best advice you have to give?
Take Joy

Thought for the Day?
My Dog May Be a Genius and Technically It's Not My Fault

How I would like to die
Messing Around on the Monkey Bars

My soul’s present condition?
Nothing's the End of the World

A Chess Lover's Dream

In today's Guardian you'll find an article entitled Why Chess is a Perfect Game for Fiction. I couldn't agree more. I am not a great chess player (or even a good one for that matter), but I do enjoy playing the game, watching those more accomplished play it, tackling mathematical chess puzzles, and reading about chess. As of late I've taken up the playing of Chinese chess, a passion I developed after watching it played on the streets of Beijing and Shanghai.

Since I'm thinking so much about chess these days, I thought I'd take you on a brief tour of some of my favorite quotes, links and books about a game that generally amazes and humbles me.

I play the game for the game's own sake.
Sherlock Holmes

Then she brought the chessboard and played with him; but Sharrkan, instead of looking at her moves, kept gazing at her fair mouth, and putting knight in place of elephant and elephant instead of knight. She laughed and said to him, “If thy play be after this fashion, thou knowest naught of the game.” “This is only our first,” replied he, “judge not by this bout.” When she beat him he replaced the pieces in position and played again with her; but she beat him a second time, a third, a fourth and a fifth.
The Book of The Thousand Nights and A Night
Richard F. Burton

To learn about the rules of chess, chess notation, tactics, and more, visit these sites.

• ChessKIDS Academy: Online Lessons
• Chess for Kids
• Glossary of Chess Terminology
• Chess is Fun
• Illustrated Rules of Chess
• Algebraic Chess Notation
• The Rules of Chess for Kids

And we shall play a game of chess,
Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door.
The Waste Land
T.S. Eliot

One of the earliest mentions of Chess in puzzles was by the Arabic mathematician Ibn Kallikan who, in 1256, posed the problem of the grains of wheat, 1 on the first square of the chess board, 2 on the second, 4 on the third, 8 on the fourth etc. There are several children's books that examine this problem. They are:

• A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman;
• The King's Chessboard by David Birch;
• One Grain of Rice by Demi; and
• The Rajah's Rice: A Mathematical Folktale from India by David Barry.

One of the earliest problems involving chess pieces was posed by Guarini di Forli, who in 1512 asked how two white and two black knights could be interchanged if they were placed at the corners of a 3 x 3 board (using normal knight's moves).

Brook Taylor first posed the problem of the Knight's Tour, in which a knight passes through all the squares on the board in one tour, without entering any square more than once. A closed tour is one in which the knight begins and ends on the same square. You can test your skill at Enchanted Mind JAVA Puzzles - Knight's Tour.

Another famous chessboard problem is the Eight queens problem. This problem asks in how many ways 8 queens can be placed on a chessboard so that no two attack each other.

Paulo Boi and the Devil and The Problem Cake are both chess problems with stories with drawings by V. Barthe.

Raymond Smullyan composed chess problems of retrograde analysis, in which the object was to deduce the past history of a game. Take a look at these retrograde analysis problems.

You can learn the basics of retrograde analysis as Sherlock Holmes teaches Dr. Watson by reading Smullyan's wonderfully written book, Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes: Fifty Tantalizing Problems of Chess Detection.

Knight: You play chess, do you not?
Death: How do you know that?
Knight: I have seen it in paintings.
Death: Yes, I am quite a skillful player.
Knight: But no more so than I.
Death: Why do you wish to play chess with me?
Knight: That's my concern.
Death: You're quite right.
Knight: As long as I resist you, I live. If I win, you set me free.
Sjunde inseglet, Det (The Seventh Seal)
Ingmar Bergman

To read about Julia, a young Madrid art restorer who is drawn into the world of chess and murder when she discovers the inscription "Who killed the knight?" on a Flemish painting, read the book The Flander's Panel by Arturo Perez-Reverte. This book is well-written and was a bestseller in Spain and France, as well as a Times notable selection.

If after reading The Flander's Panel you become interested in art with chess as the subject (as I have), you may wish to visit the Chess Painting Gallery.

One of my favorite movies tells a story based on fact, about a young boy named Josh Waitzkin who was born with a gift for chess. Click here to read a review of Searching for Bobby Fischer.

In Ingmar Bergman's Sjunde inseglet, Det (The Seventh Seal), a knight returning from the Crusades finds most of medieval Europe ravished by the Black Plague. When Death appears to the knight and tells him it is his time, the knight challenges Death to a chess game for his life. This 1957, black-and-white movie is in Swedish with English subtitles. Get a glimpse of this classic by watching a video clip. (You'll find a bit of homage to this scene in the movie (500) Days of Summer.)

To read about alchemy, chess, computers, puzzles, Fibonacci numbers, music, magic squares, and more, follow the link to one of my favorite books, The Eight.

Kurt Vonnegut wrote a short story entitled All the King's Horses, in which a U.S. army colonel shot down behind enemy lines must play a game of chess using his family and other prisoners as the pieces. If he wins, the prisoners go free. However, during the match, any American piece captured will be executed immediately. You can find this story in the collection Welcome to the Monkey House.

As a stamp collector I have a special fondness for stamps with a chess theme. Listed below are some sites about chess on stamps.

• Chess on Stamps by Fabio Coracini Ollita
• Chess on Stamps by Colin Rose
• Chess on Stamps by Steve Trussel

Alice: It's a great huge game of chess that's being played -- all over the world --if this is the world at all, you know. Oh what fun it is! How I wish I was one of them! I wouldn't mind being a Pawn, if only I might join - though of course I should like to be Queen best.

Red Queen: That's easily managed. You can be the White Queen's Pawn if you like, as Lily's too young to play - and you're in the Second Square to begin with. When you get to the Eighth Square you'll be a Queen.
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There
Lewis Carroll

If you still haven't seen enough chess resources online, here are a few more that you may find of interest.

• About Chess
• Duif's Place: Chess for Fans and Tournament Players
• Internet Chess Club
• La Mecca Chess Encyclopedia
• U.S. Chess Federation
• World Chess Championship Index

© Patricia Stohr-Hunt. All rights reserved.

On Life and Loss

I returned to Richmond yesterday after 16 days at home. Even though I had planned to be there for some time, I still deeply regret not seeing my father before he passed away. He, however, had other plans and simply couldn't wait for us to tidy our lives before heading home.

My father celebrated his 83rd birthday on May 5th. The next day my parents closed on a new home. That evening he was having difficulty breathing, so his hospice nurse suggested they take him to the hospice facility where he would be spending a few days during the move. An ambulance came and took my father away. A few hours later he was in a room and stabilized. My mother stayed for a while, but when she saw he was resting comfortably, she went home. My father, who had been suffering from pulmonary fibrosis, stopped breathing not long after.

I spent that day trying to tie up those loose ends so I could get home quickly, though I know I left many dangling. The impact of the news left me in a mental fog that I couldn't seem to break through. I flew home on the 8th and survived a series of delays and many hours stuck in airports thanks to a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It probably wasn't a wholly appropriate title, but reading it did bring a few smiles.

Sunday, May 10th would have been my parents' 57th wedding anniversary. A steady stream of tears ran down my face during morning mass. The priest talked about mothers and fathers during his homily. They read my father's name during the prayers of the faithful, and many people came to offer their condolences. I just wasn't prepared. My mother, however, handled it all beautifully.

My father's only sibling arrived from California on Monday. The funeral was Tuesday morning. I was surprised and honored to see parents of my high school friends, the daughter of neighbors long since moved away, retired teachers my father once worked with, and many others. Having had a good cry on Sunday, I was actually pretty calm during the service, at least until the Honor Guard showed up. I don't think there was a dry eye during the playing of Taps, or during the moment when they handed my mother the flag.

The days leading up to the funeral and the day after were filled with visits from family and friends. They were also filled with stories, so many stories. At times it felt odd that there was so much laughter given the circumstances, but these words from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society seem oddly fitting--"The old adage--humor is the best way to make the unbearable bearable--may be true."

The days that followed were filled with phone calls and paperwork, lots of paperwork. Dying is a messy business, leaving those who are left behind with so very much to do. I was glad to be with my mother through those early days. My sister returned shortly before my departure to pick up where I left off. The "To-Do" list is still very long, but it is slowing melting away.

When I return home in 8 weeks my mother will be in a new house, with new furniture, embarking on a new phase in her life. She'll also be celebrating her 80th birthday. I'm sure this time will be bittersweet for all of us, but we'll carry on, keeping the memory of my father in our hearts.
***************
Thank you for allowing me this bit of indulgence. I needed it. Thanks too to all of you who have written and sent notes of condolence. I am so grateful for your thoughts, prayers and kindness.

Blogger of the Week at Alice's CWIM Blog

Thanks bunches to Alice who asked me to be her blogger of the week. You can read all about it at Alice's CWIM Blog.

How Do I Love Thee Letter D?

Julie Larios of The Drift Record participated in a challenge where she was assigned a random letter (lucky duck got the letter P) and then had to make a list of things she loved that began with that letter. Because I'm in major procrastination mode, I asked her to send me a letter. Here's my list for the letter D.

This photo comes from Leo Reynolds' photostream.

Dickinson, Emily - Probably my favorite female poet, I can't get enough of her work. I read Dickinson voraciously each fall when her words just seem to fit my favorite of seasons. Here's what she had to say about poetry.

If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?

Downward Facing Dog - I have a love/hate relationship with yoga. At the beginning of class the instructor reminds us that we must let go of judgment and competition. As a former gymnast (for nearly 20 years), where it was all about striving for perfection, I find these are mighty hard to let go of. Even though this mindset has been hard to adopt, I do love how I feel during and after yoga. I still like being upside down and enjoy the rush of blood to my head and the stretch I get from this pose.

Doughnuts - Growing up in the north we had no Krispy Kreme. Oh sure we had doughnuts, but not like these. I was initiated when I moved to Richmond. I love going in when the "Hot" sign is lit to watch them being made. Is there anything better than a hot glazed doughnut? Or a chocolate iced cream filled? Or a raspberry jelly? Or ... oh heck, just give me a box of assorted!

Double Dutch - My idea of jump roping as a kid was seeing how many times I could sing Miss Mary Mack all the way through before getting tired or tripping. I don't recall jumping rope while others turned more than once or twice. That's probably why I watch kids double dutch today and am amazed at their athleticism, coordination and synchronization.

Darjeeling - I am a tea drinker. My favorite black tea is Darjeeling. I like it good and strong with lots of milk and just a bit of sugar.

Daisies - These flowers always make me smile. As Kathleen Kelly said in You've Got Mail, "Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?" I know I do!
(This photo comes from wazka=dragonfly's photostream.)

Mr. Darcy - Yes, I'm an Austen addict. I love Darcy, but I'm also fond of Captain Wentworth, Edward Ferrars and Mr. Knightley. The point here is not Darcy but Austen, so I cheated a bit on this one.

Degas, Edgar - It wasn't the myriad of ballerinas that made me fall in love with Degas, but rather the piece Woman Ironing. It reminded me of my mother, who spent hours pressing our clothes and ironing linens. I still see her when I see this painting. I'm also quite fond of his horse paintings.
Dogs - No matter the shape, size, gender or breed, I am a dog lover. I'll even take the slobbery ones. My first dog was an Irish Setter named Tricia's Garnet, or Trig for short. Today I own a doberman/terrier mix that we rescued from the pound. She's 11 and a half and still acting like a pup.

Well, that's my quick stab at this. If you want to play, leave me a note and I'll send you a random letter.

Yes, I'm Here

William has gone back to school and I have gone back to work, yet the lethargy of winter break still tugs at me. I need a vacation from my vacation. I did not read as much as I wanted, wrote even less (though I did get those cards out after the holiday), and accomplished little. I suppose there is something to be said for good old-fashioned "down time."

I'll be back soon (perhaps even today!) with more book reviews, thematic lists, poetry stretches and the like. Stay tuned ...

Things I've Done

I got this one from Libby. Play along if you like. All the things I have done are in bold.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (From the top of the main mast, furling sails!)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Yes, when it was actually allowed.)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (Heavens no! Why would I?)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (does Tai Chi count?)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (Once, and never again!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (Yes, I was driving!)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (I've been called, but always dismissed.)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day.

That's 59 out of 100. It seems I've got some work to do, though a few of these I would gladly pass up (like 22, 46, and 97).

Why I Love the State Fair

Mischief and mayhem of the animal variety, brand new babies, crazy fun rides, and a few hundred smiles thrown in--all reasons why I love the fair.

Sheep eating chair.

Sheep nuzzling (biting?) William.

Goose eating rope, wagon and anything else he could get his beak on!

Hungry piglets.

Calf at 12 hours old.

One very happy boy.

Monday Miscellany - Awards, Links and a Photo Op

News
While much of the kidlitosphere gathered in Portland on Saturday for the 2nd Annual Kidlit Bloggers Conference, I spent the day with a group of preservice and inservice teachers leading a workshop. I had great fun, but probably not as much as those reporting on the events from Portland. The good news is that Kidlit '09 will be held in D.C., sometime before the National Book Festival. (Will we even HAVE a festival next year once Laura Bush is gone?)

Awards
Some very kind people have bestowed awards on this blog. Recently, Just One More Book!!, and Blue Rose Girl Elaine awarded The Miss Rumphius Effect the I *Heart* Your Blog Award.
Way back in July (when I was on vacation), I received two awards that I just learned about/remembered while reading old post comments and Technorati links. I'm so sorry I missed these! The amazing Anastasia Suen selected TMRE for an Arte y pico award.
And how cool is this? Becky from In the Pages (one of my fellow Cybils judges) awarded TMRE this award.
All of these awards ask that you pass the honors on, but because I read so many great blogs, and since most have already been tapped for these awards, I'm simply going to say thank you so much for reading TMRE and making me a part of this wonderful community.

Morning Linkage
I had a "parking lot" moment yesterday morning. While I should have been heading into Stir Crazy for some tea and a scone while William was in Sunday School class, I was instead listening to this great interview with Dar Williams on NPR. And yes, I promptly went to iTunes and bought her new album. The interview was THAT good.

Yesterday's episode of This American Life included a story about the Harlem Children's Zone. Anyone interested in kids, education, literacy and/or raising children out of poverty needs to listen to this.

The last two episodes at The Classics Tales Podcast have been The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde. You can still listen to Part One and Part Two.

A Photo Op
Finally, a picture of my son in his new specs. Genes are an amazing thing. I'm just sorry he couldn't escape the one for nearsightedness he inherited from both his parents. He did pick out his own frames and seems quite happy with them, so all's well that ends well. (Until they get broken or lost, of course!)

This is Totally Sara's Fault

You'll notice that picture in the sidebar is um... Miss Rumphius. You haven't seen pictures of me since the China trip, and even then, I wasn't in many of them. So today all I can say is "Sara made me do it!"

Meme Rules
Take a picture of yourself right now.
Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair -- just take a picture.
Post that picture with NO editing.
Post these instructions with your picture.

Sara asked for a comic book pic, but it came out so dark you could barely see me, so I used the colored pencil filter instead.

Another Friday of procrastination at work (literally and figuratively). Now it's YOUR turn!

The Simple Pleasures

There are many, many days when I miss the hustle and bustle of teaching in K-12 schools. Today is not one of them. This morning I had the loveliest conversation with my son while he ate breakfast and I cut the sandwich for his lunch in the shape of a frog.

Later in the day, upon returning from a meeting, I spent nearly thirty minutes standing and watching a red-tailed hawk negotiate the difficulties of eating the squirrel it had caught for lunch.

And now, well I'm eating the most divine bar of chocolate (it has chilies in it!) and reading children's books for a new blog post. What could be better than that?

Creativity Test

Okay, cloudscome made me do it. I'm actually not surprised that our numbers are reversed. Did you see those quilts she made? Have you seen her photos and read her haiku? I only wish I could do that! Here are my results.

Your turn! Go ahead and take the test.

Perception Personality Image Test

I'm procrastinating, so sue me! Here are the results of my "Perception Personality Image Test."

NBPS - The Idealist
Nature, Background, Big Picture, and Shape

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.

The full results are even more interesting.

This is a fun test that asks you to look at a series of pictures and decide which parts you are most and least drawn towards. Go ahead and give it a try.

On Bravery

I spent a lot of time on my vacation thinking about the family home that my parents will leave behind next year. I'm not sure why this has hit me so hard, but my heart actually hurts when I think that the home my father built (yes, he built himself) more than 50 years ago will no longer be our family home.

My parents married in 1952 and moved into the house (unfinished at is was) in 1955, the year my sister was born. My brother came along in 1957, and I arrived in 1965. I know that people say you can never go home, but I never feel much like I've been away when I return, and I haven't lived there since 1984.

On the last night of our vacation I sat in a chair under the shade of a mulberry tree and watched my son swim in the neighbor's pool. It's not the same pool I swam in as a child, but a newer version located in the very same spot. I looked fondly over the pile of boulders that served as my childhood fort, the rocks looking so much smaller and less imposing than I remember them. I marveled at the pine trees, both standing more than twice the height of the house. When my brother was young he jumped his horse (a pony really) over those very trees. Imagine what a feat that would be today! I remembered where the white birch and crab apple trees once stood, and found myself amazed at how large some of the replacements had grown in such a short time. I longed for the scent of lilacs, but they are out of season and the bushes gone as well. I found myself still missing the swing set that came down years ago. Give me a swing today and I'll still ride it, twist on it, and wonder how high I can go. So much has changed physically, but the memories are so strong it's hard to believe how much time has passed since they were made.

I thought about all these things and more on the drive back to Richmond, and realizing that getting teary while driving 70 mph was probably not a good thing, I decided to focus on the positive aspects of this move for my parents. In the end, I was struck by one fact that I'd overlooked, and it stopped me in my tracks. After 56 years of marriage, and with my Mom closing in on her 80's (next year) and Dad already into them, my parents are doing an incredibly brave thing. They are daring to write the next chapter in their lives, and I must give credit where credit is due. I'm not sure I'll be brave enough at 80 to attempt such a bold move. But then again, who knows? I've got some great role models to follow.

The Other Kelly Made Me Do It!

Okay, here's another quiz. I got this one from another of my favorite bloggers named Kelly.

You are 100% in form.

You are the Mr/Miss Universe of Poetry Form! Now, grease up and flex your poetic muscles for the camera.

Form Fitting 101
Make Your Own Quiz

Poetry stretches are making me smart indeed!

Kelly Made Me Do It

I'm blaming this one on Kelly. (I know I saw it on her web site!) And yes, I don't mind being the sidekick, as I'm not one for hogging the limelight.

You are Robin

Young and acrobatic.
You don't mind stepping aside
to give someone else glory.
Take the Which Superhero are You? Quiz.

Sunday Morning Fun

You Are Fruit Flavored Gum

You are quirky and independent. You don't tend to follow any one style or rule book.

You are a mix and match type of person, and you draw inspiration from many sources.

While you're definitely a bit unusual, you get along well with other people.

You're eager to welcome anyone into your world. You are not judgmental at all.

You form close bonds with your friends, and your relationships tend to be very secure.

You hold firm to your beliefs and values, and you don't let anyone talk you into compromising them.

What Flavor Gum Are You?

It's amazing how five questions can reveal so much. Go ahead and try it. You know you want to see what flavor you are! Thanks to Becky for the link.

A Complete and Utter Failure

16 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

Yes, I'm stubborn, independent and put my cold feet on my husband at night to warm them. (Isn't that what he's there for?) Go on, you know you want to take the test.