Eight Random Things

Mark at Pseudo-Polymath tagged me with the "8 random things meme". The rules:

1. Let others know who tagged you.
   
2. Players post 8 random facts about themselves.
   
3. Those who are tagged should post these rules with their 8 facts.
   
4. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

So here are my 8 random facts:

1. I'm way too fond of my fig tree. Early July is always full of fresh figs, and I've already put back a good supply of fig jam for this coming year. I don't even eat store-bought jam anymore.
2. When I was a kid, my first TV-star crush was on Col. Hogan from Hogan's Heroes. Later I came to think that Newkirk was a much more interesting character.
3. I'm fond of Jewish mysticism. I loved Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath. (Heschel was Professor of Ethics and Mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.) In mysticism, Jewish thought often approaches Messianic and "Trinitarian" themes in an indirect way that Christians would recognize as the native soil from which grew Christianity's understanding of God and of Messiah as the Incarnate Torah.
4. I've been known to use guacamole and baklava as proofs of God's goodness. (I heard later that Ben Franklin used beer as proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.)
5. I have my kitchen and living room decorated to look like I'm outdoors because I'm not an indoor person. The tops of 4 consecutive bookshelves are lined with pine cones, the wallpaper border has seagulls flying overhead against a partly cloudy sky ...
6. No matter how many bookshelves I get, it seems like I never have enough room for all of my books.
7. Although most of my books are either theology, history or philosophy, I have read all 6 (so far) Harry Potter books, all 13 Lemony Snicket books, and all 54 Animorphs books with my kiddos. And I liked them all. And yes, I'm getting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the day it comes out.
8. I enjoy embroidery as a creative outlet. My favorite piece that I've done so far is cattails in a marsh up (done on the edge of a pillowcase).

Who to tag? Some people I'd like to tag have mentioned they don't usually do memes *(though I'd be glad if you played). Some of my blogging friends have very serious blogs where a meme might seem out of place (though again I'd be glad if any of you played). A few people have already played, and a couple of people I'd like to tag are out of pocket for vacation. So if you're on my blogroll and I didn't tag you, it's because I think you fall into the categories above. If I'm wrong on that, consider yourself tagged. People I'm officially tagging:

1. Jeff Pinyan
2. Dan and Elle
3. Codepoke
4. Proclaiming Softly
5. Barb the Evil Genius
6. Bryce Wandrey
7. Singing Owl
8. Kansas Bob