10 (+30) things about me at 40

(1) I am not bothered by turning forty (2) When I was young I wanted a career—not a marriage and definitely not children (3) I am happily married and I love my son (4) I have homeschooled my son all his life (5) I did not have pets growing up (6) I think I will always have a pet as an adult (7) I wanted to be a veterinarian...until I'd worked in a vet's office (8) I am a follower, not a leader (9) I still sleep with stuffed animals (10) I love to read (11) I write book reviews for a magazine (12) They know me at our library, it is like my church (13) I love to hike and to be outside (14) I love living where we have all four seasons, (15) but I hate being cold (16) I am a hobby birder and naturalist (17) I studied evolution in college and still see the world through that lens (18) I am an atheist (19) I am a humanist and I believe in the inherent morality of humans (20) I am artistic but not creative (21) I love eat, and I especially love to snack (22) I love to garden (23) I'm not big on TV or movies (24) I love hot showers in the winter, cold showers in the summer (25) I love to get really dirty, especially in the summer (26) I am a runner—I run at least 3 miles 3-4 days every week (27) I cross and weight train on my off running days (28) I struggle with depression and anxiety (29) I use exercise and diet to manage these conditions (30) I love to write (31) I love taking pictures (32) I am an introvert (33) I am on the board of our homeschooling group (34) I am on the board of our library Friends group as the book sale manager (35) After any time with people I need a lot of time alone (36) I'm learning to play the piano (37) I love to sew and am getting better at it all the time (38) I don't get enough sleep (39) I love to cook (40) I love my family more than anything else in the world.