A Little About Me:
I always stop and squirm a little at this part of any "tell us about yourself" question, so here I am at my own site, fumbling to come up with something to say. Okay... here goes at an attempt, and a short version of the past 55 years of being me:  

My name is Joanne Kidd, and I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. I am the second daughter of a 6' 4" Texan father, and beautiful redheaded mother. I had one older sibling--a sister, who received the birth of me as a gift on her second birthday and never once tried to return me for something else. (That I know of) Those tall genes kicked in early in my life, and before I was out of grade school I was nearing the six-foot mark. 

This staggering ability to stand out in a crowd continued throughout my childhood and well into my later years. I eventually learned how to stand without knocking my knees together, and even better, I somehow adapted to my special gift of al-titude.

I have always been happiest when I am thinking, creating, designing, decorating, painting, gardening, renovating something, or knee-deep in a project. I enjoy challenges, and whenever I look at something that appears to be ready for the trash heap, whether it's a room, an old piece of 60s blue-painted furniture, an overgrown and weed-infested garden, or even an entire house - if know there are possibilities of beautification, I start that itch to get my hands on it! While most women herd to the mall in a ritual of gratification, I can usually be found at the paint store, hardware, or garden department somewhere, planning my attack. (I have been known to spend hours at a time there!) 

I am the mother of two absolutely wonderful [now adult] daughters that made my job of being their mother pretty easy. I mean REALLY easy - as in, my oldest daughter potty trained HERSELF at 17 months, "easy." She simply walked up to me and said she wanted to go poo-poo. Um.... okay. And, that was it! No accidents, so oopsies, nothing. So, tell me... What's so hard about potty training? "Easy" as in these two not only ate all of their vegetables without having to be told, they even ASKED for them - including rutabagas and trees (broccoli)!  With the exception of a couple of amateur attempts at testing the waters with mouthy defiance, even their teen years were a breeze. (Probably because they come from a long, genetic line of perfection.) They are both at the top of the list as my greatest blessings in life, and they have truly made this mom proud! (Okay, 99.9% of the time...)  They have brought me joy every single day, and have become two of the most amazing women I could've ever dreamed they'd be. 

I am married to the most wonderful man who makes me laugh every day. We met when I was 18 and he was [almost] 17 years old. 28 years later we found each other again. That is a story in itself and can be found here.

Another greatest blessings in life that I am thankful for every day is that my parents provided me with a solid family foundation, a loving Christian home, morals, values, and a sense of character. In looking back, I can fully appreciate all their efforts, and also the fact that if one little aspect had been different in my life, it could have changed so much of what I hold dear and sometimes might even take for granted.