Picking up where I left off from yesterday’s list of 25 questions after a gorgeous Saturday of sunshine, breezes, and kitties shoving themselves against the window screens trying to absorb it all. So here goes Part II, answering questions eleven through twenty of the list.

11. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
A.) Chances are, sure I would. If a loved one needed to get to the ER and I was driving, I’d be running red lights and breaking speed limits. You bet. Ask for forgiveness later. 

12. When you’re elderly, what will matter to you most?
A.) Staying active, healthy and social. And obviously making sure that my affairs are in order. I do NOT want to sit around with nothing to do and nothing to talk about beyond my aches, pains and illnesses — real or imagined. 

13. Do you ask enough questions? Or do you settle for what you know?
A.) Depends. At my core, I love to learn. I read a lot and enjoy research or gaining an understanding of how things work. Running? I have probably asked too many questions and gathered way too many books and magazines. My kids’ disease? I stopped researching that pretty early on. At some point, too much knowledge can be harmful and paralyzing. So I put my faith in what our surgeon knows — and what he tells me I need to know. 

14. Do you celebrate the things you do have?
A.) Absolutely. We make up reasons to have mini parties in our house. I’m not naive; I know that many single-parent households have many more challenges than ours. My kids know it, too. We try not to take anything for granted…which is probably why we celebrate so much. 

15. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you have done?
A.) I don’t think so. I’ve done a great deal of what I said I’d do. There are a few things that I’ve yet to do, but by and large, I think my walk to talk ratio is pretty decent.

16. When was the last time you tried something new?
A.) Today, in fact! (See photo below) I’m going to do my first mini-triathlon in July, so there are some new skills to be learned. I have the running down, but there’s some swimming and biking to do. So today, I bought a new helmet, new shoes, and I biked. I’ve never used a road bike or those funny clip-in shoes. And I’ve never ridden on the road…until today. It was scary and exhilarating all at once. 

17. What activities make you lose track of time?
A.) I’d love to say running, but I know exactly how long I do that — and am ALWAYS aware of my time (dear lord, it’s only been HOW MANY minutes??). But hiking…photography…that’s when time stands still for me. That, and rummaging around Pinterest. That’s a major time-suck. 

18. If you could do it all over again, would you change anything?
A.) Sometimes I wish that I would have made things a little easier for myself in my earlier years, but no. What’s the point? That would mean changing today’s life as I know it. Why would I want that?

19. What is the difference between living and existing?
A.) To me, existing means going through the motions. You have a physical being in which you provide food, water, sleep — dull and emotionless. It’s strictly functional. More of an adjective. Living is a verb. It implies movement to me. It’s active. A rock exists, but it doesn’t live. To live, you have to move, experience and feel — the good, the bad and the ugly.

20. If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend?
A.) You know, I believe my answer to this question would have been entirely different even a year ago. But now, I’d let that friend stick around for quite some time. I have made a very deliberate effort to speak kindly to myself and ABOUT myself. I absolutely make fun of myself – and enjoy doing so, but I still choose my words very carefully. If you say mean or negative things to or about yourself long enough, you start to believe it. And you become what you believe. 

Final five tomorrow.