Random Dozen - the Wednesday meme

Okay, folks, it's Random Dozen Wednesday.  If you want to play along, you can link your own answers over at Lid's 2nd Cup of Coffee (click on the image above).

1. Would you rather host party or simply attend a party?  I love to host parties!

2. Tell us about the most memorable party you've been to.  Oh my. That's impossible to pinpoint. We have killer parties! I can think of one that was memorable for the amount of unpleasantness that took place, but I prefer not to focus on that.  So, let me just say that all of our parties are memorable for one reason or another. And my favorite parties always involve lots and lots of family members!  I blogged about our latest party just the other day.

3. What is one thing you hope for in the after-life?   Eternal chocolate. Okay, I'm just kidding.  I long for the opportunity to learn the truth about things that have puzzled me in this life.

4. What do you enjoy most about sunshine?  The way it sparkles and plays on water -- ocean, bays, rivers, water falls, running streams  -- it lifts the spirits and dazzles the eyes! 

5. When you attend a bridal/baby shower, do you prefer to bring your own gift or chip in with others to buy a larger gift?  Bring my own. I like to go to places like TJ Maxx or Tuesday Morning and find unusual, high-quality items.

6. Would you rather have a FREE week of having your house cleaned or all of your meals cooked for you and your family?  Cleaning. Hands down. I hate to clean and love to cook.

7. What song describes your mood today? I've recently become a big fan of Celtic Woman and have been listening to their songs most of the time.  "Caledonia" has been running through my head most of today, and the longing for home in the song seems to be speaking to me at the moment.

8. What is something you received for your own bridal shower/wedding that you still own or use? (If you are not married, feel free to sub a gift you received a long time ago.) At my bridal shower I received a green bathrobe that I still pull out and wear on cold winter mornings and evenings.  It's voluminous and incredibly warm . . . and faded, and stained, and rather un-presentable to the world at large. But I can't part with it.

9. Your favorite flavor of ice cream is?  Chocolate. What else????  I also like Moose Tracks.

10. When was the last time you felt "tested?"  This past weekend when I became frustrated once again with the way Satan exploits human frailty for his own evil purposes.

11. "[Fill in the blank] is a food that once I start eating I find really hard to stop."  Oreo cookies. I literally cannot have them in the house because I not only eat that entire package, but I become instantly addicted and will go on eating them for months. They're like crack cookies to me. Truthfully, it's rather scary to find myself enslaved so completely from just one cookie. So I don't eat Oreos and I never buy them to have in the house for any reason.

12. "-----" is the best motivation.  The Holy Spirit is the best motivation. I'm not saying that in a bid to be super spiritual here -- heck, my track record of response to God's leading isn't all that great. But I say He is the best motivation because those things that He calls us to do always turn out to be huge blessings in so many ways -- not the least being the spiritual growth we receive in the process.

Thanks, Lid, for hosting the weekly meme!

- Catherine