On the last Friday of every month, I join Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky to share what I’ve learned. I told H I didn’t feel like I had a very long list this month. His response? “You were probably too busy to pay attention or write things down.” Wise words. Maybe #1 should be: Your husband is often paying more attention to you than you think.

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In no particular order, here is my list:

1)      This year, October  has five Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. This only happens once every 800 years. Yep, it’s true. Embrace the wonder beginning next week.

2)      41% of Americans read the bible on-line in the last year. That’s sayin’ a whole lot of somethin’.

3)      Did you know that the band, One Direction, is a group of individual singers who didn’t make the cut on the X- Factor? (I’m probably the last one to know – whatever.) A judge suggested they form as a group. After practicing together for only two weeks they became an overnight success. Proof that sometimes what you can’t do by yourself, can be accomplished more successfully in a group.

4)      Where is the happiest place on earth you ask? It’s no longer Disneyland but it still starts with the letter D. According to this, it’s now Denmark. (I’m still not sure I believe this one ya’ll.)

5)      Although the common landscape at the beach is sand and sea, I find something new every single time I visit. I found several of these on a Sunday walk. Apparently when they wash up on shore, they are mating and then I learned this . . . .

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6)    The horseshoe crab plays a vital, if little-known, role in the life of anyone who has received an injectable medication. An extract of the horseshoe crab’s blood is used by the pharmaceutical and medical device industries to ensure that intravenous drugs, vaccines, and medical devices, are free of bacterial contamination. No other test works as easily or reliably for this purpose. Isn’t that the coolest? And we just thought they were prehistoric looking, oversized crabs.

7)      Okay, so I admit it. When I saw the movie, The Saint, in 1997, I adopted a huge crush on Val Kilmer. After a lengthy absence from playing characters in movies, I discovered that he has been impersonating Mark Twain in a one act play called Citizen Twain for the past ten years. What? You can see his character transformation through makeup from his twitter feed here and watch him in action on stage here.

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8)      I’ve learned that the most vulnerable parts of our personal stories set others free to become fully human when we share them.

9)      That it doesn’t hurt to ask a professional photographer whom you admire from a distance to take your daughter’s senior photos at the last possible minute. She just might say yes and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a moment of divine providence.

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Isn’t my girl pretty?

10)   Surprisingly, Fall is now my favorite season. At least this week. It’s the cool breeze prelude ushering in the gift of thanksgiving and a welcome walk into the most wonderful time of the year – Christmas. Only 89 days away. Eek!

11)   I’m still brave (or a glutton for punishment). It’s what I learned about myself when I conquered writing every day in October last year for the first time. I’m doing it again this year. Join me?  Find out more here.

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12) According to the teenagers in my home, certain fonts say, “Uncool, out of touch, don’t take that person seriously.” Apparently Comic Sans is so last year. They roll their eyes just thinking about it. Who knew?

So, what did you learn this month? Let’s have some fun in the comments.