Wednesday, February 20, 2013

25 Things You Might Not Know about Patty Smith Hall


Hi, I’m Patty Smith Hall, and I’ll be your hostess on the 30th of each month, bringing you  unknown pieces of history you’ve probably never heard of before. If you’ve been joining us this month, you know we’ve been introducing ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been blown away by some of the extraordinary things I’ve learned about these talented women. I’m honored to share a blog with them.

So, what about me? I’m not sure there’s that much to tell--but as this is my day(at least for this month,) I’ve decided to share 25 facts about me
  1. I’m a Southern girl through and through. Born in Georgia, both sides of my family moved here in the late 1700’s.
  2. My parents took me to Sunday school for the first time when I was two weeks old.
  3. I didn’t miss church again until I had pneumonia when I was nine.
  4. German Chocolate Cake is my ALL-TIME favorite dessert!
  5. I tried to send my sister back to the hospital when she was born. Forty-six years later, she’s kind of grown on me.
  6. I’m an oddity amongst writers--a total extrovert!
  7. My grandmother is the role model for all the sassy older women in my books.
  8. I was almost suspended from school for stealing ‘A Rose in Bloom’ from the library. (It was later found.)
  9. Every Fourth of July, I celebrate my second birthday--it’s the day I accepted Jesus as my Savior!
  10. Remington Steele, Moonlighting and Castle are some of my favorite shows of all time! 
  11. One of my friends in high school signed my yearbook with: You are so happy, you make me sick. 
  12. I got my first publishing contract when I was eleven--my sixth grade teacher sent some of my poems to a children’s magazine and they were accepted. 
  13. I proposed to my husband on our very first date--we were married 15 months later and celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary this year.
  14. On my first trip to Washington DC in June, 1969, I started talking to a boy at President Kennedy’s grave--it was John F. Kennedy, Jr!
  15. My biggest cheerleader--my dad! He's always told me I could do whatever I set my mind to doing.
  16. I read 6 newspapers a day, including 2 English newspapers--got to keep up with the royal family.
  17. I’m one of the most determined people you’ll ever meet.
  18. If I don’t want to do something, no power on earth can make me.
  19. My husband still makes me laugh after all these years.
  20. My favorite secret pleasures are Us magazines and crunchy Cheetos.
  21. I’m two degrees separated from Hugh Jackman.
  22. My first two books were written while I was flat on my back.
  23. If I can be half the woman my mother is, I’d consider myself a blessing to others.
  24. My great grandparents celebrated 78 years of marriage--a record in the state of Georgia! 
  25. I didn't learn how to work a computer until I was almost forty and still have a lot to learn--which is why there's not pictures with this article. So please--envision Hugh Jackman with a big piece of German Chocolate cake!

Please join me on March 30th when I'll be giving away a large print copy of my latest release, Hearts in Hiding!

23 comments:

  1. Hello Patty. I'm really glad to meet you. I think this is the best review or whatever you would call it. It made me laugh a number of times. So, this is what "Love at First Means" right? Hard to believe but, glad it has been a good marriage. And, getting published at 11. WOW! Good for your teacher. My step-daughter writes a page long poem about Christmas every year. (about our Lord, ) I have wished so long that she would get them published. She has been doing this for a long time. I'm sure she could do it. She makes me think Of my authors, for she says GOD just gives her the words to write every Christmas. I will soon be 78 and have only been doing the computer for a few years. I am a 2 finger typer for I never had typing in school.WOW! You sure read a lot of papers. Must be a fast reader. Wish I could read my books faster. I have known a lot of little kids that said the same thing when a new baby joined the family. I think it is so cute. I am going to save this copy about you until I get my printer fixed so I can print it. I love it! I hope I can win your book.
    Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com

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    1. So glad you enjoyed my 'list.' Read these out loud to my husband last night and he kept asking 'when are you going to mention me?' Attention hound! LOL! Come back and visit for a chance to win quite a few books!

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  2. Hey Patty! GC Cake is my favorite too!!! Love that stuff and I loved Remington Steele. Like the James Bonds with Pierce too. heehee Amazing about your grandparents. And I found some really cool stuff about my family fought in the Revolutionary war in the battles not far from our home in SC. So we've kind of come full circle. So glad you are a part of this blog.

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  3. Hey Patty,

    It's great to learn more about you. I think I'd be hard-pressed to come up with 25 facts about me, so I'm impressed that you did. Remington Steele was an old favorite, and Castle is one of my current favs, so we have that in common.

    I do have to ask, what did you mean when you said you were two degrees separated from Hugh Jackman?

    Sounds like you've had an interesting life.

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    1. Vickie, have you ever heard of the game 'Seven degrees separated from Kevin Bacon?' Well in my case, I grew up with one of Hugh Jackman's close friends, Schuler Hensley(who also starred with him in Van Helsing.) Hence, I'm two degrees separated from Hugh Jackman.

      I also hung out with Travis Tritt when we were kids--his cousin was one of my best friends.

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  4. Love this list. My sister and I called our new baby sister "Sally" after our pet toad in the back yard. After six weeks, they finally had to sit us down and tell us we were only to call her "Mary," the name they picked.

    Peace, Julie

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    1. Julie, my parents named my sister Rosalind--but I changed it to Rose. God bless them my parents didn't know how to pick a good baby name--they named my poor brother Darby! And we won't go into how they came up with my pitiful name.

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  5. cool about 2 degrees of separation of Hugh Jackman (does the fact he is a cricket fanatic and so am I count for me?)

    Good to learn more about you. So looking forward to hopefully meeting you in Atlanta May 6th (booked my hotel for my first night at an La Quninta hotel).

    I saw your day was the 30th and thought but its the 20th but kept reading.

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    1. Now see, I'd love to learn more about cricket--I couldn't quite catch the feel of it in the short time it was on Downton Abbey.

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    2. I dont watch Downton Abbey but am not surprised it was on it. I was doing a bus tour listening to the radio as they were interviewing Hugh Jackman and he was talking about how he use to go to the cricket as a child and still loved watching it. That was before he became internationally famous. Then this past season they interviewed him at the Cricket. Its a great game but hard to explain.

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  6. Patty, I loved your list. I'm ready to meet somewhere and have some German Chocolate cake with you. I love that cake, but my husband doesn't like coconut at all. We could have cake and coffee, talk writing and I would be sooooo happy. Nice to learn more about you.

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    1. I'll bring the cake! My mom makes the most spectacular German Chocolate cake in the world! I've had a rough time with last month with deadlines and such so Mom made me a cake just for me. Wasn't that sweet?

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  7. Patty you are a facinating person, I don't think I could think up 25 things about me and my life and I am way older then you. Thanks for your list though as I am still learning things about you, I am curious why were you on your back writing stories? do tell. This is a wonderful new site and lots of nice folks to check out, glad you are one of them.
    see ya next time...
    Paula O

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  8. How fun to learn more about you, Patty! 6 newspapers a day! How do you have time to write. And I agree with you about the cake. :-)

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    1. Creepy, huh? But I've been a huge newspaper fan since I was able to read--read them front to back.

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  9. Hey Patty, nice to meet you. Boy, I think I know more about you than I know about myself. Okay, I have to ask about number 22, why were you flat on your back?

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  10. Ah, the truth behind Number 22:

    When I was 22 years old, I was beaten up by one of my patients on the night shift and sustained a significant back injury. I had surgery, went through rehab and continued my nursing career in the more sedate field of medical research. About four years ago, I started having problems again--couldn't sit, couldn't stand. The only bearable position was lying down or leaning over the top of a chair.

    But I couldn't stop writing, not when I felt God calling me to continue. So I wrote lying down, longhand in my flip notebooks that I get at Walmart. And when it came time to sit up and type, I had to take a pill to help with the pain. I've since had a spinal fusion and am doing wonderfully(Praise the Lord!) I walk 2-3 miles a day and can now sit at my desk and write for hours on end! If you ever want to read my story of learning to deal with chronic pain, it's in Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul: A Second Dose. It's called Nurse, Heal Thyself.

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    1. Wow. Good for you for not giving up.
      My husband recently started working in Housekeeping at a convalescent hospital. Just yesterday he told me about how a patient lunged at him. He said if it wasn't for the bed that stood between them, he would be hurting right now. I guess this particular patient has a problem controlling his temper....when he discussed the incident with his superiors, all they said was 'Welcome the family, Jack!'....I guess that patient attacks everyone. :)

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  11. What a terrible thing to have happen to you Patty, and then to have to bear the pain and suffering for such a long time, you truly are amazing-so glad you had surg and now can do so much more. I have a sister that has lots of back pain from several back surgeries and now lots of chronic pain that she has to deal with..Life sure throws us curves sometimes huh?
    Paula O

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  12. Patty, nice to learn more about you. I appreciate extroverts--especially at conferences! :)
    Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  13. Nice to meet you and learn about your life. You are one determined lady! Good for you. Excited to see your posts and read your books.

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  14. Ms. Hall,... I am so very thankful I stumbled across this blog tonight, right as you all are getting your introductions posted ahead of your March Opening Blitz! :) I was reading through your list when a few things POPPED out at me: Yes, what is it about a writer whose a full-on extrovert that is so odd to discover? I face this same challenge in life, as I too, am a happy chatterbox! :) Laughs. Castle! Leaping Lizards! :) :) I discovered Castle a bit late, only 2 years ago come Autumn! :O Laughs. I know, I know,... I was just worried it was going to disappoint me as soo many series do! Instead, I'm a bonefide follower now! My other favourites of the moment are: NCIS {I love the family unit that is on the show! Their quirky, and they bring humanity to their jobs!}, SMASH! {I love Broadway!}, Zero Hour {Who didn't like Dr. Greene on ER?}, Downton Abbey {need I say more? The writer/creator was Kilwillie from Monarch of the Glen, so I'm still smiling over that one!}, and Sherlock, as in the brilliantly written and produced show starring Benedict Cumberbach!

    I look forward to your future posts! Ooh, one last thought, I too, am into ancestral roots, as I inherited my passion for tracing family histories from my Mum! :) Our best discovery!? We're actually *Irish!* :) Cheers!

    {ps} I was all smiles reading that you like Remington Steele! He's still my favourite {last} Bond! I just pretend the series is on 'hiatus' right now,...

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  15. Hi Patty, you get more fascinating as time passes. Enjoyed the list and quick glimpse into what makes you tick. I'm a Hugh Jackman and X-Men fan. I've seen the Six-Degrees of Separation in action so many times, I'm sure it's more than a game!

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