Wow, I can't believe so much time has passed since I've posted...
I have one more question to answer from Kiyotoe:
In what ways are you a typical Taurus and what ways are you different? (I'm a classic Taurus myself).
According to Wikipedia…
“Taurus is the second sign of the Zodiac and associated with material pleasure. Individuals born under this sign are thought to have a calm, patient, reliable, loyal, affectionate, sensuous, ambitious, and determined character, but one which is also prone to hedonism, laziness, inflexibility, jealousy, and antipathy.”
Hmm… let’s take it one at a time…
Material pleasure – this is an interesting one, because although I love to get a new shirt or a new pair of shoes as much as the next gal, I’ve spent so many years without money that even now that I have it, I have a hard time spending on myself. And if I do, I still prefer a funky $20 necklace to a “real” one for ten times that amount. I also end up buying cheap $10 sunglasses and sifting through the clearance racks if I buy anything at all. Spending the weekend at the mall really isn’t my thing, either. Although I do like to have a nice home, and I enjoy fixing it up and making it look nice.
Calm – definitely. I’ve been told that I have a calming effect on those around me. And at work, no matter how busy, how tight the deadlines, I am calm, cool and collected while everyone else is frazzled.
Patient – definitely. Perhaps even to a fault.
Reliable – I think so. I think I’m someone that people can count on. A little ADHD makes me forgetful, and so I live with To Do lists and sticky notes and reminder emails that I send from my work account to my home account and vice versa. So it isn’t always easy for me to be reliable, but I am.
Loyal – definitely. I’m fiercely loyal and protective, especially with those closest to me. My love and friendship are steadfast for those closest to me.
Affectionate – definitely. I’m always hugging my daughter and my husband, and even the dogs get lion’s shares of belly rubs and back scratches. I like to hold hands. I often reach out and rub Sean’s shoulder or massage the back of his neck while he’s driving or while we watch TV. Touch is very important to me. Kisses too. Especially neck kisses.
Sensuous – “Highly appreciative of the pleasures of sensation” (according to freedictionary.com) – absolutely. As mentioned above, touch is so important. Even the feel of soft, freshly-bleached sheets on the bed, or fuzzy socks when my feet are cold, or a cool nighttime breeze – love it! But there are the other senses too… My eye is constantly searching out aesthetically-pleasing visions, whether in nature, or in the way shadows play off a chair at an outdoor café, or in the crumbling bricks of the industrial part of town, or in the local art museums. I’m constantly moved to grab my camera. And I’m a huge music fan, nearly any kind of music. And food… yeah, big fan of food too :)
Ambitious – pretty much. I wouldn’t say I’m that person who fights tooth and nail to claw their way to the top of the corporate ladder. I do work hard each day while I’m here, and I take pride in a job well done. But I don’t arrive early and work late, nor do I worry about work once I leave the office. I think I was ambitious enough to reach a certain level, and now I’m happy where I am. On the other hand, I do work two other part-time jobs, so maybe I am ambitious…
Determined – definitely. I work hard for the things I want with the confidence that I can overcome any obstacles I encounter along the way. Even in little things I have an incredible amount of determination to draw upon. I can get a huge air conditioner from the basement to a second-floor bedroom and put it in the window by myself, and it’s not because I’m all that strong…
Hedonism – “Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.” Geez, I see nothing wrong with that - why does this word have a negative connotation anyway? Okay, another definition says “an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good.” Hmm… I don’t consider the pursuit of pleasure the highest good, nor is it the basis of my moral code. I value many things above it – love, respect, responsibility, right-and-wrong, truth, common sense, the Golden Rule. I’m probably much too giving of a person to be considered hedonistic, which I think leans toward selfishness. Selfish is not a word you could ever use to describe me.
Laziness – nope. As I mentioned above, I work 3 jobs. I take care of the needs of everyone in my house (including the pets), I take care of the house itself, the yard… I am busy from the moment I get out of bed in the morning til the moment I finally collapse on the couch at night.
Inflexibility – nope. I guess I can be stubborn about things that are important to me, but for the most part I’m a flexible, roll-with-the-punches kind of person. I can switch gears without much of a fuss. I’m more of a nurturer and a people-pleaser, and so I view being inflexible as a selfish act.
Jealousy – not really. I’m sure I can be as much as the next person. But I have no problem with my husband commenting on someone else’s good looks (I’ll comment too), or chatting with other women. I don’t get freaked out if he goes out with the guys without me. In general, I think I have enough healthy self-confidence not to feel overly competitive with others. I’m not one of those people that feels disappointed when someone else succeeds, or hates someone for being better-looking than I am. I would definitely be jealous, though, if I thought my husband felt an emotional or physical connection with someone else.
Antipathy – no, I don’t think this one applies either.
I’ve also heard that Taurus folks love nature and natural things, and that is undeniably me. I love gardening, hiking, picnics – anything outdoors. I help turtles across the road, nurse sick animals back to health, capture insects in the house and release them outside (I know – I take it a bit far).
I’ve read, too, that us bulls make decisions with much thought and consideration. Oh yeah. I never dive into anything. I usually have to investigate all the options, do a little research, and weigh the pros and cons before I make a decision. Which can be a little frustrating when I’m out to dinner and can’t decide what I want from the menu.
Another article I read said Taureans have a preoccupation with honesty, and wow, that is so true of me. I can forgive and forget a lot of things, but I’ll always remember that time I was deceived by a lie. And even if I wasn’t deceived – how dare you! I think I’m extremely truthful, and therefore I absolutely expect it from others. Because of that, I may even trust when I shouldn’t. But long, long ago I read this quote, which I thoroughly agree with:
“It is more shameful to distrust one's friends than to be deceived by them.” (Duc de la Rochefoucauld). I live by that.
And perhaps I’ll even have an animal sidekick to pal around with, as most Disney heroines do. Well, I guess my dogs can fill that position. Especially now that I can talk to them. 
