From Bev’s blog, “Airy Persiflage”

1.  What is some of your favorite music?

I love folk music as a broad genre.  Celtic rings my bells.  Scottish tunes  (not including bagpipes though… those grate on my nerves).  English folk songs, and American folk music mainly from the the years before the 70s.  Too many to list, my “favorites” would take up too much space here… but one of my latest faves is Gregory Alan Isakov. 

2.  List your three favorite scents.

Lavender.  Eucalyptus.  My dog’s paws. 

3.  How do you ground yourself or recharge?

I turn off the TV, close up my laptop, go into my reading room and get into my comfy reading chair, pull out a nearby book and open it up – to escape into the written page.  There is nothing like that in the world for me.  (I even turned our dining room into a Reading Room just for this purpose, see photo below:)

4.  Any ways you treat or spoil yourself?

Unfortunately, I like to eat.  Anything sinful.  And yes, that does spoil me… spoils my appetite for good food, spoils my body and spoils my will power.  

5.  Besides your blog, do you have a creative pass-time?

Creative?  Reading isn’t really creative, is it?  I used to like to sew but that’s gotten difficult with arthritis.  I plan to begin a crochet project after the 1st of the year, making a “Moorland Blanket” with a group of people from England, online… This is what it will look like, hopefully, when I’m done (this photo is from the site of Lucy, the lady who lives in Yorkshire and who will be guiding us through the making of the Moorland Blanket.  I’ve got my yarns from England here and am ready to start on the 6th of January.  The blanket will look similar to that rectangle of wavy colors in the right side of this photo.  Aren’t these colors just scrumptious? 

6.  Share something difficult you’ve been through.

Being very active most of my life, even to the point of running 7 miles a day at one point and now being house-bound and living in constant pain due to advanced end-stage osteoarthritis.  

7.  What helps you fall asleep?

Late night talk radio.  

8.  What is one strength and one weakness of yours?

Strength:  I don’t get bored with a quiet life.  I enjoy my own company and that of my husband and dog and don’t need more than that!

Weakness:  Food cravings. 

9.  Have you ever received a letter or written one to someone else?

What?  These questions must have been written by a young person!  Of course I’ve received AND have written letters from and to many people… many hundreds, thousands of letters… but not lately, sadly.  Computers, email, social media have all conspired to make real letter-writing almost a thing of the past, at least for me. 

10.  What makes you feel powerful, what breathes life into you?

A cup of coffee first thing after I get up and get dressed.  I only have the one cuppa a day, too, so it’s got to do the job for the whole day.  

11.  What’s your favorite thing to do at night?

After supper, Paul and Belle and I settle down in front of the TV and put a British DVD into the machine and watch our beloved movies, series, whatever we are in the mood for.  We watch at least 2 and sometimes 3 shows and then up to bed at around 8:45 for us!  

12.  If you could go back to any era, what would it be?

I’m not sure that going “back” is a good idea.  I am enjoying the benefits of living in the “now” – especially with internet, etc.  I am a searcher of information, and to have all this lovely information and art and music and books at my fingertips anytime I want it now, is a blessing.  So I wouldn’t go “back.”  

13.  Your favorite things to wear at home?

My uniform is jeans and a sweatshirt.  

14.  If you could be immortal, or have an extremely long life span which would you pick and why?

Neither.  Immortal?  What for?  Nope.  I want a whole new Life!  And long life span? Oh God No!  Just living to 68-1/2 so far has been difficult… I can’t see another 100 years of this stuff!  I’ll just take the possibility of choosing a new Life once I’m gone from this one… or not!  

15.  Tell us about something positive you have done for yourself or someone recently.

I have religiously been picking blood-swollen ticks off my collie dog, Belle.  I’m sure she appreciates it even though she hates it when I’m doing it!  We’ve had a huge tick population here this year for some reason.  She is now taking a vitamin pill every day that is supposed to prevent fleas and ticks from even wanting to sink their teeth into her…. and I think it’s starting to work.

16.  One thing you like about your appearance?

That I never got into the trap of wearing make-up and that I don’t color my hair and pretend to be younger than I am.  What you see is me… like it or leave it!  

17.  Something that makes you feel better after a hard day?

Dinner made by someone else and delivered to my door.  

 
18.  If you have one, name a favorite book & movie.

Book:  (this is hard, I have millions…) OK, if I have to pick one, “Mists of Avalon” is up there.  

Movie:  (It’s a series really) “All Creatures Great and Small.”  

19.  How do you feel about beards?

(Bev stuck this at the end of her meme list, I’m not sure why…) I do not like beards on women (you know, those niggly hairs that grow out of your chin if you’re not paying attention?), and on men, I like beards as long as they are on someone who doesn’t live with me.  I would not enjoy being lovey and cuddly with a guy with a beard  OR a mustache, for that matter.  I did that with my first husband and was not amused.  He was in the Navy at the time so had to keep his hair short (in an era when long hair was “in” – the 70’s) so a mustache was his only form of rebellion. My form of rebellion was wearing a mini-dress for my (1st) wedding (see below) and No Bra!  It felt so good!