Thursday 28 August 2014

60 Questions

I am going to write a proper blog post but it is taking me some time to think about what I want to discuss.

In the meantime, here is another meme. It is meant to be sixty questions, but the blog I copied only had fifty nine, so I have made up the final question.

1  Would you have sex with the last person you text messaged?

Definitely not! It wasn't Dan!

2  Opinions on sex before marriage?

This brings back some hilarious memories of Dan paralysed with fear one night when my parents arrived home early and very nearly caught us on the sofa.

3  Is trust a big issue for you?

I trust Dan completely, but I do admit to having had my fingers burned by other people during my life.

4  Did you hang out with the person you like recently?

Golly, it makes me feel like washing on the line! LOL. I don't think I do "hanging out" these days.

5  What happened last night?

I fell asleep on the sofa I would've wanted to "make out on" forty years' ago.

6  Ever have plastic surgery?

No thank you. Once you have one bit done, another bit needs doing, and so it goes on. Sadly, I have a friend who now has a 'trout pout'. You can't hold back the years and there are lots of other people out there rowing the same canoe as you.

7  Which are better - black or green olives?

If I was really pressed, I would say the large juicy green French olives stuffed with garlic. But personally, I just can't get to like olives of any colour, and I've tried all my life.

8  What is the last beverage you had?

A very large latte.

9  Ever won a contest?

Contest or competition? I've never won a holiday or anything like that, but I used to compete on horseback when I was younger. I do sometimes win raffle prizes, but seldom more than the occasional bottle of wine.

10  Do you own a pair of skinny jeans?

Fairly skinny, but not the type that cling like a second skin. The label on them says "slim fit", which at my age still seems fairly skinny.

11  What are you going to do on Saturday night?

Nothing planned so far.

12  What are you going to spend money on next?

A cookery course for Dan!

13  Do you think you'll change in the next three months?

I sincerely hope not too much. I would like to lose a few pounds in weight, but I'm not having too much luck with that at the moment.

14  Can you swim well?

I am a slow plodder. I can labour up and down using breast stroke, but I'm not too hot at front crawl. I just hate getting my head under water. I always breathe in at the wrong moment and then I drown.

15  Have you had sex today?

(Smirks and looks coy) Possibly...

16  Regularly burn incense?

I do, but not regularly. I bought some back in February in Marrakech and it is very good at dispersing kitchen smells.

17  Are you in a good mood?

I am.

18  Would you ever want to swim with sharks?

I have done - several times. Once, so blind drunk that I didn't know there was a simply huge shark behind me! Don't ask! You should know me by now!

19  What do you want right this second?

A big glass of Pino Grigio, but I can't have any due to the antibiotics I am taking.

20  Is your current hair colour your natural hair colour?

Not any more. I went grey some years ago, so I have the roots touched up on a monthly basis, and I am not at all bothered by anyone knowing.

21  Hot tea or cold tea?

I hate tea unless it is Earl Grey made very weak and with lemon. How anyone can drink cold tea beats me!

22 Tea or coffee?

Coffee every time. Especially a large latte!

23  Do you really, truly miss someone right now?

No.

24  Does everyone deserve a second chance?

Two of my best friends are people to whom I gave a second, third and fourth chance. I have been friends with them both for over twenty years, so I am very glad I kept trying.  It is hard to know someone and why they are acting in a certain way, and saying certain things, unless you walk in their shoes. Sadly, there are some people you can never become real friends with; but I think most people deserve second chances. 

25  Does the person you have feelings for right now, know you do?

Yes, I know he does.

26  Are you one of those people who never drink soda?

Hmmm. In the UK we think of 'soda' as carbonated water, which I love. But if you mean 'fizzy drinks' like coca cola and 7 Up, then I only drink them very, very rarely and only the zero calorie versions as I have to watch my carbs. 

27  Do you know where the last person you kissed is?

Around now he is having a bath before being put in his little cot. He is usually in bed by 7pm, but he likes a splash around first.

28  Who did you last call?

My son.

29  Why did you kiss the last person you kissed?

Because I just can't resist kissing my baby grandson all the time.

30  Who would you like to see in concert?

James Blunt.

31  What was the last concert you saw?

We haven't been to one for ages. Probably Bryan Adams.

32  Do you tan in the nude?

We haven't been anywhere private enough for many a long year. However, when we holiday in Spain I always sunbathe topless and it is very liberating.

33  Are you patient?

Teachers have to be patient. But with myself, I am not so patient.

34  Who was the last person to call you?

A stupid cold-call company trying to sell solar panels.

35  Do you sing in the shower?

No.

36  Ever used a bow and arrow?

Yes. I had lessons in my early twenties and found it great fun. I never realised you can so easily put your shoulder out when pulling a bow string if you do it the wrong way. Luckily it never happened to me, but I saw it happen to one or two other people.

37  Do you think musicals are cheesy?

No. I love them. Especially Phantom of the Opera and Cats.

38  Is Christmas stressful?

No. I adore Christmas. Everything about it, from making the cake, to shopping, to going to Mass on Christmas Eve.

39  Ever eat a pierogi?

Hundreds of times in my grandmother's kitchen in Poland when I was a child. She always made them out of cheese, poured melted butter with breadcrumbs over them, and then we dipped them in sugar before eating them. They were light and heavenly and I have never yet mastered her exact way of making them.

40  Favourite type of fruit pie?

Apple pie with either cloves or cinnamon baked in it. I like it even better with cream, custard and ice-cream!

41  Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?

I always wanted to be an archaeologist. I became a geography teacher instead.

42  Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes. Our house has several and other people besides myself have seen them/heard them.

43  Ever been in love?

All my life.

44  Take a vitamin daily?

Yes.

45  Wear slippers?

I did, until I "slipped whilst wearing slippers" at the top of the stairs last spring, and fell right down to the bottom. I still have a large scar on my right hip where I flayed off all the skin.

46  Wear a bath robe?

Yes, I have several. This country is mostly too cold to go prancing around in the nude after a bath or shower.

47  What do you wear to bed?

Light Blue by Dolce and Gabanna.

48  First concert?

The Walker Brothers. A very long time ago!!!

49  Walmart, Target or Kmart?

As this is the UK, I am substituting Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's. We shop mostly at Tesco, and another supermarket called Waitrose.

50  Nike or Addidas?

Nike.

51  Cheetos or Fritos?

We don't get them here. My favourite crisps are Walker's.

52  Peanuts or sunflower seeds?

Peanuts, but I also love cashew nuts.

53 Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

Lots of times. It's the best type of crying there is.

54  What is your favourite book?

I love reading and have a Kindle which is great especially for taking on holiday.  My favourite books are too numerous to mention, but my previous meme gave the names of three of them.

55  Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything?

My lifelong girlfriend who lives a couple of hundred miles away unfortunately.

56  Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer. 

Around six weeks' ago at a wedding.

57  Every have a deja-vu feeling?

Yes, and it can be quite spooky.

58  Listening to?

My Ipod. Just finished listening to Skyscraper by Sam Bailey. I can recommend it.

59  Favourite cookie?

Daren't eat many, but I love chocolate covered cookies with chunks of chocolate, ginger and raisins in them.

60  What is your favourite flower?

The rose. This is the one in front of my kitchen window.




Sunday 24 August 2014

A Meme with a 'New Twist'

As we've both had our ups and downs healthwise lately, Meredith mentioned to me that I might like to answer her little questionnaire. Here goes.

1  Do your eyes light up when he comes to you?

It depends where he is coming from, with what intentions, and whether I have to back up rapidly.

2  What sports do you watch together?

Dan is heavily into supporting the local football team - and I am talking about soccer. I enjoy to watch showjumping, eventing and dressage.

The only sport we both enjoy is Formula 1 racing. We both get very caught up in the 'action'. Nothing like 'fast men and fast cars'! But although I have had the good fortune to enjoy many a fast car over the years, my one fast man has been the only one I've ever wanted or needed.

3  On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is lingerie when it usually ends up on the floor?

Beautiful and expensive lingerie should never be underestimated, but it is important to go for style that suits you and your figure. There is no strict rule that should be adhered to about it matching - for example, I often wear a red top which necessitates wearing a red bra, coupled with white linen trousers or skinny jeans which necessitate wearing skin coloured knickers. I also feel it is important that if you should let a bra-strap stray into sight, you ensure it is a very pretty one.

I learned years and years ago in Italy, that it doesn't matter a jot what shape or size you are; you owe it to yourself to wear the best you can, and believe me, there are some very sexy Italiana mamas out there!

4  Do you watch Netflix's House of Cards?

We live in an area that can only be compared to the wasteland of Outer Mongolia, and thus I can probably run faster than our internet speed. So no hope of Netflix here. I have never heard of House of Cards. Is it a "soap"?

5  What outdoor activity do you do together?

We walk mostly. Either across the local meadows and farmland, or we take the car to a beach to walk. We also go walking with a small group of friends once a month, but that is more of a social activity.

In our misbegotten youth we played tennis quite a bit, but Dan's backhand always slaughtered me.

6  What is his dream vacation?

I know he would like to visit Penang, where his dad was during the second world war, and he also wants to return to South America, maybe Rio. I am happy to go wherever he wants to go, usually. I hope that when we get over this little 'health hiccup' of ours that we will be able to start planning another adventure together.

7  What is your dream vacation?

Too many to mention. Possibly the Iguasu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil. Or the Cook Islands. I'd also like to visit China.

8  What is your favourite book of all time?

I am unable to pin it down to just one book. Again too many to mention, but I have an especial love for these three - A Season of Mists by Sarah Woodhouse, Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine and Restoree by Anne McCaffrey.

9  What was your last argument about?

We very rarely argue, we discuss. I have the occasional meltdown from time to time, but Dan soon sorts those out. A couple of his areas of expertise are Negotiating Skills and Resolution of Conflict. These days he has his own little arsenal at the ready to deal with the latter. LOL!

10  Are there any words you use that he does not like?

Possibly, but as I very rarely swear, he knows that if I do I am likely to be justified. There are certain swear words that I would never wish to use. I don't even like men using them.

11  Do you have any restrictions about internet time?

When I first discovered Blogland I went mad. I was on the computer for hours and hours and eventually Dan issued me with dire warnings. Now, we both tend to go on the internet at the same time just for the odd hour or so. He hates to sit in the lounge on his own in the evening and hear me clattering away on the keyboard, if he hasn't seen much of me during the day. Our together time is very important now, to both of us.

12  Do you have a phobia?

I can't stand spiders! I am only just about able to cope with them. Yet I will happily encounter beetles, snakes, mice and even rats. 

We now have a new and very dangerous spider in the UK. It came over some years ago from the topics, and it is called the False Widow. It is similar to the Black Widow but not quite the same colour. It has taken a liking to the UK and has bred prolifically. It has such a poisonous bite that there have been many cases of people having to have limbs amputated. If you see any you need to contact the Pest Control people, who come out in white suits and spray the spiders with pesticide. They like warm damp places and you can get large nests of the creatures. I know because our son lifted up an old drain and nearly died of shock at the number of spiders that started coming out. They also have a tendency to be aggressive. Our local paper did a big article on them and warned people not to go near them under any circumstances.

13  When do you melt into his arms?

When I'm sick, scared or lonely. I just love the feeling of security he gives me.

14  Are you watching Outlander?

See (4) above. I am extremely jealous because our son DOES watch Netflix and keeps telling me about it. He is well into it. Where he lives he gets 'lightning' broadband.

15  Does your HOH have a motto?

Not that I am aware of.

16  What is your question for me?

Okay, Meredith, if you could go back in time, which years of your life would you like to re-live and why?