Let's Play Tag

“We meet no ordinary people in our lives.”

C. S. Lewis

Do you remember going out on the playground the first day of the school year?  You arrive in the morning anticipating the time you can escape your chair to go meet friends for a few minutes of play.    You watch the hands on the clock slowly move.  Fidgeting at your desk you wonder if they are really moving at all, or is it a trick.  Finally the teacher announces it is recess.  You rush out only to find all your friends from last year already engaged in various activities with new acquaintances,.  Anxiously you look around, your heart tightening in your chest,  worried you will have no one to play with when suddenly, out of the blue, someone runs up, punches in the arm and yells, "Tag you're it".

I have recently become acquainted with the beautiful blog Ciao Domenica.   Last week while checking out Sunday's latest post I found she had "tagged" me.  If I understand the game correctly I am to answer eleven of her questions then choose eleven fellow bloggers to answer eleven of my questions.  It is a delightful and fun way to get to know one another.   I've been thinking about these questions for several days.   So, now let the games begin...

1.  Do you have a favorite writer and if so what is your favorite book by that writer?

Actually, I have several authors I enjoy.  There are so many wonderful authors just waiting to be discovered, and books asking to be opened.  It is hard to pick just one.   Do I go to a classic?  Today I will choose a contemporary author.

I found Pat Conroy many many years ago and instantly became a fan.  I cannot wait to get to the bookstore once I receive notice he has a new book being released.    The Great Santini is probably his best (at least most acclaimed) book.  I especially enjoyed reading the latest, his memoir, My Reading Life.  I felt a connection, especially his chapter on being a "military brat".

To read one of Conroy's novels is like ending dinner with the richest dessert.  You want to savor each bit while anticipating the next.

I'll share with an excerpt from Conroy's latest novel, South of Broad.

"Charleston was my father's ministry, his hobbyhorse, his quiet obsession, and the great love of his life.  His bloodstream lit up my own with a passion for the city that I've never lost nor ever will.  I'm Charleston-born, and bred.  The city's two rivers, the Ashley and Cooper, have flooded and shaped all the days of my life on this storied peninsula.  

I carry the delicate porcelain beauty of Charleston like the hinged shell of some soft-tissued mollusk.  My soul is peninsula-shaped and sun-hardened and river-swollen."

2.  If there were four people from any time period you could invite to dinner who would they be?

I've always anticipated answering this question or one similar.  Surprisingly, I found it much more difficult to answer than I thought.  I am more awed by deeds than by individuals.  I will assume my family is already included.

My first guest would be my mother.  I lost her unexpectedly when I was in my thirties and my daughter was five.  On that December day I lost not only my mother, but my closest friend.  I have often said, if God had given me a choice I would have chosen her as my mother.  I would love for her to see the amazing woman her grand-daughter has become.  They are so much alike; both are beautiful inside and out. 

Second, Beatrix Potter.  She had an extraordinary imagination and talent.  I want to hear more about what inspired her.  I would love to take her into my garden and introduce her to the cast of characters crawling around.  She would so understand my talking to turtles and bumblebees.  You know she would have a new "tale" to write.
(I am almost sure she knits)

My third choice... Eudora Welty.  I probably should have listed her as a favorite author.  She began as a photographer capturing the faces of Mississippi during the depression,  later turning her talents to writing fiction.  I cannot think of another writer who was more accomplished at capturing the heart and voice of the south.   She was also an avid gardener.  Her home and gardens are in Jackson, Mississippi and open for touring.  I would love walking around my small bit of earth with her,  gathering stories and advice.  

Lastly, gardening and cookbook author, Lee Bailey.  I had the opportunity to meet and chat with this gracious southern gentleman many, many years ago at a book signing.  He spent a good deal of time with me chatting about entertaining, cooking, the south and gardening.  After purchasing one of his books he asked if I had others.  I said I did, and in fact, they were in my car.  Just as I had hoped, he ask me to go get them.  He showed me his favorite recipes and we browsed through his book of flowers.  As he opened each book he took up his pen and signed each one.   Hopefully he would make one of his favorite dishes while visiting and share some gardening advice as well.  Sadly, he passed away a few years ago.

Now, I am going to cheat and add a fifth...Diane Sawyer.  I have no reason other than I've always thought we could be great friends.  She would ask all the right questions with true curiosity and compassion, keeping the conversation flowing.

3.  Do you like to cook?  Do you like to entertain at home?  If the answer is yes, who are your favorite entertainment and cookbook authors?

   Yes, I love to cook (my husband is the better cook) and entertain.   I especially enjoy small informal gatherings, but love planning large soirees.   No matter the size of the group,  I  want each of my friends to leave believing they were the honored guest.

  My favorite cookbook author would have to be my "go to gal", The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.  She writes in a manner that gives the reader confidence to tackle the scariest menu with ease.  She encourages the reader to use her recipes and ideas as inspiration making them one's own.  I think I have all of her books.  Do you see one missing?

I am also a huge fan of Junior League cookbooks.  I think I own way too many.  And, I subscribe to several food related magazines.  I am never lacking in ideas and inspiration.

4.  Are you in a book club?  What is the best book you have read recently?

Yes, I am in a book group, The Book Belles, with a group of wonderfully talented and bright women.  If you have followed me for very long you know there are not too many books I don't like.  And, I always think my last read is the best.  The latest book we discussed was A Paris Wife.  I actually read it during the summer, and yes, it is one of my favorites.

The most wonderful thing about our book group is it allows me to discover books that were no where near my radar and find some of my favorites.

5.  What room in your house do you go to when you want to relax?  Do you have a favorite nook for reading or daydreaming?

We are empty nesters living in a house with slightly too many rooms for two people.  Roger has an office he works from when in town.  I have a studio/project room that is only straightened when I don't have a project on the table.  When the weather is cooperative I enjoy sitting outside or in our sunroom enjoying the sounds of  the outside world while reading.  I have a chair in my bedroom where I sometimes sit to read or knit on a rainy afternoon.  It has a view of my front yard.  If it is cold you will find me curled up in a throw by the fireplace, Willie by my side.

6.  Tell me about your part of the world.  What do you like to do in your hometown?

I live south of the Mason/Dixon line and west of the Mississippi.  We have many wonderful state parks and naturalized areas surrounding us.  There is something for everyone here, whether you enjoy hiking, biking, or fly-fishing... browsing museums, art galleries or a Presidential Library... or looking for an active night life.  We have it!  If it were just a bit cooler if would be perfect.

I love live theater, almost as much as reading, and we are very fortunate to have an excellent local theater.  We've had season tickets for a few years, and it is one of my very favorite things.  During the spring and summer my weekend begins with a stop at B-Side for breakfast and off to to one of the nurseries or one of the Farmer's Markets.  My only other very favorite thing is found outside my backdoor.

7.  What is your preferred form of exercise -- walking, yoga, the gym, or other?

Reading?  Knitting?  My favorite exercise is jazzercise, however our schedules do not mesh during the school year.  I walk, occasionally around the neighborhood, but usually on my treadmill.  I walk between 1 1/2 to 3 miles depending on how good the book is I am reading:)  I aim for everyday...some weeks I am more successful than others.  I also do sit-ups and work with (light) hand weights...occasionally. 

8.  Have you ever written or would you like to write a short story, memoir or a novel?

Of course.  The real question is, will I?  I love playing with words.  They fascinate me.  Actually, I think I would love to write something non-fiction.  I can lose myself for hours researching something.

I was lucky to have had two teachers who encouraged my writing.  One awarded me a F on a short story (a story for another time).  The other appointed me editor of my high school paper.   The first was probably my best teacher; for some reason they both believed in me.  

(of course, I would really need to find a good proofreader.  I have a couple of people in mind.)

9.  Are you a gardener, or are you a garden admirer?  You can be both!

I play in the dirt.  I love to dig and plant.  I would be flattered if someone thought of me as a gardener.  Truly, the most I can say is I love to.....play in the dirt.  As I have mentioned it is my therapy and the garden is my cathedral.

I am a great admirer of gardens.  When I travel I am always drawn to gardens large and small.  I am both educated and inspired by other's gardens.

10.  When you travel, do you like to go to a city or the countryside?

Oh my...both!  
I love visiting the city.   I love the energy and mystery beyond each block.  I want to visit every museum and art gallery.  I want to walk, get lost and explore.   I want to admire the architecture and the bookstores.    I want to dine at fine restaurants and at the local cafe'.  I want to walk amid the history.

When life runs away with you there is no better way to relax than to escape to the country.  One of our favorite escapes is The River Lodge in North Carolina. 
We wake in the morning to a wonderful breakfast, and the day is our's to explore the countryside, go fly-fishings, sit on one of porches with a book or drive up the mountain to the lovely town of Highland to shop and have lunch.  We end the day at the lodge playing a game of pool or in front of the fireplace enjoying a beverage and conversation with the owners.  Just writing this inspires me to plan a respite.
 
11.  What would your dream celebration be for a big birthday?

Well,  as you know, I have another decade celebration coming up in a few years.  My daughter suggested we go to Paris to celebrate both our milestone birthdays.  I think that would be a fabulous way to celebrate.  I have begun making a list of books and researching.

With that said, the past fifteen years I have spent my birthday in Seaside, Florida.  We rent a house for a week in the winter;  I have the people who are most important with me.  I spend the day walking around the town and sitting by the water reading.  My family spends the day sneaking around town, planning my surprise.  There are whispers and giggles, and I pretend to not notice.   Paris sounds wonderful; I hope with all my heart we do get to go.  However, if I am allowed to spend every birthday in Seaside with my husband, children and future grandchildren....I will have celebrated my birthday in the best possible way.

Tag You're It!

Zuzu at A Cottage in the Woods

Bonnie at From a Writer's Kitchen
Sue at Beach Bungalow
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
Webb at From the Garden Bench
Lana at Life at Wildberry Cottage
Julie at Monkey Grass Hill
Sarah at My Yellow House
Beth at Of Muses and Meringues
Arleen at Starting over, Accepting Changes - Maybe
Jane at The Life of an Eccentric English Booklady

 Now I get to ask the question!


1.  What is your passion?  Do you have more than one?

2.  If a movie were to be made about your life, who would be cast to play you?

3.  You've won a vacation sweepstakes, do you choose a mountain resort or a beachside cottage?  Where in the world would we find you?

4.  Describe what makes a great book.  Is it prefect writing, a great story, good character development, a popular author, or just a great escape?  Or, all of the above?

5.  When you need to leave stress behind, how do you decompress?

6.  What is your style.. classic, sporty, bohemian, or trendy?  What one item can you not live without?

7.  Tell me about the teacher who had the most profound influence on the person you are today.  Not all teachers are in the classroom.

8.  What was your favorite book as a child or teenager?  How did it affect what you read today?  Is it still a favorite?

9.  Here in the south there is the old rule of not wearing linen before Easter.  We have about two weeks before Easter.  Are you a traditionalist or do you throw the rules out the window?

10.  You are hosting a small dinner party.  Do you allow your guest in the kitchen and make preparation part of the party, or is it all your show?  How about the clean up?

11.  Why did you begin your blog?  Has it turned out as you had hoped?  Have you discovered anything about yourself?

Please visit Sunday at Ciao Domenica and all the other wonderful and eclectic sites.  They each have a story to tell and they do it beautifully.

Enjoy!

Note:  Please excuse any spacing or other errors in this post.  Just before publishing I hit "some" key and totally messed up the formatting.  I hope I have corrected everything, but if not I apologize.  Thank you!