I've been tagged! Cecilia at Craft, Coffee, and Cake nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award (some months ago...). As usual, I'm bad at following the rules for these sorts of things as I've been MIA from the blogging world so long that no one I traditionally followed still blogs, and thus I am at a loss as to who to pass it on to. (Not that there aren't many lovely blogs currently being written, but I'm no longer up to date on those.)
So, instead, I am (1) posting the official logo of the award:
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| Done. |
(2) Thanking my nominator—thank you, Cecilia!— and (3) linking to her blog (see above). (4) I will answer her questions, before (5) posing eleven questions of my own, to be answered by whoever would like to do so.
1. If you had to live out the events in a book as the main character, which book would you choose? Oh dear, the problem with this question is that main characters (at least in good books) suffer a lot. And I don't get excited about suffering. It's all very well for Bilbo to go from being chased by goblins to up a tree guarded by wolves, but I don't think that sounds very pleasing to personally experience. I guess I might go with Emma Woodhouse. The suffering she goes through is mainly the humiliation of realizing she is not as wise, clever, or good as she thought she was, and though that can be a very uncomfortable experience, it's also a very important one.
2. Favourite weird combination of flavours that everyone else hates? A cocoa cherry arugula smoothie. I'm not sure if anyone else has tried this combination, actually, but every time I make it I find it simultaneously addictive while being objectively disgusting.
3. Who are your favourite actor and actress? I actually don't have favorite celebrities of any kind (unless you count Jane Austen as a celebrity). I like good movies and good acting but I don't follow actors/actresses outside of movies at all, and I wouldn't necessarily seek out new movies on the basis of particular cast members. Boring answer, sorry.
4. If you had all the money in the world to buy an outfit for a ball, what would you wear? (The sky's the limit for this one - you can wear any dress, shoes, bag, hairstyle you like!) Oh dear, there are so many options. For daily wear I like some styles from the twentieth century — either 1910s or 1940s — but for a ball gown I suppose I would go with something vaguely eighteenth century, with lace-trimmed sleeves, a full skirt, brocade fabric, and hopefully a higher neckline than many of these kinds of gowns seem to offer. Likely in a rich blue or green, something along these lines perhaps:
5. Quote from a film that makes you smile/laugh? Anything from The Importance of Being Earnest. I could watch that movie every day.
I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a very delicate exotic fruit. Touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately, in England at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor's Square.*
Algernon: My dear Aunt Augusta, I mean he was found out! The doctors found out that Bunbury could not live, that is what I mean — so Bunbury died.Lady Bracknell: He seems to have had great confidence in the opinion of his physicians. I am glad, however, that he made up his mind at the last to some definite course of action, and acted under proper medical advice.
*
To be born, or at any rate bred, in a hand-bag, whether it had handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution.
6. Social situation from a book/film to which you completely relate?
After rereading C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy after getting married, I definitely relate to some of Mark and Jane's early struggles in marriage (feeling frustration without knowing how to communicate it, turning frustration with oneself against the other, learning how to manage the gap between expectations and reality...).
7. Most inspiring quote from a non-religious book? It would likely be something from the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien or C. S. Lewis. This is one I have oft reminded myself of from Lord of the Rings:
So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
8. What personal quality do you think, if everyone possessed it, would make the biggest difference to the world? Ooh, my first thought is to say humility.
9. You have to have one antagonist from a novel tag along with you for the next six months. Who would it be? Oh dear, what antagonist would one want hanging about?? My mind is running on Jane Austen so I'm going to say the Eltons. They would at least provide some amusement mixed with the irritation.
10. Can you speak another language? If so, which one? If not, which one would you like to learn? I speak French decently and German very, very poorly. I would love to improve my abilities in both.
11. Would you rather be an amazing homemaker and housekeeper, or be able to write beautiful poetry? I'd have to say homemaking. It would be cool to have the ability to write poetry (the only poems I've ever written are hopefully long lost to posterity), but having a cozy and comfortable home is very satisfying to me. Homemaking also, oddly enough, feels more like a creative outlet to me than trying to write poems ever has. There is something about trying a new recipe or seeing a bowl of flour turn into a loaf of bread that feels like it scratches a creative itch rather than just being a means to intaking calories.
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| One of my baking experiments this year: cinnamon star bread! |
That's a wrap! Here are eleven questions of my own that readers can take it upon themselves to answer in the comments:
- If you could guarantee the safety, would you want to give birth at home?
- You are giving birth to twins today, a boy and a girl. What are you naming them?
- What is the most important thing you would want your (actual or hypothetical) children to learn from you?
- Did you grow up believing in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy?
- Have you ever considered the relative merits, risks, and reasons for co-sleeping versus sleep training infants?
- If you were raising a baby in the 12th century, what modern conveniences would you miss the most? What traditional practices would you be most grateful for?
- Would you choose to find out the gender of your baby during pregnancy?
- What do you think are the best first foods for weaning babies?
- What child-rearing topic do you find most controversial or challenging to discuss?
- What activity or interest would you be most excited to share with your children?
- What most intimidates you about the idea of parenting?
You may have noticed that these questions all have a theme. And that's because... I'm expecting my first baby! Baby is due in March 2026. At the last minute we chose not to find out the gender at our ultrasound, which has added to my already great anticipation for the delivery. Baby is already a mover and a shaker, and I can't wait to meet him or her. Pregnancy has had its challenges — along with stressful and exciting job changes for both me and my husband, losing my sweetest little cat friend of almost sixteen years, and continuing to figure out married life. But for all that I am excited for next year and grateful for everything the Lord has been doing in me (spiritually and physically!) in 2025.
À la prochaine!
P. S. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
P. P. S. Happy late 250th birthday to Jane Austen! I hope you all celebrated.