Sunshine Blogger Award

Lizzie Hexam at Starlight and Saucepans (what a fun blog name, by the way) nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award!

The rules of this award include thanking the nominator, answering his or her questions, and nominating up to 11 others. I've never been very good at following tag rules, and after almost thirteen years of blogging (and barely showing my face here during the previous six), just about all of the bloggers I was actively following in the beginning have moved on with their lives. So I really have no one to tag.

But I can follow rules #1 — thank you, Lizzie! — and #2.

The questions:

1. What’s your second favorite TV show?

Hm, I don't watch TV shows very often (movies are more my thing). But I'd say Wodehouse Playhouse is up there as a not-quite-favorite-but-always-delightful option.

2. If you could only read the works of one author all the rest of your life, who would you choose? (The Bible is exempted from this.)

Jane Austen, no question. Though C. S. Lewis would be a very close second.

3. What’s a fun fact about yourself that you would like people to know, but there’s never a good opportunity to bring up?

I really enjoyed my research on French history during my master's degree and loved any opportunity to share about it, but rarely got the opportunity to talk about my research in detail (and still less now that it's several years in the past). 

4. Tell us a random weird word that you like.

"Lest."

5. You’re going to Mordor with the Ring, and you’re assembling your Fellowship! Which eight fictional characters (from any fictional works, not just LOTR) do you want to come with you, and why? (If you aren’t familiar with The Lord of the Rings, just assemble eight fictional characters you would want to bring along on a dangerous quest.)

I assume this comes with the unspoken limitation that I can't just pick the Fellowship itself. Sooo, in no particular order, the following are a mismatched selection of people who are good to have along in sticky situations:

1. Gandalf (though likely to abandon us at some point, he'll be useful while he's along)
2. Anne Elliot (as Captain Wentworth knows, we can count on her to be calm and sensible in a crisis)
3. Percy Blakeney (when we get in a jam, he's very likely to think of clever solutions that no one else would think of)
4. Bilbo Baggins (we need someone along who values food and cheer and song)
5. Jason Bourne (clearly someone you want in your corner when it comes to a fight)
6. Jill Pole (brave and experienced in dangerous adventures)
7. Gurgi (his wallet of food would come in handy, but most especially Gurgi himself is the only one who can equal Samwise Gamgee for faithfulness)
8. Thorin Oakenshield (we all know he isn't without his faults, but once he committed himself to the cause he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his life to bring the quest to completion, and he is a warrior to be feared)

That was fun. :)

6. Do you on the whole prefer movies from before or after 1960? Why?

Well, most of my favorite movies fall between 1990 and 2005, so I would say after 1960, but I do enjoy many pre-1960 films and I have a hot take that there are no truly excellent movies made in the last two decades.

7. Suppose you’re tasked with creating a flag for a new country. What does it look like?

A rich green background with a silver or gold Celtic knot pattern in the center.

8. Is poetry or prose fiction more expressive? Do you think one form is higher than the other?

I prefer prose. Poetry is such a widely varying genre that it's hard to rank how expressive it is. I find most poetry to be the author expressing something that no one else understands, and thus prose to me is generally more expressive. 

9. What are the last three songs you listened to?

I recently discovered The Gray Havens and have been listening to little else for the past two weeks. I love their complex lyrics and literary allusions. My Spotify history says the last three songs were Anywhere, Come Thou Fount, and Train Station.

10. If you had the ability to make it so that it was always your favorite season of the year, would you do it?

No, because I like the variety. Now if I could shorten my least favorite season (summer) so that we could cut down on the days we have to endure above 90º... that's tempting.

11. Dream cast your favorite actor and actress (either can be from any time period; this is dream casting, after all!) in an adaptation of the classic book you think they’re best suited for.

This is a tricky question because I really don't have favorite actors or actresses. I don't follow any celebrities, and it's easier for me to think of actors who I find annoying than ones I really like (I guess it's a good thing I'm not a casting director). My mind is also going blank on classic books that have yet to be made into good film adaptions (except for Mansfield Park, which I've already dream-casted, and The Space Trilogy, which I'm certain would be a horrible movie if someone decided to adapt it).

Thinking about Wodehouse Playhouse has reminded me that there are some more obscure Wodehouse stories that have yet to be portrayed on screen. I think "The Castaways" from Blandings Castle and Elsewhere would make a hilarious addition to the collection. This is a boring answer, but the husband and wife team who star in all the Wodehouse Playhouse episodes would undoubtably do a fine job.

And that's a wrap! If there are any readers who would have liked to answer eleven interesting questions, consider yourself tagged and answer in the comments:

1. Would you ever raise and butcher your own meat?
2. What is the newest book (by date of publication, not read-date) you read and liked?
3. What is your favorite board game?
4. Are there any hobbies you once enjoyed but abandoned?
5. If you could be instantly fluent in another language, what language would you pick?
6. What is the most valuable thing you learned from your mother?
7. Are you a capable plant owner? (and if so, can you tell me how to become like you?)
8. Are there any words or phrases you say too often?
9. What is the most recent meal you ate?
10. What is your favorite thing about your least favorite season?
11. If you've completed a college degree, what would you have studied if you didn't get that degree? (Or if you haven't completed a degree, what would you like to study?)

À la prochaine,

Cake Flavoured Book Tag

There's been freezing rain today and all university classes are cancelled. I happen to have no homework, I've already baked and exercised, and basically I'm over the moon. And you know me, stealer of tags...

This one is from Books, Cameras and Succulents. I tag all readers to answer the questions in the comments. (Yes, you three, do it.)

Chocolate cake:  A dark book you absolutely love
I wouldn't say I love "dark" books, according to my definition of "dark." However, I've heard Charles Dickens' writing called dark, and it deals with very serious topics. So, I'll say A Tale of Two Cities.

Vanilla cake: A light read
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank and Ernestine Gilbreth. It's not "light" as in poor quality (I have to qualify all my answers, haha), but a very easy read and great for a sick day.

Red Velvet: A book that gave you mixed emotions
The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery. I really couldn't decide if I liked it or not. (Any one read it? Thoughts?)

Cheesecake: A book you would recommend to anyone
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. (My mind is rather fixated on kids these-a-days since I have an 8-week-old NEPHEW and 3-year old NIECE and a desperate desire to be a mom.)
Also Pride and Prejudice. It doesn't have to be your favourite book but you should at least appreciate it.

Coffee cake: A book you started but did not finish
Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James. I have a great dislike of not finishing books once one starts, but I really couldn't get into this one.

Carrot cake: A book with great writing
What can I say? Lord of the Rings takes the cake. (I promise I didn't do that on purpose.)


Cup cake: A series with 4+ books
Harry Potter was the first thing that popped into my mind, but upon further thought I do like a fair amount of series. Little House, Anne of Green Gables (but really just the first four), Grandma's Attic, the Narnia Chronicles, etc.

Fruit cake: A book that wasn't what you anticipated
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. It looked very strange but I remember quite liking it.

New Recipe: A current read you didn't know much about
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. I know it has to do with the criminal justice system in the U.S. and racial injustice, but I'm not sure what the "plot" or thesis of the book is.

Bon appétit!

Winter Wonderland Tag

I have been tagged! The Author at To Write or Not To Write was kind enough to tag me with a

Winter Wonderland Tag

The rules:

• Link back to The Storybook Journal
• Answer the questions and think wintery thoughts. Include pictures if you like.
• Tag at least three people

I tag: 

MiddleEarthMusician of Music, Mystery, Middle Earth and Mitochondria

Catherine Hawthorn at The Rebelling Muse

Evangeline at Over the Hills

The questions:

1. Name a few things you love about winter, and a few things you don't love so much about it.

I'm very fond of sweaters, snow, frost on windows, having a fire at night, and cuddling under blankets.

I don't love mucky slush and huge coats.

2. When you were a child, did you "believe" in Santa Claus?

Oh, yes. I was a very believing sort, before I got old and cynical. (Just kidding, I'm still rather naive about things). When I was told at eight years old I was mad and refused to believe my parents at first.

3. Is there a book or movie that you really like to enjoy in the winter as opposed to other times of the year?

Not a particular one, but I start craving Lord of the Rings after Christmas, and Agatha Christie mysteries always seem nice when one is huddled inside.

4. Is there a particular Christmas movie that you watch every year as a tradition?

Not really. We tried to start a tradition of watching It's a Wonderful Life on New Years, but that only happened a few years. One gets tired of the traditional movies if they're watched every single year. I'm greatly fond of A Christmas Carol and White Christmas, as well, though.

5. Do you usually get a fake tree or a real tree for Christmas? Who is in charge of decorating it at your house?

Oh, real all the way. The smell of the Christmas tree is probably my favorite smell in the world. My middle sister, my mom and myself usually decorate it together.

6. Does your family usually stay home or go visiting (relatives, friends, etc.) on Christmas Day?

This year was the first year I did not stay at home. We've always had a Christmas at home, sometimes with one of my grandmas or my married sister visiting us. This year, after Christmas breakfast, we went to my oldest sister's house.

7. What does your family usually do on New Years Eve? Any traditions? Do you ever stay up till midnight?

 It's different every year. We do stay up till midnight, though it's been less exciting now that staying up till midnight happens multiple times a year. We used to blow horns and throw confetti, which was fun.

8. Do you get snow where you live? If so, have you ever built a snowman and named him Olaf?

We get snow every winter, but only about four out of five winters do we get enough to make things. I have built a snowman (I think it was a snowwoman, actually), but it was much harder than it looks. I definitely did not name any snowmen Olaf.

9. If it's snowing outside, would you prefer to go outside and build snowmen and enjoy it, or would you rather stay inside with a blanket and something hot to drink and maybe a movie or a book?

I like to tromp around after a very light snow, but I prefer to curl up inside with hot chocolate and a movie or book.

10. When do you start looking forward to or getting excited about Spring?

I only get excited for spring in May. I greatly dislike being hot — and ergo Summer — so the beginning of Spring is depressing, as it forebodes the ending of cold and sweaters and etc.

Stay warm! (Or cool, if you live in Australia.)

Awdur

(I actually followed all the rules. Look at me.)

New Years Tag

What do you do when you haven't blogged in months and the number of posts for the year is half the size of any other year, but yet you don't have any great wisdom or amusing topics to write about? Fill out a tag, of course, and share it with the followers who are left.

What did you do in 2017 that you'd never done before?
2017 was a big year for me. 

• In April, a friend and I performed a short scene for judges at an Arts Festival competition... thing. 
• In June, I had a job as the recess teacher for a three-day homeschool conference, which was the most authority I've ever had (in charge of teenaged-helpers and up to 20-some kids at a time). I made mistakes, but both learned from and enjoyed the experience. 
• In July, I tried two new gluten free recipes, éclairs and croissants respectively. Both were fairly successful.
• In August, I participated in starting a student organization at my town's university, that works with our pregnancy care center.
• In September, I went to a Tchaikovsky opera with my mom, which was wonderful. I love opera and Tchaikovsky is my favorite music writer. I have long wanted to see Eugene Onegin.
• Throughout the year, my sister and my twin's sister were pregnant at the same time, which was almost as cool as being pregnant simultaneously ourselves (a goal of ours).

Did you keep your New Years Resolutions, and will you make one this year?
I don't remember if I made any — I think I resolved to get more in shape. The first three months of the year I exercised pretty faithfully, then graduation happened — and college — and now I'm making the same resolution again (though I did walk more on campus/to and from the bus). But I don't actually like the New Years resolution thing, because I feel that hardly anyone keeps them for more than a month. So it's actually depressing to call it a resolution.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Well, I'm glad you asked! My oldest sister gave birth to my first nephew, Frederic, on December 22. Yes, I will share a picture. Or four.

(I was kind of kidding about four, but then I found myself physically unable to post any fewer.)

What countries/states did you visit?
Georgia and South Carolina, which were firsts (unless you count layovers), and Nebraska and Iowa, which weren't.

What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?
More patience.

What date from 2017 will remain etched in your memory?
December 22. No reason. 


Did you move anywhere?
No, thank heaven. I love my room and my family. You'd have to pay ME to get me in a dorm.

What was the best month?
Hm, probably February, because I was in school and enjoying drama and the things I was learning. 

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Completing my first semester of college.

What was your biggest failure?
Not trusting God.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
In the past week I have stubbed both of my smallest toes. One's nail is black and the other is bruised. 

What was the best thing you bought?
Probably a grey wool sweater from eBay. I already had one and liked it, but the old one was too small.

What did you want and get?
I was very blessed to receive many things. My mother gave me a grey floral duvet for Christmas, various friends and family gave me many books throughout the year, and I got to go to two Regency dances.

What did you want and not get?
I wanted to get 100% on my history final and didn't. I still got an A, so it's only my pride that cares. (N.B. Figuring out different professors' grading systems, and what the relation of "42 out of 50" has to A's and B's and how that in turn corresponds to the 3.25, 3.75, 4.0 and etc. system has been is tricky for this homeschooler.)

Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My mom. She's awesome. She spends one day a week babysitting my niece, and the rest of the week keeping the household going, thinking about all ours needs and desires, and has a part time job (her own business, which means of course that it's really more like full time). She finds time to be so thoughtful, unexpectedly buying me tea or bringing home clothes for one of us when she goes to the thrift store. She's also very patient with my stressing and overreacting.

Where did most of your money go?
Hm, probably edibles (by tea leaf, or by having snacks/drinks with friends), tho' a large portion went to school books.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My nephew! Did I mention him? I was really excited about a Hobbit themed English Country dance, to which I traveled with my twin, and excited-nervous for college starting.

What was the best book you read?
Assuming this means book I haven't read before... Perilous Gard or The Secret Adversary.

What were your favourite films of the year?
Of films I saw that came out in 2017, hands down I must answer Murder on the Orient Express. Of films I saw for the first time that came out other years, it's a tie between A United Kingdom (2016) and Hidden Figures (2016). (Honorable mention: Belle (2013)).

Favourite TV show?
If you can't BBC miniseries (I don't really watch TV), then Bleak House.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
I didn't discover it, but my sister found [and shared] this with me:

I've never liked the song, but I do enjoy the Andrews Sisters, so I've been listening to it a lot throughout the holiday season.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?
Classic English vintage. 

What kept you sane?
The Lord. I would be a tangle of anxiety without being able to tell Jesus everything.

Who did you miss?
My family. Even though I live at home, college work is a lot more time-consuming than homeschooling.

Who was the best person you met?
Marce, the very sweet assistant of my chiropractor, who happens to be a Christian and share some of my dietary restrictions.

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Write. At this time last year I was a chapter away from finishing my King Arthur novel, and I've written about 1000 words since then.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stress less. I seriously stressed about graduation and college and scholarships and homework and growing up, when I should have trusted God.

What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I turned eighteen. Coming a few days after my graduation, it was a pretty quiet, relaxed birthday. One of my friends surprised me by showing up with a London fog (my favorite hot drink to purchase) and framed picture of the two of us graduating. My mum and I took a walk on a trail, and returned home to eat Hungarian hazel nut cake and a Mexican casserole. While it was a nice day, I remember feeling a slight oppression of spirits, caused by the sadness of growing older. J. M. Barrie says that two is the beginning of the end. Eighteen is also a significant marker, and while I'm not so silly as to start talking of being on the shelf and loosing my bloom, I did feel that from then on, things would not be the same.

How did you spend Christmas?
We went to Christmas Eve service Sunday morning. After coming home we relaxed and prepared food for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner (chocolate and cheese fondu, summer sausage, crackers, fruit and raw vegetables) and Christmas morning breakfast (egg casserole and bubble bread). Making gluten free bubble/monkey bread was fun. Christmas morning we relaxed at home and opened presents, then headed over to my oldest sister's house to exchange gifts with them and see the kids.

How are you going to spend New Years?
Most likely, hanging out with my awesome parents. 

Tell a valuable lesson learned in 2017.
I learned how much I need the Church. I have long felt that I sometimes learn better when I'm at home in my room praying quietly than attending youth group or church services. I have also thought that because there is such a great demand for missionaries, it would make more sense for missionaries  to spread out, rather than going in groups. This fall, for the first time I spent five days a week surrounded by non-Christians, taking classes that were focused on man's achievements instead of God's (most of my school curriculums to date being Christian), and for the first time in four years the only Christian group I was a part of was Sunday church service (which I grew to love even more). I felt the lack of community and realized as never before how much I need my brothers and sisters. It then occurred to me that as a missionary of course I will spend most of every day with non-Christians. While I believe it is possible to do good and grow in faith alone, we are more healthy and more effective when connected to other Christ followers.

Five personally significant events of 2017:
1. My first nephew was born.
2. I graduated.
3. I turned eighteen.
4. I completed my first college semester.
5. I took violin for six months.

Five things you want to do in 2018:
1. Commit my troubles to God instead of worrying.
2. Drink tea.
3. Finish The Silmarilion! Seriously, Awdur, you planned to finish last summer.
4. Do five French review lessons every week.
5. Pray for the persecuted church more faithfully.

And that, my lovely people, is that.

Awdur

Slightly Interesting Facts About Me

Evangeline at Over the Hills wrote some fun tag questions and invited participation. So therefore, I am answering them.

Do you have any family heirlooms?
I'm sure there are more general family things, but I personally own two aprons which were my great-grandmother's, and a small silver (plated, presumably) tray with brush, that also belonged to her.

Opinion on letter writing?
I adore writing letters and getting them. Unfortunately, doing the first usually doesn't ensure the second.

Do you prefer tea, coffee, or cocoa?
Tea, hands down. I now have a cabinet in the kitchen which is exclusively designated to be my tea cabinet. Side note: When I start to run low on English Breakfast Tea, and say "I need to buy tea" my mother invariably [and somewhat truthfully] says "you have lots of tea!" Yes, but not tea. However, she did thoughtfully buy me some the other day when I was out. I do enjoy hot chocolate in the winter, but not coffee.

What's your favorite children's story?
Obviously I have a great many, but the one which first pops into mind is Elizabeth Isele's The Frog Princess.

This is the first book I can remember loving. Every time I went to the library I went over to the shelf it was on and pulled it out. I don't know how young I was when I first saw it, but I know that I couldn't read yet, because I recognized it by the color of the spine. Years later I thought about this book and found the library had gotten rid of it (!!). Since I had no idea who had written it, it took me some time but eventually I found it on the internet.

There are many variations on the frog princess/frog prince story, but I've never come across one like this. Elizabeth Isele adapted it from a Russian tale. I still love the Russian setting and the illustrations.

What movie or period drama ending really frustrated you? And how would you change it?
Hm, nothing that was "really frustrating" comes to mind, because if the ending of a movie was "really frustrating" I probably didn't like the rest of the movie. And therefore changing the ending wouldn't help. Such as Somewhere in Time; a happy ending (or a tragic, rather than stupid ending) would have improved it only slightly. Then there's movies like Fiddler on the Roof. I could wish it ended happier, but any different would have been unrealistic. I used to think My Fair Lady would be perfect if Harold Hill acted a little more humbly in the last scene, but now I'm not sure if they should end up together. So, really, I don't know that I have any movies where a) only the ending frustrated me and b) a change would actually be better.

Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
In ten years I'll be almost twenty-eight (!). I see myself teaching small children in another country. I hope to be married with a few children, but that's in God's hands.

What makes you nostalgic?
Well, a lot of things do, but nothing very interesting, I'm afraid. Reading old letters and journals. There is a certain smell that sometimes comes on me, that I can't remember when I'm not smelling it and can never identify what it reminds me of.

If you had to describe yourself as an animal, what would it be?
I've had other people tell me I'm like a cat, I think because I quietly appear places and am not as outgoing as, say, a dog. However, I've often thought of myself as a mountain goat. I enjoy clambering around on rocks and hills and have good balance. Mountain goats may not be fast but they are sure-footed and hearty.

If a loved one was to serenade you, what song would you most like them to sing?



Need I say more? My sister and I both swoon over this.

If you could change your name to anything, what would your new name be?
I wouldn't change my name. I am quite satisfied with it. If I had to, I think I'd go with Elizabeth. I like old-fashioned names and that's one that has a lot of nickname options. (Side note: I went and looked at a list of baby names to refresh my memory on names that I like, and, boy, some of the names I previously liked are so strange to me now. Cessair? Fawn? Really?)

What's your favorite biscuit to dunk?
Dunking biscuits in coffee might be different, but in tea, dunking = crumbs in tea. I don't like crumbs in my tea.


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A Favorite Things Tag

What-ho, readers! I have been tagged. In case you didn't know, this is a pleasurable thing for me. The Author at To Write or Not To Write has done this.
The rules are familiar:
1. Add the above picture to the post.
2. Acknowledge the person who tagged you.
3. Answer the questions.
4. Tag a person, multiple persons or no persons.

I am tagging The Author herself, and everyone else reading this post. (Go. Do it.)


*Note: I just realized that almost every single question has three or four answers attached to it. Turribly sorry and all that for not really answering.

The questions:

Favorite book: 
Don't ask me this. That's a terrible question to ask a book lover. At risk of sounding cliché or trite, I will honestly answer the Bible. (Although, that's really several books.)

Favorite animal:
My siamese-mix house cat, Mirab.

Favorite color:
Blue of almost any shade. A few favorites:

Favorite flower:
Hands down, peonies. But also lavender and roses. I like most things as long as they don't look like hothouse flowers (which = fake).

Favorite language: 
French. J'apprends le français.

Favorite country:
Ireland. I think. Ireland is traditionally my favorite, but I also love Great Britain.

Favorite time period:
I love history, so whatever I'm studying currently always catches my fancy (which in this case is the late Victorian period). However, I have a long standing love affair with the Middle Ages.

Favorite historical ruler:
Elizabeth II of England. Not historical enough? Alfred the Great. I also greatly pity Lady Jane Grey and Richard III (don't get me started on him, the poor dear.)

Favorite number:
 12. (Then sixteen. But for use in every day life it is three.)

Favorite beverage:
Well, water is pretty good. I drink black tea almost every day (black, of course). For special occasions I like rose lemonade and hot cider.

Favorite finger:
Left ring finger.

Favorite snack:
Hm. I'm going to go with date balls, because I make these consistently and I love them.
(But currently, I'm obsessed with these pumpkin blondies. And lemon bars are really good. Basically any grains. Ha. And apples and cheese are always good.)

Favorite season: 
Fall, for sure. I love the clothes, the weather, the events and the colors.

Favorite kind of clothing:
This is a very difficult question. I like a lot of things, although my style is very not "fashionable" so I don't like most of what is in stores nowadays (plus the fact that I am of diminutive proportions, and so finding things that fit AND I that I like is a challenge). My current obsession is late 1700s and 1850s British:

1780s

1850s

And in general I love 1950s cocktail dresses, 1940s English country style, with some medieval/Elven and Victorian influences. To be specific about my favorite item of clothing, I would have to say long skirts (I'm wearing one right now). (And then there's corsets.)

1950s cocktail dress

Favorite music (particular songs, artists, or just in general):
Put to it, I would have to say traditional Irish music. I love hymns (particularly "Be Thou My vision," "Come Thou Fount," "Before the Throne of God Above," and "How Firm A Foundation"), opera, show tunes, and classical (now when I say classical, what comes to my mind is the most boring minuets that Bach ever wrote [which would technically be Baroque]. That's not at'all what I mean. I mean Mozart and Tchaikovsky and Ludovico Einaudi.) I think if I have one song that I would call my favorite it would be In the Mood.


Aaand the soundtracks for Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice (2005), Little Women, and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) are to die for.

Favorite time of the day: 
Morning, for sure. I am such a morning person. Like 7:30-8:30.

Favorite school(-ish) subject:
History. I love getting in depth into history.

Favorite spice:
Nutmeg and ginger are really good. Also, cumin and garlic powder.

Favorite superhero:
Super Bunny, obviously. Ha. Very few of you (if any) will get that reference. I'm not that into superheroes, but my favorite is Captain America.

Favorite anything of your choice:
Favorite smell: Evergreen trees.

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A Tag

I have been tagged by Lover of Lemmas! Just so you know, I love being tagged but rarely do I follow the rules.
 The said rules (which are basically the same for every tag):

Note the person who nominated you (see above).

Answer the questions.

Nominate 10 bloggers.

Write them 10 questions and tell them you've tagged them.

The questions:

1. Do you play a sport? Is there a sport you want to learn?
English country dancing is a sport, right? I'd like to play croquet more often.
(as far as actual sports, absolutely Not. I'm not a sport person At All.)

2. Sunrise or sunset? Why?
Sunrise. I love mornings, and I also think that sunrises are very delicate and gentle. Sunsets are almost too glorious. I love the gentle wakening of the earth.

3. What was your dream job as a little kid?
Well, I remember thinking quite distinctly, when I was very young that I wanted to be a mother, and failing that, a nun. I liked this idea for some time; then I fantasized about writing books and illustrating them. I also wanted to teach a one-room school house at one point. (Now I'm closer to the mother/nun idea again ;P ).

4. What was the last movie you watched you really liked?
We just watched Annie Get Your Gun last weekend. Being an old movie, it's definitely racist towards Native Americans, and the ending is less than satisfactory (but it's a musical so we forgive plot details). I also watched The Young Victoria a few weeks ago and that was soooo good.

5. What songs are stuck in your head?
I woke up with this in my head. Yesterday, I had a few French sentences that whirled in my head for hours. It was kind of exhausting. (Quelle est l'heure? Quelle est l'heure? Quelle est l'heure?)

6. What is something that makes you feel nostalgic?
Lots of things — going through old letters, journals or emails, but I'm guessing that is pretty common. Recently, the fact that the days are getting dark earlier is making me nostalgic because it makes me think of drama, of the practices towards the end of the season when you keep leaving later than it officially gets over and it's completely dark and you're carrying lots of stuff. Specifically, it makes me think of one Sunday during the Anne of Green Gables season when we were putting up the set for the less-than-a-week-away performance, and because I was there and the Gilbert actor was there, our director had us run some extra scenes. And then some friends who are now my secondary family gave me a ride home for the first time (I think) and I felt a little bad (which is funny, because I now force myself upon them and ask for rides without a thought).

7. If you were granted an extra hour to your day (so you have 25 hours) what would you spend the hour doing?
Can I be boring and say sleeping? I can't complain because I've been getting about eight hours every night, but an extra hour wouldn't be bad. OR I'd get up an hour early and do me some writing before breakfast. That would be kind of cool. Can I get that extra hour, please?

8. What is one of the most embarrassing moments you're willing to share?
When you are walking through a grocery store/your coworker comes up behind you/the good looking employee walks by, and you're TALKING TO YOURSELF. (In a British accent, no less.) (I almost always talk to myself in a British accent. But sometimes it's French.)

9. If you could customize your car license plate (for most U.S. readers, that means pick any combination of 5-7 words and letters), what would you want your license plate to say?
I've always thought it'd be cool to have a customized plate, but they cost more per year and I've never settled on one thing. I wouldn't want to have to say something like "ILVJAAS" because what's the point of a personalized plate if no one can figure out what you're trying to say? (Props if you can figure that one out). Anything I'd like to have stamped on my car is more than seven letters. Hm... I guess "JANEITE".

10. Rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, or the ocean?
The ocean. I don't like sand but I love the ocean. Ponds/lakes/rivers all tend to be 90% mud. I do like little streams though.

I'm going to be terribly un-fun and not sportmanshiplike and not tag anyone. I don't follow that many blogs (it looks like I do, but three of them are just food blogs and half of them never post) and those I do have already been tagged. Yes, yes, rules and all that. Sorry, sorry.

Cheers!

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Bookshelf Tour Tag

I have been tagged! I love being tagged, by the way. This particular tag is a Bookshelf Tour Tag, started by LoverofLembas, at Lover of Lembas.

The rules are:

• Once you are tagged, copy and paste the image above into your new post.
• Show readers your book shelf and explain what books are on there.  Pictures are always fun!
• Tag as many other people as you want and copy-paste these instructions onto your post so they know exactly what to do.
• Make sure to leave a link to your post on the site you were tagged.

So! Here is the very small bookshelf in my bedroom:

It's actually an end table but it works quite as well, for the present time.

The top of the shelf is what I call my "display of honor" because it contains (from left to right) Lord of the Rings, a nice hardbound Brother's Grimm collection, and my six Penguin Classics Edition books: Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey. These books on top are some of my favorites that I own.
Just below, however...
There is A Dance with Jane Austen, which has practically all you need to know about dances in the Regency period (I haven't quite finished it, as you might note if you see my bookmark in there, but I find it very interesting). Next, The Words of Jane Austen, from my oldest sister, and then two Agatha Christie novels (Murder on the Orient Express and The Mysterious Affair at Styles), then the last two books of the Dragon Keeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul. Then we have The Gammage Cup and The Whisper of Glocken, two witty fantasy books that make up a tiny series by Carolyn Kendall. The third, sixth, and seventh Harry Potter books are next, and we finish with The Hobbit and The Unfinished Tales of Middle Earth.
Below the vertical books on the left is a falling-apart collection of Jane Austen's six novels (which I keep only for Persuasion, really, as I own the others), and on the right is Mansfield Park (Jane Austen) and the two volumes of Gail Carson Levine's Princess Tales.

The bottom level of the bookshelf is really the carpet, but who cares?
The far left stack has The Wide-Awake Princess and The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope, The Rumplestiltskin Problem by Vivian Van Velde (what an awesome name!), and The Lamb Among the Stars series (minus the first book because it's on loan to a friend).
In the middle I have three books I read for school and one I haven't read at all (guess which one?).
H. G. Well's The Invisible Man, Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird.

Lastly we have Stepping Heavenward (which is a good book but one I haven't read for a long while), the second and third books of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and the four Dragons in Our Midst books.

(I'm noticing a theme here, of crusty old novels and dragons).

The end table has a little pocket on each side. The left one (above) has six books from the Grandma's Attic series, that I have collected. I took the books from the right one and photographed them separately, below. The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and the Curdie, by George MacDonald, and the first two Green Knowe books by L. M. Boston.

Bonus — I took a picture of the shelf above my clothes in my closet, where I keep my devotional books plus some other random things. Left to right is Divine Design, Writing Magic, Kisses from Katie, Beautiful Outlaw, Girls with Swords (a workbook, actually, which I'm ashamed to say has nothing written in it), Captivating, Paper Doll, The Languages of Tolkien and Middle Earth, Uncompromising, Walking with Frodo, Walking Through the Wardrobe, Walking with Bilbo, Live Life on Purpose, Mere Christianity, Life in 6 Words, Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers and Kate Greenaway's Birthday Book, then a bunch of journals, and finally Tolkien The Illustrated Encyclopedia. There are far too many titles in that sentence to give authors for all of them, so look them up if you're interested. :) I will say that I highly recommend Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis, Captivating and Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldrege, Live Life on Purpose by Claude Hickman, and Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. And the language of flowers is just super cool (so are the two Tolkien books, I might add).
Oh? You noticed I skipped two after Divine Design? Well, those happen to be two copies of a book I had printed at Lulu.com, containing three fairy tale rewritings of my own invention (if you have any writings you'd like in hardcopy, let me tell you Lulu is VERY cheap. I printed one for both my grandmas and thought I'd get two for myself while I was at it).
The poster behind is from a play I was in (actually I was in the play on the top half, which you can't really see ;P )

I tag:

• The Author from To Write or Not to Write
• Naomi Bennet from Wonderland Creek
• Skye Hoffert from Ink Castles

Thanks for the idea, Lover of Lembas!