Share Your World (the Sept. 18th version)

Every week, Cee posts question for her “Share Your World Challenge.”  I decided to dive in this week.  Friday we’ll be getting ready to leave Wyoming, but not heading directly home.  We’ll be doing a loop of the Badlands, something you won’t want to miss.  But you won’t, because you’ll be in the passenger’s seat!  Anyway, “they” say sharing is good, so let me share.

Complete this sentence: I want to learn more about … French. I’m trying to learn a bit of a language where a good proportion of the letters aren’t pronounced and that, in common with German, decided for some horrifying reason to use multiple forms of “the”, which then have to be conjugated, thus blighting the lives of all who aren’t born to the language.  On a more prosaic level, I also want to learn a lot more about photography and how to make the best use of my Nikon and start doing a bit more writing again.

On a vacation what you would require in any place that you sleep?  A comfortable bed is what sprang to my mind immediately.  🙂  A clean room is of equal value.  After that, a large room with a wonderful bathroom, a small fridge and microwave,  and a fabulous view would be great.  A view that doesn’t overlook buildings or crowds would be even better, although I could deal with a great B&B or Airbnb in a wonderful city (at least for a bit.)  I suppose could tolerate proximity to a great market (of the food sort) and restaurants and museums if I had to, although it would of course be tough.  A reasonable price would make the whole package even better!!  🙂

What is your greatest extravagance?  Books, even though I buy them mostly at places like Half Price Books and library sales and haven’t been feeding my habit recently (with a great effort.)  The time to read them is probably more extravagant.  🙂  Or maybe my answer should be “use of the library.”  All book-related, though, so who cares?  Just file them all under “book love.”  Of course, because I spend so little on all those books, tea may be my biggest extravagance financially.  But again, the two go together so well that they are as one.

What inspired you this past week?  Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.   Our younger daughter, an recently graduated art student trying to make living while a resident of Philadelphia, lost her job with the art school in spring (along with 7 other people), got another job with the school (that doesn’t pay as well, but at least has benefits), is also working extra hours with a catering service, rides her bike everywhere, has become a pro at “scrounging” of a good sort, yet still has time to make posters to post around the neighborhood for a friend whose cat (rescued from the street) disappeared.  (It was found today because of those posters.)  And she has a rescued cat as well. Yet for the most part, she manages to be upbeat and full of humor.  That’s all sorts of inspiration!

See you tomorrow at the Photo Challenge.

Share Your World, April 10, 2017

“Share Your World” is one of a number of challenges hosted by Cee.  She posts questions and we reveal our inner, sometimes bizarre, selves.  🙂  This week’s questions are as follows:

Have you ever participated in a distance walking, swimming, running, or biking event? Tell your story.

I’m a fast-twitch muscle person, which means I’m a sprinter.  Therefore anything over about 200 meters is a distance to me.  🙂  I have biked 18-20 miles with my husband, though.  My sprinting story is that some years ago while visiting my parents in Arizona, I went with them to a Senior Olympics event.  They’ve both participated, but my mom throws the javelin (and has set numerous US records for her age group) and discus.  These days, my dad just goes and helps.

Dad persuaded me to enter the 100, even though I hadn’t been running at all.  I just had my athletic shoes and no starting blocks (which many don’t use.)  As there weren’t many women running, I ran with a mixed-age group.  When the starter’s gun went off, I flew down the track as fast as I could.  As I neared the finish line, I could hear my dad yelling, “Run, run!!”  When I finished, with no idea how I’d done, except that I’d finished first, people were swarming around, congratulating me.  One man asked if I knew how I’d done.  All I knew by then was that I was slower than in college.  🙂  Turns out I was, at least for at time, the fifth fastest women in my age group and had one man try to get me to move to Utah to run with their track team, even saying he could help my husband find a job!  Ha!

Senior Olympics is one of those things that if you live long enough and are even moderately mobile, you can win everything!!  🙂

Name one thing not many people know about you.

I spent almost a year in Europe in the mid-seventies between my junior and senior years in college, backpacking, using Student Rail passes, working over the winter in Grindelwald, Switzerland, and having the experience of a lifetime.

What is your favorite flower?

Whatever flower is blooming!  I love lavender especially,  as well as poppies.

Things I want to have in my home (paintings, hot tubs, book cases, big screen tv etc)

In March of 2012, I did a post called “The House of My Heart“, which covers these very things.  But in short: a room for a library, a clothesline, large windows, and enormous kitchen as the heart of the house, etc.  I’d love hardwood floors and could easily live in a log cabin.  To know all the details, read the post.  It doesn’t take long.

Optional Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? 

I’m grateful for the arrival of spring, that books by two of my favorite authors arrived at the library for me, and that the Chicago Blackhawks won their division and are in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This is Holy Week, so I’m looking forward to Easter, having one of my s-i-l’s coming up for the weekend, spending Easter with friends and making homemade ravioli for the occasion.  At least I’m looking forward to eating the ravioli and making them is never as bad as it sounds, although it does take time.  It’s worth it in the end, though.  🙂

Share Your World – 2016 Week 36

What are Cee’s questions this week for “Share Your World?”

If you were given a boat or yacht today, what would you name it?  (You can always sell the yacht later)

This one’s easy, not because I have a boat, but because I love the name Windwalker and I think it’s the perfect name for a sailboat.

Which of Snow White’s 7 dwarfs describes you best?  (Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey) Plus what would the 8th dwarf’s name be? 

The first part of this is easy, too:  Happy.  I’m generally happy and optimistic, although this election cycle is making it harder than usual.  🙂  The 8th dwarf?  I have no idea and no opinion.  I think seven is plenty.

Name a song or two which are included on the soundtrack to your life?

Lots of British Invasion songs and lots of Billy Joel.  The first song I remember like is “Cindy, Oh, Cindy”, by Eddie Fisher.  Somewhere I have a 45 record of it. Earliest rock-n-roll?  “Johnny Angel.”  Then the Monkees showed up.  OK, that should do it.

Complete this sentence:  I like watching…nature, hockey, and the country go by on a road trip.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? 

I’m grateful that I made it through all the extra hours at work, that I got to walk with my friend and her dogs, and that it was cooler.  I’m also glad that I had a lovely bike ride with my husband Labor Day morning and that we got to see some good friends and their new baby.

This coming week at work may be even crazier, so I’m looking forward to my walks in the park in the mornings to keep me grounded and I’m always grateful for my family and my blogging.

Sharing my world

Among Cee’s weekly challenges is her “Share Your World” challenge.  While I’ve only participated in one of these so far, this one caught my eye.

If you had a shelf for your three most special possessions (not including photos, electronic devices and things stored on them, people or animals), what would you put on it?

If you had a box labelled ‘happiness’, what would you put in it?

What do you want more of in your life?

Daily Life List: What do you do on an average day? Make a list of your usual activities you do each day.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I have to admit that first one is a poser (in the sense of “a question or problem that is puzzling or confusing.”)  The books I’d like to put there won’t even begin to fit.  The English teapot from my great aunt would fit and as I use it every day, I’d best include it.  If I can’t have my books, I’ll include my library card and maybe, if I stack my journals on top of each other, they’d be considered one.  Hmmmmm.  I guess I should be thankful for the exclusions!

A box labelled “Happiness” would be stuffed full of faith, family, friends as well as travel/vacations, tea, books (yes, there they are again), food, photography things, being outdoors, wood-burning stoves and cabins in the mountains…enough.  You get the idea.

What do I want more of in my life?  See the above paragraph.

I work two very full days a week at a tea shop.  My other days tend to include a walk in “my” park, taking photos during that walk and at any other possible moment, time spent on my blog and trying to keep up with other blogs as well as other friends (via snail mail, email or Facebook), having tea, taking care of some part of the things that need to be done in the house a/o yard at that time, fixing meals, reading, watching something on Netflix/a sporting event/one of our few TV shows with my husband, using my rebounder while doing one of the aforementioned activities with my husband, lifting weights or just taking time to sit and think.

Last week I was visiting my parents in Arizona, with short visits with my brother and his family included.  That was a blessing.  Besides the family time, the warmth, various art shows we attended, and being able to pick lemons from the tree to bring home were all things for which I’m grateful.  This week I’m looking forward to spending time with my husband again, getting back to my job, starting to organize our tax things….STOP!!  I’m NOT looking forward to that in the sense of it being something I’ll enjoy, but it’s in my weekly plan.  🙂  I’m also looking forward to singing with praise team this week at church, something I really miss when I’m away, and getting back to our every-other-week Bible study.

I’m Janet Webb and I approved this post.

Share Your World 2015, week 47

I’m usually doing photography challenges with Cee and company, but this week for the first time, I’ve decided to participate in the “Share Your World” challenge.  Cee poses questions and we answer them.

In your native language which letter or character describes you best?  Why?

I hate to begin badly, but I really don’t know.  I’ve thought and thought about it, but I can’t come to a decision.

What is your greatest extravagance?

In terms of cost, my greatest extravagance to date would be travel.  However, books are what I buy the most often, at least until recently when I’ve been working hard to not buy any.  This is only because I have so many already.  Since I buy  almost all my books either at the library sale ($1 for hardcovers, $.50 for paperbacks) or at Half Price Books, it’s never a financial extravagance.  Photography is something I’ll be spending more money on soon, but I’m from a frugal family and I’m frugal, too.

Do you prefer exercising your mind or your body? How frequently do you do either?

Yes.  🙂 I like doing both.  I walk in the park usually three times a week and before I started working part time, I walked five mornings a week.  I try to lift weights three times a week as well, although I’ve gotten out of that habit.  I really enjoy lifting and I do stretching as well.  I also bought a rebounder and am using that daily for bone strength and density.  As for my mind, I try to exercise that daily!

List at least 5 things that makes you laugh.

Any of the Pink Panther movies, so that’s at least four or five there.  “Anguished English” and pretty much any other books by Richard Lederer.  “NCIS” makes me laugh every week. Word humor and the oddball things I see in the world around me (hence my enjoyment of the Oddball Photo Challenge) provoke daily laughter   Today, the beauty of the snow made me laugh for joy.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I’m grateful for time spent with my husband and that he has a good job. I’m grateful for the snow we got and the beauty that it brought. I’m grateful to sing alto with the praise team from our church and for our church family.  I’m grateful for the library and books and for being able to watch hockey on TV.  I’m also grateful that I blog and found such a great group of online friends. And yes, that’s all from last week, although it may also be most weeks.

I’m looking forward to traveling to my s-i-l’s for Thanksgiving.  I love road trips of almost any kind, we’ll have good company, good food, and good wine, and I won’t have any chores or work that has to be done, because I’ll be at someone else’s house!  That means I can just relax.