Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Sunflower Tag


I’ve so enjoyed visiting with Victoria lately (from her lovely blog Hope Writer) and just before the Period Drama Fashions Week she tagged me with the Sunflower award! (Thank you, Victoria!)

Rules:

1. Share 11 facts about yourself.

2. Answer the questions set by your Nomination Blogger.

3. Nominate 11 bloggers.

4. Set questions for the nominated bloggers.

Facts about myself:
1 – I love to dance! I used to take lessons and I still love doing ballet at home. I also did Irish step dance for a while.

2 – I grew up on the American West Coast–in the region of giant mountains and soaring fir trees–and for many years in a little yellow house with a lake just opposite.

3 – I’m working on my third book/second complete novel, On David’s Shoulders.

4 – I’m the eldest daughter (and oldest child) in my family.

5 – This is a rather wild fact, but when we (very occasionally) have root beer my favorite way to drink it is mixed with milk.

6 – I enjoy piecing new block patterns for table runners, baby blankets, and quilt tops.

7 – Two favorite memories are reading S&S and P&P for the first time while rocking one baby sister, and–during the summer before and the time immediately following another sister’s birth (while on a hike in the mountain wilds, and then later while baby holding again), reading both Les Mis and Count of Monte Cristo–those two monumentally sized French books.

8 – I enjoy playing the piano: particular favorites at the moment being a Sonatina by Clementi and theme songs from the ’95 P&P.

9 – I wear skirts and blouses most of the time and am branching into wearing dresses again. I do own long sleeve tops, but much prefer wearing short sleeves year round, paired with zip-up sweatshirts when absolutely necessary. :-)

10 – I love dahlias (particularly the “cactus” varieties). And I love elephants, giraffes, ladybugs, and butterflies.

11 – Growing up (and living where we did), I was blessed every summer to be able to help pick several hundred pounds of berries–strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries–before processing, freezing, and enjoying!


What time period would you travel back to if you had the chance? Why? ~ Oh, dear…this would be a toss-up. I love the Regency period in England, but at the moment I would probably say the 1830’s/40’s (again in England)–an era of discovery and broadening horizons, but with still closely-knit community life.

Is there a book that you’ve read at least five times from beginning to end? ~ (Hem!) I tend to visit favorite book friends/scenes regularly, but–I’m afraid–sadly out of order. Two that spring to mind at the moment, though (that I’ve read backwards and forwards) are Wodehouse’s The Code of the Woosters and The Flying Inn by G.K. Chesterton. And–oh, wait. I’m pretty sure I’ve been through C.S. Lewis’s The Horse and His Boy at least five times (to myself and with others).

Has the Lord done anything recently in your life that has strengthened your faith in Him? ~ Due to various circumstances, I’ve recently been brought again to the realization that (as a young woman in her mid-twenties striving to discern His will) I’m exactly where He wants me to be. He’s granted me renewed assurance in where I live (and how much I love it!), in who and what He has made me to be, and a further reassurance that He holds my future in His hands. I’ve found again that He’s always there–ready–and His love is boundless.


What is your favorite family tradition? ~ This is kind of a “family atmosphere” sort of thing, but I think it could fall under the heading of a tradition as well. Since I was little (and before, in fact) my father has (with a few exceptions here and there) read aloud every evening to the entire family: all the way back to The Borrowers and Betsy-Tacy and the Little House books–and then to Henty’s and Sutcliff’s and Narnia and Lord of the Rings (multiple times). He’s been doing it for over a quarter of a century now!

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? ~ Growing and maintaining a beautiful English-style country cottage garden.

What has been your favorite movie this year? This can be in theaters or just from your own personal home viewing. ~ Sound of Music, Live! Hopefully I’ll have a review coming in the near future, but I’ve seen it twice now and absolutely loved it!

Thank you again, Victoria!! This was a lot of fun!

And I’m making five nominations:
Mary Elizabeth at A Gaither Girl's Perspective
Sarah Rega at Spiritually Healthy
Emma Jane at For the Beauty of the Earth
Rose P. at The Best of Classics
Ruby Danderfluff at We'll See How This Goes

I've been enjoying all your blogs and am looking forward to hearing your answers! Here are your questions:

Do you have a favorite fairytale? If so: what is it and why?

What are your thoughts on coffee? Tea?

Is there a good movie you’ve watched multiple times in the past year?

What was/is your favorite children’s picture book?

If you were given the opportunity, would you rather travel to Hawaii or Australia? Why?

What is a particular, specific way God has blessed you in the last week?

12 comments:

  1. How fun!! You had really great answers! I absolutely love picking berries, but I've never had the opportunity to pick so many varieties and so much as you have. I would love to get that chance at least once in my life! And my dad reads aloud, too!! We're almost through with the Little Britches series at the moment. We just started this tradition about 5 years ago - I can't wait until we reach 25 years, like your dad!

    By the way, thanks so much for the heads-up about your tag - I have not been getting email updates, but I just signed up! :D

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    1. Thank you and you're welcome! :-) I'm greatly enjoying our *visits*! ;-)

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  2. My Dad read Narnia to us and some of the American girls to me when I was 8ish, but Mom read the Borrowers (adorable, I just finished reading through the series myself last year), Little House, Sutcliff (for our history program, thank you history program!). We read Lord of the Rings ourselves, Dad said we had to before we could watch the movies (it didn't quite work but we did read them all).

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    1. So fun! Reading aloud is great... Our Borrowers copies are delightfully well-worn. I think my favorite is The Borrowers Afield. It's so fresh...filled with the scent of rain and sunshine on earth. And I love LOTR! (rather obviously). I think my father's probably read them them aloud about five times, so now I'm actually reading them for the first time *myself* (that is, aloud to a younger sister ;-) ).

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  3. Oooh, am I excited about this! You did have some great answers! :-) Quick question: I'm to answer the questions at the end of your post, correct? Not the ones in bold type that you answered?
    Thanks again and looking forward to posting! :-)

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    1. Thank you and I'm looking forward to yours! :-) And yes, you just fill out the questions at the end.

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    2. Oh, and the "11 Facts", as well...plus the questions at the end, if that makes sense. :-)

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    3. Thank you and yes it makes sense! :-)

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  4. Aww, thank you for nominating me, Heidi! :-) I don't know how soon I'll be able to post my answers, but hopefully sometime soon. These look like fun questions.
    I enjoyed reading this! Thanks again! :-)

    ~Emma

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    1. You're most welcome! :-) And whenever you can do it is fine... I'm looking forward to reading it! :-)

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  5. Since root beer floats are essentially the same thing, I guess it really does make sense to drink root beer with milk! Curious. =)

    I read my first Chesterton book this past December via: The Man Who Was Thursday, and really enjoyed it. But The Flying Inn sounds even more bizarre! I may just have to look into it.

    This may be against the rules, but I've tagged you back!

    http://rubydanderfluff.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-sunflower-blogger-award-another-tag.html

    Please don't worry about participating if this is just one too many tags for you! =)

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    1. Yes, I know. The root beer and milk is quite curious. ;-) I do hope you can check out The Flying Inn! I’ve read quite a bit of Chesterton’s fiction and another favorite is Manalive (probably my second favorite after Flying Inn). I wouldn’t describe TFI as at all bizarre (unlike his Napoleon of Notting Hill, which I found positively frustrating). I think of it as pungent and fresh, hopeful and power packed, serious and yet lighthearted. :-) Definitely a favorite!

      And thank you for the tag back! I have rather a lot of tag stuff up here at the moment, so (if it's fine with you) I'll just leave the answers in a comment over on your blog. :-)

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I'd love to hear your thoughts and look forward to further confabulation. Please just be courteous to one and all. Oh, and I love thoughts on old posts, so comment away!

(Also of late -- what with time being finite, and Life Happening + managing multiple blogs and computer issues and all that -- I sometimes have to alternate between creating new content and replying to comments, but rest assured I'm thrilled to hear from each and every one of you and always hope to reply thoughtfully in full ASAP. <3)

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