These questions have been going round blogland lately. I’ve read them here and there, so I thought I’d have a go. The ones asking if I have a gun, like hotdogs or KoolAid, make me wonder if it started in America? Oh yes, it must have done, my spellchecker has just found several words it wanted to change

1. Do you like blue cheese?
Now and then. I bought some Roquefort in France when we went to Bruges recently. I like tiny bits of blue cheese sometimes. I still have in the fridge this pack of value blue cheese that I wrote about in September 2013 – it still seems to be alright!!

2. Have you ever smoked?
I did for a few years as a young woman. Not for very long

3. Do you own a gun
no, and I can’t foresee any circumstances when I might

4. What flavour of Kool Aid is your favourite?
I don’t drink many of my calories, I’m not very keen on fizzy drinks and I don’t like the flavour of cola, so I’m not likely to ever try it

5. Do you get nervous before dental appointments?
not usually, maybe if I have a big procedure due

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I’ve put them in the No Power meal plan, but I’m not a great fan myself

7. What’s your favorite Christmas movie?
It’s A Wonderful Life and most of the versions of Christmas Carol

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
I tend to have a big mug of black, decaf, tea. Lately, I’ve been using a tea pot and a dainty cup and saucer.

9. Can you do push-ups?
A few, not many – too heavy!

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewellery?
I have a favourite necklace I wear often. It’s made from glass beads, made in Venice, and looks like it is deflecting light, but is actually part of the colouring, it seems to go with everything

11. What’s your favorite hobby?
I read a great deal, mainly novels for a while, although I will read anything, and have done ever since I learned to read.

I like to make things, but don’t seem to have much time lately.

I like to grow things that are edible in the garden

I enjoy creating inexpensive meals for the blog, and talking to people here

and I love going out to meet my WI and U3A friends

12. Do you have ADD
no, not at all. I can easily concentrate on something for long periods, hours

13. Do you wear glasses or contacts?
I use two pairs of specs. One for driving and telly watching, another for close work. I tried varifocals and couldn’t get on with them, so swapped back to two pairs.

I can’t have laser treatment as I have astigmatism

14. What’s your middle name?
Gaye (I added the ‘e’ as I liked it)

15. What are your thoughts at this moment
I have just got back in from posting all my Christmas cards. I had to queue up at the post office for the stamps and the queue was in Christmas mood, so it was very chatty. Then I hand delivered some on the way home, chatted to a neighbour, and admired the newly put up lights on the front of our house. So feeling warm, mellow and very seasonal

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly consume.
decaff tea and coffee, and a lot of plain water

17. What is a current worry of yours?
how the hell people will cope with all the cutbacks, restrictions and sanctions of this government, coupled with chronic low wages

18. What do you currently hate?
hate is a strong word, I don’t think I’ll go there

19. Where is your favorite place to be?
Home. It’s not a perfect house, or even a perfect town, but I have a very happy life here

20. What do you plan on doing on New Year’s Eve this year?
nothing much. I expect we shall watch some rubbish TV and go to bed late, still awake to wish each other a happy new year

21. To where would you like to travel?
ooh, lots of places. There are many places in the UK I would still like to explore, York; the Yorkshire Dales; I love Dorset, Devon and Cornwall; then there are parts of Wales and Somerset still to find and large parts of Scotland.

I would love to go to India, and Canada, Australia and New Zealand. More places than I have time for!

22. Name three people you think will do this questionnaire on their
blog.
no idea!

23. Do you own slippers?
I do. A pair of faux sheepskin, covering the whole of my feet. I wear them with socks when it’s cold, otherwise, it’s a comfortable squishy old pair of shoes around the house

24. What color shirt are you wearing?
I’m wearing a dark purple v necked top, long sleeved, with streaks of green and other purples through it, from a charity shop

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
no! Silk maybe, that sounds nice, but satin, no way

26. Can you whistle?
I’ve always wanted to be able to do those really loud ones, that involve two fingers, but sadly, even though I’ve practiced, I haven’t ever mastered it

27. What is your favorite colour?
purple, and any other dark, warm colour

28. What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don’t really sing in the shower, I do sing along to music on the radio or CDs, including opera, very badly

29. Would you be a pirate?
robbing people? I don’t think so!  and I get horrible sea sickness

30.What’s in your pocket right now?
a hand made soft cotton handkerchief

31. What’s the last thing that made you laugh?
watching a Facebook post of a friends dog running flat out in joy around a huge field

32. What vehicle do you drive?
a black Corsa to run around in, and a Boxster that I’ve had for 10 years now, that I drive around in with the top down and a huge grin. And New Husband has a Ford Ranger open backed truck

33. What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?
erm, had a major operation a couple of years back, other than that, no injuries

34. Do you love where you live?
see 19

35. Would you change your first name if you could?
No, not really. Although I’ve always harboured a secret desire to be Augusta, as I was born in August