Thank you Esther, for nominating me for a Liebster Award. As this involves answering a series of questions, I took the liberty of finishing the RA Challenge questions first!
The rules to be followed are:
- Thank the person who nominated you and link their blog into your post.
- Answer 11 questions which you have been asked by the nominating blogger.
- Nominate 5 to 11 other bloggers who have fewer than 1,000 followers.
- Add a new list of 11 questions for the nominated bloggers.
- Paste these rules into your post.
- Make sure your nominees know about your post and their nomination.
So, without further ado, here are the questions from Esther and my responses. (Wow! Answering 11 questions takes a long time!)
1) What excites you at the moment?
Vacations! I am counting the days until our annual beach vacation in July! Then relatives from England are coming to stay in September. And then a trip to see family in Toronto, depending on what date is finally picked for a particular wedding.
2) In one sentence: what depresses you at the moment?
That there are people who believe that killing as many young people as possible is actually the right thing to do.
3) Cats or dogs? (Picture material appreciated!)
I am a dog person, through and through. My Japanese Chin:
4) Which TV series did you love in your youth?
I have fond memories of going home from school for lunch and watching The Flintstones while eating my lunch on a tray table. I loved the animals who were the household appliances! I heard on the radio the other day that there is a comic book rewrite of The Flintstones, done as dark comedy, with modern topics. Apparently, the one rule the author was given to follow was that the animals could interact with each other but not with the humans! Mark Russell talks here on CBC radio about the reboot.
5) Who is your favourite actor or actress no longer living?
I really loved Gene Kelly, for his dancing and choreography, his singing, his acting, and last but not least, his looks – well, who am I kidding… I found him quite handsome. Singing in the Rain, with Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, is one of my all-time favourite happy movies. I saw recently that Gene Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, is making the rounds with Gene Kelly: The Legacy, in which she shows films and shares anecdotes from his career and their 10 years together. (She was only 26 to his 73 years when they met and wasn’t really familiar with his work.) I saw that it was in Toronto in March, but unfortunately it hasn’t come to Vancouver. Here’s a good summary of Gene Kelly’s work, style and contributions narrated by Christopher Walken for Turner Classic Movies.
6) What is the best movie you have seen so far in 2017?
That would have to be the very moving film, Lion, which I wrote about here. I also really enjoyed Hidden Figures, although that somehow felt like a much slicker, more produced movie.
7) The top 3 live theatre and/or concert experiences you’ve ever had?
Picking just 3 of the many I have seen in my life so far is really tough. So, these may not be the top three, but certainly right up there.
I saw Queen several times during the Bohemian Rhapsody era. Freddie in his skintight white jumpsuit was mesmerizing as he moved around the stage like a dancer. My biggest teenage crush – what a voice! I loved their music and their shows were great.
When Mamma Mia! first came to North America in 2000, after its successful run in London’s West End and before its run on Broadway, I was lucky enough to have been given a ticket. Not being a huge Abba fan, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But the show was so much fun and we all left singing the songs!
I saw Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden in December, 2015. Even though it was in a big stadium, it felt more like being in his living room while he played us some tunes (some with the choice left up to the audience and even some Christmas classics) and enjoyed himself. Amazing that he still manages to sell out MSG every month! He tours a bit too. Great show if you get a chance to see it.
8) What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
I really enjoyed The Rosie Project and its sequel, The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion. It’s funny and endearing and a really different type of love story. Don Tillman is a brilliant genetics professor with a very rigid way of running his life. He seems to have classic Asperger tendencies, but is totally unaware. Deciding that it’s time to find a wife, he designs a 16-page questionnaire to find a suitable woman. But a totally unsuitable woman seems to take hold of his attention, as he tries to help her find her father. Don Tillman is totally clueless and takes things very literally, which makes for some hilarious situations. But I was really pulling for him.
9) What is your favourite photo of the past week on your mobile phone and are you willing to share it?
This is the beautiful dyed orchid that my older son bought me for Mother’s Day. It sits above my desk at work.
10) Your favourite dessert?
Anything chocolate! I really enjoy a warm chocolate brownie with ice cream. Simple, and yet so delicious.
11) For Armitage fans: your favourite Richard Armitage photo ever?
Looking at this Crucible rehearsal picture (and definitely not for the first time!), I am really taken with the scene. I love the beard and the strength shown. But, most of all I love the looks on Samantha Colley’s and Richard Armitage’s faces, as their characters are locked together, gripped by intense emotion.
Thanks to RichardArmitageNet.com.
MY NOMINATIONS FOR THE LIEBSTER AWARD: (No obligation, of course!)
- Good Woman Going to Waste https://goodwomangonetowaste.wordpress.com/
- KellyDS https://gettingcaughtupinthemechanism.wordpress.com/
- Luscinnia https://luscinnia.wordpress.com/
- Sinnerz13 (My Mind Reels through Film) https://sindenlee3.wordpress.com/
- Fatima https://stacksandranges.com/
- Sarah https://filmsnknits.wordpress.com/
- Carly Quinn https://carlyquinn.co/
- heatherparish (Fully Grown-up Fangirl) https://grownupfan.wordpress.com/
MY LIST OF 11 QUESTIONS: (Some borrowed from Esther and some new questions)
- What is the best movie you have seen in the past year?
- What is the most memorable live theatre and/or concert experience you’ve had in the past year?
- What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
- What is your favourite photo of the past week on your mobile phone and are you willing to share it?
- What is your favourite photo ever of your favourite actor or actress?
- What songs are at the top of your playlist right now?
- What is the most recent TV show that you binge-watched?
- What time of day do you usually write and/or blog and why?
- Does your avatar have special significance and if so, what is that significance?
- In your real life, how open are you about the fact that you have a blog?
- What are the boundaries for you in terms of how much of your real life you share on your blog?
I'm Feeling This 
Thanks so much for taking part!
Ah, Gene Kelly – yeah, he was good. I loved the twinkle in his eye…
You saw Queen live! Lucky you!
I have those Rosie books waiting for me on my e-reader! Will probably be a summer read for me. 😊
Your question 10 of the new challenge is an interesting one and one I struggle with… my husband and kids know that I blog (although my kids don’t read it) and two close friends of mine who live in the US know, but no one else in my real life knows! I keep on thinking I shouldn’t be mysterious about it. After all, everyone knows I love actors and movies and my political leanings aren’t secret either. And yet, I can’t bring myself to confess up to it. If I knew that everyone I know in real life is reading, I might feel the need to do things differently – I’m not ready to take real life flak for what I post. I guess I fear comments like ‘why do you post so much about Richard Armitage?’ Or ‘don’t you have better things to do?’. I know I’ve complained about my sister in general terms once on blog and I know that would get a fallout… On the other hand I realize it could be a positive thing as well if they knew, with positive reactions… the experience of my husband and two friends knowing has been fine in every way so far! I enjoy my blogging so very much as is, without interference from people in my real life. I like to think I would do as I please even if they did know, but I’m not so sure… So, I just don’t know what the wise thing to do here is and I just leave it as it is for now.
What would your answer to this question be?
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Thanks for nominating me! It’s always fun to answer questions!
In the ’70’s the ticket prices were really low, so we saw lots of concerts. Floor seats for Queen were less than $10!
The Rosie books are a treat. Good for summer.
As a relatively new blogger, I’m wrestling with the idea of privacy and where to draw the line, so I’m interested in how others are dealing with it. I’m my RL, I’m pretty much an open book, so it seems strange not to be sharing something that I’m getting so much pleasure and energy from. And yet, I’m not ready to share this far and wide. My hubby and kids know, but don’t delve into my blog except if I ask them to take a look at something before I post. My sisters and my nieces have been on. I think they’re a bit puzzled by the whole Armitage thing. I’ve told a couple of trusted friends at work but I haven’t given them the blog name. I’m a bit leery of mixing work life and blog life, in either direction.
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Oh, yes, totally on the same page with you on this: “I’m my RL, I’m pretty much an open book, so it seems strange not to be sharing something that I’m getting so much pleasure and energy from. And yet, I’m not ready to share this far and wide.”
And I also agree on this: “leery of mixing work life and blog life, in either direction.”
So, for now, it’s low profile for me…
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Nice to read your answers to this challenge, and I really like the blogging-related questions you have posted for the nominees. The answers to that are something that I very much look forward to reading, soon. Oh, and it would be great to know what *your* answers to those questions are, too.
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Thanks. I forgot to mention in the post that, of course, anyone else who would like to answer the questions is certainly welcome to. I’m definitely looking for some insight from longer-term bloggers as well. I’m happy to share my answers to the blogging-related questions too:
8.What time of day do you usually write and/or blog and why? I’m a night owl and I also have to work late fairly often, so I tend to work on my blog late at night. With the difference in time zones, Guytly, I often notice that I am still up on my computer or my phone when you are up in the morning and commenting or replying to comments!
9.Does your avatar have special significance and if so, what is that significance? My avatar is a picture of a painting my mum did and I feel that the mountains also represent BC. Even though my mum has been gone for 6 years, I feel like she is with me in my new adventure.
10.In your real life, how open are you about the fact that you have a blog? I answered this in my response to Esther’s comment.
11.What are the boundaries for you in terms of how much of your real life you share on your blog? This is something that I am struggling with, to find the balance between writing about what is important to me and not revealing too much. I don’t want to share names or much about my work life or particular family issues, because of privacy issues. But on the other hand, sometimes I feel that my work life or family life is relevant to a particular discussion. So it’s a conundrum.
I’d love to hear your answers to, if you care to share them, either here or on your blog.
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Thanks for suggesting that! This might be exactly the thing that I could write and schedule for next week when I am on a business trip to London… Because as I said, I really liked those questions. Some of them I have answered before (when I did a “Blog Introspective Challenge” a while ago), but it’s always interesting to go over questions again and check whether opinions have changed. So I’ll answer the questions on my blog rather than here 😉
But as a reply to your observation on 8.: Yep, I have occasionally noticed that, too. Mind you, my time keeping is unusual. I get up at 6am in the morning, to facilitate an early shift (I have to write one article every morning before 7am), that’s why I am already up and commenting…
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Sounds good!
And I’m often still up at 12:30 or so. I start work a little later. I don’t think I’d survive a job where I had to work before 7am!!
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Ah, you just get used to it. I don’t mind it at all, tbh. In fact, I quite like the early hours – when everything is quiet in the house and no one disturbs me…
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I hear that morning people get more stuff done. I doubt I’ll ever find out!
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Hehehehe… Are you a late night person? I hear that late nights can be quite quiet, too…
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Good morning! Yes, my hubby and older son go to bed pretty early. So it’s usually just me and my younger son up.
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Hehe, so today we have one of those moments where I am up early and you are up late…
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thanks for the nomination! I love answering questions, so I will definitely answer yours in blog form 🙂
I really enjoyed ‘The Fintstones’ when I was young too. I always loved the closing theme song: when they’re at the drive in restaurant and the rack of dinosaur ribs that Fred orders flips the car over when the waitress hooks it onto the window of the car, and then when he’s closing up the house for the night and puts the cat outside but it sneaks back in and puts Fred out instead 😀
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Great! I’m interested to read your answers!
There was some really funny stuff on ‘The Flintstones’, and it resonated because we could see our world in their world.
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Zionks! Thank you so much.
Major props, as the kids used to say, for seeing Freddy back in the day. My brother had the album, News of the World, with the freaky album art. We sold it at our family garage sale a long time ago. (Ack!) Loved that album and yes, I would have been very young. (The things exposed to me back in the day.) As you can see, I am more of a Scooby fan. More when I take the honour bestowed to answer those questions.
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I remember when ‘News of the World’ came out. The full album was premiered on the FM rock station and I sat and recorded it on my cassette recorder! Yes, I’m a bit older than you – but young in spirit, I hope!
I’m glad you’re going to answer the questions! And good to see you back from your break!
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Good reading this poost
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