Daffodil Displays and Tag, You’re It

Cee has tagged me, and it feels like a good day to play. The rules of the game are:
1.Each person must post 11 things about him/herself on their blog.
2.Answer the questions the “tagger” listed for you in their post, (And create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer).
3.Choose 11 people to tag and link to them in the post.
4.Let each blogger know that you have tagged them.

So here goes, my answers to Cee’s questions

1. Where do you want to retire? Actually, we moved here when we retired from the busy life in Southern California, so this is where I want to be. When I hit 80, if I’m tired of snowy winters and short springs and summers, I might want to move to the Oregon coast or Portland. I love Portland’s mass transit system.

2.Which country/city in the world (that you have never been to) would you most like to visit and why? You know, the older I get the more I want to travel. What’s with that, anyway? The British Isles would be wonderful to tour. The countrysides of Western Europe. Prague would be a wonderful photo opp. Hard to pick just one place.

3. If you could give $100,000 dollars to one charity, what would it be? Cancer research, especially children’s cancer. For personal reasons, obviously, since our family has had more experience with cancer than I like.

4. What is your favorite item of clothing and why? Jeans have always been a favorite, but now that my girth is spreading, I’m finding pants with less restriction around the midsection are good. Maybe pajama jeans, or the wonderful stretchy knit pants I just got from Land’s End that my friend says are yoga pants, but Land’s End called them something different. Whatever they’re called, they have that stretchy waist that can be folded down however you like. The bad side is that they’re black, and I have this white dog. White hairy dog who sheds all year round.

5. Do you take the shampoos and other sundries from your hotel room when its time to check out? I have in the past, but then realized there’s really no reason anymore. I thought they’d be great for traveling, but when you travel you stay in hotels/motels, who provide those sundries, so why bother?

6. What made you smile today? The sun shining on the brand new leaves just popping out on the ornamental plum tree just outside my window. The bright yellow daffodils against the bright spring green grass (that badly needs mowing). The fact that I got out of bed, upright and well.

7. For your computer Mac or PC? I’ve always had a PC, but now that I have my iPad and am just loving it, I think I’d seriously consider a Mac if I were to buy a new laptop or computer. Except Mac is really hard on the budget.

8. Do you plan out things usually or do you do them more spontaneous (for example if you are visiting a big city you don’t know?) I buy a guidebook, or search the place I’m visiting online to learn as much as I can before I go, but then what I do when I get there is usually a spontaneous decision.

9. What is your favorite comfort food? Most often, chocolate. Sometimes something salty.

10. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? No and No.

11. What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Housework. Oh, you mean one chore? I think I’d have to say dusting because there are always things to be moved, dusted, surface dusted, put back. Time to thin out possessions I think. But then I also hate cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, cooking. Domesticity is not my favorite thing.

I see now that I’ve reread the instructions that I’m doing this a bit out of order. Changing things up occasionally is a good thing, right? Eleven things about me? I’m not sure there are eleven things I haven’t already shared in this blog life in the past. I’ll try.

1. Like Barefoot Baroness (who tagged Cee) and Cee, I too found Downton Abbey, except I have only watched Season 1 on Netflix Instant Watching. I’m waiting for them to have Season 2 and more. I have heard, by the way, that Maggie Smith’s character (the matriarch of the family) may not be back for Season 4.

2. I am easily distracted and entranced by birds fluttering around outside my windows. Oh, you’ve figured that out from my pictures, haven’t you?

3. I love animals. Something else you’ve already noticed, I’m sure.

4. West Wing was also my all-time favorite TV show. I think I’m going to write Jed Bartlett in on my presidential election ballot. Then I’m going to wiggle my nose and get rid of Congress because I think it is pretty useless.

5. I find that at this time in my life, my powers of concentration are not what they used to be – I blame this on the situation, not the age, by the way – so now I watch mainly mindless TV shows. And those only to give distraction while I knit.

6. I’m an American Idol addict – another of those not-so-new facts. This year I just can’t pick a favorite favorite, but I’m thinking Skylar and Joshua could end up the top two. Although Phillip is surprising and could knock one of them out.

7. I love to read. My Nook Book wish list keeps growing. I have four ebook readers and five magazine subscriptions on my iPad.

8. I love to knit. I have a closet full of yarn, but yet I find myself drawn to lingering on websites that sell yarn. I have to exercise discipline, but Berroco has some out that I positively drool over.

9. Spring and fall are my favorite seasons. Spring because it feels like a beginning, a renewal of life. Fall because it has the most glorious colors and feels like a period of rest beginning. And because the fall air has that marvelous crisp feel.

10. The thing I miss most about the after-effects of my mastectomy and subsequent chemo is not the boob – at my age, what does it matter anyway – but the fact that my hair has just not grown back in very well. It was always very thick with just a bit of wave. Now it is baby fine and thin. But, easy to take care of, so for that I should be grateful. It’s the vanity thing.

11. The thing I appreciate the most after my brief fight with cancer is that is has given me a new view of life. A new appreciation. A renewed delight in all the little components of this life. An increased enthusiasm for life, and appreciation of those loved ones in my life, family and friends.

Now I’m going to cheat a bit, because I need to come up with eleven new questions, and eleven bloggers to tag. Hopefully, eleven bloggers that have not been tagged. This post is already twice as long as I prefer to do, so I’m going to carry it forward into two posts.

But I will share those daffodil displays, without words. Other than a note that included in the pictures are some piles of yard debris that have not yet been picked up. Please ignore. And ignore the black plastic bag shrouded fountain, which might get uncovered today.

Stay tuned for installment 2.