I was tagged by the talented Melissa who can be found here. According the the rules, I’m supposed to fill out this little Q & A and tag eight people to do the same. I decided to shift it a bit and added a few photographs to help you see what I’m talking about…show and tell…one of my very favorite things in school.
Additionally, for those who would like to give this a whirl, you get to delete a question and add one of your own. My question is the first one below. I’m tagging these eight people and if you’re checking me out, scoot on over to a few of these folks when you get a chance and have a look around their space. I know they’ll make you feel welcome. Thanks again Melissa. Now for my eight in no special order (they’re all special)… Kim, Hay, Leslye, Carolyn, Kerstin Darcy, Maz, Alycia, Leaca, Bim, and Jules.
The question I added is the first one.
Who was your childhood hero or person you most admired and why? My aunt, Wylly Folk St. John. She was a published author of many children’s books and twice nominated and runner up for the Edgar Allen Poe Mystery Writer’s of America award. She made me a character in one of her books (I bet you can’t guess which one) and gave me some of the best presents I’ve ever received. Her gifts were always lumpy strangely wrapped bundles of books and handmade treasures, like a pin cushion tomato that she embroidered my name on the side. I still have it almost forty years later. She brought a sense of belonging into my life with every letter and I think about her almost everyday.
What is your current obsession? Taming the wild ponies of Bodmin Moor with sugar cubes.
What are you wearing? My UK uniform … sweater, backpack, jeans, good walking shoes and a camera.
Do you nap a lot? No, but when I do, I power nap. 12 minutes and I feel as refreshed as if I’d had a full five hour night.
Who was the last person you hugged? My darling husband, John
If you were a tree, what tree would you be? A little one like below reaching towards the light
What’s for dinner? This is more like what John had for dinner last night at the pub. I had a burger and chips (fries)
What was the last thing you bought? Today …I bought five packs of my new favorite Chocolate Mint Gum (Sugar Free)
What are you listening to right now? Carry You Home – Listen Here
What is your favorite weather? Blue Sky
Say something to the person who tagged you: Hello Melissa…this is the very first time I’ve done one of these Q & A things and it was a lot of fun…thanks for sending it my way.
If you could have a house, fully furnished and paid for, anywhere in the world, where would it be? Scotland, Isle of Skye
Favorite vacation spot? The western highlands of Scotland
What would you like to have in your hands right now? My former dog Bones now renamed Beau who lives with a sweet woman who dotes on him and lets him sleep in her bed. (He didn’t get to do this with me) I see him every time I go back to Georgia.
What would you like to get rid of? My house in Atlanta Georgia
What is your favorite tea flavor? No tea… I don’t like it!
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would it be? In Cornwall, walking the coast path with my daughter and her dog.
What is your favorite snack?
Dog or cat? I love them both, but…. I miss this dear little dog.
Gifts Of The Journey 
What a wonderful way to handle this tag. Your photos were absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. I think I would share your obsession with taming the wild ponies with sugar cubes. Thanks for providing us with a pictorial.
I do worry about how many is too many sugar cubes though. There’s one in particular who really seems to want more every time I see her. I carry them in my pocket when I run. Adding pictures was fun way to do the tag thing…I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
ooohhhh—i loooovvvveee this!!!your pics added a whole new dimension!!! love your dog, bones. i know you miss him. next time you come to atl, PLEASE bring me some of that chocolate mint gum!!!!!!!!!
i think your answer about what tree would you be is my FAVE! you are soooo thoughtful.
i’ll try to do this over the weekend. how do i get the tag?
xo,
jules
Thanks Jules…it really was fun to do. I’m planning to bring some of that gum back..it’s soooo good! I’ll bring some extra for you. I just loved that little tree. It’s down the road from the house so I see it a lot. As to the link. I just copied it from Melissa’s site and deleted her answers and added my own. There might be an easier way, but I don’t know it.
Really glad you enjoyed it. And as always, your photos are stunning.
this is great. i love that you added photos. i might do the same if that’s ok. i’ll work on this over the weekend. I’ve never done one of these before – it should be fun. your daughter’s springer is so cute. how old is the dog? you know we have one too – she’s losing her rich brown color in her old age. You aunt sounds like a very special lady. so what character were you?
Yes..please add your photos…that’s what I was hoping for when I tagged you. I really enjoy them and thought it would be a good opportunity to see more of your work. My daughter has already seen your springer. I sent her to your site when I saw yours in one of your photographs. She was really impressed to see that you shared a love for the same breed. Her pup is a little bit over a year old…she loves that dog! My character was modeled after me and given my name. I’m not being coy, but I’m going to say a lot more in a post or two. Aunt Wylly was very special in so many ways. I wish I could swap book notes with her sometimes.
I love your list….beautifully thought out as always 🙂 I love the tree too and that your aunt based a character upon you. How cool !
Thanks Dori…I was going to include you on the list, but you seem to get tagged for so many things (you’re a popular woman 😉 so I thought it might be just one more request for your time.
Aunt Wylly has a very interesting history…I’m going to write a blog post about her soon. She was my grandfather’s sister so age wise, she was more like a grandmother to me. I really thought she hung the moon.
I have to say…I was so envious of your concert with Tina Turner…I just love, love, love her.
I would buy your house, if I could! It’s darling!
Thanks Shelli… it is a darling house and I loved it, but it’s hard to manage from here.
Tears. Heartache then tears. The song by James Blunt touched my pain. “Strong as you were, tender you go” “I watch you breathing for the last time”. I understand your feelings of loss for your Aunt Wylly. There is much intensity in the love and in the loss. The love continues, only now it is accompanied by loss. I am grateful that the love continues and growing accustomed to the loss.
Oh Patrice…I almost used that song for the video I did of you with your mom. I’m glad you were touched so deeply by it. I can still hear you mom’s voice and see you two together. I know you miss her…
I’m shrieking here in my house and my husband is dying to know what all the fuss is about. I haven’t read past the first sentence of the answer to the first question. I LOVE Wylly Folk St. John’s books!!! Wow, wow, wow! The Ghost Nextdoor was one of my favorite books as a child. I was visiting my cousin in Texas when I was about 10. He owned that book and I read it. I loved the story and the vague creepiness of it, but I forgot the title. I literally thought about it all year until I got back to Texas the next summer to read it again and discover the author. I never forgot again. I think I still have my beat up old paperback copy.
How cool is that! The Ghost Next Door is very special to me even more so than the book that I’m a character in…if you read any of the posts on my first blog such as this one…you’ll see why.
https://giftsofthejourney.com/Elizabeth_Harper-Gifts_of_the_Journey/Blog/Entries/2008/12/29_Transitions_.html
If you read what I said about choosing a name, you’ll see that I make reference to why and leave room to tell the rest of the story later. I think I may have to do that a bit sooner now. I’m so excited to “meet” someone who loved that book as much as I did.
Hi, Elizabeth. I love that my first visit to your blog-home is this post. What a fun way to get to know you. I read your “Who Am I” link. I loved this: I am Elizabeth Harper, a woman who for years lived along the edges of her dreams. How wonderful that you are brave enough to live now in the middle of your dreams. And that those dreams landed you in Cornwall? How lovely!!!!!!! Thank you so much for stopping by my spot to visit Leslye and for leaving a comment. I am so very glad to have the chance to come by and “meet” you. I’ve connected to so much about this post. For example, I had never heard James Blunt, but am enamoured of his music and have begun a James Blunt Pandora station. Anyway, hello, friend.
Hi Relyn,
Thanks for stopping and for all your lovely comments. I was quite tickled to see them all and really enjoyed reading them. It’s wonderful when folks take the time to comment and I had a huge smile the whole time especially your connection my aunt Wylly. I am also glad I was able to share James Blunt with you. I associate his music in many ways with my new life here in England. Although I had heard of him slightly before I met my husband John, some of his songs provided the soundtrack to our long distance relationship at times. I’m so glad to meet someone else who finds his music special.
Fabulous post (and thanks for the tag!). Your photos are always amazing.
I really enjoyed reading these glimpses into your life – very touching. I’m not a dog person but the way you wrote it made me long on your behalf for the little one you left in the U.S. I can feel your attachment to him – so sweet and heart-wrenching. Living overseas and making those kind of decisions isn’t always a picnic, is it?
Hugs and take care.
Thanks for your comments Carolyn…I’m so glad you enjoy the photographs…I really live with a camera in hand or close by about 99% of the time and enjoy being able to share them.
I do miss that sweet dog. I told John if I had Bones longer than the 3 weeks I did before we met, I don’t know how things would have turned out. He was the best dog I ever had. I always thought I was deep down a cat person despite having dogs while growing up, but he changed me. I adopted him and he was with me about 4 months before I began coming and going back and forth to England. If I ( actually my daughter knew her) had not found the wonderful woman (Vicki) to adopt him, I could not have left him behind. He still remembers me when I visit, but he is so loved and well cared for that it eases my heart somewhat. Thankfully there are dogs everywhere for me to play with in the village where we live. If fact, I frequently identify people to John when speaking about them as in, ” You know those people who own Carrie the irish settler and Jack, the little scruffy dog… ” to which he just looks confused. You’re right about making tough decisions in order to live here. I’m sure you miss your son as much as I miss my daughter…it is very hard not to be able to do even little things with her… like stop by for a hug.
Love this! Especially with the photographs, what a great spin on this meme. And it’s always nice to learn a bit more about you 🙂
It’s so hard to give away a pet, isn’t it? But what comfort you must have to know he is safe and loved, and you still get to visit him! That’s wonderful.
And I am with you about Scotland, I also love that part of the world, something quite magical about it.
Your aunt sounds like an an amazing woman, will you share the title of “your” book with us? I’d love to know it.
I haven’t done a meme in a while and this one looks like fun so will post something towards the end of the week.
Thanks!
Kerstin xo
Oh! I’m so late to the party! Humble apologies and blushing excuses… I’d like to say it’s because of my pressing charity work and my concentrating on a world changing career … but actually it’s just down to my chaotic, crazy life and disorganised nature! Anyway- what a fun tag and i truly will make time to complete mine… already I have some ideas bubbling away…desperately trying to conjure up a worldly and glamorous , literary relative- no joy yet….
With regards to your question about flash etc- I did use my off camera flash (SB 800) on remote from my D300, bounced into an umbrella. I tried to use a light meter but have to confess in the end it was trial and error- far more error than success, I confess. I really am so much more of a natural light girl, but of course it’s not always possible. Hence my efforts with setting up this mini studio. I went on a 2 weekend portrait photog course which confused me as much as it enlightened me, but I guess I did learn something. Ultimately though, its just about getting on and doing it. And as a last resort, read the manual. (I’ll let you know when I do that….) Good luck! x
Hey, you tagged me…and while I was on holiday! Thank you – I’ll set to work asap.
I’m still working my way through all your stories I couldn’t read whilst away.
Bones looks terribly cute.
Also: I love the new blog header!