Friday Feast; Blogiversary; Etc, Etc.

There's a weekly meme I've seen on many blogs from time to time, and I've always been intrigued, and thought "Oh, I'd like to join in on that", but I very seldom seem to come across it on Friday, which is the point, so I'd say to myself, "Oh, well.... next week. I'll join in next week", and then I'd forget on Friday to check the questions, and on Sunday, I'd spot it on someone's blog, and say "Oh......" and so the cycle has gone for months now.

BUT today is Friday, and I went over there - to Friday's Feast, and picked up today's questions, so here's my first venture into Friday's Feast:

Appetizer What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?

My middle name is Christina (I usually say Christine, which I prefer), after my maternal Grandmother. When I was small, I loved those moments when my mother would use Amelia as a really affectionate alternative to my first name (Imelda), but I'm not sure I'd want to be called anything other than the name I've now carried for 50 years.

Soup If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?

I'm thinking I'd like to bring back cheesecloth, tunics with lots of embroidery. The clothes I wore when I was 15 or 16. Afghan coats - what I wished for and never had. More embroidery. Hippie stuff. Mixtures of rainbow colours.

Salad What is your least favorite chore, and why?

My least favourite chore... hmm... cleaning floors. Doesn't matter whether that means vacuuming, sweeping or mopping. I don't believe in just half-doing it, so it's a production of moving furniture, lifting things off the floor... so I end up sweaty, exhausted, and with a sore back, BUT I just love the result. I feel really satisfied with myself when the floors are all gleaming / fluff-free.

Main Course What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?

For many people in Ireland, the hugely destructive tsunami of a few years ago was the first time they'd ever really thought about tidal waves. Some had to be told what the word 'tsunami' meant, but as far back as I can remember, I've had a fear of tidal waves. Makes no logical sense - in that I don't live in a place that's likely to be hit by one, but at times, I can be looking out to sea, and begin to imagine that wall of water coming towards me... oh, makes me shudder even to speak of it. Trace it back? Well... I had a near-drowning accident swimming in a river when I was maybe 8 years old (My cousin pulled me out. I don't think we ever told the adults!) and it's possible that I learnt of tidal waves about the same time, and connected in to the feeling...

By the way, it doesn't stop me from enjoying being by the sea. But driving on the Northern California/Oregon coast when I first visited the US in 2006, I had a moment or two when I began to notice these signs. It didn't force me inland, but I can't say it was comfortable knowing the possibility was real there.

Dessert Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.

I'm sitting on one of my living-room couches (cream leather), tucked up with one chennille throw and one mohair. Cosy, cosy. And I can see through my window (1) the Southern sky filled with bright white clouds, and sillhouetted against them,(2) bare tall birches, one of which contains (3) a long-abandoned bird's nest

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If you decide to join in, go let them know over at Friday's Feast, won't you.

Today's my Two-Year Blogiversary! I can hardly believe it. I was going to say something here, but I think that deserves a post all of its own, actually, so ..... later.....