My Life Rewritten

How can I answer this question? I could say foie gras or a strawberry tarte in France. But then I remember the pizza and limoncello in Italy and think this is the best. I remember fresh salmon and lefse in Norway and rethink my choices. A delish hamburger with all the toppings and fries in the U.S. or the homemade ice cream I made just a week ago and I’m positive this is it. I remember the…

What’s something you used to worry about but don’t anymore? I used to worry about getting old, more precisely looking old. This concerned became more intense post divorce. Would anyone ever love an older woman? Our society pressures females to stay young. All you have to do is pick up a lady’s magazine and you’ll find articles and a massive number of ads for anti-aging products. Turn the page…

What’s a quote that perfectly describes your outlook on life? There’s such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting. L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) I have always identified with Anne Shirley. She…

What is your favorite quote? “Blemishes on the beauty of a person one loves are like grace notes adding something to a piece of music.” — Winston Graham We live in a society that promotes and expects perfection in body and face, especially in women. Botox, plastic surgery, laser treatments, fillers, lip fillers, GLP-1, diets, exercise etc. But is perfection something we should strive for? If…

What’s a skill you consider basic, that most people don’t actually know how to do? Hemming pants, dress, skirt Sewing on a button So simple but most people don’t have a clue nor do they want to learn

If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be? I would be Demelza Carne Poldark. She is my favorite character from all the books I have read and I am an avid reader. She is beautiful but most importantly she is strong, stands up for herself, is eager to learn, compassionate, kind and forgiving. When she holds no ill will against Francis, Ross’s cousin, for destroying…

What’s a movie or book that inspired you to travel? I don’t remember ever moment in my life that I didn’t have a desire to travel. As I’ve said before I took one of those 13 countries and six week bus trips when I was in college. I have read books that have inspired me to travel to certain places. I read a series of books about a Norwegian family that settled in the Dakotas back in the 1800s…

If you could erase one trend from history, what would it be? Short short, mini skirts, jeans that fits so tight you had to lay on the bed to zip them up, low-cut jeans with giant bellbottoms in crazy fabric, floppy hats, men’s shirts unbuttoned to their abdomen with gold chains wrapped around their neck, big bushy mustaches, so many more that I can’t even remember.

What’s one habit that has improved your life the most? Habits, I tend to gain bad habits and never good ones. I try but because I struggle with depression that lifts and then returns like a big wave, my good habits don’t last long. Journaling is probably helped me the most. I do my best to write only positive things but sometimes I have to write out how I feel.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? More than one place would be my answer. I’d like to live near my daughters, one in PA and one in Southern CA. I’d also like to have a place in the Dordogne region of France. From there I could easily explore Europe and improve my language skills. With retirement available to me at anytime beginning in August, I’ve begun to think about…

Is a little chaos actually good for us? Hmm interesting question because I’ve never had a perfectly calm life. There have been small parts that have gone smoothly but just when I think all is well there is a hiccup. Most of the times the hiccups are small but periodically something comes along and knocks you for a loop. Because of my ex husband’s behavior I lived a kind of internal chaos…

What’s a time you followed your gut and it turned out to be exactly right? When I was in university I saw a poster for a group trip to Europe. I think it was 13 countries in six weeks. We would meet in London. I worked and saved while everyone told me it was a fake poster and I’d regret my decision. I’d lose money. I did what little research was available because this was many years before the…

What’s something you used to believe as a kid that seems ridiculous now? As I child I believed my parents had all the answers to any question I asked. And if you ask my mother she will tell you I asked millions of questions. She will tell also you she couldn’t answer most of them, because I was an exceptionally inquisitive child. I was an adult before I realized my parents didn’t have all the…

If you could change the ending of any book, which one would it be? I think my answer is probably unoriginal. I read Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell when I was 16 years old. I had little perspective on life, so my focus was on the love story and not the sin and shame of slavery. I would have Rhett turn around and return to Scarlett. Her heart longed to be loved and only Rhett could love…

What’s a common misconception people have about happiness? I heard once happiness is based on happenings, so it is always contingent on what is going on in your life. If you have difficult days then happiness suffers. And if you have a difficult year then happiness is fleeting. However joy is based on deeper things, most importantly your relationship with Christ. Because while your…

Which languages do you speak and how did that impact your life? I am a native English speaker and I’m very saddened to know America doesn’t encourage or promote learning another language. In reading the prompts most native English speakers speak only English unless they grew up in a dual language household. One language gives you only one way to see things. And honestly, while I make grammatical…

What’s a book, movie, or TV show that you wish you could experience again for the first time? I wish I could experience the Poldark series for the first time. The words of Winston Graham are so melodic and sweeping. I could feel the wind on my face and the vast expanse of the sea. The landscape of Cornwall was a character as much as Ross and Demelza. Ross, a member of the landed gentry with no…