Tagged by Elizabeth at "Pinecones and Acorns"

The wonderful Elizabeth at Pinecones and Acorns has "tagged" me!  This means that she has asked me eleven questions about myself which I will answer.  Then I am suposed to choose eleven bloggers and ask them a set of questions.  And so on and so forth...you get the idea.  The point of the exercise is for all of us to get to know some bloggers a little bit better.  This exercise has been a lot of fun.  So here goes...

1. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?

Woodstock, Vermont

AUTUMN has always been my favorite season.  What's not to love about this season of sunny and crisp days, houses and shops decorated with pumpkins and chrysanthemums, maple leaves scattered on the ground and small New England towns all decked out for the holidays.  This love of autumn started when I was a little girl and anticipated the beginning of the school year which meant new clothes, crisp temperatures, seeing my friends again and meeting new teachers.  As I got older nothing really changed; I went away to college and the same excitement occurred: new clothes, crisp temperatures, seeing my friends and meeting new teachers.  Now I welcome autumn because it is the coziest season around my house with lots of cooking and baking, a time to nest and be home as I get ready for the holidays, my very favorite time of the  year!

2. DO YOU PREFER TO WATCH TV OR READ?  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF TELEVISION OR BOOKS?

"Downton Abbey"
Photo via here

This is a close contest because when TELEVISION is this good (see above)  I love it.  One of the advantages to a television series such as "Downton Abbey" is its episodic quality.  With six or more episodes, we can really sink into the story much as we would into a good old-fashioned, sprawling novel.  Which brings me to the second part of the question, my favorite genre of books -- definitely NOVELS. I love becoming immersed in a good novel.  A good novel takes me places and puts me into other people's minds.  The best writers tell stories and invent characters that are always relevant and contain truths we can apply to our own lives. These books stand the test of time.  And so I often reread my favorites. These books take me to a cozy place, a place of recognition and connection, they make me smile and allow me to learn.  Here are three that I like to revisit:

So, the answer is I really love both!

3.  IF YOU COULD STEP INTO A TIME MACHINE AND GO ANYWHERE IN TIME, WHERE WOULD YOU VISIT?  WHY?

Photo via here

PARIS IN THE 1920'S as depicted in Woody Allen's film "Midnight in Paris."  It is his love letter to the city of lights.  It is also a wonderful reminder of a period of time and place when writers and artists were coming together and doing new and exciting work, creating art that would have a lasting impact on the world.  I would love to experience the excitement about art and life that was going on in Paris at that time.  Friendships were strong, literary salons were popular, and for the young and idealistic, life was intoxicating.  Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso, Gertrude Stein, the Murphys -- they were all there.  "Midnight in Paris" shows that era in a kind of a glow and a golden light, which is how it has always looked in my imagination.

4.  ARE YOU A CAT OR A DOG LOVER?

Elizabeth, I don't have a pet but if I had to choose it would be a dog.  My friends have dogs and I have a lot of fun playing with these furry friends.  Darla (my little Yorkie friend), you know I am talking about you here!

 5.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF BLOGGING?

There are three answers to this question:

The first is WRITING AND TAKING PICTURES.  Being a blogger is almost like being the editor of your own "magazine," the creative possibilities are endless.  For someone like me who loves magazines, this is a true joy.  And it is also an outlet for me to talk about the things I am most excited about.

The second are the OPPORTUNITIES that have occurred because of my blog:
For example I was happy when Stacey from Quintessence asked me to write a piece for the online magazine Women's Voices For Change.   I was thrilled when they accepted my essay about my daughter's wedding and my milestone birthday both occurring in the same month.
David from the excellent art blog A Husk of Meaning asked me to write a guest post on an artist I admired and I wrote about Duncan Grant and the Bloomsbury Group.  This was an opportunity to really delve into a topic that I love.

An old friend from grad school days at UCLA contacted me through my blog.  We haven't seen each other for ages. She lives in Connecticut and we've already planned a get-together for the next time she is in Los Angeles.

And the third and most important aspect of blogging is becoming acquainted with FELLOW BLOGGERS and MY READERS.  I have learned so much from you!  Book suggestions, gardening stories, travel advice, ideas for home decorating, inspiring thoughts and beautiful images, friendship and cheer.  It has been such a rewarding experience!  

6.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY?  A STAY-CATION, VISIT WITH FAMILY, A CRUISE OR A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD?

Well, this is so hard to give just one answer.  (Are you noticing a pattern here?)  Bear with me, as I narrow it down to three.  And I would love my whole family to be with me on any of these dream trips!

THE SOUTH OF FRANCE --

My trip to the Luberon region of Provence was one of my favorite trips and left me wanting more.  Peter Mayle's books whetted my appetite, and when I finally got to go several years ago, it was worth the wait.  I would love to return and explore different parts of this region.  You probably recognize this photo from my header.  I love that path leading us to more discoveries...

ITALY --

Discovering beautiful and magical Venice when I went to Italy was a highlight of my life.  We also visited Florence and Rome on that same trip.  It was my only trip to Italy and I would love to go back and trace the footsteps of my ancestors. They lived in Naples and Rome.  One day...

ENGLAND --

Anyone who reads my blog knows that I have a love affair with England.  It started when I was in college and read English poetry and English novels for six years.   All those locations from the books were present in my imagination before I even visited England.  When I went for the first time, it was almost like going home.  I walked the streets of London that Dickens had described in his books, I saw Shakespeare's plays in the city where they were originally staged, I visited the English countryside where Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell lived.   The photo above which is from the Cotswolds takes me to the region where the delicious "Mapp and Lucia" books by E.F. Benson were set.  And there are so many parts of England that I still haven't seen:  the lake district of Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter, Yorkshire where the Brontes lived. The list is endless...

7.  SWEET OR SALTY?  WHAT IS YOUR GO TO FOOD SNACK?

Definitely SWEET and if I could, I would eat this every day.  But since I try to be good, I usually have a cup of tea and some ginger snap cookies in the afternoon.

8.  WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?

 I used to write book reviews for several publications and I often dream of getting back into it:

Ralphe Fiennes in "The Tempest" at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
Photo via here

But right now my dream job in journalism would be as a THEATER CRITIC.  I adore Ben Brantley's reviews in the New York Times and when he flies off to London to review the new season I always wish I could be him.  Can you imagine seeing all the fabulous plays he sees and then writing about them?  What a treat to see "The Tempest" (which I got to to see on my September trip to London) as a theater critic and then write up a glorious review the next day.  Obviously it's not all a bed of roses, but still I can imagine the gems would outweigh the disappointments.  And (since we are still in my fantasy world here)  I would love to write like him.  His review of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" (the longest running play in modern history) was excellent (you can read it here).  I loved his thoughts on this old classic and why it still has meaning and value.

There is also part of me that would love to be an interior decorator.  I read home decor magazines incessantly and love looking at people's houses.  There is such an appeal to the idea of helping someone create a "home" and encouraging them to let it be a reflection of who they are.  When I walk into a friend's house and see their books, art, travel souvenirs and family heirlooms, I really feel at home.    

And then there is always the delicious idea of being a food writer or food stylist for a magazine.  Okay, I cheated here and gave way too many answers, but I got carried away when I imagined my dream job!

9.  WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST?

"Bar at the Folies-Bergere" by Edouard Manet, 1882

I love MANET and his "Bar at the Folies Bergere" is one of my favorite paintings.  The face of the barmaid is so compelling, we wonder what is she really thinking as she goes about her job.   

10.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CITY IN THE WORLD, EITHER ONE YOU HAVE VISITED OR HOPE TO SEE ONE DAY?

LONDON --
   In the words of Samuel Johnson, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."

11.  DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SAYING, OR MOTTO?

"BE HAPPY.  IT'S ONE WAY OF BEING WISE." -- Colette

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I am sending the following bloggers my questions:

Lauren from The Past on a Plate
Penny from LIFE ON THE CUTOFF
Rachel from Book Snob
Keri from Ivy Clad
Sarah from Snippets of Thyme
Carole from Mademoiselle Poirot
Claire from The Captive Reader
Bonnie from Living Life
Monique from Bringing Travel Home
Megan from Poem Sweet Poem
Janet from Janet's House

THE QUESTIONS:

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE WRITER AND IF SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK BY THAT WRITER?

IF THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE FROM ANY TIME PERIOD YOU COULD INVITE TO DINNER WHO WOULD THEY BE?

DO YOU LIKE TO COOK?  DO YOU LIKE TO ENTERTAIN AT HOME?  IF THE ANSWER IS YES, WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE ENTERTAINMENT AND COOKBOOK AUTHORS?

ARE YOU IN A BOOK CLUB?  WHAT IS THE BEST BOOK YOU HAVE READ RECENTLY?

WHAT ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE DO YOU GO TO WHEN YOU WANT TO RELAX?  DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE NOOK FOR READING OR DAYDREAMING?

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PART OF THE WORLD.   WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR HOME TOWN?

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED FORM OF EXERCISE -- WALKING, YOGA, THE GYM, OR OTHER?

HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO WRITE A SHORT STORY, MEMOIR OR A NOVEL?

ARE YOU A GARDENER, OR ARE YOU A GARDEN ADMIRER?  YOU CAN BE BOTH!

WHEN YOU TRAVEL, DO YOU LIKE TO GO TO A CITY OR THE COUNTRYSIDE?

WHAT WOULD YOUR DREAM CELEBRATION BE FOR A BIG BIRTHDAY?

I hope you will read all these wonderful blogs; each of them is inspiring, informative and will take you on a little journey.  These writers are sharing their passions and interests and reading their blogs will bring a smile to your face and give you something new to think about.

All photos are by Sunday Taylor unless otherwise noted.