Tagged by Tessa for a Meme of the Moment

Tessa, over at Aerial Armadillo, artist extraordinaire, tagged me with the following meme. I’m generally a bit cagey about memes like this, but hey, I decided I may as well give it a go…


What are your current obsessions?

I’m not much given to obsessions – except perhaps when I’m writing...


Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?

Sunglasses... Jeans, cargo pants, t-shirts, loafers or trainers

Sunglasses, Cargo pants, t's and trainers

What's for dinner?

I’ve only just got past breakfast! But tonight – probably roast chicken.


Last thing you bought?

Do the groceries count? Oh yes, that aside, accommodation in Bath and changed airline tickets.

Bath
(image courtesy of wikimedia.com)

What are you listening to?

Doves cooing and the neighbour’s dog barking.


If you were a god/goddess who would you be?

Artemis. Don’t ask, it’s a long story. And I hope to evolve into Baba Yaga – or Granny Weatherwax – though I think they’re the same sort of goddess.

Granny Weatherwax, courtesy of the cover of my very battered copy of Witches Abroad

(original illustration - Josh Kirby)

Say something to the person who tagged you:

Tessa you are a wonderful artist and even though I know you miss "home", "home" shines through your work in vivid and colourful proportions. Keep rocking!


Favourite holiday spots?

The hotel pool, Mauritius... sigh...

Mauritius
Kruger National Park
Tuscany
London

The London Eye and the Houses of Parliament at dusk

Reading right now?

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
The New Earth by Eckart Tolle


4 words to describe yourself.

I had to ask D to answer this one, it seemed unreasonable to do otherwise. He said: “Vibrant, witty, passionate, stylish.”
I’d have probably chosen four other words like “creative, insightful, energetic, intuitive”.


Guilty pleasure?

Computer games and hot chocolate.


Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak?

Good satire – like Pieter Dirk Uys last Thursday night. And classic, clever British sitcom

First spring thing?

Pul-lease – it’s autumn here, all I’m seeing are golden leaves – which means I need to get out there with my camera!

Autumn comes to the Buitenverwachting vineyards

Planning to travel to next?

England (London, Bath and York) and Spain – in May/June.

Staying with a friend who lives near here...
(image nicked off the 'net)

Best thing you ate or drank lately?

Large mug of hot chocolate – my own secret recipe… Shall I share it with you…?


Flower of the moment?

St Joseph’s Lillies – always. Gerberas, tulips, bunches of multicoloured roses.

St Joseph's lilly

Favourite ever film?

Stealing Beauty

(image nicked off someone else's blog...)

Care to share some wisdom?

Everything in life is about perception.
Reality is mostly illusion.
Death is not an end but a returning to the beginning
Everything is one, sharing the same universal energy. We are, in effect, all “God”.
The glass is always half full – if you choose to see it that way.
The human ego is far too dominant, inclining us to forget our true selves.
The best thing you can ever do is to look at yourself in the mirror and say “I love you”, because if you can’t love yourself you can’t really love anyone.


And in turn I'm supposed to tag a few people - so here you go, if you'd like to do this one... and anyone else who'd like to have a go, feel free!

Jane, over at Wittering On
Baino, at Baino's Banter
Laquet at Chez Laquet
Gail at Gail at the Farm
Lane at Lane's Write

Bo Peep and a weirdly, randomly meme

Bo gets a visitor - no, this isn't a member of her family

Apologies for a being a tad absent at the moment, but life’s been a bit silly and the next stage of editing is beginning, which means I’m off with my head in a story. Meanwhile Operation Bo continues and when we last saw the family, they were down to two chicks – meaning another had disappeared overnight. We think the majority of the chicks were taken by the howling storm that hit the south western Cape on Tuesday night and lasted for two days. It was the worst storm in 30 years, had wind speeds that went right off the graph, and caused massive flooding and destruction. While the storm raged, Bo, much to her indignation, was kept indoors and today was the first day we moved the guinea pig pen, now the guinea fowl pen, outdoors and onto the grass. Although it didn’t stop her from trying to escape, she’s a much happier little bird for being outside. Meanwhile the old dog traveling cage, big enough to house a large Golden Retriever, has been pressed into service as the inside guinea house. It’s high enough to give her space to fly a bit and we’re trying to encourage her to use her wings. As an aside and working on a hunch, I’ve also discovered she’s particularly partial to freshly squished snail…and made a right piggy of herself guzzling it down. The plan is to release her as soon as she has her wings (the sparrowhawk’s forays into the garden notwithstanding) at a time when her family is here. By comparison to the two remaining chicks, Bo remains very small, but she is growing. D reminded me of a bulldog pup his mum bred some years ago – a runt, so tiny as to be pathetic, yet after a year he grew into the biggest bulldog they’d ever seen. I’m hoping Bo will make it to Guinea Queen!

Bo munches on a snail

Guineas aside, the lovely Val over at Monkeys on the Roof (do go and read her blog, it’s wonderful) has tagged me for the Seven Weird or Random Things About Me meme. I’ve been tagged for this once before and that chicken was “good enough” to do said meme. I guess this time I’m just going to have to answer it myself.

The idea is to reveal seven random and or weird things about myself. Hmm, I hope you’re up for this…

The rules are:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

So here goes nothin’…

1. I have met and embraced death and look forward to going home.

2. At the tender age of 47 I’m pleased to say I can still do the splits and can still get my forehead on the ground while sitting with my legs stretched out to the sides.

3. I’ve had two close encounters with leopards in the wild.

4. I’ve eaten a wide variety of weird and wonderful things from elephant to giraffe, mopani worms to snails, frogs’ legs to snake, crocodile to shark.

5. I weigh the same now as I did at 23 years ago – which I figure isn’t too bad.

6. I wrote my first play when I was eight and charged the neighbourhood kids 5 cents to watch it. It was set on rollerskates, thus predating Starlight Express by several years. Performed on our back porch, it ran for precisely one day.

7. I have travelled most of the world, though strangely have never been to the USA.


Now, to tagging… I tag:

Gaye
Lori Ann
Miladysa
Janey
Lane
Ello
Megan

Oh go on, ya know you wanna… :-)

That chicken insists on doing a meme...

Newsflash: I recently read about a campaign aimed at alleviating poverty and thought some of you may be interested in following it up. Called the Worldwide Blogger BakeOff Challenge, the campaign aims to raise $1million to help address issues of starvation in Africa. Actions include sharing and voting for bread recipes, baking and donating funds. Go and take a look.


And moving on from that, and because I am in dire need of some silliness after a very stressful week of medical tests which assure me I'm getting old and am generally falling to bits...

A few weeks ago, I was awarded this


And then last week I was awarded it two more times. Thanks to wonderful and very special Val and to irrepressible and hilarious Laquet! Thing is, the last two times the award came with a meme… hmm... and I’ve figured, because some silliness is good for the soul, that I may as well do the thing. It’s a one word meme, which I feel sure I will find a little challenging… And there’s another point. As you may well know, there is a certain alien chicken of my acquaintance who has a strange perversion; she actually likes doing the bloody things. So on her weekly check in, yes, she does do that you know, gets into my head about once a week with her telepathic powers just so she can tell me what a mess humans are continuing to make of the planet. You have no idea how loudly she’s been cackling about the credit crisis… If I hear another “I told you so” and “Well, what in the name of the Great Corn Cob, did you expect”, I am going to… I am going to… No, never mind what I’m going to do, I can hear her listening and it’s just not worth the bother.

So, okay, we’re going to take turns to do this meme. I’m going first. Yes, I am. So there… Ouch! Guinea fowl in the garden, alien chickens in my head… I don’t want to even contemplate where it might end. Ouch!

Where is your mobile phone? bedroom
Where is your significant other? bedroom
Your hair colour? brown
Your mother? hmmm
Your father? offplanet
Your favourite thing? books
Your dream last night? none
Your dream goal? published
The room you're in? study
Your hobby? photography
Your fear? none
Where do you want to be in 6 years? published
Where were you last night? bed
What you're not? dead
One of your wish-list items? published
Where you grew up? CapeTown
The last thing you did? typed
What are you wearing? trousers
Your TV? off
Your pets? wild
Your computer? on
Your mood? yes
Missing someone? no
Your car? fast
Something you're not wearing? feathers
Favourite shop? bookstore
Your summer? hot
Love someone? yes
Your favourite colour? rainbow
When is the last time you laughed? today
Last time you cried? lastMonday



Alright, shove over then, it’s my turn!
What happened to please?
Please? Oh pul-lease! Ba-kaak!

First of all, hello you lot – pleased to see me again? And hello to all Vanilla’s new bloggy friends. I hope you’re all nice people… There will be pecking if you are not.
Now…

Where is your mobile phone? Oh lord, humans! What’s wrong with telepathy, I ask you.

Atyllah, it’s a one word meme…
Says who?
The rules.
And whose rules might those be? Huh? Huh?
Erm, the person who created the meme.
And that’s important how?
Er… okay, you’ve got me there.
Don’t I always. Now, shut up and let me get on with it. My way…. I did it my way…
You’re not going to start singing are you?
You have a problem with that?
No, of course not, sing if you must, I’m just going out into the garden…
Ba-kaaaaak! Now were was I? And do I have your undivided attention? I so sincerely hope so…

Where is your significant other? Oh pul-lease, who’d want one – and only one at that…
Your hair colour? Yellow, orange, red – feathers if you please!
Your mother? Enjoying a corn syrup cocktail on Novapulse.
Your father? Trying to reason with Granny Were...
Your favourite thing? Corn and bugs and worms and telling Vanilla what to do.
Your dream last night? Pecking at a giant corn cob. Ha! Get your head around that Freud!
Your dream goal? To rule the world, muahahahahahahaaaa…
The room you're in? I’m not in a room, I’m in Vanilla’s head...
Your hobby? Riling humans
Your fear? Pul-lease, we Novapulse chickens know no fear!
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Hmm, now you see this is a tough one, it depends on several factors…

Atyllah, it’s supposed to be one word, remember.
Go. Away.
Yes, okay, going.

Where were you last night? Where I am today. Novapulse.
What you're not? Afraid.
One of your wish-list items? Multiversal peace and order.
Where you grew up? Novapulse. See, I can do this one word thing…
The last thing you did? Had tea with Granny Were while she telepathically communed with Great Aunt Aggie on Andromeda.
What are you wearing? Feathers?
Your TV? Stupid things, who’d want one?
Your pets? Pets? Pets! How incredibly undignified. Who’d force another being into that kind of subservience? Oh wait, you lot do…
Your computer? I am far too evolved to require a computer.
Your mood? Amused.
Missing someone? No, why would I, we are eternally interconnected.
Your car? I don’t have a car. I do, however, have a very nice little spacepod. It’s silver and can be cloaked to be invisible.
Something you're not wearing? Clothes.
Favourite shop? Shopping is a sign of a materialistic culture. We don’t have shops on Novapulse.
Your summer? Seasons are part of the human condition. Novapulse is a domed and regulated environment.
Love someone? Exactly what do you mean by “someone”?
Your favourite colour? Red and yellow and orange.
When is the last time you laughed? Today.
Last time you cried? Chickens don’t cry.

Right, I’m done.
Are you going to get out of my head now?
Hmm, I think so, it’s too crowded in here. You really should write that new story, it will at least make it less cluttered, and then you could also stop thinking about…
Yes, alright, I get your point. Bye, Atyllah.
Over and out, Vanilla.

Yes, well, what can I say…
I know I’m supposed to pass on this award, but I’ve already done so, so if you’ve can’t think of anything to blog about, feel free to nick this meme and if you like, award yourself the, er, award.

You humans speak such a damnable language…
Atyllah!
Muahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa…

Happy Birthday and another Meme...

click images to enlarge

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to meeee
Happy Birthday, dear Vanilla
Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeee!

Yep, it’s that time of year, tomorrow is my burfday - another year younger another year stronger… Well, I can dream, can’t I? Whaddayamean, how old am I? You must be kidding, I’m not telling you that! I mean I don’t want to destroy any of your illusions, now do I?!




And now, time for some light-hearted fun. I’ve been tagged by Janey over at Whittering On to do A Meme About Various Things. It’s a title which inclines me to think that someone wanted to create a meme and be nosy without having any obvious end or purpose… Mind you, do any of these wretched memes ever have any real purpose... Cynical old me, must be a symptom of age...




A Meme about Various Things


What were you doing ten years ago?

Watching my father die, having to sell his business and discovering there was a lot more to me than I thought there was.
Realising my marriage was on the rocks.
Falling foul of and falling out with my then-stepdaughter.
Discovering I was going to be retrenched – sooner rather than later.
Reclaiming my self by starting to have a mid-life reawakening!
1998 was a foretaste to the very rude awakening that was 1999.


What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

Wake up
Get up
Have a shower and brush teeth
Do the grocery shopping.
Go to bed.


What are some snacks you enjoy?

I’m not a snackish kind of person – I generally exercise discipline in the snack department. Mostly, I’d sooner have a banana. But I’ll nibble crisps/chips and dark chocolate occasionally. I do love popcorn but it doesn’t love me.


What would you do if you were a billionaire?

Leave South Africa (mind you, I’ll do that without being a billionaire!).
Buy a villa in Tuscany or Switzerland.
Create a foundation to aid the environment and wildlife or choose an existing NGO with which to work and support - either wildlife, environment or child abuse.
Travel lots.
Splurge on some designer outfits. I lurve Armani and Ferretti – hey, what can I say, I have my materialist side too, you know!
Invest the bulk of it in order to create another billion... and found another foundation.


What are three of your bad habits?

Drinking juice directly from the bottle.
Procrastinating.
Piling up more and more books next to my bed.


What are five places where you have lived?

Cape Town, South Africa
London, England
Guernsey, Channel Islands
Dublin, Eire
Durban, South Africa


What are five jobs you have had?

Shop assistant/window dresser
Scriptwriter/Video Director-Producer for a corporate
Marketing executive and copywriter
Marketing and Communications Manager
Marketing Director


What were the last five books you read?

I don’t suppose you’re going to believe me if I tell you I actually can’t remember….
So, let me rather tell you what I am reading:
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Author Author by David Lodge
What I Was by Meg Roshoff
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Emmanuel’s Book channelled by Pat Rodegast – again.
Remember, I did say there were piles and piles of books next to my bed…


What five people do you want to tag?

Um… Kimy, Taffiny, Helen, Rambler, Bart - and anyone else who wants to do this!

An award and a meme

Awards time again. This time an art award from Sameera


The blurb reads as follows:

Art Prize and Award
"This prize has arisen from the daily visits that I dedicate to many blogs which nourish me and enrich me with creativity. In them I see dedication, creativity, care, comradeship, but mainly, ART, much art. I want to share this prize with all those bloggers that entertain me day to day and to share this prize with those who enrich me every day. Doubtlessly, there are many and it will be hard to pick just a few, the people I will name today deserve this prize, as do the very long serious list of bloggers I also enjoy to read, but I will name the first 10 and will leave the rest of the work to all the bloggers that visit other's blogs and are nourished by them."

The usual rules apply, post award on blog, pass award on to five others. You know the drill.

I've been struck by some of the most stunning photography in blogosphere, so I'm giving this award to some people whose images just blow me away.

In no particular order:

Reya
Jefferson
Kyklops
Merisi
the Mouse
Julie

(Yeah, I know, I can't count.)


And then there's this meme that's been going around blogosphere and the coolest thing is that no one seems to be tagging anyone else to do it - just the way I like it!

The rules are:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

So here goes:

"Yet however hard ego may try to sabotage the spiritual path, if you really continue on it, and work deeply with the practice of meditation, you will begin slowly to realise just how gulled you have been by ego's promises: false hopes and false fears. Slowly you begin to understand that both hope and fear are enemies of your peace of mind; hopes deceive you, and leave you empty and disappointed, and fears paralyze you in the narrow cell of your false identity. You begin to see also just how all-encompassing the sway of ego has been over your mind, and in the space of freedom opened up by meditation, you glimpse the exhilarating spaciousness of your true nature."

From: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche (10th Anniversary Edition Revised and Updated 2002. Published by Rider)

And I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to do it, go for it.

And now back to my new manuscript.

Atyllah does the 4 x 4 x Far Meme

Sigh. No one gets it do they? I mean, tag Atyllah the Hen for a meme and you must just expect trouble. So trouble, let me tell you is brewing. Last time it was Bonnie's fault, this time it's Laquet's fault. She's tagged Atyllah for a 4 x 4 x Far meme - and I've duly passed said meme on to Ms Chicken with Attitude. Read on at your peril. Me, I've got better things to do like working on a new manuscript. It's over to the alien Chicken.


Hmph, I don't know who she thinks she's calling Alien....
Greetings Earthlings. Ba-kaaaaak! What a corny line, only humans could have come up with it... So, Laquet, you've tagged me have you, dear girl. Such a sweetie. I do love a good meme. Right, let's see what you've sent my way...


Four jobs I've held:
Meet and Greet Officer at the Intergalactic Gateway Portal
Operative for Novapulse Intelligence
Secret Agent to the High Command Division of the Allied Federation of Intergalactic Associations reporting to Uber Agent the Grand High Cluck
Principal Co-Ordinator of Deep Dialogue of the Allied Federation of Intergalactic Associations

Four movies I've watched over and over again:
Crouching Turkey, Hidden Chicken
Chicken Run
Chicken Little
Cow and Chicken

Four places I've been:
Earth
Andromeda
Alpha Draconis
Arcturis

Four places I've lived:
Novapulse
England
South Africa
Andromeda

Four TV shows I watch:
Chicken Trek
ChickenChef
Universal Trekker
As Chickens Go By

Four radio shows I listen to:
I don't listen to radio shows. Radios are so primitive that in Novapulse the only place you'll find them is in The Museum of Ancient Artefacts. If we want entertainment of that nature, we tap into each other's thoughts.

Four things I look forward to:
Granny Were's Mopani Worm and Garlic Casserole
Memes from you lot
Channelings from dear Aunt Aggie
Debates with Agent Double Cluck

Four favourite foods:
Granny Were's Mopani Worm and Garlic Casserole
Corn Fritters
Corncake
Olive oil and garlic

Four places I'd rather be:
At a spa on Andromeda
Strolling on the beach of Arcturis' third moon
In front of the galactic vision screen so I can chuckle again and again at the antics of humanity, especially that really funny human called George
On a deep space mission

Four people I e-mail regularly:
Novapulsian chickens do not need email. We're telepathic.


Right, now, I see I'm suppose to tag four of you. But I tag ALL OF YOU! Yes, that's right, your eyes haven't gone squiffy, you're all tagged because if I take the title of this meme, 4 x 4 x Far - that puts every one of you on the tag list. So, what are you waiting for, get meming!

I'd say try not to do anything silly until we next meet, but I know you can't help yourselves. So over and out until next time.

Happy Valentine's Day and a meme

Love is the enchanted dawn of every heart.
- Lamartine

Wishing all my blog buddies, blog kin and blog readers a very happy Valentines's Day.

Spread the love and have a wonderful and joyous day.

Oh yes, and spoil the loved ones in your life!


With love, hope, happiness and peace,
Vanilla
xxx

PS Atyllah says to tell you Valentine's Day is really just an excuse to eat too much chocolate.

PPS Granny Were says if you don't give her candy hearts and chocolate, she'll come and get you.

Which reminds me, Bonnie tagged me for a meme... which I was supposed to do before Valentine's Day, but I guess Valentine's Day itself is appropriate enough.

smiling faces, sunsets and sunrises, the sun kissing the sea, rays of light filtering between the trees.

brutality, pain, suffering and children crying.

the wind in the trees, the surf on the beach, the first robin's call.

arguments, people screaming abuse at one another and babies crying uncontrollably.

down to the seaside to listen to the surf kissing the shoreline. I love to go into the forest to listen to the wind murmuring through the trees.

to the doctor, the dentist and anyone who thinks they know my body and health better than I do.

crisps/chips, asparagus, salads, salmon sashimi, salmon roses, banana/pineapple/raspberry smoothies with vanilla, hot chocolate with vanilla…

puddings, bread, milk.

I get happy and special surprises – like unexpected gifts, bouquets of flowers.

people are negative, cruel and unthinking – especially when they harm one another and animals.

I'm not tagging anyone to do this meme, but feel free to do it if you want to.


Ouch, Atyllah, no, stop it! You can't do the meme! You did Bonnie's last meme! Ouch! Oh, yes, all right, maybe some other time then. Sigh...

See what you've started, Bonnie...? ;-)

Atyllah (not Vanilla) got tagged for a meme - take cover now

Atyllah, as seen through the ether of the Multiverse...

Bonnie over at Bonnie's Books left the following message in the comments box...

Atyllah? Yo, Atyllah! Where are you, quirky chicken? I just dropped by to tell you that I tagged you for a quirky little meme, and I hope you'll do it for me. I'd like to know you better. Your assignment, if you choose to do it, can be found here:


Oh, and please say hello to Vanilla for me, will you?

Those of you who have been long and regular readers of this blog and the blog that preceded it, will know exactly who Atyllah is. For those of you who don't, please follow the link from Atyllah's picture in the column alongside. Here, I will simply suffice to say that Atyllah is a Chicken. With Attitude. From a planet called Novapulse - that's Novapullis - New Chicken - geddit?

I duly sent a message to Atyllah in Novapulse (she gave up on humanity a good while ago and went home in disgust) and have just received a reply from her...

Oh, by the way, the rules of the meme are as follows:

* link to the person who tagged you
* post the rules on your blog
* share six non-important things/ habits/ quirks about yourself
* tag at least 3 people at the end of the post and link to their blogs
* let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

Greetings sad Earthlings - oh, and you happy ones too. I see your fascination with me continues unabated. I've yet to make up my mind whether this is a good or a bad thing...

So, Bonnie wants to know six quirky things about me. Hmm. I hope she doesn't live to regret this.

Since I am about to convene a meeting of department heads of the Allied Federation of Intergalactic Associations, I don't have much time, and, besides, UberAgent the Grand High Cluck is casting beady looks in my direction which I'm not much enjoying. Novapulsians, you should know, have developed a "view" about humanity - or more correctly, inhumanity - and intergalactic fraternisation with you lot is frowned upon.

Right, so six quirky things about me. (Actually, I don't think they're remotely quirky, but knowing you humans, you inevitably will.)

1. I prefer to eat my worms and grubs (and other such delicacies) with a light seasoning of olive oil and garlic - this is a little treat I discovered whilst on Earth. Since we don't have olive trees on Novapulse, I had to bring back crates of olive oil with me when I returned. Now I'm running low on supplies - 'cos it seems the other chickens like it too. Perhaps one of you would be willing to send me more? We could set up and import/export arrangement - you could send me olive oil, I could send you Granny Were when she's lunar...

2. I may have inherited more of Granny Were's werechicken tendencies than I first realised. I've discovered I love to crow to the full moon.

3. Having brought Chicken Man back to Novapulse with me, I find we rather enjoy role swapping games... Oh yes, it's very kinky. I dress him up in feathers and he dons my old human suit.

4. I am able to interact fluently with all sentient beings across the infinity of the multiverse - though I confess to struggling to get humans to understand my point of view. I suspect this has less to do with me and a lot more to do with YOU!

5. I discovered this great comedian whilst I was on earth - he's called George W Bush. I make a point of tuning in to Earth television on a regular basis so I can cackle at his antics. He is just sooo funny - and I've realised he cannot possibly mean anything he says because its all too ludicrous for words. Great comedy, Georgie, you're blessed with comedic genius.

6. Beans make me fart. This is a deeply quirky thing for us Novapulsian chickens given that beans are a staple part of our diet. I realise this might seem strange to you because I have never met a human who could eat a bean without farting.

Now, let me think, who shall I tag... Hmmm... Some old friends and some of Vanilla's new friends - and forget it, I'm not sticking to three people only, you know what I think of your Earth rules! (And no, it doesn't rule - just remember that!)

Jefferson Davis
Baino of Baino's Banter
Kyklops
Shameless of Shameless Words
Jon of Writing in a Vacuum
Steph of The Biopsy Report
Moonrat of Editorial Ass
and
Sameera of Sameera's Haven


Right, and now let me get to that meeting.

Over and out, Vanilla, and please say "Buk-buk, a la Ba-Kaaak, Peck-Peck" to all our dear friends on Earth.


Notes from Vanilla:
1. "Buk-Buk etc" is the offical Novapulsian Greeting.
2. I did say to Bonnie that I take no responsibility for Atyllah's "quirkish replies.

Sweet Award, another Meme and...

...continuing phoktober.

Dear Rambler over at Virtual Ramblings gave me a Sweet Award - that's just so sweet of him! He said: "Absolute Vanilla does truly deserve this, the kind of issues she deals with, and the stands she takes, does make her really sweet." Thank you, Rambler - you too are very sweet and were given your award deservedly.


Now, in time honoured tradition, I have to pass the award on and so I do to Wanderlust Scarlett, Canterbury Soul, Jefferson Davis, Vesper and Marie.

And talking of Marie, she, the Deep Thinker, tagged me with a meme... It doesn't appear to have a name so it's probably best referred to as "Three things that enliven you more than blogging". Only three?!

"The rules (I just hate rules) are as follows - words in italics have been added by the one who hates rules... for anyone playing further, take the italicised words out - if you want... ;-) :

* 1. After your intro, copy/paste this line and the rules below it: The originator - one Damien Riley - wants to see how far it goes so please keep his link intact: http://rileycentral.net/

* 2. Encourage people to post with the incentive of a link (People need an incentive? I thought self motivation and interest usually did it! ;-) ) by including those who have passed it along here: Audrey, Celtic Angel, JM, Romance Writer, Deep Thinker.

* 3. Visit at least 3 on the list who’ve written and passed this meme. Leave them a comment. I so hate being told what to do. Rules, I'm sure, are half mankinds' problem...

And then you are supposed to, “pick three things that enrapture, consume, fascinate, or otherwise enliven you more than blogging. Then write a few lines about each to explain what the nonblog activity does for you, why and how.”

So, here goes...

1. Writing: For as long as I can remember I've loved writing. I wrote my first play when I was about eight - it was performed on rollerskates, thus predating Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express by a good few years! It was called Little Girl Lost and I charged the neighbourhood kids five cents to come and watch. The hero was played by the German boy from across the road - he only got the part because he could rollerskate! Needless to say the playwright was also the leading lady... So, what does writing do for me - it takes me to other worlds, other states of being and it makes my soul sing. How? Because I get to give flight to my imagination and I tap into a far greater creativity than my own - there are times when I'm writing a novel, that I feel I am merely a conduit for something so much bigger than me.

Where the words happen...

2. Photography: This is something I've only recently rediscovered when Significant Other bought me a shiny new Nikon. I'd been into photography as a student but eventually gave it up when the developing costs became too exhorbitant. Now digital has opened that wonderful world of creativity to me again. As to why I do it - again, it takes me to other places (Significant Other asssures me I go into a sort of fugue state when I get behind the lens), it enables me to see the world very differently, encourages me to be so much more observant and it allows me to indulge in a visual form of creativity.





3. Cooking: My grandfather was a cook, all my mother's family cook passionately, so I guess maybe this passion is in the blood. Again, for me it's about creativity. Cooking is not a chore, it's an culinary adventure. When I was first married all I could cook was good old spaghetti bolognese. Within a year or two I was doing choux pastry, souffles and dinner parties. I suppose it never occurred to me to be afraid in the kitchen or to think something might go wrong (though I have had one spectacular blunder involving a dinner party, gelatine and raspberry mousse...). I think there is also something about food that has been prepared with love and joy that simply makes it taste that much better. Today, health problems preclude all sorts of things from my diet but it doesn't stop me from experimenting and trying new things - if anything, cooking simply but tastily creates more of a challenge. And while I have shelves of cookery books (my preferences lean towards Italian and French country cooking), I now read them for ideas and them make up my own recipes - like my grandfather, I have learned to "cook by ear". As for the why, I like to know exactly what I'm eating, I enjoy my own food, I love it that others enjoy it too and, above all, I love the art of creation in still another form!

Berry pavlova

Now, I tag Wanderlust Scarlett and Verilion.