More answers

Vee at A Haven for Vee asks:

How long have you been teaching and why did you choose a teaching career? What would you do if you could do anything else in all the world instead?

Those of you who have been here for more than a year will know the answer to this one! A year, Vee. I have spent my entire life saying quite categorically that I will NEVER teach. And then things worked out rather differently. I really do believe that when God hears the words "never" and "no way", He grins and thinks....We'll see about that! I had to work after Geoff died, and somehow ended up teaching. And here I am. Would I choose it. No. Never. Teaching in the UK in 2008 is a very difficult thing. The kids are different. Knowledge of "rights" is all very well, but unfortunately the required "responsibility" which should go with "rights" seems to be missing. The major plus for me at the moment is that I get to have the holidays with David. I wanted to be around for the last year or so he was home.
So I didn't choose it. It chose me.
What would I do if I could choose anything else? When I was a child, and up until I went to university, I wanted to be a doctor. But that didn't happen because I believed a teacher back then who said I would never get into medicine, so I didn't try. (I would have...my results were good enough! I should have believed in myself.) Now? A writer maybe. Textile artist. Quilter. Carpenter. Something creative. More than anything, I would love to rewind the clock a little and really appreciate the time I had as a stay at home Mum to be able to do all of those things, as well as being able to focus on my family and friends, and be available when needed. I would love to be doing that right now.

Susie from Susie's Space asks:

If you could choose any place in the world to live, where would it be and why?

Hands down, Switzerland. I fell in love with Switzerland in 1966 when I was 12, and over the years, that love has just grown. It is the place where I feel such peace. The village where my sister lives is the best of both worlds. It is close to Luzern, so all the modern amenities are just there, but the village is up in the Alps, and I just love walking in the mountains and listening to the silence. The beauty is indescribable. It is where my family is now too. It is where I went to rest after Geoff died. It is where I go every chance I can get. My kids just love being there too, and it is very close to everything in Europe.

Ask me this question in a few years, and there may be a different answer. I don't know where my children will all settle. If they were all in New Zealand...well, who knows.

Needled Mom asks:

If you had a day with nothing to do, what would you like to do?

Wake up in my own time, not to an alarm clock for a start! Go out for a breakfast with some friends and catch up on their lives over coffee and croissants. Come home and work on the quilts I have waiting lined up in my head. Curl up on the couch with a good book, or do some more quilting. Take a couple of hours to read blogs, without guilt! Spend time with my son talking about his day, dreams, plans. Have supper together and then maybe watch some TV. Soak in a hot bath with a book.

Nothing fancy. Home, family, creativity, friends. Or a variation of the above in any order!

Kelli at Living in Grace asks:

If I were to come visit you, what would be the 5 things I couldn't leave without experiencing with you :)

Right, she says, dusting off her hands......You are coming to visit, Kelli, and you have not been to England for a while. I know you know about canal boats, so we would go for a short trip down the Grand Union Canal close by to where I live, just so you can remember your youth! Can we just say at this point that the coffee shop visits, couch sitting hours, lots of chat and laughter go with all of these ideas?????? Of course. I would show you the village where I live, so that you can imagine me at home, and see pictures of the places I talk about, and I would take you for a walk around one of the lovely country parks close by.
Then we would have to have time in London to go on the London Eye, preferrably in the evening, and especially near Christmas when the city is lit with trees and special lights. It is so beautiful. London is 45 mins away by train. There is so much in Britain that I could show you, but if we were to stay close to home it would be:

1. Having a raclette supper with my friends
2. Walking around the lakes
3. Exploring the church which is over 1000 years old, and the village where I live
4. Drifiting down the Grand Union Canal
5. Curling up on the couches and chatting for hours with coffee and homemade biscuits on hand!

This was a difficult one to answer, because the UK is small, and even Scotland, which I love, is only 5 and a half hours away. So many places to take you to. But maybe just staying around locally would be perfect too. When i visit my friends, I don't necessarily want to see the local sites as much as I want to see their lives. You know?? Where they go for coffee. Where they shop. Where they live out their daily lives. For me, that is the best part! But then, if you come all the way here, you may just want to see other stuff too!

Susan from aA Penless Writer asks:

If you could do anything you wanted in the future what would it be?

Ahhhhhh..... dreams. That is what this is all about. What would I do? I would live in a wooden chalet up in the Alps. It would really be an open studio type of place for all the creative things I love to do, with comfy couches and a fireplace, and windows looking out over that beautiful valley. I would love people to visit as often as they liked. I would read all those books lined up waiting for me to get round to picking them up. I would write. And I would travel to see the people and places out there waiting for me to find them. And also spend time visiting all those people around the world who matter to me... both family and friends. I may even fall in love again one day. Who knows.

Ironically, this is one of the hardest questions for me. Not because it is complicated in any way, but because for the past year and a half, I have only looked at today. One day at a time. One hour. One month. The dreams are alive, though. You will also note that there is no mention of working in this answer. This is dreamland, people. Money appears when you click your fingers! That is why dreams are so good. I like dreams. A lot.