My interview.....

A little while ago, my blogging friend Isabelle "interviewed" me. This is how it works.....if you would like me to interview you, leave me a comment saying you would like to take part, and I will email you 5 specific questions for you to answer. This is a great way to get to know people, and I am all about getting to know you all better.

So here are her questions for me:

1. What are you most looking forward to about being a granny?

Well.... where do I start? Being a Granny, I am told, is a magical thing. Knowing that your child is the parent of this little scrap, is, in a sense, the passing of the baton. The man who was my baby son, is now welcoming the role of Daddy. Just as I am delighted to be a Granny. The dynamics will probably change, but I am ready for that. I am looking forward to cradling the little one in my arms, just watching her, and possibly taking the time I never had with my own babies to really appreciate each little moment. Each stage she goes through. Each step she takes as she grows up.

Grannies know how quickly time passes, and they know that each moment is precious. I want to soak up every moment, crawl on the floor, and play with her. My camera and I will try to capture the moments too. I am looking forward to discovering the joys of this new label. Granny. It sounds perfect to me. And when she is old enough, I will have plenty of stories to tell her! I can't wait for her to arrive!

2. Your children bear a strong resemblance to you and to each other. Are the four of you alike in personality too?

They do indeed. They are undoubtedly my children and are clearly brothers and sister. Personality wise, no. They are all distinctly individual, but there are bits of me in all of them. They do all have the potentially fiery tempers, like their mother, but flare ups are rare! Andrew and I are by nature most similar, and so we clashed more as he was growing up. Diana is very like me in many ways. She is an extrovert, and the one who is the most relaxed with people, I think. David is the most placid of the 3, most like his Dad in temperament, and possibly the deepest thinker. All 4 of us are intelligent, articulate, very competetive......... that is a nice way of saying we talk a lot, think fast and this makes playing games somewhat rowdy around here. We all have the same sense of humour too, and I have to say that Andrew, Diana and I all like being in charge. David steps back and lets us fight it out! Nature or nurture? Both, I think!

3. Did your late husband Geoff have little sayings that you all remember fondly?

Geoff was away more than he was home, but when he was home, he was home 24 hours a day as the children were growing up. He came from Devon, and had a Devonshire accent, which, I think is something we all miss hearing. He was the steady quiet one. I was mercurial. And talkative. Little sayings........ Hmmmm. Not that I can think of at the moment. I will have to ask the kids.

4. Describe something you have displayed in your house that holds memories for you.

My home is full of things which have memories for me. I think that is what makes it a "home". One particular thing....... I could look at the children's artwork framed in my kitchen, the chess table I gave Geoff for his 40th birthday, my mother's portrait, so many things.

But I am choosing this photo which stands on my display cabinet, and has done so since we arrived here in England nearly 19 years ago. To all of you looking at it, it is a simple family photo. To us, it is a miracle. As a whole family, we have seldom been together. If Marge and Peter were visiting SA, Geoff was away. If he was home, Mum and Dad were travelling, or Marge and Peter were in Switzerland.

So let me tell you about this photo. It was taken at 7.30am in the lounge of my parents' home the morning that Peter flew back home to Switzerland in July 1990. He and Marge had come out for a holiday to celebrate their marriage in Switzerland in February. Geoff's ship happened to be in Cape Town for one night. We were all there in the same place, and a dear friend came round at the crack of dawn to take photos of us all. Together. We were only together once more, you know. That was one Christmas in Switzerland years ago. But we didn't think to take any family photos then.

Geoff left that morning, and Peter left that night. A few days later, Marge left, and a week later, the children and I left. How my parents managed to smile, I do not know. Their entire family left in the space of a few weeks. For ever. Their hearts must have been breaking. Dad was well. We were all well. And now Dad is gone. He died in 2000. And Geoff is gone. He died in 2006. Memories.......

5. Describe yourself as a car, a food and a flower, and explain your choices.

A car: Well, I would like to think of myself as a Jaguar, actually. I was born to be a Jag. Sigh. However, I am no longer sleek. Classy? Yes. Of course. But sleek, no. Oh no. So I think I am more like the Renault Scenic which I drive. It suits me. It is foreign. It has many hidden places to store things. It is adaptable and it is tough. It is also large. I too am foreign, have many hidden compartments, am adaptable, tough and larger than I should be. A perfect fit. It is also getting older, just like me.

A food: Butternut soup. Warm, comforting, foreign. Like me. It is also orange, and my hair once became orange after an unfortunate incident with henna. We will not speak of that. And i have introduced masses to butternut soup. So it is me.

A flower: Hmmm. I would love to say a rose. I love roses, and they are soft, beautifully scented and have many layers - hidden layers, which open slowly as they grow. They come in so many delightful colours too. They also have thorns. I am quite like that. They also keep growing, no matter what the weather does and they bloom then die and then they bloom again. They never give up. In the toughest of times, the green shoots appear. Yes. I think I can be a rose. Don't forget the thorns though. I have thorns too. Roses are not perfect. They are beautiful though. And sweetly scented. Hmmm. I may not be beautiful, but I do love wearing wonderful perfume!

So there you go. My interview. Don't forget to say you want to be interviewed too in the comments!