Happy Thanksgiving and a meme...............

Yesterday, Deidra wrote, with a certain amount of nostalgia, of the time when she started blogging and the Memes we all did back then. Remember them? The ones where, little by little, inch by inch, we started revealing who we were to our readers. Talking of small things we had done, seen, read, or simply, had loved.

So, Deidra decided to revisit those days and do a small version, and I am so enjoying the idea of joining in.

You know, I have been blogging since this time in 2005. It is not so very long in real years, but in blogging/Internet years, that was back in the dark ages.  I mentioned to her that I held on to the friendships forged back then fiercely. I so loved getting to know you all, and to walk with you as we explored our worlds, via the wonders of the ether.

I made up that ether bit. You will know what I mean.

Living here in the UK, I am isolated from the main blogging world. There is no doubt. Now there are many UK bloggers, but back then I struggled to find any. It still leaves an "outside" feeling inside, though. So much is just geared to USA bloggers, and so little includes foreigners. Giveaways, competitions, special deals..... And the conferences I would so love to attend one day. One day. It will come.

Anyway.

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US, and to all my American friends, both old and new, I am sending you the warmest of British wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving, and a really special family time together, giving thanks for all you have.

I still wish it was an international holiday. We need one too. Mutter, mutter. (See yesterday's post.)

So here we go:

Favourite Movie: Well. The first movie I ever saw was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and that was magical to a very small girl. The Sound of Music was and always will be, very special too. We visited Salzburg just after the movie came out and actually stood behind those bars in the church and watched a wedding like the nuns did. The Railway Children was the most viewed movie as my children grew up - they could watch it over and over again. And my all time favourite? I haven't got a clue. I need to ponder and second and have a cup of coffee.

Hang on. I will be right back.

I went to look at the DVD collection for inspiration. Older movies like the Magnificent 7 had a place in my life. So did more modern ones. The King's Speech is right up there at the top but the ultimate movie for entertainment was Dirty Dancing. Oh how I longed to be whirled around a dance floor with a dancer of Patrick Swayze's calibre!

Hmmm. There is a little lacking in substance here. Nothing too heavy. I have seen many heavy, thought provoking movies, and enjoyed them all, but they are not making the list.

Favourite vacation/holiday: Well, that had to be the epic "Let's take the children all around Europe for nearly4 months" one when I turned 12 in Zermatt. Even though my father despaired of my nose in a book phase, I saw everything. It was unbelievable. Dad took so much time and trouble to study my geography book and take me to every single photo in it. Yes. We had to do schoolwork. Thank heavens I was studying European Geography that year. Every coal mine? I saw them. Rivers? Possibly went on them. We had a really amazing time.

Favourite Book; I sort of covered that a couple of days ago here. So many outstanding books. Our bookclub voted on the best book we had read in 20 years, and it was, by a very great majority,The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruis Zafon. An outstanding book.

Favourite Hymn: I grew up in a very large Methodist church and we had an outstanding organist, a great choir and oh, boy could we sing. Methodists have a reputation for singing and our church was just phenomenal. Deidra wrote of her favourite, Holy Holy Holy, and I have been singing it ever since. Guide me Oh Thou Great Redeemer is another one I absolutely adore. It is well with my soul. That one makes me cry when you read the history of it. Such faith.

My sister and I have been trawling through Youtube, singing (in harmony at the top of our voices) - Great is thy faithfulness, Praise my soul the King of heaven, To God be the Glory, What a friend we have in Jesus. How to pick a favourite? Well, I will go with the one I chose for Geoff's funeral. Guide me Oh, Thou Great Redeemer. We sang Jehovah back when I was young. Not Redeemer. We are of the age, you see, where we had a full assembly at school every day, and we sang a hymn. So by the time 12 years had gone by, and add church and Sunday School to that, and 12 full carol services and their included rehearsals for the entire school, we are word perfect to this day. It is really interesting to see, in church, when we sing old hymns now and then, how our age group and older, all put down the words and just sing. The young ones can't do that. There are no assemblies with hymns any more, and that is so sad.

Favourite colour: Hmmm. In my home, I choose a neutral palette, so I can ring the seasonal changes, and that I love. I love pink, but the older I get, the more aware I become that pale colours drain my skin and I look like a shrivelled prune. So, even though I do wear purple (I am old enough to do what I want!) I will say blue. Deep shades of blue. From navy to aqua, to turquoise, to pale to any kind of blue. It likes me too. That is a plus.

Soon my home will change from the oranges of autumn to the warmth of the reds, and the whole house will reflect the cosiness of winter. Red. I like red too. But red doesn't like me. So I will stop at this point before I wander off on more ramblings. I had a red cape once. And red boots with heels. I looked sensational in the 80's back when I was a stick insect and fashion looked great on me. Now we tend towards the blacks to disguise the body which is a disaster zone. Sigh. I loved those red boots. And their heels..................