A Blogging Meme

This meme is floating around. I've seen it on a couple of blogs, but I'm specifically lifting it from Sarah's blog, Paper Roads.

1. Why do you blog?
Because I love to write, but don't have the patience, the attention span, to write a book. I love this format as I can write about anything I want--family, faith, home education, writing, poetry, simplicity, etc.--and I have a wonderful audience who occasionally comment to encourage me, challenge me, and make me dig deeper. It's the perfect format for me, and with my fourth blogging anniversary yesterday, I've come to appreciate the blogging format even more.

2. What are your 3 best memories?
It's hard to nail down 44 years of life into three memories, but here goes:

1. The day of my marriage, barely choking out the "I do" through tears of joy, seeing his tears as well.

2. The births of each of our four children--the pain turning into joy so quickly, so incredibly.

3. The contentment of nursing my babies, of sustaining them myself.

3. What are the 4 best fiction books you have ever read?
Again, it's hard to turn 40 years of avid reading into a mere four books, but here are the ones that come to mind first:

1. Father Elijah by Michael D. O'Brien--The most beautiful prose grappling with the most integral aspects of faith and life and death.

2. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen--Fanny is the most incredible heroine: quiet, shy, yet ultimately strong despite her upbringing, her family's disinterest, her idealism.

3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott--Most people are fans of Jo, the writer, but shy Beth is my heroine. The way she faces chronic pain, chronic suffering, has somehow prepared me for dealing with my own chronic pain.

4. Anne's House of Dreams by LM Montgomery--A beautiful book that helped me to become a more compassionate and aware woman, wife, mother, friend. Her prose is so stunningly lovely, surpassing even Austen's for sheer beauty.

4. What are the 5 best movies you've ever seen?
Hmmmm....
1. Dead Poets Society--a tear-jerker but simply incredible.

2. Importance of Being Earnest with Colin Firth--makes me happy and I love the wit and Wilde's dialogue.

3. Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth--the best P and P ever.

4. Remember Me--touching and tragic and remarkably acted. So believable.

5. Mama Mia!--just plain fun! And has my two favourite actors, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan--makes me so happy!

5. Name 5 things you can't live without.
1. My family

2. Poetry

3. Chocolate

4. Fountain pens/dip pens and bottled ink

5. Music--especially U2

6. If you could change your name, what would it be?
I changed my name to Susanne about eight years ago--but not legally because it's an expensive hassle here in California. But if I could choose any name, I would add my daughter's name to it: Susanne-Elizabeth. My legal name? I'll think about telling you...sometime. (Yes, some of you know it, but I'd rather not go there right now...it's embarrassing!)

7. Tell us a unique and interesting fact about yourself.
I am obsessed with time. I always need to know what time it is--at all times. I have clocks everywhere in my house, plus I never go anywhere above water without my wristwatch.

8. What do you love best about yourself?
I admit to having a hard time loving parts of myself, but I think I love my loyalty to my family and friends and, physically, I love my hair--at long last. I now love its curl and its auburn color; I've never dyed it. But it's taken me 43 years to truly appreciate my hair and to stop fighting it.

9. If you could become someone else for a day, who would you change places with?
Hmmmmm...I think if I could be someone now dead, I would like to be Julian of Norwich, alone in my English cloister, deep in contemplative prayer. Or Mary Magdalene, Christ's friend and patron, at the foot of the cross and first at the tomb on Easter morning. If I could be someone now alive for a day, I would like to be Katie Melua and be able to sing beautifully...for one day.

10. What is the best thing about being a woman?
Birthin' babies. :)

Wishing you all a blessed weekend,