Elevenses: Tagged...I'm " IT"

I haven't played Tiggy since my early school days and the last time I referred to elevenses was when reading Paddington Bear, but I've unwittingly been "tagged" by Chic at Any Age  in a game of Elevenses. Do I play or spoil the fun of the other participants and withdraw from this unexpected challenge?

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What are my options at this late hour of the night? The Husband is asleep on the couch; the ironing basket is perennially full; the Offspring are off doing their own thing; there is a pile of work on my desk waiting to be finished; I'm not a fan of the television and my brain is too tired to conjugate French verbs.
Can one concurrently play tiggy and drink a glass of wine? I'm about to find out.

Firstly, the Tiggy rules

Rule 1. Disclose 11 random things about myself. Tricky.

Rule 2. Respond to 11 questions from the person who tags me.Very tricky.

Rule 3. Pose 11 of my own questions then try to tag someone else. Could blow a fuse here because:

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a) many of the questions I would like to ask have been used by recent participants and

b) not sure who wants to play.

Let's give it a go - the game starts NOW. 

11 random things about myself (Remember some things are best kept secret!)

1. Biggest shortcoming is that I find it difficult to say “no” – even to myself!
2. I relish the company of creative people. They feed my soul. 
3. Music is my sixth sense. Without it I’m not truly living, but I also appreciate silence.
4. A major failing - I didn’t have the courage to go with my passions and be true to myself when younger.
5. A late maturer - I was in my thirties when, I truly grasped the fact that processions and wealth don’t create happiness, they just make your misery more comfortable - my parents were right yet again!
6. Irritated by parents who pander to  their progeny and live vicariously through them. Unconditionally loving a child does not involve incessant indulgence and an inability to set boundaries and say "no".
7. I revere the intricacies and wonder of nature and the strength of family and community.
8. Most valued gift – love of family and friends.
9. Intolerant of religious and political zealots. Nutters with a cause are extremely dangerous.
10. Don’t own a car –prefer to walk or drive Roger, my husband’s beloved Land Rover. 
11. My fantasy; David Suzuki rules the world - fully clothed, but without the tights, the cape and his underpants worn as an outer garment.

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And "no", I don't have hairy armpits, prickly legs and a propensity to demonstrate and chain myself to trees, but I respect the fact that we only have one finite world, for which it has taken millions of years to perfect the balance of nature. 
Responses to the 11 questions posed by Chic at Any Age 
1. What makes you blog? 
I love to jot down my thoughts and had a propensity to do so on scraps of paper. Blogging gave me a platform to record my ramblings  - it's easier to locate my computer than random pieces of paper. What sustains my blogging are the community of interesting and inspiring people I've met as well as the friendships I've forged through my blog.

2. What beliefs sustain you?  
The philosophy of Buddha and the 10 commandments are a good guiding lights, which is not to discount the teachings of other religions. But I'm most comforted by the belief that, in general, individuals are inherently good.  I strongly believe that healthy communities enable the best to be brought out in people. 

3. What is the biggest risk you have taken? 
Buying my first property (on my own) at the age of 24. It was the  mid 1970's and the bank claimed that I was the first single female to whom the company had ever given a home loan.
Second biggest risk was buying a house in France, sight unseen!

4. What does getting older mean for you? 
Getting older means getting closer to the end of life’s conveyor belt (with a wiser head on my shoulders). I'm hoping like crazy, that the speed of this contraption slows downs rather than accelerates as I inch closer to the end! 


5. How do you best relax? 

Relaxation is best achieved by a fusion of music, meditation and walking.(Still convinced that I'm a middle aged hippy?)

6. What is your favourite outfit?  
There isn't one! I favour comfort and natural fibres over synthetics- which extends to my undergarments. (Poor Mr R!). Prefer classic pieces to fashion, love ballet pumps (with almost anything) and can't go past a well cut pair of jeans. But I feel my best when wearing heals and an elegantly cut dress or suit - natural fibres of course. And I couldn't live without my leather gloves in the cooler weather.

7. What is a colour you love/hate and why?
My favourite colour depends on time and place. Am I wearing it, painting it on a wall, covering my chairs, wrapping a present, buying clothing for someone else or for me? At this age and stage of my life, the basics in my wardrobe are black, which I accessorise with colour.
 

8. Whom would you most like to interview?
Nelson Mandela – I would love to cultivate some of his faith, patience optimism and forgiveness.     

9. Who inspires you?

If I were asked WHAT inspires you, my answer would be simple - nature. 
No one person inspires me. Inspiration comes from many directions –  those who are the victims of life's challenges and tragedies yet manage to keep going and raise a smile; people who contribute positively to humanity; a person who can truly forgive when it is contrary to do so; those who give unselfishly to serve others; my parents and family…………

10. What was your most embarrassing moment?  
Most embarrassing? My teenage years had embarrassment on tap! I was far too sensitive and a perfectionist. Glad I’ve grown out of that! (Well almost....)

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11. What would you like your epitaph to be? 
"In her own way, she helped to make the world a better place".

Now to you. A voluntary invitation to play is extended to the following bloggers and also to anybody else who would like to contribute.
classic • casual • home
French Basketeer
La Pouyette
Lost in Arles
my french country home 
Paris and Beyond
PlumSiena
... meine Dinge ...
That's Not My Age
Your Eleven questions are: 

1. What is the object(s) of your desire?
2. Which is your signature song and why?
3. Your favourite quote and why?
4. If you could choose only one fashion icon throughout history, who would it be?
5. What is your one characteristic that you would rather keep hidden?
6. Identify one ritual or tradition that you couldn’t live without.
7. If there were one characteristic about people or the human race you could change, what would it be?
8. What are your passions that sustain you?
9. What is your most treasured possession – why?
10. As Sinatra sang, “Regrets, I’ve a few....” What is your greatest regret?
11. What is your greatest extravagance?

* All photos, except for the image of the water droplet, are courtesy of Goggle images. Please contact me if are the owner of one of these images so you may be acknowledged.

Le Marais, Paris - let's party

It has been said "The rest of Paris can certainly be envious of Le Marais’s wonders". For those who like to watch the world go by, this friendly district has an eclectic mix of colourful characters. 

Last year, our apartment provided an excellent vantage point for watching the Gay Pride celebrations in the Marais. This event welcomed everyone - gay and straight; old and young; introverted and extraverted.................... Oui, Le Marais, je t'adore.

Back at the Blog!

Perhaps a bookshelf of diaries?

No. It's a wooden sculpture of a life-sized

bookshelf, on display in a Chateau of the

Loire Valley, France.

Yes, mother was right - my handwriting is illegible - even to me. The on button of the computer has been pressed and my newly acquired diary has been cast to one side.  I am of an age where my memory is less reliable so what is the use of recoding my thoughts and observations if I can't read what I have written? I suppose I could "ramble on" in a word document, but then I would be denied the pleasure of browsing my photographs for a purpose. Blogging also provides an effective means of “updating” friends en masse without the complications of social media.The recent claims made in the press, that internet friendships are superficial and often of a bogus nature, are a gross generalization ......At least they don't apply to me -  a sample size of one.  For many of my generation emailing has replaced the long, hand written letter to family, friends and pen pals from our youth.

 In this time-poor age it is rare to be able to sit with friends and colleagues to discuss issues . And when we do, the conversation is usually superficial.

Seldom do we give a detailed description of personal observations or thoughts about events that are important to us……………but writing an email, particularly to people in distant places, often necessitates these omitted verbal details in order to communicate clearly.

Two friendships I value highly have been nurtured over the Internet. Jo I met briefly in France. Despite living in different hemispheres we regularly have “a cup of tea and a chat “ via email. Rosemary is a professional travel writer whom I contacted after she had published an article about the region in France in which we have bought our "renovator's opportunity with great potential".

Both of these women write beautifully.  And enhance their  photographs with well-crafted descriptions.

The old vine at the gated entrance
of the B&B where we met Jo, her husband
and le vulcan, Terrance Gelenter

Jo knows me better than my colleagues with whom I have been working for 21 years! I consider both of these women to be real friends who have been honest and open in their communications with me about many aspects of our lives. Thank you Jo. Thank you Rosemary. Thank you technology.