Write Anyway

Yay! It’s Friday and I’m not under huge amounts of pressure to work straight through the weekend like I did last weekend. Big friggin’ yay!

Can you tell I’m excited it’s Friday? It’s not like I have any big plans for this weekend or anything. I’m just glad it’s Friday (a sunny Friday!) and I’m not thinking about how much work I have to do this weekend. THAT doesn’t happen very often.

And…here we go!

1. The fish and chips shop and the Indian place make a quick and easy dinner.

2. How to Organize all the Books You are Reading is the book I’m reading right now.

3. July brings back memories of past Julys.

4. Number one was obvious.

5. They say if you tell your dreams then you’re just a big dream-teller, you dream-teller… you….

6. I rarely take enough time to think it over.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to enjoying the fact it is Friday and all that good stuff, tomorrow my plans include going to the grand opening of the new Indian joint run by our friends and Sunday, I want to relax!

Very exciting and all that stuff, no doubt. HA.

Yes, I’m still very excited that today is Friday.

I hope each and every one of you has an absolutely awesome and wonderful weekend filled with great food, great company, a great book/movie/whatever it is that you want or need.

PS. You could make your weekend even better by stopping by my Left Behind and Loving It virtual workshop and leaving a comment!

Another Friday and another Feast here on Write Anyway. I like tags and memes in general, but I do very much enjoy the Friday Feast. I hope you do, too.

On to the feast!

Appetizer - When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?

A month or so ago, actually. I like to have it cut when it gets to the point that it’s a hassle when I’m trying to sleep.

Soup - Name one thing you miss about being a child.

My imagination. I could sit and write for hours and hours with what was going in my head. I still have an imagination, of course, but it seems to be a bit more limited now and less innocent than it was. My mind could take me to limitless places whereas now I’m still limitless, but my mind doesn’t go there as naturally.

Salad - Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.

Olive oil. It’s much healthier, more versatile (in my opinion), and did I mention that it’s healthier?

Main Course - If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?

I would love to be able to talk in sign language. I started learning in high school, but I didn’t get to finish. Either that, or Egyptian. Ancient Egyptian to be precise, because then I could translate hieroglyphs by myself. And write them as well. That would be fun.

Dessert - Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…

Pregnant or have had a child. With one (or more) book(s) published or in the process of being published. Very happy. Successful. (Those last two are ‘even more than currently’ type things.)

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

It looks like the chef is taking a break this Friday, so I don’t have something from the site to bring you.

However, if you’re like me and live outside the United States, I have a feast of questions you can participate in.

On to the feast!

Appetizer – What is your favourite song?

It’s hard to name just one. I’ve always been fond of “Wordplay” by Jason Mraz, but The Rainbow Connection will always have a special place in my heart. I have to add in “Goodbye Girl” by Hootie and the Blowfish. So many songs to love!

Soup – What are your plans for the day/night?

I’m working right now and will continue to do so until my husband gets home. After that, we might stay in, might go to the pub. It’s a toss up. I’m thinking we’ll probably just stay in for the night, though.

Salad – What are you reading?

You can see my list over at The Book Stacks.

Main Course – What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

The best piece of advice I ever received came in the form of a quote I found in a newspaper, actually. It’s “You will never ‘find’ the time for anything. You have to ‘make’ time.” Something to that effect anyway. Ever since then, I have never forgotten it and have become a more productive person because of it.

I never complain about not being able to find the time for things anymore.

Dessert – If you could pick one thing on your to-do list to be completed instantly without you lifting a finger, which task would you pick?

Oh, definitely a thorough clean of the whole flat. I have been meaning to do it for ages, but I can never seem to get more than one or two rooms clean.

I hope you have enjoyed the feast. To those of you who are celebrating today, remember to be safe and have fun.

Happy Friday!

Thank goodness it’s Friday. I am so ready for the end of the week to be here, that’s for sure. Today I’m putting up last week’s Friday Feast (not put up because of all the site mess going on) as well as this week’s Friday Feast, so come back soon because the next round will be up soon!

On to the feast!

Appetizer - What is the weather like today where you live?

It’s a typical Melbourne winter day. It’s been mostly grey for the whole day, though thankfully it hasn’t been nearly as windy today as it has been in the past couple of days.

Soup - On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?

This is a bit of a hard one. I guess you could put me at an eight. I love what I do (99% of the time) and I think about it often. I work hard and keep working hard to get to where I want to be. My work defines a lot of who I am.

But the fact is, though, that I work from home an enjoy doing so because it’ll make things easier for when I want to start a family. Because of that, I don’t consider myself very career-minded. Career fits around family. Period.

Salad - What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?

It depends what room you’re in. In the lounge (where I’m sitting) we have lacy curtains.

Main Course - Name something that instantly cheers you up.

My husband.

Dessert - How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?

Only once. It’s not really the snooze button but rather the alarm off button, but I tend to stay in bed for a few minutes after it goes off.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Thank goodness it’s Friday! I don’t know what it is lately, but I have been appreciating Friday more and more these past couple of weeks, that’s for sure.

I hope you do, too.

On to the feast!

Appetizer - If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose?

That’s a hard one because there are so many places I would like to go. If it was all expenses paid, then… Probably Europe. There is so much to see and do there. North America would come in as a close second because there is a lot there to do and see as well (and I love Canada), but I’ve never set foot in Europe before, so that would come first.

Soup - Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?

Firefox. Firefox treats me a lot better than Internet Explorer ever did, that’s for sure.

Salad - On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?

I’d probably be at a two or three with Australia. I know a little bit about how it began, but really not a lot. I know more about the US, but that’s no longer my country, really.

Main Course - Finish this sentence: Love is…

…Rose-coloured glasses, the 75th anniversary, and everything in between.

Dessert - Have you ever been in or near a tornado?

Yep. I actually had two tornadoes go around my house while I was in it. I was… Wow, I can’t remember how old I was at the time, but yes, it was quite scary.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Happy Friday the 13th!

On to the feast!

Appetizer - Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?

Neither. I consider myself to be a realist. Haha. I suppose that means I try not to expect anything happening that wouldn’t logically happen, good or bad.

Soup - What is your favorite color of ink to write with?

Black. That’s probably very boring, but in the end, it is my favourite. Clean, crisp, all that fun stuff. I do like writing with other colours, though. Purple especially.

Salad - How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?

I have gotten two manicures before. Once my friend got me a gift certificate to a place because I’d never had them done before and the other time was my wedding.

I do occasionally take care of my fingernails, but not on the level of a manicure. I don’t think I’d ever go in any time besides a special occasion, though.

Main Course - Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?

Won anything… Nothing immediately comes to mind, though I’m sure I’ve won something before… Oh! Yes, I won a hamper full of food and other goodies at the pub on St. Patrick’s Day last year. I also won a bucket full of Vodka Cruiser stuff because I drank a lot of Cruisers that night… Ahem.

Dessert - In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?

Um, in any room I want it to be in. Hehe. I have a laptop, so I move around the house quite a bit.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Thank goodness it’s Friday!

Phew. Another exhausting week has gone by and I am ever thankful for the weekend. I hope you all wish me luck as I wait to hear if I have an interview with the company I put in an application at yesterday.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and good things come your way.

On to the feast!

Appetizer - What is the nearest big city to your home?

That would be Melbourne, one of the most beautiful big cities I have ever seen. I live in one of its suburbs.

Soup - On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

Definitely a nine or ten, which has proven itself to be be a good thing and a very, very bad thing. But yes, I am generally very, very good at keeping secrets.

Salad - Describe your hair (color, texture, length).

I have dark brown/black hair. It’s pretty much silky and smooth when I take the time to take good care of it. It’s straight but curls and waves very easily. I have a few natural curls, but they straighten out under the weight of the length. It’s layered with the shortest layers coming down to my chin and the longest ones to the middle of my back.

Main Course - What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?

I don’t drive now, but when I did, I was an average driver. I tried to be nice without being slow or obnoxious.

Dessert - When was the last time you had a really bad week?

A couple weeks ago, actually. I was quite ill and it was frustrating because I didn’t know what was going on.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

So… Tired… Thank goodness it’s Friday because all I want to do is sleep and relax. Of course I can’t really do that because I have a lot of catching up to do on my various blogs, but it is nice to pretend that I will be able to go take a nap as soon as I get all this done.

Even so, I do like the Friday Feast and am glad to be able to post about it rather than anything else at the moment.

On to the feast!

Appetizer - When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?

Yeah, I do. I think it’s a reaction most of the time. I can’t help but smile when someone smiles at me. To not smile when someone smiles at me would take some conscious thought.

Soup - Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?

There is a mix. In the loo, bathroom, and kitchen there is tile. In the other rooms, there is grey-ish carpet. We rent so it’s no use complaining, but things will definitely be different when we get a house of our own.

Salad - Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.

Julie joyfully jumps jam judiciously.

Main Course - Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?

No, actually. Not a one.

Dessert - Name 2 blue things.

I have a blue coin pure on my desk. I also have a water bottle with a blue cap on my desk.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Hello and welcome to another delicious Friday Feast here on Write Anyway.

I’m very excited that it’s Friday today. Why? The weekend first of all. This is a special four day weekend I have coming up, and I am definitely ready for it to get started.

What’s the occasion? No, it’s not a holiday in Australia. This coming Monday is my very first wedding anniversary. That doesn’t mean I’ll be abandoning my blogs by any means! Be sure to check out The Book Stacks, Fiction Scribe, and Long Relationships for some easy contests. I have some… sweet prizes to give away.

Have a great weekend!

On to the feast!

Appetizer - What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?

When I was younger, I could not get enough of Felix the cat. I loved, loved, loved that cartoon. (Despite the fact my mother hated it.) There was something about the thought of being able to have a magic bag that would take you anywhere your heart desired…

Soup - Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?

I would definitely pick a German shepherd dog (puppy, so we could train it) and name it Odin. My husband and I have talked about pets already and settled on those choices, so it’s just a matter of when, not if.

Salad - On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?

An 8, I suppose. I wouldn’t want to do it all the time or very often, but I do like doing it. Everyone likes to feel like they look like royalty every now and then.

Main Course - What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?

I don’t drive, but when I’m in the car, I pretty much just listen to whatever is on the radio. Current music. For long drives there are CDs I like to listen to - Jason Mraz, Jim Crooce, Tarot Suite, and many others.

Dessert - When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?

Let’s see… The last clock I bought was a silver alarm clock with the hammers and loud ticking. The kind you would imagine on dynamite. I put it in my (then) writing room because I found it inspirational.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Better late than never, right?

On to the feast!

Appetizer - Name something you would categorize as weird.

My husband. Hehe. I guess I would go for human behavior. You don’t get much weirder than that.

Soup - What color was the last piece of food you ate?

Brown, to be honest. Hah. I haven’t had breakfast yet so the last thing I ate was a little square of dark chocolate last night.

Salad - On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy being alone?

This is a hard one. I guess I would put myself at a seven. I love my alone time, but I don’t like to be alone all the time by any means. That’s the change from getting moving to Australia and getting married, though. Before that, I would have probably put myself at about a nine.

Main Course - Fill in the blank: I will _________ vote for ___________ in _______.

I will NOT vote for PRESIDENT in the UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. Sorry, but I don’t know how to do it from overseas and I’m not interested enough to find out. I’m more concerned with Australian politics these days.

Dessert - Describe your sleeping habits.

I tend to toss and turn a bit before going to sleep. I sleep on my stomach most times, or sort of on my stomach/sort of on my side. I like to have a lot of pillows around me to be comfortable. I love sleep and can sleep to up to ten hours (sometimes more if I’ve been working very hard). I usually only sleep around eight.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Hello everyone and happy Friday.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

On to the feast!

Appetizer - Name a color you find soothing.

Blue. I love blue. Blue waters, navy blue (I used to have navy blue sheets), sky blue. It’s mostly the darker blues that I find the most soothing, but most blues are relaxing to me.

Soup - Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience.

I hated it! It was with my mean, old driving instructor and I was terrified.

Salad - What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of?

That would be cotton. I have this light grey sweater that I have owned for years that I absolutely love. These days it’s all stretched out, the pocket isn’t sown on completely, and it’s stained in a few places, but I couldn’t love it more.

Main Course - Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?

This is going to be so bad and boring, but no one. There are plenty of groups and musicians I like a lot and would wait in line for, but no one I’m such a fan of that I would spend the night outside for tickets to see.

Maybe I’m just lazy.

Dessert - What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)?

L. I thought for certain that it would be one of the vowels, but I guess not!

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

The chef is taking a day off from the kitchen and all the kitchen’s patrons are left to fend for their own!

So today you have the Friday Feast a la Write Anyway. I do hope you enjoy it, as it’s a beautiful Friday here in Australia and I would hate to have my day spoiled by someone not enjoying it.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful weekend!

On to the feast!

Appetizer - If you could change your first name, would you? (Pretend that you would have been born with that name so you wouldn’t have to fuss with paperwork.)

I don’t think I would. I’m not exactly keen on my name, but it is unique compared to many names - especially with the French spelling. It also means “I love” which is kind of how I define myself as a person - loving. There is one name I might consider, but I’d rather name my future daughter it.

Soup - If you could have a brand new car, a brand new computer (laptop or desktop), or a brand new house - all for free - which would you choose and why?

I would choose a new house. The man and I are renting right now and the housing market here in Australia, frankly, sucks the big one. We won’t be able to buy for years if things keep on as they are. I would love a place that was truly our own.

Salad - If you were a punctuation mark, which punctuation mark would you be?

I would have to be an ellipsis. AKA, the … I feel like I’m always going somewhere, but ‘where’ is never quite sure until I arrive at the destination. I also feel like I’m ’suspended’ in one or more areas of my life at any given time.

Main Course - What is your meaning of life?

My meaning of life is to learn about everything I can. Learn what it is to truly live, truly suffer, truly love. Learn what it is to exist, what’s beyond the ‘bubble’ of my life, what I can do to help people who need it.

Dessert - Name your favourite characteristic about your partner. If you’re not with someone, what characteristic is essential in someone you have a long relationship with?

I absolutely love the fact that my husband is intelligent. I’ll be honest - he does make me feel dumb sometimes - but he knows a lot, teaches me a lot, and we can have excellent conversations.

Original idea brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Hello and welcome to another lovely Friday Feast.

Today is a very cloudy, cold day in Oz. If I didn’t have a calendar, I’d swear it was winter already. That’s okay though because I do love my big comfy sweaters and snuggling up to my husband.

I hope everyone has a particularly lovely weekend full of love, laughter, and good times.

On to the feast!

Appetizer - Invent a new flower; give it a name and describe it.

Let’s see… It’s called a Snafflower and is a pet as well as a flower. It eats insects, like many flowers and plants do, by luring them with its ever-sweet and fresh breath. It’s petals - of which there are many around its mouth - are like a mood ring, changing colour as moods change. The colour changes are individual to each Snafflower, so you have to make sure to get to know your pet. They also like the sound of running water and soft music to fall asleep to.

Soup - Name someone whom you think has a wonderful voice.

Ha! I fell in love with my husband’s voice while we were still communicating online. It’s the right level of deep without being rough. It’s very clear and steady…and just yum.

He sings quite well, too, though he’d never admit it.

Salad - On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how clean do you keep your car?

Well, I don’t own a car all by myself. My husband’s car is probably an 8, but that’s his territory anyway.

Main Course - How do you feel about poetry?

I like poetry. I don’t like it when it’s extremely difficult to understand, but I love it when it makes me feel and emotion(s). I even used to write it.

Dessert - What was the last person/place/thing you took a picture of?

That would be of my husband while we were climbing in the Grampians mountains.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Hello everyone!

It’s the Friday after the long weekend (in Oz, at least) and I hope you are all suitably recovered from Easter and all the chocolate eggs that came with it. I completely forgot it was Friday until I realized my husband went to work with a t-shirt on today (casual Friday).

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend.

On to the feast!

Appetizer - What does the color dark green make you think of?

Emeralds. Think Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz. That wasn’t that dark green all the time, but I reckon it qualifies.

Soup - How many cousins do you have?

Too many to count. Seriously. Everyone on my mother’s side of the family has been married and divorced at least once (minus the youngest sister who is getting married this year). On my father’s side, there was a widowing and remarriage, so there are a lot of cousins there, too.

Salad - On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how honest are you?

9. I’m honest most of the time. I indulge in the occasional white lie, but lies hurt too much, I reckon and almost always come out.

Main Course - Name something that is truly free.

Love, in the right circumstances. Real, true love is given and received with no price.

Dessert - Using the letters in the word SPRING, write a sentence.

Some People Rigorously Ignore New Generations.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast

Happy Good Friday to everyone who celebrates it. Happy day off to everyone who doesn’t!

I’m a little late with today’s Friday Feast, but you’ll have to forgive me. (Please?) Things always get a little crazy when you’re going off on vacation.

On to the feast!

Appetizer - Given the choice, would you prefer to live in the country or in the city?

I was actually tested on that recently. I’ve been living in the city for the past year and a half now after having lived in the country for all my life. I love the country, but I have to say that for right now at least, I’m a city girl at heart.

Soup - Who is the cutest kid you know?

Oh, let’s see… That goes to Miss Zoot’s NikkiZ.

Salad - Fill in the blank: I couldn’t believe it when I heard ___________.

…when I heard that my husband wanted me to try sushi. Raw fish of all things. It’s a good thing I did try it, though, because it’s my favourite thing to eat these days.

Main Course - If you could star in a commercial for one of your favorite products, which one would you want to advertise?

Erm… Probably bubble baths. Or candles. Or candles during my bubble bath. Mmmm.

Dessert - What type(s) of vitamins and/or supplements do you take on a regular basis?

Ha! I have a whole list. I take Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Cranberry, Omega 3, Zinc, and a multivitamin. How’s that for you? Hehe.

Brought to you by Friday’s Feast