Ask Me Anything - Part Two

Here we are, back again for the second round of the Ask Me Anything. Please accept my apologies for how late this is! Enjoy, and let me know what you think - once again, many thanks to all who submitted questions.

Liz's questions:

1. Thoughts on the 2004 "North and South" miniseries (if you have watched it)?

I have watched it! I very much like it. The story's gripping, the costumes are amazing and it's very well-made and well-acted; although it'll never replace the 1995 P&P as my favourite miniseries, I really enjoyed it.

2. Favorite Dickens novel?

A Christmas Carol, hands down, not only because of the actual book, but because of the nostalgia surrounding it in my mind. My dad's read it aloud to the family several times, and I was once Mrs. Cratchit in a play of it when I was about twelve.

3. Worst piece of poetry you have ever read?

Oh dear! Probably William McGonagall's poetry. It's dreadful, utterly dreadful! 

 Anonymous #2 

1. Have you ever read any books by Meriol Trevor?

Yes, I've read one about St. John Henry Newman. While it wasn't my favourite book, I liked her writing style and I'd been happy to read more of her books.

2. If you had to choose one: henbit or white clover?

I think white clover. We call henbit "deadnettle" here, and I'm so used to rooting it out of the garden as a weed that I'd happily never see it again!

3. What's your favorite bird?

Buzzards. They remind me of the countryside every time I see them!

4. If you had to choose between living in the Mojave desert or in the wilds of Alaska, which would you choose?

Alaska! It's one of those places I really, really want to see - so beautiful.

5. If you could only wear white or brown shoes for the rest of your life, which color would you choose?

Brown. They look so classic. Also, brown would be far more practical. I know that's a very boring answer, but I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that practicality is more important that style. I may even, one day, actually wear my practical, yet shapeless coat and be warm enough when we go for walks...

6. What was one of your favorite books as a child?

I absolutely loved the Chalet School series of books by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. I still love them, actually. They're surprisingly well-written for such a long series, and you can follow the main character through about thirty years, so you really get to know her.

7. If you had to write a story set in space, or under the ocean, which would you choose?

Under the ocean. Extra-terrestrial stories always annoy me, or at least fail to interest me.

8. Do you have any/had any pets?

Sadly, no. We're going to get chickens, though, and I really, really want a cat! A nice, fluffy grey cat, or a tortoiseshell cat. (I wish that the above cat was mine, but sadly she isn't...)

9. Do they drink sweet iced tea in England/where you live? (I'm presuming based on this blog that that is where you live!)

You can buy it, or make it, I suppose, but I've never tried it. I think it's still more of an exotic thing that one can buy in the odd café, but it's not widely available.

10. What's your opinion of it, if you've tried it?

I've never had it. I'm almost ashamed to admit, as an English person, that I don't really like tea that much. Nor do I like very, very sweet things. The combination would not, for me, be felicitous :P

11. If you had to choose another culture/country to be, which would you choose?

France, I think, because I can speak some French and the culture appeals to me. Perhaps, though, Norway would be nice, as you could ski, and it's so beautiful.

12. Which of your fictional characters annoys you the most?

I wrote a story set in Regency times, and the main character of that drives me mad! 

13. Which one is your favorite?

I tend to like my male characters more than my female characters, so probably all of them :D

14. Which one do you have a soft spot for, just because they are nice/wholesome?

The main male character in the Regency story was very nice... he was just a gentleman and I like him very much. I need to get back to that one and revise it!

Lizzie's questions:

1. What kinds of jewelry (if any) do you like to wear?

I love wearing necklaces, but my trouble is that I don't like wearing low necklines and I have a penchant for collars, so it's hard to find necklaces that work with those. I wear earrings most days, and I have some quirkier ones that are my favourites; the ones I've got on at the moment are shaped like vintage sewing machines :P. I also wear bracelets occasionally, though they do annoy me sometimes, especially when I'm typing or playing the piano - having something flapping around your wrist in not helpful when you're trying to use your hands.

2. What does your dream house look like? (Reference pictures are a nice bonus but not required ;))

I vacillate between wanting to have a tiny cottage or a big mansion! Overall, though, I'd like it to be in the middle of the countryside, a warm and welcoming little place full of books and cats and music, where there will always be cookies and fresh bread, and crisp sheets and candles in the bedrooms, and comfortable chairs and a crackling fire, and windows open to the rain, and a writing desk scattered with sheets of stories, and a piano and lots of music, and a garden with flowers spilling out onto the lawn, and fruit trees and chickens, and fir trees blowing in the wind.

3. Who are a few of your favorite actors and actresses?

For actors, I like Jeremy Brett - he does Sherlock Holmes so well! Also, I have a major soft spot for Bertie Wooster Hugh Laurie. The current main character, or one of them, in the story I'm working on, is supposed to look like Dirk Bogarde because he has a mellifluous voice... he's very good in the two films of his that I've watched.

For actresses, Emma Thompson is fantastic in the films I've seen her in. I like Kate Winslet's acting, too (and she's in the 1995 Sense and Sensibility, which automatically boosts her up the list), and also Audrey Hepburn. 

4. How did you get into sewing? Can you tell us about your sewing journey to where you are now?

I love this question! I had to learn how to do basic sewing when I was very little, for school. I liked it, and I grew up surrounded by talented seamstresses; my paternal grandmother makes wonderful quilts, my maternal grandmother smocks and makes dresses, my mother made lots of my own and my sisters' clothes when we were little. When I was a bit older, I started trying to make clothes, and I enjoyed it for a while. As a younger teen, I was very, very perfectionist, and nearly gave up sewing because everything wasn't perfect. A few years ago, I decided to try to combat this, and made myself accept that there would be mistakes :D After that, I enjoyed the process much more. 

Since moving house last summer, I've done much more sewing because there's more space to leave things out mid-project and I've had more time to do it. I have so much more to learn, but I'm now confident making most basic items of clothing. In the future, I'd love to make jackets and also occasion wear... and quilts! I love quilts!

Also, someone needs to give me a fortune to spend on fabric.

5. What does a usual day in your life look like?

I'm going for a broad overview, because a schedule might be a but dull :D I get up at a reasonable time (6:30-7:00 ish), say my prayers, go to early Mass if I can, have breakfast, and do chores. I'm currently responsible for the laundry, which is never-ending! Then I go for a walk or do the garden for an hour or so. The morning is usually for French and music practice, the afternoon for sewing, blogging, writing, and singing practice. I also give piano lessons to my youngest sister and younger brother. Our parish church has Adoration and Benediction most nights, so I try to go to that for half-an-hour or so. Some nights, I cook dinner, and then I try to go to bed early, which almost never happens as I have a penchant for late-night reading.

6. Do you listen to non-classical/religious music? If so, which kinds do you like?

Yes, indeed I do! I like a random collection of songs by the Beatles, some country and western music, some random jazz piano, and film soundtracks. I don't have specific artists I listen to on a regular basis, but I have some playlists of songs I like, if that makes sense. The religious music I listen to tends to be Renaissance composers like Byrd and Palestrina. 

7. How much DOES it rain in England, really? :P

It rains a lot! It's a stereotype that's actually true. I think it rained every single day from Christmas till about two weeks ago - some days all day, often just a few showers. An unusually hot and dry summer will have, say, two to three weeks without rain, a few showery days, then some more rain. 

I love the rain.

My sister's questions:

1. What's your favourite piece of music?

I have a lot of favorites, but this is my current one - listen all the way to the end!

2. Do you prefer white or golden light?

If we're talking natural light, I prefer white light as I find the very golden sort of sunlight melancholy and a little depressing. The whiter morning sunlight is more cheery! Artificial light is nicer in gold, I think.

3. What's your favourite period drama?

Wow, that's a broad question but I love it! I'm going to say the 1995 Sense and Sensibility. I love it partly for its sentimental value - it's the film that made me fall in love with period dramas. The music is amazing, the writing is incredible, the acting's fantastic too, and I just think they capture every aspect of the book in one perfect film. It also has Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, and Emma Thompson in it; a trio of my favourite actors!

4. What's your favourite children's book?

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, probably. I can remember my father reading it aloud to me, and for a while afterwards dear Mr. Tumnus was my favourite character in all literature. I still love it now. 

5. Which Pride and Prejudice do you prefer?

You've opened a can of worms here! All right, I will be controversial. The 1995 version. Yes, the 2005 version has its plusses, but the 1995 version is the best. I will write a post soon explaining why I think that, I promise.

6. Which Emma do you prefer?

Erm... you keep asking difficult questions! I'm going to say the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow version. It's less soap-opera like than the 2009 Romola Garai, less flat (to me) than the Kate Beckinsdale version, less of an insult than the 2020 Emma.

7. What would your ideal wedding outfit look like?

It would be a long white silk dress, with a short train, lacy or quite sheer three-quarter length sleeves, a full skirt, and a lacy overlay on the bodice. It would have a long veil, and I'd carry a bouquet of white roses.

Sarah's Questions:

1. What is the Catholic Church like in England? I think of it as a highly Church of England place, but it's so wonderful to hear of thriving Roman Catholic communities!

I'm not sure of the exact statistics, but there are certainly a lot of Catholics in England! There's a church in most towns and villages, and many in the big cities; there are also some of churches served by the Fraternity of St. Peter and the Institute of Christ the King. These are certainly flourishing!

2. What's your favorite piece you've knitted or made?

I'd have to say the sleeveless jumper I made my brother for Christmas. He looks like Bertie Wooster in it!

That is not my brother, but that is the jumper pattern! I did it in dark brown and missed off the sleeves.

3. Who is your favorite Saint/ Confirmation Saint?

My confirmation saint is St. Catherine Labouré. A holy sister, she received visions from Our Lady telling her to have the Miraculous Medal made; despite opposition, she did so, and then lived a humble and holy life, never telling any of her sisters that she had received the visions.

She is one of my favourite saints, but I have many more, including St. Jude, St. Cecilia (of course), St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (my second name is Margaret Mary), St Therese of Lisieux, St Teresa of Avila, and St Catherine of Sienna.

4. What was your favorite subject in school?

English literature or French. I love reading and analysing texts, and I love languages. In fact, I still study French now because I enjoyed it so much.

There we have it! That was very fun, so many thanks to all and sundry who asked questions and commented!