1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
*Moved more than a kilometre in Australia (haha)
*Had the pets outnumber the humans
*Published a novel

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
*Probably not. I don’t really remember what they were in the first place.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
*I don’t know about ‘close’, but people I know gave birth. Plenty of bubs for the year. No one I know in person, though…

4. Did anyone close to you die?
*Not as far as I know.

5. What countries did you visit?
*Just Australia, this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
*Better self-control. There are plenty of things I would like to do, but they require sticking to a schedule – something I’m not the best at.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
*February 4th, when we moved into the place we’re renting now. It was absolutely stinking hot and humid. By the time we were in, we just put the mattress on the floor in the kitchen because that’s where the aircon is and fell asleep.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
*Publishing my novel – Echo Falls.

9. What was your biggest failure?
*Letting my weight gain so much. A large part of the initial gain was moving into a place without a working oven/stove, but I had plenty of time to correct that.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
*YES. Ugh. The flu that didn’t leave me be for nearly two months and ended off with a particularly strong ear infection. Not fun.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
*Copies of my book. Haha. Other than that… I don’t think I actually bought anything noteworthy.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
*My husband’s. As always, he’s stood strong by me while I’ve dealt with things.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
*Turn on the news. Pick some names.

14. Where did most of your money go?
*Honestly? Food and drink. Isn’t that where it usually goes?

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
*Publishing my novel. (I promise I’ll only mention it sixteen more times.) Getting our first dog… and getting our second dog when it became obvious Brin needed a companion.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
*I honestly don’t know. I don’t listen to a heap of music.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Calmer, which is the more important for me
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter.
c) richer or poorer? About the same, I think. A little less in debt from paying a year’s worth of student loan payments, so I guess that would make me richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
*Exercise (haha – but seriously…)

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
*Mucking about wasting time. Doing little things that end up taking so much time like playing Facebook games or pressing the snooze button on my alarm.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
*Having fun. Driving around a bit, making homemade pizza, movie marathon – all with the husband.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
*No, but I stayed in love, which is just as important these days.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
*I can’t really say. I didn’t stick to any particular one for very long when I did watch television.

24. What was the best book you read?
*The Hunger Games series.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
*A minor. Just kidding. No great discoveries.

26. What did you want and get?
*A lot of stationary/scrapbooking supplies.

27. What did you want and not get?
*A lottery win.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
*I don’t keep up with movies, so I couldn’t really say…

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
*I turned 25 this year and had a night at a pizza place with a mate who has a birthday close to mine – with all our friends, of course.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
*Not having to deal with the flu.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
*Confused.

32. What kept you sane?
*Deep breathing.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
*None.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
*Occupy Wall Street

35. Who did you miss?
*No one specifically.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
*Missy! She was like insta-friend and it’s been great ever since.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
*That it’s okay to admit you need help.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
*If you’re wrong in all the right ways. – Raise Your Glass – Pink

Something I don’t share here very often (because I have a blog about it) is my love of reading. However, I also love memes, so I figured I would cross-post here.

From Booking Through Thursday

1. Favorite childhood book?
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

2. What are you reading right now?
There are a couple of books… The one getting the most focus right now is The Ten Commandments of Losing Weight by Arlene Normand (I know what you’re thinking, but it’s a decent read.)

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Nothing at the moment

4. Bad book habit?
Hanging onto books I don’t like. Why keep them? I’m trying to ‘polish’ down my collection to only books I adore.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Four books: The one I mentioned I’m reading now, The Beck Diet for Life (hoping to pick up a few good tips), The Art of Raw Living Food by Doreen Virtue and Body Intelligence by Dr. Edward Abramson. (Can you tell I have a theme?)

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No. I wouldn’t mind one, but someone would have to buy it for me.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I would normally answer one at a time, but experience teaches me that I usually have more than one on the go.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I’m a bit more organized with reading and actually take the time to do it rather than letting the time find me (which it rarely does).

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
Hm. Probably Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel. You can read the review for my nitpicks.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
If I can go by the past year rather than ‘in 2010′ I’ll go with The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture and Assaulting Our Economy By Andrew Keen. I found it just plain fascinating.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Regularly. It comes with the territory when you review for people.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
When I was younger – epic fantasy and historical romance. Now… anything with the romance element.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yes, but I prefer not to. Public transport is my time for cooking up my own stories.

14. Favorite place to read?
In my recliner.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I don’t have a policy, but I’ll only do it with people I really trust – in general and trust to take care of my books.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
No. Do it enough and the corner will come off.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
No. I tried once as an experiment, but I prefer taking notes on a note card that doubles as a bookmark.

18. Not even with text books?
Nope.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English. I’m not proficient enough in any other language to read books in those languages.

20. What makes you love a book?
Characters and romance, mostly. A place can really take me, too, but that has only happened on a couple occasions (Red Dust by Fleur McDonald…)

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I love plenty of books, but I don’t often do a lot of recommending. When I do, it’s because a book make me think and/or changed my views on something. For example, the Ender series by Orson Scott Card.

22. Favorite genre?
These days, I really don’t know. I read so much of this and that.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Steampunk and urban fantasy. I’ve heard a heap about both but read little to nothing in those genres.

Favorite biography?
Another tough one. Stephen King’s On Writing pops into mind, though that was only part biography.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Certainly. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.

26. Favorite cookbook?
Margaret Fulton’s Encyclopedia of Cookery.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Inspirational… I haven’t finished it, but The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance really got me thinking not far into the book.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Strawberries.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I don’t really have one. I tend to avoid over-hyped books.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
A lot, but only because there are now so many critics out there. You’ll always end up agreeing with someone if everyone is giving an opinion.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
It’s a necessity of life. You can’t like every book you read. So long as you can fairly and even-handedly express why you don’t like a book, you’ll be fine. Or, you should be, in an ideal world where authors realized that bad reviews are an opportunity to make their future work better rather than taking a bad review of their book as a personal insult.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Assuming that if I can read it, I can speak it as well, Japanese. I love anime and graphic novels, but I’m at a complete loss with the symbols. On the other hand, Egyptian would be brilliant.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Probably The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson simply because it is one of the few hyped books I’ve read (because it came so highly recommended from a friend) and because the book is bloody massive.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
I can’t think of anything I’m too nervous to read at the moment.

35. Favorite Poet?
My husband.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Usually two to four.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Never unread. On a few occasions, unfinished.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Polgara the Sorceress from a book by the same name by David and Leigh Eddings.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
No my favourite so much as the one that always sticks in my head when villians are mentioned: Starlaughter Sunsoar from Sara Douglass’ The Wayfarer Redemption. Nutty as they come and literally tears people apart.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Usually none, as hotel rooms are my muse, but if any… Something light and fluffy or non-fiction (being in a good, relaxed mood makes learning much easier).

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Probably a year, if we’re not counting the newspaper. I think I was a little burned out after uni, moving to Australia, starting up a new life, etc.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Memoirs about child abuse or books that involve detailed child abuse. I usually manage to avoid them all, but sometimes it pops up here and there. I can’t name a specific book right at the moment, though.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Everything else on my to-do list.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Howl’s Moving Castle, which is strange because they changed so much of it.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I know there are plenty to choose from, but nothing comes to mind at the moment.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
$100. I bought my husband the collector’s edition of Footrot Flatts.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Never. My habit is synopsis, first few pages.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
A topic I couldn’t handle reading or just plain didn’t want to read, a story going nowhere, something totally unfitting of the book and/or completely stupid happening…

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I would like to…

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I’ll keep them if I like them and can’t bear to part with them. Otherwise, they go on Bookcrossing.com or on my giveaway shelf.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Anything overly hyped. Still avoiding all the Twilight books.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
I don’t want to name it because of the reason behind my anger, but there was a book published by the head of a small publishing company that was so badly formatted that is pissed me off to no end. Different fonts, paragraphs running together… And this wasn’t some goof trying to self-publish – it was from a company. Ack. It made me so angry to see such utter disregard for book form and for the readers.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Millennium Trilogy by Steig Larsson.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
I expected to like Queen Victoria: Demon Slayer more than I did.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Any book that I learn from.

Borrowed from Well-Mannered Frivolity

Outside my window… it is quiet as usual with a cold winter breeze moving through the trees.

I am thinking… of the lasagna I’m going to make tonight, all the work I should be doing but don’t want to because of the window and why I write better at night with a lamp with an orange glow rather than white.

I am thankful for… the Bloke. He’s awesome.

From the kitchen… ingredients are waiting to be put together for lasagna and a new dessert.

I am wearing… my comfies: a grey sweater I’ve had for years, dark grey sweatpants and, just for fun, my fun underthings.

I am creating… meals in my mind, stories on my laptop.

I am going… nowhere for the rest of the night. Too cold!

I am reading… Silver in the Sun by Tony Parsons, an outback novel.

I am hoping… that dinner will go well (can you tell I’m a wannabe chef?) and that I’ll get a lot of writing done tonight.

I am hearing… The hum of the heater, news on the tele, the husband moving around.

Around the house… not much is happening. We live in a very quiet block.

One of my favorite things… is cooking.

I don’t understand… why people have to be so heartless sometimes.

I wish… I could stop time. And start it again, of course.

A few plans for the rest of the week… Well, I have a double-birthday lunch with John Mischief (mine is the 10th, his is the 11th) and a birthday pub meetup on the 13th.

A picture to share…

Friday Fill In

1. It was a dark and stormy night, as it would have been a quite mystical experience to have a night that isn’t dark. However, it was nice to have the storm add to the overall ambiance of the night.

2. I cannot stand books being mistreated, especially burned, so I offered to take the books myself.

3. Rushing out, I ran into the screen door.

4. I offered my husband some of my green smoothie for breakfast…I think I heard a howl!

5. Shhhh… the Easter Bunny is coming.

6. I’m going to get cranky if you don’t give me something good to eat!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to trying out some new raw recipes and relaxing, tomorrow my plans include working ahead to cover the upcoming holiday and Sunday, I want to sleeeeeep!

Just because I can Friday Fill-In…

And…here we go!

1. I have a history of saying things I shouldn’t.

2. How to stop time is something I wish I knew.

3. I’m eating (or recently ate) some thickly sliced Swiss mushrooms with spicy tomato and basil pesto. Yum...

4. In about mid-November, The Bloke and I will be on the road.

5. So that’s it, that’s how you juggle bananas.

6. A t-shirt better than nothing!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to finish up baking and work before happily falling into bed, tomorrow my plans include more baking because I lost a bet, possibly a road trip and Sunday, I want to distribute my baked goods and have a relaxing day – hopefully with more sleep time!

When I first invited readers here to ‘Ask What You Will’, I didn’t expect much of a response. Lo and behold, I have some wonderful – and some personal – questions from you.

Today I’m going to answer those questions…

Jenera asked…

~Do you own any adult toys?

Yep! Not anything very exciting because toys tend to be expensive.

~If yes, what is your favorite?

I only have the one – a rabbit vibrator that hasn’t worked for months. I haven’t had the time nor the need to take it apart to see if I can get it to work again.

(The Bloke will always be my favourite sex toy. )

~Which toy would you love to try?

There is actually this little butterfly strap on thing that has a wireless remote used to make the well-placed butterfly vibrate. I’d love to try that because The Bloke would have control over the remote.

~If you could have any dog, what breed would you choose? (without worrying about landlords, space, cost, etc)

I really think German Shepherd just because of the love, the intelligence, the cute factor, plus – to be honest – the number of German Shepherds The Bloke has trained. I’m in love with Staffys as well, but German Shepherds still top the list.

~Do you have a dream car?

I’d have to say a Hyundai Accent in the most recent year possible. I’m not a lot into cars for more than getting from a to be with little petrol consumption and good mechanical support/warranty from the company.

~How many kids do you want to have?

In the multiples lottery, I’m a lot more likely to have twins than the average woman. I’ve known this since a very young age, so I’ve never really thought about having fewer than two children. Three is pretty much what I’ve had in mind when I think about it.

~If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

Australia. I haven’t had the chance to visit Europe or South America, but I really can’t imagine a place grabbing my heart and keeping it like Australia has. There is such a beautiful diversity of life and landscapes here that I can’t imagine being happier – in regards to landscape, wildlife, exploration, way of life, etc – than I am here.

Hanlie asked…

How did you meet The Bloke and was it love at first sight?

I met The Bloke on an online writer’s forum. You could say it was love at first chat. We danced around each other a little bit and ended up having our first chat on yahoo messenger last from about 9pm my time to about 7.30am my time. And even then, we only stopped talking because I had to go to class.

It was definitely love at first chat, though. He had me head over runners from that first conversation.

What makes you cry?

Ah, lovely. Haha. I’m actually a bit sensitive, so I cry over a few things. Human cruelty (what we do to each other and our children) can make me cry, thinking about things I went through when I was a child can make me cry (less often these days), when I want to make someone’s life better but it’s out of my hands I can get a bit teary-eyed…

Oh, if The Bloke gets even a little teary-eyed, I’m gone. I cannot handle that well at all.

Emma asked…

Are you developing an Australian accent yet?

A little bit. Fewer people seem to notice, but Australians are the accent experts of the world so they still notice. I am to the point where I’m learning about the finer things in regards to pronunciation. For instance, an American would say Mildura (a town) whereas Aussies pronounce is almost like Mildjura.

I think I would sound a little strange to people back in Wisconsin, but not true Aussie.

What about all these deadly Australian animals we hear about? Have you encountered any?

Most of the deadlies are in the bush, whereas I’m in a suburb. So no, I haven’t encountered many. However, on my last trip out to western Victoria, we did come across this little fella…

He’s an echidna. You don’t want to get in this guy’s way. In the picture he is wandering around the country pub we were at. One of his spikes came off, so to give you an idea…

These guys? Okay. I just want to keep away from the spiders and snakes…

Do you like to wear slippers?

Yep. Love ‘em. I’m wearing a pair now.

April asked…

What are some Australian sayings that had you stumped the first time you heard them?

The rhyming slang is always interesting, but you pick it up fairly quickly.

“trouble and strife” = wife
“Have a Captain Cook” = have a look (this one took me a little while)

I’m sure there are a couple more I’m just not thinking of at the moment.

DaveP asked…

Can you see yourself living in Australia for the rest of your life? If so, what will you miss the most about the U.S.?

Oh, yes. I’m a permanent resident now and plan to become a citizen. I have no plans to live anywhere else.

I get asked what I miss most quite a lot, actually. I think, above and beyond all, autumn in Wisconsin. Autumn is still my favourite season since moving here, but there is something gloriously, wonderfully beautiful about autumn in Wisconsin when all the trees are turning such fabulous colours, the days are getting longer, the corn is growing yellow in the fields… Yum.

What other countries are you eager to visit?

Shall I name them all? I would love to go on a world trip because there are so many places I’d love to go. Japan, China, Singapore, India, Egypt, all around Europe, etc. The Bloke went on a world trip a few years before we met and I love all his stories from the places he visited.

What style of writing do you prefer: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, blogging, other?

When I’m doing the writing? Well, blogging is certainly the easiest, which means it has a definite draw. The instant publication quality of it is not only intriguing but gratifying in certain ways.

I think I will always prefer fiction above all because in the imagination, nothing is impossible. I know that sounds cheesy, but that is what it comes down to. You are the only limit to your imagination.

However, I must say that, after having about half a dozen people tell me I need to put my life story into a book, non-fiction has risen in its appeal to me. Not because people are intrigued by the things I’ve done but because there is an amazing release in writing down where you have been, no matter how much you may thing it’s boring.

***

Phew! Thank you all for the wonderful questions that truly got me thinking. You’re welcome to ask more if you like, but I rather think people know more than they wanted to know about me now…

Well, Jenera did it so I think I should to it too…

I have always loved interviews and impromptu Q&As, so when Jenera offered to answer any questions people asked on her blog. There are plenty of things, I think, that people might want to know about me, about Australia, etc, so I thought I would open the doors.

So have at it, if you wish. Ask anything you would like to ask. I’ll put another post up later in the week with my answers.

Of course, yet again, I have more than one quote to share. I assure you that both have had a big impact on my life.

Looking at something and seeing it are two completely different things.

– The Ideal Husband

You will never ‘find’ time for anything. If you want time you must make it.

– Charles Buxton (1823 – 1871)

Confused? Original meme directions here.