Transported to a Dream Holiday ... on Patrice's Porch

Patrice, you have some really good questions this week, and the thought of visiting with you on your porch in Spring-like weather .... well, does it get any better than that!


Oh, and wonderful as your porch is, my title isn't really suggesting that your porch is my dream holiday destination! (Don't tell Wendell I said that - he does make the trips to your porch very worthwhile. Please tell him that :)


1. What's your favourite type of chair?


Err.... the one that avails itself at the end of a busy day. 


I guess my favourite type is a comfy, squishy, big-enough-to-pull-my-feet-up type of chair. I almost always sit in the same place in our Family Room, and it's actually on the sofa. I never, ever, though, sit in a 'sitting position' with my derriere on the cushion and my feet on the floor.


(Okay, so my feet may not actually reach the floor whilst the aforementioned derriere is on the cushion, but these are details that are neither here nor there. And so we move quickly on....)


The only other chair in the Family Room I like is ...

... this one!

I do like sitting here if I need my legs to have a good stretch. Although it's a child's chair, we almost all fight over it as some stage or other.

(The Builder is never part of these fights.)

2. What was the last play you saw?


I can not honestly remember ever seeing a play. Just let me think for a minute....


*Cogs a-turning*


Nope. I don't think so!


3. If you could spend an all expenses paid week in a cabin in the mountains, a cottage at the beach, or a townhouse in a city with lots of great attractions, which would you choose?


Oh dear me! Definitely not the city. Well, we did love Washington DC when we were there - visiting the White House (I bet President Bush is still kicking himself that he had to meet with the Ghana leader rather than have his lunch with us.); being in the Capitol Building, and seeing all the monuments in the National Park. I wouldn't mind visiting there again, and having time to visit Arlington (I'm really sorry we didn't get there, and it very much remains on my To-do list), and watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. *sniff sniff*. There are amazing facts surrounding the tomb and its guards. You can find some of them here. 

Photo courtesy of Apples4theteacher

So, apart from DC, and a quick 48-hour visit to London to see some of the sites, I would not choose a city as my holiday destination.


A WARM beach holiday sounds nice, but because we live so close to a beautiful beach with magnificent seas, I'm not sure I would chose this holiday if I had the choice of ...


A Cabin in the Mountains


Oh, Patrice. This sounds like a dream to me! And may I choose the mountains? Yes? Well, I guess many of you will already know my choice.

The Blue Ridge Mountains

This would definitely be a dream holiday for me. And .... I would be close enough to a friend of mine in Virginia so we could visit together loads of times.


To waken up to a view of the mountains. To sit on the 'porch' and watch the sun go down and the colours of the mountains and the sky and the trees change before my eyes. To wonder at God's creation - a very different variety to the beautiful scenes I'm used to - day after day. I know I would never, ever tire of it. And I'm pretty sure that two weeks in such a place would only serve to whet my appetite for more of the same.


Yep.... a cabin in the mountains it'll be, Patrice.


4. What's your favourite condiment?


I'm not a huge condiment person, I must say. Last year, our friend, Laurie, gave me a jar of Mango salsa from a lovely food shop in town. It had actually come all the way from Maine(!), but it was so delicious. I do hope to learn the art of salsa-and-chutney-making this coming summer, so maybe I'll try and make something similar. It was yummy.


5. What's your favourite breed of dog?


Oh well, I couldn't possibly suggest anything other than the highly intelligent, highly trainable and motivated ...

Labrador.

(Okay, guys, your spluttering and choking on your tea could have been slightly less obvious. Just for the sake of a certain Mr J's self-esteem.)


Obviously a big a Labrador wouldn't be the suitable choice for everyone, but everything you've ever read about their nature is true. Our fella is your typical perfect-nature-for-a-family-pet dog. You can do as you wish with him - play with his ears when he's sleeping, lift his jowls and make funny shapes with them, tease him, play with him, and even ignore him - and all you get is loving, chocolate eyes looking back at you. Yep, everything they say about them is true.


When I was growing up, we had a miniature Shetland Collie. She was beautiful, though the Builder reckons she was far too yappy. I really don't remember that about her at all, though she did bark when someone came to the house. She was lovely, and a wonderful pet to have had.


I do love some of the larger Spaniels. The Springer Spaniel is a real favourite of mine, and when we were thinking of buying a dog, this was one of our top three options.

Courtesy of this website

They are extremely lively dogs, and in the end, this is why we chose a Lab. Although Jackson is full of fun, it is nice for us that he is happy to lie at our feet and snooze. I'm not sure that kind of pastime rates highly with the English Springers. They aint called Springers for nothin'.

Once again, Patrice, thank you for your great questions, and for a wonderful time on your porch. Ahhh, it's nice to sit outside with a bit of warmth on my face. Back to old clothes and porridge now, though, but all being well I'll see you next week!