Labor Day

Well, on Labor Day we have a day off, so presumably a day to do very little.  So, since it's not a Sunday, I found a different meme to do, to make this entry as effortless as possible.  :)

What TV shows do you try and watch every week?
How much time do you have?  :)  Here are the top 10:
** The Daily Show
** White Collar
** Criminal Minds
** NCIS
** Royal Pains
** Big Bang Theory
** Rizzoli & Isles
** Project Runway (when it's on)
** Amazing Race (when it's on)
** Grey's Anatomy

Should gay couples be allowed to marry? Why?
Yes, yes, yes, and YES!!!  To deny the civil status of "married" to people who love each other, are committed to each other and want to make a life together is just immoral.  These are American citizens who pay their taxes, contribute to society and just happen to love someone of the same gender.  I have expressed my views on this subject many times in this journal.  I am encouraged to see that slowly the views on this subject seem to be changing, but God help us if Romney is elected.   All the work of the past many years will be wiped out in a single stroke.

(I love the Laura Bush quote, and I never thought I was a fan of anybody named "Bush" before!)

If you could build your own house what would it look like?
If I built my own house it would look like something 4 year old Brianna made with blocks.  But if I worked with an architect and people who knew what they were doing, it would be a one story house high on a hill with a great view (preferably of the ocean, but back far enough that crumbling hillsides would not be a problem).  There would be a huge kitchen overlooking that view, with lots of counter and work space and tons of cupboards.  There would be a lush library with tons of built-in book cases, and office with room to work and store things. There would be an oversized bathroom with a tub big enough for me to lounge around in.  All the rest of the house would look similar to the house we visited yesterday.

What shows from your childhood do you believe should be bought back on TV?
I'm not a big fan of "bringing back" TV shows.  I think that often they are either dated or new scripts don't hold up to the old ones. 

What one place in the world would you love to live?
I'm happy where I am.  If I had lots of money, I would build that house somewhere in Mendocino county, or somewhere else near the ocean closer to Tom and Laurel, not that far from my mother or from Ned and Marta.  If I had to pick some more exotic location, I wouldn't mind living in London.

What's your favourite animal and why?
Domestic animal, of course, is the dog.  For obvious reasons.  They have been my favorite animal since I was very little. That's why we have 3 of them.
Farm animal favorite is the horse, ever since I read "The Black Stallion" when I was 10.
Wild animal favorite is the elephant, which I find endlessly fascinating.

What have you done today?
Finished another book, wrote a 10 page (typed) letter to my friend Ann and wrote a letter to each of the 12 Compassion kids (it helps that you can do it electronically and copy parts of one letter to another!).  Watched NCIS marathon. Steamed leftover spaghetti and meatballs because the microwave isn't installed yet.

What do/does your name/s mean?
Literally, I was told by a priest when I was in grammar school, that "Beverly" means "beaver-lake" (in fact, he always called me that).   I do not, however, think that my parents knew that when they gave me this name, which was my aunt's middle name.

What are you afraid of?
The Romney/Ryan ticket winning the election.  It terrifies me. 

Have you ever been somewhere that took your breath away? Where was it?
So many places!  San Francisco on a clear day, the Canadian Rockies, the Indian ocean seen from Hillary's Marina in Western Australia, the inside of the Wurzburg Residenze in Germany, Cinque Terre.  I have been privileged to have a lot of those "take your breath away" experiences.

Is honesty always the best policy?
It sure makes life less complicated!

If you knew the world was ending in 2012, what would you do differently?
Nothing, really.

If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
Buy a top of the line computer and a person who can set it up for me, buy the latest version of PhotoShop, get a good SLR camera with lots of lenses, and make family gifts to the families of all of my Compassion kids.  Then I'd think about doing things that were more logical.

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?
My whole life is "free time"

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Bury two children.

What was the last experience that made you a stronger person?
Burying two children.

What do you miss most about being a kid?
Having my mommy pamper me when I'm sick (which is why I try to never get sick!)