Sunday, April 8, 2018

Sunday Stealing

1) Do you think you’d be a good writer? What kind of writer would you like to be (fiction, children’s books, magazine, etc.)?
Well, according to our income tax form, I am a writer.  I've been a theater critic for 18 years and before that I wrote several special weekly columns for the paper (school news, mental health news, etc.) and I co-authored two books about a Gilbert & Sullivan company in San Francisco, with which I have been associated for more than 50 years.  My claim to fame is that I am in the Library of Congress, though very few people have read the book or even have any interest in it!

2) I wish I had enough money to
give each one of my Compassion sponsored children clean water and bathroom facilities for their villages, and each kid a bicycle.

3) If you had to enter a competition for the "Most Uselessly Unique Talent," what would your talent be?
Folding won ton.  Not a lot of call for that in my life these days!

4) When it might hurt their feelings, how do you feel about telling your friends the truth?
It depends on what the particular truth is.  I did tell one very good friend a painful truth many years ago, and I didn't hear from her again.  So I guess I'm more cautious now.

5) Peanut or plain?
Peanut all the way! (But plain peanut butter)

6) Is there someone you would like to take your place in life for one day? Who and why?
If I didn't have to actually interact with her, I wouldn't mind Martha Stewart coming to put my house in order for a day. (I can't think of anybody else who could do it in a day)

7) What do you think is the ugliest thing or event on Earth?

I used to think G.W. Bush had the worst smirk in the world, but I have to admit that compared to this smug supercilious grin, I'd much rather see G.W. back again.

8) What is your least favorite of your personality traits or quirks?
Procrastination.  I'm going to do something about it...tomorrow, or the next day.

9) I wish I could see
our sons Paul and David because they've been dead ~20 years (22 for one, 19 for the other) and I just miss them.



10) Tell us your favorite children's story.
There is a story I have been searching for for years and have been unable to find it.  It was one of my favorites when I was a kid. It's about a farming family living in China--I don't know which century--where it was illegal to eat pork.  They had pigs and one day there was a fire in their barn and the pigs were killed.  In trying to determine if the pigs were alive or not, the farmer accidentally stuck his hand through the skin of the pig.  He pulled his hand out, licked his fingers to cool them off and discovered the meat was delicious.  I remember that he set other barn fires so he could eat pork, but I don't remember how the story ended and I have not been able to find it anywhere in my adulthood
                          
11) What do you keep in the trunk of your car?
The usual stuff--jack, spare tire, jumper cables, minimal tools, plus a roll of paper towels, a blanket, a supply of bottled water and a bag of reusable grocery bags.

12) Describe your perfect, rainy afternoon.
When we lived in a one-story house, I loved sitting in a comfy chair with a good book and listening to the rain falling on the roof while I read.  Now we are in a 2 story house and I often don't even know it's rained until it's all over.

13) Tell us about your favorite way to get lost in a simple activity — running, chopping vegetables, folding laundry, whatever. What’s it like when you’re in "the zone"?
Usually writing something here on the internet, finding new questions for Sunday Stealing, wandering through Facebook, or getting lost in my current SwapBot journal project.  Now that it's Daylight Savings time I really get lost in whatever project I'm doing in any afternoon and I'm thinking it's 4 p.m. and am surprised to realize it's really 5 p.m.  Where did that hour go?

14) What parts of nature do you like best?
I find nature endlessly fascinating, but I particularly like learning about animals.  A Nature special recently on beavers was amazing as was one on butterflies.  My favorites are always specials on elephants.

15) What's the kindest act you have ever seen done (either to/by you or another)?
I've seen many kind acts, but one that happened to me was about 3 or 4 years ago when Ned and I had our heads shaved to raise money through St. Baldrick's for children's cancer research.  I hoped we could raise $1,000.  Many readers of Funny the World and Facebook friends contributed, but the one which touched my heart the most was a card I received where a neighbor had gone to every neighbor on the street and collected money for me. This moved me mostly because the neighbor who was the organizer was one with whom I have had a lot of problems and we have hardly talked in the 40+ years we have lived here and I really have no relationship with any of the other neighbors, in the wake of the original unpleasantness, so to see them all come out and give money for my cause just touched me to the core. I cried a lot.  Ned and I ended up raising $3,700.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Bev,
This was too temepting to leave alone! Here is a reference about the roast pork:
http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~jer6616/elia(1823).htm#ROAST
Love, Evelyn

Bev Sykes said...

WOW. I've been looking for this story for years. This is not the version I read, but this is the story. Thanks so much!!!