Chatting with Patrice {of puzzles and siblings}

Good afternoon, Patrice!  This week, I don't feel so "behind", as you are keeping me company by chatting on the day I normally get around to chatting with you! 

We've had some chillier spring weather, lately, and I am hoping it starts to warm up again, to get out a bit more!

So, let's get chatting!

1. Do you enjoy crossword puzzles, word finds, or any "word" activities?

I love word puzzles.  I don't make as much time to play them as I used to, well, certainly not in a written format. My holiday treat to myself used to be a puzzle book. I especially loved the logic type puzzles, where you are given lots of clues, and you have to work out the relation between different things. I also like crosswords, especially cryptic ones (not that I am very good at them, but I enjoy the challenge). I reckon growing up with my Dad doing the crossword in the newspaper, inspired an interest in them for me.  He's WAY better at the cryptic ones than I am, but probably because he has been doing them longer.  You have to get your brain in the right place to "get" the answers.

I also enjoy an anagram app on the iPad - it's called Jumbline, and I like that I can just play it for a few minutes, then put it down. 

I've heard it help the grey matter to do puzzles, so that's why I do them... honestly....

2.  What's on your dining room table right now?

Hmmmmm... last time I looked, there were Atlases, school workbooks, pencils and maybe a small child? When we are doing school there is a cover with a pencil design all over it, and, when we eat, a green, spotty cloth goes on top, that's not covered in pencil marks and ink splodges. 

Actually, there is currently a lovely, red, ink splodge on my NICE cloth. What happens when children don't do as they are told, and get felt tip pens out WITHOUT taking the nice cloth off. 

*sigh*

3.  Do you like Italian food?

I LOVE Italian food. Like Patrice, however, I cannot eat gluten, so it doesn't involve pasta any more, or pizza. *weeps*  I was happy to discover that both Pizza Hut and Pizza Express now do a gluten free pizza option! YAY!

I love the flavour of tomato and basil, married together.  Yum-my.

I love Olives, which is a recent development. My first introduction to Olives, was when I was younger in America, and mistaking them as grapes, and being disgusted to realise they were NOT! 

More recently, I have discovered that they CAN be lovely, so long as you don't buy cheap brands.  I prefer green over red.

4.  Did you ever want a brother, twin, or sister, when you were a child?

Well, I had 2 brothers, and one sister anyway.  The old "the grass is always greener" thing went on, though.  I would have loved an OLDER brother, and a YOUNGER sister, but I had neither of those things.

(I'm back left)

(again, me on the left - the picture is 4 years old, though, and I am a bit slimmer than I was then!)

Aren't my children blessed?  Most of them will never want for those things - well, other than the oldest 2 children - one of which has an older nothing, and one of which has no older sister.  My youngest 2, whoever they end up being, will have the same issue. All those in between have a healthy dose of both!

I think I possibly thought a twin was a nice idea, at some point, but can't particularly remember!

5.  How far away is the nearest grocery store?

We have a "Co-op" (a grocery store, by that name) about a mile or so away. It's not very big, but has everything you need, at competitive prices, and some more. I only go there for emergencies, though.

The bigger stores are all about 10 miles away, and I rarely go.

I get my groceries delivered.

Bliss.

How lovely to chat again, Patrice! Look forward to joining you again soon!