Sunday Stealing: The Tuesday Four

 I spent part of the afternoon at a friend's place with one of her foster kittens asleep on my chest. I renamed the cat Belly - short for Beelzebub. I can't take him home as Lucifer would eat him, but gee it was a near perfect afternoon. 

Anyway, because of this, I'm all dopey and happy and don't feel like writing. 

But I will do this. Questions, as always, have been provided by Bev at Sunday Stealing. 

1.Are you currently reading a book you'd like to tell us about? Maybe a TV program you can recommend to us?

On audiobook, I'm listening to Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. On paper, I'm still slogging through Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You, but I also need to start Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran for book group soon. 

2. Are you a Jane Austen fan? So many seem to be. If you are what is your favorite book and who is your favorite character.  If you aren't a fan, is there an author you especially like to read? Favorite character..etc?

I love Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is my favourite, followed closely by Sense and Sensibility. I feel for Eleanor in the latter and of course I love Elizabeth Bennet. But I also like Anne Elliot out of Persuasion. And don't get me started on Sanditon. Yes, it's an adaption, but Sidney Parker. oh, my...

3.  How do you spend your time during the day?  Do you set apart time to read, watch TV, study?

I work office hours during the week. I also try to make time to exercise, and read, and knit, and watch telly. I like keeping busy. 

4. Have your beliefs changed in your life time?

Not really. I'm still a big lefty. The big change in me since childhood is that I'm no longer a Christian. I believe in an overarching God, or Gods - but not the sanctity of Jesus. That never really made sense to me. 

5. What are your interests and hobbies? .. reading? writing? collecting?

• Reading
• Writing
• Cinema and Theatre
• Cuddling cats
• Planning holidays in my head
• Politics
• And I do the Wordle every day. 

6 How much time a week/day/month do you devote to your interests?

A good hour a day on any given day. 

7. Do you share your interests with anyone?

I'm always up to talk reading, writing, films, plays, books and politics. I'm known for it. 

8.Tell us why you enjoy your hobby, pastimes or interests.

I like having my mind stretched, which is what reading, writing, films and books tend to do for you. 

9. What emotions and feelings does summer conjure up for you?

Fear - I hate the heat - which is a bit ironic since I'm spending a lot of time in Darwin over the next few months. I was up there last week. 33 degrees Centigrade and 95% humidity. It was truly awful. 

10. What's summer weather like in your neck of the woods?

An average Summer in Melbourne is rather nice. Dry, sunny days that sit around 30 degrees Centigrade, with a sea breeze cooling things off in the evening. The last few years, the Summer has been milder and more humid thanks to La Nina. I prefer Adelaide Summers which are hotter and drier. I love that in Adelaide in summer you can get your sheets dry on the clothesline in around 30 minutes. 

11. Got some special summer meals you and your family enjoy?

No. I just eat more salad in Summer. And cold meat. 

12. What do you enjoy doing in summer? Sports, trips.. do you go on vacation?

I really don't like summer that much - prefer Autumn (Fall) and Winter. I'm that sort of person. 

13. Did your parents have things better than you today?

In some ways yes. In some ways no. I'll leave it at that. 

14. What time period would you rather live in.. or are you okay with today?

I'm okay with today, but it would be good to go back to the seventies and try and make some better environmental decisions that could mean we weren't in the predicament we're in now. 

15. What changes would you make for our time to make it nicer/better to live in?

Oh, that is a difficult question. How can you teach respect and decency, and that we're all in this together? Surely it can't be that hard. 

Today's song: