It’s time for another Sunday Stealing! This is another random one from in the past, being that Sunday Stealing is on vacation for the rest of the year.
1. Have you ever written to a celebrity? Did they respond?
I wrote to Paul Stanley once. Nope, no response. It’s weird that I wrote to him and not Ace Frehley, though. Ace was my favorite.
2. Do you read letters immediately, or wait until ready to reply?
I don’t get letters or personal emails. I check work email two or three times a day and respond as necessary. A lot of employers out there expect immediate responses to emails, as did a former boss, but I can’t work that way. Writing requires chunks of uninterrupted time.
3. My preferences when it comes to reading:
Fiction, and my favorite genres are mystery, historic, and horror.
4. What I’m least likely to change my mind about:
The incoming US President. He’s disgusting through and through.
5. The topics I would get wrong about during trivia:
Sports, architectural styles, theater, cars.
6. What I’m hopeful about right now:
Not a whole heck of a lot, actually. The USA is heading for dark days. I’m glad I’m not a young woman. I cannot imagine what it would be like to have to worry about an unplanned pregnancy in the current political environment.
7. Philosophies I’ve learned/embraced from others:
I’m self-seeking and prefer Buddhist philosophy. Stoicism is a close second. They overlap in a lot of places.
8. What makes home feel like home?
Color. I cannot STAND the whole “beige aesthetic.” It’s boring and lacks imagination. I will always have blue couches and sofas. I will always have at least one room with some purple (currently have three). I will always have another room with shades of red (currently my office). My tree will always have colored lights.
9. Talents and skills I like to cultivate:
My rapport with other living creatures. I like knowing that they trust me and will often pick me out of a group of people to approach. Maybe they sense that I won’t try to eat them, like I pass the vegetarian smell test.
10. What makes my heart race:
Too much sugar and/or caffeine.
11. What power means to me:
The ability to walk away from things that don’t serve me and people who make life harder than it has to be. Hence my swearing off dating and relationships. They sap my energy. The last 10 years weren’t always easy, but they were a lot more peaceful than any time in my life with a man was. If I didn’t have to deal with the Wicked Witch of the West for a supervisor for five and a half of the last six years, I’d have had things pretty rootin’ tootin’ easy.
12. Some of my comfort hobbies:
Coloring. Ha, still haven’t finished that snowflake. Just haven’t had the time. Vegan baking. Binge-watching documentary series about archeology or space. Latch-hook.
13. Last time I was pleasantly surprised:
My midyear review at work. Seems my current supervisor thinks more highly of my work than I do.
14. How was October 2024?
Busy but good. Celebrated my birthday with people, which is something I don’t usually do barring a brunch with one of my friends. This one was special, though, as I made it for a full year after my heart attack.
15. Those who inspire my growth:
The Buddha, Dōgen, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius.
My favorite backyard bird is the Northern Cardinal. The male’s bright red and the female’s red-tipped wings and tail lift my spirits, and I think their songs are the most beautiful of all songbirds. When I sent holiday cards they usually had Northern Cardinals on them, and I have a cute little holiday dish towel with a Northern Cardinal on it, part of a set that also has a red towel with Mourning Doves and a green towel with a Chickadee on it.
Yet oddly enough, I didn’t have any Christmas ornaments with a Northern Cardinal on it–until now. Presenting this year’s ornament:
The was the only one of its kind at Macy’s when I bought a bunch of ornaments, so I consider it fate. Most Northern Cardinal decor is red like the male, but I love the female’s coloring just as much, if not more. Look how pretty she is!
Come to think of it, the image above might have to be my laptop wallpaper for January, even though DesktopNexus seems to have returned.
Before I go, have some Northern Cardinal song:
And now to put fresh sheets on the bed and wait for my clothes to dry. Envy the rich tapestry of my life, won’t you?
zenzalei 