And because I saw this at Lisa's and Kim's

And because I have no original ideas today:

The ONE WORD meme:

1. Your cell phone? ...... unused
2. Your significant other?..... husband
3. Your hair? ....... shorter
4. Your mother? .... working
5. Your father?....... deceased
6. Your favorite thing?....... depends
7. Your dream last night?...... unforgettable
8. Your favorite drink? ......Yalumba
9. Your dream/goal?........ multiple
10. The room you’re in... .... office
11. Your talent ?........ calligraphy
12. Your fear?.......... audience
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years?..... home
14. Where were you last night?..... home
15. What you’re not?........ ambitious
16. Muffins?............bran
17. One of your wish list items?...... Kindle
18. Where you grew up?........ everywhere*
19. The last thing you did?..... treadmill
20. What are you wearing?...... AVIAs
21. Your TV?............ cable
22. Your pet(s)?........... hilarious
23. Your computer? ...... old
24. Your life?........ marvelous
25. Your mood?....... expectant
26. Missing home?......yes
27. Your car?........old
28. Something you’re not wearing?.. . . earrings
29. Favorite Store?........ Blicks
30. Your summer?......... short
31. Hate someone?.........no
32. Your favorite color?....... green
33. Last time you laughed....... today
34. Last time you cried?....... yesterday
35. Who will re-post this?.....YOU!

*stolen from Kim.  Great answer. 

My friend, Kate, tagged me for an easy, retrospective meme.  I get to sort through my old posts, (the thought of which made me laugh, after so recently reading what Kim's husband Buggy says about linking to/reposting old posts:  "re-posting old material is the first step to quitting blogging.") and select one representative of each of the following themes: family, friends, me, something I love and anything I like.

FAMILY: I am excitedly waiting to become a Grandmother in June!  We're having a little grandson and I can.not.WAIT to see him and hold him and smell him and kiss him.

FRIENDS: My RL/BFF Dorothy now has a blog!  Have you visited the Field Stone Cottage?

ME:  I'm going to be a Grandma!! (wait a minute; I guess I've used that one already.  Oh, well.)

SOMETHING I LOVE:  Quotes

ANYTHING I LIKE:  Jack Sparrow

Let's see; I'll tag Jill (because I'm sure she'll link to some very cute baby pictures and you really MUST go see her banner) and Pam (because I really miss her) and Staci (because she is a relatively new friend and I wonder why it took me so long to find her blog and I'm sure she'll have very good posts to share that I haven't read yet)

 As always, ladies, play if you have time--no pressure!

My good friend, Elle, tagged me today for a very special meme.  Here's how it goes:

1. Post a picture or make/take/create your own that captures that about which YOU are most passionate for students to learn. (Mine is below.
2. Give your picture a short title.
3. Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt.”
4. Link back to this blog entry.
5. Include links to 5 (or more) educators.

Evangelism

 

Saint Philip Baptizing the Eunuch of the Queen of Ethiopia, 1854 (?)
Théodore Chassériau (French, 1819–1856)
Oil, gouache, black chalk on paper glued to canvas; 32 1/8 x 14 3/4 in. (81.6 x 37.5 cm)
Private Collection

This painting depicts a passage from Acts 8:

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

As a Bible study leader, I greatly desire that each one of us know the Gospel and the implications of the Gospel so well that, like Philip, we can begin with any passage in the Old or New Testament and use it as a jumping off point for proclaiming the Gospel.  Presently, I lead a Bible Study in the Book of Hebrews and each week, after we have finished our lesson, we talk about how, beginning with the verses we studied,we would do as Philip did and begin to share the Gospel with someone.

Elle's blog (along with the other "tagees" Rosemary, Lisa) have inspired and encouraged me so many, many times.  I'm grateful to have an opportunity to participate in this meme.  Thanks, Elle!

I'd like to tag Dorothy (who is my dear friend and one of my "real life" Bible study partners), Kim, Rebecca, Leslie, and Ann.  As always, no pressure!  I'd love to read your answers, but don't feel obligated if you're busy!

 

My friend ukrainiac, who blogs at The Heart of the Matter, tagged me for a meme while I was on my bloggy break.  Well, I'm back now and ready to go!

Here are the rules:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.  (I'm only going to tag one this time around, but anyone is invited to play!)

And here’s the meme:

What I was doing 10 years ago:

Ten years ago, it was spring in South Central Kentucky and we were preparing to move to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I was homeschooling two boys; Jake was in 7th grade and Sam was in first.

Five things are on my To Do List today:

1. Mail my grand-niece's birth announcements
2. Work on  a bloggy button for Lex Venit's Reading Group
3. Clean up dog poo (on my 'never-ending-every-day' list)
4. 25 minutes on the treadmill
5. Clean out the fridge

Snacks I enjoy permit myself:

almonds

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

I have no idea.  I don't think I have the wisdom to handle that much money.  I'm sure I don't have a good enough imagination to come up with anything more specific than that I would desire to promote the Gospel, help people, and invest it in such a way that it would fund God honoring ministries.  

Three of my bad habits:

Forgetting and/or misplacing my glasses.

Forgetting to release the shower pull when I'm finished showering (the next person gets doused from above when they  turn on the spigot.)

Forgetting to charge my cell phone.  (Not sure why I even have one;  I never use it.  It sits on top of my husband's dresser and I charge it when it starts beeping at us in the middle of the night. . .)

Five places I have lived:

Starting from here and working backwards…

1. Chicagoland, Illinois
2. Brunswick, Ohio
3. Lancaster, PA
4. Glasgow, KY
5. Ashland, Ohio

Five jobs I’ve had:

1. Waitress
2. Dental Chairside Assistant
3. Cross stitch pattern designer
4. Preschool teacher
5. Calligrapher

I'm going to tag my good friend, Dorothy, who just started her own blog, Field Stone Cottage.

Karen tagged me for the Bucket List meme: five things you want to do before you die, based on the movie The Bucket List. (I have never heard of said movie before, have you?  Is it in theaters now?)

I remembered that I had answered a similar meme before; so, being the constant, unspontaneous person that I am, I searched through my old blogger blog for the answers I gave the other time--June 2006.  I had to laugh when I read this:

"Here are my answers from last November."  (7 x 7 things meme)

See?  I really am a constant, unspontaneous person, am I not?  Here are the first five from that other list:

1. Grow in grace and truth
2. Visit Ireland
3. Face death with confidence and peace
4. See my boys happily married to godly women (one down, two to go!)
5. Pray with my grandchildren (first one on the way!)

Last time, I tagged some new friends and I shall do the same this time:

Mummymac, AnnB, and Naomi, all of whom live in Ireland and all with whom I hope to have a cup of tea someday.  Ladies, you may answer the Bucket Meme or the 7 x 7 meme--your choice.  I am also tagging my (rl)bff Dorothy for either meme.  It'll give her some fodder for her new blog once she commits to and creates her new blog.

Saw this at Biblical Christianity this morning:

Sci Fi Quiz

42%? No, I rather think I'm a good guesser. . .and I've raised three boys. . .who collected more than a few Star Wars action figures. There was a time when many of my conversations with Sam went like this: "Sam, if you don't pick up Yoda's cane you're going to lose it! One of these days I'm going to suck it up in the vacuum cleaner!" or "If you think you want to keep collecting Star Wars guys, then don't let me find Emperor Palpatine in the hamper again!" or "No, you can't buy THAT Princess Leia. She doesn't have enough clothes on." Yep, those were the days.

A meme from my friend, Ellen:

1. God has decided to send you on a Mission trip, where are you going and why?

Assuming that I was being obedient to God's call to go there, I would go to France. Partly because I can speak French (well, sort of; not fluently anymore) and also because France is largely unchurched. I think that is a sad state of affairs for a country that, through the military prowess of one of its larger-than-life leaders, Charles Martel, Europe remained a Christian continent.

From the Wikipedia article:  He is best remembered for winning the Battle of Tours in 732, which has traditionally been characterized as an event that saved Europe from the Islamic expansionism that had conquered Iberia. "Charles's victory has often been regarded as decisive for world history, since it preserved western Europe from Muslim conquest and Islamization."

If I remember correctly, he was also Charlemagne's grandfather. . . or was it the other way around. . .? (He was Charlemagne's grandfather.  Charlemagne's father, Charles Martel's son, was Pepin the Short.)

2. You have a free afternoon to read uninterrupted. Where would you choose to read?

I would pack my bookbag and head someplace shady and cool.   Under a weeping willow would be nice as long as there were no flies or mosquitoes.  I’d pack my Bible, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and The Inklings.

3. You get to choose where your kids will go to college; money and grades are not an issue. Where would you want them to go and why? If you don’t have kids where would you have wanted to go to college if money and grades were not an issue?

Hmm. I honestly don’t have an easy answer for that one. I guess my mindset is so, well, committed to having them direct their own lives at that point that I just don’t have a good answer. I guess if  I had to chose for them, I would chose Ashland University for Jake (oldest son graduated from there last May), because it’s a good school and there’s lots of family there to love him and be there for him.  And for Sam?  I'd probably try to pick Jules' husband's brain first to find out which was the finest school for up and coming cartoonists and send Sam there.

4. If you were stuck in an elevator for over an hour what music would you want playing while you were stuck? I’d prefer no music and my bookbag, but if I had to listen for an hour, I’d like it to be tuned to WDRV-FM 97.1 The Drive on a Thursday at 10:00 so I could hear the 10 at 10. ("Ten great songs from one great year"—I’d chose 1974 or 1978) followed by songs from the Thursday Artist, The Police.  It would be fun if my sister was with me; we know all the words. . .

5. You have to travel from the west coast to the east coast of your country, what 5 cities would you want to spend time in?

Seattle, (I'd get Ellen to give me a tour of Seattle) Chicagoland, (there's no place like home) the Cleveland area, (unless it's hometown) Lancaster PA, (I miss Central Market) Boston (never been there, always wanted to go).

I'm to tag 5 people with new questions of my own.  I tag Elle, Shanna, Pam, MissM, and Jen.  Feel free to decline the invitation to a game of tag, girls.  Summer's busy and if you don't have time, that's OK. 

1. What is your favorite OUTDOOR memory, before Kindergarten

2. Do you find history fascinating and if so, which historical period are you most likely to explore?

3. What period of art do you prefer and who is your favorite artist? 

4. What kind of vacuum cleaner to you own and would you recommend it to someone who is looking for a vacuum cleaner that is strong enough to pick up little red Vizsla hairs without locking itself to the expensive oriental rugs in the process.  (not that I know anyone looking for a new vacuum cleaner solution. . .)

5.  Tell me about your favorite pan, if you have one.  Speaking of pans, have you ever made crepes? If so, what is your favorite filling?

"She" is one of my oldest, best-est blogging friends (She being Carol, from She Lives).  Carol is one of those kind-hearted, friendly, gracious, and generous bloggers--always ready with a word of encouragement, a humorous response, a challenging thought.  She very generously and graciously shared the Blogger Reflection Award with me, which says:

The reason for the title is because this award should make you reflect on five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. Five Bloggers who when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy... of knowing them and being blessed by them.

I can honestly say that Carol has been all those things to me, many times over.  Thank you, Carol! 

Now I get the privilege of giving this honor to five more women, each of whom have impacted my life and encouraged me in my faith and who daily reflect the Love of Christ on their blogs.   There are so many wonderful women bloggers who lift high the Name of Christ each day--it was really very difficult to hone this down to just five. 

1.  Rebecca, from Rebecca Writes

Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows how much I appreciate Rebecca.  She's been a good friend to me for many years--long before either one of us ever heard of blogs.  I've learned much from her over the years (still do!)  Rebecca has a fabulous way of communicating the truths of God's word so that it is both easy to understand and thought provoking at the same time!

2.  Kim, from the Upward Call

Kim is another great blogging friend.  I like the way she thinks.  She has a way of being very transparent that makes me think.  She thinks Biblically.  She reads really good books, too!  Kim has a way of sending a "how are you" email right at the right time. She has encouraged me many times.

3.  Elle, from A Complete Thought

      Elle is a new blogging friend.  Another deep, Biblical thinker.  I love to read Elle's comments on blogs as much as I do her blog posts!  They are always full of wisdom and grace.  Elle is what I think of as a sound Christian.

4.  Rosemary, from Seasonings of the Heart

Rosemary is a real kindred spirit!  We share a love of quotes and Reformed theology, hymns and prayers.  I see deep wisdom in Rosemary, the kind that comes from keeping her nose in the Word.

5.  Leslie, from Lux Venit

Leslie is another newer blogging friend.  Another encourager, Leslie can always be found sifting everything through God's Word.  She asks some really good questions, and studies up and gives some really good answers, too!

There are so, so many others that I wish I could do 15 more!  But I'll leave that up to the five ladies I've tapped!  If any of these ladies are new to you, please do take time to visit them!  You'll be glad you did!! 

  Rules of participating:
1. Copy this post.
2. Replace [my bloggers with yours] & Reflect on five bloggers and write a least a paragraph about each one.
3. Make sure you link this post so others can read it and the rules.
4. Go leave your chosen bloggers a comment and let them know they've been given the award.
5. Put the award icon on your site.

Jules tagged me for a restaurant meme.  As I discussed this with my family last night, we had fun talking about all our favorite restaurants in all the many places we have lived over the years.   It was really a walk down memory lane.  So, instead of listing my current favorite local restaurants, I will share with you my favorite restaurants of my hometown, Ashland, Ohio.

1. A & W  Hot Dog Stand Extraordinaire and Hometown Icon

    The A & W is truly a snapshot of small town Ohio.  You'll see people of all ages and incomes sitting in their cars, eating hot dogs and popcorn  and drinking ice cold rootbeer from heavy, sweating mugs.  Farmer's trucks, hot rods, BMW's, motor cycles--they're all there.  I don't know if it's still the case, but when we were growing up in Ashland, after a wedding, the bridal party would drive through the A & W parking lot, honking horns and waving. (Sister in law, Sally, will have to let us know if this still happens. . .)

    The A & W closes for the winter (too cold for the car hops, I suppose) but every single     time it's open when we're home for a visit, we stop in for a bag of conies and root beer.  Here's a recipe that gets pretty close to the famous coney sauce.  It makes a huge amount, but it freezes well and it's fun to pop it out on a cold winter day and enjoy conies and remember what it was like in a simpler time.

A & W Coney Sauce

2 small onions, finely chopped
5 lbs. hamburger
64 ounces Hunt's tomato Paste
64 ounces Hunt's Tomato Puree
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. cider vinegar
2 T. chili powder
1 T. pepper 1
T. celery seed 3 T. plus 1 t. salt

Brown hamburger and onions in a very large skillet, drain. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 3 1/2 hours. Stir frequently as it will tend to stick. (I put it all in my roaster so I don't have to stir it) This freezes very well.  Serve over hot dogs in steamed buns and top with diced onion.

2. The Lynway Restaurant

    The Lynway is another hometown icon.  It's famous for homestyle cooking and homemade pies.  I always order liver and onions (yes, I do!  I love it and no one except my mother makes it better!)  The Lynway is known as a hang out for the white haired set.  Last time we were there we had to laugh because we no longer stand out like a sore thumb among all the older folks!

3. The Peking Restaurant on Main Street
    
    I love Chinese food and our little town of Ashland has been blessed with a fantastic Chinese restaurant.  It is owned and operated by the parents of a little girl I had in preschool so I got to know the owners a little bit.   (she has now graduated from college and is likely in grad school or med school by now!) Whenever it was Sandi's "snack day" at preschool, her parents wouldbring in fresh, hot egg rolls for the kids' snack.  The first time the egg rolls arrived for snacktime, a couple of the boys and girls  took one bite or licked them,  announced that they were "yukky" and threw them in the trash.  From then on, whenever there were egg rolls, we  warned them NOT to lick them and throw them away--the teachers had another, special snack for them! Then we'd whisk the unwanted eggrolls away (yea, right--unwanted by kids who didn't know any better!) and saved them for our own snack!  (Yes, even teachers at a Christian school can be conniving when it comes to egg rolls!)

4. The Surrey Inn (sadly, out of business for years now)
    
    My first place of employment.  I got a job at the Surrey Inn as a waitress as soon as I was old enough to get an employment permit and worked there all through High School, earning money for college and a trip to France.  Tom actually picked me up there for our first date after a Friday night shift, smelling of "all you can eat" Lake Perch and copious amounts of "Charlie" perfume to cover up the smell.  I still remember the movie we saw (Executive Action) and sitting there in the dark theater worrying about how badly I must smell of fish and french fries.

5. Casa Fiesta

    Ashland, Ohio is also blessed with a wonderful Mexican Restaurant.  This is my own boys' favorite Mexican Restaurant of all times.  When John graduated from college a few years ago, we had his graduation supper there.  Nothing fancy, but who doesn't like great Mexican food?

Tag time!  This is the fun part.  I'm tagging Andrew from A.Stark Place, mostly to see if I can coax him out into the open and get him to post something funny for me, and also because I'll bet he has some fun favorite places to eat in the Alaskan wilderness.  Next is my friend, Shanna, who is not only a foodie, but a thrifty foodie, so I'm thinking she can be our "Rachel Ray" and tell us where to get a great meal for less.  Next is Beck, because I want to know where the Baby "demands" to eat when they go out!  Miss M, won't you share some of your favorite places "down under?"  And, last but not least, my friend, Allyson.  I think I know at least one of her favorite restaurants and I am hoping that she will share some of her fabulous photography with us!  Allyson is definitely a foodie, and a hostess with the mostess!

OK, so here are the rules:

1. Link to name of person that tagged you.
2. Include state and country you live in.
3. List top 5 favorite local restaurants.
4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they’ve been tagged.

Summer Goals
1. use my time wisely
2. redecorate my kitchen which involves:
3. painting the ceiling
4. replacing the overhead light
5. painting and repairing the 85 year old cupboards
6. installing wainscotting
7. intstalling crown moulding
8. replacing cove moulding
9. maybe replacing flooring
10. installing period drawer and cupboard pulls
11. clean and organize the attic
12. clean and organize the basement
13. build my calligraphy business (anybody need a bookmark?)
14. place bookmarks in bookstores and gift shops
15. make a profit; at least enough to pay for the new laminator I had to buy

HT:  Adventures in Daily Living 

I'm behind on two memes already (I haven't forgotten, really I haven't, I just haven't taken the time because I know it's going to take some time to do them right!) .  Even so, I'm going to do this one because it's very, very easy.

 Rebecca started a
"put-your-iPod-on-shuffle-and-confess-publically-what-comes-up" meme.  I don't have an iPod, but I do have iTunes on my computer, so I took the lazy way out.  I put iTunes on shuffle and then took a screen shot of the songs that came up.  I didn't even listen to them--how lazy is that?

  

I had a hard time picking out just one appetizer to share with you, so I am going to share two!  The first one is from my mother-in-law; she is the hostess with the mostess!

HOT ONION SOUFFLE

12-16 ounces frozen chopped onions (3-4 cups)
24 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups parmesean (one whole can)
½ cup mayo (not Miracle Whip)

Crackers

Thaw onion.  Roll in paper towels and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible.  Preheat oven to 425.  Stir together onions, cream cheese, parm.cheese, and mayo.

Transfer to 2 qt. soufflé dish.  Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with an assortment of crackers.

The next one is one of my own creations:

Kim’s 3 Olive Tapenade

1 cup pitted Kalamati olives, drained
1 cup pitted ripe black olives, drained
1/3 c. pitted green olives, rinsed and drained

Take about ten of each type of olive and pulse in blender until fine.  Drizzle in olive oil until a paste is formed.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon.  Add minced garlic to taste.  (maybe a half teaspoon?—I just add until I like the way it tastes) Pulse until combined.

The remaining olives should be minced fine and placed in a bowl.  Add the olive paste to the bowl, about a tablespoon of fresh, finely minced flat Italian parsley and about a quarter cup of finely shredded, fresh parmesan cheese.  Mix well, adding additional olive oil, if needed to “bring it all together.”  Refrigerate for several hours before serving—gets better with time.  Serve with a crusty French loaf.  Makes approximately 3 cups.

We've got some great recipes so far!  I'll be posting updates as recipes are added.  Please get your recipes to me by 8 pm. CDT if you want them to be included in the Round-up.

Sesame Chicken Bites from Karen at Simply A Musing Blog 

Shrimp, Watermelon and Avocado Salad from LanaG! at Above the Clouds

Grilled Asparagus Proscuitto Wraps from Ellen at The Happy Wonderer 

 7 Layer Tex-Mex Dip from Rosemary at Seasonings of the Heart

Pam, from a rustling of leaves, shares several recipes: Smoky Salmon Spread, Crab Dip,  Bagna Cauda (Anchovy & Garlic Dip), and Fried Zucchini Blossoms

Cream Cheese Bruschetta from Kathie at A Sparrow's Home 

Mustard Pretzel Dip from Me

Artichoke Nibbles, Crab Goodies, Lobster Bisque Dip, Crab Rangoon Dip from Rabbit at The Hutch 

Easy Cream Cheese and Spinach Roll Ups from the Founder of the Recipe Round-up, Rebecca from Rebecca Writes 

Fried Ravioli and Homemade Marinara from Leslie at Lux Venit 

Blender Pesto, and Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip from Me, too. 

A Late Entry:  Chicky Baskets from Suzanne at ::adventures in daily living:: 

Get set, go!

I've been trying to think of some fun ways to get the word out about my new online venture, Bookworm Bookmarks.  I'm generally a behind-the-scenes, bookwormish sort of person, so self-promotion is difficult for me.  And yet I know that without some well placed links, my little bookmark page will languish in anonimity.

 So, in the interest of making this as fun as possible, I'm inviting ALL of you to play this meme on your blog as a way of getting the word out.  I am NOT asking for you to promote my bookmark undertaking; only to introduce the meme with a link to Bookworm Bookmarks.  And of course, invite ALL your friends to play along.  Maybe their friends will play along,too.  (why do I feel a little like Kermit the Frog?--it's a whisper campaign)

I'd be very grateful if you take me up on my invitation!  Here's the meme , found online, with a few tweaks of my own:

Bookworm Meme

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?

      I much prefer hardback books, but I've bought and read a lot of paperbacks.  (It's a budget thing, you know.)  Some books become such favorites, however, that when I wear them out I replace them with a hardback copy.

Online purchase or brick and mortar?

      Both.  I love to browse in bookstores, but I find I'm buying more books online in recent years.  My favorite online bookstores are Monergism Books, Soli Deo Gloria Books, (a division of Ligonier Ministries), and Solid Ground Books. I also order a lot of books from amazon.com.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?

      I prefer Borders, myself.  I think it has a more library-ish feel about it.

Bookmark or dog-ear?

      Dog-ear?  What a dreadful thing to do to a book!  Especially when you could have your own, unique laminated-for-durability bookmark, rendered by yours truly. (hehehe)

Mark or not mark?

   The only novel I've ever marked is Les Miserables because it is so satisfyingly quotable, but I do mark most other books.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?

      You mean when they are on the shelves and not in beside every chair and bed in the house?  I don't alphabetize my books, but they do "live" together with other like-minded books on my shelves.  I shelve all similar books together (theology, biography, history, fantasy, novels, resource books, etc.) but they are never alphabetized.  There is a hierarchy of sorts which makes sense to me and probably no one else, and even if a book lives at my bedside for months, it still has a spot to go home to somewhere on my shelves.

Keep, throw away, or sell?

      I almost always keep my books.  I usually give novels away, unless they are classics.

Keep dustjacket or toss it?

      I keep them, but not on or even with the books.  I don't really like dustjackets myself, but they do belong with the book, so I keep them.

Read with dustjacket or remove it?

      I take them off immediately and deposit them along with all the other dustjackets.

Short story or novel?

      I love them both. 

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?

      I prefer collections.  My favorite is my two volume Kipling, A Selection of His Stories and Poems, by John Beecroft.  I do like anthologies of poetry, though.

Lord of the Rings or Narnia

      Lord of the Rings, by a mile.  I do like The Chronicles of Narnia, but Tolkien far surpasses Lewis, in my opinion.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

      That depends.  Usually I stop reading when I fall asleep.  I do not feel compelled to stop at the end of chapter breaks; however, especially if I am reading a theological book, I will stop at a natural break.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?

      "Once upon a time."

Buy or Borrow?

      I mostly buy books unless they are novels because I mark my books.

New or used?

      I love cracking open a new, hard-bound book, but lately I have learned that I can have more books if I buy them used.  More is better.

  Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?

      I select books through a combination of reviews and recommendations from friends. 

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?

      I prefer everything tied up with a bow, which is not to say I do not like cliffhangers.  I just like them near the end with a sense of closure.  I guess you would call them temporary cliffhangers.  Kind of like kissing the Blarney stone.  You dangle there for a moment, but deep down inside you know that someone is holding your ankles.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or night time reading?

      Every time is reading time. I love to stir the pot with one hand and read from the other.  Cooking and reading is a very satisfying activity.  Have you tried it?

Standalone or series?

      Both.

Favorite series?

      The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

      That's a tough one for me because I like classics and theology.  I guess it would have to be my copy of God's Minute.

Favorite books read last year?

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo

Jonathan Edwards, A Life, by George M. Marsden 

The Christian Life, by Sinclair Ferguson 

Favorite book of all time?

    The Bible.  It really is a book of all time!

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If you let me know you've played along, I'll add your link to a list.  I'm thinking that, with the fellow literary-types who frequent my blog, we'll all end up with some good reading lists.