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A Game of Tag



ELizabethm and Withy Brook tagged me then Little Brown Dog, in her own words, cranked up the pressure. Thank you (I think) dear hearts. Here goes:

What are your current obsessions?
Writing. If I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing. It’s my default mode and it’s what accounts for that faraway look in my eyes. Well, that and the drink.

What are you listening to?
As well as rocking my Spotify ‘guilty pleasures’ playlist, I’m having a bit of a vinyl revival.


Over the years I’ve lost custody of some good LPs, but my Faces (Yes? Something to say?) albums have stayed with me. I was off school with the lurgy when A Nod’s As Good As A Wink came out, and I begged Ma go into town to buy it for me. Despite protests of ‘If you think I’m asking for that you’ve got to be joking’ she did eventually cave in. I’ve also inherited my dad’s classical music collection. The only problem with those is that I occasionally select a record still bearing my dad’s fingerprints and it cuts me to the quick every time.

Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?
Ooh, let me see... opening walk-in ‘Sex and the City’-style closet. Oh, no! The clothes fairies have been and taken back all their ball gowns! Thank goodness for my beloved jeans!

What are you reading?
I’m glad you asked me that. I’m working my way (rather too quickly, unfortunately) through my year’s worth of Honno books. I’ve just started In Her Element [(2008) Jane MacNamee (ed.)] which is the most exquisite collection of women writers’ deep personal connections to the landscapes which have shaped their lives. Highly recommended.




I also keep a couple of volumes of poetry to hand, my enduring favourites being Poems of Love and Longing [(2008) Viv Sayer (ed.) Pont] and Emergency Kit, Poems for Strange Times [(1996) Jo Shapcott and Matthew Sweeney (ed.) Faber and Faber].

What’s for lunch?
Who cares? Unless we’re going to L’Escargot, of course.

What makes you helpless with laughter?
Actually, I do get helpless with laughter, often at the most inappropriate times and over things I really shouldn’t be laughing at. I’m put off by self-styled ‘comedians’, but adore quick wit and clever word play. My daughters make me roar with laughter and so do my lovely Ace Gang. A discussion about what we don’t like about our bodies (Haze, it was what Bob said!) the last time they were at Hotel H had me weeping with laughter.

What was the last thing you bought?
Loo rolls in Aldi. But Mil treated us both to Aldi’s new ‘Wrinkle Stop’ billed as Botox in tube. By the time you read this I shall be glowing with gorgeousity, but with a strangely immobile face.

Favourite plant of the moment?
Plant? I can’t say I have one favourite plant, but if I did, it would be the one with the miracle ingredient which could have treated pancreatic cancer so I would still have my dad.

Guilty pleasure?
Yes please! I rather like a glass of Talikser in bed, and, for added decadence, it must be in my favourite crystal tumbler. It depends on what time of the day it is as to how guilty a pleasure it becomes.

If you were a god / goddess, which one would you be?
Well, I’m an atheist so I wouldn’t believe in me. But if I was a dog, I’d like to be greyhound, all long lean lines and elegance. Alas, I’m more of a Jack Russell; busy, snappy and too near the ground.

Care to share some wisdom?
Be a grown-up. Take care of those who need taking care of.

Sum yourself up in a sentence
Nasty, brutish and short (see, If you were a god etc above).

The Rules
Respond and rework. Answer questions on your own blog. Replace one question. Add one question. Tag some people.

I did see someone on Elizabeth’s blog who hasn’t been tagged yet; Connie, it’s over to you! And BT, revenge is mine. Tam? Stop hiding. Celtic Heart? Have you played this game yet?

And finally...
The image above is ‘Silence – Katyn’ by Tom Tomos, currently featuring on the Saatchi Gallery Showdown. If you like it and would like to vote for it, you can do so HERE. Thank you!

Comments

Withy Brook said…
A lovely meme Chrish, full of the humour that I would love to achieve but can't!
Calico Kate said…
Really enjoyed this Chris.
Thank you for sharing,
CKx
Rustic Pumpkin said…
Well, I was enjoying reading it, as I have done all the others, until I got to the end. I thought I'd slipped under the radar on this one! Ahem. That is before I saw my name and now I know I owe you one.

Oh, and like an elephant, I never forget! lol.
mountainear said…
These memes are fascinating reading - what we choose to reveal and what we choose to conceal.

You? Nasty, brutish and short - even as a dog. Never. You'd be the JRT that broke the rules.
Fennie said…
Chris, that was lovely, but I think you must have a secret hankering after being nasty brutish and short. You can't be nasty, brutish and short
(NBS) while drinking Talisker in bed or looking for ballgowns made by fairies in the closet. How can you be short if you are a runner, and how brutish to love painting and poetry. And I don't think your nasty either.
Just a lovely prizewinning meme
jackofall said…
Was that Rod Stewart's Faces (or was he in Small Faces?)? And does vinyl still play as well as it used to?

Hey, look, you, too, get a comment from me! The cheek of it - sarciosity doesn't become you.
Frances said…
Chris, I so loved reading this post. (And I did laugh out loud at a couple of your answers. You are a very funny writer, you know. You have that way of taking the reader by surprise.)

Best wishes to Tom ... I did my voting earlier today.

xo
Pondside said…
Short?.....don't say so! In my mind you are a willowy runner and probably do wear a ball gown now and again.
Loved your piece of wisdome - may make it my own to pass along, if it's alright with you.
I've been over to the online gallery and voted from this side of the pond.
Lane Mathias said…
I see you much more of a greyhound than a terrier, what with all that running. Mind you, a bit of a terrier instinct is essential when it comes to all things writerly eh?

Hope the 'gorgeousity' cream works (as if you need it). If it does, I need a full report:-)

Have voted on wonderful pic.
Oooh, Aldi's Wrinkle Stop? I'm on my way... Lovely meme and worth waiting for. I'm always on the lookout for poetry recommendations, so will jot down the ones you mention. As for nasty, brutish and short, I don't think so. I see you more as a red setter, streaming through those Welsh valleys.
Pipany said…
Good meme Chris. Like the idea of the Talisker in bed and please let us know if the botox stuff works!! x
I enjoyed this a lot. Very funny. Thank you for sharing, oh and I had a thing about the Small Faces too!
Chris Stovell said…
Withy, thank you for that, although I'm sure that's not true, and besides, your blog is full of wisdomosity that I would like to achieve.

Kate, thank you!

Celtic Heart, no, sorry, I saw you trying to hide!

Mountainear, very perceptive! I think memes are all a bit close to home and need some careful handling ( and thank you!).

Fennie, come to the next Welsh/Shropshire meet and you'll find out!! ( Thank you, you are too kind!).

Jacko, well, if I'd known you were calling I'd have baked a cake! Order of play; Small Faces (with Steve Mariott) Faces, with Rod Stewart, alongside Rod Stewart's solo albums (which became increasingly dire). Vinyl sounds amazing, especially through dad's chunky Wharfdale speakers, though suspect that the freshness of the recordings has a lot to do with it.

Frances, you are very kind indeed. Thank you for your vote.

Pondside, 5'3 1/2'' - don't know that that is in your language. Still waiting for Tom to take me to a ball! But, thanks for voting for him anyway!

Lane, good, well I'm glad someone does! But, yes, as writers we need to keep poking our noses into the unknown despite getting the odd bite! Honestly, I swear the gorgeousity cream is working - but maybe that's because it's a step-up form the Aldi bog-standard cream I usually use.

LBD, yes, it's £5.99 a pop (free if you can get your Mil to pay for it!) - a darn sight cheaper than the stuff Gwyneth Paltrow uses (allegedly!). We used to have a red setter who goosed everyone terribly... I do try not to do that these days!

Pip, of course, if you drink enough Talisker in bed, you don't notice the wrinkles after a while anyway!

Cottage Garden, hello, nice to see you again.. I let you off as you are new to this marlarkey.. but if you're up for it, consider yourself tagged!
Fabulous picture and wonderful blog - I will fight you for being nasty, brutish and short. wish I had thought of that. xx
Flowerpot said…
I DID enjoy that Chris! And particularly the bit about being like a JR - me too!!
Milla said…
Hey, ChrisH, that means he came back to my blog and saw your comment - honoured or what. Yours was very familiar despite all the answers not being what I put. Yes, and voted yesterday, a big fat ten.
Exmoorjane said…
Love this and partic your description of yourself....I've always wanted to be like a terrier but too big and lollopy.
Love that Fennie thinks that runners can't be short though!
Chris Stovell said…
Elizabethm, JRT-alikes at dawn then!

FP, oh and you, you can join us too!

Milla, thanks for voting. Yes, you are the truly honoured one!

Jane, I'm sure you can't be big and lollopy with that sweet pixie face!

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