Meaning to Meme

It’s meme day here at the Byline, and you’re getting two for one. I’ve been meaning to do the one Greenish Lady tagged me for a while back, and got sidetracked into writing an entire post about one question – go figure 🙂

Yesterday, Anno has tagged me for a bookish meme, which should by rights appear on Bookstack, but is going here anyway.

So, here we go:

Greenish Lady Asks:

What were you doing 10 years ago: That’s the question that got me started on a tangent of deep thoughts about life. But 10 years ago, I was preparing for my son’s high school graduation and imminent move to Florida. I was doing a lot of music – bells, piano – and traveling quite a bit performing. Other than that -same stuff as today. Except minus doggies!

Five Things on My To Do List: I got a little hung up here, because I’m wondering if this is my everyday to-do list, or my life to-do list. I’m going to consider it the latter, because I think that’s more interesting.

Be a grandmother, and the best one ever!
Write and publish a novel (or two or three);
Form a wonderful little chamber music group that performs to rave reviews all over the community;
Live in a delightful cottage by the water where I can walk my dogs on the beach every day;
Learn to really cook.

Things I’d Do If I Were A Billionaire: First, pay off all debts owed by everyone in my family. Then establish a scholarship for students who want to study music and can’t afford it. Then set up a foundation to care for homeless dogs and cats. Then retire in the aforementioned little cottage by the water and enjoy being a grandmother, really cooking, and writing my books.

Three Bad Habits:

Procrastination;
Excessive worrying;
Impatience.

Five Places I’ve Lived: This is funny, because in all my 52 years, I’ve only lived in two cities. Melvindale, Michigan, and Redford, Michigan. We have a home in Florida, but we only visit there sporadically.

Five Jobs I’ve Had: Another funny one. Do non-paying ones count? Because that’s what most of mine have been! Until I started working at my office job in 2001, I had only worked as a musician. Everything else I did was strictly volunteer.

And now for the bookish meme, suggested by Anno:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.

The book at the top of my stack right now is The Other Side of You, by Sally Vickers. I’m reviewing it for Curled Up With A Good Book, and so far I’m really enjoying it. It’s a psychological mystery, and since I’m only on page 101, these sentences from page 123 are quite intriguing.

The gilded old French bed of carved walnut was graciously accommodating and the mattress, after Rome, was easy on hard-worked bones.

“Do you have to go?” Thomas asked the next morning, watching her dress. “We can send for your things, or buy you new ones.”

The narrator of this passage is a psychiatric patient, committed to a hospital after a suicide attempt. She’s been in the process of telling her life story to her therapist, a man whi is finding he has a great deal in common with this particular patient.

So, I’m quite itching to read on and see how she got to France with Thomas 🙂

I’m not tagging anyone in particular today – if you feel like playing, please consider yourself invited!

8 thoughts on “Meaning to Meme”

As always, an interesting read 🙂
As for the list of Five To Do’s….number one is a given!

I love reading these but somehow my intuition was not surprised after being a fan of your writing. 🙂

I forgot I bought my Nikki ten years ago.

HUGS

What an intriguing book! Exactly what I hope to discover when I prompt people to divulge their nightstand (or desk table) reading, something new, something interesting, something I have never heard about. Thanks for playing along!

I keep dreaming of a rose-covered cottage/inn on the dunes near Lake Michigan, someplace where I could serve a small number of interesting people great coffee, tender salmon omelets with finely chopped basil and tomatos, and rosti every day. Not that I can make any of that now, but it sounds like a fine idea for the future.

Good luck with your novel. I hope that means more stories about Kathleen coming soon!

I read this book recently and really enjoyed it- very skillfully written. I love your header. Do you have an old-fashioned typewritter like that? My daughter has a mini one, beautiful and very old; one that she picked up at a garage sale- no one’s allowed to use it. I’m very envious and would love to be able to write on one. I enjoyed the meme, I think I’ll play along too if it’s all right with you…oh, and to your last commenter…the tender salmon omelets sound so scrumptious I can almost taste them in my mouth.

I am adding this book to my list of summer musts. My mind is drooling for all the good books I will be able to get once I get back to the States this summer! One can never have too many books. I also have a dream house, in the mountains of Colombia, with lots and lots of books, good coffee (a must) and and open door. Thank you for your comment, I am adding you to my blog roll.

I got tagged for that meme, and have just posted it. I firmly believe that work of any sort – whether paid or not – counts in that first meme. I’d like to come visit your house on the water and help look after the doggies!