Tag, you're it!

A while back, I was tagged by Jessica at Alpina's Quill Pen, and then again recently by Joy at Fullness of Joy. Thank you both!

Here are the rules.
1. Post these rules
2. Post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions the tagger posted for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that they have been tagged. 

 MY ELEVEN (Things I'm grateful for)

1. My Prince, my Lord, my God.

2. My dad's trumpet playing and singing, my mom's laughter and conspiratorial glances when she's silently telling me something.

3. Friends. What more need I say?

4. Songs like this and this and this and this.

5. BBC. Seriously, Sherlock is the best. television. show. ever. Even though it's only two seasons long. And each season is only three episodes. It is thought-provoking, and funny, and clever. And insanely quotable.

6. Opportunities. Chances to grow. I'm learning to be thankful for them, learning to recognize them as the blessing they are.

7. I'm embarking on a new writerly adventure--beginning Eye of the Beholder. All the plotting, planning, and character-developing is coming to a head. 

8. I'm also learning the lines for a new dramatic role--Marguerite Blakeney in a production of The Scarlet Pimpernel. She's a great character with a rather dynamic part in the story. I'm really looking forward to bringing her to life onstage.

9. Looking forward to the national level of Poetry Out Loud in Washington, D.C.!

10. Preparing for college classes that start in August. 

11. My dog, who though some think she's evil, is in truth, adorable and just very protective of me.

Jessica's Questions:

1. What is your favorite Bible verse? 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.

2. You're invited to a dance party, who would you prefer as your dance partner: Adam Young or Mr. Darcy? Adam Young. Why? Because I utterly lack any sense of coordination. Mr. Darcy would likely become highly annoyed with my inability to master the steps. I have a feeling that Adam and I could just flail about, vaguely on-beat, and pretend that we were dancing. And have great fun.

3. What is your favorite planet? Pluto. I dare you to make me change that answer.

4. Watercolors, color pencils, or charcoal? Considering I have no artistic ability what.so.ever., I'm going to go with invisible option d) ink pens. Sharpie, if you don't mind.

5. If you were fantastic at skateboarding, what would you do? Learn to run in a way that looked more human. Apparently, I would have more hand-eye coordination, thus meaning I could learn to be less klutz-ish. 

6. If an entire novel was created from the alter ego of you, what would the genre be? Young adult. With a smattering of adventure, sorrow, joy, and a well-loved family. And awesome friends.

7. What if you were told to find the perfect birthday/Christmas gift for a random person... one you've never met and lives on the other side of the country from you. What would you do? I would send them a gift card to some generic store. Like Wal-Mart. Or Starbucks. Because even if they don't like coffee, they can get scones and cake pops and hot chocolate. And maybe a CD.

8. Yellow (insert punctuation that is most fitting:  !  ?  .  ;  ""  >:-[ ) I'll take the period. 

9. If you could pick one country other than your own to travel to, which would it be? One? For the purposes of this question, does Great Britain count as one? Please? Please?

10. Your most favorite smell in the world? Sauteing onions and garlic. Old books. A nice wood fire. Cookies. Bread baking. The smell before it rains. Clean, snuggly, adorable babies.

11. A tree house in a mysterious and peaceful woods, or a sea cave? Sea cave. I am not particularly fond of heights, and I think the mysterious woods might frighten me after a while. Of course, if I could have a nice, quaint little cottage in the middle of a clearing in the woods, that might be a different story.


Joy's Questions:

1. Who are your top 3 favourite classic fiction authors and your top 3 favourite modern fiction authors? Oh, tough question. Classic fiction, I would say Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, and...hmm, either C.S. Lewis or F. Scott Fitzgerald.

2. Which character in John Bunyan's immortal classic, The Pilgrim's Progress, do you identify with the most in their/your spiritual journey? (Christian, Faithful, or Hopeful) I would say Hopeful. I'm usually the listening ear, the companion.

3. In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, we see that Sam's and Frodo's responses to Gollum/Smeagol are different. If you were in Sam and Frodo's place during the times they had the opportunity of killing Gollum, would you kill him and be rid of his trickery and wickedness, or would you feel pity for him having carried the burden (the Ring) yourself, knowing its temptation, and show him mercy? That's a difficult question to answer. While I can't see myself ever wanting to kill someone, I doubt that I would be able to feel pity toward Gollum. I'd probably try to get rid of him without killing him, but I probably wouldn't feel pity toward him.

4. Which do you enjoy more: reading a book or watching a movie? It depends. Probably a book.

5. What is your favourite kind of music to sing, hear and play and who do you think was the greatest music composer of all time? Sing, none. I don't sing. Hear, hmm...something that has deep, meaningful lyrics and beautiful music--like Gungor. Play, anything by Jon Schmidt. As to the greatest composer...I can't say I have an answer. :)

6. Which 2 books of the Bible do you tend to read from the most? Psalms and Hebrews, most likely.

7. Is there a figure in history (outside the Bible) that you love the most? And why? As of today, William Wilberforce. I read a wonderful, short biography on him for school (Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce, by John Piper,) and I admire his tenacity and dedication to doing what he knew was right, regardless of the cost.

8. Is there a book or movie that you've read/watched and you've wished something had gone differently and would like to re-write it? Frequently. Usually it's because I'm dissatisfied with the way a character is treated. The Inheritance Cycle (Christopher Paolini,) are perfect examples of this.

9. What are your 2 favourite scenes in The Chronicles of Narnia (taken from either the films, books or both)? My all-time favorite scene comes from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It's the part where Lucy, Edmund, and the others are coming ashore right before Aslan sends them back to England. They see a lamb on the beach, then before their eyes, it transforms into a glorious Lion. I always thought it was the most poignant image Lewis used to draw Aslan as Jesus. That, accompanied by the line later in that scene ("You must learn to know Me by my other Name,") makes up one of the most allegorical scenes, in my mind. As to my other favorite, I'd have to say it was in Prince Caspian when Lucy and Susan are with Aslan and the other mythological people--like Bacchus--appear and Lucy says that she would have been afraid if Aslan weren't with them, but as it is, she isn't. Oh, and Puddleglum's speech about the sun and Narnia and Aslan in The Silver Chair.

10. What are some of the books (fiction + non-fiction) or movies that have inspired and changed your life? Do Hard Things, Alex and Brett Harris. Uncompromising, Hannah Farver. God's Smuggler, Brother Andrew. Words of Delight, Leland Ryken. The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis. And many others!

11. What do you love most about the place where you live? Our culture and food. 

My questions for you:


1. If you belong to a so-called "fandom," what is it? (As in, Hoodies for BBC Robin Hood fans, Trekkies for Star Trek fans, Whovians for Doctor Who, Sherlockians for Sherlock...)


2. Would you rather sing, dance, or play an instrument?


3. If you have siblings, how many? Are you the eldest? Youngest?


4. What color are your bedroom walls?


5. What's a phrase or word you use often?


6. Mac or PC?


7. Would you rather be barefoot or wear shoes?


8. If you could have one item of clothing from any book, television show, or movie, what would it be and what show/book/movie does it come from?


9. Do you have more friends who live near you, or more that are long-distance?


10. Would you rather draw/paint/sketch or write?


11. What's your least favorite chore around the house?


I tag:
Mirriam
Georgie
Sky
Kate
Fin
Megan
Abby
Katie

All right, so I tagged eight instead of eleven...sorry. ^.^