To accept it I simply have to answer four questions and then nominate several bloggers who’ve recently inspired/moved/touched me. Although I’m not sure about that, most people seem to have been sent it already and there aren’t many of you left. But I’ll come to that later and answer the questions first …
1. If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?
I’d give the Sage perfect health. I’d trade anything I might want for that. I have to say, this is something I worry about far more than he does, but he brushes aside all signs of ageing, says he feels as well as he ever has and takes little notice of my attempts to look after him. He does let me do the heavy work in the garden and carry the shopping though, so it’s not all bad…
However, something for myself – I’d love to regain my ability to lose myself in books. It grieves me immensely that after half a century of being immersed in reading, I’ve simply lost that quality of absorbedness and, try as I do, I can’t get it back.
2. If you could repeat any age which would it be?
I can be very specific here. It would be the first six months we lived in this house: that is, July 1986 to January 1987.
3. What really scares you?
I’m terribly afraid of deep water. I’ve tried very hard to overcome it but I’m getting worse and I can hardly even manage a swimming pool any longer. I simply can’t go out of my depth and have to hold on to the side at all times. As you can imagine, sea bathing is out of the question – that is, going in any deeper than the waist. Such a nuisance.
4. If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be?
Oh darlings, I’d be a dog of course. In fact, I might never change back.
As I said at the start I think most of you have been nominated already. So I’ll go at it from a different tack – if you are a reader but not a blogger, please give your answers in the comments. Because I know some of you and the REALITY acronym certainly applies to you. Thanks, darlings.