Oh My - Thank you Margaret!

Thank you for nominating me for a Stylish Blogger Award. Margaret is my Canadian Virgo Cyber Twin who's blog Margaret Blank, Fibre Aritst: One-of-a-kind textile art  is chock a block full of the most beautiful stitchery - knitting, sewing, fiber dyeing. We've been buddies for nigh on to a decade now, watching each other as we've grown as artists; encouraging, sharing, and frequently laughing at how our lives parallel.  She is an ISTJ and I am an ENFP - so on the Meyers Briggs scale we're complete opposites - which I think, being the E that I am, makes our friendship a perfect compliment. 

And the deal with this award is that I must share 7 things readers might not know about me. Now this is a challenge, Little Miss Extrovert that I am, and as old as this blog is, I can't imagine there's much left to tell about TheQueen. But I shall try. 

1. How my blog got it's name - which isn't exactly fresh information. Still, if  you're new to TheCastle, you might think that a name like this signifies I'm just the Queen of Arrogance. But the name "Bess" hasn't been used since the Truman administration - although it suits me to an absolute T. I once took a class from the world's most unctuous and snotty psychology professor who talked down to the students to such a monumental degree it was hard to sit still. He particularly disliked me and refused to learn my name. Mind now, I'm a Front Row Sitter and always participate in class. The third time he gave me a sneer and asked  "What's your name, again?" I put on my coldest, deadliest, Madame Defarge glare and said "It's Bess. Like the Queen". The name stuck.

2. I am a Lucid Dreamer.  If I don't like what's going on in a dream I can almost always tell it's just a dream and change the story line. Of course, sometimes I let the dream unfold, knowingly, just to see what might happen. I've always looked on sleep and dreaming as recreational activities. 

3. I have an uncanny knack for guessing the plot of movies and television shows. I suspect it's an ability to recognize a certain class of patterns because I can also do that with  music (as long as it's tonal music) Certain things happen in a story line and I can tell what's going to happen next, or how it will all turn out. Thank goodness, BD admires and enjoys this trait - we even stop DVD's and he'll ask me what happens next  as a game. Of course, the cinema tends to deal in cliches so maybe this isn't such a wonder, but I also have to keep my mouth shut when I'm at movie with friends. Most people don't like the assurance of knowing how it will turn out  having the story spoiled.

4. I don't like a lot of contemporary  fiction  which seems to be filled with bad tempered bitchy women and weak sniveling men. This is tough, since I'm a librarian and buy a lot of that stuff. But every time I use tax payer's money to buy it, I feel guilty.

5. I love Barbie - at least, I loved playing with my Barbie ... back when she cost a day's pay and her clothes were more expensive than my own. Of course, my Barbie was a Russian spy, a mountain climbing photographer for National Geographic, a star of the British stage and a corporate leader of a Fortune 500. Nobody ever made her do homework or clean her room. She could also fly.  Interestingly, my Barbie was never a science girl. Neither am I, of course. Nor was I ever jealous of Barbie's figure and I never aspired to it. I don't think I ever thought about it, actually.  She was just that illusive goddess I longed to be: A Grown Up! I will gladly play Barbie with little girls whenever they ask. Love me some Barbie. 

6. I love math. Applied math. Applied-to-real-life situations math as in:

If I am 40 inches around and I'm getting 5 stitches to the inch and I want to insert a 16 stitch lace panel and 4 cables that are 3 over 3 stitches, how many stitches do I cast on?

OR

 Sure I'm not popular in high school, but that only lasts 4 years. I will be cool as a grown up - which lasts 50 or 60 years. What's 4 years against 60?

OR My Favorite

 If Bess gets 5 stitches to the inch 

and 
She has a 24" circular needle 
and 
She is subscribed to 4 knitting magazines 
then 
How many hours will it take to explain the 10 balls of cashmere on the VISA bill?


To me, math is like crayons - it's the building block of so many wonderful things.


7. I talk too much. What? You hadn't noticed? natter natter natter.


Now the hard part: to nominate (only) 3 other bloggers for this award. 


Erica's Fillyjonk's Progress is a daily favorite of mine. We both read and write blogs, first of all, for the joy of words, though both of us do include images in our blogs. She is a science girl so it's fascinating to me to hear her point of view about things. Her whimsical knitting projects are always a delight.


Clara's Window .... from Clara of Knitters Review, of course. Clara is the author of KBoy and KBow and her latest book - KBos - all from Potter Craft - Random House's craft book division. Her blog, though, is a tiny peek into the rest of her soul - a soul of unusual charm and artistic perspective. 


C's Bossy Little Dogs is a daily must-read for me. Of course, now we are friends so it's only a part of the way we communicate and share and stuff. Our friendship has actually moved on from cyber to IRL. She was my roomie the last time I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool and though she is a knitter and fiber buddy and that's how I got started reading her blog, I continue to read it for her style - for the way her sharp eye focuses on the absurd or the unusual or the trenchant - and the crystal clear way she can share what that eye sees in words worth reading.


Erica, Clara and C can choose to accept this award or not. Promise. My feelings won't be hurt if you don't have time to play along with this. But if you do, please link back to this post, blog 7 lesser-known things about you to share, and nominate 3 more bloggers.


Hugs to you all - and there will be What's the Point Mitts photos tomorrow!