In honor of Family History Month, your challenge is to answer five questions from each Weekly Planner topic–or make up five of your own. This week’s topic is favorites. Here are some questions to get you started:
- What is your favorite book and why?
- What is your favorite movie and why?
- Where is your favorite place in the world and why?
- What is your favorite time of day? Are you a morning person, an afternoon person, or a night owl?
- What is your favorite holiday?
Feel free to share your memories in the Comments section of the blog below or, if you have a blog, post a link to your responses. Your memory may help spark the memories of other readers who had similar experiences. For more interesting questions, see TheRememberingSite.org.
Previous challenges:
Here are my favorites for this week’s challenge:
~What is your favorite book and why?
Tough Question! My mother gave me a copy of “Little Women” when I was young and I wanted so much to be like Jo. I read it over and over and have seen every movie version. But “The Good Earth” is right up there too. I had to read it for seventh grade, and loved it so much I read way ahead of the class and kept re-reading it to keep up.
~What is your favorite movie and why?
Anything with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. They make me laugh every time.
~Where is your favorite place in the world and why?
Home. I love being with my family, my pets, and my garden…and of course, my family history!
~What is your favorite time of day? Are you a morning person, an afternoon person, or a night owl?
I’m a morning person. I love getting a good start on the day and it sets the tone for the day. If I can get a good start, I also have a good afternoon, and a good evening.
~What is your favorite holiday?
That would be Christmas. My daughter was born around that time and I always think back to that first Christmas after she was born. She was the best Christmas gift ever. 🙂
As I’m reading through these, I thought of another favorite–favorite season. Mine would be springtime. I love watching for the world to turn green again and for those first flower buds to begin peeking through. It’s a time of planning my garden and even fifty degree temps feel like summer. It’s such an optimistic and happy time.
Hope you’ve enjoyed these questions. I am very glad I ran this section. I now have twenty-five questions worth of my personal history documented. What a great way to wrap up Family History Month. Hope you enjoyed them too!
Juliana
1 I loved reading the “Outlander” series by Diana Gabaldon because it was fun to travel back in time! When I was younger I loved reading “Little Women” and poems by Carl Sandburg. My grandfather built bookmobiles for a living and instilled in me a love for all books.
2 I love the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart. It just makes me feel good to know that people are there for each other in a time of need. I love most of Jimmy Stewart’s movies.
My favorite love story is “Pretty Woman” with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. It just makes me feel good!
3 My favorite place in the whole wide world is Cape Cod. I love going to the Cape and walking out on the beach at low tide. Something about squishishing your toes into the sand seems to help me forget my problems and relax and feel closer to God.
4 I consider myself a morning person. I tend to get more done and just enjoy this time of day.
5 Christmas. I tend to send out a lot of Christmas cards because I have a big family and I have a lot of friends who are scattered all over the country. I love hearing from them about how thier year went. I love getting together with my family, all of whom now live in the same state!
I loved reading this column and have printed out the questions to answer later. Some of them have sparked some wonderful memories! Thank you Julianna! Love, Beth
Here are mine for this week!
What is your favorite book and why?
I lean towards non-fiction books – perhaps because I am a Capricorn and such a realist. One book that I recently returned to, because it is so touching and so true and similar to my current situation, is Death in Slow Motion – My Mother’s Descent into Alzheimer’s by Eleanor Cooney.
What is your favorite movie and why?
Dolores Claiborne with Kathy Bates. My mother and I saw this movie in Washington, DC in 1995 when it was released. It is absolutely fascinating and the story of a powerful women who isn’t willing to accept the life she’s been dealt.
Where is your favorite place in the world and why?
I lived in San Francisco for close to 20 years. Despite its many problems, it is a fascinating and breathtaking city – probably the most European feeling city this country has. But now I always want to be around my friends and family especially here in Chicago.
What is your favorite time of day? Are you a morning person, an afternoon person, or a night owl?
I am a morning person for sure. But for someone with insomnia like me, the morning often starts at 2:00 am. And also, since I work for a global law firm and have to support users in different time zones, it seems I never sleep.
I like the tranquility of morning – right now I can hear the Canadian geese flying south for the winter and watch the sun coming up over Lake Michigan. Give me my 20 ounce coffee mug filled with life-giving caffeine and a computer and I am in heaven.
What is your favorite holiday?
It has to be Christmas which I know seems so cliche. I was born on Christmas Day and that probably has something to do with it.
Favorite book – too many to list – I enjoy a book with great characterization and plot. For an easy read I’ll pickup a Mary Higgins Clark. Patricia Cornwell series with Dr. Kay Scarpetta. I have reread her first books several times.
Favorite movie too many to list but I’ll select 3 – To Kill A Mocking Bird – besides acting that cannot be duplicated today – filmed in black and white which gives depth to the movie – an intense story line and moral that lives true today. Dead Poet’s Society with Robin Williams – once again this movie provides the viewer with great characterization, not of a person but of a period of time and history. Last but not least, It’s a Wonderful Life. Truly a classic a great feel good movie.
Favorite place – as a single other of three every fall I would say I am going to New York City for the weekend. To see a play and go sightseeing. Every fall one of my children made the band, a hockey team, dance line or some other costly activity. So I waited and waited for my get away. In 2000 my parents had passed away, my children were now all adults and I took my weekend get away. Actually I took 5 days and went to the Big Apple. As a child I always felt as though I was living out of time and place but when I stepped foot in New York City I knew I was home. I love everything about the city so much so that in 2001 I packed my bags and ran away from home for 6 months. Found a sublet and just enjoyed the city. I took the train to every neighborhood and would just walk around. I visited all the typical tourist attractions probably my favorite is Liberty Island and Ellis Island. The Great Hall at Ellis Island is so empowering. When I stand in that hall I feel and hear the voices of the masses that entered this country.
Favorite time of day – In the evening after the my children had gone to bed. As a single mom this was MY time. Time to just sit, time to read, time to watch TV in quiet. Time to reflect on the day and to prepare for the next.
Favorite Holiday – any day that the family comes together whether it is for a huge sit down formal diner or a Bar B Que or maybe just pizza. But if I have to pick one it would be The 4th of July with Christmas a close second. I tell everyone that I am so extremely patriotic that my blood bleeds red white and blue with little America flags. What’s not to love about this day. This is all about freedom and who can’t love those fireworks.