Janet wants to know...

In an interesting twist of the interview meme, this week's Tell It To Me Tuesday at Janet's says to say "Interview Me" and she will send you five questions to answer. And when you utter the magic words, you will ALSO leave questions for her. She will then pick the 5 best questions and answer them on Sunday.

So, I did it. I said "Interview Me" and this is what Janet wants to know:

1) If you could live anywhere, where would you live and why?
Oh, this is hard. I like where I live because my family is mostly here or within a few hour's driving distance. But if we're talking pure fantasy here, I would live in my grandmother's little house up on the mountain in North Wales. It's a small place, with small rooms - my husband would hate it because he's a big, tall man and feels crowded even in normal-sized doorways. The family house is somewhat larger, much older (about 800 years?) and very quaint - but it is the second house that was built on the property that captures and holds my imagination. My great grandmother lived in the "big" house until her death, and when my grandmother moved back to Wales, she built a little house across the drive. I stayed there when I was younger and just loved it. It always struck me as a great place to write - which has always been my dream. My little house up on the mountain, with my typewriter/computer and the best view in the world.

2) What is the best compliment you have ever received?
The best compliment I ever received was from my mother. She told me that I was a good mother to my son. It doesn't sound like much unless you are a mother, because it is so difficult. I am always questioning myself as to whether or not I'm any good at it. Some people are natural mothers and do the job with no qualms at all, but I took a long time to become one, and once I was there, wasn't at all sure that I was cut out of the job. So to be validated by the best mother I know really means something!

3) Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?
My best guess? Driveways weren't always 25 feet long. Sometimes they were miles long. It was the "way to drive" to the house... and once you actually got there, you stopped (parked). A parkway is probably the way beside the park. geez... the word "park" looks really weird when you type it out...

4) What did I want to be when I grew up?
Other than a writer? I wanted to be a veterinarian. I worked in a vet's office when I was 13 - holding animals during examinations, helping out during surgeries (handing over tools and such), cleaning cages and feeding animals. I also was present for many euthanizations. I absolutely adored animals. I still do. But I also realized that I became too emotionally attached. That was fine when help could be rendered, but when it couldn't, it just tore me up. I'm always there when I put my own animals to sleep, but if I had to do this on a daily basis, I don't think I could handle it. And it IS a part of the job. After I made that decision, I found out that vets had to do 8 years of post-graduate work before they could practice independently. Yikes! Isn't that longer than a human doctor?

5) Imagine this is your last supper. What are you having?

My last supper... so many choices! My first impulse would be a honkin' big cheeseburger but in reality, I think it would be a Thanksgiving-type dinner. Roasted turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, green peas, yeast roll. Sweet iced tea. Pumpkin pie with whipped cream. All my life, we have celebrated our lives together and apart, our successes and failures, our hopes, our dreams, and our realities around the Thanksgiving table. If it were my last supper, I would want one that reminded me to be thankful for all that my life has been.

There you have it, Janet! I'll be looking for your answers on Sunday!