Lydia Schoch

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This was one of those topics I could discuss for hours. If any of us ever meet in person, ask me this question if you want to see me poke my head out of my shell! (I’m often a little quiet and shy at first with new people).

Character: Anne Shirley from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series

Why: I adore it when talkative, extroverted people make the first gesture of friendship, especially when they’re as personable as Anne. Our personalities couldn’t be more different from each other, but our shared love of books and baked goods would give us all sorts of things to discuss.

Character: Sankofa­­ from Nnedi Okorafor’s Remote Control. (My review is here).

Why: She’s the sort of character who needs friends who move slowly and are highly respectful of her boundaries. I’m excellent at both of those things. It would be cool to have a chance to ask her about how her powers work and what she plans to do next in her life.

Character: Yetu from Rivers Solomon’s The Deep (My review is here).

Why: Our personalities are so similar! We’re both quiet, easygoing folks who enjoy learning new things and exploring. There’s definitely something to be said for companionable silence sometimes. Maybe she could teach me some new swimming strokes, too.

Character: The hobbits and the Entwives from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.

Why: Honestly, who wouldn’t want to have a dinner party with hobbits? They’re peace-loving, jolly, and kind folks who are also fantastic cooks. I’d want to meet the Entwives because I’ve wondered what really happened to them ever since I read this series. In my opinion, they survived and eventually reunited with their husbands, sons, brothers, and other male relatives.

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Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

There are so many things I enjoy doing outdoors.

Nature Walks and Light Hiking. That is to say, I’m happy to walk or hike for a few hours, but I wouldn’t want to do it for multiple days or weeks in a row like some of my relatives do! I like coming home to my warm, soft bed at the end of the day. LOL.

Bird watching. I will also happily watch squirrels, dogs, and just about any other animals that cross my path.

People watching. Humans are fascinating. I love observing how we interact with one another when it’s possible to watch strangers in socially-appropriate ways.

Bicycling. It’s been ages since I did this, but I do enjoy bike rides quite a bit. They’re even more interesting if you can do them somewhere quiet and close to nature.

Canoeing. My last canoe trip happened even longer ago than my last bicycle ride, but there is something incredibly peaceful about skimming over a calm pond or lake in a canoe.

Going to the Beach. I especially enjoy building sand castles and walking up and down the pier there.

Swimming in Chlorinated Water. I prefer swimming in places where I know there isn’t anything sharp or slimy at the bottom of a pool. Occasionally, I will swim in a lake, pond, or ocean, but I try to wear protective footwear in those cases.

No, I’ve never had a terrible experience with getting cut or bitten or anything. It simply weirds me out to unexpectedly touch things with my feet in cloudy water.

Picnics. It’s so relaxing to me to pack or buy a meal and then eat it outside on a nice day. Somehow, food tastes a little better when the wind ruffles my hair and I can see birds flying by.

Visiting Cemeteries. Does anyone else enjoy reading headstones and seeing how the art and inscriptions on them has changed throughout history? Cemeteries are such peaceful places, and they’re generally filled with a lot of nature to observe as well if you remain quiet and alert.

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Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

Writing. This spring I’ve been spending more time doing this. Thank goodness for renewed interest in writing and a sharp reduction in my writer’s block! There’s nothing like seeing your characters and worlds come alive. I’ll let you all know when I have a publication date for my next speculative fiction book.

This isn’t me, but this is something I’d do.

Snapping Photographs. 2020 wasn’t a great year for finding interesting things to photograph due to what we all experienced during it that I won’t go into any detail about here, but I’m hoping 2021 will provide more opportunities to capture beautiful moments. Maybe it will even be possible to photograph other places in the world in 2022.

Dancing. Thank goodness for all of the instructional videos online. I love learning new moves and styles of dance. They make me feel so free and happy.

Anthropomorphizing Everything.  I regularly say hello to the animals who live in my neighbourhood whether they are domesticated or wild creatures. I’ve hugged trees once or twice and am not afraid to call a building beautiful out loud if it thrills me. These things bring joy to the world, so why not bring attention to them? In my opinion, we should all appreciate harmless things that lift our spirits and give us hope.

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Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

This is going to be an eclectic list.

Get All of My Dental Work Done at Once. It’s non-urgent and is being done slowly and as necessary. If I had a windfall of cash, I’d bite the bullet (metaphorically speaking) and get everything checked off the to-do list as soon as possible.

Buy Ethical, Local, and Eco-Friendly Stuff. I’d buy as much food, clothing, shoes, electronics, and other various household items from local merchants and farmers as is possible here in southern Ontario.   Buying local can be more ecologically friendly in general, so I’d keep an eye out for businesses that were cognizant of that as well. There’s something to be said for supporting small businesses and your local economy if you have the extra money to do so.

Donate Anonymously. For example, homeless shelters and food banks have always needed donations, and the demand for their services is sadly higher than ever. They should focus on the fact that they suddenly had more resources to help people going through tough times and not worry about giving me credit for anything. I’m too bashful to pose for photo-ops. LOL!

Hire A Housekeeper. I would pay them handsomely to come over for a couple of days a week to clean, shop for groceries, and do laundry. It would be wonderful to have the time I currently invest in that stuff freed up for other pursuits, although I do feel a little selfish to even mention this. It would be such a big splurge.

Buy an Annual Membership to My Local Art Museum. I used to go there occasionally before this darn pandemic began. I’d love to have the freedom to go as often as I pleased and during quiet times of the day when there aren’t any lines to see any of the paintings.

Treat My Family to a Vacation. That is to say, I’d take my spouse, parents, siblings, nephews, and sister-in-law on whatever sort of trip everyone agreed upon. I’d pay all expenses and try to convince them to accept some spending cash, too. Money is only as good as the memories it makes and the joy it brings to others.