Melanie is the host of SYW

Questions:

Where do you feel most at home?  Please be more specific than “at home, doh” please. It could be a room in your home, a person, a location…  😝 😁 😇

The most easy and comfortable place for me to be in is …..

At home

In my PJs

In my living room

Sitting on my favorite comfy sofa

With my feet comfortably resting on the footrest

And

Blogging on my phone

Ah! Relaxation!

Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car?  🐎  🚗 🚲

I loved riding a bike but haven’t done so in a long while. I would still love to at least try it once more. The second best option would be to drive or being driven. Never rode a horse since childhood. So I don’t want to do that with the possibility of falling down from the horse and breaking a few bones, or worse injuring the horse because of my weight!

What song would you sing on “Karaoke Night” (if you were forced to do so)?  🎤 🎶 🎻🎷🎺🎸🎵🎹

If I am “forced” to sing at a karaoke night, I probably will do Happy, Pharrell Williams song. It’s a great song and I’d hope that people would forgive my cracked voice and out of tune singing.

University or life experience, which do you feel best prepares you for life?  🎓

No matter how well educated you are, it’s living that gives you life skills to cope with different situations we find ourselves in. I admit that education is good but not enough to cope with life by itself. So a good combination of both is the best way to handle living.

IT’S AN ATTITUDE

What are you grateful for?

I am grateful to be alive, back at home, and having all my children and grandchildren around me. What more can one ask for? Plus I have my blog and my blogging buddies too.

Thank you Melanie for SYW. Every week we get interesting new questions and get to share our views and news with everyone on the blogosphere.

#Keepitalive

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Melanie and Roger are the host of SYW this week.

Share Your World Meets Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

(The Final HP Question Set)

Roger’s Magical, Mystical Questions:

1. Have you ever driven the wrong way on a one-way street? How did this come about?

I did when I was a novice. Now it doesn’t happens at all because there are traffic cops and cameras everywhere.

2. As a kid, did you ever decide to run away? Did you have a plan? Take a pet? Sandwiches?

I was a timid sort of a girl so never had enough guts to plan a getaway.

3. You suddenly found you have a hidden talent for playing a musical instrument. What musical instrument do you hope that accompanies your talent? Any particular song?

I have always wanted to be able to play the flute. A very good friend at school used to play it and did try to teach me and a bunch of other girls. I never went beyond that odd screeching noise. Any song would do.

4. Do you accessorize with jewelry? There was an opal necklace (cursed) and Slytherin’s locket (also cursed) in the Potter story. Have you had any heirloom jewelry passed down through the generations? Is it more ‘keepsake’ or do you wear it on occasion? (Hopefully, yours was not cursed?)

I grew up a Tom boy so didn’t develop much taste for jewelry. A few years back I was encouraged by my close friends to dress “nicely” like a lady but I cannot stick with it as I often forget. And I haven’t got anything handed down to me from my elders. Anything that I could, I sold because money is more useful than jewelry.

Melanie’s Ordinary Muggle Questions:

What ingredients go into YOUR favorite salad?

I like most salads but one I liked the best was made by thinly sliced peaches, cucumbers and sprinkled with feta cheese.

If you care to, share something that really irritates you.

Politicians!

From all over the world, but specially Trump and Boris. I really can’t stand these two Bozos!

What are your favorite ‘lounging around the house’ items of clothing? Now that a lot of people ‘lounge around the house’ waiting for the all clear in respect to Covid being shown the door, have those lounging items changed?

A tee and soft pants with flit flops. My lounging attire hasn’t changed but it’s now my most of the day attire.

GRATITUDE;

My daughter and grandson are finally back home and settling in nicely. It’s really great to have all my kids and grand kids in one city.

~*~

#Keepitalive

#SYW

Melanie and Roger are co-hosting SYW

Share Your World Meets Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

(Book/Film Six – there is one more to go!)

Roger’s Magical, Mystical Questions:

1. You have just been gifted a magic wand that specializes in completing household chores. You can request the completion of only two household chores. Which chores would you assign your wand to complete?

That is easy, I would use it to iron and fold up the laundry. I enjoy other chores but folding up the laundry, especially those fitted sheets is a nightmare.

2. At the local Wizards-R-Us store there was a sale on handshake shockers, instant darkness pellets, and levitation pills. Which of these ‘party thrillers’ are you more likely to purchase?

Levitation pills seem to be a good choice. Just to rise up and look over everyone’s shoulders to check what is going on!

3. In the alley behind Wizards-R-Us, there was a tradesman selling a Love Potion. The sales pitch was too much for you and you yielded and purchased one vial. What do you do with it?

Hmmm, this is tough. If by ingesting the love potion the person can fall in love with new ideas, I’d give it to my hubby. He is quite reluctant to embrace new thoughts.

4. You are the Great Clearinghouse Winner of a new ‘good luck’ potion – Felix Felicis. It has to be used within the next thirty days or its potency becomes diminished. Do you use it? Do you give it to a friend in need?

A good luck potion is needed by almost everyone facing tough life situations these days. I think I will add it to the community water supply so that we all can benefit from good luck.

Melanie’s Mundane Muggle Questions:

1. If everyone spoke their mind, would this world be a better or worse place? Why?

I think it would be a bad idea. All the hidden resentment and gripes would come to the surface which ordinarily we keep to ourselves and forget about in time. This will sour up the relationships within a family and with friends. Let us keep it in our hearts so that we can ignore or forget about them.

2. Can achieving nothing make a person happy?

Let’s qualify this;

Achieving nothing like in terms of worldly success may not mean that that person hasn’t achieved anything at all. They may have made someone happy, helped a person in need, be a good friend or family member or they could have been kind to their pets and other animals. In my book, that means achieving a lot, which cannot be measured in worldly scales.

3. How do you know if you love someone enough to marry them?

If you have feelings of love and friendship with the other person and feel that your life would be better with them as opposed to without them. But these feelings may change as people grow older. So there is no rule that a person one has felt to be the perfect life partner will continue to be that as the couple goes through life.

GRATITUDE SECTION;

My elder daughter has been granted a doctorate degree in electrical engineering. This is a proud moment for all of us!

#Keepitalive

#SYW

Melanie and Roger are our hosts for SYW this week.

Book/Film Five – there are two more to go!)

https://rogershipp.wordpress.com

Roger’s Magical, Mystical Questions

• What happened to cause you to discover ‘bullies” were real?

Fortunately, I was never bullied in school. It was when my kids were bullied that this problem came into my focus. As a parent, I did all I could, including taking to the school admin, and their teachers. But they needed their own courage to face the bullies which the managed to do so.

• Eavesdropping- When given the chance, how often do you eavesdrop?   (this may be a similar question to what some folks said they’d do with an invisibility cloak)

As a kid, we thought it was great fun to “listen in” on grown-up’s conversations. But I soon realized that eavesdropping came with a price tag. As an adult, I try to avoid it completely.

• Escalators, at one time, were the ‘next big thing’. When was the last time you rode an escalator?

Just the other day when I visited a mall. It’s a very common thing in my city and most bigger malls have them. I usually don’t have the patience to just stand so I am either moving up or down at my pace.

• Have you ever ‘let’ someone win in a sports competition or a board game? How did it turn out?    

My kids, when they were learning to play different games. And my grandson when I was teaching him chess. It boosts their morale and it’s more likely that it would keep their interest alive in learning that game.

Melanie’s Muggle Questions

I’m very short on time today (Sunday) so I’m borrowing from Rory and Sandmanjazz to fill the questions today:

• Do our fears start with our DNA?  (Credit to Rory)

Some fears are genetic like phobias. Others are learned. Sometimes the parents teach their children to fear things which they carry all through their lives.

• If you could have your hair any colour for 24 hours, what colour would you choose?  (Credit to Sandmanjazz)

Bright red or maybe magenta. And I wouldn’t mind having them for a few weeks. I love experimenting with my hair color!

• When do you think a person gets old?  (Credit to Rory)

When they think they are old. There are younger people who think themselves old and older ones who think they are young. It’s all in the mind you see.

GRATITUDE SECTION  (as always this is optional)

Please feel free to write about an uplifting moment in your life this week!

Had a good week weather-wise. The temps are cooling down and the rainy season is almost at its end. Met a few friends this week too after more than six months!

#Keepitalive

#SYW

Melanie is the host of SYW, co-hosted by Roger Shipp

Share Your World Meets Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Roger’s Magical, Mystical Questions:

1. Many local regions, especially rural areas where I live, have haunted houses. Have you ever spent the night in a house that was supposedly haunted? Anything ‘strange” happen?

I don’t know that if the house we lived in was really haunted but there were many unexplained incidents there. The lights going on and off by themselves, the noise of something heavy being dragged on the roof or a feeling of oppression which was experienced by the adults in the home, that were me and my husband! The kids were totally oblivious to all of this.

2. The Quidditch Cup (riding broomsticks while chasing a small ball) was a huge sporting event in the land of Hogwarts. What is the largest sporting event (or concert, etc.) that you have ever attended?

A few field hockey matches played for international tournaments in my home city and one memorable World Cup cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa, which we lost. The stadium was huge and full to capacity. Now I prefer watching matches in the comfort of my home where I can see the close-ups and action replay too.

3. When you go for a swim, do you prefer an ocean, the seaside lakes, or a pool?

Never learned to swim!

4. Ron Weasley received a horrid robe to wear as formal wear to the Christmas dance at Hogwarts. Tell about the most ‘ghastly’ fashion statement that you have ever made.

I don’t remember anything that stands out as particularly ghastly, but when I look back at my photos from the 80s, they do seem strange with big hairdos.

Muggle Questions (from Melanie):

What is the last song you sang along to?

Any song that I am listening to while being driven in the car! But my favorite to sing along with my granddaughter is Happy by Pharrell Williams!

What was your scariest nightmare about?

I never remember my dreams or nightmares. Just the residual feelings of being disturbed.

What food do you crave most often?

This is easy, anything carbs! Bread, cookies, donuts 🍩……. it’s a long list.

What’s your grossest bug story?

A very long time ago, I poured myself a glass of milk but forgot to drink it and left it on the kitchen counter. When I came back for something else, I saw it and drank it in one go…..

Only to find the dregs teeming with tiny ants. Oh, how I tried to throw up all of it without success.

GRATITUDE SECTION (optional as always)

I am thankful that the weather has finally decided to cool down a little. There are evenings when we can go out and enjoy the fresh air without getting drenched in sweat!

#Keepitalive

#SYW

Melanie is the host of SYW, co-hosted by Roger Shipp

Share Your World Meets Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

One of my favorite gifts that Harry Potter received came from the Weasley Twins; and was “Mrs. Mooney’s Marauder’s Map”. This magical document showed every classroom, hallway and secret corner in all of Hogwarts. It also showed you the location- by name- of every person in Hogwarts. If you had such a magical map of your town, what would you use it for? If you would not use it, is there another person to whom you would gift it?

Since I already have google maps on my phone I will gift this map to my husband who experiences great difficulty in reading maps or following google map instructions.

When was the last time you made a snowball? Were in a snowball fight?

Since my hometown is pretty hot it doesn’t snow here. The time I lived in Seattle, it snowed a few times but never enough for a snowball fight. I have memories from my childhood when we were living in Kashmir and it snowed heavily one year. I was around 6-7 and we had a snow fight.

Many cultures set great value in each child of the family having godparents. Did you have godparents? Are you a godparent yourself?

In my culture, there is no concept of godparents. However, grandparents are considered a very important part of their grandkids lives and are quite involved in the bringing up of their grandchildren. I have three grandkids and I am playing my role as a doting grandma to them all.

You have found a secret tunnel under your house. Where does it go?

To the nearest coffee shop. I can go get my lattes any time I want. And that cafe is free and is open 24/7.

Muggle Questions (of a more philosophical bent this week):

Is intelligence or wisdom more useful?

Intelligence is a gift. While wisdom is acquired. Both have their place in life but even if we aren’t born intelligent, we can still acquire wisdom by learning from our life experiences.

So carrying on from that, I think wisdom serves us more usefully than intelligence.

How important plays in living a healthy and fulfilling life?

Very important!

In life, the ratio of work and play keeps on changing but play is really important in all stages of life. Otherwise, we would lose our panache for life.

Is happiness just chemicals flowing through your brain or something more?

The exact feeling of happiness is felt when our brain releases serotonin. Bananas and chocolate have serotonin. But seeing or feeling something good releases serotonin too. Happiness is as real as sadness, anger, or any other emotion.

GRATITUDE SECTION (Always optional)

I am home, the two weeks of self-isolation are over and my sleep cycle has finally adjusted to the new timing.

~*~

#Keepitalive

#SYW

Melanie is the host of SYW

Share Your World Meets Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 

Harry Potter can speak to snakes. If you were able to have conversations with any one animal, what animal would you like to speak to? What would be the topic of your first conversation?

I would love to be like Dr Dolittle, and talk to all the animals. I would like to learn their secret of living in harmony with nature. Taking just enough to survive and not upset the eco-system.

The portraits in Hogwart’s dormitories can talk. If your graduation portrait could speak to people passing it by, what would it tell them?

I did it despite all! I got my degree after marriage and two kids!

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger use the Pollyjuice Potion for finding new clues for the happenings at Hogwarts. (The Pollyjuice Potion is a magic potion that allows your body to form into that of another and live their life for a few hours.) If you could transform into another being, who would you chose to be? What would you hope to learn?

By all accounts of those consuming pollyjuice, it tastes awful and the transformation are very unpleasant. So I would rather just have the ability to talk to the animals. Thanks!

There was a flooding in the girl’s bathroom where Moaning Myrtle resides. What has been the most dangerous (or comical) ‘flooding’ where you reside?

I didn’t experience the flooding myself but it happened just as we moved out of one our homes. The area was low lying and it rained heavily. So I was told by a neighbor that the water was entering through the front door of the house and flowing out the back. It was a lucky break for us otherwise everything we had would have been water logged.

Mundane or “Muggle” Questions:

(Serious one which is rather creepy):  How do you think you’ll die?  IF you do think about it?

Given the family history of heart disease, probably an heart attack! But given my tendency towards accidents, I could be run over by a car( or a bus!)

What’s the best on-line screen name you’ve seen? “Best might mean the oddest.

I would go with Fandango!

Or Sadje, as this is also my screen (WordPress) name!

What’s invisible that you wish people could see?

Depression, pain or displeasure. These are important things to know about people but are often hidden due to societal taboos.

If over time you replace parts on a car, at what point does it stop being the same car you bought? How many parts do you need to replace to make it a new car?

When you change the color of your car, it doesn’t seems like your’s anymore.

( I am sorry if this post is still in multi-colored font. I tried to change it many times to plain black but it is not working)

Thank you Melanie and Roger for these interesting questions.

#Keepitalive

#SYW

Melanie is the host of SYW

For the next several weeks “Share Your World” will have two parts.  The awesome blogger, Roger Shipp, is the creator and host (if you will) of the first part.

This week the book OR the movie is “Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone”

Share Your World Meets Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 

Because of the state-wide quarantines many of the local SPCA’s are having an influx of animals. You have decided that you would love to have a new pet. Would you go the normal wizardry route and pick an owl, a cat, or a toad? Or would you become a more eccentric wizard (like Hagrid, the games keeper) and seek out a three-headed dog, a dragon, or a unicorn? Please explain your answer.

I think I would like a three headed dragon for my pet. I could then ask it to scare all those people who are going about without masks in complete disregard for the safety of others and themselves. The only problem would be what to feed it or where to house it!

Neville Longbottom was gifted a Remembrall. This was a glass ball that would assist you in maintaining memories of things that you often forget. What would you want your Remembrall to help you remember?

I do need it desperately for I forget a lot of things. My shopping list, why I went into the kitchen or why I am all dressed up? Where was I headed!

Professor Dumbledore gave Harry Potter an invisibility cloak that Dumbledore said was from Harry’s father. Now, you have inherited a cloak with similar powers. Would you use it? When?

Now, this would have a ton of interesting uses. I could be the fly on the wall and learn of secrets that people, especially politicians are hiding.

While cleaning your attic, you have discovered the Mirror of Erised. (“Erised” is “desire” spelled backwards, as if reflected in a mirror) The Mirror of Erised is a magical mirror, which, according to Professor Dumbledore, when you gaze into it, it shows the “deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts.” You have chosen to look in the mirror. What do you see?

I don’t think I would use it. It’s a slippery slope and I wouldn’t want to go there. Real-life with all its disappointments is better.

“Plain” Questions:

Would You Rather Live 120 Years That Are Comfortable But Boring, Or Live Half As Long, But Have An Exciting Adventure Packed Life?

I am the non-adventurous type so a comfort life sounds good. But 120 years sounds more like a punishment than a gift. I would rather choose to live life until I am able to look after myself and live with dignity.

What’s Something That Overwhelms You?

What things pile up and I am running behind, I experience a sense of panic and feel overwhelmed. My way of dealing with it is to quickly try to handle a few of the tasks and then I feel fine.

What Do or DID You Take For Granted?

My health. But not anymore. Now I look after myself since my diabetes type II was diagnosed. And thank God I feel much better now!

Gratitude:   Please feel free to share some gratitude moments or thoughts you’ve had recently.  This section is entirely optional.

I am back home after spending considerable time in the USA. It’s great to be back.

A view from the plane.

Can you see the mountain peeking through the clouds?

~*~

#Keepitalive

#SYW

MELANIE B CEE is the host of SYW

Questions:

What will finally break the Internet?  Do you believe it can be broken at all?

With the lockdown, the internet is so heavily overloaded. Everyone who has a device is connected to it. Work, school, and entertainment, we are relying on the internet for mostly everything. Shopping, travel booking, blogging, reading books, most things are possible due to it. But if this massive load hasn’t broken it yet, I doubt if it can be done. Maybe an intentional criminal attack could do it. But that would really be bad news for us all!

What are some ‘red flags’ to watch out for in daily life?  (take it as you want)

Healthwise, being out of breath, feeling undue stress or heart beating very fast. These should not be taken lightly and properly investigated.

There are other red flags which we should pay attention to, like greedy politicians trying to subvert the election process, banks wanting to take your money and not giving anything back or food prices hyper-inflation! All things to be aware of!

What’s the silliest thing someone has argued with you about?

It must have been a good 25- 30 years ago when my kids were really young 2-3 years old. They would argue with each other as to who should be enjoying the view from their side of the car window. They were pretty serious about not letting the other kids see from their window!

What’s the strangest thing you’ve found lying on the ground / side of the road?

I won’t say strange, but disgusting! A dead rat lay in my path where I was walking. I had to choose an alternate way for my walk that day. Finally, a raven, with much struggle flew away with the offending carcass.

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Gratitude Section (optional as always)

Please feel free to share your photos, stories, poetry, or memes that promote gratitude! 

Saw this on a blog and saved it for it spoke to me;

And this one just cracked me up. No disrespect to the Black lives matter movement.

Keep smiling.

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#SYW

MELANIE B CEE is the host of Share Your World

I am a clean person. Mess gets on my nerves and even while working cooking or doing anything else, I like to be organized tidy and clean. Hygiene wise, I am a clean person too but I don’t think that Melanie’s question was directed that way!

Nice, helpful, sympathetic, tidy and strange

Do you enjoy being out in nature?

I love walking outside, seeing all the beauty of nature and I find inspiration from it But I am not the adventurous type so no camping, tracking, or mountain climbing for me. You can say that I am an armchair nature lover

What could you spend all day talking about?

I can, and probably do talk all day about my blog, my blogging friends, and writing!

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Attitude of Gratitude:  (OPTIONAL)

Please feel free to share some gratitude from your life!  Thanks!  

These are hot and hectic days here as my visit is coming to an end. I am very grateful to all my blogging friends who wished me well on my journey home.

#Keepitalive

#SYW