8 is more than enough

I was 'tagged' by Bush Babe to list 8 sets of 8 things about me. I don't usually do these sorts of lists (they hurt my brain) but I will, for BB and Debby, even though I suspect it's not all that interesting to anyone.

Here goes.

8 lots of 8 things about A Novel Woman:

8 TV shows I watch
1. Amazing Race (hopelessly addicted)
2. American Idol (I hate it when they make fun of people but love the competition part)
3. Glee (my current, absolute favourite show)
4. Antiques Roadshow (totally, hopelessly addicted to the British version)
5. The Office (love the British version and the American one. Apples and oranges.)
6. Mad Men (ooh, baby, it doesn't get better than this. No wait. Glee does.)
7. Oprah (Habit. While I make dinner. My first child & her show were born the same time.)
8. Masterpiece Theatre (Go Little Dorrit!)

May I say for the record how much I miss ER? I also miss Upstairs/Downstairs. And The Mary Tyler Moore Show. And I Love Lucy. What? They're classics.

8 favorite places to eat and drink
1. Screened-in porch at the cottage (my absolute favourite place, bar none)
2. My husband's cousin's cottage down the road - there is always "deck dancing" after dinner
3. La Belle Province (sounds fancy, but it's hotdogs and poutine)
4. La Poilane bakery in Paris - best apple tart I've ever tasted
5. Saint Hubert BBQ chicken (What? I like their chicken)
6. Restaurant Decca 77 (if we want fancy or, say, before a John Mayer concert)
7. Duke's Restaurant and Barefoot Bar in Honolulu (oh, be still my heart)
8. Pret a Manger in London, UK (the best fast food restaurants on the planet and if I had a magic teletransporter that could take me anywhere instantly, I'd eat there every day. Beam me up.)

8 things I look forward to:
1. Watching my children find their places in the world.
2. Grandchildren (just not yet).
3. Traveling with my husband to Italy ( it's our 25th anniversary this year, so who knows?)
4. Going to Vegas with my sisters someday.
5. Publishing a book and holding it in my hands.
6. Feeling comfortable in my own skin.
7. Spring at the cottage and the ice going out on the lake.
8. Guinness and pizza on Friday nights. I'm a simple woman with simple needs.

8 things I love about winter:
1. A cozy spot by the fire in our family room.
2. Catching up on reading.
3. The way the afternoon light bounces off the snow and lights up the house.
4. No worries about squirrels, flooded basements or wolf spiders.
5. I bake and cook more often so the house smells gooood.
6. Sweaters. They cover a lot of sins, baby.
7. I write more during the winter.
8. Carbs. They get me through. (See: sweaters)

8 things on my wish list:
1. Buy a flat in London (Honest. It's on the top of my list)
2. Go to India, Italy, Thailand, France, Australia (not necessarily in that order)
3. Get rid of all the clutter in my house and Keep It Out
4. To see my husband enjoy more free time. He so deserves it.
5. A big red pickup truck
6. Drive alone across Canada, from sea to sea
7. To walk or cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats
8. Take a whisky tour across Scotland (maybe as I do #7)

(World peace is a given, okay?)

8 things I am passionate about
1. Good food, organic and GMO-free
2. Ethics, whether it's farming or politics or fair trade or friendships
3. The written word
4. Photography
5. Anything crafted by hand (well, maybe not crocheted Kleenex holders)
6. Movies (I love movies)
7. Traveling
8. Living life to the fullest, guilt-free and without apologies

8 things I have learned from the past
1. Self-reliance is the first step on the path to finding happiness with another person.
2. If your gut says something ain't right, it ain't right.
3. Don't gossip. If someone shares gossip with you, they will eventually gossip about you.
4. There are two sides to every coin and every story.
5. Home has nothing to do with where you live, but who you live with.
6. There are no good squirrels.
7. Believe in truth, and practice it every day.
8. Always root for the underdogs. They never disappoint.

8 things I want/need (this is tough, because I don't really need or want anything, but since you're making me list something, I guess I'll go with....)

1. Glenmorangie Lasanta (want)
2. Chunky baby alpaca yarn, creamy white (want)
3. A new light bulb for my sewing machine (need)
4. An antique, functional yarn winder or "weasel" (Yutha, are you listening?)
5. A grand piano (dream on McDuff)
6. New dishes. My willow patterned ones have chips and dings all over them.
7. A clutter-free house (double dream on)
8. My own trained falcon with a taste for squirrels (want, need, must have)

8 people I want to tag

I won't tag anyone else, but if someone WANTS to do it, leave a link in the comments.