The Interview Game

I was interviewed by Rob (see below for the rules of the game).

1. What are three things you enjoy about your marriage?

I enjoy that Michael and I have silly names for each other. I call him Noodle and he calls me Starfish. (Don’t ask where we got these, because I have no idea.) I also enjoy that sometimes, he gets confused and calls me by his name instead of by mine, and I have to remind him, “No, you’re Noodle. I’m Starfish.” It’s also hilarious when we use the names in front of my younger siblings, especially Katie and Tommy, because it drives them absolutely crazy.

I enjoy that when I’m feeling sad, Michael puts on his flannel pants that have fish printed on them and jumps around the room so that it looks like the school of fish is swimming. Never fails to make me laugh.

I enjoy that in spite of the fact that when we started dating he wasn’t even Christian, it’s Michael who reads the Catholic Answers website, listens to Catholic radio, and keeps me up to date on all the issues. As a theology major for whom apologetics is a hobby, I find it refreshing to have a break sometimes and let someone else do the intellectual work. 

2. What's the perfect setting to enjoy a margarita?

Well, I love to go out with my husband, but quite honestly, I enjoy margaritas most of all when we’re drinking them with my parents. Sometimes we go out, or sometimes we stay in and Dad mixes a pitcher of margaritas while we play bridge. He uses my favorite tequila, but it wouldn’t matter if he didn’t – there’s something about being with my family that makes the good things in life seem even better.

3. In 25 words or less, what is the message you'd most like to get out to the world?

(As an extra, not part of the 25 words, I’d just like to point out that this is a very tough question. Almost impossibly tough. But I’ll give it my best shot.)

Sometimes the search feels aimless, but the truth you’re seeking is out there. Don’t be afraid to look in conventional places. Start by forgetting yourself.

(Twenty-five words exactly.)

4. Why turtles?

One year (I think I was 15) my mom put Beanie Babies in our Christmas stockings, and mine was a turtle. I named him Bishop, and became attached to him. My friends, especially the guys, loved to steal him, so I would be without him for long periods of time. My friends, especially the girls, started buying me replacements so I wouldn’t feel sad when the original was stolen, and pretty soon I had a nice collection. I don’t think I’ve ever bought a turtle for myself – everyone buys them for me. I have one made of Welsh coal, and one made of onyx, and several candles and lamps, including an oil lamp that Michael had a glass blower make for me. Turtles have a cute shape, and I like them. If you’re going to have a collection, turtles are a good collection to have. 

5. When is the church at its best in faithfully presenting Christ's love to the world?

As Christians we are chastized by the world for acting as if we possess truth in a way that others do not. And yet, if the message of Christ isn’t absolutely true, then why are we Christians? I think a lot of people would say that the Church evangelizes most effectively when it gives a little on the issues and just shows love to people. But what exactly does that mean? It is not loving someone to hide the truth from him, especially when that truth could affect him eternally. Mother Teresa was a fierce and effective example of Christ’s love, and yet she never once relented about any of the Church’s teachings.

Ultimately, I’d say that we best present Christ to the world when we cling faithfully to his way. If we allow other concerns to distract us, then we are showing the world that other things are more important that the Truth that is, and comes from, Jesus Christ. And if we think other things are more important, how can we expect them not to think the same?

The Official Interview Game Rules

1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying "interview me."

2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different.

3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Comments

[Amy]

This seems like a fun game... will you interview me? :)

[Elizabeth]

Okay, Amy, here are your questions. (I couldn't get to your blog to find you-related information, so sorry if they're a little general instead of personalized.)

1. If you could take one junk food and give it the nutritional value of lettuce without losing any of the flavor, what would that food be?

2. In an ideal world, how many children would you and Matt have? (Also, if you're feeling adventurous, got any ideas for names?)

3. What was your favorite childhood age, and why?

4. In college, did you change majors at all? Were you happy with the major you had when you graduated?

5. What's the angriest Matt has ever made you? (Or, if answering that will cause marital discord, what's the happiest he's ever made you?)

[Anne Basso]

Great post! I'd Love to be interviewed!

Anne

[Amy]

Thanks for the questions! I'm a blog-hog & have two... sometimes I can't make up my mind which one to put as my url in comments.
My answers are here: http://buchwald.baldninja.com
and my other blog is http://butterfly.baldninja.com

[Tracy]

okay, I'll give it a try, if you don't mind!

[Sonetka]

*Deep breath*

Interview me?

Please don't get too vicious :).

[Elizabeth]

Questions for Anne:

1. When did you realize you wanted to homeschool? What's the number-one reason you decided to do it?

2. If someone gave you $200 that you had to spend all at one store, what would that store be?

3. What saint do you think you're most like? What saint do you wish to be most like?

4. When did you first realize that Dominic was the one for you?

5. Where did you get your children's names?

[Elizabeth]

Tracy, of course I don't mind! Here are your questions:

1. If you could take one junk food and give it the nutritional value of lettuce without losing any of the flavor, what would that food be? (I reused that one - hope you don't mind!)

2. If Mac and Nina are your older children's real names, why do you call the youngest Little Prince on your blog? Is that his real name? Or are Mac and Nina pseudonyms as well?

3. If you could be exceptionally good at one sport, what would it be?

4. Got a favorite book? What is it?

5. What is the hardest thing about being a mother? The most rewarding?

[Elizabeth]

Good heavens, Sonetka. Why would I be vicious? Just for fun, I tried to come up with a vicious question, and couldn't even do it. So there.

Oh, since you don't have a public blog, feel free (if you want) to post the answers to these questions here, so everyone can read them.

Here are yours:

1. What fictional character do you feel you know the best? To what character are you most similar, and what character do you most admire?

2. Why'd you start blogging?

3. If you could live anywhere, cost and distance no object (let's say you could teleport), where would it be?

4. Have you ever thought about writing, or written, a novel?

5. If you had a theme song, what would it be?

[Rob Merola]

Hmmm...looks like we started something here, doesn't it, Elizabeth. Your questions are as intersting as your answers!

I should probably admit I stole question 3 from Frederick Buechner (is that how you spell it?), and have made answering that question part of my Ash Wednesday discipline for several years now. Yes, it is very difficult. But for me, at least, it brings great focus. Kudos on staying in the word limit.

And I finally, I am a grateful for your answer to question five, esp. the very last line. Quite thought provoking--your theological training serves you well.

[Tracy]

That was fun - and hard too. You'll find my answers on my blog :-)

[Lisa]

Hey A - Interview me! -Lisa

[Elizabeth]

Questions for Lisa:

1. What's one thing your parents did that you want to do the same with your daughter? Anything you want to do differently?

2. How did your husband propose? Were you expecting it? I don't mean expecting it generally, I mean did you know it was coming on that particular day?

3. Under normal circumstances, do you worry a lot? If so, what's a common thing for you to worry about?

4. If you could give one food the nutritional value of lettuce, what would it be? (I've used this question twice already, so one more time won't hurt.)

5. What store do you think has the cutest baby clothes?

[Irina]

That's a cool interview! I'd love to participate!

[Alexandra]

Elizabeth, you rock! I've been enjoying your blog for almost a month now (it has become one of my top work-avoidance resources) and I felt this had to be said. I especially enjoy your thoughtful and eminently sensible theological posts. You're so good at smiting feeble nonsense. And I love your answer to the last interview question.

[Carmen]

Delurking to ask:

Can I be interviewed?

But, please, no lettuce question!

[Sonetka]

Elizabeth - here 'tis, in case other people want to see them. Sorry about the "vicious" thing - it was meant as a joke and came from spending waaay too much time lately in doctors' waiting rooms watching sleazy television talking heads promising the New! Hard-Hitting! Tell-All! Interview with this week's Celebrity of the Decade. Here goes:

1. What fictional character do you feel you know the best? To what character are you most similar, and what character do you most admire?

This first is difficult - if a book is well-written, I feel like I know the central characters really well, regardless of how badly I would do if I actually tried to live in their worlds. However, in terms of immediate impact, I would say that Betsy Jekyll in The Prodigal Women is high on the list. She's a creature of her time, no genius but very straightforward, and completely buys into being a 1920s flapper. There is literally nothing which she does not seem willing to blurt out, either explicitly or implicitly. When she got burned by her first love, I was literally writhing; the description made it feel like I was stuck in her head.

To which am I most similar? I hope this isn't too grandiose, but I keep seeing myself in Kristin Lavransdatter, except that I couldn't manage a massive estate if my life depended on it, and I seem to have married Simon instead of Erlend (hey, I like Simon better anyway!) But both as the wilful eldest daughter and the stupefyingly stubborn woman, not to mention a few other things - I am like her those ways. Hope I live a little longer, though.

Most admired character; there's a lot of those, and I don't think I could pick just one. But if I have to, I'll go for, um ... Istra in Till We Have Faces. Mostly because anyone who can overcome-by-giving-way in that manner has my total admiration, perhaps because I find it to be absolutely impossible.

2. Why'd you start blogging?

Easy - I was miserable. I was in the middle of something not an awful lot of people seemed to get and my options seemed to be (1) therapy, which I'm nervous of and which would cost a good bit (2) make other people in real life/cyberspace miserable about it by constantly complaining to them (3) confine my complaining to one place so as to be able to vent about infertile-insensitive people without starting lifelong fights with or grossly insulting these people. People do not say things like "just adopt" "real children" or "meant to be" because they're vicious and enjoy watching me suffer. They say it because they don't know any better. Ripping into them in real life would be unfair. Ripping into them here? Well...not great, but better than building up a head of steam with nowhere to vent it.

3. If you could live anywhere, cost and distance no object (let's say you could teleport), where would it be?

Moscow (I assume visas are also no object :)). From there I would take the train periodically to exotic vistas both east and west.

4. Have you ever thought about writing, or written, a novel?

I've started to write several, all pretty bad. The first one was about 150 pages of slave life in tenth-century Constantinople. The second one was meant to be a Harlequin potboiler, but though I got the plot pretty well nailed down I couldn't actually bring myself to write more than three pages of it. (If you want to know, it was a bodice-ripper involving a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon). The third one was going to be about a society of time-travellers who are deliberately trying to invoke the Grandfather Paradox, but that one ended up turning into a short story. I'm sure I'll have another one come along soon - I'd be astonished if I actually finished, though :).

5. If you had a theme song, what would it be?

"Paperback Writer" by the Beatles. Just because it's funny.

[Donnie]

Hi Elizabeth,

Found your blog from another blog... well you know how it goes.

Interesting stuff!

I'd LOVE to be interviewed, and will indeed follow all the rules *religiously.*

Cool idea.

-D.

[Cari]

Hey Elizabeth,
I know you're busy right now, but when you get around to it, would you please interview me? Thanks!
Cari

[Becki]

I'd love to be interviewed, too, but I know you must be incredibly busy, so whenever--weeks, months from now is fine.

[Elizabeth]

Questions for Irina:

1. If you could meet one author, living or dead, who would it be? What questions would you ask him/her?

2. What is one thing you really, really have your heart set on doing in the future?

3. Do you have a piece of clothing, or an outfit, that makes you feel really good when you wear it? What is it? (For bonus points, post a picture of yourself in it.)

4. Who (or what) has influenced you most in the development of your political views?

5. High school - good memories or bad? Explain.

[Elizabeth]

Questions for Carmen:

1. Did you always know that you wanted a big family? Or was it just a "we'll take whatever God sends us" kind of thing?

2. If you had an entire day to yourself, what what you do?

3. Where did you get your children's names? (I know I asked Anne this already, but I'm interested.)

4. Do you have a favorite movie? What is it?

5. Name a well-known person (dead or alive) who you think set a good example of how to live.

[Elizabeth]

Questions for Donnie:

1. Why the name "Dramalish"?

2. Why did you decide to become a teacher? Are you glad you did?

3. If you could only own one book, one movie, and one music album, what would they be?

4. Where did you meet your husband? How old were you when you got married?

5. What's your favorite dessert?

[Elizabeth]

Questions for Cari:

1. I know you're not totally happy living where you live now. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

2. What is an issue that you are passionate about?

3. Someone gives you a $500, with the caveat that you have to spend it on yourself. What would you buy/do?

4. Tell a story about one of the sweetest things your husband has done for you.

5. Name a couple of your favorite guilty pleasures.

[Elizabeth]

Questions for Becki:

1. What's one profession you imagine would drive you absolutely crazy?

2. Who is a person in your life you don't get to see much, and wish you could see more?

3. Would you rather receive a huge surprise, or plan one?

4. If you and I met at Starbucks (or equivalent coffee shop) what would you be most likely to order?

5. What's one of your favorite activities to do with your children?

[Cari]

Thanks! That was fun... Off to post on my own blog now.

1. I know you're not totally happy living where you live now. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I would move back “home” to Anchorage, Alaska. I would never, EVER trade in my experiences of being an Air Force family, but I do miss home. I don’t miss the region as much as the people. I really miss my family. And my dissatisfaction with this area doesn’t lie with the region itself. It is not having family or very close friends around. I know that will come with time and I am actually settling in more here. In a fantasy life, though, I would love to live in a place that was warm and sunny all year round.

2. What is an issue that you are passionate about?

I am very passionate about crisis pregnancy and abortion. My lifelong goal is to one day open a maternity home for unwed women who are pregnant. The home would provide them with a place to live and education/work skills for the future. Along with that, there would be information about adoption. I feel very strongly against abortion but I’m aware that there are many factors that need to be “fixed” before we can stop abortion as a whole. I think there is really a lack of support for pregnant women and mothers. Unfortunately, our society tends to treat pregnancy as something shameful and traumatic and very isolating. I would like to see it become something that is celebrated.

3. Someone gives you a $500, with the caveat that you have to spend it on yourself. What would you buy/do?

Get a new tattoo… more on that later. 

4. Tell a story about one of the sweetest things your husband has done for you.

This year, for Christmas, he got me a weekend getaway to a spa in Berkeley Springs, WV. It was particularly sweet because he cared for all three kids for the whole weekend. But, he also did a wonderful job planning his proposal to me. He made reservations at the Space Needle in Seattle (from Saudi Arabia). It was a very romantic evening. He did the whole down on one knee thing in front of everyone on the observation deck. My husband is a very sweet man and does everything for me. He’s definitely a keeper.

5. Name a couple of your favorite guilty pleasures.

Well, I do enjoy the occasional drink… Maker’s Mark and Coke… sometimes a beer. I try to have a bubble bath (by myself – hard with three kids) every night. And food… I enjoy good food. A lot.