Getting to know you tag

Ruth used a picture of Joanna Lumley as Patsy in Ab Fab for this post, so I shall do the same.  Here's a picture of the delightful Ms Lumley modeling in the Sixties

The gorgeous Ruth from Life, the universe and all that's in it has given me a 'getting to know you' tag.  I've answered some of the questions before, so for fear of boring you rigid I've chosen ten.  Although there are a few I'm always happy to wheel out again.

1)  What is your favourite time of day?
I'd love to say very early morning and I absolutely love it on the rare occasions I see it.  I mostly only see it if I'm still up!   I am a total night person.  I come alive at night. When I was a child my dad always said I should do night work.  Thanks for that dad.

My sitting room at night, empty for a change

2)  Where and when did you meet the love of your life?
I got together with The Actor on a stag night.  There were twenty nine actors...and me.  I wrote about it in another tag HERE

The Actor who prefers to remain anonymous on my blog.  I hope to be able to post some pics of him at some point

3) What three words would your friends outside the blogging world use to describe you?
I asked three of my friends who came over to give me a word each, this is what they said: Funny, glamorous and fabulous.  Bless them. What could they say when put on the spot?

I love this sort of glamour.  This is Sharon Tate, wasn't she beautiful?

4) What country would you like to visit and why?
I would love to go to Tibet.  Their relationship with the earth and animals is quite amazing.  I fell in love with it after watching a wonderful programme called Wild China.  It is the most beautiful piece of television I've ever seen. I blogged about it HERE.  If you haven't seen it... please do, you will love it!

A Tibetan Buddha

5)  What is your favourite dish to cook?
It has to be a roast.  I'll cook any kind - beef, lamb, chicken, pork, pheasant.  It's like a competition how many different vegetables I can manage to get on the plate.  I am obsessed with eating vegetables.  The Actor loves vegetables and will eat whatever is put in front of him.  The record I've managed is fourteen one Christmas - Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower, butternut squash, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, courgettes, runner beans, broad beans, sugar snap peas and petit pois. I know it sounds bonkers!  Now he says "Don't go mad on the vegetables!  Three or four is enough!"  I also love to make risotto - my favourite comfort food.

6) Salt or sugar?
Both.  The two foods I could never give up are cheese and chocolate.  My favourite cheese is unpasteurised mature Canadian cheddar - apparently your body can break down unpasteurised cheese much better so you don't get so fat eating it - a plus point I'd say, especially as I eat so much of it.  Waitrose and Marks and Spencer's both do excellent ones.  My favourite chocolate is by L'Artisan du Chocolat.  I love their truffles flavoured with unusual things and the liquid salted caramels are divine.  Otherwise a bar of Green and Blacks seventy or eighty five percent cocoa or Maya Gold will do nicely.  I'd recommend the box of fifty six hand made chocolates from L'Artisan for £29 if you fancy treating yourself, it works out cheaper to buy more.  I've blogged about the chocolates HERE.

7)  What are your must have make-up or beauty items?
I'm addicted to Eve Lom Kiss Mix lip balm.  When I walk into my local Space NK the assistant takes two straight to the till.  I love Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara, My favourite was Amplicils but they discontinued it.  My eyebrows are fair so I look odd without them coloured in.  The best eyebrow pencils I've found are Laura Mercier or Chanel for blondes (not that I'm a natural blonde, of course).  I would be a dried up old prune without moisturiser.  I'm not fussy what make it is and I put it on by the bucket load at night.  The best value is No. 7 Protect and Perfect and Body Shop Vitamin C and Vitamin E range.  And they work.

8)  What are your favourite flowers?
I love orchids, white lilies - arum, calla or stargazer and roses of any colour.

Calla lillies by Tamara de Lempicka

9)  What do you think are your worst vices, honestly?
Telling the truth.  Is that a vice?  I tell it in a good way though.  Smoking roll ups.  Buying things on Ebay I don't need, mostly clothes.  I just can't resist a bargain... Wardrobe post coming soon.

Lana Turner.  I own lots of outfits like this... you have been warned

10)  At what time of your life were you happiest and why?

I'm happiest now. I think you get to know yourself so well after forty.  I've been extremely lucky in my life and I've had mostly very happy times and a hell of a lot of fun.

I earn less money than I've ever earned, but money is not important to me, people are.  I'm with a man I'm in love with, I have the most amazing group of friends and all of them are hilariously funny, which is always a bonus.

I've met someone who will be a friend for life in Ruth, we met through blogging (although we already had friends in common - my friend was Ruth's husband's first love) and I'm delighted to be seeing a lot of my best friend Fee Doran (Mrs Jones) after we lost touch pretty much for nine years.  The double act is back.  I really couldn't be happier. Don't all be sick now!

Mrs Jones and I taken in 2001 by Lee Jenkins

Ruth has already tagged some of the people I would have, so Fee, Dash, Ali, Santa, Kate, Sharron, Belle, Jill, Sharon you've been tagged already, unless you'd like to answer these questions?

I pass this tag onto the following blogs I love to read

Backwards in High Heels

Mrs Trefusis takes a taxi

Belgian Waffle

Caroline, No

Days in Mayfair
Knightley or Elton?

A Girls Guide to Turning Fifty

Faux Fuchsia

Helena Halme

Life Happens Between Books

Little Augury
Loo, Boos and Shoes

Rose C'est La Vie

Splenderosa

The Bottom of the Ironing Basket

That's Not My Age
Vintage Vixen

Please take part if you wish, I'd love to hear your answers xxx