Hello Dear Readers

I  was given a little spring in my step and a smile on my face last week when I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger award by the wonderful Soulitary Reaper to whom I offer immense gratitude.

For those of you not versed with this award, the details are here.

Here are the Rules of the Award:

• Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions the blogger(s) asked you.
• Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
• List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award Logo in your post and/or on your blog.

And here within are the 11 questions I was posed and my answers to them.

1. Do you have a favourite family memorabilia/heirloom? What is it?

Sadly not. My somewhat peripatetic life has led me to exist with scant regard for physical possessions unless absolutely necessary. I did once possess my grandfather’s harmonica. He was by all accounts a musician of no small talent. Tragically, although he passed on the harmonica, he didn’t pass on the talent and my own efforts sounded like two asthmatic cats having an argument at midnight.

2. If you could go back in your own timeline, what would the ‘present you’ tell the ‘2008 you?’

Move to Switzerland and buy a top hat. Those two things between them have brought me all thats best in my life.

3. Which book character would you like to run away with?

I suspect I’m done with running away for a good while, but I would very much like to meet Otto from The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and have him around the house.

4. Do you like your job? What’s your dream job?

As a self employed artisan in my “day job” I would be forced to say yes to the first part. For the second, if I could wave a magic wand I would be a writer. With better teeth. And less grey hairs.

5. Which country would you like to travel to?

Japan – Ms Josephine Pichette organised a number of rebellions and revolutions there. She tells me the food is quite remarkable and the refuse collection unusually ornate.

6. What do you look forward to when you wake up each day?

Turning off the alarm clock. It’s really quite an irritating and jaunty sound and I don’t know how to change it. Making that infernal noise stop is definitely a highlight of the day.

7. If you can meet The Creator, what would you tell him?

I’d say – thanks awfully for existence and all that. But I wonder if you could do me  a favour. There seems to be some disagreement down here about exactly what you want, and some chaps are getting rather hot under the collar about it. Perhaps you could pop down in person, so to speak, and clear up any confusion.

8. What was your favourite show as a kid? (Why did Cartoon Network have to change…)

Scooby Doo – at least one of our stories has a non-too subtle reference to that show. And for absolute clarity, the series before the damnable Scrappy Doo.

9. What is the big announcement about your life that you’d like to give right now?

Unfortunately  I don’t have an announcement as such, but I do have a half baked idea I want to work on this year. I’m rather hoping to create some sort of a live entertainment cabaret for The Benthic Times. It would be a sort of Steampunk Kurt Weill. I suspect given my answer to question 1 I’m on a hiding to nothing, but you never know til you try.

10. Given a choice, which villain would you like to be?

Well none of mine for sure… they’re all awful in different ways. Perhaps Darth Vader as he is a fair swordsman, achieves personal redemption and manages to wear a cape with panache. Thats a rare talent these days.

11. How was your day?

It is just starting. So far I’ve had the joy of two coffees, answering these questions and I’m looking forward to an Italian meal for lunch. So full marks so far.

Thanks Padma for the lovely questions.

My nominated blogs for the award are (in no particular order)

Non Euclidean Sofa

Simoneteffect

Old Guv Legends

Daily Doodle

Little Fears

Maxxesbooktopia

Steampunk Music Blog

Cogpunk Steamscribe

Vasa and Ypres

Slippery Edge

Inkbiotic

Dear Fellow bloggers, if you may permit me to trouble your busy day with a request to answer the following questions

1. Why did you start to blog?
2. Is that still the same reason and, if not, what has changed?
3. If it was 1918, or even 1968, how would you “blog”?
4. Which is your favourite post?
5. Which is your most successful post (however you think of that)?
6. Do you have a creative endeavour that came out of your blog, such as a book or other objet d’art?
7. You host a dinner party with four other people, fictional or real, from any point in history. Who gets the invite?
8. What do you cook?
9. And what do you talk about?
10. What is the question I haven’t asked, but should?
11. And what is the answer to that?

Thanks all, have a marvellous Sunshine Sunday!