Front porch chattin'

Living out here on the West Coast, I'm always a bit late to the party at Patrice's place.

Thanks for waitin', everybody.  I've brought some carrots for Wendell.  I know they're nothing like the real thing but it's the thought that counts...right?   I think the conversation is already in progress.  I'll jump right in...

 Where would you take the blogger group for a chat, if they came to your house?  Well, since it's kind of cold out right now for sitting on the deck, I think we'd have to make do with the living room and keep warm around the fireplace.   It would be a lot nicer in the summer, though.  Let's plan on that. 

How do you handle "toxic people"? They're the ones  that are very difficult to be around and generally don't bring out the best in us.  I don't actually have any toxic people in my life.  I think that tells you how I deal with them...I just steer clear.  If I have to deal with unpleasantness, it depends on how well I know the person.  The responses range from super-polite to not-so.  I'm not much like my mother:  the more she disliked someone, the sweeter she became.  You could always tell.

In high school, were you the athlete, the cheerleader (actual or just your personality), the geek, the social butterfly, or lost?  I was never the athlete, not ever.  I was always a geek.  Never a cheerleader but I've always been a pretty good coach.  In my own geeky set, I was a social butterfly - relatively speaking.  And the only time I was ever lost in high school is in my dreams.  When I'm stressed in my life, I dream about not being able to find my locker.  Or being unable to find the classroom I need to be in.

What's your favorite thing made from apples?  Hands down, apple crisp.  If you have a couple of stalks of rhubarb that just makes it even better.  But, I hardly ever eat desserts now.  I do eat an apple almost every day.  Raw.  Now that's real perfection.

Do you do most of your shopping in stores or online? Stores.  I live within walking distance from all the shopping I normally need to do. I can get in the car and find several more shopping areas if I'm needing some retail therapy.  Or I can hop on a bus and be in the big city in half an hour.    I admit to the occasional online purchase of yarn, though.  Sometimes the deals are too good to ignore.

And now I'm off to find out what's been said before I got here.  Check out the chat right here.  You could sign up and add to the growing number on the porch.