What’s your favorite ice-cream flavor?

I think that just about says it all. These are vanilla pods (which you probably already know) and to get the vannilla out of them you cut them through the middle into two halves and scrap out the black bits, which is the actual vanilla. I prefer vanilla ice cream to all, and if it is the genuine vanilla with the little black bits in it, then even better.

Have you ever been drunk?

Oh yes, often, but since about 45 years not. As a teenager in Swinging London in the sixties your evening entertainment was in the pub and the pubs in the East End of London were hives of activity at the time. There was a strange ridiculous custom that girls were not really seen with a beer glass in the hand, and so they drank a drop of short – which would be rum, vodka, whisky, with something in it to perhaps weaken the taste, although the effect was the same – you felt rather light headed after a glass or two. I was not an angel, and so it continued. At parties you were served with a glass of this or that. Perhaps it was being a teenager, that you tried everything, perhaps it was because everyone did it. Oh yes, I remember the feeling. Everything was a laugh, and it belonged to the occasion, although you probably looked stupid doing it.

I did grow up and when I arrived in Switzerland I still liked a drink now and again. Now it was wine, which we did not, or very rarely, have in England. I definitely was not addicted to the stuff, it was just part of being friendly and having a toast.

I got married and had kids. I even felt embarrassed for those at a party or get together when they had so much to drink that they lost a grip on themselves. Everyone thought it was funny, I just found it stupid. And then something happened. I noticed how bad I felt if I had too much to drink. When you had a household to organise and kids to look after, it was not ideal to drink too much if you felt sick afterwards. Slowly but surely I was the one who took a sip to be sociable and that was all. It was not fun, I did not enjoy drink and definitely was not something brave or wonderful to show off with how much you could drink. Admiration for drinking too much was not my thing. I stopped completely about 45 years ago and do not bother now. I am the one that can make a toast with a glass of mineral water and not feel stupid about it.

Yes my drinking days are a thing of the past, but I do not regret having tried. You have to try everything in life and it is up to you to have enough character to say no thankyou eventually. And here endeth the sermon.

Complete this sentence: My favorite supposedly guilty pleasure is… 

none really, because I do not feel guilty about it. I do not spend money on new clothes just to be fashionable, jeans and a t-shirt does it nicely. Our home is as we want it to be, so I definitely do not need new furniture or whatever. I spend my money on food, the human has to eat, so what do I do with the stuff left over.

I spend it perhaps on a new lens for my camera, not because I have to, but because I want to and I think it over for a few months before doing it – just the way I am. I might treat myself to a new computer, but only when the older computer is feeling old. I got myself an Apple computer, although I also have a Microsoft – why not. I use it. I have a mobile iPhone model 6. There is a new model 7 and I am thinking about it. I might even treat myself to the bigger model, why not. I like the look of the camera it has. Are these guilty pleasures? At the age of 70 I have worked all my life, the kids are now out of the influence of the adults and at last I can to what I want to do and am in the lucky position to be able to afford it. I am not rich, but with a little bit of serious organisation, it is possible. I just like to think about it first of all. That was not a sermon just wise words from a golden oldie that might get a new telephone – am still thinking about it.

Optional Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? 

I was not grateful for the Chrismas holdiays as it means absolutely nothing to me, except for the fact that everyone else seems to be having the stress of the year and you get caught up in it, making sure you survive the holidays. We survived very nicely this year, because it means nothing special. We could take our time and plan it carefully.

This week I am looking forward to a normal week. Even the New Year will not be a stress. It is Saturday and Sunday, a normal week-end. If I do stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, it will be more a coincidence as something I will have to do. Mr. Swiss goes to bed about an hour later than me in any case. We used to drink a glass of champagne in the years gone past, and now we are too old for such fun. We have our own fun every day of the year.

Share Your World – 2016 Week 52