Di is our host once again while Melanie is taking some time off. I hope you are feeling better Melanie.

Questions

1. Do you prefer to live in a single story property like a bungalow, a high-rise apartment, or a house?

Our current home is a two-storey house. I have to admit that I do like being able to go out on to the balcony/deck, I’m never sure which to call it as it wraps around half the house. It’s nice to be level with the trees and see the birds but I don’t really like the stairs. They are going to be a nuisance later on when I’m older I can tell.

When I was a child in England, we used the term bungalow for a single storey house as most houses I was familiar with were two storeys. My previous homes were single storey but nobody called them bungalows so I’m unsure how the term is used in Australia. I don’t hear it much except in architectural terms, California Bungalow is a house style that was popular here in the past.

I have lived in flats a couple of times, not high-rise ones though. I would hate to live in a high-rise apartment. I like my space and a house and garden gives you that.

2. If you won a large amount of money on the lottery, would you want publicity or keep things quiet and low key?

Definitely keep it low key. Otherwise, I’d be the target for scams.

3. How do you like your eggs? (No, this is not a trick question)

I love fried eggs with bacon, cooked so the yolk is just a little bit runny. I like a soft-boiled egg, firm white but runny yolk that I can dip bread “men” into and I love scrambled eggs on toast.

4. If cars were no longer available, what would be your choice of transport?

Cars have not always been available to me as a non driver but I’ll take the question as if I had a choice. For commuting I’d pick a train. The railway that once terminated in Wynyard is long gone but once it would have been possible to catch a train from Wynyard all the way to Hobart on a train called “The Tasman Limited”. The journey took about seven hours but there was a dining service. The scenery between Wynyard and Devonport is just spectacular. These days if I wanted to go to Hobart on public transport, I would need to get four buses. A local one from Wynyard to Burnie, another from Burnie to Devonport then a coach to Launceston and finally another coach to Hobart. It takes about, you guessed it, seven hours cramped up in a coach with no food service and waiting time at substandard bus stations.

Gratitude:
Our aim is to make at least one person smile every day.

I’m grateful for spring flowers. Cheerful daffodils, jonquils and dainty snowdrops always make me smile.