Orion Questionnaire

In which I answer the famous Orion Questionnaire, as if I were a famous writer...

Someone put on the NaBloPoMo list to answer “The Orion Questionnaire.” Like this was something everyone just knew about. Thankfully, we have Google. The Orion in question here is Orion Magazine,. The magazine has a tradition of asking writers to complete their namesake questionnaire which is full of really fun questions. I love the magazine’s mission statement:

Orion magazine invites readers into a community of caring for the planet. Through writing and art that explore the connection between nature and culture, Orion inspires new thinking about how humanity might live on Earth justly, sustainably, and joyously.

So, without further ado, I answer The Orion Questionnaire.

Do you knock on wood?

I sometimes wish I could, though I tend to be more often surrounded by particle board or whatever it is my desk at work is made of - metal, maybe?

What is your most treasured comfort meal?

I can’t pick just one - either spaghetti carbonara or sautéed chicken, the one from Julia Child, that my husband makes. Both have been requested birthday meals for years. Here’s Lizzy, eating the spaghetti a couple years back. She now can (mostly) make it herself.

What is a species you feel is frequently misunderstood?
Raccoons. Are they really as crafty as we think or merely determined?

In what environment do you feel most at home?
Wherever I can sit in the shade, looking out at a large body of water or a mountain range and the temperature is cool enough you need a jacket but not so cold you wish you had a hat on.

What is something you’re looking forward to?
Attacking the mess of my coat closet. It’s been nearly a year since I went through everything in there.

My favorite tree in the world is _____.
Sequoias. They’re the first tree that ever really surprised me. Lizzy got to hug one of them when we went to Yosemite in 2021.

Nature would be better without _____.

People who play music or talk super loudly when they hike

If you could, regardless of the local climate, reach out of your kitchen window to pluck a fruit from a tree, bush, or plant, what would it be?

Honeybell orange. My dad sent me a box of them in late 2019. He passed in March of 2020. Lots of them grow really close to where I grew up.

What was your last memorable animal encounter?

We went to Rocky Mountain National Park a few years ago during the elk rut. Lizzy and I were standing next to the car on the right side of the road, watching some elk about 200 feet from the opposite side. Suddenly, a male RAN over to our side and was coming down the road towards us. I shouted for Lizzy to get back in and hustled back into the car, myself. Way too close for comfort but they are amazing animals!

Do you have any unusual hobbies, hidden talents, or superpowers you’d like to share?

Is cross stitch unusual? I knit but that’s in and out of being popular. No real hidden talents that I can think of unless you count not recognizing famous people (ahem).

What are some of your favorite words?

Defenestrate - why do we have a unique word for “to throw out of a window”

Who is a character from literature or film with whom you intensely identify?

Not film but Amy from Brooklyn 99

It’s late afternoon on a summer Saturday, you’re sitting with your feet in a cool creek and someone hands you the perfect beverage. What is it?

Ice cold Diet Coke from McDonalds - yes, it tastes better from there

Photo by Aron L on Unsplash

Are you optimistic about the future?

I’d like to be but the current political climate is pretty horrible. I tend to lean on being optimistic whenever I can.

What is a smell that makes you stop in your tracks?

Coffee. Bleach. Onions. Alcohol. Roses. Hate them all except the coffee and roses.

Do you have a writing/art-making routine?

Not at all. Just do either when I feel like it. Work best when I have some sort of sound to ignore - like music or something on TV.

Which of your book’s subjects or characters haunts you the most?

Well, never written one and doubt I’ll ever write something fictional. If I ever write a book, it would be a memoir so I guess me as a child. I had so little confidence in my ability to do literally anything. (Sorry, Rob, if you’re seeing this. It was the best picture I had from when we were little.)

When you enter a bookstore, where do you head first?

I’ll be honest, I tend to look for non-book stuff first. Stickers. Notebooks/journals. Then I’ll probably look at all of the end caps or tables with special displays. Eventually head to romance or crafts or, if Lizzy is with me, YA science fiction/fantasy.

Are you the same person you were as a child?

Oh gosh no. I worry for those that are.

What song or album reminds you of high school?

The Impression That I Get from the Mighty, Mighty Bostones

If authors had walk-up songs like professional baseball players do, what would yours be?

Let’s pretend I’m suddenly a capital-A Author. Brick house? No, that’s not right. Umm. That song that goes “you spin me right round, baby, right round, like a record player.”

What flower would you want pinned to your breast after you die?

Not pinned per say but I want there to be tons of gladiolas. They’re such a special flower. My dad would always buy them for my mom. They’re like long stalks so you can’t put them in a normal vase easily. They don’t look like much until they bloom.

Photo by 毛 祥 on Unsplash

If you could come back as any organism, who or what would you be?

It would amazing if I could fly. I’d say a stellar jay. They’re such a brilluant blue and live in beautiful places.

Photo by Margaret Strickland on Unsplash