Proust Questionnaire: Flora's answers

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On Sun, 18 Nov 12 19:36:01 UTC Flora (69) answered the Proust Questionnaire (click on a question to read other answers):

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?: to live without hope
Where would you like to live?: near the roots of my pioneer ancestors - Dundas County, Ontario, Canada
What is your idea of earthly happiness?: at this point in my life, to have a companion with whom to reminisce, travel, and share reading adventuresD
To what faults do you feel most indulgent?: huh?
Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?: Don Quixote for his neverending positive attitude; the rabbits in Watership Down for questioning the values of their lifestyle and daring to change it; from Canadian author Margaret Laurence, Morag Gunn, a woman not happy with her lot and daring to grumble
Who are your favorite characters in history?: Shakespeare
Who are your favorite heroines in real life?: Flora MacDonald, a former Canadian parliamentarian and ambassador for justice in the world; Margaret Trudeau for living a very open life with undiagnosed bipolar disorder; she lives with her imbalance gracefully and without apology
Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?: see above under heroes
Your favorite painter?: Renoir; Mark Fletcher (contemporary Cdn)
Your favorite musician?: Bach
The quality you most admire in a man?: gentleness, intelligence, interest in the arts
The quality you most admire in a woman?: boldness of spirit,
Your favorite virtue?: honesty
Your favorite occupation?: reading, writing, researching ancestors
Your most marked characteristic?: I have a tendency to like being alone
What is your principle defect?: not interested in everybody's "story" - can't keep them all in my head
What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?: for my children or grandchildren to suffer anything (not achievable, I know)
What would you like to be?: a renowned classical singer
What is your favorite color?: Green - it calms me
What is your favorite flower?: gardenia - the only scent that doesn't make me sneeze
What is your favorite bird?: red-winged blackbird, esp. perched on a cattail.
Who are your favorite prose writers?: Anne Tyler, Alistair McLeod, Anne-Marie MacDonald, Marian Engel (dec.), Hugh MacLennan
Who are your favorite poets?: Yeats, Wadsworth, Longfellow
Who are your heroes in real life?: my daughters
Who are your favorite heroines of history?: my grandmothers
What are your favorite names?: my own!
What is it you most dislike?: boorish people
What historical figures do you most despise?: despots
What event in military history do you most admire?: the War of 1812 and those who fought to keep Canada whole
What natural gift would you most like to possess?: the gift of a good singing voice, which thankfully I used for most of my life
How would you like to die?: with a few months' warning
What is your present state of mind?: rather flat
What is your motto?: it depends on the day

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