Tag: strawberry singh meme challenge

Berry’s Memes: New Years Meme

Berry’s Memes: New Years Meme

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

My Angel Gabriel

New year, new Meme! Yes, time for one of the delectable Strawberry Singh’s Monday Memes.

This is the first one of 2014, so fittingly Berrycakes is asking us about our plans for the new year, but also asking us about how we feel about the one that we have just left behind. It’s got me thinking. Well, it’s actually got me following a train of thought that started with my last post, hence the picture of Jez above. I’ve decided that you’re going to see a lot more of Jezmond this year (whether he likes it or not!) Why? Because Second Life male fashion is just as captivating as female, and if there’s anything that 2013 proved it’s that there are just as many talented menswear designers out there as there are Womenswear designers.  (In fact menswear is almost eclipsing womens in terms of originality and great design, so I really hope to feature more of it on the blog, with Jez’s help, in 2014!)

Anyway, back to the matter at hand.  I present to you my responses to the questions posed by Berry. If you’re tempted to join in you can participate in any of the memes/challenges that Berry has posted at any time. You’ll find them all under the  Blog Challenges category on her website, Strawberry Singh.Com

  • How did you spend New Year’s Eve?

I spent it at home with my pack; that’s my RL partner Phil (Jez), my cats Piu, Pud and Mylo and my dog, Indiana. We watched Hootenanny on BBC2 as is our yearly tradition, and got slowly drunk after a sumptuous beef rib dinner cooked by beloved himself!

  • Did you keep any New Years’ resolutions?

No, because I never made any to break in the first place, clever Kitty!   I haven’t made resolutions  for a long time because I think the problem with them is that people tend to make ones that are going to be incredibly hard to keep. For some reason we believe that setting difficult goals at this time of year is the right way to go about fulfilling them; when in actuality we’ve got it completely backwards. The last thing you want to do on a cold and stormy January night is eat a salad. No, you want a massive bowl of hot soup and crusty bread, washed down with gallons of mulled wine, so setting a dieting goal at this time of year is just a nonsense. If you want to set a goal in 2014, set one when the time is right for you , not just because of tradition!

  • What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? 

Real life was pretty steady for me this year and trundled along in its mundane way. Second Life’s been interesting in that I’ve achieved a lot with the blog in 2013. I’ve surpassed 165,000 hits on the blog, have over 200 blog-followers and that really does mean a great deal to me. I also blogged more events this year than I ever have before. I blogged Skin Fair 2013 which was a real high-point for me, but I’ve also blogged some other truly amazing events such as Gothmas By Gaslight and The Homes And Gardens Expo For RFL.  The whole point of blogging events is to arouse people’s interest enough to encourage them to visit so that the creators can make sales, and I really hope that I have in some small part contributed to their success this year. I’m an ardent supporter of the content creators we have in-world and nothing pleases me more than seeing hard work get rewarded. If I can publicise someone’s work on the blog and encourage a reader to go and check them out,and buy something then that’s my job done. And nothing makes me happier than that!

  • What was the best thing you bought?

In real life? That’s a tough question. I don’t have that much cash to splash around so I tend to be cautious when making personal purchases (cash goes much farther in Second Life!) so it has tended to be little treats that have given me the most pleasure. For example, with some money I was given for Christmas I bought myself a USB salt-lamp that sits on my desk and changes colour. It wasn’t even that expensive, but I have this weird fascination with things that change colour, or glitter and sparkle, you know like lava lamps and that kind of thing, so I’m pretty chuffed with it. I bought a necklace of the Gayer-Anderson Cat from The British Museum last time I visited (to match the earrings I bought the year before) and I’m rather keen on that too. Oh, and some really geeky tee-shirts have made me very happy this year as well! <chuckle>.

In Second Life the best purchase I made in 2013 was undoubtedly my Bazar Arizona House. Even though I’m living in a different style of dwelling at the moment, it’s the one that I will continue to hold dearest to my heart. It’s just perfect in so many ways (the only way it could be made any better is if Ria Bazarmade an Arizona 2.0 and made it bigger, or added another floor..*hint* My review post of it was so enthusiastic, and I got a lot of feedback about it that I got to know Ria and have reviewed a lot of her work since, and I have to be honest and say that she has become one of my favourite designers in-world. I’ve also gained a lot of pleasure in 2013 from seeing the development of Sienia Trevellion as a designer too. I’ve known Sienia since for a long-time and she has consistently crafted beautiful builds, clothing and artefacts throughout her SL design career but in 2013 she went stratospheric and made some of the most amazing items I’ve ever seen on the grid.  Her contributions to The Arcade have become legendary, and I can’t wait to see what she releases in 2014. It’s sure to be equally amazing!

  • What do you wish you’d done more of?  

I don’t honestly know. I have a great life ; I live with my fella and our pack of animals. I have a good real life job and friends and family whom I adore. Had I had money to spare I would have been able to accomplish more in the way of going out and travelling, but I’m happy with my lot and satisfied that I did what I could to make 2013 an acceptable year for me. It wasn’t great by a long shot, in fact it only really became fun later in the year, but it’s over and done with now. The past is just that.

  • What do you wish you’d done less of?

Eating probably! I’ve become a little too tubby for my own liking in RL, and it’s time to get that in check. Not because I want to be a size zero or anything ridiculous like that, but for health reasons. I’ve noticed my back gets a wee bit more uncomfortable if I’m carrying a few too many extra pounds, so I need to pay attention to my body more.
In SL? Nothing. I keep away from drama as much as I can and I’m glad that I do because I’ve seen it cause so many issues for people, and so much hurt too. I don’t really have an opinion on what other people think of my SL persona or my blog, because my primary audience is, and always has been myself.  I blog because I enjoy it. The fact that people read my random thoughts and jottings is a fabulous bonus.

  • What was your favorite movie you watched this year?

Hmmm. I normally go to the movies a lot but had to keep an eye on the purse-strings in 2013, so I wasn’t able to see as many films as I liked. I missed ‘Gravity’ and ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug’ on the big-screen which is unheard of for me! But the movies that I did manage to see I really enjoyed, especially ‘Man Of Steel’ and ‘Iron Man 3’. (I do like my comic-book heroes!)

  • What did you do on your birthday in 2013?

It was my 40th this year, so I was treated to a trip to London and tickets to see ‘The Book Of Mormon’, as well as a couple of fantastic meals out in the city and some amazing presents. It was brilliant, I couldn’t have wished for a better birthday!

  • Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned.

I don’t think I learned it but I almost did. My Mum has always said that I am too trusting and that I “..make too much of people..”, and as much as I HATE to admit it she is of course correct. I have experienced a few reminders of that this year and have been let down by a few people. My problem is that I am a tad too trusting, and have 110% faith in people. I’ve thought about this for a long time though, and I confess that even though it causes me hurt on occasion I don’t want to change my personality and be cynical, or feel differently. So perhaps the life lesson is that I’ve learned to accept myself and understand aspects of my personality may leave me vulnerable and perhaps more prone to disappointment than the average Joe, but hey, that’s ok!

  • What does 2014 hold for you?

Who knows where the frog jumps? It’s Phil’s 40th this year, so I am looking forward to that. It’s also my Father’s 70th and my Mother’s 80th birthday too! This is proving to be slightly problematic in that I don’t have an unlimited source of funds with to work with, but I’ll try my best to ensure that they all have a great time on their special days. I am hoping for more fulfilling work challenges and I’d love a pay-rise, and also a ginger kitten!

In Second Life I’m looking forward to the big events like Skin Fair 2014, but I’m also looking forward to seeing fabulous new releases from my favourite designers, as well as discovering exciting newcomers too. I hope my writing and photography skills improve and that the blog continues to grow, after all I have so much fun with it.

But most of all I want to spend the year loved up with my pack and being loved, and giving it back ten-fold, every single day.
Here’s wishing you all a fabulous 2014! Allons-y!

Phil, Lisa and Indy

Aside

Strawberry Singh’s Memes: The Winter Season Challenge!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

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Apparently Kitty has been VERY Naughty this year! 

Time for another Meme courtesy of Ms. Singh! This one was a lot of fun to  write because it took me back and helped me remember some snow-related events!

Of course, I’m writing about real life here, but hey, I do have one of those you know..(Admittedly not as fun as my Second Life, but still…) Why not have a go at one of Berry’s Memes?

They’re always an enjoyable challenge! Thanks Berrycakes!

1. What is the December/Winter season like where you live? I live in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. We’re practically bang smack in the middle of England, so we’re well insulated against the kinds of nasty storms that they get along the coast.  However, just because we’re in the middle doesn’t mean we get mild weather.  We’re a hilly county, and Chesterfield is right on the cusp of the Peak District National Park, so when it snows here boy does it snow! I can recall a really bad Winter when I was a Saturday girl in a store in town.  The weather was so bad the store had to shut early, and to make matters worse all the buses had been taken off the road meaning  I had to walk home.  The trek was  a good three miles in deep snow, snow that was so bad the telephone lines were swooping down onto the ground, they were so laden with the stuff.  It was exhausting. It was also really dark because there had been power cuts, and I remember being a little scared as I walked home. The only light was that which was reflected off the snow, an almost dull glow to navigate by.  I recall that I was most perturbed by how incredibly silent it was; my walk home meant I walked alongside a road that would normally be busy with traffic, but there were no cars or vehicles of any kind  to make a sound. The only sound was the crunching of my feet as I crunched home through the snow. We haven’t had bad winters like that for at least 20 years, and honestly I never thought I would see the like again, but then in 2010 *WHUMP* we had a massive snowstorm. I live on the very top of a hill at the end of a long winding street, and the snowfall meant that we became a little island, completely cut off from the main roads. It was pretty inconvenient, but it was so beautiful, and the snow was deep and crisp. We had a few power cuts but I seem to recall that I  managed to do LOTS of serious Second Life-ing during those snow-bound days! One of the more charming occurrences was the sound of school-children playing in the snow on the nearby school fields. The schools had to close because of the weather obviously, but that didn’t stop the children from making the most of it, and listening to their laughs and gleeful giggles was really lovely. The sound carried over to my house so that it became a soundtrack to my snow days. Those excited squeals would start in the early morning and only end when it was dark. (I’m hoping for a repeat of that this Winter actually:)

2.When you think of winter, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? When I think of Winter I immediately thing of playing in the snow as a little girl. Growing up there was some wild, rambling woodland opposite the street where I grew up. It extended along the side of a hill, and it was nicknamed by the local kids ‘The Gorse’, because it was full of Gorse bushes. In summer it was great for hiding out, picking blackberries and basically doing all the things that young children are supposed to. In Winter it turned into a paradise for sledging. The best bit was the long, steep, winding driveway that led up to a house that was hidden in the middle of the wood at the top. One winter all the kids off the street, myself included, trekked over the road to The Gorse and made our very own version of The Cresta Run!   The path that led up to the house became black ice, encouraged by the constant presence of at least thirty local kids continually sliding up and down it on whatever we could get our hands on; proper sleds, plastic NCB coal bags, bin lids…anything and everything. Those poor people that lived in that house, they couldn’t have used a car on their driveway because we’d made it so slippery, yet they never complained  and we spent days walking up and sliding down this long, winding and incredibly exhilarating path. The only problem was at the very bottom of it there was a cattle grid, and then the main road. This meant that you had to be a little careful on downhill slalom runs, because you had to try and stop yourself in case you flew over the grid and into the main road. The worst possible outcome would be gaining so much speed on the descent that you couldn’t stop, so you would have to throw yourself into the snow before you hit the grid. It was like being a stunt-man, and I note we had some near misses! Hitting the grid at speed was pretty uncomfortable and it really hurt our bums, I wore through a number of coal sacks that week and I don’t think I have ever had so much fun in my life! (It wasn’t without accidents though; one lad, Craig, didn’t follow the path properly, and instead of turning he went flying into a Gorse bush. He emerge with a Gorse barb sticking out of his ear, and on closer inspection we all realised that it had completely pierced it! Cool huh? (I wanted to share a picture of the area with you so you got an idea of how awesome it was skidding down the track. THIS shot is from Google; alas, the cattle grid is no more (it’s been filled in!) but can you see what I meant about having to stop before you hit the road?! Also, the gorse bushes have all gone, which is a bit pants. Still, happy times!) 

3. Have you ever played any extreme winter sports?  Extreme sledding on coal sacks has to count, right? I’ve also gone downhill on a sled at a local country park called Rother Valley. This was way back in the 1990’s. I went downhill with my then-partner, his brother, his brother’s girlfriend AND their dog on a massive sled down one of the ski-slopes in the park. We all wore wet-suits under our clothes so we could stay dry, and also in case we ended up in the lake at the end of the slope! That was unlikely though, because we were hell bent on stopping, not least of all because of the barbed wire fence at the bottom of the hill!  It was certainly an exhilarating experience,  but it was also VERY scary because we gained so much speed on the descent. (Incidentally, such activity in that spot has been banned in recent years because unfortunately a young lady lost her life in an accident on that exact same slope a few years ago)

4.What do you like most about this season? Snow makes everything look beautiful doesn’t it? I also like to see how my pets interact with the weather. My cats look incredibly funny when they are trying to navigate deep snow, and my dog is always very unsure if she actually likes it or not! I really love Winter clothing too, and covering myself in soft, woolly jumpers and thick socks and cuddling a hot water bottle on a cold Winter’s afternoon is one of my absolute favourite things. Even better if I am drinking steaming hot Cocoa, or better still Mulled Wine, which is definitely one of the best things about this time of year!

5.Do you celebrate Christmas, Hannukkah, Kwanzaa or another holiday during this time of year?  I celebrate two holidays, GREEDY KITTY!  As a practising Witch I celebrate Yule, on December 21st. This is a celebration that is believed to have laid the foundations for modern Christmas festivities, which I also enjoy with my loved ones on December 25th (because they aren’t Pagan).  I consider myself lucky that I have two celebrations to enjoy, and this year I’m looking forward to celebrating Yule after a slap-up meal at the best restaurant in town. Christmas Day will be different for me and my partner this year because I’m actually working nights and technically I will be asleep on December 25th,  so because of my working hours we’re not actually seeing our parents on the day this year, as is our tradition. (One year we spend Christmas with Philip’s parents, the following year we spend it with my parents, and so on.) But I’m sure our Christmas this year will be just as lovely, even if it’s a much quieter affair.

So Much GEEK!!!!

So Much GEEK!!!!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

So the Geeks And Nerds Fair, a hugely anticipated event, has finally hit the grid, and it is rather good indeed.  If you’re a proud Geek or Nerd in real life then you will really appreciate the time and effort that has gone into producing this event, and the quality products that you’ll find on sale. There’s a predominately Sci-Fi vibe to the event, with nods to Star Wars and Doctor Who, as well as the obligatory Harry Potter inclusions and a few old school references as well. 

I’m a total Geek so wasn’t really paying much attention to the Nerdy stuff  but I can vouch that Nerds are well accommodated here, although the event seems to be predominately Whovian, which is to be expected because it began during the Doctor Who 50th weekend.  I sure as hell ain’t complaining! You’ll find all sorts of Who-related gubbins, from Tardis teapots, to necklaces as well as the celebrated range of Whovian inspired outfits from Damien Fate. If you want to be Doctors 11 and 12, or the companions Rose Tyler and Amy Pond, then at last , courtesy of Damien’s mad mesh skills, you can be.  Damien’s costumes are fantastic re-imaginings of the clothing worn in the show and the ladies outfits in particular stand up to being worn in their own right. They’re pricey, but if you’re a committed Doctor Who fan these outfits are essential additions  to your wardrobe.

This is quite a compact event , ripe for photographs (look out for the Dalek and K9!) and I came home laden with goodies.  I particularly loved SECOND SPACES array of power strips and cables, joypads, cartridges and the Tardis pencil-holder. MISH MISH have produced two fantastic collectibles based on famous, nay, iconic Sci-Fi characters for the event, Mr. Spoon (NOT the guy from ‘Button Moon’) and Princess Donut. The best thing about these is they look just as awesome in their packaging as they do out! Something else that I really love is the  ‘Bird Nerd’ set from LARK.  As usual, Sienia has failed to disappoint with her creations and has used beautiful textures in her work. These have been applied with a delicate touch, which has added to the realism of this set. Everything a bird watcher would have in their fancy is included; Binoculars, field guide, calendar, and other assorted bird-watching finery, including an astonishingly pretty desk.ISON clothing are well represented at the event too. and the Wookie bag. I have raved about ISON before on these pages, and guess what, I’m doing so again. They’re selling a sweater/shirt combo at the event that you can manage via a hud. This means that you can change the shirt textures, and also choose to display an embossed logo on the chest area of your sweater. It’s fantastic; no issues when worn and fits straight out of the box, which is exactly what you need! I’ve never had any issues with ISON clothing and I don’t think I ever will, they’re just such a good brand:) Finally  you MUST check out Elephante poses at the event. They’re super-creative, enabling you to suggest motion perfectly in your snaps. There are a number of pose-packs from Elephante (and other equally awesome pose-makers) at the event but I must draw your attention to the ‘When We Were Young’ pack which I am using for these images.  These are Gacha winnings and evoke whimsy beautifully. You can take a cheeky peak at all of these items and more by checking out the Seraphim coverage of the event.

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Finally, while we’re on a Geeks & Nerds trip, Strawberry Singh’s weekly Meme challenge was all about the same subject this week.  Here are my answers!

1. What do you consider yourself to be? Geek? Nerd? Dork? None of the above? All of the above? I’m a Geek for sure; but there is also a nerdy side to me too. I adore History, and Archaeology, especially Ancient History. Egyptology is probable my favourite topic, and I pay an annual pilgrimage to the British Museum to get my history fix. (This year we saw an exhibition there about Herculaneum and Pompei which was pretty spectacular.)

2. What was the first computer you ever owned? The first computer I ever owned was a Toshiba MSX! It was BRILLIANT, but was a bit of a niche item in the UK. MSX never really caught on like Spectrum and Commodore, which was a shame because it was pretty superb for the time graphically if I recall correctly!) I used to buy MSX magazines and my Father and I would code in the games . It would take an afternoon to type in all the code and by the end all we would have achieved would be a crappy tank rolling across the screen, but it was a huge bonding experience. I used to buy my games on tape from a market stall on Chesterfield market. They were Mastertronic games,  and I’d zoom home happily to insert them into my tape recorder and play them.  To think, these days kids won’t experience the joy of loading a game from tape. Remember the sound it made? “Deeee-doop. Deeee-dodopdkddopdkdpskspsss….” There was nothing worse than waiting ten minutes for a game to load only for it to crash as well…

 3.When and how did you first get on the internet?  I think I first got onto the internet in 1996. I had a website and my own domain at one point that I just used to stick crappy photos and shitty gifs on! I used to use a program called ‘Pirch’ for IRC chat, and would spend my evenings chatting to people all over the world on that.

 4. Which Geek fandom do you subscribe to?  LOTS of them! I love Sci-Fi, and am a huge fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who,  Battlestar Galactica and Fringe. I also adore The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad. I collect comics and Catwoman figurines, as well as erm…My Little Pony plushies!  In fact I love so many things it’s scary! I wear tees and hoodies that declare my love to all around me and I am a very proud 40 year-old geek indeed.

 5.Star Wars or Star Trek?

Are you kidding me?! BOTH!!!!!

 6. How Geeky are you? Apparently I’m 74% Geek, and I’m quite chuffed by that result because it was a tough quiz! I don’t think I’ll ever change, indeed I hope that I don’t. I love being a geek and being passionate about it, even though it really can be very alienating. (never has a phrase been more apt!) Mind you, I live with a Geek.  My fella collects Arcade Machines and is a World Champion after all, so I doubt that I’ll ever change!

Berry’s Memes: Best & Worst Meme

Berry’s Memes: Best & Worst Meme

by Lisa Millar ♥ 3 Comments

Time for another Blogger Challenge !

I’ve not completed one of these for a while, and this was a nice one to have a think about.  Many thanks to the ever-fabulous Strawberry Singh for providing this Meme! 

What is the best thing about Second Life?

There’s so much! For me, it allows me to just switch my RL brain off and engage with the virtual world as Kitty for a while, so that means shopping, dressing up and taking photographs, decorating a virtual space and exploring amazing locations. I love it; I still find so much new stuff to enjoy after almost 7 years in the world!

Worst thing about Second Life? 

DRAMA. Causing a fuss about nothing and hiding behind a keyboard is one of my pet-hates in the virtual world that I call home.  As I said in my recent 1500th blog-post there needs to be a lot more love and a lot less hate in Second Life right now, and trust me when I say that drama, and those who cultivate it, are always best avoided.

What’s the best thing in my inventory?

You know, I don’t think I can choose just one thing because I have new favourites practically every day! I think this year has been all about the Bazar Arizona house for me, so that’s definitely one of the best things in my inventory, even though I’m not living in it at the moment. What, you didn’t know? Shock horror! (There’s a blog post coming soon about my change of dwelling, although truth be told I miss my Arizona house..)

What’s the worst thing in my inventory?  

It’s probably a gesture. Oh my, can you remember when gestures were a thing? They were so annoying! I’ve been to so many gigs in the past where gestures spoiled the sets because people just wouldn’t quit it with them, especially a silly whip-cracking sound and action that used to drive me insane.

What’s the best thing you’ve learned because of SL?

 I’ve learned lots of things through my involvement in Second Life actually! For example, I’ve learned how to use WordPress through my blogging, and basic photo improvement and enhancement for the images that I feature on my blog.  I’ve acquired basic building skills in the world too, and although I will never create masterpieces I know enough for my own needs and requirements. (In other words, I know how to make a box. YAY ME!) You know there are probably lots of skills that I’ve acquired over the years through my involvement in this mad environment that we call home, and I’ve never really thought about it until now.  Wow!

What’s the worst thing you learned because of SL?

The realisation that haters are gonna hate, real life or Second Life or both.

Unfortunately, some do it incredibly well in both lives, but I reserve a special kind of loathing for people who generate shit-storms in Second Life as you can probably tell.

What’s the best thing about blogging? 

The best thing for me is when people like a post that I have written and they care enough to share that with me. Also, I’ve received some lovely notecards over the years from content creators thanking me for featuring their work, and I treasure those.  Receiving a blogging package always gives me a buzz, that’s never gone away, and being selected to blog an event is especially rewarding, although it can be stressful too  because you desperately want to do a good job for the event and the people that selected you. But most of all I love it when I’m writing about something that I’ve found in world and I know it’s fabulous and really want everyone else to see how amazing it is. I get a real buzz from that; blogging is my equivalent of jumping up and down on the spot whilst pointing and shouting “Look! LOOK AT THIS THING!! Isn’t it AMAZING?!” I’m like a kid in a sweetie shop when I have my blog-happy on!

What is the worst thing about blogging?

For me, it’s missing self-imposed deadlines and being my own worst critic. I’m a typical Virgo when it comes to self-critique!

Then there’s the panic that sets in when you haven’t had time to blog, and the feeling of failure when I go through one of my ‘bloggers block’ periods, and sadly there have been a couple of those over the years.  Also, it really annoys me when  people assume that I make money from blogging! I’ve had a few people seriously believe that I am paid for this, and nothing could be further from the truth! Also, I dislike it when people assume that EVERYTHING you blog about has been gifted to me. This year (my sixth year of blogging) has been my most fruitful in terms of items received, BUT I would say compared to other bloggers I receive very little. But that’s not a complaint on my part; I am always grateful for anything I receive and always try my best to blog what I get, although of course that’s not always possible.  I don’t like approaching designers and asking for items to blog either; although I have done it a few times this year in response to being invited to do so.  To be frank, I’d far rather retain my autonomy, and the creator be paid for their amazing work.

Best thing to have with french toast? 

And here’s where I lose some of my allure….what’s french toast?

Is it like eggy bread?! Look, I’m Northern, we don’t have french toast! We have crumpets or toasted teacakes or toast and jam, we don’t have french toast around these ‘ere parts!

Worst thing to have with french toast?

Seeing as I’m not sure exactly what it is, I’m going to say the worst thing is probably….spam.  I don’t imagine spam would go down very well with it at all! (That is, if French toast is what I think it is..)

OOOH HANG ON!! Berry said: “..The twist is, the final question you need to change and make up your own best & worst that you want to share..”

Right, scratch the french toast answer. Let me try again:

Best thing in the world ever? 

TEA.

Worst thing in the world ever? 

NO TEA.

There you go, simples! Be sure to pop on over to Berry’s Blog to see all the other participant answers!