My Blog - Top Ten + 1

Sorry to those on feeds for so many edits. :(

I've recently been going through my old blog posts and trying to update their tags and labels. It's been a rather onerous task.

When I started blogging in November 2005, I had no idea what or how tags and labels worked, so I didn't label anything. Big mistake. I ended up with a long list of post titles, some of which were less than enlightening (what the heck did I talk about in Odds 'n Sods on a Sunday?). Thus, in order to gain some semblance of order to my posts, I decided that it's worth the effort to label them properly. This has meant going back and actually re-reading what I've written over the last two years.

It's been a bit of an eye-opener. I barely remember some of the posts, yet others are as fresh in my memory as if I wrote them yesterday. I'm not done yet, but a few posts jumped out at me more than others. I've come to realize that the totality of all my posts really does capture who I am as a person.

Naturally, I like some posts better than others and some are near and dear to me for personal reasons. I've decided to list my top ten blog posts (at least for now). I think it also shows my evolution as a blogger. When I get a chance, I think I'll add them to my sidebar. They'll probably tell you much more about me than any "About" page.

So, in chronological order, the top ten about who I am:

• To blog or not blog - November 2005
  - My opening post.


• What's wrong with a bit of idealism? - November 2005
  - Wherein Ell ponders philosophical questions.


• One of These Days - February 2006
  - Just because . . .


• Sunday Breakfast - February 2006
  - A rant about cellphones, parents and family.


• Elderblogger - March 2006
  - Wherein Ell comes to terms with the word 'elders'.


• Father's Hands - April 2006
  - Prompted by an old photo.


• An homage to favourite bloggers - May 2006
  - My inspirations. Some have disappeared into the ether that is the blogosphere, but others have taken their place.


• Home Alone - March 2007
  - Random thoughts about blogging and bloggers.


• Of Trophy Wives and Silicone - July 2007
  - This is a reprint of something I wrote in 2001 (unrevised), but which I think still applies.


• Guest Blogging - August 2007
  - Here's the direct link to my guest blog at Time Goes By.


• Sunday Scribblings: A Rome Walk - November 2007
  - Because I love traveling, photos and writing.

I couldn't resist sneaking in an extra post. Guess which one. :-)

Top 10s

While perusing someone else's site, I ran across a bunch of top 10 lists. Naturally, I started thinking about what would go on my own top 10s.

So here are a few lists with the proviso that they are subject to constant flux, as is my brain:

Most memorable childhood books:

• The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S Lewis
• The Secret Garden - Frances Burnett
• A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain
• Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
• Winnie the Pooh - A. A. Milne
• The House at Pooh Corner - A. A. Milne
• Legends of Vancouver - Pauline Johnson
• Sue Barton Nurse; series of about 6 books - Helen Dore Boylston
• Pippi Longstockings - Astrid Lindgren
• Heidi - Johanna Spyri

Sci-fi and Fantasy books:

• The Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov
• Dune - Frank Herbert
• A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter Miller Jr.
• Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
• The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein
• The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula K. Le Guin
• The Once and Future King - T. H. White
• The Hobbit - J. R. Tolkein

Films

• Jaws
• Shawshank Redemption
• The Joy Luck Club
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Glory
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Das Boot
• The Princess Bride
• Gone With the Wind
• A Fish Called Wanda

Favourite foods/snacks:

• Chocolate-covered macadamia nuts
• Linguine with white clam sauce
• Sushi - in particular, Uni
• Salmon - poached, oriental style, drizzled with a ginger-green onion-soy-oil mix
• Grand Marnier souffle
• Winter melon soup
• Rocky Road ice-cream
• My grandmother's steamed lemon chicken with garlic and black bean
• Roast turkey with mushroom/giblet gravy
• Creme brulee