basykes

NOTICE 10/18--I received a great postcard of a dog from S. Jersey and I don't see either the name of the swap or the name of the sender. (Love the PC...I'd like to rate you!)

I have a #1 rating for a swap I have sent to Malalysia TWICE and even have a .jpg of the last time I sent it, but my partner won't respond to my messages. How do I get rid of the #1?

I am a sedentary type (because I am large sized!), who is a TV addict and avid reader. I love writing, internet, movies. Love writing letters. Have kept a daily blog since 2000--more than 8,000 entries. I am the author/co-author of two books about a theater company in San Francisco. (I love that I can look myself up in the Library of Congress!)

Raised 5 children and have two granddaughters, born in 2008 and 2011. I sponsor several children around the world with Compassion International

Live with husband of 58 years (as of 6/26-23), our son and his wife, and our lap dog, Bubba..

Walt saved for travel in our retirement and we have traveled a bit in the last few years. England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, Russia, China, Istanbul, a cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, and Ukraine. I spent six wonderful weeks in Australia in 2003. I will never make my dream trip, now -- a photo safari in Africa. My body couldn't handle it any more.

Love seeing new places and meeting new people! I am pro-choice and supported Marriage Equality, but have a good friend who is vehemently opposed to both and we are still friends, so I am polite to those with whom I disagree. Just don't try to convert me...and I won't try to convert you.

• "East of Eden" (and all Steinbeck)
• "Prince of Tides" (Pat Conroy)

• "The Mother Tongue" (Bill Bryson)

• Any Michael Connelly, Tess Gerritsen, Harlan Coben, Vince Flynn, Patricia Cornwell (when she was good), David Baldacci, James Patterson (before he became a book-writing factory and the quality dipped way down)

• Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series

• I like biographies and autobiographies and really any good story.

Outlander, Stephen Colbert, Jeopardy, NCIS , Criminal Minds, Young Sheldon, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, any good medical drama, Amazing Race, and many of the Food Network shows.

Shows I miss: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Big Bang Theory, NCIS-LA, The West Wing, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Designated Survivor, Schitt's Creek, Northern Exposure and so many others.

Big fan of Rachel Maddow and Anderson Cooper.

• Animals, especially dogs, horses, elephants, whales.
• Inge Look
• Babies (human or animal)
• Australian scenes
• African scenes
• Russia scenes
• China Scenes
• Van Gogh
• Mary Cassatt
• Smiley faces
• Ocean scenes
• Judy Garland
• Anything showing books, writing, or typewriters
• Theaters (inside or out)
• Anything that makes you go "awww"
• funny cards
• "message" cards

• CHOCOLATE!!!
• The color red
• Irish and Scottish things
• All animals, especially dogs, horses, elephants and whales
• Washi tape
• Stamp pads
• Rainbows
• Vintage music & movies (40s and 50s)
• Show music
• World music
• Stickers, any kind
• Peanuts stuff (love Snoopy)
• Muppets stuff
• books
• audio books
• strawberries (the fruit, the scent, the color)
• I'm addicted to juice oranges and mandarins

• tea (it's ok, but not a favorite)
• licorice
• dark chocolate
• Anything Goth
• Religious stuff
• Violence of any kind
• tattoos
• jewelry (I wear very little)
• make-up (I don't wear it)
• the color orange (I don't wear it)
• Heavy metal
• Prejudice of any kind, particularly homophobia
• Cruelty to any animals
• Donald Trump

Because my latest swap includes food, recipes, etc, here is a list of some of my favorite foods

• milk chocolate
• pastries
• Dungeness crab
• Mexican food
• Chinese food
• fruits (especially strawberries, pineapple, bananas, fresh oranges)
• artichokes
• avocados
• popcorn
• Peanut butter
• Peanuts & Toasted almonds
• Macadamia nuts
• Peet's French Roast Coffee

I have eclectic tastes in music. My favorite music is probably show music, since I have reviewed musicals for so many years and know most of them.

I also like classical music, especially the big 3 (Bach, Beethoven, Brahms), but also chamber music. Not a big fan of opera but love Gilbert & Sullivan.

In more popular music, I grew up with music from the 30s and 40s (Bing Crosby, Andrews Sisters, etc.) and went through adolescence in the 50s but didn't much like rock. My favorites are still the 30s, 40s and 50s but I love John Denver.

My kids were in a rock band for 10 years and introduced me to a lot of their favorite music, so I enjoy some of that too, though don't have any favorites (except the band Lawsuit, of course)

And I am a big fan of Steve Schalchlin. If you don't know him, check him out on YouTube.