Picture from Pixabay. Because pretty.
1. What would your perfect cosy day be like?
An engaging book, a nice fire in a fireplace, me on the couch with a happy, loving Beagle (preferably with our Caro, who passed away 17 years ago) alternately playing with her and snuggling with her while reading. Alas, I currently have neither a fireplace nor a dog, but when Caro was alive, such days were my favorites and I still wish for them!
2. If you had a week to do anything at all, what would you do?
Assuming money’s no issue… I’d go to London again for five days, and Hampton Court. We didn’t have enough time in Hampton Court the last time, it’s so huge that walking around took ages because we loved looking at everything. We didn’t have proper time to spend in the garden or the gift shop, so maybe this time I’d start there and the gift shop.
3. Do you like dressing up? What is your ‘fashion aesthetic’?
I like dressing up in historical clothes, but otherwise no. I don’t have an “fashion aesthetic” as I understand the term… I just want my clothes to be comfortable, clean and neat.
4. Do you pamper yourself or do self-care? What do you do?
What’s the difference between pampering and self-care…?? I guess pampering is done purely for pleasure and fun, and it’s optional?
I think I might consider reading fiction everyday pampering and looking after my mental well-being for myself, but that’s something I do anyway because I want to everyday, not just as something special every now and then. Maybe dyeing my hair could be considered pampering? It’s something I do purely for pleasure and because I want to but it’s totally optional. I don’t remember ever feeling “pampered”, if that’s what meant with the question? Eating meals prepared by others does feel like luxury because it’s so rare.
I’m not sure what is considered self-care but I have to do a number of things everyday because of my illnesses and that’s what I myself think of as self-care… such I have to take all the bloody pills and extra vitamins every day that I wouldn’t normally take, because either the Doctor ordered (or strongly recommended in the case of the vitamins), and because I have atopic, dry skin I have to use specialty lotions… things relating to these aren’t luxuries or “extra” even though I have buy a more expensive, more luxurious feeling lotion for my face than I might if I had normal skin – it’s just simply that my facial skin won’t crack/be raw/peel then so of course I do it because it makes my life easier, and without pain there. If I were to neglect these particular self-care routines, I’d just screw myself over and make more trouble for myself and my doctors because things would get worse sooner or later, likely sooner from experience. I have to be deliberate about this shit, and keep doing it even if I don’t feel like it some given day. So I think self-care is… things that are necessary for controlling my illnesses and symptoms, and so not truly optional. I suppose you could also include a whole host of wider things like excercise, looking after mental health, reducing stress, eating healthy, not working a job that kills you etc. But I have enough to worry about as-is that I keep my personal definition of it rather narrow.
5. What is your favorite comfort read, or comfort movie/tv show to watch?
I don’t think I ever read or watch anything specific for comfort. It’s always because I miss the characters/world that re-read or re-watch. Some of the things I re-read regularly are the Mars novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, many of the 1980s and early 1990s novels by Dean Koontz (Whispers, Watchers, Lightning, Phantoms, The Door To December etc.). Of the movies, I frequently watch The Last Of The Mohicans and The Piano – both have a such a beautiful soundtrack! And I just love the stories and the acting and cinematoghrapy on both. I think they’re masterpieces!
Actually, now thinking about it – I’m more likely to listen to music for comfort. The aforementioned The Last Of The Mohicans and The Piano soundtracks as well as Star Trek episode Amok Time soundtrack are my go-tos and most loved, along with a newer addition which is The Leftovers soundtrack by Max Richter, and I also LOVE his November which I don’t think was used in the tv series as-is but feels like it is the heart of it. Other pieces of music I might turn to are Adagio by Barber (as heard in The Platoon) and Andrea Bocelli’s E lucevan de stelle plus a whole lot more – depends so much on my mood!