Who are your favorite people to be around?
My favourite people to be around are, of course, my family and my friends. And here the problem begins. My daughter lives and works in another country. One of my friends as well. The next my friend is busy working in a big company so we do not meet very often. Thus, you can dream about the favourite people around you, but life, unfortunately, can be messy.
What bored me? A boring lecture by a trainer on how best to engage with students in language learning. I have been working in this field for more than 30 years, and I failed to liaise with my students very rarely. I can even say it never happened. Thus, when such a coach, who has no practical experience, lectures me, I get bored out of my mind. That is a simple waste of my time. Would you say I don’t have to participate in training of this kind? Unfortunately, I have to, because my director thinks we need to train in this area.
Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.
One if the best gift I’ve ever received is this cup. Why? Firstly, it was the gift from my daughter. Then, the cup is handmade by herself. Being a crafts woman, I can feel the love my daughter put into the cup. I have had it for five years and I intend to keep it forever.
You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?
Call my daughter 😀
Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?
Yes, it was. When I attended school, I collected stamps. I remember having a couple of big albums with a lovely collection of butterflies and probably many other themed collections. I remember marvelling at every stamp I acquired, whether I bought it or got it from an envelope. In the meantime, I met a well-known philatelist in our town, who let me look at his extensive collection. And I remember the delight that accompanied me. But I absolutely do not remember what happened to my stamps later. I think I gave them to someone when I left my home for University to suty in any case, I hope someone else also enjoyed my stamps and looked through them more then once in silence and admiration. Sometimes, I wish I had them with me now.
My dream home? It’s simple. A wooden house, maybe old, with its own history. It has to be in a forest, preferably a pine forest – I love picking mushrooms so much! It can, of course, have spruce, birch and other deciduous trees. Maples should grow close to the house so that they decorate the yard in autumn with yellow, orange, red and still green leaves that will rustle under the feet. There should be a lake or river nearby, preferably both. I like to swim in the lake, but it has standing water, but in the river, the water flows, and you can watch it move for hours. And, of course, a flower garden around the house with all sorts of flowers because they give the inspiration for creating my garlands. And the apple, pear and cherry trees that blossom in spring should be there. I reread everything I wrote, and it turns out that this is a description of a town we lived in my childhood, in the city I thought I disliked so much. And it made me sad.
My favourite candy is chocolate, of course, if it counts. And many other candies, but chocolate is going first! The photo is full of sweets and was taken last Saturday during the Chocolate and Coffee Festival in Warsaw. You know, I can’t omit it!
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
I like to cook. You could even say I love it. For this, I have a lot of favourite dishes. For example, I love to cook risotto. With mushrooms, peas and carrots, pumpkin, vegetables, or tomato risotto. Generally, with whatever I have in the fridge. But thinking about a favourite dish, I’d probably say it’s Swedish Gravlax (marinated salmon) with sauce. I always make this dish for Christmas Eve. My daughter lives in another country, and we do not meet very often, but she is always home on Christmas. I think all this – Christmas tree and the whole home decorating, waiting for my daughter to arrive, the gifts, the old Lithuanian and Polish traditions, the delicious dish at last – creates the magic of Christmas. I can state that Gravlax is my favourite dish.
I didn’t have a “to-do list”, but if I did one, a drawing course would be at the top. I am completely unable to draw, and I dream of painting watercolour. Maybe after admitting here, I will finally start such a course. Keep your fingers crossed!
My first name is Liudmila (written this way in Lithuania, my native country), and it has Slavic origin. The name consists of two words: “lud” – people and “mila” – dear or love. Thus, the meaning of my name is “loving people.” In short, people call me Liuda.
stitches & quills 