1. What is your age range? 63
2. Gender? Female

3. Do you have a favorite color? I tend toward blues and greens.

4. Favorite authors/type of book? folklore and folktales for nonfiction, fantasy for fiction

5. What books have you really been wanting? I'm a librarian, so I get to see pretty much all the new ones. Folktale collections delight my heart, as do used books. I'm currently on a jag for Turkish and Japanese tales, and anything by an author named Post Wheeler. He was in the United States diplomatic corps in the first part of the 20th century, and he apparently collected tales as a hobby. He had the knack to make anything readable. Oh yes, any books by Arthur Waley (Secret History of the Mongols, Monkey, and others). He translated many fine obscure oriental classics.

6. What type of music do you like? What have you got by local folks? Usually I go for traditional Anglo-American and ballads, but novelty songs, music hall, storytelling, etc. are appreciated. 7. What CDs have you really been wanting? See above. If my Secret Santa is Canadian, I'd love to have anything by Penny Lang.

8. What movies have you been wanting? (specify VHS if you don't have a DVD player) I can do either VC or DVD, but of course any DVDs must be Area 1 (I think that's what they call it; North America viewing area) Well, you asked. I'm looking for a Japanese animation classic called Arcadia of My Youth. . If you know of any tapes of storytellers or folk performers of any sort, I probably don't have it and would love it.

9. What is your t-shirt size? XL

10. Do you collect anything? if so, what? I don't collect things so much as accumulate them. Currently, small things (figurines, inexpensive prints). Animals, fantastical or real, folk and storytelling themes. Nothing cutsey, please, unless it's deliberately funny. For example, I have a couple of prints of dragons in feline activities - sleeping in the laundry, standing by someone's ankles when they open a can of food, etc. But the art is good and the critters don't look goofy.

11. What are some of your other hobbies? embroidery and counted cross stitch

12. Do you prefer gold-tone or silver-tone jewelry? silver

13. Please include anything else you feel is important that would help your Secret Santa know what you would like. Edibles (sweet or savory) and potables are a wonderful default. Something for the spice cabinet is always good, but I don't really go for the overly hot stuff; I don't enjoy biting something that bites me back too hard. I've always loved any Christmas ornaments that have come in my Mudcat present. Used, recycled, found, etc. is as good or better than new.

14. Remember that "negative hints" such as allergies might also be helpful. I'm an omnivore.


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