1. what is your age range? 58

2. gender? female

3. Do you have a favorite color? My mother once said that my taste in colors came out of a crayon box. She meant that my outfit gave her a headache. Well, she's right when it comes to clothing. If I'm wearing something out in public, I tend toward blues and greens.

4. favorite authors/ type of book? Used books are fine. Folktales and folklore, first and foremost. And in the broadest sense; local legends, saintlore, children's books and old recitation books. Oh yes, I've been trying to track down Japanese tales.

5. what books have you really been wanting? If you live in the UK, anything by Stanley Robertson or Duncan Williamson would be nice (I have Williamson's Broonie, the Silkies and Fairies, and also Fireside Tales of the Traveller Children)

6. what type of music do you like? Local folk cd's are wonderful! So are cd's of old recordings (music hall, or old field recordings). So are spoken word cd's: humor, traditional storytelling.

7. what CDs have you really been wanting? Again, if you're in the UK, I'd love a copy of Taffy Thomas's Take These Chains From My Heart.

8. What movies have you been wanting? (specify DVD or VHS) I can go with DVD or VHS, and used is just fine, but a DVD would have to be "Area 1", I believe; playable in North America. If you are in the USA, I'd love a copy of Songcatcher, believe it or not.

9. what is your t-shirt size? Extra large, alas.

10. do you collect anything? if so, what?

11. what are some of your other hobbies? Youhadtoask. I've been reading a lot of manga (Japanese comics) and watching a lot of anime (Japanese animation) this past year. Blame my kids. That's not why I'm reading Japanese folklore, though. I'm also in the society for Creative Anachronism (bunch of crazy medievalists), mostly looking at Middle Eastern, Byzantine, Eurasian Steppes stuff. I like to cook and bake, and do fancy work from kits (embroidery, cross stitch, that sort of thing)

12. do you prefer gold-tone or silver-tone jewelry? Most of mine is silver-tone, but I'm not averse to either.

13. please include anything else you feel is important that would help your Secret Santa know what you would like. I'm not allergic to anything that you'd need to deal with. Chocolate is very nice. I am not a teatotaler. I like cats, but thanks to three abandoned kittens, I don't need any more, thank you.

Remember that "negative hints" such as allergies might also be helpful.