Ally’s questions…

1 – What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My lack of self-confidence and self-belief. When they’ve been present, I’ve felt (and been) unbeatable. Without them, There’ve been chances and opportunities I’ve not taken.

3 – Describe yourself in three words
Patient, curious & empathic. But ask another day and it may be a different three words which seem more to the fore.

4 – What do you most dislike about your appearance
I’ve long been proud of having great skin without having done anything to deserve it (other than being born with the right genes). But now, with age, my skin is showing me quite how much effort I really should have put in 😉

5 – What is your most unappealing habit?
I could probably write a lengthy list, but I’ll limit myself to the one which Himself ticks me off about – instead of applying cream to my skin, I scratch (and because my skin is thin, it ends up bloody and scabby).

6 – If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
The Eurasian Lynx which has been extinct in the UK since the 17th century, but can be found in mainland Europe. It is hoped they could be reintroduced in due course.

8 – Which book are you ashamed not to have read?
I used to be ashamed about the number of classics I’ve not read, but I no longer care. Indeed, these days I’m more often called a book snob because my favourite genre is literary fiction 😀 So while I can (and do) feel shame about all manner of things, I’m glad to say that what books I’ve not read isn’t one of them.

9 – What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
My mother, when I told her I’d ended things with my ex: “Oh no! Are you sure? After all, it’s not like he drinks or beats you”. I knew she liked him, but still…

10 – What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
That laughter, while not something a doctor can prescribe, often is the best medicine.

Do you think it’s like Beetlejuice – if we mention Ally’s name often enough, she’ll come back to blogland? Or – more seriously – do answer any of the questions in the post…

© Debs Carey, 2026

18 thoughts on “Ally’s questions…”

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  2. Oh Ally…I do miss her so I’ll try your suggestion.
    Ally…Ally…Ally
    Did that do it I wonder? 🙂
    As to a few of the questions, which are actually sort of difficult for some reason-
    1. I can be judgy. I don’t like that about myself
    3. Stubborn, independent, curious
    4. My nose, but only from a side view
    8. Not ashamed at all but I rarely find myself reading what others claim to be best sellers or top choices on famous new book lists.
    9. My ex has said things. I will leave it at that.
    10. Be true to yourself and stand up for what you believe and know is right. Also, know when to leave.

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  4. Deb, thank you for joining me in the “come back Ally mantra”.

    I kept a note of these questions of hers for precisely that reason, because they have a sneaky level of difficulty. Years ago, I’d have offered up my nose too, but my skins recent descent into old age has been hard to avoid of late! I love your answer to question 10 – especially the “know when to leave” part of it.

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  5. the questions certainly make you think! My skin would be a top choice as well but I know how I’ve not been the best at taking care of it and that now with aging… It’s just the way it’s going to be and a little too late to expect glowing youth 🙂 My nose just surprises me every time I see a picture of myself. I always ask myself how what I see front on can be so different from the side. The learning process for #10 was a difficult one. Glad to say I’ve learned how important it is to listen to yourself and move ahead.

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  7. Ally…Ally…Ally…it’s worth a shot… My husband does the same thing where he scratches instead of putting on lotion. It’s annoying enough that I occasionally scream, “You are not a cricket!” and throw lotion at him. The classics: written by affluent white men for pretentious white men and inflicted upon the rest of us. I think life taught me that in problematic interpersonal relationships, you can’t really change people; you can only change how you interact with them by setting boundaries.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. These questions strike me as being overwhelming. Okay. Let me look at a few.

    1. By this time in my life, there’s no sense wishing I were different. Should I be more outgoing, more athletic? Nope. That’s the way I as. The way I made up for those traits: I married a man who was more outgoing than I, and I found sports that suited me, not basketball or skiing but dancing, hiking, and snorkeling.

    9. This may sound strange, but the thing that comes to mind is something a girl said to me when we were in 1st or 2nd grade. She said: “You think you’re so smart.” It was the way she said it with so much hatred. I was just standing there, waiting for the teacher to open the door. Maybe it was because I could read and she couldn’t or because my mom made nice dresses for me. At that age, I didn’t know one could be hated for no reason at all.

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  9. Everytime I catch sight of myself in a shop window reflection, it gives me a start! Mostly because I rarely look in the mirror. I have a prominent nose – one I inherited from my grandfather – not quite sure why I was the only grandchild to do so, but they you are! He kept insisting I consider myself blessed by it and maybe the message went in!

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  11. Yeah, it’s a bad habit. I hate putting on lotion, always have. I only bothered with hand lotion during the pandemic because my hands got so sore. I’ve tried to maintain that habit, but I can’t say that I’m religious about it. I shall use your argument the next time anyone gives me shit about my lack of classics! Thank you 🙂 Yup, that’s a lesson I learned late (very late) and can still have problems putting it into practice. I am grateful that I now notice and then address it.

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  12. Nicki, your response to point 1 is so balanced – I like it. As for your experience in response to question 9, ouch. You must have been both wounded and totally bewildered. An unpleasant experience at any time of life, let alone when you were so young.

    Like

  14. Ally who? She’s dead to me.

    (OK, if that were truly the case, I wouldn’t have mentioned her name in an attempt to bring her back.)

    My answer to #6: American democracy.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. My mouth is wide open at your mother’s comment. Parents! I can’t say it better than Midwest Mark for #6. I still am bothered by the number of classics I’ve not read either. I’ve never read Mark Twain; but I bought “Tom Brown’s Schooldays” three months ago — hope springs eternal.

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  18. Marty! Lovely to see you here 🙂 Thank you for your kind words – and yes, clearly parents do say the darndest things (not only kids).

    I hope you enjoy Tom Brown’s Schooldays. While I understand you as an ex librarian feeling bothered about your lack of classics, don’t forget that your consumption of biographies is exceptional and would put most people to shame.

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