Margaret Evans Porter
 

Loves




Loves



What do I love? Let me count the things!


My husband and my family and my friends. Of course.


My dogs. Both are mixed breeds, rescued from shelters, and have Border collie ancestry.






Lakes. And houses beside lakes. Used to have two, now one.




Gardens. Especially when filled with roses. I love my own roses most of all. Gardening is in my genes, going back many generations. My mother is a dedicated rosarian, as was my paternal grandfather. The roses I grow are mostly antique varieties, dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries. When they're at peak bloom, I use a lot of vases!



Travel. I get around.







Food. Do you really want mouthwatering photos of luscious, yummy food? Didn't think so. (You'll sometimes find foodie pics on my blog.)


Music. Can't live without it. I listen to it and I make it. I've got four mandolins (at last count)--from cheap starter models to vintage to this very nice one by Eastman, which nowadays is the only one I play.



Wildlife and wildfowl.





Horses. We go back a long way.





Sheep. The cutest I ever saw were in Ireland, in the springtime. The friendliest (and greediest) were in Shropshire's Malvern Hils, in autumn.





Exercise. Seriously! Dog-walking is a wonderful way to get the creative part of my brain in gear, and I do plenty of book pondering when rambling about with the girls. For my regular daily workout, I use the New York City Ballet DVD, developed by Peter Martins. Or the even more strenuous ballet class videos with instruction by Dmitri Roudnev.




Clothes. Black and white are wardrobe staples--my dogs are my style icons. But I love colour, too. From any era!




Knitting. After a very, very long hiatus, I took it up again. I give away most of what I make.