Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart
1. Pick up your socks and turn them right side out.
2. Apparently it helps a lot if your name is Gregory Martin Finchley Lestrade.
3. Be kind to people who need it, even when it makes your own life harder.
4. Be more patient with me than I deserve.
5. Homemade custard creams.
6. Tell me how you feel, even when I can't manage to do the same until months later.
7. Let me look after you when you're ill. (Eventually.)
8. Tell me when I'm being an idiot.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn-offs.
Day Eight: Three turn-ons.
Day Nine: Two images that describe your life right now, and why.
Day Ten: One confession.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn-offs.
Day Eight: Three turn-ons.
Day Nine: Two images that describe your life right now, and why.
Day Ten: One confession.
65 comments:
OMG John, sweet is the only word!
2 is extra sweet and 8 well we all need someone to do that :-)
I have to admit I've struggled with this one but I'll take your inspiration and try and come up with something :-)
Anonybob
It's not easy, but it was a lot easier than the nine things.
I'm the opposite. It was easy to come up with nine things about me in general, but eight things about my heart... This one might take me a while.
I was really impressed with you managing the yesterdays John I know that really isn't your thing. It was all very interesting to read and you're giving us all a chance to have a go aswell which is rather amazing of you :-)
On that note
Eight ways to win my heart
1. Know the off side rule
2. Be happy to come second to my kids
3. Allow me to be quiet and withdrawn without holding it against me when I want to talk again.
4. Eat the food I cook and appreciate that I’ve cooked it with love and thought.
5. Pick things up after yourself and remember I don’t choose to be at home doing the housework
6. Show interest in what I am doing( even if it’s pretend.)
7. Allow me time to work my brain once the kids are asleep
8. Say you love me and really mean it.
I'm with RSF. This one is much harder.
Well, I'm sort of cheating, in that I've got Lestrade. Two years ago, I don't think I would've been able to do it at all.
Those are lovely, John. LOL at the socks :-) And I'm with you, this one was easier than the last one, I think.
1. Be honest with me (and yes, that includes when I'm daft enough to say "does this make me look fat", answering "you haven't really given it a choice, have you?").
2. Have a filthy sense of humour.
3. Stand up for what you think, even - especially - if that means disagreeing with me.
4. Respect yourself, and have good reason to.
5. Respect me for who I am.
6. Inspire me to want to be better than I am.
7. Give me space.
8. Did I mention be honest? Yeah, that.
This one was hard for me! But here is my attempt. My day 9 is on my journal, but I didn't think it belonged here.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
1) I love flowers. The surest way to make me melt into a puddle is to buy me flowers. Roses and carnations are my favorites.
2) Doing nice things for me without having to be asked. Not a grand gesture, but pulling a blanket over me when I'm cold and haven't said anything, or suggesting we sit in the shade for a moment when it's hot. Just little things, being considerate, I guess.
3) Loving animals. I go all melty when someone becomes a giant puddle over animals.
4) Holding my hand when we go for a walk. I don't like a lot of PDA, but holding my hand is lovely and nice, and means the world to me.
5) Stuffed animals always make me happy. Whether it's a giant stuffed bunny or a small teddy bear, I love them.
6) Letting yourself be a kid. I enjoy watching people being unashamed to let their inner kid out. Blowing bubbles, coloring, watching cartoons. Not being immature, but being settled in your skin enough to enjoy things simply for enjoying them, and not feeling you have to explain yourself.
7) Passion. Passion for life, or passion for something you enjoy or believe in fiercely. If someone has passion in them I think it makes them so much more interesting!
8) Because I can't think of anything else, I'm going to go with the obvious. If you give me chocolate, you will be my new favorite person!
John, I was all set to call you a tease after a few of your Day Nine posts, but now, all I can see is your sweetness.
Hey, Sherlock, did you not like the picture that I said reminded me of you (back in Day Ten)? It's got a turtle!
Just back from my nephew's high school graduation to find this. Your list is lovely, John. And I'm at a complete loss for a list of my own, never having had a romantic relationship. I'll see if I can come up with something for "winning my heart" for loving friendships, I suppose that qualifies.
Oh, this one is hard...
1. Be kind. To yourself and others.
2. Don't worry about looking silly in the pursuit of joy. It's worth it.
3. A fondness for animals wouldn't hurt.
4. Accept that physical affection is very hard for me. It doesn't mean I'm being cold, but touch makes me uncomfortable.
5. Surprise movie marathons are always welcome.
6. Cadbury milk is likewise, always welcome.
7. Be curious. Randomly dragging me across town to see an exhibit on the history of the egg carton might be ridiculous, but I will gleefully follow you.
8. Be honest.
Yeah. Not easy.
1. Be happy to see me and show it.
2. Notice people. Waitstaff, clerks, bus drivers--they are all people. Say hello and thank you, smile and mean it.
3. Thank me--not absently or automatically, but really--for little things.
4. Let me help.
5. Listen to and understand what I'm saying.
6. Tell me when I do something right.
7. Hugs are always a lovely surprise.
8. Let me in.
1. Food isn't a bad start.
2. Be patient when I'm telling the same story over again.
3. Tell me when you can't make it.
4. Share your sorrows as well as your joys.
5. Giggle with me at bad movies.
6. Accept my help.
7. Play with me.
8. Trust me.
I totally understand the sock thing.
This wasn't too hard, after two marriages, two more engagements and a generous number of less serious relationships I pretty much know what works for me - and when I found him, I married him.
Day 3 – Eight ways to win my heart
1. Cook for me – homemade bread will win me over every time.
2. Keep me on track when I’m getting lazy (work, exercise, cleaning the house…all of it).
3. Make my child your highest priority - always - without fail.
4. Give me space….and silence…when I need it.
5. Be funny, even when the situation isn’t.
6. Always take the road less traveled (and take me with you), our adventures are priceless.
7. Shut the d-mn drawers and cabinet doors – one day I’m going to kill myself running into one you’ve left open.
8. Spa certificates. :)
I've failed on 4. You deserve infinite patience.
Think I fail on 1 sometimes too...
Number 1 does have that faint air of "gentle nudge" doesn't it? Not that I'd succeed at it. I seldom pay any attention to inside out or not when it comes to socks. For that matter, I buy socks in bulk so that I don't have to think about pairing them, either.
Goodnight!
L - you're always incredibly patient with me. 1 could use some work though.
Hmm, I don't think my list of "ways to win my heart" would just have eight items! Also, I've never even been kissed, so this is the ideal spouse here:
1. Be my partner: respect me, trust me, and see me as I am, not who you want me to be.
2. Have a kind sense of humor and a good sense of when jokes are/are not appropriate.
3. Be intelligent, and well-read, but not a pompous prat.
4. Love me when I need it the most.
5. Don't be threatened by my intelligence or my achievements.
6. Protect me when I need your protection, but know when to make me stand on my own.
7. Always be there for me.
8. Be honest and loyal.
I've been told that my high standards (i.e. be alive, not a criminal/axe murderer, etc.) are the reasons that I'm relationship-less at my ripe "old" age of ##. I'm not entirely sure I agree...
Anyway, I'm glad to hear the visit has gone...fairly well, thus far. I hope it only gets better! Havge fun! =)
~A from NW (who talked with her boss on Wednesday, and has her support if everything goes screwy)
1. Say hello when you see me and smile if you can
2. Don't interrupt what I'm doing just because you consider it unimportant
3. Offer to cook the tea sometimes and than do it without 20 questions, even if that means you can only manage sausage and mash.
4. Don't take my need for my own space personally, the more you respect it the less I need it.
5. run me a warm bath with candles, wine and fresh fruit just because you thought about it.
6. Tell me straight if I do something you don't like rather than letting it eat a huge hole for me to fall in one day.
7. Say no sometimes, I hate getting my own way all the time.
8. encourage me to talk to people and not worry about it for ages afterwards.
You are a very lovely man Doc :) your list is lovely! I personally am glad you're still going with this eventhough you've been so busy this week because it's great encouragement to the rest of us to have a go.
I hope you all slept well and have a nice day whatever you're up to.
EBSanon
Glad you talked to your boss and that was the outcome, A.
It's good your boss is willing to backstop you, AfNW. And that you know it. :)
Hope the weather is cooperating with your plans, guys. Having fun? :)
It's very windy, but not raining yet.
However, wind makes both Sherlock and the hounds rather excitable. I don't think small boys and large dogs being excitable is up there with Louisa's favourite things... We've gone out to see some stone rings. It's better than I made that sound...
It is better than you made it sound! They're very interesting.
What, like Stonehenge but smaller? I'd say that was interesting, all right!
I think stone rings are interesting too, Mycroft, but the only ones I've seen are Stonehedge and Avebury. I was impressed by how big Avebury was in diameter. Were the rings you saw today very large?
Not really like stonehenge, no. Except made of stone.
One of the others will have to give you details.
And circles--and probably for the same purpose, whatever that was...no? Like it talks about here? Or have I misunderstood the reference? (Which is entirely possible, I've never been to Scotland.)
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertydetail.htm?PropID=PL_067&PropName=Clava%20Cairns
It's the Clava Cairns, a burial site from the Bronze Age. It's 4000 years old. I thought it was very interesting. Lestrade kept saying it was going to rain. John was busy trying not to let Sherlock climb on them.
Ah, so something entirely different then!
(Unless the stone circles I was thinking of were also actually burial sites, which I believe is one current theory. :))
That actually looks quite fascinating, Mycroft. Thanks for the link. And I'm glad you enjoyed it! (I imagine the dogs enjoyed being out of doors, so that's three... )
That looks really interesting Mycroft I'm glad you enjoyed it and thankyou for the link :-)
Are you off somewhere else now that might be more Sherlock's idea of fun?
Wind, rain, Sherlock and dogs are quite an interesting combination I would have thought ;-)
You make me sound a bundle of laughs, Mycroft!
I just didn't think you enjoyed the cairns very much, that's all. This trip doesn't appear to be a bundle-of-laughs situation in general though.
I know you don't speak to us all very often Mycroft but every sentence contains so much meaning.
sorry the trip isn't the most fun you've ever had. When are you heading home? If he doesn't mind me asking is John doing ok with it all?
Meeting family can often be a bit tense--it's the hoping-everyone-will-get-along together with the decades-of-family-dynamics thing. Hopefully it'll ease up considerably, and it's okay if it takes time.
Meanwhile, I hope you--all four of you (or six if you include the dogs!)--can manage some fun while you're there. Maybe even find a small mountain to climb!
(And if it doesn't smooth out as much as one would like...it's not like they live in London, after all. Visits come with time limits, yeah? Although I hope they can be happy for you, John.)
I'll admit they were slightly beyond me. I'm really glad you enjoyed them though.
And no, it's not the most fun ice had with my clothes on, but we've got to make the best of it, yeah?
Anon: If he doesn't mind me asking is John doing ok with it all?
He's quiet and standing closer to Lestrade than he usually does. I don't know. He's hard to read sometimes.
Lestrade: yes. Sherlock really wants to climb a mountain.
First up mycroft sorry I wasn't logged in and that came out anon :-(
Thanks for the info on John, it can't be an easy one for him but having the three of you there for support must make it better for him.
Climbing a mountain sounds like a good idea for running off some of Sherlock's energy :-)
So, this is somewhat off topic, but I thought that John might appreciate an update on the Men's semis, since it's pretty clear that he's not going to have a chance to watch much tennis in Scotland...
Nadal beat Ferrer pretty easily in 3 sets. Right now, Fed is playing Nole and they are really battling it out. Nole took the first set 6-4. In the second set, it's 5-5 with Djokovic to serv. Sadly, I have to leave soon, so I may not get to see the end of the match. :( But then, that may help Fed.
I wish could I spend the rest of the day playing and watching tennis, but instead of I have work to do.
I know family can be weird and hard to deal with and awkward, but I'm sure this visit will be worth it in the end.
ryo
Thanks, Ryo. I'm checking the scores when I can, but they haven't been exactly uplifting so far. Glad Nadal won - though I never doubted he would.
Tomorrow we'll find a mountain to climb.
A real one. Think we're already scaling a metaphorical one.
John,
They really haven't. :( In fact, Djokovic just took the second set 7-5. I've got to stop watching -- I think I'm jinxing Federer because I want him to win. Of course, I also have to stop watching for other reasons, so I guess that's fortunate.
ryo
L - my attitude probably isn't helping. Sorry. Must do better, as you'd say.
Ryo - yeah. Still, he came back from two down against Del Potro...
Mycroft -- I suspect that John's parents are hard to read too. It takes some people a while to open up, unless there's a crisis or some other pressure that reveals more about them sooner.
Stone rings fascinate me, whether they were small or large. I think it's because I read about one which was only a few feet across when I was a child, and while the book was a fantasy, the author had a note saying the stone ring was real. And of course there's a stone ring in the Discworld books. Still, even without the notion that the rings can lead one to another world, they're cool, because of how much they reveal about what people knew about math and the calendar when they were made.
Have you ever heard the Flanders and Swann routine about Stonehenge? I tried to find it on youtube, but it isn't there. *sigh*
You're all right. I mean, I abandoned you to my mum and went and climbed a tree. You've managed to remain in the room (although I don't mind if you'd rather climb a tree. And Sherlock would positively love it.)
Just sort of wish I hadn't pressured you into it. Rather you enjoyed half term than put yourself through some sort of torture.
It's not that bad. Better than I thought it might be, actually. And you absolutely didn't pressure me into it.
Well they're nice enough. Just maybe not prepared for hurricane Sherlock. Mycroft's holding his own though.
Families can be difficult beasts at the best of times. I'm never quite sure what's worse, your own family, or other peoples'. And there's always going to be some tension when people who do things very differently come together.
On the plus side, you've got the four of you ll together, you've got fresh air and stone circles and big hills and small mountains and all sorts to get stuck into. And a B&B to retreat to at the end of every day:-)
It's only a few days, then you guys can get back to your lives, and at least your parents will have some idea of what your life has blossomed into. I think it's incredibly kind of you, both of you, to try so hard when the entire thing is uncomfortable, no matter what parents you're visiting.
I'm off this afternoon on vacation to Milwaukee. Husband's cousin is getting married, and it's a good excuse to go up there and visit the grandmas. Thing is, my dad and stepmom are coming, too, and we'll be spending the rest of the week in husband's home town, with my parents. We've not spent that much one on one time with them in years. Like, years and years.
What could possibly go wrong? ;)
Well, Mrs W does make a mean suet pudding.
And Sherlock is still waiting for her to answer his 'why?' In response to her 'take your elbows off the table'.
Heh! Something tells me that "because it's bad manners" isn't going to work very well. (And so it shouldn't. :))
Reminds me of this story that Christopher Milne told about his father and table manners... :)
Good luck, Maz.
L - he'll be waiting a long time...
I was never given a reason for elbows off the table so if she comes up with one please let us know what it is ;-)
I'm beginning to feel a bit sorry for the wonderful whirlwind that is Sherlock but he seems to be standing up for himself which is always good :-)
Good cooks can be forgiven a lot of things.
I hope your holiday goes well Maz it sounds like it will be an interesting time ;-)
It wasn't a rule in our house growing up.
Get the feeling John grew up with a lot of rules I didn't.
L- I'm like you. I'd be out with the kids, climbing trees. Especially when I kind of wanted to have the people I brought together like each other. (Or at least tolerate each other.)
And I doubt anyone is really prepared for Sherlock. Glad to hear that Mycroft's finding his way though.
(I started this comment several hours ago, and never had a chance to post it...and I thought *yesterday* was busy!)
I was always told it's rude to put elbows on the table because it forces the person next to you to knock into you when they're eating.
Didn't necessarily stop us from doing it, but at least it was a practical reason, rather than just my mom saying, "Manners!"
I did grow up with that rule. (Which is not to say I follow it, necessarily...)
I can't speak for John, of course, but for myself, I grew up in a household with a lot of rules of that sort. They mostly boil down to "conform." For one parent it was and is because of caring what other people think and say; for the other, it was because if you don't give other people anything bad to think or say, they leave you alone, which makes life easier (not that they ever explained it that way). I don't particularly care what other people think, and I've mostly given up on life being easy--but I in retrospect I do see that their goal was to have life be smooth for their children. And while I don't think conforming overmuch will get me that, I do have the tools with which to conform when I don't want to fight.
I rather wish they wouldn't mind when I don't conform, though.
I don't think John will be introducing many of them at home Greg!
I would love to meet Sherlock in person RSF he sounds like just my kind of person but I think a lot of people have strange ideas about how kids should behave and therefore he comes as quite a shock ;-) I do wonder sometimes how John and Greg keep up with him all the time but people who are only being visited should just embrace his wonderfulness and recover once he's gone home :-)
Anonybob
Get the feeling John grew up with a lot of rules I didn't.
Well, there's good as well as bad in that, isn't there?
Hm. As to the "no elbows on the table" rule, my grandmother said it was because she got tired of talking to the tops of our heads when we started slouching.
At my Girl Scout camp, however, the reason posited was that the table was populated by numerous invisible cloud fairies, which were good at dodging plates and forks and other hard things, but terrible at dodging elbows. If you put your elbows on the table you would smash the table fairies and the cloud fairies would look down from the sky and cry, making it rain.
This theory was tested one summer by my older sister's troop. The entire troop -- all twenty four girls -- put their elbows on the table one lunchtime.
It snowed.
In July.
...
Anonybob, I'd enjoy meeting Sherlock too. But I know perfectly well that whatever topic I thought was going to be the order of the day, by the end of the conversation we'd be somewhere else. (Which I think is fun, by the way.) So all my preparations would go for naught.
Nameless - I definitely think I should have had more rules. I don't know if he thinks he should have had fewer.
Lestrade - I'm guessing there's a happy medium that neither of you quite managed to get to. But I think that were positives for both of you, as well.
It was fine. Nothing to complain about really.
the only preparations required would be a good nights sleep a good dose of caffeine and an open mind RSF :-)
Do you not think that you and John have the right balance between the two Greg? the boys are free to express themselves but they know right from wrong :-)
Doesn't mean you can't have...not-positive...feelings about it, John. (If you do.)
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