The Sunday Re-Roast

Why It's My Big Sister, Maggie May 

Doesn't she look all sweet and innocent? 
And there is Eddie frowning and thinking, "She might look as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but one fine day I'm going to give her a right royal roasting!" Well, Maggie, I had to wait a long time for this . . . but that day has finally come! LOL.
__________

Welcome to the first episode of The Sunday Re-Roast where bloggers already roasted have the opportunity to review their original answers and to reply to the new questions I ask these days. I shall mix Re-Roasts with new Standard Roasts from time to time to provide a bit of variety.

This week's interview is with Maggie May,
who writes the blog Nuts In May.

A very warm welcome to you and your followers

Maggie appeared on David's Sunday Roast on 28th December 2008 . . . see HERE .

I am pleased to invite Maggie back onto the roasting spit. She says she is vegetarian! 
Well, agreed . . . but we are doing the eating, aren't we! . . . . OK! LOL

And Hey folks, listen! - we have a distinguished guest who will perform the cabaret for this very special ocassion - it's non other than her old flame, Rod Stewart. He's done a You Tube just for you, Maggie, and he doesn't mind us all singing along while we read. He is so excited! - notice him jumping up and down and leaping all over the stage! Ronnie Wood apologises he could not make it today - he's rolling his stones somewhere else today.

(Rod is a bit lazy! To galvanise him into action press the arrow in the centre of the You Tube picture above!)

I asked Maggie if she would make any changes to her original answers and surprisingly, after almost 2 years, she said, "No", except what she now considers is her most significant post written."  So here we go, combining the old and the new, I give you Maggie May.

Is there anything since your roast you are dying to tell the blogging community?

Since David's Roast, I have grown more confident in the things that I write about. I have faced cancer and chemotherapy and I think these things do change a person's outlook on life. I have learnt to try and live in the present and enjoy what I have and to trust in God. I have started to value friendship in a deeper way and I'm so grateful for people's prayers and good wishes. That has helped to sustain me through difficult times.

(Yes it is wonderful how everyone rallied round you, Maggie, to extend their warmth and support)

Tell us again . . . Why do you blog?

I blog because my son, Sam, set one up for me thinking that I would enjoy it. Before then, I was always writing in longhand and had contemplated writing my childhood memoires! I do blog about some of these memories from time to time. I am now really hooked on blogging, so Sam was right ... I do enjoy it.

(As well as blogging I think you should continue with writing your childhood memories . . . . provided you are kind to your little brother, of course!)

What's the story behind your blog name?

Sam and I wanted to include the name May and I thought of "The May Flower" or "The Maypole" ... but then we decided on "Nuts in May" inspired by the film that we thought was funny in a droll sort of way. Of course, you have to be "nuts" to be a May in the first place! Apologies if there are any others out there!

(I see . . . . I think)

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

The best thing about being a blogger is that I can write about anything I want, when I want, how I want. I have also made so many friends of all ages and I feel that I really know all these people through blogging. Although we will never meet, their opinions are greatly valued by me and I look forward to reading their posts and sharing their lives with them.

(It is certainly a social ocassion every time we blog with a great community)

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

I would advise a newbie blogger to be yourself and write in your own style. Read other blogs that inspire you and interest you. Sometimes I come across a blog and know that I have something in common with that person right away. Look down their blogroll and see who their favourite people are. Leave positive comments if you find an interesting post. Before too long people will get back to you and you will have begun a successful blog that I am sure will bring you much pleasure.

(The only way, isn't it . . . . and it does take time)

What is the most significant blog post you've ever read?

This is difficult. I have come across blogs that shock me because of the content. Aims from Big Blue Barn West and Suzy from Identity Crisis have written about terrible things that have happened to them in the past and how they have overcome their bad start in life and how sometimes they are still trying.

As well as the posts that I listed, I was moved to tears by David McMahon's post about his mother's dementia? Sorry you'll have to search for that.

(Ok Maggie I've found it!!  ABC Wednesday post called D Is For Dementia, and incidentally identified as one of David's chosen self composed posts on his special 100th Edition Roast)

What is the most significant blog post you've ever written?

My original answer was a post titled Ripples Of Sadness. My posts tended to be funny when I first started writing and then out of the blue, I found myself writing this post and shocked myself, my family and my regular readers with this sudden change. It was a post about how I felt about the suicide of a best friend, looking back after 20 years and it turned out to be a tribute to her and her family. This was a turning point in my writing and the response I got from that post, gave me the confidence to write down my true feelings and not just make light of everything in case I caused offence. As I said before, it's OK to be yourself.

Since I answered this I now feel that I have gone through another great sadness when my son in law became very ill and subsequently died. So I think my posts A Modern Fairy Tale and it's sequel The Resting Place are my most significant posts to date because these were really written from the heart and were of great therapeutic benefit.

(Very moving, Maggie and widely acknowledged by many as great posts)

And now for the additional questions

Which two blogs would you recommend for roasting?

I would go with Ayak from Turkish Delight and Gaelikaa's Diary. Both of these blogs take me to very different cultures and I have learnt so much by reading them.

(Thanks Maggie - I shall write to invite them onto the show)

Pick three things you can't live without.

AIR, WATER and FOOD.

(Err . . . .I see. . . Sounds reasonable . . . . and true LOL)

If we were to make a movie about BlogLand, what would it be and who would you cast in the leading roles?

Let me see...... I think you, Eddie, would have to be in a leading role as it was your idea. I can see you as a magician and I think you would be The Sorcerer's Apprentice who opened a file while casting a spell from Authorblog's Verse and Worse. Something goes horribly wrong and all the Sunday Roasts start expanding and multiplying rapidly. Thousands of cloned Roasts take over everyones' computers and everything goes black and comes to a grinding halt. Some people say a virus called "Eddiegastronitis" is responsible for the ensuing chaos.
Eventually under Maggie May's guidance, Sam May manages to reverse the spell and everything reverts back to the way it was and Blogland continues on its merry way and everyone lives happily ever after.

(Just like a normal day then! LOL.  And you said you did not have a creative mind - I think you should set it to music)

If you could live your life again who would you be, and why?


I would come back as myself but with all the experience and hindsight that I have gained over my lifetime now.
Personally, I wouldn't want that to happen as I am looking forward to staying permanently with Jesus in a much better place, when the right time comes, that is. In the meantime, I am enjoying being me in the here and now.

(I think you're right on the button with the ultimate destination though. Maggie)

You have been given a wonderful talent from above.  This causes you to make your mark on humanity and be world famous. In which area would prefer: a best selling novelist, a brilliant artist, a gifted musician, a fantastic singer, a charismatic leader, anything you choose, and why? 

I would like to feel that I had helped someone, so I would have to be given a scientific brain (which I haven't got) and be able to discover a cure for ALL cancers. That would be good. I wouldn't mind being famous for that!

(That would be wonderful, Maggie, rather like my wish to enter the healing ministry)

If you were an ice cream cone, which flavour would you prefer and who would you most want to lick you?

Mint/choc chip. I would probably let Martin Shaw take a little lick! I should have said Rod Stewart, shouldn't I?

(Shhh! Penny Lancaster is about!! . . . . and you might start Rod singing again!)

Describe in one sentence your perfect day

Looking out onto a beautiful seaside scene on a warm day, with a cool breeze to my face.....settling down to a favourite meal that I hadn't cooked, with my family...... who were all getting on together perfectly and afterwards they would all go away for a while and let me *do my own thing*.

(*Blogging by any chance?* . . . . or shouldn't I ask?)

If you were a fiction writer which one would you be and why?

I would be me, but write on the similar lines of Lesley Pearse.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

Difficult to recall what the MOST embarrassing moment was but when I was about 16, I was walking down some steep steps between two shops, when a sudden gust blew up my flimsy skirt right over my face, which was just as well because I was beetroot red.

I would probably laugh about it now.

(I never knew you had a Marilyn Monroe experience!)

. . . . and if you are really brave . . . . 

If you awoke to find you had changed gender what would be the first and second things you would do?

I would prod myself to see if I was dreaming. Then go and have a pee standing up because I have always wondered what that would be like.

(Make sure you shoot straight!)
I would probably do all the other things that other bloggers have suggested. However, if I hadn't changed back after a while, I would go and see a doctor to try and have it reversed! I like being female, you see.

(Sorry Maggie - not allowed - afraid you're stuck with it! LOL)

Your turn to ask me a question if you wish.

Brother.......why did you used to throw my teddy out of the window so much? Was it to wind me up? Or were you imagining it was me?

You've always wanted to know that, haven't you?  I loved throwing your teddy about for three reasons:

1. I had a silly doll called Peter. Goodness knows why Mum and Dad gave me that ridiculous thing! I hated it! . . . but I loved your Teddy and I wanted it. When I knew I couldn't have it I got very frustrated and so I threw it about whenever I could just to annoy you..

2. You were a naughty girl! You used to get me to do naughty things and then tell Mum! The only way I could get back at you was to throw your Teddy out of the window and watch you get annoyed for a change LOL. I actually never imagined I was throwing you out of the window.

3. You had an extremely annoying habit of always being the last one to say, "Nite Nite" before we went to sleep. Just as I thought I had won and I was dropping off to sleep I heard a little voice say, "Nite Nite!" LOL . I was furious . . . so Teddy went out of the window again.

But all this is long gone history . . . love you to bits today and even in those days we often sat together and had a little cuddle:

Thanks Maggie for the interview - it was great fun . . . . and, "Nite Nite!" LOL

Today's Sunday Re-Roast is with Maggie May of Nuts and May and is
the 140th in a weekly series of interviews with bloggers from around the world.
_____________________________________________________________
This interview will feature in The Roll of Honour for all published roasts.
To view press HERE.
_____________________________________________________________

I am reverting to posting The Sunday Roast on a Saturday - far more poeple visit and comment on Saturday - I have found Sunday to be dead in BlogLand.

Please keep your recommendations for The Sunday Roast coming.
For those who would like to know a little more about it, how it started, the nuts and bolts of it etc, press HERE