Wednesday, September 27, 2006

A Meme! Join in!

American Phoenix has a meme on her site that I'm doing. I found it trackbacked at The Anchoress' post about Trader Joe's. I'm not gonna tag anybody with it - it ain't mine, after all - but you might find it a little thought-provoking, as I did. Geography Meme asks you to look at the world around you and choose a few places to think about. Now, her choices/answers are well thought-out, and very interesting. Mine are, as I said in the comments, more pedestrian. Well, that's the way my tastes run. So here goes! My responses to the Geography Meme:

1. A Place You've Visited and Your Favorite Thing there:

Boone, North Carolina. I went here, a central location, to do on-the-ground research for my Revolutionary War novel. I love the town! Nearby are some of the most beautiful scenery I've seen. It's in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it has stuck with me. I wish I could afford to pull up stakes and move there.


Here's where I get pedestrian. My favorite thing there, aside from all the places to visit and see, is Mike's" Inland Seafood Restaurant. It might be gone by now, but if not, it's the best seafood place I've visited. Yup! A Seafood restaurant in the mountains! The food was wonderful! Tasty and plentiful. For this big eater, and seafood lover, the one place where I could not finish what was served to me. Ohhh, my!

2. A Country You'd Like to Visit and Why:

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Ireland. My family name comes from the North, and is older than the earliest English occupation. But our family is Protestant, not Catholic. Ireland is, outside the sectarian insanity, a magical place. I'd like to explore it.


3. A Place From History You'd Like to Visit and Why:

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Runnymede, southwest of London, where King John signed the Magna Carta. This was the first feeble step toward representative government in the english-speaking world. And I wouldn't have to learn a new language, would I?

4. A Place You Know A Lot About:

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Kings Mountain - a famous Revolutionary War battlefield. Hey, read my novel! It's in there, ya know. *wink*

5. A Place You'd Like to Learn More About:

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Bushy Run Battlefield, Pennsylvania. Research I want to do, should my finances ever improve. This battle took place during Pontiac's Rebellion and involved the relief of Fort Pitt. Surrounded, outnumbered, out of water during this hot summer fight, with many wounded soldiers, Henry Bouquet rallied his beleaguered troops to outwit the attacking Indians and win through. Amazing story.

6. A Fictional Place You'd Like to Visit:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I like the novels! I do! And if this is a fictional place to visit, well, you can't get into Hogwarts unless you are a Wizard or Witch! Magic! Whoo-hoo! Tell me you wouldn't love to learn how to fly on a broom! Heheheee!

Seriously, if you had the choice of any fictional place to visit, what fabulous place would you want to visit? Any of you want to visit Bram Stoker's Transylvania to see Dracula in his European home? What about aboard the Pequod with Ahab in his quest for the White Whale?

So, how about you? Want to try the meme? Go for it! Let's see what sort of travelogue you come up with.

Update! In the comments, love2learnmom wrote this: "Nicely done! My 11 year old son started the meme as part of his Geography Blog. They're keeping track of all the responses there - so much fun to read! He and his friends are very much enjoying the project."

Alright! I like this meme, and I think you all oughta head on over to see the Map Guys at the first posting of this geography meme. Frankly, this is a very fine blog! Surf, friends, surf!

10 comments:

a.k.a. Blandly Urbane said...

I'm not sure how I would answer the questions, but I'll give it a shot.

Long time no read here; it's been an interesting couple of weeks.

Still plan to buy the book one day...

benning said...

Can't wait to see what you come up with. Buy when you can, there's no rush with print-on-demand.

Anonymous said...

Feel free to tag someone else. The meme wasn't mine either! I shamelessly purloined it and passed it on.

I rather doubt I would call your tastes pedestrian. If I did, I'd have to accuse myself of the same thing! Regarding your meme: #3 - I'm a history buff too, so the Battle of Hastings, Gettysburg, and Salamis came a close second. But I've already been there! #6 - Hogwart's came a close third, after Narnia.

Gayle said...

I've been to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and they are awesome! Haven't been to Boone though. I know I would have enjoyed the seafood restaurant because that's my favorite too.

Gorgeous pictures, Benning, especially liked that one of Ireland. I agree with your choice of Hogwartz. That would really be incredible!

camojack said...

1. Australia; Hamilton Island/Great Barrier Reef.
2. I'd like to visit Ireland someday, too; I'm ¼ Irish.
3. North America before it was "discovered"; I'm also ¼ Native American.
4. Hawaii...was stationed there for 3 years; plan to retire there.
5. Planet Earth.
6. To Oz? To Oz!

blogagog said...

***Alert*** *** Book Review ***
**SPOILER ALERT!**

Ok, I've just finished reading "Benning's War", and I'm disgusted! It's factually inaccurate. How can Isaac Benning have existed in the late 1700s and still be alive to blog today? It's just not possible! Now I see why he's hiding behind those shades... he's a big fibber!

All sarcasm aside, your book is a great read, and I hope you make another. We got to watch as the tragic loss at the beginning of the story led to something much greater in the end. It's a good lesson that even horrific incidents can lead to positive outcomes if we let them.

I'm not giving away the bulk of your story, because people should read it themselves to get the full meaning of the book. I'm giving it a firm A-.

And I only attached the minus because neither I nor anyone in my family was mentioned. That's a minus in my opinion, but everyone else would consider it a plus :)

WomanHonorThyself said...

Heya Benning!..stimulating questions dude..ya mean I hafta think?..lol..Been to Venice and Jerusalem...both prolly the most beautiful cities in the world!..gotta think bout the rest!

Hopalong Cassidy said...

Benning,

Those are nice pictures in your post!!

"my Revolutionary War novel...
Hey, read my novel! It's in there, ya know. *wink*"

re

I wrote one book and self-published it. As I was writing this comment I stopped and took a quick count of how many printed copies I had left:
approximately 26.

I am thinking of making an ebook out of my book and eventually selling it on the Internet, and maybe even selling the 26 printed copies I have left.

If I do that it wouldn't be until at least the summer of 2007 and maybe even 2008. The price would be less than your book. Who knows maybe we will end up buying each other's book. Though should that be the case, you will end up slightly ahead
monetarily wise (wink).

Not munching donuts yet today,
Tubby

love2learnmom said...

Nicely done! My 11 year old son started the meme as part of his Geography Blog. They're keeping track of all the responses there - so much fun to read! He and his friends are very much enjoying the project.

Brooke said...

Nifty!

I'd looove to visit Ireland!