Tagged - again.

Well, once again I've been tagged, this time by James, who was tagged by Anna (Do we ApricotPie-ers really have nothing better to do with our time?). So here goes. First, the rules as established by James:

If you are tagged:  You don't have to do anything!  However, here are some suggestions:
Follow Anna's rules, but loosely.  Feel free to tag back.  Feel free to tag Anna.
If you don't feel up to continuing the storm of blogger-tagging, you can always just leave a comment instead.

Anna's rules state that the tagged person must state eleven facts about his or herself. So...

1. I've never eaten cantaloupe. I don't dare, since touching them makes my skin blister and smelling them makes me break out in hives.
2. I've only fallen off of a horse once in my life... and he wasn't even moving at the time.
3. Since James brought up the ancestry thing - I'm Scottish, Welsh, and Cherokee.
4. The best thing about being Scottish is that you can blame the Irish for everything. (Like getting tagged on Blogger, for instance...) : P
5. I collect Webster's dictionaries. I would like to get one from every year they've been printed.
6. I've memorized the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, and I'm working on the second.
7. Somewhere in my medical records there is an x-ray of my ribcage with a goat's hoof print in the middle of it.
8. I'm CPR certified and a trained First Responder.
9. I love a good western - book or movie, either one. My favorite western movie is Silverado and my favorite western book is Utah Blaine by Louis L'Amour.
10. I tried sushi for the first time last fall.
11. I'm slightly obsessed with the 1920s - 40s. In fact, half my wardrobe looks like it came from that era, and I love watching documentaries and reading books about it.

Now, to answer the questions James posed:
1.  Who is your favorite well-known figure from American history who (a) never held office, (b) did not write any significant works and (c) died before the year 1850?
 I'm going to have to go with Chief Pathkiller, I guess (1749 - 1827). He was acknowledged by the US government as the last king of the Cherokee Nation... and he happens to be my great-great-great grandfather. So I'm a little biased.
2.  If you could imitate any accent perfectly, which one would you enjoy imitating the most?
A Scottish brogue.
3.  Tau Ceti is the second closest star to the sun, and very similar to it in size, temperature and stability.  If if you had to write a work of science fiction centered on an earth-like planet around Tau Ceti, what would be the name of the book, and in two or more mid-length paragraphs, the basic gist of the story?  (Include names of characters.)
Well, that's actually quite similar to my current work in progress, a novel based in the world of Avenir Eclectia. So, if it isn't cheating, I'll just use that to answer the question. The name of the book is Empathia's Hope. It's about a girl, Celeste, who works as a tomb raider of sorts, finding and selling artifacts from the early days of the Earth-established colony on Eclectia, in order to pay her younger sister's way through boarding school to give her a shot at a decent life (not something that comes easy on that planet). Her sister Celia, though, just wants the two of them to be together.
When Celia meets Robin, an archaeologist who does basically the same thing Celeste does, but with way more security, a much bigger paycheck, and less physical danger and misery, she omits a few truths and stretches a few facts to get him to help Celeste get into a bit better position. But when Robin meets Celeste, he realizes right away that something's up and she's no archaeologist. He's then caught in a struggle to decide what to do with this girl who's selling artifacts he wants for their historical value. Can he really rob her of her livelihood like that? He also begins to suspect that she may be able to help him with something else he cares very much about - something that could be a matter of life and death for him.
4.  If you were an Ent from Fangorn, what kind of tree would you resemble?
Hmm... Interesting thought. Some kind of maple, maybe?
5.  If you had to travel through a dangerous wood, and you were allowed to carry a sword, a bow and quiver of arrows, and one other weapon of your choice, what weapon would you choose?
Well, in reality I'd say a rifle. But in keeping with the fantasy theme of the question, I'll go with a good hunting knife.
6.  See the question above.  What kind of sword would you take? (Rapier, broadsword, etc.)
A hand-and-a-half sword... or a cutlass. I love them both.
7.  If you could go back in time and assist one of the Old Testament prophets with his ministry, which one would you choose?
Daniel.
8.  If you were given command of a captured foreign enemy ship, and the privilege was yours to rename the ship, what would you name her?
Well, that would depend a good deal on what kind of ship she was. I like the name Sword o' the Sea, though.
9.  What is your favorite poem?  By whom?
'October's Bright Blue Weather', by Helen Hunt Jackson.
10.  What is the best knock-knock joke you've ever heard?
I despise knock-knock jokes as a rule, but I have to admit the one James shared in his own tag post was pretty funny. Knock-knock. Who's there? To. To who? No, to WHOM.
11.  Finally, choose any acoustic stringed instrument (besides the 6 string guitar) and do a character sketch.
I'm a violinist who spends the bulk of her practice time playing Celtic tunes, so I'll write a sketch of a Celtic fiddle: It would be a fiery, deeply spirited soul, as suited to dancing and singing and celebrating today's joys as to quietly, reverently, perhaps even mournfully remembering yesterday's sorrows and sacrifices - the things that made today's joy possible.

Now, I get to ask my own questions!
1. You wake up early in the morning to discover that a friend or family member has already been up for hours and has made you a fantastic breakfast. What kind of breakfast would you be most excited about?
2. Your employer tells you that as a reward for a job well done, he'll buy you a plane ticket and pay all expenses for a one-week trip to anywhere in the world. Where would you go and what would you do there?
3. The Sugar Creek Gang or The Boxcar Children?
4. Your house is burning down and you only have time to grab three books before running outside. (Your Bible is already outside and safe.) Which three do you grab?
5. Gondor or Rohan?
6. Do you speak a foreign language? What foreign language would you most like to learn?
7. Your town is being attacked by a barbarian horde! Which would you rather face: the Vikings or the Huns?
8. H.M. Stanley's line, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" is often cited as the greatest understatement of the 19th century. Had you been in Stanley's place in that situation, what would you have said?
9. Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes?
10. Let's continue the family heritage theme: What's your heritage?
11. What's your favorite constellation?

Since James sort of made up his own rules, I'm going to do the same.
I'm not tagging anyone (somebody has to put a lid on this tagging epidemic), but anyone who reads this has to pick at least one of the questions I asked and answer it in a comment. You can answer all of them if you wish. If you wish to repost the questions on your own blog and continue the epidemic from there, well... I don't suppose there's anything I can do to stop you.
Have fun!