
So…what is the Monday Poll?
Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).
1. Brunch or afternoon tea?
I love both, but today I’d do the afternoon tea.
2. Diamonds or sapphires?
I feel like diamonds go with everything.
3. Hiking or kayaking?
Although I enjoy doing both, let’s go with hiking because right now that would offer me a better chance of finding shade!
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage?
Not yet!
5. Have you ever had a pen pal?
Yes, when I was in high school, I had a pen pal through French class, and we’d write to each other in French and English. And of course I had my friends in middle school and high school; we’d write each other notes and leave them in lockers, which is kinda funny to me now because we’d see each other all day long. Hmm, I wonder if kids still do that?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.
1. Brunch or afternoon tea?
2. Diamonds or sapphires?
3. Hiking or kayaking?
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage?
5. Have you ever had a pen pal?

1. Brunch or afternoon tea? Afternoon tea is always a pleasure. It’s my favorite way to entertain my in-laws when actually prepping a meal isn’t on my agenda.
2. Diamonds or sapphires? Both! Good diamonds are plentiful, but there are so many average to poor quality sapphires on the market that we often forget how stunning that clear and vibrant blue can be.
3. Hiking or kayaking? Whether it is up in our local foothills or up in the mountains, love hiking. Back in the day, I was big into backpacking. Nowadays I’m more about casual hikes.
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage? Yes. A friend of ours used to have a beautiful horse drawn buggy.
5. Have you ever had a pen pal? Yes. When I was in high school, I corresponded with a fellow in Germany. His name was Wolfgang. It was part of a language program for students in Germany’s who wanted to improve/practice their English.
1. Brunch or afternoon tea? I’ve always wanted to do afternoon tea but never have.
2. Diamonds or sapphires? Diamonds; they’re my birthstone!
3. Hiking or kayaking? Hiking, I guess
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage? Yes, a very short trip on my honeymoon.
5. Have you ever had a pen pal? Yes, several when I was in Elementary/Middle school. Normally, friends that had moved away. I also wrote notes to my friends all the time in between classes. My friend Lindsay and I had a notebook we would pass back and forth. We didn’t get much time to talk in/between classes so we had to put every last thought down on paper 🙂
1. Brunch or afternoon tea?
I love full-on afternoon tea, especially when on vacation, but brunch fits into everyday life better. And we have a couple of amazing brunch places around here.
2. Diamonds or sapphires?
Sapphires.
3. Hiking or kayaking?
No thank you, lol.
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage?
No. It seems like it would be fun for about 2 minutes and then you’re just there, hanging out in a carriage, with people giving you funny looks.
5. Have you ever had a pen pal?
Yes, when I was about 12. I’ve often wondered what happened to her.
1. Brunch or afternoon tea? I’d love to do both! Dear Husband does not like going to brunch. One year he was out of town and Dear Daughter took me to brunch in The City. Didn’t matter that it was foggy and windy while we waited 45 minutes to get in. I loved it!
2. Diamonds or sapphires? Diamonds…are a girl’s best friend!
3. Hiking or kayaking? Neither really, I’ll hike if the trail is shady enough. I don’t go near water.
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage? Multiple times. Took Dear Daughter twice in Central Park NYC, when she was in grade school and again in high school. Also did it once on a trip to Victoria Island, B.C.
5. Have you ever had a pen pal? Yes, in 5th grade. Our teacher had a friend stationed in Vietnam so she arranged for all of us to have someone in his platoon to exchange letters with. I remember sending foil wrapped cookies and candy bars along with my letters. He told me about learning Tae Kwon Do.
1. Brunch or afternoon tea?
** brunch
2. Diamonds or sapphires?
** sapphires (orange or pink)
3. Hiking or kayaking?
** neither!
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage?
** no
5. Have you ever had a pen pal?
** no, but when I was 15 I met a Hopi guy in Las Vegas and we used to chat and it was fascinating
1. Brunch or afternoon tea? Afternoon tea, please.
2. Diamonds or sapphires? Sapphires.
3. Hiking or kayaking? Hiking, though both are fun.
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage? No.
5. Have you ever had a pen pal? My Dad, when I was in college he wrote me every week (my Mom had just died, my brother joined the Navy and I know he was lonely) and I wrote back. I still have some of those letters. My favorite was the one where I called him out for having a strange brand of cereal in the cupboard when I came home for the weekend (he ate the same type EVERY day) and he admitted he had a girlfriend. She became my stepmom – a widow, and professional writer who was awesome – they were married almost 30 years.
That is such a beautiful story about your dad. How blessed you were to have each other during a difficult time. Hearts of gold—the two of you.
1. Brunch or afternoon tea? Brunch.
2. Diamonds or sapphires? Sapphires. I love gem-quality colored stones, especially sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. They are also rarer than diamonds, but DeBeers doesn’t want you to know that.
3. Hiking or kayaking? Hiking. Kayaking is too dangerous.
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage? I don’t think so – maybe at Disneyland as an 8-year-old?
5. Have you ever had a pen pal? Yes, for about three years, when stamps were cheap enough that my mother didn’t mind paying for a stamp or two every week. This would be from the age of 8 through the age of 10. I still have the letters that were sent to me. Some were from my grandmother, and some were from a school friend I had to leave behind when we moved. A lot were from people I never met. I wonder if a historian or sociologist would be interested in these, considering how old they are now.
1. Brunch or afternoon tea?
Afternoon tea, please.
2. Diamonds or sapphires?
Sapphires.
3. Hiking or kayaking?
Kayaking. These arms need work.
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage?
Yes, about 20 years ago in New Orleans. Might’ve been a mule actually. Apparently this mule liked to race his fellow mules. I can still hear the driver shouting “Take ‘em, Luke!”
5. Have you ever had a pen pal?
Yes. I volleyed snail mail with several friends — Christina, a grade school friend I left when we moved to another state, Martina, a middle school pal whose father was transferred back to Germany, and Cheryl, another middle school friend whose family relocated to a farm in Pennsylvania. I quickly lost touch with Christina and Martina (probably because they’d changed and so had I) but Cheryl and I corresponded well into our college years.
1. Brunch or afternoon tea?
Brunch! Either in Topanga Canyon or near the water, beach or The Marina😀(I’m in West L.A.) My hubby is not a brunch person, so I go with my friends – super fun!
2. Diamonds or sapphires?
Diamonds, please – small, though since I’m petite…oh, okay, I’m short. Ha.
3. Hiking or kayaking?
Both!
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage?
Nope, just a horse ..haha
5. Have you ever had a pen pal?
When I was 12- she was from the Hebrides Islands in Scotland. I wish I knew what she’s up to now. I can’t remember her name, unfortunately.
1. Brunch or afternoon tea? Probably brunch. Afternoon tea falls at a strange time for me, much closer to dinner than for most people.
2. Diamonds or sapphires? Diamonds for sure.
3. Hiking or kayaking? Hiking. I don’t like the potential to get dunked in a kayak.
4. Have you ever ridden in a horse drawn carriage? I probably did as a small child since I spent a lot of time on farms and hobby farms.
5. Have you ever had a pen pal? Yes, similar story, pen pal through French class. It lasted for about a year before it petered out.