Welcome to the pond

Now it's time for Friday's Feast:

Appetizer - Name a trait you share with your parents or your children.

I share my dad's stubborness and my mom's forgetfulness. Not a great combination, folks.

Soup - List 3 qualities of a good leader, in your opinion.

Ability to do the "right thing," ability to take control of a situation and calm people down, ability to make people believe in him or her. Sadly, I don't think this applies to too many of today's so-called "leaders" in government.

Salad - Who is your favorite television chef?

Emeril's good, but a little of him goes a long way. So I'd probably choose Rachael Ray. She always seems like she's having a good time, and she can carry a huge pile of stuff from the kitchen to the counter and not drop it!

Main Course - Share a story about a gift you received from someone you love.

I think the greatest gift I've received is a niece from my brother and his wife. Material things are cool, but you get tired of them after a while and they just sit on the shelf. Nieces and nephews, on the other hand, are a gift for life. I love being an uncle!

Dessert - How do you react under pressure?

Not too well, I'm afraid. My mind does the opposite of what it should do - it freezes up and can't think. I was never good at answering questions in school.