Liebster Blog Award....Part 2

Sorry for the long delay, I told you this would take me some time!

In the second part of the award I answer 11 questions set for me by Christina, so without further ado, here goes....

1) What or who inspired to start a blog?
My best friend wrote a blog some years ago and that got me into reading various favourite blogs. My friend has long since given up writing but, over time, I felt I wanted to "join the party". I've actually never told my friend I've joined in, as far as I'm aware no one knows, other than my immediate family, and they're not interested! So I guess my best friend inspired me, although she doesn't know it.

2) Do you have any pet hates?
Yes I do! It's bad English; bad punctuation, grammar and spelling. And incorrect use of words. That's not to say I do it properly myself! And I hate the use of "like" before everything (at risk of sounding like a 100 year old). My kids know that I will always pick them up on that, "were you only like annoyed or actually annoyed?"

3) What magazines subscriptions do you have?
Sadly I have none, I used to get House Beautiful which started as a 6 month subscription gift from a friend; I managed to keep it going for 2 years which my husband thinks was a mistake on the publishers part! Although I enjoyed reading it/looking at the pictures I did find it overpriced and just made me dissatisfied with my own home.

4) Do you avoid walking under ladders or have any other superstitions?
No, I'm not superstitious at all. Although I think I believe in Karma.

5) Describe the art on your living room wall.
I like this question! The art on the wall is very varied, I would love to invest in very good art work when I see something I love but funds have never permitted me to do so.
We have this which is just a print called Maternity, I saw it years ago and bought it for our first home, where it seemed huge on the tiny wall.

 We have this watercolour, painted for us by my sister in law. She painted it from a series of photographs we took the year before in Wales, her partner framed it and they gave it to us as a wedding gift, inside is a wedding invitation, so they told us.
 I love this one.

We also have a signed photograph of Sir Ian Botham doing something memorable at Lords I believe!

 A gift I gave to The Builder one Christmas.

We also have a trio of tiny watercolours depicting scenes on The Norfolk Broads, I bought these from our local Post Office years ago and made them fit a frame I had, that's why they're a little wonky in the frame!

We also have a couple of other watercolours, one a local scene and the other a village cricket pitch which I gave to The Builder as a 1st wedding anniversary gift (paper) - and which I forgot to photograph.

6) The last concert you went to?

Embarrassingly that would be The Boomtown Rats at the local university common room, not that long ago. Actually I'm not embarrassed, they were great and I wasn't allowed to see them the first time around (late 1970's)

7) If you would invite one person to dinner who would it be?

This is the hardest question and took a lot of thought. If we're talking a famous person there are many, maybe Bono (because I love him) or Stephen Fry because he's so interesting and intelligent (I wouldn't be able to chat to him though, I'd feel so thick) but actually it would be my Grandad, just to ask him if I've done ok.

8) What are you wearing right now? 

Now I could go and change or I could lie; but if I'm honest it's leggings and a baggy jumper, I do have black pearl earrings in if that helps?

9) What type of holiday do you enjoy most?

Very definitely the beach and the sunshine. I like to see new places and maybe when life's stresses have diminished we'll sight see more but right now it's relaxing somewhere sunny. I love to swim and snorkel, the only thing we all do together really. I once snorkelled a long way out to sea whilst pregnant and towing a toddler behind me who was tied to my middle with a rope! I always feel happy in water.

Me on the left, snorkelling with the kids in Mexico;
 I know what you're thinking "that's an attractive look for a middle aged lady"!!

10) What is the naughtiest thing you have done as a child?

I was never that naughty, just moody and stroppy! I did once get sent to the headmistress for hiding in the cloakroom at playtime (this was infants school), I actually didn't go to see the head and hid again as the head was my Aunt! I didn't get told off for that and assumed they never found out - it was a tiny school of course they must have known!

11) Do you have or did you ever have a role model?

I don't think I have. My biggest influence was probably my Grandparents who I spent most of my time with but I don't think I wanted to be like them. I did admire Auntie Dorothy, with her big coiffured hair (with a slight blue tinge) who dressed immaculately and went to Italy to buy her shoes (in the days when no one went abroad).

My very working class family used to laugh about her, she had no children and had staff to help with housework (although they lived in a relatively small flat above their shop). Once, when we met her in the high street, she told my Grandma that she would have to lay down for the afternoon as she was exhausted, due to her having to "prepared a turnip" for supper! My Grandma walked away sniggering and muttering but from that day I wanted to be Auntie Dorothy!

So the final part of the award is where I set 11 questions for 11 fellow bloggers; however I don't want to land this on anyone who may not have the time. Let me know if you'd like to take part and I'll link you in the part 3. Libby at D-Scibes has already joined in with her first list which makes great reading, so hopefully she'll answer my questions next....when I think of some!

Hope you're all enjoying August so far, whether that's your Summer or your Winter!

Jay

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