Thursday 7 August 2014

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
x

15 comments:

  1. I like these blog awards as it gives me the opportunity to get to know my bloggie friends. First, I think you should tell your best friend how she inspired you, it might really make her day! I also believe in Karma, but I'm not superstitious, but seriously... the karma thing... I believe what goes around comes around.
    About the black pearl earrings... Don't pearls always make an outfit? I love pearls, but I don't have any black ones, only white... Black sounds so classy! And lastly, about snorkeling... I used to snorkel when we lived on Guam but I haven't been in years, if you love snorkeling so much, Florida would be a great place for you to holiday! I was just there with my children but sadly I didn't snorkel because my kids were afraid of sharks!!
    Much love to you!
    I hope you have a great upcoming weekend,
    Tammy

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  2. Thank you for a good read. Nobody except my husband knows about my blog. It's a happy, satisfying secret. :)

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  3. That was a fun read, Jay! I don't mind answering your 11 questions if you'd like me to (she says rashly, having no idea at all what said questions are going to be!!)
    Have a great weekend!

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  4. Thanks or answering my questions Jay! I shall forever after be self conscious about my inability to place a comma where it belongs. I only know where they go in German :) I have never snorkelled but I did scuba dive, in a previous life. I shall try snorkelling when we have enough money to go somewhere warm. Auntie Dorothy sounds like a fab woman! You have much more entertaining relatives than I do. Have a great weekend. Cx
    P.S. My hoover nearly broke a few weeks ago when James tried to suck up the water in the mopping bucket... (in response to your comment on my recent post :))

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  5. What fun to read these answers--we have quite a lot in common, too!

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  6. Oh I want to be Auntie Dorothy too, it sounds wonderful. No-one knows about my blog either, except my other half and the children and a couple of others, and none of them have ever seen it. I wonder how many people keep it quiet, it's quite interesting. I'm very impressed with the black pearl earrings and your lovely selection of art. Nothing so classy round here I'm afraid. I hope you have a lovely weekend. CJ xx

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  7. Were you near Tulum when snorkeling? We went cave snorkeling and it was amazing, loved learning more about you.
    Meredith

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  8. Love this post!!
    You must hate the dreadful gramma on my blog!!!- though in my defence I went to a really rough public (state skool) which did not teach such foreign things - i read a lot so sometimes I can see when sentence it doesn't look right. I just read Bill Bryson's book on this and it was really helpful to me as I'm always trying not to dangle participles and the like.
    So do any of your IRL friends read your blog?? (if not this is actually a positive as you can say what you like)

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  9. I am nodding at lots of these - not been to a concert for years (theatre yes but not a gig), fussy about grammar, relaxing holidays. We would get on well if we met.
    Fingers crossed for Thursday - I'm very stressed!

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  10. Don't scrutinise the English on the blog too much, it would probably make you cringe! :) Very interesting post. x

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  11. great post. a lot of my friends have discovered the blog but they rarely comment so i am always surprised when we meet and they mention reading a post.
    can't remember the last concert i've been to either..

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  12. That was fun. I can't believe you snorkelled with a toddler tied to you ! I love snorkelling too & am far better than husband who won't go over rocks ! Sadly it gives me terrible neck pain.
    Love your Maternity print & your sister in law's painting x

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