In one of those bizarre twists of fate, just as I was thinking "gee, I'm not really a very good blogger, blah, blah", along comes Tattooed Mummy to tag me in a meme. I haven't done a meme in ages, and I as it seems like a good bloggy thing to do, I guess I should give it a go...
I have to list 7 blog posts I admire
Then list 7 things about myself
Then answer 7 questions set by that my "tagger", set 7 questions of my own and pass on the whole shebang!
Ouf. Nothing like a nice "easy" meme to get used to them again then!
Where do I even begin on 7 POSTS I admire? Seven blogs would be tough enough...but seven POSTS?
1) Probably a more inconsistent blogger than even me, the lovely "I now consider her a real-life friend" Nicki managed to write a simultaneously amusing-yet-harrowing account of her breakdown. She's very readable, and I wish she'd carry on!
2) Muddling Along Mummy sums up the permanent struggle of the working parent better than I ever could
3) I'm cheating with the third one, as really I could have chosen anything from this blog, but Lou's Things of Beauty is always something lovely and soothing to glance at - she has a wonderful eye for slightly wistful photos, and there are some lovely words accompanying them.
4) London City Mum was the only person who could explain the Euro Crisis in terms I could understand.
5) I'm still in awe of Ms Alliance's Christmas Round Robin
6) I loved Helena Halme's How I Came to Be In England series of blog posts chronicling her journey from her native Finland to the UK via the romance with her Englishman, so I was thrilled to see that not only will she be publishing the series as an e-book, but that she is also now posting extracts of her diary from that first year.
7) One of the best thing about blogging is finding someone with similar experiences to yourself - especially when it comes to parenting. I found myself nodding my head and positively weeping with relief and recognition when I read Battles with my seven year old ... you're never on your own in the blogosphere...
7 Things About Myself:
1) I've been afraid of fireworks ever since presentations at junior school by the local fire brigade with a slide show showing all the horrible injuries inflicted by them. I'm not too bad with organised displays, but it's only recently that the thought of going to someone's house hasn't filled me with horror.
2) I am both tonsil-less and wisdom-tooth-less
3) I don't like olives
4) The number of people who have no idea that I have not one, but four, pictures of me in my Twitter avatar still surprises me...
5) I've always fancied red hair, but have never dared as my mother is a natural redhead, and we already look too similar!
6) I once had a goldfish called Bryan Robson...it died after two days...
7) I have a scar on the index finger of my right hand from a go-karting accident when I was 5 ot 6.
Questions asked by Tattooed Mummy:
- Do you have a favourite child? Either one of yours or someone elses! Why?
- Of course I have to say I love both my children equally - how could I not!! As for other children...I'll let you into a little secret...I'm not really a huge fan of other people's kids...
- What was your first pet (not family pet - your own)? if you have never had a pet which would you most like to own?
- I've always wanted a cat - they appeal to my introverted, no-messing nature. Sadly, I'm terribly allergic!
- Can you play any musical instrument and if so what?
- As a child, I learnt the recorder, the classical guitar, the violin and the piano. I don't think I'd be able to play any of them any more though...
- Do you speak more than one language? Which ones?
- I grew up in Germany, and can do a pretty passable impression of a German. I'm also fluent(ish) in French, and know smatterings of Finnish and Italian. I also did a couple of years of Russian and Japanese at school, but a reasonable knowledge of Cyrillic script and a basic greeting is about all that remains of either of those!
- How old were you when you had your first proper kiss and what were the circumstances?
- I was 17 (yep, late developer)...away at a church retreat. There was a group of Italian teenagers staying in the same youth hostel. One of them took a liking to me, and we kissed under a staircase. I remember it being cold, wet and clammy and wondering what the fuss was about, and spent the rest of the weekend avoiding him!
- How many and which countries have you visited?
- In all honesty, probably too many to list - I've been very lucky. The only continents I haven't made it to are the South East Asia, South America and Australia.
- If you cold only eat one meal over and over again for the rest of your life what would it be?
- My love of cheese is no secret...it would have to be a selection of cheese and biscuits...mmmmmmm
The questions I'd now like to pass on to others are:
1) When was the last time you told a lie?
2) Is there any food you've not tried, but would really like to?
3) What posters were on the wall of your teenage bedroom?
4) Groundhog Day is real. Which day would you choose, and why?
5) Which is the one room in your house you'd make over, if money were no object?
6) Would you ever consider/have you ever had plastic surgery?
7) What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?
And with that, I'd like to tag the following victims:
Julie at Kailexness in the hope it fits into one of her boxes ;)
Nicki in the hope that she might pick up the blogging thing again
and
Ms Alliance, because I'm lazy and I'm just using the list up there... ;-)
Corinne at A Journey Through Motherhood
Random Pearls of Wisdom - because we need a male perspective
