Florals for Spring?

Greetings to you fair traveller!

Rest yourself a while on ye olde virtuale sofa with ye olde virtuale cuppe of tea.

Above is my outfit from Sunday!  It was such an ebulliently sunny day that I donned my finest florals an all the bright colours.  

This Cath Kidston dress was a serendipitous charity shop purchase around 4 years ago now I suspect and I still love it! To pick out the colour of the pink flowers, I donned my pink tights and then an old Monsoon cardigan which comprises of pink and navy stripes with a bow!

If you cast your eyes below, you will see I wore the handmade button brooch which came on a handmade handbag CBC bought for me around 8 years ago and the pretty Cross necklace he bought for me for Christmas which was handmade by a friend of his who used to be a Silversmith before she became a technology teacher but has now retired!

Brogues to finish the look. 

A few random anecdotes down here for want of any particular post for them:

• Feeling quite pleased at my innovation.  So, my Pied Piper of Hamelin performance is next week and I have been puzzling over the mayor's costume.  I've ended up buying a red velvety cloak with fake ermine edges which looks more King than Mayor but I didn't find anything in the charity shop that was suitable.  BUT for the mayoral chain, I bought a metre of some gold embroidered brocade trim which consists of massive circles and from a distance, looks very much like a big mayoral chain!
• Yay, just put in my first order for Milk and More who deliver in our area so now my Organic milk can come in a glass bottle and not plastic! Yes, it is a bit more expensive but it is worth it for the plastic avoidance and actually avoiding the hassle of going to buy it from the shops. Plus, it seems I will get a free glass bottle of juice with my first order! Hurrah!
• The toilet roll situation at home is a bit desperate as I have wanted to purchase toilet roll without plastic. I have gone with Ecoleaf as the packaging is compostable and the paper is recycled. I have always bought recycled toilet tissue but wanted to try a non-plastic covered one. Hoping it arrives before we run out completely!
• This week, year 6 have been learning a version of Beethoven's 5th symphony.  After having broken down Beethoven's musical materials for them to understand, at the end of the lesson, I played them the piece again.  J's reaction (boy in year 6) to this was, "When was this piece written?". I responded, er- 1800 something. His response, "But it is SO cool- it's amazing to think something so old is such a great piece!". My response, "That's why he is considered a great composer!" Anyone who says you have to play pop and rock to children and play them what they already understand is wrong!
• The bloodtest came back normal. I've got an ultrasound scan scheduled to find out what is going on but at least the blood test was ok.
• The homeless man who asked me to buy him a multipack of Snickers in town today did me a favour as I got lots of lovely reduced vegetables in the COOP when I went in including a Thai Green veg kit.  I would have been scratching my head for what to make for dinner without him!
• I have my worst classes tomorrow- please pray! I loathe Wednesdays!
• I'm loving my book- The train to Impossible Places!
• Lovely blog friends who send sweet messages and parcels and offers of help!  You are all kind and generous and I do appreciate your friendship!  In particular, am 
• Feeling quite pleased about having recycled some old packing white sticky labels from school to seal parcels. The eco-caring-caretaker was having a rant about this massive bundle of labels stuck to shiny paper that were included in a paper order and wondering why on earth they had to produce such a mass of them that didn't even get used. At which point, I said, "Oooh, I could use those as parcel tape!" and took them off him.  So far, 4 parcels have been sealed with those and several envelopes been reused by covering the old addresses with a bit of white label- nice strong labels they are too! As good as parcel tape!  Love a bit of reusing!
• Sad that the petition to revoke Article 50 and not leave the EU has been dismissed by the government.
• My arrangement of 'You raise me up' for flute trio worked very nicely last night!

Hope you have a lovely day!

xx

  

Plasters

Sophie prompted this post with a small comparison she made about fungus on a tree being like scabs on her post about a walk here.    And then it made me think back to those primary school years:

Oh how often we fell over when we were young!  I always remember having to go to the medical room after having fallen over with a big bleeding cut/scratch on my knee.  Not one of those monumental long scabs which suggested a slalom-style skid on a patch of skin, but just the general fall over and scrape the asphalt which resulted in blood outpouring in the lesser or more degree.  They always stung like anything, some sort to disinfectant would then be applied (For the record, I really loathe the smell of TCP but I adore the smell of Dettol!) and then the worst bit....

THE PLASTERSSSSSSSSSSS. 
(Band-Aids or Adhesive bandages if you are from the US)

Urgh, school plasters were the WORST.  These square-shaped lolloping great things that were always saggy and failed to stay on properly.  I really would rather bleed then wear them.  They were always several tones too pale for my skin too.
At home, my Mum would then take off the offending inferior plaster and change it for the opposite, the 'cling to your skin no matter what', thick, textured adhesive as strong as super-glue variety which wouldn't come off for love, nor money.  These were several shades darker, almost a brick red shade and more rectangular (with curved edges_)

As the years went on, my utter emnity towards the offending items grew to the extent that the sight of them makes me shudder. I cannot, will not have a plaster unless I can absolutely not avoid it and if I do, it sets my teeth on edge and fills me with a disturbing sense of unease.

Why?

Well, let me enlighten you...

1.  Those really strong ones ALWAYS, left a really disgusting nasty dark outline from the plaster once you removed them.  You would see a shadow of the former plaster left on your skin like the mocking echo of school yard bullies from some school-based drama.  You'd try to scrape it off carefully, avoiding the wound, but it wouldn't come off and the feeling of fingernails against that gluey, sticky nasty dark matter made me wince.   You'd gingerly try to scrub the skin in the bath, striving to avoid contact with the scab/wound.
2.  The actual removal of the plaster. Remember I mentioned how strong the adhesive was?  The actual removal of the plaster was always traumatic. I am recoiling as I recall the feeling of trying to remove one. You'd grasp, scrabbling with fingernails at the edges, trying to find a weak spot to remove and then, begin the procedure. You know the old adage or saying about it being better to remove the plaster quickly or something of that ilk?   No.  I dispute that.  It hurts like hell and then you don't know if you've accidentally ripped something else off (like a bit of the scab which might have been unfortunately touched by the edge of the adhesive.  But, almost equally as bad is the slow progression of pulling the plaster.  Skin, hairs, anything that was below gets removed.  I'm not sure which is worse but I will always remove them slowly. I definitely remember several scabs accidentally being ripped off by a clumsily-placed plaster.
3. The unknown.  You never know exactly how it is healing underneath. This makes me uneasy.
4.  In regard to point 3, the feeling once it is removed upon discovering the wound is still not ready for the world, means another plaster!
5.  The colour! I mentioned the colour earlier. I HATED those nasty variations on flesh-coloured.  Equally though, I feel very ill-disposed towards those decorative plasters, especially kiddy ones with cartoon characters.  I flatly refused one of those once upon being a offered one. DON'T try to make them look pretty- they are not pretty, even if they have paisley on them or Mario!  Also, those catering ones that are bright blue are equally alarming.
6.  I also associate plasters with dirty boys!  I was not fond of the average boy when I was a girl. I only liked the clean, quiet ones. I did not like those ones who had scabs and scratches the size of cars.   They would always come into class with a plaster which they would promptly and nonchalantly peel off and discard.  The offending bloody-ball of puss would be beneath, festering like some sort of witch's boil.  Boy injuries were always so much worse than girl injuries. Even now when I see boys and girls with plasters, I shudder inwardly and find a reason to be elsewhere.
7.  Plasters at swimming pools: public pools inevitably end up with with the odd plaster floating in them and certainly they did more when I was growing up.  In my head, as I progressed and one loomed towards me, I would ruminate anxiously over whether it was an injury plaster, a jewellery plaster or worse, a verruca plaster!  Yes, at the swimming pool, I think of those when I see a plaster!
8. It's really hard to actually put them on straight and judge where they will go up to (well it is if you are me!)

I do apologise if I have inadvertently put you off your cup of tea that you were so blithely sipping as you advanced through this post, but this is 'one of those blog posts'.  And in conclusion, if I ever meet you, please don't be offended if you catch me looking at your plaster emblazoned body-part uneasily and shifting from foot to foot, if you are unfortunate enough to be sporting one upon our encounter.  I mean nothing personally, it is just some irrational fear that links me to a myriad childhood traumatic plaster-related memories.

Please note, I have included no accompanying image for this post, since unlike mushrooms (one of my other loathings), plasters are NEVER pretty and their visual manifestation has no place here on KezzieAG!

Over to you...
What are your memories of plasters in your childhood?  Did you have many injuries?  Do you abhor them like me? Do you have any associations like these?

x

A motley collection (of random things I just want to write) #1

Sometimes, I want to just write some small anecdotes just to remember them, to document a feeling, a moment, a thought, an experience or just randomly write something but they don't merit an entire blog post, so I thought I'd just assemble them together into a motley collection. Feel free to read, be disgusted or entranced or whatever takes your fancy. I've added to them over the past 3 days so the chronology may be a bit confusing, having written them as they occurred. Ignore the todays if it appears I am conflicting myself and instead insert, "The other day" to substitute.

- I am a bit lazy and blaze about washing up and reusing mugs. If a tea mug has been left, I am perfectly happy to use it a day later if it has avoided being washing up. But perhaps I took that a bit far tonight. I used my mug for a fresh cup of tea or three. Then I put the broccoli water in it to drink (we like doing that). I just went to grab the mug to make my cocoa and noticed a bit of broccoli floating in it. Hmmm, maybe I need to be a bit more aware!

- I have a cold. I can pinpoint EXACTLY who is responsible! I've mentioned my talented boy in Year 6 who I give an individual recorder lesson to on Friday lunchtimes because he is talented, hardworking and nice.  He was coughing quite a bit and I asked if he had a cold which he confirmed was true. I always help him pull the treble recorder apart as he has a bit of trouble with it.  Friday night, my throat started to get sore. Saturday I am bunged up, Sunday I am snotty.  All weekend I am telling CBC, "WAIT till I see R on Monday!"  I saw R today. I uttered the words,"I have a cold!" in the most accusatory tone I can muster up. R looks dismayed and highly sheepish. HE knows!

- More on my disgusting credentials:  I noticed a lunch bag in the fridge at school that is mine. I realised that it has been in there since before the holiday. Inside it were three very grey-furry rabbit looking miniature cucumbers- yep, they had developed a grey fur coat and a white bobtail!

- Strange looks from the passengers on the train at my large plastic bag seemingly full of rubbish. Luckily, I seem to care less what people think as I grow older!Yes, I carried home all the recycling from the staffroom. Was it difficult? No.  Why can't people take their own!

-LOVING the chives growing in my garden! Had the most chivy Omelette for dinner- oodles of cheddar cheese accompanied by broccoli, asparagus, courgette and tomatoes. mmm!

- Fancied some nice chocolate and remembered that Bev had sent me a delicious bar of Swiss chocolate along with the Chalet school book she sent me! Perfect!

- Enjoying the Maisie Dobbs book that Lisa sent me through the post!

- Now enjoying the very first Chalet school book which I could SWEAR I'd read before but feel like I just HAVEN'T!

- SUCH a cute moment yesterday.  So, in our school playground, we have two beautiful Cherry Blossom trees.  I was walking through the playground and met the caretaker. He said to me, "Have you got a song about Cherry Blossoms you could teach the children?".  He commented that it was just so beautiful and they should do something special connected to it.  I do indeed have such a song- the lovely traditional Japanese song, Sakura.  So, for Singing Assembly in KS1 an hour later, I searched out the music and found a lovely Youtube video with beautiful blossoms and accompanied by a Japanese Koto and we learnt it.   Then, yesterday, a day later, at playtime, I walked through the playground to see multitude of young children under the Cherry Blossom with their hands out stretched catching the delicate pink petals as they fell like confetti and screaming in wonder and awe.  The cutest was one child who stood there, saying, in an awestruck voice, "Sakura, Sakura!" over and over again. Oh what a joy to see that the lesson you have taught has stuck in such a way.  Makes a lovely contrast to the class who blankly stared at me when I asked them what our topic in music has been this last 7 weeks!

- Still snotty, still absolutely sick of blowing my nose! It is very red and raw.   Neither CBC or I want to cook- we seem to be playing a game of brinkmanship with the cooking tonight. I just can't be bothered. Doesn't help that there's washing up to do!

- I shut the top of my finger in the door at school today. We have a loo in my building which is a single disabled room with a  bolt lock right at the top to stop kids using it. I was very, very late to school today and in my hurry to leave the loo, didn't just where to put my hand and slammed the door with my hand ready to shoot the bolt. Swore very loudly, luckily not heard by children and went in search of peas. It transpired that the colleague, whose class I was covering, had banged his head in a similar hurried fashion!

Any anecdotes to share here that don't merit an entire post but you want to share?  Leave a comment below and let me know if you want it included if I do another one of these posts- might be quite funny to have a communal collection of life anecdotes!
xx

The Brunette's questions

Lisa-Jane at the Brunette Diaries- she of floaty light-coloured prettiness has nominated me for a Liebster blogger award so I am thanking her graciously for it: "Thank you Lisa-Jane!"

The Rules:

Share 11 things about yourself.

Answer the 11 questions that your tagger gave you.

Choose 11 other blogs to nominate.

Think of 11 questions to ask the bloggers that were nominated. 

Thank the person that nominated you and link back to their blog 

Well, I'm probably not going to nominate anyone- sorry but I can't decide who, computer too slow to find links and you probably have already done it, and probably don't want to, but feel free to nominate yourself!  I always enjoy answering questions so I thought I'd do that bit!

1) Have you already broken a new years resolution?

Well- I didn't formally make new year's resolutions- every day has resolutions in the sense of trying not to do the things wrong that I have done previously and I fail at this regularly.  But, in my mind, I decided a couple of things- which meant phoning family and friends more regularly, particularly my Grandad and Dad every week and whilst I have done that- I haven't actually got to speak to my Dad these past times- I've talked to my stepmum and sister but not caught my Dad. Also, we decided we were going to go Lindyhopping every Wednesday, despite school work and stresses because you have to have something for you. However, we've not managed until this Wednesday- the 29th- we decided to go and I phoned up to check the class was happening and it's not happening at the moment- typical!! Anyway, we went to an East Coast Swing class instead and that was fun!

2) Did you celebrate on new years eve?

I'm not really that bothered by the new year, since every day is a new year technically but this year, we did actually do some fun things- we drove out to Mersey Island in Essex and went to the Company Shed for dinner- we had fishcakes, baked oysters and salt and black pepper tiger prawns and they were delicious!! Nice location too.  Pity the weather was awful! Must go back.

We then went round to CBC's old flatmate's house and we ordered pizzas from Papajos and then played Cranium, drank some prosecco (I didn't) and I slept in a chair whilst they watched the fireworks on TV etc!!! Get me- such a party animal!

3) Do you worry about what the New Year will bring?

No- why worry about tomorrow- tomorrow takes care of itself- just look at the birds in the air, they don't worry and they cope and find all they need (paraphrasing Jesus!) - I worry when worries occur- not about what might be.  Always happy to plod along in my life and have sudden stresses rather than a long-term anxiety.

4) Are you booking a holiday sometime soon and where to?

CBC and I contemplated Spain- maybe Barcelona at Easter or May, but not sure.  We'd like to visit a Greek island in the summer maybe.  Oh, and applying for Music Camp!

5) Was 2013 a good/bad year for you?

2013 was an excellent year for me- I got married in August, moved into a rented house with my husband and obviously planned a wedding. The house finding was ideal- we didn't have to look as our friends were moving out of this house, round the corner from CBC's current house and the dates lined up perfectly with ours.  I wont deny that wedding planning was very stressful- in the sense of agreeing on budgets and things but the year was great. School was also very successful and I enjoyed many occasions, a wonderful honeymoon in Die Schweiz and lots of fun.  Moving house- the actual process- not so fun and I still have a black lumpy toenail from the bookcase that was dropped on it accidently!

6) If you could buy one thing now with £20.00 what would it be?

Accck- can I have £35 please and I'll buy one of the lindybop dresses on EBay! With £20.00, maybe I'd buy a knee-length tulle petticoat- a black one or a blue, to go with my swing dresses.  Wish I could buy a more expensive one though, so it's not itchy! (ha- edited since beginning: And now, I'll have the Greater Plains Velo dress that Char wickedly put into a blog post!)

7) If you could buy one thing now for £500.00 what would it be?

Not a clue- I never spend that much on one thing! If it were school, I'd buy a really nice Bass Metallophone chromatic and diatonic sets combined- they cost about £500 or more! 
(Ha- also edited because I just ordered one from Music Village in their special offer section for £138!!! Hope it's a good one and not some rubbish!)

8) What month is your birthday?

In the month of leaps

9) Have you ever been to Devon/Cornwall?

Yes, been to Cornwall- Penzance to IMS Prussia Cove with my orchestra and family holidays when I was young- that's where my name comes from.

10) Have you got a best friend and why are they your best friend?

Sadly, I don't have a best friend currently, not had one since I was at Uni really. I just have friends. I guess CBC is like my best friend, but I'd love to have one again. I adore my Uni friend Kathy and wish she lived nearer as she's my ideal best friend. Also my church friend Margaret is a good friend I value highly!

11) Do you like your job?

I count my blessings every day that I work in the school I work in, with (most of) the colleagues I work with, with my unique job.  I love so many aspect of it- my choir, orchestra now the children behave, my recorders, my lovely year 6 recorders. I get so much delight from my job.  And yet, despite all that, I still dread going back after the holidays, wish I didn't have to, and count the wake-ups until the next holiday!  Funny, isn't it!

If you'd like to answer my questions, please do and leave me a comment with a link, saying you've answered them:

1.  What is the meaning of life?

2. Favourite sweetie?

3.  Princess Jasmine or Belle? Why?

4.  What do you like most about blogging?

5.  And what do you like least?

6.  Who was your favourite childhood stuffed/cuddly toy and why? Do you still have them?

7.  Favourite board game?

8.  Would you rather be a sheep or a cow? Why?

9.  What word do you have issues with spelling?

10.  What pet would you love if you could have something?

11.  What question would you like to answer that you've never been asked?

Did it originate in Germany?

I always wonder that when I see the Liebster blog award! I have been nominated by three seperate bloggers and I finally give in and am writing my post in response! (I apologise, I can't remember who the third was- it was age ago and I've had a look over past posts but can't find it!

The following rules apply:




1. Answer the eleven questions that your nominator has given to you

2. List eleven random facts about yourself

3. Nominate nine other bloggers with less than two hundred followers to win the award

4. Ask eleven new questions to your nine nominees

5. Visit each of the bloggers blogs to let them know that they have been nominated

Mel's rules seem to be different and seem to involve passing the award onto just another 5!



 Here are my random facts:

1.  As a child, due to what my Mum called things, I thought that eclairs (as in the choux pastry) were called, "Naughty but nices" and fuscias were called "Prima Ballerinas".
2.  I have never lived in a house with a properly functioning shower.  I've had baths every morning for most of my life! I look forward to living in a house with one when I am married!  It IS tiresome having to always run baths!
3.  I am not overly fond of many biscuit varieties- In a normal school day, I  would rather go hungry than expend energy on a garibaldi or malted milk!
4. My sight-reading skills for music are possibly one of my most useful skills!  The ability to wing it is most useful!
5.  I have been proposed to by 4 different people- 2 joking, 1, being a bit rash and one whom I accepted!
6.  My recurring bad dream is that my teeth fall out!  I hate it and believe it's true every time I have it and that the previous dream was a portent of what has happened!
7. I was petrified of a certain Doctor Who episode called The curse of Fenric  as a child, and lived in irrational (in that I KNEW it couldn't be true, but was still scared!) fear that the haemovores lived in my Mum's room and were going to get me!
8.  I have really bad visualisation skills for size/perspective and anytime anyone asks me to compare sizes of things, I have no idea and really cannot invisage things.  Which is crazy, as I otherwise have a really visual memory!
9.  In a previous blog-award, I stated that I had a piece of music published aged 12.  I don't really know what happened about it and any earnings as the man who published it died and his company was taken over. Last week, one of the kids at school came up to me and told me that they were playing my piece in her woodwind ensemble!
10.  I really don't like spiders but I can deal with them and have now perfected the brandy-class and card manouvere!
-----

Rebecca's questions
1. Which came first the chicken or the egg?

The chicken.  If I am to look at Genesis, God created the animals first!

2. If you were trapped in a lift for 36 hours with one other person and 2 items, what/who would they be?
I guess with CBC and it would have to involve a keyboard and a big book of piano duets! OR a cello and a flute! We'd keep ourselves occupied for hours


3. Favourite read and why? be it book or magazine
There are so many books I adore!  It's very hard to choose but a book I dearly, dearly love is Phillippa Pearce's Tom's midnight garden or Northanger Abbey.


4. If you could be any TV/Film character who would it be?
Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey- technically a book but ah well!


5. What is your favourite era of clothing?
The 50's definitely!  So pretty and modest!


6. What advice would you give to new bloggers?
(not the best person to give advice! It's taken me 7 years to gain my 88 followers!)
Go and explore and always be nice- there's no need for unpleasantness on blogs- blogville is mostly a lovely place where everyone is kind to everyone which is refreshing! If you can't say anything nice, then look and try harder for something to say- there's always a positive! Also, write what is important for you, even if you aren't sure it's going to be popular or makes you feel silly!  Where else can you write what you want? Oh and choose a blog title that isn't your name!
7. What has been one of the funniest moments in your life?
Do you know, I can't seem to think of a single thing but I am sure there have been many!  One memory that does make me laugh was when I was in the Sound of Music and we were rehearsing the scene in which Captain Von Trapp and Maria dance together and look into each other's eyes.  For the life of me, I could not stop cracking up whenever I had to look into his eyes and burst into hysterical laughter every time!  It was terribly funny!
Also, we were on a holiday riding in the back of an old Datsun Sunny and my sister and I decided to try and sing 'Any dream will do' from Joseph staccato (i.e. all the notes and words,incredibly short)- we spent hours trying to get past the "Ah-" echoes in vain as it sounded so ridiculous saying "Ah, ah, ah!".   To this day, I can't do it without laughing!
8. If you were an alien what would you want to look like?
I'd like to be furry!
9. A recent UK weather related question - How do the guys who drive the snow ploughs get to work?
I have TOTALLY been thinking about this question myself, for a while!  And the grittting guys!  I imagine their vehicles have some sort of distributer on the front and the back of them that grits in front of them! They park the vehicles outside their homes!
10. Of all your crafty makes which has been your favourite?
Ooh, hard to choose, but I was really really pleased with the wedding card I made for my sister!  She didn't seem overly fussed by it, it being her wedding day, having over priorities to worry/deal with, not least, me being haplessly disorganised and slow, but I really liked it!
11. How do you eat your Cadbury's cream egg?
Oooh, disgustingly!  When I was little,we had these long-handed plastic spoons with a tiny scoop the size of a cocktail stirrer and I used to nibble the top of and then scoop out all the cream, scraping it clean and finally eating the chocolate.  I do something similar nowadays- usually involving a spoon!

Mel's questions, at the Follybird are...
What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it?
1.  The last book I actually finished was 'For the sake of the school' by Angela Brazil, written well over 80 years ago!  I adored it!  Currently re-reading Apple Bough by Noel Streatfield which I loved as a child and also Angels- God's messengers by Billy Graham which is very interesting!


Andy Warhol claimed "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes". Have you had your fifteen minutes?

2. Hmmmmmm, doubt it!  I was on Bali TV for about half an hour playing the klenang for Arja (a Balinese style of operatic singing)- the klenang is a small knobbled pot which you hit with a wooden beater wound in cotton to dampen it. I played on the off-beat (every other beat).  Apparently, I looked really really really bored and people came up to me for weeks afterwards saying, "Nang, nang!" (the Balinese onomatopoeic word for the sound that instrument makes), laughing hysterically after they said it! Not a good claim to fame!

Is there a past fashion trend, (let's say pre-1962) that you find absurd?
Fake beauty spots!  I had a real dislike of them as a child!

Are they any vintage fashion 'icons' that you really just don't like?

To be honest, I don't really know any so I can't really answer this!


What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
Isn't it ridiculous that I can't think of anything!

Have you met any famous people?
Yes- Tom Baker, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy,  Peter Davidson, Nicholas Briggs (The Brigadier), John Leeson (K9), Lalla Ward, Sophie Aldred, Cy Town (Dalek), Tim Brooke Taylor, Jasper Carrott, JJ Feild (swooon- Mr Tilney in Northanger Abbey!), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Michelle Dockery (before she was famous!), Jeremy Paxman (he unexpectedly helped me up the stairs when I fell flat on my face on a staircase the Underground), Belinda Lang (2 point 4 children) and a whole host of other Doctor Who actors I can't remember!

What was the last thing you purchased?
Well, if we are being totally to the letter of that question, it was a portion of mature cheddar cheese! It was about 2 hours ago and I headed to the corner shop to buy some milk and bread.  It was snowing and there was a scary, slippery mixture of mush on the ground!

What's in your handbag/purse right now?
Inside my cartoon handbag is an assortment including: snow-grips, purse, Touche eclat, hand-sanitizer, kleenex tissues, yellow hair ribbon, keys, book, Bible!

What is your favourite television programme?
Well, technically, I don't have TV now- I have 3 tvs in my house but have only used them to watch VHS videos for the last year or so (DVD player is evil and doesn't work so have to watch on the laptop) - the only thing I have really watched with any regularity is Home & away on the channel5 website, but programmes I have loved in the past include: The Good life, The Crystal Maze, Neighbours, Home&Away, Downton, Ugly Betty, To the manner born,


Is there something that most people can do, that you simply can't?
Drive, read with my left eye, swing on monkey bars...


I would like to award the award to lots of people but the majority I read have more than 200 readers and some are signposted as 'blog award free' and others have already had the Liebster award- eek! Let me have a think about it for another 5!!!! Otherwise, I am just going with Mel's required 5.

1.  Val Sparkle: http://latebloomingsparkle.blogspot.co.uk/

2. Vanessa: http://mylifemywaymyopinions.blogspot.com/

3.  Louise: http://roachling.blogspot.com/

4. Millie at New World  http://varsitygurl.blogspot.com/

5.  Helen: http://oopsaccident.blogspot.com/

Some of them might not blog all the time, but I always love visiting their blogs and they are all genuinely lovely bloggers!

Best blog award?

The lovely Sophie of Country girl blog, very kindly awarded me the above blog! I like it very much because it involves flowers, headbands, someone with brown hair and tenuously dots!

Very kind and not really deserved in any way, shape or form!

So, I obey the rules of receipt:

Write seven facts about myself: 1. One question people ALWAYS ask me and have asked me all my life is, 'How many instruments can you play?' This question always caused me issues- for instance, I can play 8 different types of recorder, but do they count as seperate ones or just the recorder. Anyway, for the record, I can play:

Properly: flute, piccolo, alto flute, fife, Irish whistle (various), recorders (various- 8 types- I own 6 types), viola, violin, piano (and variants), guitar, alto saxophone, clarinet (fairly badly but enough to get through a musical 'reed 1' part), ocarina, cornamuse, Most Balinese gamelan instruments (Kendhang- double headed drum, suling-Bamboo flutes, metallophones, gongs etc)and quite a few Javanese instruments.

I can play the Djembe, various percussion instruments (enough to play in an orchestra) and I am always willing to try anything! Er- so how many instruments is that? I haven't got the foggiest!

2. I like to relate facts. Related to the above point: I have taken an awful lot of music exams! Before the age of 18, I took exams in the following:

Violin: Grades 1-4,

Viola, grades 3-8,

Flute, grades 2,3,5,6,7,8, Recital certificate,

Recorders- treble: grades 5,6,7,8, Performer's certificate,

Descant recorder grades 1,2,5,6,

Voice-grades 3,4,5,6,8,

Saxophone- grade 4,

Piano, grades 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,

Theory of music,- grades 1,2,3,4,5,

Guitar grade 1,

So that was 45 instrument exams plus GCSE music, A level practical music and A level theoretical music!

3. I was an absolute crazy fan of Paul McGann when I was a teenager after seeing him in Doctor Who the movie. I wrote sad letters to Doctor Who magazine stating how much I loved him! Cringe! I loved Doctor Who after that point and ended up owning hundreds of videos at one stage in my life (until CBC made me freecycle them last year)

4. The only place outside Europe I have visited is Indonesia (Iceland and Lanzarote are in Europe right?). As you may have guessed, I am useless at Geography!

5. I have performed the veternary surgical procedure known as castration on a black cat called Truffles. I was eight at the time and wanted to be a vet. (I was supervised in this procedure. )The cat lived to the ripe old age of 18!

6. I dislike reading non-fiction unless it's really story-like.

7. I talk in my sleep sometimes! You can sometimes understand what I am saying.

Answer these questions:
Favourite colour: turquoise and purple
Favourite song: Ahrgh-choices!! Think of me from Phantom!
Favourite dessert - chocolate ice-cream or proffeterols.

What is p*ssing you off: my inability to keep my house tidy.
When I'm upset: I cry. I pray, I phone friends,
Favourite pet: my darling silver tabby Sophie (sadly deceased)
Black and white: Love wearing both shades!

Biggest fear: seriously no idea. Grieving my maker.

Best feature: Quite like my smile as it stops me looking grumpy, like my narrow shoulders even though they make coat-buying a disaster!

Everyday attitude: optimistic

What is perfection: The hand of my maker.

Guilty pleasure: shopping!

I'm passing this award to some very cool people!

Vintage Vix! Your blog makes me really happy!

Someone like you! Truly my favourite blog!

Pink-haired Princess: She got me back into blogging with her fab fashion blog. Amazing shoe collection!

Alex at Odd socks and pretty frocks I love her blog!

How are you?

Tea and roses and a rather lovely award...

This is soooo pretty! The lovely Sophie at Country girl does Norfolk nominated me for this award, which is very sweet and definitely undeserved- I don't think I make enough effort to even come close to any other of the fab blogs I read, like hers! But thank you! Again, I am not sure I read enough blogs to participate properly and I am not quite sure what the rules are! I think there's something about linking to other blogs and sharing random facts. However, this is sooo pretty, I just have to display it!!

So... er....those random facts. HOW random are we talking. I shall let my mind, which ends up meandering all over the place, do the leading...

1. I can speak Indonesian pretty well! (having studied/lived in Bali.)
2. This reminds me that I have been in the vacinity or avoided being in the vacinity of several major accidents and notable incidents- I was in Bali for the bomb in 2002 a few miles away, I was on a train that was on the tracks earlier before the Potters bar railcrash, I should have been using the tube lines around the time on the day of the July attacks on the tube in 2006 (was that when they were?) but for going on school work experience at the last minute that week.
3. I had a piece of music published when I was 12 years old. (true it was a small publishing company, but it seemed pretty cool at the time).
4. I have very big feet! Size 8!
5. I love TEMPEH. It is a delicious sort of solid mixture of fermented soya beans a bit like tofu in its ingredients but a TOTALLY different texture! There is a lovely warung in Solo, Java that cooks the most amazing fried tempeh in batter for about 2p a piece!!! It is a staple of Indonesian diets, is incredibly versatile and I miss eating it regularly!!! There's even a site dedicated to it!
6. I am scared of bunsen burners!
7. I was a runner-up in a Blue Peter competition in which you had to design a new character for a cartoon called Oscar's orchestra which was a cool cartoon about animated musical instruments voiced by Dudley Moore. Apparently there were 28,900 entries. Proudest moment of my life!

The blogs I nominate are:
Lauren at Someone like you - she is an amazing styler! Her blog is always lovely!
Monique at Lady M -one sassy and very lovely blogger!
My style- vintage and me who is very cool!
Laura at Daisychain dream for being so inspirational and delightful not to mention pretty darn fab in the style stakes.
Lakota at Faith, hope and charity shopping -only recently become acquainted with her blog but love it!
Dial V for vintage -she's sooo cool!