A Liebster Award – Discovering New Blogs!

There’s a Scottish expression ‘aye at the coo’s tail’ which means you are always late to get things done.

That’s me.

Liz at Last Chance Training nominated me for a Liebster Award last year.  It’s taken a long while, but here we are at last!

Here’s what you have to do:

1. Write 11 random facts about yourself.
2. Answer the 11 interview questions you’ve been given by the person who nominated you.
3. Create 11 new questions.
4. Nominate 11 bloggers and mention them in your post.
5. Go and tell the person who nominated you, along with the people you’ve nominated about your post.

 

Rightyo then, off we go.

 

11 Random Facts About Me

1. It took until I was about 46 before I actually sweated at a gym.  Oops.

2. I was the first woman to be in charge as Diving Officer of the scuba diving club at Oxford University. Always handy with a snorkel.

3. I’d love to be a person who is great in a crisis, but actually I am not.

4. My prize for being top in English in Year 8 was ‘The Hitchkhikers Guide To Europe.’  I have never told my mother of the many scrapes my friends and I did get into when hitchhiking back in the 80′s. Note to my kids – don’t hitchhike!!

5. My first job was in a sweetie shop in the village where Ilived. The career went entirely downhill from then on.

6. The best TV presenter I ever worked with was Ray Martin, on The Midday Show about 25 years ago. He was warm, genuinely interested in his guests and his staff and just a good bloke.

7. I’ve never sniffed cocaine, you’ve got to save something for the old folks’ home. No seriously, I’m terrified of drugs, they destroyed my brother’s mind.

8. I saw a small shark when ocean swimming off Manly beach last week!

9. Have a secret desire to write in poems in verse, like I used to when I was at primary school.

10. I genuinely don’t have a favourite child out of the four of them. They all annoy me equally!!

11.  Recently, I am losing the will to work. Straight up, I have struggled as a mum, but it gets so much easier as the years ago by. So much so that now they are all at school, I feel I am getting quite good at it.  And I’m being tamed by housewifery. It took a while.

 

Here are my replies to the questions Liz set:

 

1. If you had to go out for dinner with either Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott, who would you choose and why?

Julia Gillard, as I’ve already had a meal out with Tony Abbott.  When I first came to Sydney in 1987 a mutual friend from Oxford days had set up an introduction. Tony Abbott was working at The Bulletin then, he kindly bought me a pizza one lunchtime and gave me some top tips for getting into the media.  I still owe him a lunch.

 

2.What’s the most adventurous sport you’ve ever tried?

Scuba diving, but only some parts of it. My mate Dorothy and I were once diving the very deep German wrecks in Scapa Flow in the Orkneys. We were exploring inside the wrecks, using a reel and line to find out way out. Dorothy’s legs got tangled in the line with only four minutes before we had to go up. I managed to untie her quite calmly.

 

3.What’s the best James Bond film you have ever seen?

I’d love to say Skyfall but I haven’t seen it yet.  Totally can’t answer this as it’s been far too long!

 

4.When was your last baking triumph?

The Healthy Chocolate Cake posted on my other blog, and I must post it here too. It’s absolutely yummy and has no nasties.

 

5. And cooking disaster?

Probably what’s in the oven right now, I’m too scared to look.

 

6. Are you ruled by your heart or your head (as Pauline says, “please explain”)

Ah, good question… it used to be by my heart, and also and more strongly by my impulses. But one of the MANY benefits of being older and wiser is learning to think things through rather than just acting all the time. My hubby is also helpful with that. Can be annoying but… I’d be lost without his sensible opinions and ideas.

 

7. Do you have any regrets over your career choice?

Fantastic question!!  Yes and no… My career in TV suited my personality down to the ground. But it certainly didn’t suit motherhood, especially the particular circumstances I am in with kids with extra needs and an amazing, disappearing husband. I think this means that my personality, so suited to TV, isn’t so suited to the demands of motherhood.

But luckily am getting used to it slowly as I wrote above, after almost 16 years.

 

8. Do you like dogs?

Yes, but we don’t have one as hubby says no, we have enough wild little creatures dashing around the house.

 

9. Have you ever tried martial arts?

Briefly, when about 13, I tried judo, learned some useful lessons in self defence but haven’t done any since.

 

10.  Have you taken any measures to improve your personal sustainability (eg recycle, use public transport)

Yes! Try never to throw out food, have three compost bins on the go, recycle everything possible. I am trying to make up for having four kids.

 

11.  What is your opinion of  Global Warming?

It’s happening and more needs to be done.  Waste less is my motto.

 

My eleven questions:

1. When was the last time you felt really proud of yourself?

2. What’s your answer to the obesity crisis?

3.  Have you read any great fiction recently?

4. If the Queen came to tea, what would you serve her?

5.  Where would you like to travel to with your kids?

6.  Are you scared of spiders? Sharks?

7.  Did you study hard at school?

8. Have you cyberstalked your first love!?

9.  Cats – for or against?

10.  Has blogging improved your life?

11.  Where will it all end up?

 

The 11 bloggers I am nominating

- sorry if this annoying, I know it can take time… but you can always ignore, or be like me and take your time!

Carolyn from Desire Empire

Di from Life is Di-Licious

 Grace at With Some Grace 

Johanna at ZigaZag

Kylie from A Study In Contradictions

Lee at Mummy Issues

Linda at My Journey

Mairi at MairiStones

Rachel from The Kids Are All Right

Robyn at MrsDplus3

Zanni at Heartmama

 

I tried to check your blogs to see if you had done this Liebster award before, but some of you don’t have search functions.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the read, I know I’d love to read your answers.

Take it easy!

Seana