I'm a Sweetheart!

Look ! Even more Followers ! I’ve got 66 now. That’s exciting! (Am I beginning to sound like a slebrity who loves her stalkers a bit too much?!) How happy I am that you have hitched your star to this particular wagon. So, I continue welcoming you: Hello to Star Traci, to OKcamp, to Lesa, to pennyWise  and to Sarah Jane. It is lovely to see you. I will say a personal “Hello” to the next five in my next post.

Mary from http://thecrafthoarder.blogspot.fr/ has nominated me for an award. The Liebster Award – apparently “liebster” means sweetheart, or dear, or darling etc. You get the idea. How nice that someone thinks I am “sweetheart”- or at least my blog is. Anyway:

Here are the rules:
1. I must post 11 things about myself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for me.
3. Create 11 questions for the people I nominate.
4. Choose 11 new blogs & link them in my post
5. Please leave a comment on her bog so she can learn more about me!

Oh Lord. 11 things – I don’t know 11 interesting things about me. Here are 11 boring things...

1. I originally come from Liverpool, but I don’t have a Scouse accent (though one can be supplied if required)
2. My first cat was called Tuppence. S/he (I can’t remember) was acquired by my parents to help catch mice, but wasn’t very good at it. The mouse trap (called Little Nipper) caught more mice than Tuppy ever did.
3. I am enamoured of Alan Rickman, Dr Brian Cox, Johnny Depp, Spencer Kelly, and Tom Ward. Plus various other fly-by-nights. But especially Alan Rickman
4. I met Mr FD at my first job in a Special School. He was doing voluntary work, and his last day there was my first day. Just think! We nearly didn’t meet.
5. I have small feet for my height. My kiné thinks that’s why I fall over a lot. I recently fell (yet again) on the ice, but sometimes I just fall over. I have had things like eyes/balance etc checked out. I just fall.
6. (Help. Only at number 6) I don’t like offal. Except foie gras. That’s not very interesting.
7. I love reading. Novels. Crime, historical, modern... I don’t like non fiction much.
8. Food. I like food. (You’d never have guessed)
9. I used to do a lot of am-dram (but I’ve mentioned that before on my other blog so it seems a cheat to mention it here) But I’m running out of interesting things.
10. I’ve been licked by a giraffe. Did you know they had blue tongues, as though they’d been eating liquorice?
11. I used to play the French horn.

OK. What were Mary’s questions?

1. What is your dream vacation? I once saw an advert for a cruise up to Alaska, to Glacier Bay, with a rail trip back through the Rockies. That sounds fairly fabulous.
2.  Have you outgrown your childhood fears? Most of them. Especially the one about the monster down the toilet that woke up when I flushed it!
3. What is your least favourite food? Offal, as previously mentioned. And brussel sprouts.
4. What do you see yourself doing 5 years from now? The same as this: living in France, teaching, enjoying life.
5.  Why did you start blogging? Aargh. Because I like writing, and no one had read my novel. But the best thing I find is that I have “met” lots of new friends.
6.  What are your favourite 3 movies? “The Shawshank Redemption”, “Truly, Madly Deeply” (Ah! Alan Rickman!) “Love Actually” (Ah! Alan Rickman!) But really there are lots that I like, so I’m not sure they are my “favourites” per se.
7.  Name 1 major change you would like to do in your life. To enjoy exercise. But I don’t think I ever will!
8.  What would you do with one million dollars? Give some to charity, give some to my family, invest it, buy stuff, go on a cruise to Alaska
9.  If you could own any animal, what would it be and why. My dear departed cat Pumpkin. Because she was just so quirky and loveable & I miss her!!!
10. What is your favourite TV program? I don’t have one, really. I’m loving “Big Bang Theory” at the moment, but I like “Silent Witness”, “Coronation Street”...and others. Nothing very erudite though.
11. Who inspires you the most? I honestly don’t know. I’m a Christian, so maybe I should say Jesus... Anybody who succeeds in doing good against the odds, perhaps.

Crikey. 11 questions now. I can’t think. My brain hurts. I feel I should think of searching questions, but I can’t!

1. What is your best memory from childhood?
2. What is your worst memory from childhood?
3. What is your most embarrassing moment, that you are prepared to share with us
4. How do you enjoy getting exercise?
5. Sweet or savoury? What is your favourite food?
6. Has any book changed the way you see the world?
7. Who is your best friend? Why is s/he your best friend?
8. Where did you last go on holiday? Why did you choose that place?
9. What was the last film you saw? What did you think of it?
10. What did you have for dinner yesterday? Who cooked it?
11. Tell us one thing about why you love someone you love.

Many of my favourite blogs say they are award free – I can understand why, although it is lovely to have people think you “deserve” an award. I will link to 11 of my favourite blogs and tell them that I’ve awarded them...but equally, I will tell them that they are not obliged to continue the link...and if I don’t link to your blog, please don’t be offended. It’s only eleven of my faves – and I have a lot of blogs that I love reading!

(but I’ve got to go and cook dinner now. Back in a bit)

So, I'm linking to the following blogs who are among my favourites:
1. Cats, dogs and Eiderdowns
2. Tracing Rainbows
3. The French Village Diaries
4. Tropical Territories
5. New Beginnings
6. Frugal Queen (I'm pretty sure she doesn't "do" awards etc but you really should check her out for down-to-earth advice)
7.Jumbles & PomPoms
8. PomPom's Ponderings
9. 365 Cat Ladies...
10. Mess, Muddle & Fun
11. Fraise Lachrymose

Daphne – I enjoyed the Hairy Dieters’ programme, but I do find their “conversational” presentation side a bit annoying. However, the recipes in the book, and the way they teach me to cook, have been great. And we have our new frying pan! It wasn’t the cheapest on offer, but nor was it the most expensive. It was very pleasing when the omelette just slid out instead of collapsing into a mess and sticking to the pan!

Fishcake Random – I need to get better at checking my store cupboard before I go shopping. I bought a pack of something last week, only to discover I already had an unopened packet sitting in the cupboard! Curses! I should take lessons from you!

Linda – it was good! I’d recommend trying the recipe. You can change it easily to suit whatever veggies you have around, and throw a bit of meat or whatever into the mix as well. I tossed in a bit of chorizo.

Mary –Thank you very much for my award! I think Pauleen also gave me an award, which I’ve forgotten about. It came in the midst of the GYB party and I got a bit overwhelmed. I must check that!

Shannon Chastaine – Thank you: I’m glad you enjoyed the story.

Ziggyeor – I think cooking is easy...especially if you have a recipe...but I do have to say, I am happy to use short cuts too (packet white sauce for one!) Keep trying! It’s lovely to cook for friends – especially if the Other Half does the washing up!!

Linda – I hope you find some recipes here that you can use and enjoy! It’s great to know when you’ve tried something and it’s worked. Do let me know!

Boysmum2 – How did the recipe go down? I didn’t cook it in the end, but it’s on my list to do soon.