100 things

100 things about me: (with grateful thanks to Susie at Pea Soup for the inspiration)

1. I was born in London

2. I have lived in England my entire life and am still trying to get over the wet weather.

3. I believe it is important to eat together as a family - esp. dinner

4. I have two daughters and two sons. In order they go girl, boy, girl, boy - I guess I was just lucky to have an extremely talented husband!

5. I am not a dog person, although we have two dogs. I like dogs, but they annoy me more than amuse me.

6. I am a cat person. Cats are more like me, pedantic and cranky.

7. My shih-tzu is named Poppy Dumpling after a whimsical moment. My Jack Russell is named Scout after the character in To Kill a Mockingbird.

8. I once had an Austrian pen friend, we wrote to each other in English and German - her English was 100% better than my German.

9. I like incense but not overpowering scents or those that make your house smell vaguely of public conveniences.

10. I regret not being able to knit.

11. I am learning to be a better sewer.

12. I am not good in crowds or large groups. I clam up, say nothing and look bemused when really I’m terrified. For the same reason I avoid Christmas “work” parties.

13. In small groups, I can talk the hind leg off a donkey

14. I love all things Italian, the food, the language, the country, and I would like to learn how to speak Italian.

15. I love Andrea Bocelli, it's like listening to an angel singing.

16. I met my husband in South Africa but I believe we were destined to be together and would have met no matter what.

17. I only go to the dentist when pregnant - because it‘s free. I begrudge having to pay someone to poke around in my mouth whilst telling me how many fillings I need.

18. I need to go to the dentist as my teeth are becoming more and more sensitive daily and they’re killing me…..

19. I love the colour blue, but not “powder” blue, it is a repulsive wishy washy colour.

20. My favourite colour is white - I would paint my entire house inside and outside white if allowed.

21. I wasn’t shy as a child but was acutely aware of growing up in the shadow of an extremely extrovert mother.

22. I’m rubbish at learning languages (so much for no.14 then) but can still remember enough French to get by in France.

23. I have an irrational fear of seagulls.

24. I despise modern “musicals” but love old fashioned ones such as The King & I, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers etc. Worst of all, my husband adores "Rent".

25. If I could lift my house and move it anywhere in the world it would be to South Africa.

26. I think I am turning into a hippie.

27. I do not and will not ever wear tie-dye clothing.

28. I promise I will never burn patchouli incense.

29. I sometimes secretly wish I lived in London, just for the hustle and bustle of it all.

30. I am not politically correct and have no wish to be so.

31. I would love to visit Australia but the thought of the flights terrifies me.

32. I am small and big boned and cannot find Wellington boots for under £40 to fit my wide calves. This is not fair.

33. My skin is not great.

34. I took that Lloyd Cole & the Commotions song ‘Perfect Skin’ as a personal insult.

35. I had my first child 8 days after my 22nd birthday.

36. I had my last child at the same age my mother was when she gave birth to me.

37. I did not breastfeed any of my children and feel no guilt or shame about this, it just wasn’t to be.

38. I discovered cloth nappies with my fourth child and wish that I had known about them with the other three as well.

39. I do not actively seek to convert parents of newborns to cloth nappies, but am secretly thrilled when they do.

40. I had a miscarriage in between my two eldest children.

41. Each of my subsequent pregnancies after the miscarriage were frightening to me until babe was born and in my arms.

42. I am English, therefore I cannot queue with patience, nor do I do "I'll just put you on hold" or "all our operators are busy at the moment" very well.

43. I played piano through secondary school, achieving grade 8 exam, at some point in the near future I wish to buy a piano, have a few lessons and take it up again.

44. I cannot draw, paint or sculpt. However, I am drawn to artistic endeavours. I like photographs, gardening, writing, scrapbooking and sewing.

45. I love coffee. Thank whomever for Starbucks, although it's painful that we in the UK don't get the flavours they do in the US - Pumpkin Spice Latte anyone?

46. I dislike laundry, however there is something very soothing about a line of cloth nappies drying in the sunshine.

47. I cannot decide whether I have manic/depressive tendencies, obsessive/compulsive tendencies or if I am just neurotic - although on reflection, reading this list perhaps I'm just paranoid.

48. I read when I get the chance, and when I do get the chance, I read a lot.

49. I didn’t go to University, but consider myself to be intelligent.

50. I despise all politics. Until we have a Prime Minister and Cabinet that show a little compunction and guts when dealing with home and world issues - I shall not be interested in what’s going on politically at all.

51. I like learning and find that I enjoy studying and reading text books more now at 38 years old than I did at school/college.

52. I do not have much patience for people who procrastinate - get to the point already.

53. I am not a morning person, I’m much better after 4pm.

54. I hate taking anti-biotics and will only do so as a last resort. I believe the body should be given the chance to fight infections/viruses naturally, with a little help from complimentary medicines.

55. All chocolate is important and medicinal (see no.54 as to complimentary medicines).

56. Until I played rugby at the ripe old age of 36/37 years old, I had never broken a single bone in my body. Dislocated a few, yes, but broken, no.

57. I like driving.

58. My first car was a 1983 Datsun Cherry. I have yet to own another car that I love as much as I loved that car.

59. I think automatic cars are a godsend in traffic.

60. I think Daniel Craig is quite possibly one of the most beautiful men on the planet.

61. I’m not averse to having a good old fishwife conversation with girlfriends about husbands/boyfriends/men in general/sex etc.

62. I swear, but there is one swear word that still makes me have a sharp intake of breath.

63. I am Roman Catholic but I don’t do organised religion, I would never force religion on my children or other people. People who hide behind their religious beliefs worry me. I am drawn at this moment in time towards Buddhism.

64. When at a restaurant, I will try on the most part to have the fish dish, as fish is not cooked at home because of my husband’s abhorrence towards it. Which is a shame as I love fish and so do the children.

65. I have a really good memory for faces and names.

66. I used to be slightly prudish - but then I hit my late 30s and all prudish behaviour went out the window.

67. My children astound me on a daily basis.

68. Candles are de rigueur, there should always be candles burning somewhere in the house.

69. I wear jeans a lot.

70. I love to sing. I have a decent voice.

71. I am lucky enough to be able to hear a song twice and remember the lyrics. My children - aside from the baby at the moment - seem to be able to do the same.

72. I’m glad I had a daughter first.

73. I am done with having children and now await grandchildren.

74. I love to get flowers. Doesn’t happen very often so when it does it’s lovely.

75. I am a typical Leo, stubborn, hot headed, over react to practically everything.

76. I have a slightly warped sense of humour.

77. I can be tediously boring and verge on procrastinating about things I’m passionate about so I don’t usually tend to talk about things I’m passionate about.

78. I hate talking on the phone. I will do anything to get out of making a telephone call.

79. I like writing letters, although these days it’s emails.

80. I used to regularly pray to whomever that I would wake up a size 10.

81. I now wake up and regularly thank whomever that I’ve made it through another night - I have learned to live with and love my big bones.

82. I remember my childhood fondly, climbing trees, going out at all hours of the morning with my friends on our bikes and not returning til it started to get dark, all the time not worrying about where we were. I sometimes long for my children to experience that kind of freedom.

83. But then I remember back to those times and realise that we didn’t have things like microwaves, dishwashers, tumble dryers - all those things that make life with four children slightly easier.

84. I adore my children with a passion that frightens me.

85. I believe children should have a great deal of free time to explore, play, and just be.

86. I went to a private school and have no wish for my children to do so - that being said, if one of them wanted to go to a private school and we had the means to make that happen, I wouldn’t stand in their way.

87. I wish I had an older brother. When I was younger being an only child wasn’t such a big deal but as I get older and face my own and more importantly, my parents’ mortality, having no siblings is an issue that I have to face.

88. I wish I was Barbara Goode. I wish to have a garden big enough to have a compost bin, grow veggies in, let the rabbit run free range and maybe have some chickens.

89. My contributions towards being eco friendly are limited at the moment to the baby wearing cloth nappies and the family being fastidious about recycling - I have been known to fish recyclable materials out of the bin, wash them and put them into the recycling bin.

89. I like baking cakes and making desserts.

90. I like cooking dinner but am not averse to the odd take-away.

91. I still love my wedding dress.

92. I am sad knowing that my eldest daughter is too tall for my wedding dress, but harbour a secret desire that she might use the material….

93. I am not vain, but cannot leave the house without a bit of make up on - mineral foundations are the best!

94. I cannot abide vain men. Take care of yourself yes, but when you use more moisturiser than me, and are a pale shade of orange mid November, something’s wrong.

95. My parents are Irish and Northern Irish, I married a British Citizen who hails from South Africa. I adore him (most of the time).

96. I rarely drink alcohol.

97. When I do drink alcohol, it’s usually Southern Comfort & lemonade or cider. I don’t like other spirits much and I don’t like beer very much either.

98. I have a finely tuned sense of irony and sarcasm.

99. I do not like to be made fun of or criticised. It hurts my feelings greatly but it's something I'm working on.

100. I try to be a “glass half full” kinda gal, but usually succumb to it being “half empty”.