The Extremely Nosy Britmums Questionnaire

Not content with the Meet and Greet, this year with a new name and two whole days of blogging related excitement, there is a new Meme linky wotnot doing the rounds- The Extremely Nosy Britmums Questionnaire. 

My BIGGEST Fear Meme.....

Its Meme time again, and I think at this rate I may have to nominate myself for Slummie Most Addicted to Memes award (that's not me being a narcissistic, you actually have to nominate yourself before anyone can second it!).

So, I have been tagged by Emma at Me, The Man and The Baby (she who set me off on the Bloggers With No Make Up On challenge on Friday, and for all of you who wrote such lovely comments....your cheques in the post!) in the meme to tell all on your Biggest Fear.

Well, after Emma admitting to a fear of Toad in the Hole, I will start off with a bit of a daft one. Well, it is daft to Elder and everyone else, but to me its not.

Peas.

Yuck.

I hate the things, whether mushy, garden or marrowfat, they look, smell and, I imagine, taste disgusting.

Such is my dislike of the things that when we get dishes from the Chinese take away, I have to "De-Pea" my portion before I can eat it. And if pea juice, or a single pea ,gets on my dinner plate, I cannot eat it, it makes me feel sick thinking about it. I once told Elder I couldn't eat a dinner as he had put a teaspoon of peas on it by mistake, as it had been "contaminated" with peas (they were, in my defence, Marrowfat, which has all this nasty juice with it).

I can't actually recall eating peas, my Mum doesn't eat them either, so it wasn't a food we had in the house when I was a kid.

It stems, however, from a school trip to Whitby when I was 11.

On the last day, the lady who ran the hotel we were staying in made a Roast, and handed out plates piled with roast spuds, chicken and gravy.

And peas.

So, there we all were, sitting at the table, and everyone was pretty miserable, either because they'd caught the tummy bug that quite a few kids had come down with on the trip, or had to go home in the morning. In fact that trip was mental, I had my first kiss , and shared a room with my best mate (to this day) Zoe.

Anyway, we had 3 teachers there on the trip, Mr Halls (lovely) Mr Beresford (Nutter, horrible teacher) and I forget who the third was. Mr Beresford watched us all as we ate, barking at us to eat it all or else. I swear, he was so nasty this teacher, he used to give out detentions all lunchtime because as we were at Primary school he couldn't keep us back after school. Someone nicked my PE kit once and even though it wasn't my fault and I wasn't in his class, he gave me two days of detention.

Myself and another boy, called Alex Plumb, didn't want to eat our peas, but Mr Beresford had only noticed Alex had stopped eating.

To get to the point, Alex was shouted at so badly, that he started to say he felt sick. Mr Beresford said he wasn't allowed to leave the table until he had finished eating, and forced a spoonful of peas into poor Alex's mouth. With that he put his hands over his mouth, and proceeded to puke all over his dinner, the table, his lap and, better still, my dinner too! Of course, with all of us being 10 and 11, this became a legendary story, and I do recall Darren and Lee, the twins, acting it out so much that Mr Halls told them they deserved an Oscar.

So, there you go, pea phobia, caused by a nutcase teacher and Alex "Pukey Pea" Plumb (no, I didn't make that up. It was one of the girls on the bus back from Whitby, round about May 1993!)

My Biggest, not daft, fear is Fire, or that me and the kids would be stuck in a house fire.

I have never been in a house fire, ever, the closest I have got to fire is on Bonfire night. Or when Elder set his van alight on bonfire night when I was pregnant with Chrissy (don't ask).

But I really fear fire and have done for as long as its possible for me to remember.

I have a reoccurring dream that I am stuck in a house that is on fire, and I'm trying to get out, but people (who sometimes can be Elder, or sometimes can be people who I don't recognise) are trying to smash the doors and windows but whatever they are using bounces back without breaking the glass, like rubber, I guess.

I hate getting this dream, as I wake up, eventually, though its hard to, and I can't breathe and am crying. Sometimes I wake up and convince myself that there is smoke in the room, and I have to get up and turn all the lights on.

We have smoke alarms and such like, but they aren't fool proof.

The worst thing about the house which we will leave today is that after I found out about the Landlord's restaurant being burnt down, and knowing he has people after him who think he lives here, I convinced myself that they may target the house next. When I told Elder this about a month ago, he said that that was it, we had to move- he knows how much fire scares me.

I always check routes out when I move too- like I know I will today when we move in to the new house. Its daft, as I know the chances are very slim, but well, can't help what you're scared of!

And yes, I do know what its caused by, but I can't say here.

So, there you go- whats yours?

I'm going to tag

Emma at Mellow Mummy

Tim at Bringing Up Charlie

Carly at Mummy's Shoes

Sian at Mummytips

Mummy and Mini's Shoe Showy Meme

Bloody hell peeps (or should that be heel?Anyway..) that's a tone twister of a title.

I have been given a lovely award by Hayley from Single Motherhood Challenges (and sorry Hayley, if you haven't already checked out her amazing blog, and voted it for Most Inspirational in the MADS then you should!), and now I have to show the shoes that I love or wear most. While I was taking the pictures, Mini wandered in, saw what I was doing, and dumped a pile of hers for me to photograph too.

So, first up, here are mine:

Yep, a mixed bunch (and only the tip of the shoe iceberg), these are currently on the shoe rack in the hall!

These I bought yesterday. 80's or what? They are flats (I generally wear flats elsewise I cause injury to me and anyone I land on, or as I'm 5 foot 8 I look like a tranny in heels).

They are amazing, and I plan on wearing them with just a plain top and jeans, so they really stand out. They are green and black, and now I must buy a handbag to match. Any excuse. Elder was not impressed, in his view they are too 80s, but as I told him, he was old enough in the 80s to wear the fashion (believe me I have seen photos), and I was a baby.

Absolute fave, and surprisingly a pair I can walk in for a few hours. They go with jeans, they go with dresses, I have had them for years and years and they are funky. These are a pair which actually made it up safely from Kent to Berkshire when we moved, only because they were still in their Topshop box and I had them hidden inside another box which I believe I wrote CDs on the side of so Elder would bring it. They are quite high, but really comfy. They were actually given to me as a gift, I forget who by, but I think it could've been the Nephews girlfriend at the time. Or possibly not, but I definitely didn't buy them myself!

A relative newbie to the Shoe pile, these are Hobbs boots, and have been worn all winter, although they are still like new. They are kind of like a cross between a Motorcycle Boot, and a Horse riding pair. They weigh a tonne, and very comfy and sturdy (and those of you who went to the Zoo Meet up will know I wore them there, and it was about the driest part of me that day, my feet). Strangely, I can get one off with no trouble, but the right one, I have to get Mini to help pull off- she knows this so well now she comes and grabs the end when I sit down to take them off! These will last forever. Or until I get bored.

 These are my lazy trainers, for when I'm just too lazy to wear boots, or am just slumming it. I have a blue pair too. They are really comfy, and go in the wash, but are crap when it rains, as they are canvas, so leak. Had a pair of these on and off for about 10 odd years, not this pair, obviously. The laces always annoy me though as they are stupidly long. They are my "bit of fun". They only really go with flared jeans though, or they make my feet huge.

So, there are my shoes! Onto Mini's!

Her "Sparkly Boots" (the Uggs), her "Sandallies" (From Next, bought for her Christmas party, when her tights were more expensive then her shoes and dress) and her (Converse) "Booties" (which she wears with everything) 

And here's her "Welly Boots", which are not wellies, but just pink boots. She has decided she is wearing these today.

If you haven't been tagged, feel free to do so!

99 Things.....(Quite Tame though)

99 things

Stole this from Not So Single Mum http://thesinglemumdiaries.blogspot.com/2010/02/99-things.html, who stole it from Hayley at Single Motherhood Challenges. Its quite tame though!
 

This is just for fun. Here's a list of 99 things. Bold the ones you have done and post on your blog! =)

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris


13. Watched a lightening storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort


25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie (and if anyone who does this actually highlights this, I'm definitely going to wat an explanation....)

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book (sort of, I've been published in a book)

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Got a tattoo

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Link back to me if you have a go! 

And thanks for all your birthday messages! xxxxxx

The Life (Plan) and Times of Twenty Something Mum

The very funny Mellow Mummy (who'll make you a Cadbury wrapper dress if you ask her nicely) has tagged me in a meme looking back through the years at what you wanted to do when you "was a growned up".

Its quite a fitting meme as I turn 28 on the 10th of February, next Wednesday.

But here goes.....

I know that up until I was about 13, all I really wanted to do was being a performer, moving from being Madonna's backing dancing on Top of the Pops, to singing with Kylie, and then being an actress on stage or in Grange Hill.

 

You can see the results of my desperation as a child to be famous in photos from the time. The one above is from my last 6 months of primary school, when I had begged my teacher Mr Smith (coolest teacher ever) to let us have Friday afternoons off in the hall to sing, dance and lark about. He loved us all to bits and used to make a big thing of announcing us all on stage! (I'm in the pink top, second from left).

That's why when the media blames the reality shows and talent competitions brought to the screen for the amount of kids who say they want to be famous,  always think they're wrong, nothing has changed much from when I was at school.

When I got to 13/14, I was still trying to get into the school plays, and went to dance lessons after school, but I had also started writing the music column (if you could call it a column) for my school newspaper. My first article was all about the return of Michael Jackson, and how we'd been robbed of Eurovision yet again, by the Irish with a song I argued wasn't a song as it had no lyrics.

I loved writing for the newspaper, called RNS Times. I fought hard to save it from extinction by the Headmaster, after a group of us had published a report on the campaign to let girls wear trousers in bad weather. It ended up causing a "sit in" demonstration (I was very into the 60s at the time!) in the school hall, which resulted in about 100 girls refusing to move after the bell sounded for 3 period lessons. I had art and hated the teacher who taught it so had no problems sitting in and missing it! 

The head was finally summoned and threatened to expel us all, and fearing the wrath of my Mum, I ran! We never did get to wear trousers to school, but after I left the girls did.

Every opportunity to get on the radio I was there, ready o talk about poetry, Bastille Day and Rochester. I loved it!

At 16, I started sixth form at a new school, and immediately was asked to join the school paper there too.  I had also joined the Youth parliament, and was made Vice Chair. I started to get the idea that Politics was for me. Some of the local councillors hated me, in all honesty. They would turn up at meetings asking us to do some sort of work for them, making out we would be helping to change our town once all our views were in a dossier. The other younger lot in the Cabinet would nod ad agree, then I, with my feet on the table, chewing bubble gum and dressed like a goth, would tell them to stick it. I would ask whether we would get paid, and of course they'd say no. At which point I'd ask if they got paid, and of course they'd go very red and say yes. I'd then ask them to leave the room so we could discuss they offer. Then I'd explain we were getting used as free researchers. 

This was the time when I ended up bringing about the resignation of the local schools representative, as with one article I exposed him as the smarmy out of touch person he was. After that I was banned from making notes at council and Youth Parliament meetings- I used to do them under the table, and one of the lads lent me a Dictaphone!

I wasn't a complete rebel- I won an award for services to the local youth. It wasn't voted for by the council by the way!

Then it went a bit down hill.

At 17, I left home, and had to leave college.

I had really crap jobs in retail and childcare which I hated, but did to have a bit of money to go out and get plastered as regularly as possible. I bought mad clothes to try and stand out and be different, from all the local second hand shops. I couldn't afford Primark back then! 

When I was 18, I met Ed the Elder. I lived in my first non-shared house, but had no TV, no stereo and a mad collection of Doc Marten boots, and Jim Morrison posters!

The rest is a bit dull, more crap jobs, more moving about and more knowing I wanted to do something outside the normal 9-5 but being too lazy to do anything about it.

Then at 25, I had Mini! And you know the rest!

Well, I hope you liked that insight into me.

Feel free to add your name to the comments and join in!

Oh Yes, It's the Shiny Happy People Meme!

Sian at Mummy Tips (who has introduced me to the Blythe doll, I so want one. Or 50), has tagged me in Rosie Scribble's meme. Here are the rules:

1. Name a song that makes you happy - a song you would listen to if you needed a sudden injection of happiness;

2. Post an image that makes you smile. It can be anything - a silly photo, an image taken from the internet, anything that puts a smile on your face (and isn't too rude!).

Right, first up here's my song, and once again this was very hard as any question to do with music or narrowing down of musical favorites makes me sweat!

But here it is:

Now, here is where I explain such as strange choice of song!

Before children, Ed and I used to like having nights in listening to whatever new tunes we had bought from the local charity shops. One such set he got was a box set from 1959-1980, a 12 inch for each year. 

One of these had the song above on. I had never heard of it before, and the first time I did hear it I was slightly giddy on Beer. Oh the joys of before children!

It became a bit of a drunken tradition for me to sing and act out the song. Haven't done so for  a while, being a respectable seldom drunk mother of two, but it still gives me the giggles even now.

The second is a photo that makes me happy. Again, not an easy task, but here we go;

This is my sister and I in my parents back garden, around 1986/87/88. I'm in the red cossie.

I have often recently mentioned how I don't really get along with my family now, which is sad, but I still have pictures from the normal times which can make me happy. My sister and I were quite close until we reached our teens, at which point we became complete opposites. She loved her make up, clothes and boys, and was hugely popular at school. I on the other hand was into music, books and poetry, and hence was not popular at all!

But here aged probably about 6 and 3 each we were always giggling and laughing together. One of my favorite times was when my parents used to send both of us to our bedrooms. We would then very quietly and sneakily, pass notes under the doors back and forth, bemoaning our punishment and being quite rude about whichever parent had sent us there. Definitely helped pass the time!

So, now I shall tag

Liz at Living With Kids,

Michelle (who is new so show her some Blogger Love)

and Hayley at Single Mother Challenges

And just to add a big High Five of Blogger Love to Nick at MyDaddyCooks- who gave a fantastic interview one BBC Breakfast this morning. If you haven't seen his excellent Vlog Blog yet, than head on over!