Awards

Before I went on holiday, I was lucky enough to be awarded the Sunshine Award by Jo and the One Lovely Blog Award from Mrs Thrifty.  Thank you for nominating me ladies!.  I'm going to go slightly 'free-style' on this and give a few facts about me as well as answering some sunshine blog questions..

.1.  My favourite colour has to be blue in all its shades.  I love bright blue skies.  The walls of my back bedroom are painted a deep blue, with pale blue and cream soft furnishings.  All my china is blue and white.  I also love combining blue with other colours.  My kitchen tiles have a white, blue and peach pattern.  My wardrobe is full of plain blue items that I can combine with other prints.

.2. My favourite animals are cats.  I've lived with three of them over the last 30 years.  The first was a 'family' cat when I still lived at home.  She was supposed to be a birthday present for my sister but she very quickly became my Dad's cat.  She lived to be more than 20, moving from Oxford to Manchester and then to Worcester in her very old age.  I've had two of my own - Gulliver (a stray silver tabby who died of cancer in 2003) and the current 'Little Prince' - Thomas.

.3. I'm completely addicted to caffiene.  Every 12 months or so I try to give it up.  I'm successful for a few weeks then cups sneak back in.  The main problem is that I can't resist the smell and we have a proper expresso machine in the staffroom.  After an early start and a few hours work at the 'chalkface' I've got no resistance!

.4. In my 30s I was very ill for a while with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  I went to the Doctors thinking that I was suffering from stress and he told me "If you don't stop work now you may never work again."  I was very lucky to find such a 'switched on' doctor at that time. I've been back to full health for years but I still feel lucky that I can enjoy all my long walks and enjoy my life to the full.

.5. I love food shopping.  I find the whole process of planning the meals for the week, creating the shopping list, then pottering around my local town centre incredibly relaxing. 

.6. I also enjoy cooking and would love to have a bigger kitchen, where the whole family could chill out and chat while I'm making something to eat.  My dream would be a proper 'farmhouse' kitchen.

.7. My favourite day of the week is Friday - there's always a lovely sense of anticipation for the weekend.  I'm particularly looking forward to Fridays in this school year because I will be teaching a lovely Year 11 class in the final period of the week.  I will then spend another hour with my Year 11 Diploma group (the most able pupils from that year group).  At 4.30 I'll  drive home for a hour or so of french conversation with my french friend.  Then Friday evenings generally end with a curry and a glass (or two) of chewy red wine. 

I'd like to nominate these blogs for the 'One Lovely Blog' Award.  This award comes with a few rules.

1) Thank the person who nominated you.
Thanks again, Mrs Thrifty (and Jo for 'The Sunshine Award'!!)

2) List seven things about yourself.

3) Pass on the award to fifteen blogs (cheat here if necessary!)

I'm going 'free-style' again here and am passing it on to just five.

Jan at Jan's Journey
Angie at My Quilting Life
Louise at Ramblings of a Roachling
B'ham at Come Away Home
Bonnie at Living Life

Ladies, I hope that you will accept the award, though I understand if you'd rather not. I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy reading your blogs.  There are also several other blogs that I love to read regularly - but I think that you have received this award at least once before.  Consider yourselves hugged!!!