Stylish award

I was chuffed to find in my Inbox this morning a comment from Chibi Janine saying that she had awarded Dreams and Reality this:

Thank you very much!   Like Chibi, I don't really consider myself 'stylish' but it's good to know that what I write appeals to people, and who knows maybe makes a difference to their day/week/month in some way.

If you aren't already familiar with Chibi Janine's blog, take a look. Amongst other things, she draws great illustrations and was the one who encouraged me to try the digital ArtRage art program which is great fun :-) I'm just waiting to add the letter J to her alphabet title illustrations....!

So, back to the award.

OK as with many of these things there are little rules (though it hasn't got the 'you will be eternally damned if you break the link like you get in chain letters') if you plan to participate which are:-


- Copy the award and post it on your blog

- Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
- List 7 things about you that others don't know
- List 15 blogs that you would like to give this award to - does not have to be all 15 and can be anywhere from 1-15
- Notify all the people you list that the award is coming to them if they would like to accept it.

To start with, I might have trouble thinking of 7 things you lot don't know, I will have to dig back into my pre-blogging life to find some stuff! Actually this sort of question is used in psychology studies, to see what aspects of their identity people find important. I will obviously be judging myself on this...

1. When I was about 4 years old, I announced to my mother that "I'm not going to be woman, I'm going to be a lady." So, I had good aspirations but what went wrong after that, who knows.

2. My Sindy doll broke her leg climbing trees in the garden, though interestingly I was never a tree climber myself. Maybe that was an early sign that actually I could manage delegation, I just forgot it somewhere down the line. I also ruined some of my toy cars while driving them around the sandpit, the Ford Capri in particular never ran smoothly after that.

3. I had braces on my teeth when I was 13 and am now very grateful despite detesting them at the time. I had an extremely scary Scottish orthodontist who I had to visit, which I hated. I still remember having to follow coloured spots on the floor of the hospital corridors to follow to find the right department, I think they were orange.

4. My father used to be a bridging engineer and worked in the States for a year. I visited for a month with my mother, and the American kids raved over my aforementioned braces, possibly the first time I experienced anyone being envious of me.

5. I have a numb area on my left ankle where my pony bit me. From age 15-18 ish I owned a lovely Connemara pony called Sea Rock (or Rocky as he was known). He was grey, 14.2hh, and loved jumping - I would lend him to my friends at shows so they could win Clear Round rosettes. At some point I had to put him onto working livery as it was cheaper (where the stables use the pony for lessons etc. when you aren't using him). Unfortunately it made him a bit gripey, probably because of kids not treating him properly. One day when I went down to the field just to say hello to him while he was eating grass, he just turned and bit me on the ankle. Man that hurt. It was the first and last time he bit me though and I didn't hold it against him.

Me and Rocky, circa 1985

6.  When a teenager, I reached Grade 6 on the violin and also learned the piano.  However, I never really enjoyed it, or felt that I was a 'natural' like my brother is, and was too lazy to do the practice I needed to be any good so gave up playing instruments.  Very occasionally I'll have a twiddle on one of Mr H's guitars or bass, but I just don't have the passion or flare for it.  I do still have a 'good ear' for music and tone, which Mr H uses sometimes if he is not sure about something!

7.  I am addicted to tea.

There are so many blogs I read and enjoy, but I would like to pass this award on to (drum roll please):

Nancy - I love her cute little illustrations and self-portraits, they always make me smile.

Mel - for all that good fairy advice, for her honesty, and also for the fact that no matter what she's going through she puts funny comments on my blog that make me laugh.

Jess - for her 'ranting and raving' and being herself.

Lisa - because if I had a child, I'd want it to be like Bob.

Dan - for his comical and talented sketching, and for the Web of Whimsy