Over the last 6-12 months I have started to become more involved in the ‘blogging community”, subscribing to blogs that I enjoy reading, commenting on posts and sometimes taking part in on line conversations.
Amongst the blogs that I am currently subscribed to and read regularly is: “A grace full life” written by Kari. As Kari says in her introduction “I write about the small and sometimes messy pieces of life, grief and gratitude, everyday observations, and the little moments that often go unnoticed but shape us. This blog has been my space for reflection since 2010, and over the years it’s become a place for honesty, curiosity, and the occasional laugh. Here, you’ll find stories that are real, sometimes funny, and sometimes sad.”
I love the way Kari looks at life and picks out what really matters to her, highlighting those little things that we so often overlook and that get pushed to the back of our minds in this crazy yellow brick road we are all treading. The things that bring us joy, that make us smile yet get pushed into the memory bank often never to be retrieved.
In my opinion we all need a friend like Kari in our lives to remind us that life is essentially about joy and happiness, about making memories and treasuring the small things.
I’m still working on my own “100 Things I love” but in the meantime today I’m taking a breather from writing about travel, midlife and opinion and instead I’m taking her post “73 Things” and applying it to myself.
Why not join me? Take five minutes (although you might need a little longer!) out of your busy day, forget about everything else for a while and focus on you. What makes you happy? What really matters? You might just surprise yourself with some of the answers!
1- What is your favourite time of day? A spring/summer morning when the sun rises early and peeps through the crack in my curtains
“Breakfast on the patio in Antigua, a view once seen that can never be unseen“
2-What is your biggest weakness? It used to be chocolate but I’ve cured myself of that one so now it has to be cake! Home made cake in a wonderful local cafe or something my husband has baked.
3- How do you relax? Reading, definitely reading!
4- What is most important to you? My husband and my children
5- One thing in your bag at all times? The four things I take everywhere even in the smallest evening bag -access to money (could be a purse or just a bank card), a hairbrush ( I can’t stand that windswept look) and a spare pair of contact lenses
6- What inspires you? Certain public figures inspire me to try and lead a better life: Nature can inspire me in all its quirks and wonders: People that overcome difficulty and have the capacity to forgive: Natural landscapes/viewpoints that stop me in my tracks.
7- What colour was your prom dress? We didn’t have prom in the UK back then
8- How do you describe yourself in three words? Honest, restless and unselfish
9- What do you notice when you first meet someone? Their aura. I’m quite good at reading people, seeing behind the person they show the world
10- What are your friends like? Very varied. I like knowing people from all walks of life. I can’t just stay in one lane.
11- What is a new song you love right now? It’s not new, new but I’d say Myles Smith -Stay (If You Wanna Dance). I so admire this young man.
12- What is your favourite season? Summer without a doubt. I’m sure in a previous life I lived in a sunny climate year round.
13- What are you scared of? Heights and leaving my family when I die
14- How many kids do you want? I have two. I sometimes watch programmes and films with big families and think if I’d had the right partner, more money and a big house I’d have had more.
15- What is your favourite flower? Hard to just pick one but I only want white flowers at my funeral
16- Tea or coffee? Decaf tea, no debate
17- If you could play any instrument, which would you play? Saxophone because I’d want to play Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty
18- Favourite holiday? Christmas, so many wonderful memories from when my children were growing up
19- What places do you want to visit? Travel and adventure is a bug that my husband and I have caught and so we will keep going forever if we can.
20- Must-have beauty product? I can live without all of them
21- Favourite thing about yourself? My outlook on life -I let go of the past and look to the future
22- What was the name of your first pet? Mutty -he was my Mum’s black cat
23- Favourite apps on your phone? None of them but most used on my phone: FaceTime to talk to my children, WhatsApp to stay in touch with my friends and Google Maps for planning trips.
24- Where do you see yourself in ten years? Happy with more places ticked off the travel list and more memories made. Maybe with some grandchildren ( I live in hope!)
25- Next tattoo you want to get? My husband has enough tattoos for both of us 😊
26- Which three famous people would you invite for tea? Ok 🤔.
The Obamas (they come as a pair so I’m counting that as one and it has nothing to do with politics):
Ben Fogle -I’ve watched every episode of “New Lives in the Wild” and have seen him on tour. He is such an adventurer and has learnt so much about himself whilst travelling:
Julia Roberts -because she is an absolute legend!
27- Favourite designer? I don’t do fashion
28- Favourite scent? Opium perfume but I like jasmine and roses in the garden, wild garlic in the woods -it tells me Spring is here and Hawaiian Tropic suntan cream because it reminds me of the beach
29- Which person would you ask 73 questions to? Michelle Obama because she’d be open, honest and no doubt also funny
30- What is your favourite thing to eat? Salmon, seafood, a good steak, a really good English roast and recently I’ve started to get into pasta
31- What was your favourite movie as a child? I didn’t really watch TV when I was a child, I spent my life outdoors.
As an adult and I definitely can’t keep it to one -The Magnificent Seven (2016 version), Just Mercy, The Holiday, Love Actually, Eat Pray Love and PS I Love you
Martin Sensmeier as Red Harvest.
32- Movie that makes you cry every time you watch it? PS I Love You
33- Favourite thing to wear? Casual clothes -jeans and a t-shirt or sweatshirt
34- Most adventurous thing you’ve done? Climbed the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu
35- One movie you can watch over and over? Any of those in question 31 plus Last Christmas
36- What is the coolest thing in the world? The natural world in all its facets
37- What are your three favourite albums? Adele -21, Carrie Underwood -Greatest Hits and All Three of George Ezra’s albums
38- Sweet or savoury? Sweet
39- Cats or dogs? Dogs without a shadow of a doubt
40- Favourite actress? Julia Roberts
41- Favourite place you ever visited? Monument Valley-it spoke to my spirit
42- What show are you currently watching? I’ve just finished “The Good Doctor”. Celebrity Traitors is back on TV here in the UK
43- Favourite male singer- Depends on my mood -Myles Smith, George Ezra, some of Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles
44- Favourite female singer- Carrie Underwood -I went to Vegas for a week to see one of her final performances when she was in residency last year.
45- Who do you turn to when you’re sad? My husband
46- Do you like cooking or baking? Cooking
47- Favourite snack food? I don’t snack but at a push crinkle cut crisps
48- Secret talent? I wouldn’t say its a talent as such but I’m quite good at reading people
49- What are you most excited for these days? Spending time as a family and my next adventure abroad with my husband
50- What does your name mean? Energy, independence, determination and warmth
51- Hobbies that you will never give up. Reading, hopefully some type of exercise and keeping my blog
52- What makes you mad? I’m with Kari: Injustice is a huge one. People who abuse their power. Needless suffering. But I’d also add people who lie to my face and actually think I believe them and finally selfishness
53- Which song would you like to hear to be happy? Like Kari I have a playlist, mine is called “Motivation”. A couple of tracks I’d pick out from that are: Head & Heart by Joel Corry featuring MNEK. Better When I’m Dancing by Meghan Trainor. Let’s Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez. Sapphire by Ed Sheeran (ft Arjijit Singh) and Dura by Daddy Yankee. I have very eclectic taste!
54- Favourite word in English? Tranquillity because I strive to achieve this
55- Something people don’t know about you. Money will never motivate me
56- What old song are you into right now? Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison will always be one of my all time favourites because I can’t listen to it without thinking about the film which brings a smile to my face. Go on click on the link and brighten your day 😊
57- Window or aisle seat? I don’t care as long my husband is next to me
58- Favourite piece of clothing? Black suede boots with a small heel, a mainstay of my wardrobe
59- Optimistic or pessimistic? Optimistic
60- Something from your childhood that you still have? Books that I won at the annual awards presentation
61- Favourite part of the day? Anytime when I pick up my book and read
62- Do you believe in fate? Definitely “what goes around, comes around” and “We reep what we sow”
63- Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds but they’d have to be black or pink!
64- What is something you can’t do? Speak another language fluently or play an instrument
65- What do you usually eat for breakfast? Weetabix, a banana, blueberries and fruit
66- Favourite colour? Purple
67- What makes you happy? Being with my family, these times get fewer as your children grow and leave home. Discovering new places. Getting lost in a book. My garden.
68- What is your advice towards people? Tomorrow is promised to no man.
69- What is your favourite ice cream flavour? Ben n Jerry’s Phish Food
70- Do you prefer milk chocolate or dark chocolate? White chocolate
71- What is your favourite fruit? I like lots of fruits -Banana, raspberries, mango, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries………………..
72- Vintage or new? Neither I like what I like
73- Who is your favourite superhero? I don’t have one but if I could have a super power it would be to understand every language on the planet.
Final Thoughts:
Well, that’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about me!
But sometimes it’s good to step away from the serious stuff, forget about the never-ending to-do list and spend a little time thinking about the things that make us who we are. Some of these questions were easy to answer, others made me stop and think, and perhaps that’s the whole point. Life moves so quickly that we rarely take the time to reflect on the little things that bring us happiness.
So, over to you! I’d love to know how you would answer some of these questions. Perhaps you’ll even be inspired to have a go at all 73 yourself.
And if you’ve enjoyed getting to know me a little better, please leave a comment or give the post a like. After all, one of the nicest things about blogging is discovering the people behind the words.
