Two Memes

I seem to have been tagged by various people. So Kat and Sue both tagged me with this meme, and Claire tagged me with this one. I'm not going to tag anyone, as I'm totally confused about who's done which meme, but feel free to have a go if you want to!


Seven Things
Each player starts with seven random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog with their seven things as well as these rules. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. Remember to leave a comment for them letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog. (I'm not doing this bit!)

1. I've only been knitting for just over 2 years, something which seems to amaze people when they ask. For some reason a lot of people seem to think you have to be an expert knitter to start a knitting group - heck, no, I'd only been knitting for 3 months when I set up Knit Lincs with Debbie. Ulterior motive - I needed to meet people who could help me learn to knit!

2. For most of my life I've been fairly "clingy" and hated being on my own - I loathed being left at home to keep an eye on my Gran when I was 16 and my parents went on holiday with my little bro. (Not that I told them this). I also loathed it at uni after eating tea (dinner to all the southerners) in the dining hall and traipsing back to my room to do some work and knowing I'd be unlikely to see anyone until the next morning. (Although actually I often ended up drinking interesting flavoured tea in Farli's room!) I could never have imagined even wanting to live on my own. And now, nearly a year down the line, I LOVE it. In fact, I usually end up having a space crisis when I do have someone in my space (and my space is getting BIG these days!)

3. I get really pissed off with the (many many) people out there who can't believe I live on my own. From some patronising dingbats who seem to assume that a woman on her own can't possibly have bought a house, to the people who call and ask to speak to my husband/partner (hello?!?!) to the people at no. 24 who sent a Christmas card addressed to "the family at no. 1"! Has nobody heard of feminism in this neck of the woods?!

4. I seem to be addicted to studying. It's not so much the gaining qualifications, it's the having something for my brain to be doing, otherwise it goes to sleep. The current total is a bit scary (I don't work it out very often, and there's too many to fit on my CV, so I just use whichever ones are the most relevant.) Each time I'm approaching finishing one, I think, this is it, I'm not going to do that again, then 6 months down the line my brain starts bouncing and away we go again. Yep, the next one starts in July (OK, it's only a week, but after the email I got last week that confirmed I could then go on to a postgrad. certificate, diploma or another MA, I found myself thinking...)

5. I got my midlife crisis out of the way aged between 24 and 25ish. Some people are embarrassed if you tell them you had a breakdown, but I don't see why - it was total hell, but I learnt a lot about myself and I wouldn't be where I am now if it hadn't happened.

6. I've always known what I wanted to do in life. Which scares a lot of people (maybe I'm just a Really Scary Person?). I didn't officially decide until I was about 15, did work experience and decided I really was going to be a librarian. Then I sat down and worked out that I'd need GCSEs, A Levels, a degree, experience and an MA (I didn't know what a degree or an MA was at that stage). But aged 10 I had a little badge that said "Librarian" and was running the primary school library at lunchtime - there was no hope for me really, was there?!

7. I hate the usual "girlie" activities. I loathe clothes shopping, particularly with other people in tow, which probably explains why my wardrobe isn't that large. I also hate having my hair cut (which is why it stays long, short hair needs regular cutting) and the idea of having a facial gives me the heebie-jeebies. I did once have a manicure and couldn't really see the point of it so I'm not doing that again. I do like eating chocolate though (that's a girlie activity, isn't it?). Weird - I like massages and reflexology so not sure why I hate all the others!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Untitled Meme
Does this one have a title at all?

1. What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?

Goodness. I don't know. Looking back at my first blog post (2nd blogiversary is approaching!) I don't seem to sure then, either - I just woffle a bit about chocolate, Addi Turbos and the book I've just finished. Oh, and wonder how to upload photos. I think I had some vague idea about it being a good place to burble about what knitting and reading I'd done (bearing in mind I'd only just started knitting) and everyone else had one too so I was jumping on the bandwagon a bit.

2. Are you a spirtual person?

It sounds a bit big-headed to answer "yes" - like I've got all the answers worked out or something? Because I haven't. But yes, it's a big part of my life. I've been a Christian (Anglican flavour) since I was 15, when I discovered God on a sleepover with some school friends (one of them left their Youth Bible lying around, and I ended up staying up all night reading it, during which I discovered God wasn't an old fart with a big beard sitting on a cloud, as I'd always thought, but someone who was very relevant to me). But God is definitely not just about Sunday mornings (especially not for me, as I usually get sidetracked by the chocolate muffins in Tesco Express on the way to church) but about everything. And I get annoyed when Christians (not just Anglicans but the whole caboodle, although the Anglican Church is particularly good at tying itself in knots) get all het up about stuff like women bishops and homosexuality and don't seem to be doing much about the things that are really vital - poverty, community, education, all the people all around each one of us, protecting the environment, love etc etc.

3. If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you?

Chocolate (and somewhere cool to put it), a tent/shelter (if it's likely to rain) and something to light a fire with (maybe I could do that with my glasses?)

If food and shelter is assumed then I'd like a very big pile of yarn (probably laceweight as it'd last longer, and I don't think I'd need a chunky jumper on a desert island), Radio 4 cos I can't live without it and a big flare thing to let off when a ship goes past.

4. What's your favourite childhood memory?

Oooh, so much stuff! Erm, probably building dens in the garden out of old curtains, bamboo canes stolen from Dad's shed etc. One summer holiday I slept outside in the garden every night, just because it was fun.

5. Is this your first meme?

No, not by a long long way...