I'm back! Liebster Award

Whoa - what a relief, I am finally free of the tyranny of my folder, my practice test papers and my exams. 

It was a strange feeling, walking out of the 'viva' (oral) after it was over and standing blinking in the sunshine and thinking 'Now what?'  

And d'you know what I did? I found some gardens in the college and following the wonderfully inviting signboard suggesting that I 'please walk around our gardens and enjoy the solitude and peace' - I did just that.

A quiet 15 or so minutes, allowed me to emerge from my brain-overload-fug and reconnect with the real world and it was so cathartic. And Breathe.......

Thank you EvERYonE who texted, emailed or dropped me a card wishing me well - your words were very special to me :)

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While I was away I was lucky enough to be nominated for a Liebster Award by the delightful Amjaylou. I contacted her and asked if I could do my part of the nominations once I'd have finished and so here is my Liebster post xxxx 

Thank you of thinking of me Amanda xxxx

Amjaylou set some questions as part of 'a getting to know you better' interview as well as asking me to list 11 facts about myself. So here goes - 

1. I was born in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) Africa,
2. Learnt to shoot by 12 years old, 
3. Drove around sugar cane fields in South Africa flat out in a friend's bright blue beetle pretending to be a rally driver (Sorry Mom and Dad!), 
4. Wear a silver ring on my 2nd toe on my left foot, 
5. Would loved to have had a Celtic armband tattoo when I was younger but now glad I didn't - would rather have a Celtic knot pattern on my lower back, (repeat same apology as in point 3)
6.  Love hares and moonlight and the mythical magic and stories of the ancients, 
7. Only learnt to crochet and knit in the last 5 years and wish I'd learnt a very long time ago,
8. Married to my very bestest friend in the world,
9. Slept under the stars on summer solstice and felt the downdraft of an owl's wing on my face as I lay watching the last residue light fade below the horizon,
10. Can make bird sounds and whistle without moving my mouth - used to do it at the back of a class room whilst maintaining an air of innocence when a teacher would demand to know who'd brought a sparrow into the class room and to release it immediately! 
11. Celebrating nearly thirty years of being a vegetarian - now that can't be bad :)

Now for Amjaylou's  interview -

How many WIPs do you have at the moment and what are they?

Well, not too many as I had to be super hard on myself over the last 15  or so months while I tackled my assignments and swotting but I did manage to finish a couple of Sea to Sky hats - but I do have a shawl on the knitting needles, one fingerless mitten waiting for its sibling to be cast on, a crochet cushion cover about 3/4 done (not just any old cushion but an ENTIRE chair....no I don't know what possessed me either!) but I now have no excuse not to be crafting :)

Regarding days out what would be your idea of heaven?

I love walking, so either being out on the hills with my boys, flask of tea and the obligatory knitting or walking along the coast, preferably with cliff edges and sea birds screeching over head and yes you guessed it - boys, tea and knitting!

What is your idea of hell?

Sitting on a stinking hot day on a beach - I don't do sunbathing (not as a freckly red head!) or beach holidays - despite loving being by the sea and as for the sitting still bit - ergh.

What book are you reading at the moment?

Nothing YippEE!!!! - coz all I have been reading over the last few weeks usually had some gruesome in-depth detail of parasitic worm life cycles or liver fluke infestations or some nasty gut disease and not to be reading anything is strangely liberating.

What is your favourite tipple?

Tea - a good brew of smoky assam or a lapsang souchong or a light refreshing peppermint green tea. Sometimes a good old fashioned 'builder's brew' of Yorkshire tea is the best thing to down when work is frazzling and the phones are ringing off the hook. Tea, tea, tea ----- aaaah. Oh yes, ginger and mango or triple ginger for that extra kick, then there is black rooibos and cinnamon oh the list goes on and on and on...

What's been your best holiday you've been on so far?

New Zealand springs to mind, but some of our Scottish holidays have been bordering on an SAS inspired survival course and they I look back at with reasonable (misguided) fondness.

What is your dream destination?

Iceland or the Faroes or somewhere Scandinavian.

What would you put in Room 101?

Non essential road works - you know the type I mean, when you drive along the road, have to stop coz there are roadworks and the light is red (for aaaaages) and there is no traffic coming the other way and there are no road workers doing any work. No body. Just cones, flashing lights and me....waiting....for the ****** lights to change. (stories of me jumping these lights are purely speculative and unless you have photographic proof - I am saying nothing.....)

Do you have a favourite TV chef?

The two deliciously hairy bikers they could cook for me AnY TiMe!

and finally -

What is my all time favourite cake?

Hmmm, don't think I have an all time favourite, I do like carrot cake and it is one I ask for, so I suppose it must be that, but I am not really a cake eater.

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Wow, that kept me busy for a while! Will do part 2 in another post and I will list my nominees and questions for them.

What a lovely way to step back into blogging - I do have a plethora of stories and photos to share but I will temper my enthusiasm and resist to share and show all, you would all run off bored ridged with my wafflings :)