The Versatile Rules.

• mention the person who gave it to you

• pass it on to 15 other bloggers

• list 7 things about yourself

I have already mentioned Jane, if you haven’t visited her blog I thoroughly recommended that you do, she takes her readers on some interesting journeys.

All the blogs in my sidebar and my commenters are all worthy of this reward, so I will leave it at that.

Now onto the 7 things about me…

1. When I was a child, I had a severe case of the measles which permanently affected my eyesight.  I also have no sense of smell.
2. When I was a few years old, in the early evening during the summer months my Dad always walked me round the garden and told me the names of all the flowers.  I can remember him accidentally missing with the watering can on occasions and watering me instead.  I think this is why I have a love of gardens and flowers.
3. Once, I got my hand stuck in the mechanism of a playground ride.  It was a swinging plank that was hung between large frames at either end.  As I was trying to climb off, my hand slid into the swinging mechanism and I had to wait for it to swing all the way through the cycle before I could get my hand out.  I still have the scar today.
4. My favourite subjects at school were music and biology. I would have preferred to study botany, but that wasn’t on the curriculum because it was too difficult (well that is what we were told).
5. My Mum and I often used to buy the same clothes, although we never shopped together or saw what we each had bought beforehand.
6. I have eaten bear meat.
7. I am told that I have an unusually analytical mind for a lady.

The book contains a story within a story and certainly reminds me of the magic of Christmas.

If you had lived in Hamburg in the fourteenth century, or Venice in the ninth century, you might have glimpsed – just for a second – a strange procession rushing past and out of sight. There were, at different times, a little girl, a flock of sheep, shepherds, angels, a Roman governor and the Emperor Augustus, and they were hurrying to Bethlehem to see the Christ-child.

The little girl was Elisabet Hansen, who disappeared from Norway at Christmas in 1948. Years later, a young boy called Joachim opens the 24 doors of a magic Advent calendar and pieces together Elisabet’s story – how she was taken on an astonishing journey, not just from Norway to Bethlehem but back through two thousand years of history.*

Now all that remains is for me reach 24 on the church candle that I bought in York Minster. It is such a good quality candle it is taking a lot longer to get through than the book

*From inside front book flap.

This was a work related visit where we were treated to a mad ride in a Warrior. We were encouraged to stand up whilst we were driven over what is called the knife edge. I ended up with dust behind my contact lenses and it looked like I was crying, much to the amusement of everyone!!

When I noticed the year (1999) I realised how quickly time flies by…

These are the rules:
1. Open the fourth file where you store your photos.
2. Pick the 4th photo.
3. Explain the photo.
4. Pass challenge onto 4 other bloggers.

Well I have adhered to the first three, but I shall leave number 4 open to anyone who fancies giving the challenge a go.

Man in a Shed is suggesting we all get silly with our blog posts during the week commencing 27th July. I think we could all do with a laugh right now so I am on board, how about you?

More information and graphics to download can be found on his blog.

Phidelm has challenged me to reveal 10 truths about myself.  I have spent some time racking my brain to come up with some interesting snippets that most of you don’t already know about me.  Well here they are, but only you can decide if they are interesting or not.

1. I make all my own Birthday/Anniversary cards using photographs that I have taken whilst out and about on my travels.
2. I taught myself HTML and CSS so that I could write my own web page to share information (mostly photographs) with my friends.  Then my webby stuff sort of snowballed from there and I think I have become a web addict!
3. When I contracted measles it affected my eyesight and I have no sense of smell.
4. I didn’t learn to drive until I was in my late 20s and only then because I needed to get out and about independently.  I hated the lessons (but not the instructor) and I loved the freedom it gave me after I passed my test (first time).
5. I sang in the school choir which was a great deal of fun.  On one occasion we sang in the closing concert at the Eisteddford at Llangollen.  The concert was running late and we were last on stage which made us very late home (or early depending on how you look at it).  We watched the sunrise as we were traveling home on the bus.
6. I have only fairly recently re-joined the trade union having resigned many years ago after I felt the members had been let down quite badly over working conditions.  I joined so that I could help out my fellow workers because I could see all the threats that were about to start looming up for us.  Somehow I managed to get caught up with it all a lot more than I expected, the result is what you see now.
7. My smallpox injection scar is in an unusual place.
8. My favourite subjects at school were music and biology.  I would have preferred to study botany, but that wasn’t on the curriculum because it is too difficult (well that is what we were told).
9. When I was area secretary of a youth organisation I implemented a method of saving money on postage.  From the looks of their website they still use the same method today.
10. I once got my hand stuck in the mechanism of a playground ride.  It was the swinging plank that was hung from a large frame at either end.  As I was trying to climb off my hand slid into the swinging mechanism and I had to wait for it to swing all the way through the cycle before I could get my hand out.  I still have the scar today.

Now it is over to you

1. Five pet likes

Friendship, gardens, good conversation, boardgaming, visiting new places

2. Five pet hates

Lies/deceit, being kept waiting, grumpiness, disloyalty, new years eve

3. Five pet colours

Red, Pink, Lilac, White, Mint green

4. Five pet genres

Mystery, Romance, Action, History, Fantasy

5. Me in five words

Caring, professional, enigma, fun, lovable

So tell me about you