Tag: Blogging

Imagining the end of lockdown

Started by Bill at A Silly Place, and then spreading in a lovely way over the WordPress family of bloggers, I was invited to join the theme of writing a post about what I want the end of lockdown to be. Thank you to over at Smelly Socks and Garden Peas for the invitation. You can find her post on this here.

We are still in Lockdown in Scotland and have diverged a little from England but Im not convinced there is any big difference. People have stuck to the directions pretty well but there have also been people who have bended them a little. Sitting in parks in the sun, going out more than once. So without sticking my nose too much into writing about politics I was slightly amused some of the changes just reflected the natural changes and decisions people were already making. The big difference here is the ‘going back to work’. We will definitely get there I just think it is a slower change so that its clearer what that means for different sectors.

For me though – I have been working throughout. I can’t manage two walks a day and only manage one on my days off. So my imagining will start with some self imposed relaxation!! That may look to some like lockdown :-).

A few weeks in to lockdown lift

It will be harder getting out than it was getting in. Work will be even more tiring. Not because it isn’t brilliant and interesting and fun…its the constant responding to change that brings fatigue. Brain fatigue. Brain fatigue that can only be dealt with by a glass of wine.

So….one thing I may NEVER say again – I might stop drinking wine for a month. I might stop drinking so much wine for a month. I might only drink wine with friends.

This will involve situations such as:

Maybe focus on the wine here….none of us look like that!

But they may just start a little more like this:

We don’t look like this either…but you get the sentiment – right?

Plans

I suppose in general I just want to imagine being back to making plans. Lifestyle, social, silly plans. I miss plans. I miss lunch plans, night out plans, trips away plans. I miss men plans. So I imagine that the hard work outside of work will start with how we all start organising diaries. Probably for Christmas nights out at this rate!!

Ooh to be out and about and able to nip into the shop. I have managed to not have any disasters with a work dress and shoes bought online but that can’t last. I would also like to buy a nice summer dress and feel like I have somewhere to wear it to.

Health

I miss the gym. I miss my actual yoga studio. So I am even imagining being sweaty and red faced in public. Bring it on. I am exercising in the house, doing yoga on Zoom and using HIIT workouts. Yes they work and hopefully I won’t have added to my arse by the time lockdown ends. It is just not the same though as going to the gym for a workout and a relaxing swim.

Neighbours

I won’t miss, sorry, having to only see the same people on my days off. Especially ones that have clearly disparaging thought about my vegetable growing abilities. But I will miss the likelihood of using FaceTime with friends instead of phoning. Hopefully that won’t stop. As everyone starts to be busy again I hope the connections don’t get lost. They won’t…I just hope we keep the creativity in how we connect and why we connect.

Over to you

I am a little hungover today (wine!!) so I nominate anyone who has a read of this post 🙂

Header Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash

Drafts

Inspired by a post this week talking about hitting the button on drafts I checked out my own draft section of WordPress. I have six. For a while this one might make it 7. I can’t help thinking that drafts are same as thoughts in that just haven’t made it out…yet, if ever.

Like the thoughts we swirl around daily in every ones heads.

Thoughts that sometimes are spoken, sometimes are not, sometimes savoured just for ourselves, and sometimes saved for a better time.

Thoughts are like that; our own. Blogging reminds me of this. My drafts are my own until I feel like sharing them. My drafts are usually in my head. Hence the short number in my WordPress thingy.

Sometimes my drafts are just one word. Sometimes just one amusing thought. Sometimes they make it to a header or heading. Often they just swirl around for a while and most of the time they are forgotten when other things take over the swirling.

So thinking about thinking about drafting and drafts I figure I will hit the button on this one. Its shorter than normal but my thoughts today are more focused on how late I will be for my afternoon out in Glasgow.

Thanks for the inspiration V!

Header Photo by Dan DeAlmeida on Unsplash.

Sunshine Blogger Award

This is my second one and I am really chuffed (overly pleased for non UK folk) with being nominated. When I did my first one last week I immediately thought of Lee Cleaver’s blog and it turns out when he was nominated last week he also thought of mine. Clearly we are both rather intelligent and great minds think alike (or something along those lines). We both agreed we had to do this second one. In it together and all that.

So thank you so much Lea for the nomination. My mind is literally blown with your knowledge of the body and you know I think your posts are amazing. I told him yesterday that I feel like his words tumble out like a river. One that meanders but also has purpose. It’s true so go check him out at Cleaverfit for a load of positivity, good advice and motivation.

Another reason for me being really pleased with this is the interaction that these awards create between bloggers. There are loads of brilliant blogs that I follow and loads more that I have found through other people nominating their favourites. So another 11 nominations is an easy task.

Sunshine Blogger Award Rules

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blogging site.
  2. List the Sunshine Blogger Award rules and display the logo on your site.
  3. Answer the Sunshine Blogger Award questions.
  4. Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.
  5. Notify the nominees about their nominations.

My Questions from Lee

1. At the stage you are at in your life…what’s…your own personal definition of the word “Love?” Bloody ell. Nothing like going in on the first one! Well I am a little older but honestly I think there is no definition. I’ve been in love a number of times. All were different. Now I’m not although there are 3 men I would say I have love for but we aren’t together, shouldn’t have stayed together, and couldn’t have stayed together for various reasons. Only one of them was a potential of all consuming love but it is another one that I think would have lasted longer if it was a different situation/time. We keep in touch and wish the best for each other. Summary – who the hell knows.

2. Would you entertain…you…10 years ago…now? Totally. I laugh at myself a lot and am constantly amused.

3. Where’s the place…or places…you feel most at peace…at one with existence? At work, especially in the midst of any type of difficult situation. I feel weirdly at peace in high levels of tension/stress. On the opposite side of this I have never felt more relaxed than sitting on a beach in Koh Samui just listening to the ocean and sipping on a cool drink.

4. If you could take a personal life lesson…then turn it into a quote that connected with and helped others…what would it be?

“Confidence only comes when you are confident about not being confident.”

(by me). Most things are manageable and those that are not are ok not to be. Nobody knows everything so it irritates me when people pretend they know.

5. What’s your favourite smell? I don’t know! Currently sniffing things to test this out.

6. What’s your favourite sound? A wave, a gorgeous song, a bustling bar, the silence in the country. I don’t have a favourite. I probably should.

7. At the stage you are at in your life…what’s…your own personal definition of the word “Success?” Enjoyment in what I do. I used to think I would like a Lamborghini but currently have what I think is a really (as in really) rubbish car. So similar to my quote, I am good at what I do and so feel successful.

8. Sum up your blog space in 5 words? Kind of quirky and funnyish.

9. You’re fighting…professionally…for sport…for the championship of the world…and…you win it. Did you highlight reel your opponent in the first round…out cold…or…win on points after warring with each other the entire distance? I prefer the long game so a win on points is always preferable. Unless my opponent was annoying. Then a knock out would be the only way.

10. If I turned your life so far…into a blockbuster movie…what would it be called? She was a complete nightmare 🙂

11. You’re writing a best selling book…fill in the blank. “10 steps to……………” feeling happy…most of the time.

My Nominations

Easy peasy…there are so many great blogs. These are some that I love to read so I hope you are ok with me nominating you. Some I have just found recently…others I have followed for a while.

Questions for you

  1. Why do you blog?
  2. If you were stuck up a tree for an hour or two…what would you do?
  3. What is the funniest thing you heard today?
  4. What makes you smile on a regular basis?
  5. What is the one (or two if you must) thing you can’t live without?
  6. Who’s blog do you read that you recommend to us all (it doesn’t even have to be someone you nominate)?
  7. What kind of soup would most reflect you as a person?
  8. What is your favourite TV show right now?
  9. If you have a spare ÂŁ100 in your wallet / purse…what does it get spent on?
  10. What was your favourite children’s show growing up…can you remember the theme tune…are you now singing it?
That was pretty tough but great questions Lee.

Sunshine Blogger Award

Thank you

As a little ray of occasional sunshine it was a lovely surprise to have my blog nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award. Thanks loads to the Recreational Hobbyist over at her blog. Check it out here. As I get a little older it is weird that I am trying loads of new things. I am probably not brilliant at any of them but I have a lot of fun. So a blog that gives me new ideas and book reviews is a win win in my book.

My Sunshine Blogger post

The Rules:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blogging site.
  2. List the Sunshine Blogger Award rules and display the logo on your site.
  3. Answer the Sunshine Blogger Award questions.
  4. Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.
  5. Notify the nominees about their nominations.

My Questions:

  1. What is your favorite time of the year?
    • This is a hard one to answer as I like different things about different seasons. As much as I love the long days in what Scotland describes as a summer I probably prefer winter. The dark nights, winter boots and jumpers.
  2. If you could travel to any country, where would you go?
    • Singapore. I have never been (nearest I have been is Koh Samui in Thailand). I just know I would love it from all the descriptions.
  3. What is your favorite TV show you are watching right now?
    • BBC series His Dark Materials. Loved loved loved the books and the series is shaping up well.
  4. How often do you write other then for blog posts?
    • For work all the time. However this involves reports, emails, analysis blah blah blah. I started a book. I would love to write a book. But I only wrote 2 pages so far. Does that even count :-)?
  5. Coffee or Tea?
    • Too much…far too much coffee. Espresso or a latte is my go to.
  6. What is your all time favorite book?
    • I don’t do favourites. For anything now that I think about it. I have too many from classic Scottish novels (Robert Louis Stevenson’s collection of Scottish novels is one of them) to, well to anything. I like different books for different reasons.
  7. What is your favorite blog post?
    • My own? I had fun writing my marathon post. Someone else’s? A blogger from forfriendswithoutborders always makes me smile.
  8. What is the one thing you love about blogging?
    • That I never knew it existed (see above re trying new things out) and that I never knew how much I enjoyed writing until I started blogging. I love a funny story about general life stuff. Blogging allows me to smile about the things I find amusing in day to day life.
  9. What is one thing you can’t live without?
    • Red wine
  10. What is your favorite food?
    • Steak….chocolate….steak…..
  11. What is your biggest blogging accomplishment?
    • Tough question. I still feel like a beginner and so I am really happy whenever I get a comment, a like and when someone reads my posts.

My Nominations: 

There are lots of great blogs out there that I read. Some I have found from Twitter and some from WordPress. Different bloggers, different topics and very different styles but ones I always take something from. So I nominate the following bloggers & their blogs:

  1. Tea Spansberg
  2. A Thousand Bits of Paper
  3. Lee Cleaver
  4. MillenialLifeCrisis
  5. Smelly Socks and Garden Peas
  6. Jay’s Brainstorms
  7. The Glitter Rebel
  8. Lucy Lives Here
  9. London Life with Liz
  10. Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
  11. Single Vegas Girl

Questions for My Nominees:

  1. When was the last time you laughed (proper belly laugh)?
  2. What, if anything is your favourite type of exercise and why?
  3. What was the last goal (tiny, little, or big) that you achieved?
  4. Crisps or Chocolate?
  5. What is the song you can’t help singing right now…especially now I have made you think about it…even if you can’t (like me) sing??
  6. Why do you blog?
  7. What is your favourite comment that you have received on a blog post?
  8. How do you relax?
  9. If you had to go for a drink (alcohol / non-alcoholic) with a famous person, who would it be?
  10. Sunshine or Snow?
  11. Which post have you written that we should all read?

Please check out all my nominees as they are bloody brilliant! Thanks again to Recreational Hobbyist for the nomination! If you want to check out who she nominated go have a read here 🙂

The Liebster Award

I have been nominated by Cassie at upcycledadulting.com for the 2019 Liebster Award. I never even knew there was one of these but now I have been nominated I am pretty chuffed. So thanks to Cassie! I follow her blog and it is one to check out.

What is the Liebster Award?

Liebster is German for kindest or dearest one. Around since 2011 for bloggers and by bloggers it is a great way to be discovered, connect with and support the blogging community. Originally it was given out to blogs with less than 2000 readers but has slowly lowered to typically 200 readers or less. This is an arbitrary number, the idea is that the award is for new / newer bloggers, regardless of their number of readers. 

A few years ago The Jack Project started taking official entries and selecting a winner. As Cassie’s post explained, there are the official rules with 5 nominees and 5 questions and then there are unofficial ones. She included both so I will too.

The Official TheJackProject Rules:

Entries start 1st Jan 2019 and end on 25th Dec 2019. The winner will be picked on the 31st of December.

Unofficial Rules Including Extras

  • Give a shout out to the blogger that nominated you for this Liebster Award. Make sure you link their blogging site as well! 
  • Write 11 facts about yourself! 
  • Don’t forget to post the award on your blog! 
  • Answer the fun questions set up by the blogger who nominated you! 
  • Nominate 11 deserving bloggers. Don’t forget to tag them! 

My acceptance post

I started blogging 6 months ago and had no real idea that it even existed as a ‘thing’ before then. Sure I knew about travel blogs and thought that was the main blogging type thing out there. I figured twitter, instagram and other things had taken over. They clearly haven’t and I am glad I saw an advert and just thought “what the hell” as I have really enjoyed blogging ever since.

Why do I enjoy it? I like writing and, even without a definite niche, I am always thinking about ideas for posts based on general life stuff. I don’t have that much of a clue about the technical side of having your own domain, how to construct it so it looks good and I still have no clue as to what CSS is. But…I have been learning about that kind of thing and am slowly growing the number of people that read my posts.

The blogging community is massive. Who would have known! I am happy to be part of it.

11 Random Facts About Me

  1. I have a really dry sense of humour (personally I think it is quite witty…other may not).
  2. I don’t comment on my neighbour’s singing as it is bloody awful (bless him though he loves to sing!).
  3. I have a few degrees in psychology type things (and clearly am analysing everyone I meet…hell no..that would waste energy).
  4. I did ballet when I was young; but kept none of that grace as displayed regularly in yoga.
  5. My favourite hair colour was the one time I went pillar box red in high school (it didn’t last long).
  6. I am rubbish at skiing but will persist.
  7. I am late to most things and I am not even ashamed of that fact.
  8. I had a couple of cats who lived to a good age (I don’t have any pets now as am in fear of being a ‘cat lady’).
  9. My favourite snack, and my downfall in life, is chocolate.
  10. I’ve only farted once in yoga (this is an achievement!)
  11. I laugh…a lot…about most things in life.

Interview Questions from Cassy

The official ones

  • If there were multiple dimensions in which each choice you made differently caused a divergence which minor choice do you think would result in the most significant divergence? How would your life be different in that dimension?

That is such a difficult question! I am quite laid back about my choices in life so it is hard to think about how things might have changed. But… I walked into a lecture once which I wasn’t too fussed about going to. That lecture started me off on a career path and if I hadn’t walked in I might have been something different. Maybe a career with money! Hopefully life would have also been full of laughs in my workplace in that dimension.

  • If you could be an artistic prodigy in any art (aside from writing or photography) what would you choose?

It would be music. I learnt to play saxophone and piano when young. I have completely lost all ability with these over the years so would have loved to have been properly proficient. I am always in awe of people who can just sit and play piano without effort.

  • What gift would you give if you could give another person any thing and who would you give it to?

A lamborghini – to my dad. He shares a love of all things shiny with me. I would get one first, of course, just to beat him.

  • If your readers could magically permanently acquire a character trait or skill simply by reading your blog what would it be?

The skill to do wheel in yoga. They could then tell me how on earth people actually get their backsides up far enough in the air to be able to do this pose.

  • If you had to permanently shape shift into something other than a human what would you choose and why?

A very large wine glass. I would enjoy that wine without getting the hangover as a human.

The unofficial ones

  1. Why did you start blogging?
    • I kind of fell into it after clicking on a blog post.
  2. What have you learned about yourself in 2019?
    • Lots! I am doing new things like yoga that I never would have been interested in before.
  3. If you could change one thing about your life what would it be?
    • I would probably retire (very early!). I am not against work but there are loads of things I could be doing outside of it. My work life balance isn’t always there so even if I don’t win the Euromillions I would definitely shift this balance a little.
  4. What is the 1 goal you have most struggled to achieve? Why do you think you struggle with this?
    • Honestly…having a list of proper goals to start off with. I am rubbish at lists and get bored quite easily.
  5. What are you most proud of about yourself?
    • That I am a pretty ok person who cares about people.
  6. If you were asked to create a blog most outside of your wheelhouse or comfort zone what would it be about? 
    • Hair and makeup. Which is odd as I am thinking of writing one about hair when I head to get my cut and colour later today. I wish I was good at styling hair and makeup.

My Nominations

My Official Questions:

  1. What has confused you recently? Did you find the answers?
  2. When was the last time you laughed? As in a proper belly laugh. Are you able to share what it was?
  3. Did you have a favourite thing to wear as a child/teenager that you now cringe at the thought of? If so what was it?
  4. Is there a famous person (dead or alive) that you would want as a follower on your blog? Who and why?
  5. If you could be anywhere, with any resources, where would it be?

Unofficial Questions:

  1. Why did you start blogging?
  2. How will your blog look in 2020 (readers, posts…)?
  3. Is there anything you would change in your life?
  4. What is your biggest achievement so far?
  5. Savoury or sweet?
  6. Do you have a favourite film or book? If so what and why?

That was not easy at all! Thanks again to Cassie for nominating me 🙂