thursday ramblings
I’m taking part in the Ultimate Blog Party! This is my welcome post – come in and say hello. It’ll be lovely to meet you.
As an introduction, here are some little-known facts about me:
1: As a child I lived in St Kilda in Melbourne, Australia (with Mrs Hall)*. I loved it. We went to the beach after school, we had pie for lunch, we had suntans, wore sandals and had skinned knees.
St Kilda Beach, Melbourne, Australia
2: One of my ambitions (besides running the London Marathon) is to compete in the Tevis Cup, an endurance ride which covers 100 miles across the Sierra Nevada in one day. The motto of endurance riders worldwide is To Finish is to Win. I like that.
©The New Albion Stud, CA, USA.
3: I’m obsessed with Arabian horses.
..and Allah took a handful of the South wind and formed the horse
I blame Patricia Leitch and her beautiful Jinny at Finmory series of pony books. I read them so often as a young girl that when I turn to them now on a rainy afternoon for comfort reading, every word is an old, familiar friend.
4: We rarely call anyone by their proper name in our family. I blame my dad for this. As a result, at the age of 3 I introduced myself to a stranger as Freddie Blootus. My children are Vortimul, Archimus-and-a-mul, Noodling and Pickleish.
5: I am extremely bendy. I can almost do the splits, I can high kick above my head, and I can sit in the Lotus position. Not bad for a fat girl.
I can also bite my own toenails, but that’s not something I do on a regular basis. Unfortunately my daughter is a nailbiter, so the cry of ‘stop biting your toenails’ is often heard in our house.
6: I am an extremely fast reader. I read a book in a night, more often than not. When I go on holiday, I have to take about 12 books with me. Last year I devoured the entire series of Sookie Stackhouse novels on a ten day trip to France. If you haven’t read them, do. They’re far better than True Blood.
7: I have the attention span of a peanut. It’s true. Ask my friends.
I’ve been given this award by the gorgeously-named Utterly Scrumptious. In exchange, I’ve told you you seven things about me. I’d like to tag Rhona, Hannah, Garry, Karyn, Joanna, Julia, Rebekah and Suzanne to tell me 7 things about themselves, because I’m nosey.
*Mrs Hall is a family joke. I don’t have a clue who Mrs Hall is. Ask my mother in law, she knows.
___________________________________________
Please vote for my blog here!
well – once the marathon is safely behind you – we can sit you on an arab and let you do a few miles round hillesden – I know its not the Tevis but its a start!
Firstly you need an e-book reader like the Amazon Kindle – then you can take hundreds of books with you. We have the same problem here – one suitcase for clothes and another for books.
Secondly I get you totally on the attention span thing – I have the same problem. That's why I make a good trainer cos I can relate to the boredom!
I downloaded the kindle app onto my iPhone, and despite claiming I'd never use an ebook reader, they're really very good, aren't they?
Glad to hear I'm not the only one with no attention span – it's why I'm far better being self employed!
Yay! And it's a long, long way to the Tevis. But a couple of miles on a Fell pony would be a good start!
Thanks for the tag! Seven things about me? Interesting things?? Blimey…
You can do it! Your blog is full of interesting things!
Now I won't be able to get “From St. Kilda to Kings Cross, it's 13 hours on a bus” out of my head. (Not that that is a bad thing.)
These were great things to learn about you. I've always loved, loved horses… but, sadly, found myself too scared to ride, once I had the chance. Even part-boarded a horse for a while until I finally had to admit to myself that I would never be able to relax.
I have an incredibly short attention span, too. I suspect I have ADD, I really do.
My dad never called anyone by their correct name, either. (Often because he couldn't remember names, but covered this up with charm.) At his funeral, a friend I hadn't seen for years, came up to me and said, “Remember how your dad used to call me 'Roxanne?'”
The attention span of a peanut!! Love it!
You certainly grew up in a beautiful place, lucky you.
CJ xx
Not sure I could cope with you doing the Tevis Cup after your experiences for the marathon! Lol!
We've all got nick names. I'm Baglet, OH is Peeps & DS is Tiddly!
Love your ramblings……..most impressed by your speed reading ability! Had a little delve into some of your older blogs and now have major lump in my throat. Truly inspirational stuff! I have just purchased a treadmill (arriving soon) to get my self kick started and who knows, I could be joining you next year (yeah right). Good luck. Sophie xxxxx
Oh, thank you Sophie!
I never thought a year ago that I'd be booking myself in for a half marathon AFTER the full one. I'm hoping by July there might be a little bit more running and a bit less walking, but even if there isn't I guess it's better than doing nothing.
I'd love it if you did join me next year! xxx
Oh Baglet (hahahaha, I love that) I'm sure you'd be great at holding my hand through the preparation for 100 miles across a mountain range on horseback!
It was beautiful and I loved it – couldn't ever understand as a child why we had to come back to the UK, and I've always hankered after going back there. Not so sure I could cope with the spiders now, mind you.
I think the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! You and I are like two peas in a slightly wonky pod. xxx
I like that! I'll take being like you any day.
I wasn't able to finish my comment because my friend arrived at the door… embarrassingly, I had to at least finish typing my sentence. She's not a life-online sort of person, so must have wondered when I said: “Sorry! I just had to finish commenting on something…” What I meant to add is that my friend's name is Carol. Yes, Dad inexplicably called her “Roxanne.” But it so tickled her that +20 years later, it was one of the first things she said to me at his funeral, years and years after we'd last seen one another. I used to find that habit of his somewhat embarrassing, but I recognize it now as charm, a quirk that amused others.
Also, meant to comment on your flexibility: you should have been a ballet dancer! Bet you've got perfect turnout, too, haven't you?
Hahahaha! Yes, I do have perfect turnout, even still, but I never did ballet. At the time I was only interested in horses, and it was one or the other, and now I am the size of two ballet dancers stuck together with sellotape. Oink.
Oh boy. Now I have to be clever….this may take some time. Although one comes to mind immediately.
Oh, I'm looking forward to this…
I rode a horse that had done Tevis 9 times. That's as close as I want to get!!
Wow, how exciting! Are you sure you can't be persuaded to join me?!
greetings from UBP10 and lovin your blog good luck on the marathon http://Pixiehollowenchantasies.blogspot.com
Hello! Thanks for visiting! I'm going to visit you now.