I found this great challenge - just the way to get my blogging groove back in action. I'm a bit behind so bear with me while I catch up the first eight days. The original post is here, but I found it here. Grab a cup of coffee; this is going to be rather long.
Day 1: Introduction
My About Me just about covers the basics - I'm Pamela, Navy wife, mother of a college sophomore, and diehard Anglophile currently living (where the Navy sends us) in the Evergreen State of Washington, in the glorious Pacific Northwest. I'm a fifty-something Navy wife of a junior officer which makes it really hard since most of my peers are in their twenties and thirties but I'm young at heart so I make it work. I'm from a little of everywhere; Mum was British, Dad American, born in Germany, traipsed all around northern Europe in my child and young adulthood, have lived the longest in California, but met and married my husband and had our only child in the western Pacific. I have a degree in History with an emphasis in 19th and 20th century Europe which I finished because I wanted to make sure that my parents saw me walk down the aisle to pick up my diploma before it was too late. I majored in History because it's what I enjoy especially the monarchies. I love England, I love the Royal Family. I also love to read, travel (virtually when I can't do the real thing) and scrapbook. My parents are gone now and I miss them dreadfully. I have one sister; distance and life in general mean that we don't see or talk to each other as often as we would like but when we do, the time is full of laughter and a few tears.
Day 2: 20 Facts About Me
1. I'm an organizing fanatic - if it can be labelled, I will label it.
2. I love the rain, fog, cloudy days - I am SO in the right part of the USA!
3. I'm a huge fan of the European monarchies - I love the pomp and ceremony, the traditions, the jewels, the historic homes, and the fashions.
4. I'm currently learning everything I can about Norway (which is also opportune given where we live) and am considering taking Norwegian language classes.
5. I like to cook but I'm not very good at it. I need some basic cooking classes as my knife skills are iffy and I just can't seem to master sautéing at all although I have burning to a crisp down pat!
6. If I could live anywhere, it would be in England. My child and young adulthood memories are there and there is still so much more that I would like to see.
7. I'm a Christmas-oholic. I currently have 620 ornaments and tubs of decorations. I love it all.
8. I try to participate in the Christmas in July celebration each year over at Magical Holiday Home. It's a time to try new holiday recipes and crafts without all the rush that the holiday season brings, and a chance to connect with other Christmas lovers.
9. I have a constant battle with my weight and hate to exercise. I had success with the Whole 30 plan but fell off the wagon over the holidays so I'm back on it and hope to stay there.
10. I'm an avid scrapbooker, preserving our family memories.
11. I love to plan family field trips. My husband is great, he'll go anywhere as long as he doesn't have to do the planning so we make a perfect team.
12. I'd love to stop for afternoon tea each day but I make do with visiting a tearoom on special occasions.
13. My tastes far surpass our means so I have to be content with window shopping and dreaming of Gucci, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Lalique, Waterford, etc.
14. I have amassed quite a collection of costume jewelry and am striving to wear it more. A statement necklace can really make an outfit.
15. I love to write and my friends tell me I should write a book. Maybe I'll try that some day.
16. I love to keep in touch with family and friends around the world and Facebook has made that so easy. I'd write more letters but I doubt anyone would write back. Such is our society today.
17. I love British telly and have quite a collection of BBC dramas and comedies.
18. I wish I could manage a weekly salon manicure; I have lovely nails but I'm hopeless at polishing them myself.
19. I have red hair that is hiding the grey very well. It's sort of a gold and silver mix.
20. I can't wait until my husband can leave the stresses of Navy life behind and we can find our forever home.
Day 3: Meaning of My Business Name
I don't have a business but my blog name comes from my obsession with Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) from BBC's Keeping Up Appearances. She's so over the top - I love her.
Day 4: Earliest Childhood Memory
We lived in Norway when I was a child and I remember my father waking me up early one morning to see a huge moose at the end of our garden. We had a house out in the country and the garden backed onto a forest. I had never and still have never seen antlers that huge on a moose.
Day 5: My Guilty Pleasure
Chips and gravy for dinner (that's chips as in the British term for french fries, not potato chips) with a season of All Creatures Great and Small. I think my daughter would put this near the top of her list too.
Day 6: 3 Personality Traits I Am Proud Of
1. I'm kind and always willing to help others.
2. I'm considerate - I strive to be welcoming in our home, at gatherings, in groups. I know what it is like to feel lonely in a room full of people. I pay attention to people's likes and dislikes and act accordingly.
3. I'm respectful - I think it is very important to be polite and have good manners.
Day 7: 10 Favorite Foods
1. Steak
2. Shellfish - Shrimp, Scallops, Lobster, Crab
3. French Bread
4. Really good Pickles - the tiny Cornichons are my favorite.
5. English Chocolate
6. Green Olives
7. Fish and Chips
8. HP Sauce
9. English Biscuits - Jaffa Cakes and Hob Nobs in particular
10. English Bread - haven't been able to find it here yet but I'm still searching
Day 8: Old Photo of Me
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| 1973 |
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| 1967 |
If you made it this far, thank you! Tomorrow's post will be much shorter.
I'm so glad you left a comment on my blog, because I love yours back! I want to do the 31 Day Blog Challenge now. :) I was born in a Navy town, and both of my parents worked civil service at NAS Kingsville (TX). I LOVE BBC! And as for Day 2 #16, I mail letters even though I don't get any back...I feel I'm doing my part to prolong the life of a dying era and support the Post Office, and I always picture the recipients surprise and delight when they reach in their mailbox and find a letter amongst the junk mail. :) I started a few years ago with the 52 Letters in 52 Weeks Challenge, and I loved it so much that I have renewed the challenge to myself each year since. Oh, and I love to make cards, so I get to use them! I used to do a somewhat weekly post on Saturdays about what I had sent out, and I was thinking that I need to get back to posting that again. Okay, this comment is way too long. I look forward to returning!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for visiting and I'm so happy to have you as a follower. I signed up for the Grow Your Blog 2015 event and I was a little embarassed that I didn't have any followers so I called my best friend and my daughter and asked them to follow. Now I have three - I feel like I have hit the jackpot today! As you can see, I started this challenge late so hop on board and join us. I love the 52 Letters in 52 Weeks - I'll have to put that on my blog schedule to start next January since I've got this 31 Day Challenge going and another one due to start in February - it's called the Military Style 30 Day (or I guess that will be 28 days) Challenge.
DeleteI was seriously considering closing my blog but I do so enjoy letting my fingers fly over the keyboard. It's my therapy.
So nice to meet you.
52 Letters in 52 Weeks - not on my blog schedule, I meant on my calendar!
DeleteHow fun! I was trying to figure out from your comment over on my blog what 31 days thing you were talking about. I always try (and don't quite succeed) to do the 31 days in October where you blog about the same subject. I think I like this much better. Loved reading this!
ReplyDeleteYou might enjoy the Blogging from A to Z Challenge that's coming up in April. There are a couple of posts on my blog that have links to the details.
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