My good friend Amy at Turn To the Music has tagged me in a meme, and left me a few questions to answer. I haven’t done one of these in a while, so thought it might be good fun and a way for new readers to the blog to discover a bit more about me.
So here are my answers to Amy’s questions:
1. What inspires you to blog?
I’ve always been a writer, from a very early age. Blogging is another way to tap into my need to write. I also started up this blog as a way to connect with people who had similar interests – when I started growing my own, I felt quite isolated and removed from people my own age. It was also partly down to personal circumstances, but my life has changed in a lot of ways since I began keeping this online journey towards the Good Life. Also, reading other people’s blogs inspires me to get on with things. It’s very motivating. I love getting comments, and although I don’t always reply (must try harder), I value each and every one.
2. What’s the best thing about blogging, for you?
As above, connecting with people trying to do a similar thing. Like I said, very motivational. You realise that it’s not just you that makes mistakes, that nobody’s perfect, but at the same time ‘ordinary’ people are capable of great things, even if they’re ‘everyday’ things. I also love the opportunities that blogging brings. I feel like I’ve gained so much from just rambling on about what I’m getting up to and my quite random thoughts and feelings. There’s also the fact that it’s nice to feel that people are interested in what you’ve written.
3. What is your favourite book of all time?
Tough one. I think it’s got to be one of the Harry Potters. Or all of them. I totally missed the boat and didn’t start reading the series until 2008. Those books are very important to me because I was at a very low ebb when I started reading them, but something resonated with me and it was a huge comfort. I felt a bit bereft when I finished reading them, and still have that pang when I come to the final pages of Deathly Hallows. The books have lead to new friendships, and helped me in a lot of ways that I can’t even explain. They’re like good friends. I can’t believe I left it so long before reading them.
4. It’s 9pm and for some reason you’ve been hungry all day, despite the three square meals. What do you rustle up?
It’s got to be cheese on toast, or a cheese toastie (yes, there is a difference!) with Branston pickle. Or maybe I’ll grill a beanburger and stick it between two slices of wholegrain multiseed bread with tomato sauce, or sweet chilli suace. I’m a woman of simple tastes!
5. Who are three of your style icons?
When I was a teenager in the 90s, I adored the style of Pattie Boyd around 65-68. I’ve never really had any style icons per se. I just like layered looks, vintage pin-up/40s glam (without the fur), country styles, retro styles. I’m crap with fashion really, I’m not very good at getting it right, can rarely afford new clothes, and need a lot of help putting outfits together. Unlike my sister. I quite like the way Alexa Chung dresses (although I can’t ever being capable to dress the way she does), and I like Katy Perry’s vintage slant. There – that brings us up to 3.
6. What’s your current favourite song/piece of music?
Hard one. Beatles are just perennial favourites, especially 64-66. I could happily listen to them any time. I like to listen to Vaughan Williams sometimes when I’m wired in at work (I love Hugh Bean’s version of The Lark Ascending so much), and really enjoyed Mark Ronson’s The Bike Song. But nothing really grips or excites me in the music world these days. Sadly.
7. What is the last book you read?
I tend to have the HP series on the go in the background. I just finished a re-read of ‘Going Home’ by Harriet Evans, and am about to pick up John Seymour’s A New Guide to Self Sufficiency for some referencing today!
8. What is your current favourite recipe?
I don’t have a specific recipe I’m following at the moment, but we recently bought a load of bulk Indian spices, as we’ve been experimenting with butternut squash recipes using our homegrown butternut squashes. We’re almost there – if we feel as if we’ve managed to perfect the recipe then I’ll post it up here!
So there you are. A short interlude to the ramblings of my brain. If you’ve dropped by and managed to read this, consider yourself tagged! I’d also specifically like to ask these fellow bloggers a few questions:
1. Who or what first inspired you to set up your own blog?
2. What object could you not live without?
3. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
4. Who or what made you into the person you are today?
5. What have your learned from blogging?
6. Knowing what you know now, what knowledge would you pass on to your past self?
7. Sunday roasts – lunchtime or evening meal?
8. What has been your best blogging-related experience so far?
Wow. What a brilliant question:
6. Knowing what you know now, what knowledge would you pass on to your past self?
That’s got me thinking…
Thanks for this Lucy, it was interesting reading your answers and I am in the middle of composing a reply post!
Do we get to pick our own questions to pass the meme on, or is there a list somewhere….
Thought provoking exercise, anyway
Soilman – new blog post? I have many, many pearls of wisdom that I could pass on to my younger self, most notably “Don’t bother with your degree, just keep writing”, and “people’s Facebook lives are not real” 🙂
Compostwoman – you can pick your own questions when you pass it on 🙂
Hi Lucy, thanks for sharing this in depth look of yourself – it’s most interesting to add another piece to the Lucy-puzzle.
Hi Lucy-
I’m Judd Corizan from the blog Sunday Stealing. Every week we rip a meme off someone’s blog. Today we chose yours. We give you full credit and link back to your blog. The great thing is that a lot of previous “victims” such as yourself have become regular players! We usually publish the blog between 1 and 3 PM EDT Saturday. We usually get between 50 to 60 people who play and comment on each others responses. And a lot of our players are previous victims of our theft like you! We hope you play along in the weeks to come! Thank you and have a great day…
Judd
Hi Lucy;
1. I used to follow the Tiny Farm Blog out of Canada, and thought it was a brilliant master-piece. When I began to work the land, I tried keeping a paper diary as a way to keep track of what would, and what would not work. I always seemed to lose track of the notebooks, or get them covered in Miracle grow and water. I started blogging just for my own personal records, I never imagined others would read it.
2. I’d like to think I could live without any objects, but if were really going for a survive all tool, I think my home would be it. Other then that, a simple shovel and some seeds could be used quite well to keep me alive.
3. I would love to retire from IT work, and grow vegetables as a hobby. There are about 20 acres around my home of very fertile ground. If I can dream a bit, I see rows of veggies hundreds of feet in lenght, intermixed with berries, fruit trees and ponds to collect and hold rain water.
4. I’d have to say my father made me the way I am today. When he was still around, I worked everyday, morning to night. I’ve learned countless trades from his instruction.
5. I’ve learned one valueable lesson firsthand from blogging. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but most importantly, when they started construction, the final product was never truely imagined. Sometimes just starting a project is the hardest part, but great things are possible with a little work here and there.
6. a.) Growing plants from seed works best in a greenhouse. b.)composted manure is garden gold. c.) Plants need one inch of water per week.
7. I’m not quite skilled enough in the kitchen for roasts. = )
8. Feedback. It nice to work all day and pat yourself of the back, it’s entirely different when others leave positive feedback.
By the way Lucy, I love reading about your garden which is in about the same climate as mine, yet on a different continent.
You are in for a treat reading Seymour 🙂
Enjoy