A to Z of me

I saw this over on BLD in Montana and I thought it would be fun to give it a go.

A=Age; 27

B=Bed size; Queen.  We bought a new bed in Melbourne but it has really come time to replace the mattress - which bought off a family friend when we got married.  A spring has sprung so to speak, so there is some competition over who has what side of the mattress. I seem to get it more often than not, as DH asserts he is considerably heavier than I so it digs into him more:)

C=Chore that you hate; vacuuming.  Absurd, I know, but it always takes me so long. 

D=Dogs; Two, small fluffy things.

E=Essential start to you day; a shower and clean hair!  I am a little obsessive about the latter.

F= Favourite colour; Apple green 

G=Gold or silver; Gold

H= Height; 168cm or 5 ft 6 in.

I=- Instruments you play; Piano and Euphonium; though since I haven't played the latter since I left school my competency is questionable.

J=Job title; Stay-at-home Mum.

K-Kids; one.

L=Live; Toowoomba, but very shortly that will be Darwin.

M=Mother's name; hmm, not really my information to share.

N=Nickname; None.  My mum and dad utilised their combined (at the time) 40 odd years of teaching to come with a name that does not lend itself to being shortened.  My mum always calls me Possum Magic (after the Mem Fox story) though.

O=Overnight hospital stays; one as a baby for plastic surgery after I cut my face open falling out of my parents bed (the plastic surgeon was one of my Dad's former students - Perth is a small place) and I had a few nights when Ginger was born.

P=Pet peeves; people making social arrangements (or discussing events that have occurred) in front of people they have no intention of inviting.

Q=Quotes from a film;  goodness, I am not much of a film buff - but "Tell him his dreaming" from The Castle makes me laugh.

R=Right or left handed; Right.

S= Siblings; Only child.

T=Time you wake up; usually 6:15  - that is when Ginger stirs because DH turns on the shower.  DH has usually been up for an hour or so getting some study done.

U=Underwear; Really?  Lets find another 'U' word - university.  I am very glad I went even if I am not using my knowledge at the moment.

V=Vegetable I hate:  eggplant.  I can tolerate it in Moussaka but nothing else.

W=What makes you run late; hmm, running 5 minutes early and thinking I can just squeeze in one more job before I go.

X=Xrays you've had; ankle (age 4), dental, pregnancy scans - I can't really think.  Oh, I had one done on my foot when I fractured a bone at ballet.

Y=Yummy food that you make; lemon cake and molasses cookies.  They are definitely favourites around here.

Z=Zoo animals; I love the orangutans.  Ginger has never been to the zoo so we are planning a trip to Singapore Zoo when we go up to visit my in-laws in December.

100 Things About Me

I wrote this post last night. Unfortunately when I came to publish it all my numbering disappeared and I didn't have time to redo it. You may notice I was complaining about not receiving a phone call from my husband. It never came through. Unfortunately I woke this morning to read that one Australian soldier had been killed in Afghanistan and two seriously injured. When an incident like that occurs the communications network is shut down to ensure that the families of the casulties are the first to know. I hope to speak to my husband tonight, but I have had an email to say he is safe.

Moments like this really make you think. I am so sorry for the families of those killed/hurt. And yet, I am so grateful that it is not my loved one. Feeling like this gives me a lot of guilt, and the only way I know to deal with it is to pray for the families affected and those injured and killed. I don't suppose there is a lot else anyone can do - except pray that the wars end soon and all our remaining service men and women can come home safely.

Anyway, on to a more cheery topic.....here are a hundred facts about me. Current at 10 pm last night!

1. I am an only child.
2. I went to the same school for 12 years.
3. I did all 14 years of my school education at girls’ schools. I do not think this has negatively impacted me in anyway, despite the rude comments some people make about this kind of education!
4. I loved school. My favourite day was Heather Lamont Day – a craft and performing arts day held once a year.
5. I think I still abide by my school motto, ‘per ardua ad alta’. It means “strive for the highest”.
6. I have an Economics degree.
7. I graduated with first class honours.
8. I did a study abroad at a college in upstate New York. My time there was the highlight of my university experience.
9. I am originally from Western Australia. My family still lives there.
10. My Dad’s side of the family were founding settlers in Western Australia. My (7) Greats Grandfather arrived from England on HMS Sulphur on June 29, 1829. Foundation Day was June 29, 1829.
11. My Mother is from New Zealand.
12. I have dual citizenship because of this.
13. My husband and I married young at age 22.
14. My husband is my best friend.
15. My husband and I were high school sweethearts.
16. My husband is the only man I have ever dated.
17. My favourite bible verse is “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11.
18. I love dark chocolate.
19. I also love bread and butter pudding.
20. I do not like seafood or mushrooms. I will not eat either – or anything that has touched them.
21. I do not like my foods to mix. I try to keep them separate on my plate.
22. I can not stand the smell of tuna.
23. I am currently waiting for my husband to phone me from Iraq. We will have 10 minutes to talk when he finally gets through. I wait all day for this – it is definitely the highlight.
24. I just bought my first item of clothing from Ebay. It is J Crew and I am concerned I might not have got the right size, as Australian sizing is different to American sizing. I guess time will tell.
25. I still do ballet and Irish dancing. Some people think this is strange.
26. I should be sitting my Royal Academy of Dancing grade 7 ballet exam in October.
27. I play the piano.
28. I can sight read the treble clef. The base clef takes more effort.
29. This is unusual as I played the Euphonium for 8 years at school. All music for the Euphonium is written for the base clef.
30. I love to read. I get through about 3 or 4 books a week. Most of my reading is done on public transport.
31. My don’t think I have a favourite book but I have a number I like very much.
32. I wish I spoke a foreign language. Unfortunately all I have is school level German.
33. I am really close to my parents. I speak to them at least once a day.
34. I am very indecisive.
35. However, I am extremely organised. This does not work well when you are married to someone in the military. With the military, you can not plan on anything.
36. I like lists.
37. I like to wear hair ribbons. At 24 I am not overly sure this is always appropriate.
38. I am terrible at parallel parking. This is a problem as most parking in Sydney is parallel parking.
39. I also do not like to park turning to the left, or reversing.
40. I enjoy writing. Not creative writing, but writing essays.
41. I have two small dogs – Abby and Monty. Both are Maltese X and both were rescued from the pound.
42. I have very fine, straight hair. It drives me nuts because it does not keep any body. I do like the fact it is naturally blonde.
43. My favourite colour is pink.
44. I prefer to wear skirts and dresses to pants or shorts. When I was a child I flatly refused to wear jeans.
45. I can be very stubborn. See previous.
46. I have blue eyes like my Dad. My Mum has green eyes.
47. I am more of a cat person than a dog person, but as my husband is highly allergic to cats we have dogs.
48. I miss my cat and dog which stayed in Perth with my parents. I think my cat feels like I abandoned her.
49. I moved to Sydney to take up a graduate position. My husband managed to get posted here when we got married.
50. When I open a packet of medication, I like to work from one end to the other. My husband thinks I am slightly OCD.
51. Nuts and liquorice are the only foods I will eat that my husband will not.
52. I like the cold. You can dress for warmth but not always for coolness.
53. I like having nice writing paper.
54. I prefer hand written correspondence to email.
55. I get nervous speaking on the telephone.
56. It really annoys me when people don’t acknowledge gifts – particularly those sent through the post.
57. After 12 years of wearing a green uniform there was a phase where I could not stand the colour.
58. I love wicker baskets.
59. I sometimes wish I had been born earlier as I love the fashion of the 1950s.
60. I am slightly baby obsessed at present.

61. I hope that I can stay home when I have children.
62. I used to do speech – or elocution if you prefer – exams when I was at school.
63. I have a very quiet voice. People often complain that they can’t hear me. This is the reason my Mother put me in speech and drama classes.
64. I am still waiting for my husband to phone. He is 76 minutes late. I am concerned the communications network might have been shut down at his end.
65. It annoys me when people don't keep left on escalators. I suppose if I was American it would annoy me if people didn't keep right.
66. I believe somebody hears my prayers.
67. I do not particularly enjoy my work. I do not think it is a bad job, but it is not right for me. I am hoping to find something that is a better fit in the future.
68. I start work very early – 7:30am. I asked to do this so I can finish early. Usually I can leave about 4:15pm. Unfortunately it means getting up at 5:45am.
69. I am currently letting the dogs sleep on the bed. My husband does not approve.
70. The dogs will have to unlearn this habit before my husband gets home.
71. My favourite version of Little Women the movie is the 1949 one with Elizabeth Taylor in it.
72. I love watching musicals.
73. Among my favourites are “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” and “Meet me in St Louis”.
74. I can not stand to have marks on my clothing. I was really obsessive about this as a child.
75. I drink lots of tea. I do not drink coffee.
76. I am obsessed with Chai Lattes at present. The lady who mans the coffee machine at the cafeteria at work knows my order!
77. I do not like it when people are late for engagements. I think it shows a lack of respect for other people’s time.

78. Eating golden toasty warm crumpets, drinking tea and reading are my favourite things to do on a cold, wet wintery day.
79. I like to bake. Biscuits and cakes are my favourite things to make. I try not to eat them too much though. My husband's absence has really hampered me in the baking regard as I have lost my chief consumer.
80. I eat a lot of fruit.
81. I love summer fruit including berries, apricots, grapes and plums.
82. For winter fruits, oranges are my favourites.
83. I am a bit of an Anglophile. I think this is a result of my Nanna’s influence.
84. My best friends are friends from school.
85. I love my three year old niece (cousin’s daughter). She has such a big personality and makes me laugh. She also loves to give hugs and I love getting cuddles.
86. I lost my teddy bear in America when I was 6. The owners of the hotel found it in the bed and shipped it back to me in Australia. It took 3 months.
87. My teddy bear still sits on our bed. Her name is 'Teddy'.
88. I have a fondness for bed linen.
89. I like embroidered table cloths.
90. My favourite flowers are tulips. I was very disappointed to not be able to have them in my wedding bouquet because they were out of season.
91. I like to have porridge (oatmeal) for breakfast. I serve it with walnuts, apple or banana, and brown sugar.
92. I think that whether or not people agree with us (Australia) having a troop presence in Iraq and Afghanistan they should support the soldiers that are there. I am proud of my husband.
93. I can’t wait for my husband to come home. He will be back in 3 months.
94. I only have 6 weeks before I see him for his R&R. We are meeting up in Malaysia.
95. I believe that when people move to another country they should accept and embrace the values it upholds.
96. I am having strawberries, Greek yoghurt and granola for breakfast tomorrow. I have to go and chop up the strawberries in minute.
97. I am not very good at sports. I think that this might have something to do with me not liking to perspire. My Nanna always said “pigs sweat, people perspire”. I think of this when I hear someone say they are sweaty. It makes me laugh.
98. I like watching Oprah so much that I tape it every day and watch it when I get home from work.
99. For relaxation I read detective stories. The kind with the nice clean murders….I just want to read about the detecting. My favourite fictional detectives are Mrs Marple, Poirot, Inspector Brunetti, Mma Ramotswe, Agatha Raisin, Daisy Dalyrymple, and Phryne Fisher.
100. I mowed the lawn for the first time 2 weeks ago. It was such a traumatic experience that I am never doing it again. Even if we only have a 2 metre square patch I am getting a professional in.

Bits and Bobs

I don't have much to post about tonight.....I spent the day at work where nothing much exciting happened.

We had an interesting sermon last night at church. It was given by a young man who is leaving our church to attend one in the city with his wife. He has been at our church all his life and so it was very emotional for everyone. He has a real gift for speaking and is considering entering the ministry or going on mission.

He spoke on psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd. He told a couple of stories which really touched me. One was about a French chaplain during the war who would preach to his soldiers before they went out to battle. He told to count out the first five words of psalm 23 on their fingers, Shepherd landed on their thumb. The Chaplain told the soldiers to hang onto their thumb when they were in difficulties and it would remind them that the Lord was looking after them. At the end of a battle they went out to collect the dead and wounded, and they found a dead man with his gun by his side holding on to his thumb.

What a moving story.

I also thought I would have a go at Lauren's meme. Be sure to visit her over on Adventures of a Southern Newlywed

What accessories do you wear everyday? I wear my engagement ring and wedding band, a ring my parents gave me for my 21st and another heart ring they gave me for my 10th birthday. I also wear a cross (it was my Aunt's when she was young and I got it when I was baptised). I usually have gold sleepers in my ear, and a black leather watch on my wrist.

What is your beauty routine? In the morning I shower, wash my hair, do the Clinique 3 step process, and put on my makeup. Then I breakfast before going back to do my hair and clean my teeth. In the evening, I take off my makeup and clean my teeth again.

What was the last item of clothing you bought? Does a wetsuit count? Actually, I think it was a rose coloured top, but I haven't bought anything this year.

Do you use a dresser, closet, or both? We have a built in and I top it up with the drawers in my dressing table (which I love).

What type of earrings are in your ears right now? Gold sleepers.

What type of figure do you have? Average I guess, 5'6" (and I weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces when I was born which I think is kind of ironic).

Do you wear glasses? Yes.

What type of handbag do you carry? A black zip up one - I think its italian.

What is your ideal style? I like women who dress with femininity (I can't spell). I guess the classic looks of the 1940s and 1950s are very appealing.

What jewelry are you wearing right now? See question 1.

Do you wear knee-hi stockings? No!

Do you wear makeup? I wear it inconsistently. It really depends how late I am running in the morning. I am beginning to think I should just carry it with me to work and put it on there since I am usually the first in. [As a side note - sob story: I dropped and smashed my blush this morning because I was rushing!]

Do you wear nightgowns? Actually I love nightgowns particularly lovely feminine cotton ones in summer - so cool. In winter I am all for the flannel PJs.

What outerwear do you put on when going out on a typical winter's day? Usually a camel coat and matching beret. I change the colour of my scarf day to day. I catch a train early in the morning and it is usually chilly.

What is your favorite perfume? Miss Dior Cherie (or is it the other way around - I can't be bothered going to check in the bedroom).

Is your motto "quality over quantity"? Yes, I would rather invest in something I love to wear regularly.

Do you wear rain boots? We call them gumboots here in Australia. And, I do have pair of jade coloured ones for taking the dogs to the park when it is raining.

Do you wear socks or slippers when your feet get cold? I have slippers (several pairs in fact) - but in all honesty I wear socks.

Do you have a set of travel luggage? No.

What is your daily uniform? At work I usually wear a skirt or trousers, a blouse and a knit jumper (add tights in winter). I usually have a cardigan over the top of the jumper (what you guys call a sweater) because I am always cold in the airconditioning.

If you are married, did you wear a veil with your wedding dress? Yes it was a half length veil, it had some beading on it that matched the bottom of my wedding dress.

Do you wear a watch? Yes, gold with a black leather band.

What item of clothing always makes you feel extremely beautiful? I like wearing a summer dress or skirt and blouse.

What is your favorite type of yarn? Going to go with cashmere here, or lambswool. I will not buy cotton.

Do you prefer zippers or buttons? On cardigans buttons.

School's Back In!

Australian students went back to school today for the new school year. It got me thinking, it is 20 years ago this week that I started my educational career.

Here I am at the grand old age of four on my first day of kindergarten!

I think I was a little bit nervous don't you?

All About Me Meme

I am going to follow Mrs LSL's lead and do a meme for my post this evening. Lazy I know, but it is Friday night!

1. What is your occupation? Economist
2. What colour are your socks right now? Bare feet but I was wearing pink socks with lacy elastic at work (casual Friday!)
3. What are you listening to right now? My husband is watching the 7pm ABC news, so I am listening to that...talking about the US issuing cheques as an economic stimulus at present.
4. What was the last thing you ate? We just had country chicken risotto for tea
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Well, I learnt on a manual, but I don't know if I could drive it any more - I haven't driven one since I did my test at 17.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? pink!
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? I took a call for a colleague that wasn't at her desk.
8. How old are you today? 24
9. Favorite drink? Lindt dark hot chocolate
10. What is your favourite sport to watch? Tennis or cricket
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? I've had streaks before.
12. Favorite reality TV show? The Madness of Modern Families
13. What was the last movie you watched? The Golden Compass
14. Favorite day of the year? Christmas Day.
15. What do you do to vent anger? Ring my Mum or speak to my husband - and cry.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? My teddy named "teddy" - my grandparents gave it to me the day I was born (they had bought it as a christmas present in case I came early).
17. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Spring.
18. Hugs or kisses? Hugs.
19. Cherries or blueberries? I like both; but probably cherries most.
20. Do you want your friends to email you back? I like confirmation that have received my email 21. Favorite dessert? Lemon merengue pie
22. Living arrangement? I live in a 4 bedroom, two bathroom home with my husband and 2 dogs. We don't use the second bathroom as it saves cleaning.
23. When was the last time you cried? Last week; though I almost burst into tears over a book I was reading on the train home this afternoon.
24.What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes.
25. What did you do last night? Went to a medical appointment then out to dinner with my husband - we had vietnamese.
26. What inspires you? Craft blogs, Book blogs, books and magazines.
30. What are you afraid of? cockroaches
31. Plain, cheese, or spicy burgers? Cheeseburger
32. Favorite breed of dog? I love St Bernards; not very practical though.
33. How many years at your current job? 2 years - in a weeks time.
34. Favorite day of the week? Friday because the whole weekend is ahead of me.
35. How many states have you lived in? 2, Western Australia and New South Wales. I also spent 6 months in New York
36. Celebrity crush? James Darcy....I loved him as Nicholas Nickelby.
37. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? No.
38. Who is your favorite NFL team? Ok, not relevant to an Australian. But I go for the Dockers in the AFL.
39. Do you have a house phone that is not cordless? No, but really should get one.
40. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather? As we are currently suffering through summer with no airconditioning in our home I have to say 10 inches of snow.