13 new things about me

1. When I was a child it was common to put honey on children's dummies. I don't know why, but my mother, a trained dietitian by profession, chose instead to use Vegemite on mine. Apparently she was not alone. This strange decision probably saved me from botulism poisoning, but is also likely to be a contributing factor in my great love for the smelly black stuff to this day. I have Vegemite spread on multigrain toast for breakfast every day (except when hubby makes pancakes). I even carry a tube with me when I travel. I spread it really, really thickly - almost as thickly as Jemimah spreads Nutella. My family thinks I am very strange.
   
   
   
   
2. My father emigrated to Australia from Scotland in his early 20s. My Australian-born mother and he attempted to keep his culture alive as we were growing up. As a consequence I learned Highland Dancing from a young age and can still dance a pretty good Highland Fling. I also earned the bagpipes and played in our school's Pipe Band. We sang Scottish songs. Even now, The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen transports me instantly back to my childhood and singing during long journeys in the car. Robbie Burns is my favourite poet, only we called him Rabbie, and I can recite To a Mouse without a mistake.

   Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
   O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
   Thou need na start awa sae hasty
   Wi bickering brattle!
   I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
   Wi' murdering pattle.
   
   I'm truly sorry man's dominion
   Has broken Nature's social union,
   An' justifies that ill opinion
   Which makes thee startle
   At me, thy poor, earth born companion
   An' fellow mortal!
   
   I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
   What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
   A daimen icker in a thrave
   'S a sma' request;
   I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
   An' never miss't.
   
   Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!
   It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
   An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
   O' foggage green!
   An' bleak December's win's ensuin,
   Baith snell an' keen!
   
   Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
   An' weary winter comin fast,
   An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
   Thou thought to dwell,
   Till crash! the cruel coulter past
   Out thro' thy cell.
   
   That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
   Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
   Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble,
   But house or hald,
   To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
   An' cranreuch cauld.
   
   But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
   In proving foresight may be vain:
   The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
   Gang aft agley,
   An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
   For promis'd joy!
   
   Still thou are blest, compared wi' me!
   The present only toucheth thee:
   But och! I backward cast my e'e,
   On prospects drear!
   An' forward, tho' I canna see,
   I guess an' fear!

3. On that same note, I am passionate about the preservation of the Scots language and understand even the broadest Scots with ease, although I am unable to speak it owing primarily to an inability to 'roll my R'. I would have a speech impediment if I lived in Scotland! Geordie's Mingin Medicine, translated by Matthew Fitt from George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl is my favourite children's book in Scots:

   Geordie's Grannie wis a grabbie crabbit auld wumman wi peeliewally broon teeth and a wee snirkit-up mooth like a dug's bahookie. She wis aye compleenin, girnin, greetin, grummlin and mulligrumphin aboot somethin or ither. She wis a meeserable auld grumph.

   When my cousin, David Thompson MSP was elected to Scottish Parliament in 2007, he made his swearing in vows in English, Scots and Gaelic.
   
   
4. I collect the antique blue and white pottery known as Asiatic Pheasant. When I first started to collect it I used it on a regular basis, but since that time it has become more collectible and scarcer and the value has risen to such an extent that I rarely use it nowadays. I no longer buy it for myself, but have been given some particularly beautiful pieces by my work colleagues in recent years and so my collection continues to grow. I do not like the modern reproduction pieces at all.
   
   My favourite pieces are a soup tureen complete with plate stand and ladle, and a sugar basin set. I long to find a pink piece, but the only plate I have ever seen was cracked and was not worth the exorbitant asking price. I do have purple and grey examples though. I will post pics of my collection one day.
   
   
5. I dislike the word 'got' immensely. I will rephrase a sentence immediately if I discover I have used it inadvertently. This stems from a teacher of my mother's, who told her - in her impressionable youth - that it was an ugly word . Say it aloud a few times and see if you don't agree - got got got. See?
   
   I still use 'gotta' though. Go figure.
   
   
6. I am a sweet tooth although I rarely eat sweet things. My favourite lollies are 'bananas' and 'strawberries and creams' - both by Allens. I shared this with my maternal grandmother and this was a good thing because she always had a big lolly jar full of them when I visited. I also love caramel butters. This has not altered since my Primary School years.
   
   
7. I am descended from John Knox.
   
   
8. I have climbed to Taktshang Goemba - the Tiger's Nest - 3,120 metres above sea level. If you know how much I dislike climbing hills you would know just how much of an achievement this actually is.
   
   
9. I have eaten horse, dog, frog, grasshoppers and snake, witchety grubs, sea snails, sea cucumbers and sea urchin. I don't much like offal, but love haggis probably due to #2 above.
   
   
10. I find it difficult to give my testimony because I cannot remember a time that I did not know Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I pray daily that my daughter may also come to know him as her Saviour early in life. My husband's testimony, on the other hand, is fascinating - and not only to his wife.
    
    
11. I have a high arched palate, but do not have either Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome nor Marfan Sydrome. The roof of my mouth does, however, excite every dentist I have ever seen, who then seems very disappointed when I tell him/her than I suffer from neither of these hereditary connective tissue disorders.
    
    
12. I have not dyed my hair for about 20 years. During my university years, however, it was a number of interesting colours including bright beetroot pink. My mother encouraged me very much in this interesting experiment, and seemed rather disappointed that I did not continue with the trendsetting styles. I am sad that I do not have a photograph of myself taken during this time, but do still have friends who remember!! I used to pair my beetroot-locks with a pink only wardrobe. My favourite item of clothing was a pink houndtooth coat bought from an Op shop in Lygon Street. My mother was responsible for the coat as well.
    
    
13. This post has taken far too much of my valuable time - and also that of my beloved, without whom the list would have been far shorter, and much less interesting and varied. If you want to know anything new about us I shall have to write about him instead!! I have only completed this monumentally frivolous task in order to receive the two awards that have been so kindly bestowed on me - provided I could come up with this list. Now that the list is done, I'm going to accept the reward with alacrity!!

Okay, this first exciting award is from Ganeida at Ganeida's Knots! Wow, thank you so much!!

These are the rules:

1. Thank the person who gave this to you - done
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog - done
3. Link the person who nominated you - done.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know - done. That'll be 1-7 above.
5. Nominate 7 other bloggers & let them know they are nominated. Ummm not yet done...

Okay, let's see:

• Joyfulmum from her eponymously named blog, Joyfulmum, who is one of the mums who most encourages me to keep writing.
• Jillian at Homeschooling4Christ who has gifted me with many awards and whose own blog continually inspires me.
• Hopewell at Hopewell Takes on Life!, whose kids are older than Jemimah and who always has helpful advice on my curriculum choices. She also makes me laugh with her ascerbic wit.
• Chef Penny from Our Crazy Adventures in Autismland!
• Rachael from Homeschooling Kiwi Style
• Sara Mac from MacBlog - Classical Chaos
• Spesamor Academy from Four Little Penguins

This next award is from Jillian from Homeschooling4Christ. This is just too awesome, Jillian - thank you!

To claim this award I need to come up with another six things - that's 8-13 above, and nominate another 6 bloggers.

• Sue from Living and Learning
• Jen from Jen's Thoughts
• Amy from Quo Vadis?
• Therese from Aussie Coffee Shop
• Melanie from Sweet Blue Sky Days
• YOU from YOUR BLOG!!

I follow so many good blogs. In this megalist I've tried to spread the bloggy love around a bit. My close bloggy friends know who they are. if you're name is not here it doesn't mean I don't love you or your blog. It just means that I'd like to introduce you so some other people who write terrific stuff that I like to read.

Thanks Jillian and Ganeida. Your endorsement of A Peaceful Day means a lot to me. To those to whom I pass on these awards, I think your blogs are terrific. To the rest of you I hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about me! It was fun compiling the list!

PS If you've enjoyed learning a little more about me then you may enjoy reading this!