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Addressing Awards – 17 Qs & As

In July last year I said …

I also have to declare this an Awards Free Blog, since I have now been awarded two awards – one by raroto over at Duniya Ku and someone else did too, but for the life of me I cannot remember who! Was it you? Own up!  I stumbled across it. I even clicked on it to make sure it was me.  You’re all very welcome to nominate me for Awards. I’ll carry out the associated task and link to your blog. But I wont make myself pick favourites, sorry.  Anyway, I thought I would be getting ahead of myself if I declared myself award-free beforehand. Enough said.

Because I didn’t get around to putting up a permanent notice, I now have two sets of award questions waiting for answers.  Raroto of  Duniya Ku  got another one in practically right away, and recently another set came via Millie Thom. Raroto passed on the Very Inspiring Blogger Award, and asked me to reveal 7 things about myself.  I declined the award but promised to do the task.

Holy Trinity Anglican, Photo: National Trust

Holy Trinity Anglican, Photo: National Trust

1. I first married at the end of March 1973. Since this was during Lent , I wasn’t allowed to have the Wedding March, nor decorate the pews (something I hadn’t even thought of). My Uncle Keith gave me away, though I kept hoping my dad would turn up. I have no idea what music I ended up choosing and wouldn’t know it if I heard it today.

2. I was about two cakeweeks pregnant . I’d been to the doctor to get a script for The Pill, as we didn’t want children right away. She gave me a prescription and a sample packet to begin taking on my next period. Didn’t happen.

3. I’m not the motherly sort. But my kids are so darned gorgeous and easy to love, no matter what.

4. Fast forward to February 1989, I went to New Zealand with my best girlfriend from school. We went on a Footloose bus tour for two weeks and then we hired a little car for the third week to see other parts of NZ . I’ve told you that, I think, but I haven’t told you I didn’t want to come back.

5.  So it will not surprise you to learn that I quit my marriage early the next year, 1990.              I really had no good cause for leaving, but when you find yourself considering pushing your husband off the side of a mountain, you just know it is really, really time to get out. We were on a ‘patch-it-up’ trip to Tasmania but the hole just kept getting deeper.  We got out of the rental car to admire the view over a gorge. He stepped over the guard rail, having a natural wont to do reckless stuff. I distinctly remember thinking how lucky I hadn’t followed through since the car keys were in his pocket. I was unwilling to make the marriage work, even refusing his huge offer of attending marriage guidance.

6. Even when he replaced me, I did not take half his farm or superannuation. Never even thought about being so nasty. I’d forfeited my rights. I kept the car and what I considered mine. And the iron. And the microwave.

7. At the end of 1990, I left town and my job as a doctors’ receptionist-nurse and moved  in with Mr R . We married mid 1992. balloon-bannerNow, Millie’s set of 10 questions.  Blogging Sisterhood Award, I think.

1. What do you like best about blogging? That would be meeting interesting people. I communicate better with my fingers.  😀

Caldecote_Church

St Michael and All Angels Church

2. If you could visit any place in the world, where would that place be and why? The Parish Church, Caldecote, Cambridgeshire, England. Because that is where the ancestor who gave me my maiden surname was baptized on 5 Aug 1792. Smith Parish,  the bastard son of Elizabeth. The original baptism font is still there.

3. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? I would never have married at 18, but worked at making my dream of riding a motorbike around Australia happen. cep p

4. List 3 things that you are proud of doing / having done. This is a hard one, and why it has taken me so long to respond to this last award (I had forgotten about the other). I have done so much to demean myself and hurt others in the past, that I find it very hard to drum up any pride at all in my present.  I’m proud that I am basically an honest person – despite becoming a liar, mostly by omission, during  the shameful facets of my past. I’m proud that I was able to stop drinking. I’m not proud of stopping smoking – I had no choice as Mr R simply forbade it. I’m proud of the community work I did in the small rural town in which I lived from 1973 to 1990: mother’s club, school council, single-handedly organizing adult education classes under the Country Education Project for our primary school, and being a founding member of the local art group, volunteer work with the aged, secretary of a rural locality fire brigade, writing millions of letters to politicians to get us a 4 wheel drive firetruck. I blush now to think of those melodramatic letters on file somewhere. Okay, there was a bit there to be proud of.  Phew! Nowadays, I’m just too lazy. My only community input these days consists of using plastic bags to hold my shopping –  the local hospital gets 5 cents for each one. Actually, if I wasn’t deaf, I might go write letters for the old folks, or something.

5. What was your favourite subject at school, and why did it appeal so much? I cannot decide between Art and English. I loved drawing, painting and writing as long as I didn’t have to think up a topic for myself. Left to my own devices, my mind would go blank.

6. Is there any particular environmental issue that causes you concern? I am a global warming skeptic. Data is continually being manipulated to fit agendas. Testing of the atmosphere has not been carried out long enough for anyone to know what is a normal cycle. Say we could lower the carbon – what happens if we lower it too much and we begin to lose our atmosphere? It is the atmosphere that stops us from freezing every time the sun goes down. However, that said, I see no reason to keep shitting in our nest.

cat

By David Corby Edited by: Arad (Image:Kittyplya03042006.JPG) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

7. What is your favourite childhood memory? Meeting cats for the first time! It was a long time before I realised my memory was wrong – they weren’t huge cats at all – I was just small. They were past my knees and head butted me. I could feel, as well as hear, them purring and their fur felt like teddy bear fur. We brought a kitten home. Maybe several kittens, as I think (from what mum said) we were living in some type of shed or an old mud house which had half of it devoted to hay storage. Lots of mice and rats about.

8. Who is your favourite character in a novel or film and why do you like them so much? Childhood: Pollyanna inspired me with her positive attitude. That story warned me that things can change and you have to rise above it. Usually you can’t do that on your own. Okay, maybe it was only the picture of the stained glass in the Little Golden Book. The_Sword_of_Truth_cover_designsNow: Kahlan, The Mother Confessor, in Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series. She remains positive, determined, thinks things through, and knows when she needs to ask for help. But not all the time, because she isn’t perfect.

9. What is your greatest ambition in life? I want to live to 80. I think that might be do-able, as long as I live a healthier life. I’d like more time, but if that is all I can have, so be it.

10. What is the biggest compliment you have ever had? I still remember my surprise when nominated for the spot as President of a Christian Fellowship group (Uniting Church). I’d been persuaded to attend these social meetings by another young mother. I thought these women must like me. It wasn’t something I had considered possible. balloon-banner Too much?

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40 thoughts on “Addressing Awards – 17 Qs & As”

  1. la_lasciata says:

    Those are easily the most interesting facts springing from the ridiculous ‘awards’ system that I’ve read, CJR !
    But why on earth don’t you put up a page re your not wanting ’em ?

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’ve not long made myself a widget, M-R, for the side bar. I’m about to pop up a tab up the top in the menu. I used to break chain letters, too, and don’t pass on emails – these are chain awards. 😀 😀 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      • la_lasciata says:

        I have a local mate who is constantly being sent those warning emails about this or that dreadful thing about to squash us all, which she dutifully broadcasts … and I take fiendish pleasure in finding the hoax statement and broadcasting it to the same group. She bloody won’t learn !

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  2. The first time someone tried to give me an award, I kind of accidentally on purpose just ignored it (I didn’t really want it and I didn’t know what to do about it). I’ve only ever been offered one other and in that case I was messaged directly for permission first which I very much appreciated (but I still said no). That’s all. I seem to possess a not-very-award-worthy blog. Who knew it could be beneficial to be ordinary? 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Brilliant responses to both awards, Christine, all done with your usual panache and honesty – especially about your earlier marriage and things you’re not proud of having done. Thank you for being brave enough to share those memories. As a geographer I agree with your views on global warming, particularly about the Earth’s natural cycles. If you ever get to Caldecote, let me know. It’s not too far away from where I live! Thank you so much for answering the questions. Having only known you a relatively short while, I had no idea you’d decided against doing any more. It’s a good job you mentioned it because I was on the verge of nominating you for another! Keep well and happy!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I look forward to meeting you in a few years then, Millie. Just waiting for our little dog to pop her clogs before Mr R calls in his super dough and we do what our Prime Minister says we musn’t – splurge on an overseas holiday – and then expect to go on the old age pension later when the cash runs out before it should. 😀 We’ll be getting a campervan when we get to Europe and then selling it back when we’re done. I’ve traced Mr R’s family name to Harwich, Essex. And then there are all the other great-greats to be taken in consideration. And my cousin is buried in Lincoln Castle – Priscilla Biggadyke – last woman to be hanged in public there. She was a Whiley from Friskney. My grandfather was born in Bolton, Lancashire so that turns me into only a 3rd generation Australian. It’ll be fun visiting the places they were all born.

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      • Wow, Christine, you’ve got a great holiday planned, so I really hope it all comes off. It’s funny you should mention your cousin, Priscilla, the last person to be hanged in Lincoln Castle. If I remember rightly, there’s a little sign inside the castle grounds that mentions the last woman to be hanged there. I’ll have to go and have another look. Lincoln’s only seven miles from here. I’ll let you know.

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        • I heard about that. The story can’t have a happy ending even though she was pardoned – bit late for her though, she was dead! Her case is one used to protest the death penalty. 🙂

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  8. I agree with you on the acceptance of awards. Often hollow praise, but in your case praise well-deserved. I thank you for allowing us to know you better. Life is never easy, but easier in retrospect. You show your spunk and intelligence in every post. I look forward to seeing what you post next.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Well alright! Candid and honest, I give you credit as well for revealing parts of yourself that might not be so award-winning. But as it is these are things we have to come to terms with, props for doing so (or trying).

    I’ve only just recently seen a few other “award-free” blogs and wondered about this. Honestly, I’ve only been nominated once (the very inspiring one) and answered the question but I don’t think I remembered to do everything… While it is a nice honor to have another blogger thinking of you I absolutely see their relation to chain letters. Who knows some day down the road I may be saying the same.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I noticed the award-free thing as soon as I began blogging and thought it a good idea. Never having to play favourites when it comes to passing it on to 5 or 10 other bloggers or whatever. I did weaken and play once, only because it suited me to write about my novel. 😀

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      • That makes sense. I don’t want to feel like I have to award other people when I may not necessarily feel that way…seems easier to just say hey ya know what I’m not playing. No offense. 😉

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  10. Carol Ann says:

    You are so real..! No games, no airs…just you! Go girl! You will not be sorry for the planned travel. I would not trade a moment of those memories and if I ever get them written I will share them with you. I can now type with two hands again, but will need extensive therapy to regain lost extension. I am determined never to fall again! Falls can kill you.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oh Carol Ann, I’m so pleased to hear from you. I thought I had lost you. I always shudder when I hear than someone has fallen and smashed themselves up – it is often the beginning of the end! I’m so glad you are getting better. Take care. ❤

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    • Yes, Barbara. I have this nifty software that I can use to edit photos – I cropped a circle shape out of a photo of my faovurite multi-colour rose, and then added the text on top. Bingo. 😀 But it wouldn’t really suit your pages. Best pick colours from your banner image.

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  14. Obviously I’m very late to this party and just reading this post now. It was fascinating to learn a few bits about your life!

    … but sorry, I have to disagree with your position on climate change. I was concerned about our toxic pollution of the air and oceans back in the 70s. I live with a scientist, I understand the issues …. climate change is real. We are killing our planet.

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    • As I said, there is no reason for us to keep spewing pollution into our environment – that’s commonsense. I’m all for putting a stop to that and clearing forests and all that. I’m skeptical about the accuracy of the predictions, not the causes. Global warming isn’t happening on the scale that it was supposed to be on by now. In fact there has been no warming for a good time, and now some are even saying that there is has been a slight cooling over the last decade! No wonder a person is skeptical!

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      • The single biggest mistake the early environmentalists made was calling it ‘global warming’. It made people think one directionally. It’s really weather ‘weirding’ being experienced as climate patterns are changing. More storms, more intense storms, deeper droughts, disasterous flooding etc, etc.

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        • I totally agree with ‘weather weirding’. The changes are so fast now, from day to day and you only have to look at the sky to see how low the upper cloud formations are. It’s obviously colder up there at a lower level. Yes, global warming does look to be the wrong wording, and it has been pushed so much on a political level that it’s difficult to explain it differently now. Thanks for your personal insight, Joanne.

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