Honest Scrap

One of the most interesting gardening blogs I read is from James at Federal Twist.  He has tentatively tagged me for a meme called "Honest Scrap".  I seem to have been blogging for so long that I don't often do memes any more as I can't imagine there is anything much left to say about myself but I so like his blog and am so surprised and pleased that he thought of me that I will give it a go (except I may cheat and not pass it on.)

 
These are the rules. You have to first list 10 honest things about yourself (and make them interesting). Second, present the award to seven other bloggers.

  1. I have addresssed a conference of tax professionals at a hotel in Las Vegas followed by a four course dinner at a casino which looks like Paris in Springtime.
  2. I gave up ballet at the age of fourteen when it was clear I was never going to be good, however often I read Noel Streatfield's "Ballet Shoes".
  3. I can swim in a slow and stately fashion for miles (my father once said I looked like the QE2 and at stage I was only sixteen and quite slender) but I hate going under water. 
  4. I like cooking, jam and chutney making, weeding, growing things from seed, dreaming about my garden in the winter by the fireside.
  5. I hate shopping, hanging around in airports, celebrity magazines, plastic surgery, casual cruelty (or the personification of the last two combined in Anne Robinson - sorry, James, UK centric, not sure if you are familiar with her in the US, imagine snippy and domineering with scarily smooth face).
  6. I find politics fascinating but can't bear to listen to politicians being interviewed.  Sometimes while listening to the Today programme on the radio in the morning I will turn the radio off three or four times so as not to be infuriated by yet another politician failing to accept responsibility or to acknowledge that someone on the other side of the fence has actually said something sensible.
  7. I can't ski and can't ice skate and now accept that I am not going to spend the time learning to do something which would involve so much falling over.
  8. I have one foot bigger than the other (don't think there is any connection with 7 above).
  9. I have planted two mulberry trees, one white, one black, which I would like to see fruit.  They are two years old, they don't usually fruit before they are about fifteen.  I am fifty five. 
  10. I like Chablis, Riesling and sloe gin.  I am not fond of coca cola or malibu.
Now I am going to fail to pass this on unless anyone reading this feels like having a go.  Hope you will forgive me James - a halfway house response!

Comments

  1. I do agree with your number 6, but sometimes I turn it off because of the presenter interrupting all the time. So annoying.

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  2. Good answers. Very honest. I need to do one of these sometime. I have plenty of strange stuff to tell.

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  3. What would be interesting would be for me (or anyone else) to write down things about you and for you to tell us whether they were true. How well do we know each other? Surprisingly well if you ask me! Or is it - perish the thought - that we are mostly the same and have done the same things? A conference in Las Vegas, a conference in Brussels or Genoa - is there a difference? And who likes airports? or Anne Robinson? I was going to say I didn't make jam and I don't; except that I did make a quantity of medlar jam just a couple of years ago. So I suppose I enjoy jam making too. Nor can I skate or do ballet. No point in doing tagging, then, we are all the same, though my guess is that you have more self-discipline.

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  4. A most interesting read Elizabeth - we have things in common - same age and different size feet that don't ski or skate :)

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  5. No 6 - the radio has nearly gone out of the window a dozen times or more - not I think because of the politicians (I have the measure of them I think) but because of the hugely arrogant, self-important, bombastic, mostly rude interogators. No names no pack drill.

    Our little Mulberry (black I think) planted this year - probably 5 years old - has fruited,not a lot, but fruited. Have hope woman!

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  6. Strange to say, I still enjoy blogging after nearly a year now.
    I dislike people.

    The two are connected.

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  7. I am with your on #5. I don't like sodas, hate being in crowds, especially shopping. I guess I am an old foggie, but I enjoy life a lot more than I used to. Wisdom comes with age and joy too, I think. Happy New Year to you and yours.
    QMM

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  8. Thanks for doing it yet again. Frankly, these things are better not passed along, and I'll follow your example next time. I certainly share your dislike of airports. I fortunately have never been to Las Vegas, and I hope never to go there. You're correct, I don't know who Anne Robinson is, nor do I know what "malibu" is. What is it?

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  9. Well, I'm 55, love jam making, have many mulberry trees around me, dislike A Robinson, can't imagine being involved in a conference but I eat many 4 course meals (mezedes)

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  10. I was thinking we didn't have anything in common which seemed odd because I am sure we would get on should ever we meet. Then I went down the list.

    I too admire James' blog and tremendously admire his garden.

    I've never been to Las Vegas and don't know anything about tax but I did once read out a letter to a regional conference of women who belong to The Transport and General Workers Union. It had been sent to everyone in our factory (the letter) and had nothing to do with the topic under discussion but I thought the delegates would enjoy it. They did. It began 'People are wandering about having toilet breaks whenever they feel like it.' Does that count?

    Don't do ballet (though it would be a laugh to try) and struggle to swim a width.

    I like weeding and growing things from seed.

    I'm good at shopping. I make a list. I plan my route. I gather what I need, pay for it and come home as fast as I can. Very efficient. I hate crowds.

    I enjoy politicians on the Today Programme. When the Tories ruled I used to call it 'The Michael Heseltine Show'. He seemed always to be on and I never agreed with anything he said and what he did say generally seemed so daft that I found it very entertaining. (Gordon Brown is an exception. My mind drifts off.)

    I tried ski-ing once but came down the mountain backwards, hanging onto my ankles, bottom in the air - and decided it wasn't the sport for me.

    In the last few months I've developed a bunion.

    I wish I had a garden big enough for mulberry trees. (You should be there to see them fruit. Hope so!)

    Not sure of the score and it's a bit long but I hope that makes up for all the times I haven't commented.

    Have a happy rest of the Christmas season and a brilliant 2010.

    Esther

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  11. and here's another 55 year old with odd sized feet that likes making jam and hates shopping (with a vengence)
    Happy New Year Elizabeth - hope to see you soon

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  12. I predict you will see both of your mulberry trees fruit.

    HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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  13. Fran - you are right of course, the other irritating thing is the rudeness of presenters, which I see mountainear objects to as well!
    Michelle - come on then, don't tantalise, tell us your strange stuff.
    GC - and to you.
    Fennie - oh no, I don't think we are the same at all! You for example have your theatrical bent which isn't me at all. I suspect we have enough in common to make conversation pleasurable and enough difference to make it interesting.
    Anna - I am pleased to know I am not the only one!
    Mountainear - your mulberry has fruited at 5 years old? Yay! that is so encouraging (and see Fran about presenters' interruptions and arrogance!).
    Friko - I am not sure I believe you about disliking people, maybe some people?
    QMM - I enjoy life too. I think I always did but this particular stage is extraordinarily rich and satisfying, long on pleasing myself and short on duties!
    James - it was my pleasure. Malibu is a rum based drink with coconut in it. The bottle was bought about 20 years ago for flavouring a cheesecake. That was actually rather fine. The drink itself is intensely sweet and quite disgusting. No loss not knowing Anne Robinson.
    Jude - I love mezedes and did not realise we had so much in common!
    Esther - what a tremendous comment. I love the idea of people wondering round taking toilet breaks willy nilly! I am good at shopping too, just the same efficient way as you do, but I don't like it.
    Hi sbs - let us plan for those February days when you really need a lift because winter has been going on too long. It would be great to see you, mountainear and friko (and anyone else on the wales/shropshire border who fancies it!)
    Marcheline - great prediction, thank you and a very happy new year to you. xx

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  14. Lots to enjoy there, Elizabeth - now, are you sure there's no connection between the feet and the skiing and skating? Thanks too for link to Federal Twist.

    Happy New Year to you and yours, hope to meet you in 2010, Cx

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  15. Noel Streatfield has a lot to answer for. I also did ballet until 11 which was a phenomenal waste of time, money and energy when I had the combined grace of a small herd of elephants attempting to ice skate.

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  16. Ooohhh I think No6 has hit a spot: I go nearly bonkers in the car arguing with the radio when politicians come on. Heaven only help me if I was ever pulled over!

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  17. Chris - may be a link, who knows? I can fall over in any number of ways. HNY to you too!
    Dawn - I would have loved to be good enough at ballet. I remembered everything with the tenacity of the truly keen but somehow was always a bit too stick like!
    Tattie - I don't know why I listen really, between the interviewers and the politicians but I am just hooked.

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  18. Once again I find myself saying 'ditto' to much of your post. I had to laugh at the thought of the conference in Vegas - can just picture it.
    I hope you get to see those mulberry trees bear fruit!

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  19. Cooee from Downunder Elizabeth, love reading your blog and seeing the header photo change witht he seasons. I can imagine after participating in many memes it would get tiresome after awhile, but it's interesting reading as it rounds out the peronsality of the blogger and you realise although we may live 1000's of kms apart we are just human with our idiosyncracies and eccentricities( blimey, I hope I spelt those two correctly!)My mulberry tree is fruiting nicely although it's less than seven years old (obviously a different climate) they are absolutely delicious and the ants think so too, unfortunately. We have had two days of rain a total of 68mls which is 2 and a half inches plus a little bit more. Great way to start the New Year,

    Claire X

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