Happy Birthday, Ramblings!

There could be a gift for you!!! 

Wow – hard to believe but The Ramblings are a year old now! I sat down exactly a year ago today and unleashed myself on the Blogosphere – and what a year it’s been. I’ve memed almost compulsively, I’ve followed almost compulsively, I’ve commented on all sorts of things and I’ve obsessed over such trivial things as how many legs would there be if the visitors of the Twelve Days of Christmas all stayed until the end! And I’ve reawakened my interest in crochet!

So today to celebrate I’m going to have a giveaway – nothing to big because I don’t know where I will have to post to, but it will be something tasteful and useful!

So what do you need to do – simply leave me a comment on this post with, if you’re a blogger, a link to your own very first post on the linky thing at the bottom of this! I promise I will read all the links that are left, just to satisfy my curiosity. I’ll wait until Friday (7 May – 17:00 BST) until I perform the draw of the winner – may be some technical way or good old fashioned asking John to call out a number in a range!

To start you off here is my first effort – please share yours as well (otherwise I’ll feel completely unloved and you wouldn’t what that now would you?)

Sunday Stealing – The Random Dozen Meme

Ok here we are again – Sunday comes around far too fast! Sunday Stealing has managed to track this one right back to its creator! I've had trouble formatting the bullets on this one – for some reason Word is not liking double digit bullets! (Scrap that - I've edited in Blogger now and removed all the numbering!)

When you go to Wowmart, what one thing do you get every single time, besides a funky-wheeled squeaking cart full of frustration?

I'm really lazy busy and don't often go supermarket shopping – I tend to opt for home delivery! Nearly always order the same stuff though!

What is something that people are currently "into" that you just don't get or appreciate?

Some of the reality TV shows – always used to watch Big Brother but this year it has totally passed me by and the Apprentice – never really 'got' it!

What is something that really hoists your sail that other people might feel "ho-hum" about?

Has to be Blogging – for my non-Blogging friends, oh – and Twitter –some people just don't get it!!

Favourite song to sing in the shower or car?

I don't really have one – never in either for that long that I have time to sing! Although last weekend I sang along to all the wonderful Beatles tracks that were being played on the radio – knew almost all of the words as well!

A really great salad must have this ingredient:

Radishes – grew some for the first time this year and they were delicious!

What advice in a nutshell would you give to new bloggers?

Write as if it's just for you! But always remember somebody, somewhere will find it!

What was the alternate name that your parents almost named you? Do you wish they had chosen it instead of the one they gave you?

I was going to be Christine – instead they chose it as my middle name. When I was younger I hated my name because people seemed to want to call me Helen or Hazel all the time!

What in your life are you waiting for?

The boys to leave home! Oh, that sounds really mean – I don't mean it to.

You get a package in the mail. What is it, and who is it from?

Just about the only package I get in the mail these days would be a book I've ordered from play.com. I've ordered loads lately and need to find time to stop blogging/surfing and get on and read good old fashioned books! The last one to arrive was A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Today–what song represents you?

D'ya know – I can't think of a single one – failure on this one I'm afraid!

What is one thing that blogging has taught you about yourself?

That I can (sometimes) be quite witty and entertaining? And that not everything will contain humour. That I use far too many exclamation marks!!!!!!!! And parenthesises ((((^.^))))!!!!!!

How are you going to (or how did you) choose the clothes you're wearing today? What do they say about you in general or specifically how you're feeling today?

Today being a stay at home Sunday will be jeans and a T shirt – they say that I really can't be bothered to make an effort at the weekend but that I am quite comfortable with myself (that is until they get too tight towards the end of the day)

Weary Wednesday

I was just struggling to come up with a W to describe Wednesday when I realised just how tired I am! Damn hormones are wreaking havoc again, HRT pretty good but only for three weeks out of four, never mind I'm allowing myself a bit of a lie-in tomorrow and not going to work until after I've been to the dentist - I know how radical am I becoming, eh?

Work OK again today, had a lovely lunch break with Lisa (again, how radical to actually have a lunch break and not work through with a sandwich!)

Wednesday has become a tradition now for number 2 son & girlfriend to have dinner with us, poor L has spent the day at her new job today, she's just got her first hairdressing job after college, she came in about 6.30 and looked sooo tired - almost made me feel good! After a simple but delicious (is that one worn out yet??) dinner of Kievs, jacket potatoes and salad they trundled off to their other home - with L's parents, wouldn't surprise me if she slept all evening.

I can feel the beginnings of withdrawal because BGT is not on TV - however I am quite happy at the moment because Manchester United are currently losing 1-0 (that'll teach 'em for thrashing Arsenal!!!)

I stumbled across a great blog this evening http://insideaileighsheart.blogspot.com/ really made me (and Julie) chuckle - take a look, I'm sure it will brighten your day too!! I'm trying to get to grips with the clever ways of adding links, meanwhile please make do with good old copy & paste!