About

This is a favourite photo taken a couple of years ago.
It shows my smile, while the hair conveniently fell over my rather starey, post-stroke right eye, as I tilted my head.
Yes, I am vain, but what can I say...

Hello, my name is Claire, and it's very lovely to meet you :)

I hope you enjoy visiting my newest corner of Blogland.

I've lived in several blogs over the years (scroll down for a list of links), but this is a new venture for me, as I try to express myself as I am now, today, in November 2013.

Currently, I'm enjoying Susannah Conway's Blogging from the Heart course, which is why I have chosen to create a super-duper new blog. Here I hope to gather all my favourite pieces of writing and photographs from over the years, to create 'a magazine of me' to use Susannah's wonderful phrase!

At the moment. I don't know how it will develop, but I do know that I want it to be true to me, and who I am - a disabled, 49-year-old wife and mother - trying to discover her place in the world day-by-day, as she approaches her half-century **gulp**

 ***************

45 things about me

1. I'm a typical Taurean - stubborn, earthy, love my food :)
2. I'm diabetic - Type 2 diagnosed 15 years ago
3. I'm an introverted extrovert - I love people, but I must have regular times of silence and solitude.
4. I'm a Type 4 on the Enneagram (the Overview is pretty accurate!).
5. I keep a gratitude list writing 5 things I'm grateful for each day.
6. I love dark chocolate - 70%+ cocoa content.
7. I'm a life-long learner.
8. I can't speak any foreign languages, though I studied Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
9. I wanted to be an academic - I read Theology at Oxford.
10. I wanted to be a mother more :)
11. I have 3 children, but Connie died in-utero at 30 weeks.
12. My maternal grandmother was Irish.
13. I'm a life-long Liverpool FC supporter, and have a signed photo of Steven Gerrard on the wall (a gift from my Dad several Christmases ago!).
14. My paternal grandfather was a Scouser.
15. I'm a devotee of the Bloomsbury Group.
16. I met my American husband in Kenya.
17. We celebrate our silver wedding anniversary next April (2014).
18. I turn 50 the day before!
19. I collect quotes - mainly about art, literature, culture.
20. Our house is full of books.
21. I've broken both kneecaps (separate accidents).
22. I'm a former Anglican lay minister.
23. I've always been a lousy baker - much to my mother's dismay.
24. Our daughter inherited my mother's gifted-baker gene :)
25. My mother died in 2000 aged 55.
26. I was a couch potato even before the stroke - never been sporty!
27. I'm a Strictly Come Dancing fan.
28. Spring and Autumn are my favourite seasons - I endure Summer and Winter.
29. I have crushes on Simon Baker and Bradley Cooper.
30. I have a girl-crush on Jennifer Lawrence.
31. I'd love to have dinner with Grayson Perry :)
32. I always chew gum after I eat - got to look after my teeth and gums!
33. I've always been an early-to-bed, early-to-riser - need my 8 hours.
34. Toast is my favourite clothes label, but I can only afford sale, or second-hand, items :(
35. I lost my identity when I couldn't read for a year after the stroke.
36. I have learnt to write, draw, paint with my left hand - I was right-handed...
37. I don't like vinegar, anchovies, chilli, spicy curry, salad cream.
38. I'm terrified of spiders.
39. I'd love to do a parachute jump.
40. I've never been skiing.
41. I want to visit Florence.
42. I'm allergic to Elastoplast.
43. I could become a dotty cat lady in my dotage.
44. I am a sensuous person - I delight in my 5 senses and how they help me encounter the physical world, but...
45. I am a Soul having a human experience in this particular time and place.

***************************

My previous blogs (Most recent first)

http://decide-what-you-want.blogspot.co.uk/

http://ableatheart.blogspot.co.uk/

http://theonelinealreadywritten.blogspot.co.uk/

http://the-leave-taking.blogspot.co.uk/

http://anna-world.blogspot.co.uk/

http://myartanna-world.blogspot.co.uk/