I couldn’t resist it. However, I have to thank fellow blogger Josef Havelka, who is making it up as he goes, for his blog theme today. He noted this annual ‘Star Wars Day’ tribute. I remembered it a few days ago and then completely forgot all about it. So may I repeat myself and say ‘May the 4th Be With You’. It is wasted on my crew, as they are all still a little bit too young for Star Wars! Have a great day won’t you.
In my childhood of course we took photos as all families did. But like all family ‘snap shots’, my pictures were just that, a small blink of family life, mostly with a family member doing something or just relaxing. I suspose I never really considered what I was photographing. Now, it seems that all I ever take are family ‘snap shots’.
Sat at my PC today, not my iphone that I generally blog from, I had access to my bigger photo library, the one that did not start 7 years ago, as did the one my iPhone. That one started when the girls were but small babes.
This collection of tropical flowers, I believe were my first real, considered images, taken whilst on a tropical holiday. Looking back at them, I can see that I was clearly playing with the idea of cutting in close, not bothered with the larger picture, just a small part of it.
I am no professional photographer, but I do appreciate form! Please note, a couple of the images have been tweeked in Photoshop. 20 years seems an awfully long time ago. But seeing these pictures again, I am reminded that the way I consider things (on a visual level), irrecoverably changed on this holiday…
No, I am not talking of the 1920’s, rather these present day 2020’s. But am I referring to frozen strawberry daiquiri’s on the terrace or ‘The Swing’? Or indeed both!
Post dinner time now, the children all reunited with their screens. A simple family roast chicken meal with roast potatoes, braised Savoy cabbage and sweet butter roast carrots. Almost time for bed. Sorry, gotta go, Caleb on the loo screaming for me to go wipe his bum! How glamorous these swinging, roaring 20’s are, hey!
A very big thank you to Paul Chiddicks for nominating andiwebb.net for the Liebster Award.
I was nominated by;
https://www.chiddicksfamilytree.com
RULES
• Thank the blogger who nominated you, and provide a link to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions given to you.
• Share 11 facts about yourself.
• Nominate 5-11 other bloggers. (But I chose to nominate 3)
• Ask your nominees 11 questions of your choice. I did not as they already have the same 11 questions as I did.
• Notify your nominees once you have uploaded your post.
My Answers for Paul are as follows:
1. Have you or do you ever want to write a book?
Yes, I wrote a book entitled ‘Eighteen Moons‘ available on Amazon.com. The story of how my wonderful family came to be. A story of heartache and frustration spanning eight months estranged in Mumbai India, five months denied a passport in Bangkok Thailand and finally five months, post the terrible earthquake in Kathmandu Nepal. On each occasion, We rode the final wave of international surrogacy in that territory.
2. How long have you been blogging and what is your favorite subject to write about?
I have been blogging now for Eighteen months. Well there’s a coincidence! I started blogging in order to raise awareness of my first book ‘Eighteen Moons’. As a diarist, it is fairly clear that I write about my family and their various antics, living life here in ‘The Shires’ of England. There is a second book, also on Amazon, ‘Thirteen Moons More’. I guess you can work that one out by the title! It is the story of just who we are now! An edit from my diary, the year before the little ones fledged the nest and started big school!
3. If you could move to a different town, state or country… where would you be?
After most of my adult life being spent in London Town. I find my pace of life now quite a relaxing one. I am not sure that I would change that for the world. However, my younger self craved the bright lights of NYC. Also back then, I visited San Francisco. There’s always a place in my heart for ‘The Bay’ area. In fact, if I had not met John when I did, I would have made the move. So, ‘If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair’!
4. What is your favorite quality about yourself?
I am committed, or sure as hell should be!
5. Are you an Introvert or an Extrovert or even both?
I think both to be fair! We are a complex breed, humanity.
6. What is THE JOB of your dreams?
I spent 20yrs designing – I love to create. Surely that has to be the perfect job?
7. Other than blogging/writing what is the one favorite thing you LOVE to do?
I LOVE to… now, that would be telling, wouldn’t it!
8. Where is one of the first places you plan on going after quarantine is over?
Definitely London and alone! Completely alone.
9. Speaking of Covid-19, is there anything that you learned about yourself or will be changing about yourself when ‘life moves on?’
I would like to say that I have become a lot more patient both with myself and with others. But, I still get stressed, it’s hard not too when it’s usually me that has to play ‘Bad Cop’ with the children. That is fine though, it’s part of the human condition after all. I would like the rolls of ‘Good Cop/Bad Cop’ a bit more 50/50 though!
10. Is there anything as far as food that you will absolutely NOT eat?
Insects! Definitely not. I’ll leave them for the birds.
11. Do you own a website for your writing?
That’s easy – you’ve found me here, out here in the ether of worldpress!
Right, those were the pre-laid out questions. Now some ‘Facts About Myself’.
1. I began shaving my head at the tender age of 24yrs old.
2. My favourite colour is blue. Also Amritsar and Thor’s favourite colour.
3. I am ambidextrous, though I might have mentioned this on my blog in the past.
4. I have liked classical music since the age of 16. It started with listening to Gregorian Chants. I later went on to date a (ex)Gregorian Monk for a short while.
5. Dadda loves to make jam! And one day I want to publish a part recipe book / memoir. Full of jam making, served up with lots of witty banter! Possibly using excerpts from my blog. Dadda Gets Jammin’
6. John and I met in an infamous bar in West London (more years ago than I care to remember).
7. I often sunbathe in the nude!
8. I was once a licensed doorman in Westminster’s Soho and Covent Garden (London‘s West End)!
9. My Degree was ‘Silversmithing, innovation for a Industry. Oh! And I did year 1 of a Geology degree. That being cut short, due to our choice to start a family.
10. I lived above a brothel the 3 years before I met John.
11. My blood type is ‘O‘ positive. That makes me pretty normal, right?
Maybe we can just copy and paste the initial 11 questions asked of me guys? Just delete my answers and replace with your own!?!
My Nominees A
1. Anna Desseau https://homeschoolguru.org
2. JJ’s Real Talk https://jjrealtalk.wordpress.com
3. Ingrid https://experimentsinfiction.com
I am only going to subject these 3 lovely people to this challenge not the 5 – 11 as recommended.
You don’t have to be nominated however to join in on the discussion and sharing. I’d love to see everyone’s answers! And thank you Mr Chiddicks, you really have made me think about a few things today! I don’t think this exercise will get registered with the Liebster Awards. It’s only a bit of fun really. Lol
Enjoy – let’s have some fun with it.
All my best wishes – Andi (and all the others who have played along with this thus far)!
None of my doing, I assure you. But John in his wisdom, decided that this was a good idea on a Saturday morning. It was met with a certain dissatisfaction however!
The little ones of course looked on blankly and just scribbled over the sums with their pencils. Amritsar applied herself as she usually does! A far cry from the shenanigans of last night! Out of all of the crew, she was the one to go completely ballistic over not getting her iPad privileges back today. Well, now quite the opposite, she is being as good as gold today. For now at least at any rate. Tara on the other hand, saved her tantrum for the breakfast table this morning and let off steam before running up to her room, refusing to do the sums. After screaming lots, she finally came down to find out that Caleb had eaten her hot cross bun as Remus had, in turn, eaten his! Naughty Remus. She ultimately calmed down and did the sums when I pulled two pieces of fruit bread from the bread bin.
All is a lot more sedate now. They are contentedly watching ‘My Little Pony’ on Netflix. Aaliyah also playing with her new ‘My Little Pony’ board game that arrived in the mail this morning.
Remus is lying on the sofa opposite, his whines for mealtime apparent! Is it that time of the day already? I cooked yet another vat of puttanesca this morning. It’s heady, aromatic bouquet lingers, reminding me that it is almost time for our luncheon also.
The blue skies and sunshine have finally returned this morning. Though the clouds are desperately trying to reclaim the skies as we speak. An afternoon in the garden is planned, where we hope to learn and play a new game that a lovely blogger JJ explained to me a few days ago. Last played by her in childhood, whilst living in Oklahoma! I hope we do her justice. All will be explained later on! It is called ‘The Pie Game’ and I can tell you that there is a ‘chaser’, some ‘pies’ and a ‘wolf’!
And before you ask, no we have not got nits! Well, we haven’t been anywhere, not met anyone and the children have certainly not rubbed heads with any of their schoolmates. It would seem that a bottle of lice repellent was left in one of the draws in their bedroom.
Tara took it upon herself to de-“lice the three little ones as well as herself. She claimed later that it was because her head was a bit itchy. Amritsar fended her off. Good for her!
So showers were had ahead of breakfast this morning. All except for Amritsar that is.
This week has shown no end of breakdowns where Thor is concerned. I almost expelled him from homeschooling this morning, but I restrained myself. I will leave that course of action for another day!
I also barred them from using the living room coffee table (again) as I am just too narked off with picking up fallen pencils and scraps of paper. Again and again and again and again!
Some advice from a lovely fellow blogger Macey. ‘Find a place to homeschool and stick with it.’ So I decided to stay with the kitchen table option for all of their homeschooling dilemmas.
Diary of a Gay Dad. I am a full time dad to five young children. 