Well this is new to me, and usually when I post anything and I mean anything, I like to write it out first, think about it, procrastinate (if that’s what you want to call it) before posting, I always feel sure I am going to stuff it up anyway…. so here goes.
While viewing a couple of writer friends blogs, they were talking about a posting game “10 Random Facts” that Jessica has started getting the writers to mingle. As Beth and Joanna had already started and Clickabug was so helpful, I thought why not have a go, what can go wrong….. well lets see how I do shall we.. (forgive me if I post and delete before your eyes…lol)
1. I love travelling, and especially to unusual places, and meeting new people (surprisingly since I am known to be shy, well I was told not to say that but it has been known). Have visited and even returned more than once to some of the 35 different countries. Yep, I could spend 365 days traveling and never feel homesick.
2. Like Joanna I love using chopsticks and like clickerbug I believe it respectful when in the country, or restaurant of that country to use them, or at least try. Not only that, it’s fun.
3. I love shopping markets – in any country, especially Asian, where one can barter. The last trip in Cambodia and Vietnam last month, resulted in me sending home 10 pairs of beautiful shoes. I know, I must be mad, but hey! who wouldn’t when they are a bargain!
4. I loved horses when I was a kid. A horse mad teenager, who dreamt of owning her own beautiful chestnut or shiny black stallion like Black Beauty. Never happened of course.
5. Don’t like any creepy crawly things, honestly, if I had known what was in some of the places I have been to I probably wouldn’t go there. Cockroaches crawling past my face while sleeping in a train in Thailand, a goanna at my feet in a park in Australia, and a snake under a bag near my chair on a deck . Nah! Don’t like anything that crawls or slithers. As I have got older I don’t like heights much either – strange when I think of some of the situations I have got myself into.
6. I have a very creative streak – from making netted swans as a teenager (for orders), bake and ice celebration and wedding cakes, hair dressing for family and friends, drawing and sketching – only when the mood takes me – to window shop displays, art projects and crocheting (a couple of baby things on the go at the moment) I may suggest ideas of technical or arty nature, but I am not a Technico wizard. Some of you will have already figured that out by now.. *blushes*.
7. I think, what happens in our childhood molds us in later life, and while I have also been fearful. I have always had a strong guilt tendency…… like when my parents broke up, losing a good friend, being late, getting something wrong… be it a message, you name it. One thing I have had to learn is to realise one cannot be perfect. We all make mistakes, it’s the ability to move on, to be forgiving of oneself, even when others aren’t
8. I love music, gardening and quiet moments – I am a total dreamer (hence my blog name). I can relive my dreams over and over again, sometimes they are of places I have been to or can be of people I have known, it’s a wonderful feeling, and to have the ability to have power to steer the course of events is magic and fodder for stories…… mmm are you in one?
9. A Libra – yes my birthday is soon – I constantly weigh things up, procrastinate – yes sometimes, shopping for groceries is a breeze, but for clothes alone can be frustrating, you can imagine what kind of conversation is going on in my head. But love it when a second opinion is given or help offered. I am easily lead.
10. Oh gosh…umm I am loving meeting all these new people through this writers campaign. Feeling a little as though I am floundering and not sure of what I should be doing next, but love the fact I am given the chance to meet so many wonderful writers and hopefully make some life long friends.
There … did I do okay?
Writer and Dreamer at work 
love it! I loved horses when I was a kid too. Read the whole “Black Stallion” series and dreamed of finding Azul Island one day. I also loved dogs but my mom wouldn’t allow it, and actually (I know this is weird, but seriously) wished I might go blind just so I could get one. (I even studied braille for a time, in my sixth-grade way.) I’ve grown out of that, of course. And discovered I have a bit of a fear of both horses and dogs.
I love dreaming too. I used to have whole conversations with imaginary people in my head. I knew they were just stories, but I couldn’t help myself. Somehow I’ve lost most of that as I got older, sadly, and all that’s in my head is pretty much practical stuff … and ideas of things I’ll be one day that I have no idea whether will come true.
I don’t like to barter but I love to shop. My imagination plays a huge role here … I see something and imagine a whole story of what will happen if I own it … and then I bring it home and discover I have no place for it. But the stories in my head were so convincing!
Hope to hear more from you,
~kelly (clickerbug)
Hi Kelly, thankyou for dropping by. I think you and I are kindred spirits. I have not lost that dreaming of stories, and nothing I dream about is practical…lol.
As for the shopping…mmm now that would happen if I went shopping on my own.
Lovely to see you here
Yes, you did okay. Loved your entries. I will fall over backwards to get away from a snake and I will flee a house if there is a mouse in side. But I did manag to live for 2 weeks in a room with a huge lizard in my bathroom, and little lizards everywhere. I guess it’s a lesson in learning to become comfortable with ones self.
Didn’t realize you are a Libra. Do you know your moon or ascending signs? Something you said made me wonder if your were a double Libra. Libras are so balanced and see both sides of every issue. I can see that in you.
Check out the Kid-Fest contest I posted from Abby Flowers blog. It was fun to do.
Oh my! Lizards or mouse I am out of there…lol.
I love reading my horoscope, and am inquisitive about astrology… not sure what moon or signs I have … I assume more than one. Yes its true Pat, I weigh everything up. I love balance, peacemaker, the go between, hate conflict, my husband and I are both Librans and never argue.
Guess I am lucky.
I saw that Kid Fest and will check it out soon.
Super list, Diane, giving us lots more insight into our dreamy friend.
I too adore visiting markets all over the world… such a sensual experience. My farmer’s market is just a 15 minute walk away.
I too went through the teenage horse phase…. I am enjoying writing about them in my chapter book (and all the other animals).
Thanks for sharing!
Oh cool Joanna, I will definately buy up every horse book you write… I still love horses.
I can just see you and I having a great time bartering at some out of the way markets, you will love it at Laos and Vietnam (let me know when you are going, might join you..lol)
Thankyou, I too wished we had had more time together in LA, a couple of wines would have done the trick!
You did more than okay. Great list!
I cannot STAND creepy crawlies. Just the thought gives me the heebie-jeebies. Despite my newly-professed wish to not let fear get in my way of experiences, I don’t think I could travel to some of the places you’ve been simply because of the prospect of such creepy crawlies. So good for you for doing so! And for going back!
I know you’ve seen my list, but for others of your readers who might not have seen mine, here’s my link. http://elizabethannewrites.com/2011/09/02/meet-and-mingle/
I also see this morning that Jessica’s got another meet-and-greet game up her sleeve. Off to investigate!
Thankyou Beth, and thanks for your help.
Yes I thought of you when I wrote that and nearly took it out… (can imagine you shivering reading my list)… sorry.
Thankyou for your link. Oh my Rachel has sent out an email with lots of goodies in it, I too am investigating.
Such a fun list. I hate to barter. Maybe I’m a lazy shopper, but I never feel comfortable doing it. When I visited Victoria Falls, one of my fellow travelers (an American also) cried at the chaos of trying to get a few items. The young men were really fighting for our dollars. It made me feel horrible to choose one vendor over another. Thanks for sharing your list. I hope to create one for next week.
Thankyou Stacy for dropping by.
I guess you get used to the bartering the more you do it. I know we were always told, these people expect you to do it, they expect to only end up receiving half the money for what they are selling. It does get easier.
Oh goody, I will pop over and check your list out soon. Nice to see you.
Now I feel like I know you much better, and love the fact that we share so many things – baking and cake decorating, traveling overseas to markets (OMG so many things to buy in Hong Kong and Thailand markets hehe) and creepy crawlies… that’s hubby’s job as far as I’m concerned… Awesome post:)
Thankyou, TF. Wow! so you do cake decorating to and travelling…cool. I have just come back from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam which was pretty amazing. I stopped in LA on the way home for te SCBWI conference.
Lets keep in touch 🙂