All about me...Q&A1

OOOOOH ....questions! I love questions. The answers may well cover a few posts, and for those of you who still have questions to ask, fell free to add them in the comments.

Needled Mom asks: If you could do anything you want today...what would you do?

Today. Not tomorrow. Today. Hmmm. If I could, I would have been on a plane at 7am to Switzerland, and would be at my sister's home in the early afternoon. And where I have been longing to be for months - in the Alps. Or I would have shown up at my daughter's party in New Zealand.

Or on a more realistic note, I would love to spend the day sitting in front of a roaring fire, with friends, laughter, and interesting conversation. Or I would choose to be sitting in front of the roaring fire with candles lit, and dream a while.

However, in the absence of the roaring fire bit, I will probably curl up on the couch and do some dreaming anyway. I can light some candles. I am inventive.

Vee asks: What are your Christmas plans? Will you stay at home or travel? What is the best book that you've read over the past several months and why?

My Christmas plans. Well, they depended on what the Consultant said last week, and he did say I can fly, so I really hope that I can be in Switzerland this year. My son has invited us to spend Christmas with them as well, and while that would be wonderful, it is time to have Christmas with my sister. We haven't been with her for Christmas for years. David will come with me. I hope. If it turns out that I can't go, I will love being with Andrew and Ann. All I know for sure, is that I will not be here at home. So I hope to be travelling. And this year, there will not be a Diana surprise, as she is planning to come and visit her little niece after she arrives, so that is great too.


The best book I have read over the past months has to be The Shack. I know many of you have read it, and we have all talked about it on our blogs, but I really enjoyed it. It is a book which makes no claim to be a theological treatise, but if you suspend all pre-conceptions and read it as a novel, it will surprise you and make you think. It certainly did that for me. There are many themes in the book, and most people pick up on the forgiveness part. For me, it was the justice. If you haven't read it, I do urge you to do so - it sparks so many interesting conversations too. A great read.

And then I am adding another one or twenty. A series of books which have completely captivated me, and which I absolutely love. The Elm Creek Quilt novels by Jennifer Chiaverini. There are lots of them, and they delight everyone who has read them. My books are still doing the rounds. They combine my love of quilting and history and people, so could not be more perfect for me. Stunning books which will make you want to read them all immediately. You will fall in love with them. The characters are wonderful .......read the lot.

I love reading. I love reading anything and everything really, and my home is filled with books. I always have a couple of books on the go and in the past couple of years, I have been drawn to a lot of Christian literature too. I have read Max Lucado, John Ortberg, Elizabeth George, John Piper, Philip Yancey, Rob Bell, and so many more. Each book has left me with something wonderful to savour. I love learning. I am also reading Robert Winston's book on the mind - The Human Mind. Fascinating stuff. I could go on and on, but I will leave the books there. For now.

Theresa asks: I'd like to ask you if you work and if so, what type of work do you do.

Technically, at the moment I am not working. I am on extended sick leave (that really irritates me, people, I am not sick - just a bit dented) from the school where I have been working since November. Until Geoff died, I had been mainly a stay at home mum, who had worked at a few jobs over the years. I managed a doll's house shop for a while, worked in an Oriental rug shop - I even learnt how to repair fringes there ) and as an exam invigilator. But I stayed at home, raised my children and looked after my parents. My Mum lives with me. Geoff was away 9 months of the year throughout their childhood, so it made sense. This, I have to say, is what I love doing the most. Being home. Making a home, helping out in the community. Being involved.

I started working after Geoff died, as a learning support assistant in a secondary school. That changed over night to a departmental assistant and then within a month, I was teaching Textiles to the whole school, after the teacher left. Bear in mind that my degree is in History here. Not textiles. But I know the subject and loved the challenge. I left the school at the end of that year, and took a couple of months to do the Inquest (I represented the family) and then started working at another school as a cover supervisor - standing in for teachers who were absent. That lasted a month and they asked me to teach Design. So I did. And that was what I was doing when I blew out my knee. Will I be able to go back? Will I want to? That remains to be seen. It was not paradise, as some of you will remember. Technically, I have done enough teaching to get QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) But that is not going to happen where I work. Do I want it? Not really. I have other ideas!

Well people - there are the first answers. I may do another one later today. We will see. I have had fun.