Here is Isaac, walking into the playground for his last day at Primary School. He is excited; a bit nervous, and a tiny bit sad. I know how he feels.
To Isaac's teachers for the last 7 years, I dedicate this quote from Forest E. Witcraft, an American teacher, scholar and scout leader (1894-1967)
"In a hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be different, because I was important in the life of a child"
Following on from my last postI would once again like to thank Tracey at Yarn and Pencilfor her nomination of The Homemade Heart for the Liebster Award.
Part One continued....
...where I answer Tracey's questions.
Tracey: What was your main reason for starting a blog?
Penny: I wanted to share my love of baking; improve my photography (clearly still a work in progress!) and write regularly, with purpose.
Tracey: What is your favourite colour combination?
Penny: Easy! Pink and green.
Tracey: Do you have a favourite herb that you couldn't be without growing on your windowsill or in your garden?
Penny: I have some rosemary growing in the garden, but it's not necessarily my favourite herb; I just like the combination of rosemary and lavender growing in the garden.
Tracey: What tool could you not do without?
Penny: This one gave me some pause for thought! I am quite resouceful, so I could probably improvise quite a lot of tools if necessary (I always think I'd do quite well on a desert island, apart from the lonliness and lack of John Lewis....!). However, the tool I cannot imagine an effective substitute for is my trusty toothbrush!
Tracey: Would you rather go out or stay home in the evening?
Penny: I am a home-body, and like to spend the evenings pottering about the kitchen, usually with my much loved Roberts Radio keeping me company.
Tracey: What would your perfect all day outing be?
Penny: It would be either in Argyll, or the Yorkshire Dales. We would have a long walk with the dog beside a sparkling river, followed by lunch from a generously filled picnic basket in the shade of a rustling oak tree. After lunch, Derek and I would have tea from a flask and watch the boys kicking a ball about. In the late afternoon we'd head home to find the table set with vintage crockery, the kettle whistling on the hob, and a freshly baked Victoria sponge made by my mum, filled with my one of my nan's home made jams. Bliss.
Tracey: Name three wild flowers that you would be happy to see growing in your garden.
Penny: I am fortunate to have one of my favourite wild flowers growing in my garden already; my lovelysnowdrops.
I have also recently planted another wildflower favourite; foxgloves, and am looking forward to seeing them flower next year. One of my most favourite wild flowers is the lovely Dog Rose; I would love to have one of them growing in the garden.
Tracey: What was the last magazine you bought?
Penny:
Tracey: Do you have a favourite film?
Penny: Hard to choose just one favourite. When I was young, single, and living in Edinburgh, I went to the cinema at least once a week, usually to the Edinburgh Film House, a habit I slipped out of when I met Derek and moved to Glasgow. I absolutely loved 'Betty Blue'; the soundtrack as much as the film.
I loved 'Paris Texas' too, again the soundtrack was amazing. Probably my favourite film, though, was 'One From the Heart', and once more, I loved the soundtrack as much as the film.
Tracey: What is your favourite food?
Penny: Bread! I rarely make bread at home, for the simple reason that I could eat a whole loaf standing in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil!
Tracey: What will your next project be?
Penny: My next project will be preparing my entries for the Dalmally Show, which is an agricultural show in Argyll that we go to every September. I enter baking; preserves and handcrafts. The boys do some entries for the Under 16's competitions.
Part Two.
This is where I pose 11 questions I would like my Nominees to answer:
1) Who or what inspired you to start your blog?
2) Describe your ideal Friday evening.
3) Which is your favourite room in your house, and why?
4) Do you have a 'signature bake'? Describe it and why you love it.
5) What is your favourite fashion era and why?
6) What is your favourite piece of music?
7) What was your most loved book as a child?
8) What is your least favourite household chore or task?
9) Where and when do you like to read?
10) Do you harbour a secret ambition that would surprise your family and friends?
11) Are you a make-up-every-day girl? Or do you prefer bare faced beauty?
Now the moment when I reveal my Nominees. I have chosen blogs I really enjoy reading, and follow on bloglovin. I am nominating 5 blogs, as I wanted to choose those I feel a genuine connection with, rather than simply plucking randomly from the Blogsphere to make it up to the 11 recommended in the Liebster Award rules.
I have chosen these bloggers because I enjoy every post they write. They write with honesty and integrity, and all have, as far as I can see, less than 200 followers.
So, in no particular order, my Nominees are:
Christina at A Colourful Life.Christina writes about her busy life in Glasgow with her family.
Cathy at Patchy Details. Cathy blogs about her gorgeous pottery and textiles.
To Tracey at Yarn and Pencil, thank you again, it has been fun! And to my Nominees; Good Luck! I very much look forward to reading your answers to my questions, and getting to know you all a little better.
Heartfelt thanks to Tracey at Yarn and Pencil who has very kindly nominated The Homemade Heart for the Liebster Award.
The Liebster award is a blogger- to- blogger nomination system which promotes blogs with less than 200 followers. There is no statuette or cup to display on your mantepiece, but you do get a lovely warm glow inside from being nominated, and can add a pretty banner to your sidebar as I have done, and pepper your Liebster Award posts with Liebster Award Badges.
A brief explanation of the Liebster Award posts:
In Part One I link back to Tracey to thank her, and then post 11 facts about myself.
Next I answer the 11 questions Tracey has asked me.
In Part Two I compose 11 questions I would like to ask other bloggers.
Then I nominate up to 11 blogs with less than 200 followers.
You can read more about the Leibster Award here and here, and this is also a neat little summary:
Here are my 11 random facts:
1.) When I was around 4, I planned to call any boys I might have 'Lion' and 'Tiger'. Jacob and Isaac have got off pretty lightly, considering.
2.) My husband commissioned a painting for my 50th birthday last month. It is of my childhood home and has instantly become my most treasured possession.
3.) I taught myself to crochet last summer. I'm not very good at it.
4.) I went to 4 different Primary schools, and 3 different Secondary schools. You could say my education was a bit disjointed.
5.) I sing in a choir; we rehearse from August to November and put on a show to which long-suffering family members are invited. (It's no threat to the Military Wives.) I am a Soprano.
6.) I have a dreadful weakness for recipe books. I would have to live several lifetimes to make every recipe in every book I own, but that statistic doesn't prevent me adding to my collection...
7.) I fall asleep dreaming not of George Clooney or Colin Firth, but of powder blue Agas and Mark Wilkinson kitchens (well, okay, sometimes Colin Firth does feature a bit....)
8.) I am a big fan of Emma Bridgewater crockery, and have been collecting and using it for many years.
9.) I am absolutely hopeless with numbers; can barely copy down a phone number correctly, and have to use my fingers to add and subtract.
10.) I love Country music, but I never wear cowboy boots.....
11.) I love to read the books I enjoyed as a child, and still love them as much now as I ever did.
When Jacob was in Primary 5 his teacher taught the class how to identify whether they might enjoy reading a particular book by following three simple steps, namely:
1) Look at the cover: does it appeal to you, does the title look like the sort of story you would enjoy?
2) Turn the book over and read the blurb on the back: are you interested in what it describes? Would you like to know more?
3) Open the book somewhere in the middle, read about half a page: does the style of writing appeal to you. Does it look funny/exciting/thought provoking etc. Repeat this step a couple of times. By now you will know if you would like to read this book.
I thought then and still do, that this was a wonderful way to help everyone, not just children, choose a book.
So, joining in with Laura's The Year in Books project at Circle of Pine Trees, my book choice this month is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Using Mrs C's Three Step method, I chose it because:
*The cover is a beautiful golden yellow colour, and the recommendations on the front were bearable. Sometimes I take a (possibly irrational) dislike to a book depending on what is said and by whom on the front cover. I have undoubtedly missed out on many wonderful reading opportunities over the years due to this judgemental attitude.
*I was intrigued by the first line of the blurb on the back, 'Lily has grown up believing she accidentally killed her mother when she was just four years old'.
*Glancing through before buying it seemed to have a good mix of dialogue and descriptive writing.
*It is set in the American South; I like american fiction.
Not too much to say about this book; I loved the title, perhaps the book does not quite live up to it, but it was a gentle read and touching in places, a good summer or holiday read.
Two of my favourite magazines; abookI had forgotten I ordered, and my Summer issue of the perenially entertaining and beautifully written Slightly Foxed .
In....a lovely late birthday parcel from my darling brother, a beautiful soft leather purse wrapped in layers of crisp tissue.
In....my In-Box, a nomination from Tracey at Yarn and Pencil to take part in the Leibster Award; I have accepted with pleasure and shall be working on my random facts, answers to her questions, and my nominations this week.
Out...walking with Meg every day. One of the great joys of having a dog is the daily walk. I am fortunate to live in a village surrounded by easily accessible fields; a small pretty woodland, muddy paths and good splashy burns.
Out...last night to the Glasgow's new Hydro indoor arena to see The Eagles in concert. Hard to pick a highlight from what was a fantastic evening, but I did melt into a heap of slush when Timothy B. Schmidt (who's beautiful cheeckbones are so high they cast their own shadow) sang 'Love Will Keep Us Alive'
Out...this evening to my Bookgroup meeting to discuss this book, which was my suggestion for this month's read, so my turn to lead the discussion.
About Me
Welcome to The Homemade Heart. My name is Penny, and I am very happy that you are here.
I live in Central Scotland, with my husband, and our Labrador, Meg. I have two big grown up boys, who are the light of my life.
I do hope you'll visit often. The kettle's always on, and there's usually a cake or some pancakes, so you'll stay a while, won't you?
