The Liebster Awards

Well it appears I have been nominated for the above award, which I didn’t know existed until this! Thank you to Kai of the blog Kai’s Life in Words for nominating me for this, I am a bit shocked as writing has never been my forte, so I am really grateful to their nomination and for appreciating my blog.

As part of the award, if you decide to accept it (as I am), you have certain guidelines to keep it going.
1. Display an image of the award and write about your nomination

2. Thank and link the person who nominated you for this award

3. Answer the 11 questions prepared for you by the blogger who nominated you

4. Nominate 5-11 awesome bloggers who you think deserve this award, and create 11 questions of your own for your nominees to answer
5. List these guidelines in your blog post

 

 

 

Here are my answers to the questions set by Kai, interesting lot of questions, thanks Kai.

1. What made you want to start blogging?
I first started blogging about 6 years ago in 2010 and it was a way to express myself. I then stopped and deleted that blog. I started this one a few years ago and only posted every so often, it was actually reading Kai’s A-Z challenge they had done which made me want to start blogging more. Now I still do it to express myself, to raise awareness of various aspects of my life.

2. Do you have a favourite post you have written? What is it and why?
This is a hard question as I am not good at thinking of favourite or good things about stuff I have done.
I’d say this post though: Suppressing tics
It got shared in a few Tourette’s facebook support groups, with people saying it was well written, but for me it was a chance to really explain this part of Tourette’s that not many understand and I liked my analogue to stopping yourself from blinking.

3. Tell me the story behind your blog name (if there is one)
The Tudor period of history are my special interest, I am obsessed by them, I have magnets, t-shirts, mugs, books, model ships etc all Tudor related, so yeah I absolutely love that period of history. Saying that something makes you tic seems to be a common phase meaning something keeps you going or something similar and the Tudor period do that for me, but obviously having Tourette’s Syndrome I have motor and vocal tics, so a kind of double meaning.

4. Favourite book/TV show/movie? Why?
I’m not sure whether this means one favourite for each different media, or one overall for all three. I’m taking it as the first one, as that’s easier (well slightly easier!) Sorry if that isn’t correct Kai
Book: ‘Is It Just Me?’ by Miranda Hart- this book makes me laugh every time I read it and I’ve read it many times. It also helped me through a 4 month period in 2013 where I was sectioned, when I was allowed nothing in my room except this book and my phone, reading this book made me smile a little (nothing else came close) It is just a brilliant book

TV show: well I absolutely bloody love Miranda’s sitcom Miranda, but I’ll choose something different, although Miranda Hart is still in it! I think ultimately it would be ‘Call the Midwife’ the show makes me sob virtually every episode, happy tears, sad tears and distraught tears! The show grips me and I think the acting is amazing, I just love it.

Film: This is a hard one, but I think it does have to be both ‘Bridget Jones’ films. I do love a romcom and I think Bridget Jones is the ultimate romcom, it is hilarious and makes me smile and enjoy watching it so much. Plus Colin Firth is in them!

5. What is your greatest achievement in life so far?
Again hard as I’m not good at thinking positively about myself! There are some things I am proud of myself and therefore perhaps it is this.
Getting a diploma of higher education from the Royal Northern College of Music, I went there and did a degree course, but things didn’t turn out as expected! I came out as trans part way through my second year, having struggled with my identity for the first year. I then agreed to take a year out after starting my 3rd year didn’t go well, I was going to go back the next year, but I got sectioned for 3 months, so I took another year out, then I went back and very nearly completed my 3rd year, but 3 days before my end of year recital I was sectioned for 4 months, I then made the decision to drop out, as it was a 4 year course. I however had completed 2 years and had done enough credits to achieve a diploma of higher education. I was proud of myself for achieving what I did with everything that was going on in my life (there was other stuff as well, but that isn’t for a public blog)

6. Do you have anywhere in the world you would love to visit?
Oh yes so many places, I really want to go to Berlin. But I think places I would love to visit more than anything are so many historical places in the UK, particularly those linked to the Tudors. I am in my absolute element at those sorts of places, anyone with me see’s lots of very happy stimming and probably gets facts recited to them all day!

7. What are the top three things on your bucket list?
I’ve never thought of a bucket list thing before, the concept confuses me, however I have thought of three things I would like to do in my life. I guess that is the same concept!

I’d like to do a sky dive, I know I’d be bloody petrified looking out, but I know the first few you do you are strapped to someone so they would just jump! But I have a fear of falling, so that would likely make me very anxious. But I know once falling through the air I would likely love it.

Go to the last night of the Proms. I went to my first Prom when I was 8 and saw Tasmin Little perform Prokofiev’s 2nd violin concerto and I think along with my family I went to at least one Prom every year from then until I was 18. I grew up in Berkshire, so we were relatively close, Manchester is quite a bit further away! It was always a big day out, picnic and games for the queue to prom. I’d obviously go in the gallery  now having fainted two years in a row being in the arena. I’ve watched the Last night on the TV most years and love it. I reckon the atmosphere in the Albert Hall would be amazing.

I’d love to travel around Europe. I’ve been to a few European countries, but I want to visit many more and go to different areas of the ones I have visited. I am mainly fascinated by anything history related and beautiful scenery and I love lots of the old European buildings in mainland Europe.
8. Favourite pizza toppings?
Easy question! Pineapple, just pineapple. So a restaurant that does pineapple I always have pineapple. If they are a bit posher and don’t do pineapple, then it is a margherita. I’m not boring, just have to have my routines ( see Routines and why I need them.)

9. Best dream you ever had?
I am guessing this means a dream whilst asleep. I don’t have good dreams, I have complex PTSD, so most nights are filled with nightmares I just want to forget. Sorry for a gloomy reply to a positive question.

10. Do you have any regrets in life?
Yes, who doesn’t? I wish I had lived my life how I need to much earlier, rather than just slowly beginning to now, but I lived it how others expected me to. You can’t change the past though, so nothing I can do about it!

11. Finally, if you could be a fruit, what fruit would you be and why?
What a random question! these sorts of questions always confuse me, but all I can think of is a strawberry, so I can be at Wimbledon!

I am nominating the following blogs:

Hasta la Vegan– this is a brilliant blog by my friend Emil. You also get lots of vegan recipes and cooking tips. And loads of travel stuff for places he has visited.

Rainbows and petticoats I came across this blog very recently when I found their recent post about the NAS judgey face campaign. Judgey Face  I read it and it completely summed up for me my thoughts on the campaign that were stuck in my head. It was nice to see another autistic person not be really positive about the campaign.

Littlestalien this is another blog which I came across because of their recent post (why the NAS judgeyface campaign just doesn’t work for me) about the judgey campaign and it again summed up my thoughts perfectly and put my thoughts into words so much better than I could. I haven’t read all of the rest of their posts, but some other posts and I have enjoyed reading them.

Ok I don’t know any other blogs really, so I’ll have to go with three for now, apologies. Although I really like Kai’s blog, but not sure I can nominate them, when they have just nominated me.

If you wish to do this (it is of course completely optional) then here are 11 questions for you to answer.

1. If you could talk for one hour without interruption with anyone who is dead who would it be and why?
2. If you could move to any other country in the world to live there, which would it be and why?
3. If you could learn any musical instrument, which one and why?
4. Favourite period of history and why?
5. Favourite TV show and why?
6. If you could be an animal, which would you be and why?
7. Favourite meal? 
8. What one sport out all the sports would really like to try and why? Your sporting ability doesn’t matter. 
9. If you were on the BBC Radio 4 show ‘Desert Island Discs’, what would be your one piece of music you would save? Your book of choice? (you get the complete works of Shakespeare and the bible or religious book of your choice) And your luxury?
10. Favourite fictional character and why?
11. Favourite film genre? 

Thank you again Kai for nominating my blog.