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Saturday 31 May 2014

I've been nominated....

Hello lovely followers and readers,

I'm a bit lost for words as I've been nominated for the Liebster Award
Thank you so much 
You've made my day :-)

Do go and visit Jill as she shares posts bursting with warmth, sunshine and humour;
Jill always sets me a-giggling :-)

As Jill explains the award so well I won't go into that...
But there are a few things I have to do...
The first is to share 11 random facts about myself
so let me get started...this is not going to be easy!

1. I'm forever collecting random things
- corks, supermarket netting, metal, crockery shards, sea glass, buttons, driftwood, books, ...

2. My earliest memory is from when I was 2 years old and my family were staying at my grandparents house in Chessington....
I was in the bath and mum was washing my hair....
I was screaming my head off....
Nana came in and offered me an old penny if only i would be quiet...
I wasn't!
My poor mum tried every which way she could to wash my hair but it always resulted in screams from me...
Poor mum!
I don't remember why I didn't like it and I cannot remember the sensory experience  of it except for bright light and deep shadows.
Now I know I have Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism, it is highly likely i was having sensory  perceptual overload. It's a bit like asking too much of a computer and it has a wobbly, then crashes.

3. As a child I was very fearful of walking over a bridge or looking under one!
My mum use to get me to stand on the foot plate of my brother's pushchair, told me to hold tight and to close my eyes. 
Thank you Mum :-) xxx
I now understand that it's not a fear as such but the movement of the water, the shadows and light giving a sensory overload.  I can still feel this at times.

4. I bought my Pipy Wendy spinning wheel when I was 18. 
I now have two, the second being one of Majacraft's early  Suzie...it doesn't have the
New Zealand clematis flower motif on the handle or drive wheel.

5. I started to learn to sew and embroider when I was 6.

6. I use to make most of my children's clothes but this stopped when I came back to the U.K. 

7. I was a nurse...for two years.

8. I focus on detail and don't see or find it very hard to see the bigger picture ...it's an Aspie thing :-) 
I love close up photography

9. I love singing.

10. I couldn't live without my Christian faith... She/He has got me through some very difficult times.

11. I'm very grateful :-).... but I have to work at it...!

*************

I shall endeavour to answer Jill's 11 questions now :-)

Are you ready?
Not sure I am!
Here goes...

1. What is my favorite craft activity?

Ah... at the moment it is crochet.

2. What was the last project I finished?

Good question Jill...there's certainly plenty of WIP's
It took a couple of minutes to compute...
Ah...it was my red and white crochet bag that is currently holding my latest WIP - the green Drops Lace.



3. What would be my ideal crafted gift to receive?

That's a hard one....hmm...something handmade by a friend or family member...
Actually I don't mind what it is if it it's made with their precious time and their love for me.  It would be treasured my whole life through and passed on to my children and grandchildren.

Some treasures I already have....


This lovely card arrived by post this morning from the lovely
Mandy at Blue bell Lane Crafts ...Just in case I was missing my pigeon friend.
Thanks so much Mandy, you are a darling, it was such a lovely surprise xx

Here are a couple more items my lovely cousin has gifted me...



And a cushion from my beloved auntie and cousin...


Plus a couple from my lovely mum...


....isn't it stunning?



4. What is my favourite season?

All of them for different reasons...

Spring because...well, it's spring! Full of promise of new life, rejuvenation, warmer weather, ...a wonderful time for gardening, the joy of scents.... it's not too hot.

Summer because Lovely Husband is home from school for eight whole weeks.

Autumn because I've had enough of the heat of summer, I love autumn colours and they are the colours that personally suit me best.  Walking / kicking through piles of heaped crackly leaves. Collecting colourful leaves and conkers to display inside. Jars full of jams, chutneys and preserves ...and the freezer packed full too. Having a fire in the Rayburn all day and the resulting coziness of our cottage.

Winter because it always reminds me that I'll be thankful for the arrival of snowdrops and crocus followed by the onset of spring. Having the Rayburn alight all day and night; lighting the wood burner...

It's either spring or autumn... :-)

5. What is my favourite craft-related-non-blog website?

I don't think there is a number one favourite but I would say most places that can give me a colour fix. If I have to choose I'll say Pinterest.

I can be found here

6. Which crafty activity have I never done but would like to try?

I have enjoyed wet felting in the past and I'm going to have a play at needle felting as my lovely son bought me the essentials for Christmas.

7. What was the last magazine I bought?

Simply Crochet Issue 18

8. What was the last book I read?

'Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Different Sensory Experiences Different Perceptual Worlds' by Olga Bogdashina (about the author); published by
Jessica Kingsley Publishers

The book can be purchased here.

It is an excellent book and anyone who loves, cares for, or who is on the spectrum would benefit from reading it.  It has helped me a lot and has given me a greater understanding of myself together with giving me a language to describe experiences and more confidence say what I need/feel.  It's not a 'how to' book but it's full of insight and intellectual understanding.

I intend to add another page at some point to this blog of the helpful books / web pages i have read. I have thought about writing a separate blog about autism but I would find it too confusing.


9. What did I want to be when I was little?

A hairdresser like my mum :-)

10. What is my favourite thing about blogging?

I spend a great deal of time on my own and I love the friendships and the sense of community that I'm finding in the blogosphere.  I would name you all but I would worry I'd unintentionally leave people out.

11. How did I choose the name of my blog?

It took me ages, well, months :-)

I wanted a name that is easy to say, memorable and says something about my interests. I would quite like a second line that rhymes with the first but haven't come up with anything that's not too twee. 

So there we are :-)

The next step of this award will be on the following post.

Bye for now my lovelies...oh....

..if you haven't already, now's a good time to go check out 
Jill's wonderful blog!

Err.... I forgot to mention I can be rather bossy....just sometimes :-)

Ttfn xxxxxxxxx
Tracey

 Thank you so much for all your lovely sweet comments on my last post.

I welcome your comments and they make my day :-)



26 comments:

  1. What a nice read, Tracey. I enjoyed getting to know you a little better. Congrats on the award. :)

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    1. Hello Jennifer, thank you for your lovely comments :-) I'm so glad you enjoyed reading my post; I'm now preparing the next installment. Thanks for dropping by,
      Tracey xx

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  2. thats such a great blog post... lots of little memories for me reading it of the times ive spent with you over the years. well done on the award xxxx

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    1. Hello dear Glenda, thank you. It's lovely to have you visit :-) I was wondering earlier today if you are still blogging....? If you are I'll come and look for you. I've been thinking of you lots with your new job... I know you are perfect for that role :-)
      With love, Tracey xxx

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  3. Congratulations on the award, a really interesting read, I've been nominated too, I yet to write my post, still mulling over the questions
    Clare x

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    1. Hi Clare, congratulations on your nomination too :-) Thank you for your comments, I'm so pleased you found it interesting. There's no rush :-) I needed to get on with mine for peace of mind. I've just been admiring your wreath...it's now on my to do list!
      Tracey xxx

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  4. well done Tracey, nice to read more. Interesting about the Aspergers. Have a nice day, hope you have the sun too! Heather x

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    1. Ooh..sorry Heather, I missed your comment last time I was here but I'm so glad I spotted it now :-) Thanks so much for your comments and I'm pleased you found it interesting.
      Tracey xxx

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  5. What a lovely post to read. I really enjoyed it. My daughter is on the spectrum so I was especially interested in that part. I will have to look into getting the book you mentioned. Thanks for popping over and following my blog. Have a great day. Melanie x

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    1. Hi Melanie, thanks so much for visiting and commenting :-)
      On Amazon it's one of those books that you can see inside which i found very helpful when deciding to purchase it. I requested it from the library first but when six months later it still hadn't arrived I went shopping instead :-)
      Tracey xxx

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  6. What a lovely post to read. I enjoy reading a bit more about the people behind the blogs. xx

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    1. Aw, thank you Chel :-) Have a great week
      Tracey xxx

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  7. Hi Tracey, Thankyou for your lovely words :) I am only on quick as I want to make a few replies then a quick post and try to get to bed at a sensible time .... so I haven't read your whole post - I will do I promise - but I wanted to say how amazing of you to share about your Aspergers. I can't remember if I said specifically, but my son has Aspergers. We also think my husband is undiagnosed. Its always great to hear of positive outcomes (like you and my hubby) to reassure me that it WILL be ok and my son WILL have a successful life, its very easy to get bogged down in the negative. I never would have guessed from reading your posts so I guess you have lots of strategies for managing things. Anyway, just wanted to say thankyou so much for sharing that, I feel really honoured that you could share it with us :) Hugs, Jillxxxx

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    1. I want to give you a hug Jill :-) One of the reasons I started this blog was to concentrate on positivity. I don't see myself as a negative person but I have developed negative strategies from childhood in the way I deal with certain things which leads to depression. There's quite a lot I could say but it would be best left to an email.
      I really appreciate the time you have taken to comment, bless you. Yes it it's very easy to become bogged down in the negatives. Yes your son will be ok and will have a successful and enjoyable life :-) ... I'll send a short email later.
      Tracey xxx

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  8. It is lovely to get to know a bit more about you and well done on receiving this award! xx

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    1. Hi Amy, thanks for popping by and for your lovely comment :-)
      Have a lovely week after your special time alone. I look forward to see what you have been busy with :-)
      Tracey xxx

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  9. I always love reading things like this, it's so great to get to know more about the person behind the blog!

    I really love the shade of red of that bag you made, and that blanket is stunning!

    You should definitely give needle felting a try! I had the supplies for a year before I finally got the courage to try. I'm a huge klutz and I was certain I would end up in the hospital. It was a lot easier and quicker than I expected and I really enjoyed the process!

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    1. Hi Rebecca :-) Thanks so much for your lovely comments. Hopefully it won't be too long before I get started... I can't seem to stop doing other things at the moment... hmm...and there is also that fear of stabbing myself!
      Tracey xxx

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  10. So nice to learn more about you, Tracey! ~Angela~

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    1. Thank you Angela :-) and thanks for dropping by
      Tracey xxx

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  11. I enjoy reading these posts and it's really nice to find out a little more about you. Crochet is my favourite craft at the moment too.
    Marianne x

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    1. Hi Marianne :-) Thank you for leaving a comment
      Tracey xxx

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  12. Hi Tracey, I loved reading this post and finding out a little bit more about you. It's such a great way to connect with other craft bloggers, and just to let you know I've now completed the second part to my Award post. I'm looking forward to visiting the other bloggers sites on your list. Thanks again for nominating me - I'm very honoured.
    Amanda X

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    1. You're very welcome Amanda :-) I've just been over to your post and found it very interesting and now I have some new blogs to discover too through your nominations...Yay!
      Tracey xxx

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  13. Sorry I have come late to this post but thank you for sharing so much about yourself. I am glad that you are able to make better sense of your early experiences now that you have the knowledge about Asperger's Syndrome. I hope that these insights makes life much easier for you these days. Once our family became aware of Asperger's,everything fell into place. Thanks for the book reference.

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    1. Hi Jodie :-) Thanks so much for commenting. Yes everything is falling into place gradually...I find the more I read the better I feel. I am really grateful for the people who have contacted me regarding having AS in their family. I haven't posted for what feels like an age but I have started compiling a separate page for links and books for those dealing with ASD's. I must hurry up and publish it! I hope you are doing ok...I've been thinking of you xxx

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Thank you so much for leaving a message :-) I love hearing from you and it really does make my day xx