- I was born on a Tuesday. My Dad took a Polaroid photo of me when I was born; I was all wrinkly. I still have the photo. I don't have the wrinkles.
- An artist friend did a pencil sketch of me at 24 hours old, I looked slightly more normal.
- I'm not normal... normal is boring!
- I'm allergic to nuts and bananas. I'm more afraid of bananas than nuts; they make me really ill. I hate cucumber; it's just a pointless vegetable.
- I'm a complete sound junkie... Everything from jazz (yes jazz) to metal, and a little pop thrown in for good measure. But an awesome guitar riff and a drum break fills my soul. Real music is where my heart lies. The louder, the better!
- My music collection was the first thing rescued when the old house flooded in 2007, it's value would have wiped out a crazy amount of the contents insurance!
- I have a small tattoo on my back, I wanted a larger one but chickened out. It was my token act of rebellion after my Dad died. My Mum thought it would wash off...
- It's still there. I'm undecided if I want to have it laser-removed or have it adapted and completed.
- I think I'll have it lasered...
- I'll change my mind next week. I'm terrible at making decisions.
- My Dad was a qualified Pilot, only a couple of hours off a commercial pilot's licence.
- I always wanted to be an RAF Fast Jet Pilot, but I'm short-sighted, short, asthmatic and it was before they let girls fly.
- I learnt to scuba-dive when I was 14; my first try-dive was in a hotel pool in Newquay, Cornwall.
- I then wanted to be a Royal Navy Mine Clearance Diver, but... I'm short-sighted, short, asthmatic and a girl.
- I've logged over 300 hours underwater; then I stopped counting...
- I have a complete irrational fear of heights; yet I can swim off a reef that drops into the deep blue and not feel scared.
- My Baby Brother is taller than me, only just. We're a family of short-a**es.
- At least one person in each generation of the Land family, for 4 generations, has had the initials LL.
- But I'm now an LC, so have I broken the chain...?!
- I went to a private school, I sometimes regret leaving at the end of my GCSEs.
- I have a degree in Human Psychology, and just need to do my dissertation to finish my MSc.
- I used to wear a pair of orange and purple patchwork dungarees with a stripy jumper from C&A, and paratrooper boots from Birmingham Rag market. I loved them!
- My Mother hated them.
- I now wear skirts, dresses and heels... occasionally. I'd wear my dungarees again if only I knew what happened to them.
- I had my belly button pierced when I was 19 at Oasis in Birmingham, with my old friend Neil.
- It lasted 1 week; it looked strange in my belly after I got out of the shower.
- My Ex cut it out with a pair of bolt cutters; it didn't hurt.
- I went on 4 exchange trips with school; 2 to Germany, 2 to France.
- My 1st German exchange's Mum told me it was unnatural for women to shave and showed me her arm-pit hair. I was eating my breakfast at the time...
- I'll never look at a bowl of Frosties the same way again.
- My Mum is part German, who naturalised in 1969.
- I love my Brother loads; I don't think he realises how much I love him, my sister-in-law and my nephew rocks my world every day.
- I miss my Dad so much. He died 14 years ago. It seems like yesterday. He's my Hero!
- I have a step-dad, he has the patience of a saint. He's a Hero too!
- I would like to have a family; I would like to think there was a piece of me still running around causing chaos on this planet, long after I've gone.
- I met my Husband through a scuba-diving internet forum.
- Our last dance at our wedding was to Rage against the Machine. My Mother was mortified.
- I love flip-flops.. I wear them as soon as it gets above 10C, and only take them off at the end of November. I'd go barefoot if I could.
- I get my bare-footed-ness from my Mum; she lived in Hong Kong as a child and they went around in bare feet.
- My maternal Grandfather is British, he was stationed in Hong Kong; that's why my Mum lived there. They had a pet monkey and tin bath full of terrapins.
- One day, I will to take my Mum back to visit Hong Kong.
- My parent's used to live in Menorca, until my Dad died. Menorca is my happy place.
- My dream desire is to own a villa in Menorca... I will own a Menorcan villa.
- My Mum and my Mother-in-law are both Marion, this makes introductions a lot easier.
- I used to play the clarinet. I got up to Grade 4. I really wanted to learn to play the guitar or drums...
- I still do.
- I love books; I want a dedicated library room in my Menorcan villa.
- I love Gin, especially Menorcan Gin.
- Vodka is evil... it makes me angry.
- The photo at the top, taken the awesome photographer, Caroline Alexander, is my favourite photo EVER!
- I refer you to #10... I'll change my mind next week and there'll be 51 different more useless facts!
Vivian
That was quite a fun read. I'm originally from Britain, (I'm a dual), but left as a child so lost my British accent many years ago. I live in America. My last visit to England was about 15-years-ago to stay with my cousin in Petersfield. I traveled around the countryside seeing places I'd never seen before, did a lot of hiking, saw a lot of antiquity, and it was my best vacation ever! My one regret is not going back to London. I had a "been there, done that" attitude. I really miss being able to travel but have just gotten too old and ill!
I also love desserts so am definitely signing up. And, just when I told myself I don't need to get anymore emails!
Lou Carruthers
Awww thank you for your lovely comment Vivian! It’s so nice that it evoked some of your memories. I moved from Central England to the heart of the Cotswolds 13 years ago and it’s such a beautiful part of the country. Glad to have you here; hope you enjoy the recipes!
kitchen frolic
Louise - I always knew you were awesome, but THIS LIST!....you are just beyond awesome.
Louise
Thank you *blush* I'm speechless, and that's a first xx
Beth
Thank you so much for mentioning me - so sweet of you!
We got got by the Great Flood of '07 (spoken in a broad farmer accent please) too! I'm glad you managed to save your music collection though, we had a nightmare trying to get the contents insurance people to cough up enough to replace our possessions...
How are you finding your Masters? My boyfriend is debating doing a masters in sociology, but I think he's a bit unsure of what it all entails!
Lovely post, as always!
Beth x
Louise
It's my pleasure; I'm really glad I've discovered your blog. The Great Flood of '07 was horrific, I wouldn't wish flooding on anyone. We managed to save a fair bit but we were out of our home for a long time as it was pretty much striped back. Never want to go through that again.
I've been doing my Masters through the Open University, so I've been able to do it a module at a time, the only thing holding me back from finishing is the money to do my dissertation. As I'm self-funded it's quite expensive, and finding the time. It was something I wanted to do for myself rather than for work etc, so I have approached it in a more 'casual' way of taking my time. I have a couple of years left to complete it yet; or cash in my modules for a Post-Grad certificate.
Glad you liked the post x