Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Random Dozen: September 15th


1. Do you do garage sales? If so, tell me about one great find. If not, tell me why not.

No, because they aren't a British thing. We have "car boot" sales instead, where people sell from the backs of their cars. Mostly they are held at regular times in a field or car park, or schools or charities might organise a one-off car boot sale to raise funds (people pay for their pitch, and buyers pay a small fee to enter).  I don't do car boot sales - too lazy to sell, and I don't want to add to my clutter mountain - but my twelve year old is an enthusiastic car boot seller. She and my brother usually go together three or four times a year.

2. Name the last thing you fixed.
Does switching back on a fused light circuit count? If not, then it was a drawer that had been broken for more years than I care to think about. Unfortunately, fixing things is not one of Tevye's talents, so if anything breaks round here I am the one who has to take a crack at mending it. 

3. Name your A) Favorite item of makeup OR B) Favorite tool
Favourite tool? Electric screwdriver, which has saved me more blisters that I care to think about. I don't actually own one, but have acquired my Mum's on permanent loan. And as a bonus, my favourite item of makeup is Boots No.7 Moisture Drench lipstick. Without lipstick my middle-aged lips look pale and washed out, and moisturising lipstick is a great alternative to chapstick to stop me getting dry, sore lips from playing the trombone.

4. Which room in your home needs organizing more than any other?

I don't want to think about that question!

5. Which room could use re-decorating?
The dining room is top of the list, as it hasn't been redecorated for some time and is getting rather tired. I would also like to repaint the kitchen. Although it was only painted last year, I've never really been happy with the colour (a very pale green), and would like to change it to yellow.

6. Share something unique about your town. 
Unique? Difficult. There are lots of things I like about our town, but none of them are particularly unique. Even the beautiful thirteenth century church and medieval market cross are not unique - you can find similar ones in other English towns. Ah! I know! It is the home of The Borrowers, which Mary Norton wrote here and set in a house that is now a middle school.  

7. If you could send a one-sentence message to your great-grandchild, what would it be?
Oh. My. Goodness. I don't think I could ever settle on one sentence. I would be constantly rewriting it.  Even thinking about it leaves me stuck in paralysed confusion, so I'm going to skip out or I will never get the rest of these questions answered.

8. Do you Facebook?
Yes. Love it. 

9. Describe your favorite shoes.
Purple court shoes with heels. Not my favourite to wear, as I never find heels particularly comfortable, but my for looks, and a great colour.

10. Do you listen to more talk radio or more music radio? What kind of station is it?
Mostly music radio, alternating between classical and middle-of-the-road local radio (mix of current music and pop classics), depending on who is in the car and the mood of the moment. I have phases where I listen to a lot of talk radio, but I'm not in one of them right now. 

11. How far would you travel for a really good (favorite) meal?
About 20 miles if it was by car. I would take the train into London, which is about 40-50 miles, but has endless choice of places to eat. 

12. If you were totally honest with yourself (and us) what should you probably be doing right now instead of blogging?
Getting up, showered and dress, and helping Cherub to get dressed. And if I don't start doing it now, we are going to run very late this morning!

For more Random Dozens, visit  2nd Cup of Coffee.

9 comments:

Linds said...

My kirchen is yellow and i love it! And about car boot sales - our village has a mega sale once a year, and you pay £5 and set up outside your house between 10 and 4. It is widely advertised and thousands come, like they did last Saturday. Everyone buys a map of the village with houses taking part marked on it for 50p and the whole lot goes to charity. It is a roaring success and gets bigger every year.
I love Facebook too!
PS One of these days we must meet at MK for coffee you know.

SouthLakesMom said...

Oh, the Borrowers! What a great book that was! I loved the way it inspired my imagination to go further and further afield!

Purple court shoes! Ooh, la la! They sound wonderful!

Pam from alertandorientedx4 said...

I think a car boot sale sounds amazing! You can't fit too much in there, so the prep time would be cut...and because there isn't so much in there, voila! You sell out early! I think that needs to catch on here!

Anonymous said...

What a neat thing...car boot sales. I've never heard of such a thing!! Your old church sounds lovely! I would love to visit England some day!

Jerralea said...

I adore yellow kitchens. Mine is always yellow, I just change the shades of yellow ...

I agree with Pam's comment- car boot sales sound great, because there is only so much you can put in there. You'd be done quickly!

Thena said...

My kitchen and master bathroom is yellow (different shades). I love them. I keep saying I'm going to paint my dining room yellow because it joins onto the kitchen. But haven't gotten around to it.

jamiely78 said...

I love yellow kitchens. Growing up, my mom's kitchen was always yellow, so when I;m in one it always takes me back.

Apostle to Suburbia said...

Haha, in the US, court shoes would mean basketball shoes! Purple high heeled basketball trainers sounds interesting! :)

And I think a car boot sale is about equivalent to a swap meet here. No one actually swaps items for free, they do pay for them. Flea markets, I think, are a step up.

Teresa Dawn said...

The things people sell at garage sales here, you'd never fit in the car boot! I'm glad I didn't come across such sales when I was out there, I didn't bring enough luggage to bring stuff home haha!