21 Things

you dont know about me!

We all have secrets, quirks, and details about our lives that even the people closest to us might not know. Maybe it’s the way we hum while working, the dream we’ve never told anyone about, or that odd habit we have quietly nurtured for years. In this piece, I am peeling back the layers and sharing twenty-one things about myself. 

Some you might know, some are fun, others a little more serious, but all are part of what makes me, well, “me.” Whether you are a longtime friend, an occasional reader, or someone just passing through, these tidbits might surprise you, make you laugh, or even make you think. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this little window into my world.

  1. I was born on the 25th of My mum used to tell me that it was also a snowy Christmas. One of those Christmases where snow fell on the roof of the London Weather Centre making it an “official” white Christmas. 
  2. I was not planned – It is said that the contraceptive pill is 99% effective. My mum fell for me when on the contraceptive pill. I slotted into that 1% ineffectiveness. I should have known then that I will always be different!!!
  3. I loved going to play school when I was little. Why? Because my mum was a volunteer and was there everyday with me.
  4. I was very close to my mum’s parents and used to stay with them every single weekend and every school holiday from the age of 3 through to 14.
  5. I have been in and out of hospital for many things over my years. Three eye operations (Thank you Gt Ormond Street.) Diagnosed epileptic. DVT. Masses removed from various places (I know now that is a Cowdens Syndrome issue). Hysterectomy for cancer. Hemithyroidectomy. Several day surgeries. Yearly visits to various consultants for my Cowdens Syndrome reviews. I have come to think of it as normal life!
  6. I have a rare genetic syndrome that affects one person in every 200,000. Yep, that’s me.  Say hello to Cowdens Syndrome.
  7. I love my blonde hair – Never dyed it, never will…although I am often asked if I do dye it. The greys and whites are showing through now as I creep through my 50s but I am proud of them!
  8. I am an introvert. Parties and going out to clubs are not my idea of fun. Not because I do not want to spend time with someone, but I feel uncomfortable in these situations.
  9. I have an eclectic music taste. From the 70s to Coldplay. From Mike Oldfield to Yes to Genesis through to The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Mark Knopfler, Jon Anderson, Kate Bush, Dire Straits, Vangelis…there is not much I won’t listen to (apart from Country music)
  10. I do love surprises. That has grown on me over the years as I hated surprises when I was little. Particularly lovely surprises were when I came home one night to tickets for Grease in the West End that same night! I came home another day to a holiday booked to somewhere I had always wanted to go. One of my all-time favourite surprises was my late husband booking two tickets to see Coldplay in 2016, that was extra special. Another particularly good one was my dads present to me for my 50th. My Tina Cooper original glass sculpture.
  11. Emigrating was my late husband’s idea initially but when I opened the nursing trade magazine and it said, “Come to Australia,” it was fate! We packed up and landed on 9th Feb 2005….20 years ago.
  12. Cringy as it sounds, my late husband was my soulmate. We could finish each others sentences. We hated being apart. We talked constantly throughout our workdays and still had plenty to say when we came home!!
  13. I read. A lot. Literally a book a week. I have always loved to read and used to have a yearly reading contest with my late aunt. We would share book titles and what we thought of them.
  14. I like to read outside of my comfort zone. I like to pick up a social commentary book, something I would not have normally read. Maybe something that discusses the opposite beliefs that I have.
  15. Writing is a passion. I must write something every day, whether it is a line, a chapter, or an email. My day isn’t fulfilled without writing.
  16. I love to cook. Leave me in the kitchen and let me get on with it! I’m a happy woman! I have favourite dishes I like to cook, but equally I like to ‘wing it!’  Nothing gives me greater pleasure than dishing up a meal to someone that thoroughly enjoys it and clears the plate!
  17. I love movies. There are some movies I’d watch over and over, almost like a religion! (Iykyk) I like seeing movies at the cinema, especially old movies back for re-runs.
  18. I love going to concerts. Over the years I have seen Paul McCartney (3 times), Billy Joel (twice), MeatLoaf, U2, The Police, Sting and Paul Simon, Simply Red, Elton John (twice), The Beautiful South, The Corrs, Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Eric Clapton, Mike Oldfield, Yes (twice,) Phil Collins and more. I do enjoy a good tribute band too and have seen tributes for ELO (twice), Elton John and Billy Joel (twice), Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, The Who, Dire Straits (twice) and more.
  19. Theatre is a passion – this stems from my childhood when my dads mum would take me to the theatre each Christmas for the pantomime. I continued to go as I grew up and have seen Les Miserables (more times than I can count.) Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Singing in the Rain, Grease (several times), Steel Magnolias, The Dr Who Symphonic Concert and more.
  20. I have developed a love of podcasts in the last 5 years. The Daily Wire (Matt Walsh, Ben Shapiro, and The Comments Section.) The Brett Cooper Show. The Joe Rogan Show. We Happy Few 506. The `We’re not lost private’ podcast and more.
  21. Since living in Australia, I have developed an interest in rugby league. My team, the Brisbane Broncos, have their good and bad years. I’ve been supporting them since 2006 (19 years!) and yes, I have a green and gold Australia shirt. I will confess that I kept my late husbands England shirt too.
With my mum
With my Dad

Bonus one for you….

I have an insane ability when I am concentrating to switch off from the world around me. If I am reading or writing, I would not hear a word that someone said to me.

Sorry, did you ask me something??? Hahahah!

There you have it. 21 things about me. How many did you already know?

With my Nan
With my brother