Seven Snippets about Semi-Expat and passing on the award(s)

At the end of last week I was fortunate enough to receive the same award (depicted above) twice within 24 hours from two of my favourite bloggers....

Firstly from Jeanne at Collage of Life - she has just returned from New Zealand and is settling into life in Surrey in England and has a beautiful blog (in fact she has another one too - how does she do it?) called In One Place - also very much worth checking out.

My second nominee was Susie from The Mill House who bestowed on me the same "Kreativ Blogger" award. Susie's gorgeous blog is truly as lovely as she is a person... When I was back in UK last October we met up and that was all because she made contact and emailed me after reading my blog - and would you believe we live only 20 minutes away from each other in UK ? Such a small world and one made smaller by the blogosphere every day. Read about our original meeting here. (I am also indebted to her as she gave me 'technical advice' as to how to 'link' within a post -thanks again, Susie and also to Mr SE who gave directions !)

Now, apparently I am now to list 7 things about myself that you do not already know .... ( Don't worry, though I am not going to bore you with 14 things because of the two person award!)

So...... here goes.

1. My first job was working for an Earl and a Countess at Bowood House - a beautiful stately home open to the public. I looked after their 4 children ranging from 3 to 13 years of age.



2. A ghost appeared to me when I was about 6 years old. I maintain to this day that I was NOT dreaming. I was scared witless as it also 'spoke' saying in an extremely sad and melancholy voice "I think strangers sleep here now"..... I remember it as if it was yesterday and even now when thinking of it or recalling the whole incident I get 'goosepimples' on my arms.



3. I held a Californian Real Estate Licence when I was 21 years old and lived in Los Angeles.



4. Mint ice-cream is one I just loathe - it tastes like frozen toothpaste to me.



5. Whenever ABBA songs are played at a party I just have to get up and dance - I have a secret yearning for them and their music - not very 'cool' maybe but I am very partial to a bit of ABBA.


6. I adore antique French white china and have a weakness for anything with 'holes' in especially antique French cheese molds or white china colanders.



7. Last but not least!! I have met two members of the Royal Family whilst I was working at No.1 on this list. Prince Charles, who at the time when I met him was actually considered quite "dishy" ! It was also pre-Diana but probably NOT pre his first meeting with Camilla P-B. He apparently said to my employer at the time that he wished he had had a nanny like me when he was a child! My second 'royal' meeting was with the late Princess Margaret who also visited Bowood House when she was 'cavorting' with Roddy Llewellyn. They (PM and RL) insisted on coming up to the nursery for tea where I was making sandwiches etc. for my four young charges at the time. They joined in and sat down at the table and I had to pour tea for them (I rather feel I blotted my copybook at the time as I put the milk into the teacup first - considered 'rather common' by the Royal Family or Aristocracy - Princess Margaret asked for a cup of black tea to which she then added her own milk!). I may add that whatever they think I still put the milk into the cup (or mug!) first. Roddy Llewellyn ate ALL the Club orange chocolate biscuits I recall.

So there we are - my 7 snippets of secret information.... And now, I have to pass on the award to 7 creative bloggers.... I do think that anyone who produces and creates a blog and posts on an almost daily basis is extremely creative and I do love all my favourite and inspirational blogs that I list on my page... The 7 that I am nominating you may or may not know but they are all fabulous and I am sure you will enjoy reading them...

(And, nominees please do what you will with the award - please don't feel compelled to stick to the letter regarding all the 'rules' if you don't feel like it for example - you may not have time to - just put the award motif on you blog if that is all you want!) I will freely admit to this post taking me most of the weekend like a homework assignment but then again these things do not come naturally to me and I am relatively new to all this!

1. Faux Fuchsia


2. My French Corner


3. Casa-dolce-casa


4. The Gardeners Cottage


5. Struggling to be Stylish


6. Lona de Anna


7. Boxwood Terrace

And also may I mention another very special blog - an extremely new one.. Diary of a Travelling Cool Girl - this is my niece Sophie and I think she is doing pretty well!

Phew! Over and out... back to 'normal posting' tomorrow!

P.S. having posted this and then gone to look at it it does not look as if the links show up - but I assure you that if you hover your mouse over any of the blogs mentioned (including the two who nominated me - Collage of Life and The Mill House) you will be able to click and then be taken to the appropriate page... Similarly if you click on Bowood House there will be some info. about the place and Roddy Llewellyn.... (LATER... have worked out how to make them show up playing around with font colours - have now spent WAY too long on this...!!)