Catherine from Pushing the Moon has kindly nominated me for the Love/Hate Blogger challenge. I love reading these lists as they’re a great way to get to know someone a little better. I really enjoyed reading Catherine’s list and I agree with all of it – especially the bit about putting away the laundry!
It’s hard to just pick ten things, but I’ve tried not to over-think it! Here’s my list…
10 Things I Love
1. My family
2. Tea – I couldn’t live without it and drink a bit too much of it. It’s usually builders, strong with lots of milk but no sugar – but I’m not averse to fancy tea on occasion. My parents used to call me a tea baby.
3. Buying new clothes. Or perhaps, more specifically, looking at nice clothes catalogues and thinking about what I’d love to buy if I had more money.
4. A tidy house. Shame it happens so rarely. I sometimes achieve a tidy room, but these days it’s rare for the whole house to look good.
5. Any book by Elizabeth Jane Howard.
6. North Pembrokeshire. Our favourite place to go on holiday.
7. Old houses with beautiful (but informal) gardens.
8. Dogs, even though I don’t have one at the moment. They’ll never be another kind of pet that comes close.
9. Talking. I love to chat and mull things over.
10. Cold, crisp weather. With coats, gloves and scarves.
10 Things I Hate
1. The never-ending housework of family life. I’m only ever treading water at the moment – the ironing basket rarely diminishes and the piles of irritating stuff gather more dust daily.
2. Only having one very small bathroom in our house. Clearly, this would’ve been a luxury once upon a time, but times and expectations change, don’t they? I hate the revolting mess two boys make of the one toilet every day. I’ve never had to clean a toilet so frequently – multiple times a day – yet it never feels properly clean! A downstairs loo would relieve the pressure considerably, but would require a lot of work and remodelling of the layout of our house. I’m thinking a compost loo at the end of garden?!
3. Anxiety. My weakest, and most hated, characteristic. Hating it doesn’t make it go away, but it does at least allow me to recognise it for what it is.
4. Seeing my children upset, or struggling with something. It’s definitely getting harder as they get older and meet new challenges.
5. Driving. I’m perfectly ok at it, I just really don’t like doing it very much. I think more than anything, I hate the fact that I don’t feel more confident about doing it.
6. Blood. I am terrible at the sight of blood and turn to jelly.
7. Wasting money. Even though I end up doing it quite a lot.
8. Feeling shy in new social situations.
9. Getting builders in. A necessary evil sometimes, but not one I enjoy at all!
10. Grey, dreary weather that goes on for days on end. Particularly bleak in the Fenland landscape.
I’m not going to do any specific nominations, but if you’d like to take part do let me know as I’d love to read your lists!
Lizzie x
What brilliant lists! They made me smile, laugh, since, and nod in recognition. How do I take part? XXX
Thanks Ruth. Just post a similar post on your blog and link back to me! Would be great to read your lists. 🙂
Oh, there really isn’t anything more depressing than the Fens on a bleak and foggy winters day, is there! That’s probably one of the few I don’t miss from when I lived around there.
Brilliant list! Thanks so much for taking part! Xxx
Ooooh, interesting! You learn so many random things with these lists that help you feel you ‘know’ someone a little more, and in a more rounded way, even though it’s all online rather than real interaction.