Listography – Top 5 Things I’d Like To Be Reincarnated As…

I haven’t joined in with Kate Takes 5‘s Listography for aaaaaaaaaaaages. In fact, I’ve generally been a bit lax on the whole reading-other-blogs front but I am trying to fix that and get back into it now.

So, this week’s list is an interesting one… what would I most like to be brought back as once this life is done….?
1. A Wolf

Anyone who knows me even a little bit will not in the slightest bit be surprised by this answer. Nor would they be surprised if I wandered into a room on all fours carrying something in my mouth at any point during a perfectly sober day. I’ve liked wolves for a while. A fair bit.

I’d like the thrill of the hunt, wind in my fur, the bond of the pack, lazy afternoons in the sunshine, a thick fur coat in the winter, the freedom to prowl, the shiver as I howl with the pack across the mountains… yeah, I could live with that.

2. A Family Photo Album

Yes, okay, so I’d probably be stuffed in a dusty box for years on end but I’d get pulled out regularly and everybody loves an old family album. There’s something magical about blowing the dust off an old album and poring over it, even when you don’t know who all the faces or places are. I think I’d like to be something that makes people get that tingle in their fingertips and puts a smile on their face.

3. A child’s teddy bear.

Okay, so I’d get dragged around by my ears, covered in biscuit and snot, dropped on my head and squished down the back of the bed with great regularity but I’d be loved unconditionally and quite possibly kept forever. And there’d be lots of cuddles. I like cuddles.

4. A Radio

Preferably one belonging to a family so I’d get to listen to lots of different things and learn interesting things.

5. A Sunflower

I know they’re fairly short-lived but I’d be bright and cheerful and get lots of close-ups of garden birds and the like. Sounds nice to me.
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What about you? What would you like to be? Go link up and have a look at everyone else’s.

Listography – Last Week

I haven’t joined in with this for a while but here I am again with a 5 point post on ‘What We Did Last Week’:

1. Trip to Ironbridge to collect a Very Special Bear

On Monday my parents took me & the kids to Ironbridge so that Mum could collect her limited edition handmade 2012 Olympics teddy bear. We collected Teddy then had a lovely walk through the town and some brunch sat outside at a lovely Tea Emporium. Tori was very good and walked (or ran) the entire time and ate all of her cheese on toast. Her main hiccup of the day was poking a French tourist in the bum with a stick. (Twice!)

2. I had a cleaning binge

I finally knuckled down and thoroughly sorted our front room. I even dusted and cleaned the windows. It has actually managed to stay tidy ever since too – I’m not sure how…

3. I had a night out.

My friend Jess turned 18 so we went out for a night on the town. We got very drunk slightly tipsy and had a great night out. It was my first proper night out since getting pregnant with Arthur and I won’t lie – the freedom was great! The all-day hangover the next day was not so great though…

4. We had a front-room picnic

Rain stopped play at the park so I randomly decided to make a picnic for when Sy finished work. We sat on the floor in the front room with the picnic blanket all set out and had some good family time and lots of food!

5. We had an unexpected visitor

Sy’s Aunty who lives in New Zealand is over in the UK and she came over to see us with his Dad at the weekend. It was lovely to meet another member of the extended family and Tori loved having someone else to jabber at incoherently

Listography: Top 5 Albums by a Band

This week KateTakes5 challenges us to come up with our top 5 Albums by a Band…eeek – just 5???

I have decided to link up the pictures of the album covers to a YouTube video of one of my favourite tracks from the album – so you can have a listen if you don’t know the band/just want a nosey.

So, in no particular order:

1.

Poets of the Fall – Signs Of Life

Chosen track: Sleep

I discovered this band through a friend who sent me a couple of tracks from this album and their second album Carnival Of Rust over MSN when we were at Uni (tut tut, illegal music sharing. Naughty students!) I listened to those tracks repeatedly and then went out and found the albums for myself and have bought every album since. It was a tough choice between all their albums so I did eenie-meenie-miny-mo and got this one!

2.

Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory

Chosen track: By Myself

I discovered Linkin Park when I was in college, Hybrid Theory first and then their other albums after – so I was a little late to the party. I listened to it obsessively for quite a while and still like to put it on when I’m chilling out on my own.

I love all their albums aside from their latest one A Thousand Suns which I’m still a bit undecided on. It’s okay…I think.

3.

Avril Lavigne – Let Go

Chosen Track: Things I'll Never Say

Okay, I admit it, I have a major girlcrush on Avril Lavigne. Ever since she burst onto the scene with Sk8r Boi and Complicated I have been in love with her, just a little. Her hair is cool, she’s kind of awesome, she can rock out on the guitar AND play the piano AND sing…I could go on….

I chose her first album just because it’s the one I remember really loving to death first (because it came out before the others, duh) but I admit to listening to all of her albums until I knew them word for word – even the crap tracks. I’m still in the process of learning her latest one though – give me time…

4.

Tina Dico – In The Red

Chosen Track: Head Shop

Tina Dico was a musical discovery early on in my relationship with Sy & I listened to this album a lot when I was away at Uni moping

5.

Passenger – Wicked Man’s Rest

Chosen Track: Things You've Never Done

Sy discovered these guys when watching YouTube videos of old console emulators and one of their tracks was used in the background. They are now one of our all time favourite bands and are also a firm favourite of Liberty & her sisters and cousins – They do a fab cover of one of the best tracks on the album (watch it here but excuse my dodgy video skillz – I’d had wine…) Listen to the lyrics – easily one of the catchiest songs about stalking someone ever!!

Listography – Bad Combinations

So this week KateTakes5 wants our top 5 Bad Combinations. I’m only too happy to oblige

1.

Chocolate and Orange

I love chocolate. I love oranges. THEY SHOULD NEVER EVER MEET. Ever.

I can’t even drink orange juice & eat a chocolate bar together, it’s just a crime.

2.

Tori and Earrings

You will utterly fail to get anything done once she spots you are wearing them as she will grab and sit there saying ‘star’ and/or ‘ball’ and/or ‘nice’ for the foreseeable future. And cry if you try and move.

3.

Tori and Quiet Serious Moments

You know that bit in church where you are meant to sit still and pray? Tori *will* talk. Loudly. And you know at the end when the Minister says a blessing? Tori *will* be loudly cheering and applauding the last hymn over the top of him. Every week. Without fail.

4.

Being Pregnant/Having A Baby and Dignity

Never the twain shall meet. Fact.

5.

Tori, Banana and Curtains

Never a good combination. (Full story here)

Banana Tori!

Listography: Simple Pleasures

This week Kate has challenged us to list our top 5 Simple Pleasures that get us through the grotty days in life and make us smile whatever the weather.

1.

Cheeky grins from my babies.

Every Mother’s sunshine – one big beam from either of them makes me smile back, even when I’m at my most miserable.

2.

Ten minutes with a good book.

For all I could happily read all day, just ten minutes to myself with no distractions so I could read a chapter of whatever book I’m reading would be enough to calm me & cheer me up.

3.

My favourite music. Loud.

This makes even hoovering at bit more fun.

4.

A cuddle with something furry.

Animals are used for therapy for a reason. I’m not fussy either – cat, guinea-pig, gerbil, rottweiler, horse, sheep, goat – Animals just cheer me up

Me with the goats at Hoo Farm.

5.

A walk in the sun.

Anywhere, any time. The fresh air does wonders!!

Listography: The Laminated List

Click here to link up & see everyone else’s listography lists

Kate has taken inspiration from ‘Friends’ this week and prompted us to create our own ‘Laminated List’s – our Top 5 celebrities we wouldn’t refuse should they a) randomly turn up on our doorstep and b) decide they quite like us.

This should be revealing. I wonder if I have a ‘type’…

1.

Justin Bartha

Mostly as Riley Poole in National Treasure but also as himself . He’s just pretty.

And Riley has that ‘geeky-but-slightly-useless-and-haphazard sidekick’ appeal too which just makes him utterly irresistable.

2.

Alastair MacKenzie

Remember Monarch Of The Glen? Remember Archie. Yeah. Him.

I miss that programme so much. Wolves? Check. Awesomely hot guy. Check. Adorably useless ‘sidekick’? Check. (Duncan – played by Hamish Clarke. Wouldn’t say no to him either while we’re on the subject….)

3.

John Barrowman

Yes, I am aware that he is gay. But as people who know me will be aware, my gaydar is broken, or else highly accurate. It is amazing how many times I say ‘oh he’s hot’, look him up on Wiki and discover he’s gay. Or even think ‘oh he’s hot’ as he walks past in the street and then watch in disappointment as his boyfriend meets him and gives him a kiss (this actually happened to me. Twice. *fail*)

So yeah. Should he suddenly a) turn up on my doorstep, b) take a liking to me AND c) turn straight – I wouldn’t say no…

4.

The guy who plays Damon Salvatore in Vampire Diaries

(Ian Somerhalder apparently – yay for Google)

Seriously – who in their right minds would choose Stefan over Damon? Is Elena blind???!

5.

Gareth David-Lloyd

(as Ianto Jones in Torchwood)

Adorable-slightly-useless sidekick anyone? (I seem to remember saying that before…)

Cute, funny, generally quite pretty and often in a suit. He makes me mushy and I have been known to emit the odd pathetically girly giggle at his one-liners in Torchwood.

Oh, and he’s ‘not-gay-apart-from-with-Jack’ – and very attractive with it too. They are easily my favourite gay couple ever.

Yeah, they can turn up together…

Do I have a type? Yes. Three actually: 1) Dark hair, moody looking guys. 2) Geeky-slightly-useless sidekicks. 3) Pretty gay men.

Listography: When I Grow Up…

This week KateTake5′s listography is being guest-hosted over at Mañana, Mama and the theme is 5 Things I Want To Be When I Grow Up – This is a bit of a wishful thinking one, mostly because I don’t think I’m ever going to grow up. 5’4″ is my limit Plus if we’re meant to act our shoe size then I’m destined to fluctuate eternally between 4 and 5…I can live with that…

 

1.

An Author

If I ever finish writing my novel/editing it/put it in a drawer and write a second (better) one, then you never know – I might actually manage this one.  JK Rowling/Stephanie Myer success (mad popularity, mediocre novel) would be nice – then I could stop worrying about having to be anything at all and just roll in my money pile…

 

2.

Taste-Tester at Galaxy or Cadbury etc

Getting paid to scoff chocolate? Yes please!

 

3.

Dog walker/Animal carer at a rescue centre

Heartache, love, bites, bruises, wet weather, cuddles, hard work, poo, snuffly kisses, muddy pawprints – I want it all.

Rum!

(One of the beauties I walked at Bath Cats And Dogs Home when I was at uni and volunteered there. Hope he’s doing well in his forever home x)

 

4.

A Wolf

Not a Twilighty super-wolf werewolf thing. Or a werewolf of any sort for that matter. Just a wolf. Somewhere like Yellowstone Park. So I can run through the snow after elk, feel the wind in my fur, hunt as a pack, curl up in a big fuzzy ball with the cubs and do general wolfy type things.

That would be awesome

 

5.

A Zookeeper

I’d put aside my dislike for monkeys and everything if I could be a zookeeper. Well, I say ‘and everything’ – there’s not a chance in the world you’d get me cleaning out the locust enclosure…

Listography: Childhood Sweetness

This week KateTakes5′s Listography has gone retro – we have to pick our top 5 childhood sweets.

This is going to be like choosing what to have when your Mum told you to pick one thing out of an entire sweet shop…

 

1.

Nerds

I *loved* these so much, I sometimes get cravings for them still.

I suspect they are no longer available due to their neon day-glo colours. The E-number content must be immense but they were just soooooo tasty and sour….

2.

Dweebs

The soft, less sour version of Nerds.

I still have a badge somewhere that says ‘I love Dweebs’ on it…

3.

Sherbert Straws

These were utterly pointless and some colours were disgusting but when you got 2 for a penny they were simply a must.

My primary school banned them because of the amount of rubbish they created (not to mention how high we all got off the sheer sugar intake!)

4.

Aniseed Balls

My Mum hates these. She always pulled a face when I picked them out in the shop.

Dad however, used to pinch them…

5.

Sherbert Fountains

I used to just eat the liquorice and save the sherbert til I got home, put it in a bowl, and eat it with a teaspoon!

Listography: Top 5 Children’s Books

Children’s books are pretty much my favourite books. Picking just five for this week’s Listography is going to be tough. Very tough…

1.

Hairy Maclary

I think my entire family can recite this book we have all read it so often and loved it to death. Sing-song words, gorgeous illustrations and lots of woofwoofs. Awesomeness.

The entire series is brilliant. And the Slinky Malinky books too (the cat equivalent).

No bookshelf is complete without at least one of these books.

 

2.

Dear Zoo

Best lift-the-flap book ever written? Quite possibly.

 

3.

Huff The Hedgehog

I couldn’t find a picture of this one and that makes me sad because I have a horrible feeling you can’t get it any more.

Huff The Hedgehog is, I think, a school reading book. A very old one. Our copy has a green front cover and is stuck together with about 3 rolls of ancient sellotape. It is practically disintegrating from too much love.

Huff is a hedgehog. Huff is hungry. Huff wants his dinner.

I love Huff.

I wish he was still in print.

 

4.

Where’s My Teddy?

Eddie’s lost his teddy. Eddie’s teddy’s name is Freddy.

Another book I love to death. I can actually remember reading this with my Mum, over and over. It’s cute, it’s funny, its words are catchy and playful. And it’s about teddies and big bears. My Mum *loves* teddy bears so I suspect this book was possibly bought as much for her as it was for me but it is brilliant.

 

5.

Peter Rabbit

I had this book in many forms as a child and I loved them all. From the classic little hardback to the pop-up book to the sticker book, the colouring book – all of them. It’s exciting following Peter as he dices with the threat of rabbit pie on his mission for radishes.

 

What are your Top 5 kid’s books? Link up over at KateTakes5 and then check out all the other entries…and then maybe hit the library afterwards

Listography: Ingredients For A Perfect Day

KateTakes5 has had a bit of a rubbish week this week (hope you ALL feel better soon!) and this has prompted a Listography made of purely wishful thinking : What 5 things would help add together to make your perfect day?

BabyBump arriving would make today perfect *hint hint Bumpy*, however, that aside my Perfect Day would run something like this:

1.

Guide-Camp breakfast.

I loved camping with Guides. For lots of different reasons but the food was definitely a big attraction. Especially breakfast. I don’t know why but when camping I was always capable of demolishing six times as much food as normal and breakfast was no exception. My perfect breakfast for my perfect day? A little bit of each of these please, all cooked over a proper fire in a pan, outside…!

Cheese Dreams (basically a cheese toastie…only fried in a pan instead of toasted)

Eggy bread

Bacon, sausages, scrambled egg, beans, fried bread…

 

2.

A long walk through the countryside with a dog.

I miss dog walking at Bath Cats and Dogs Home *so* much.

 

Hope you're doing well in your Forever Home, Rae girl x

Not having a woofwoof of my own I fell in love with all the dogs there instead, whether they were fleeting love-affairs with cute fluffy dogs that were only there a week or two or long-lasting companionship with dogs that were a bit rougher round the edges and took longer to home. During the week, if I wasn’t in a lecture or seminar I was at BCDH. Some days I’d spend 5 hours there just walking dogs of all shapes and sizes regardless of the weather or anything else. I had my favourites of course, but I was willing to take any fuzzball out for a stroll, well-behaved or otherwise.

 

Sexy Jimmy x Daft dog x

If I could choose though, as it is my Perfect Day I’m planning here, I would want to take out either Shadow, James or Rae. My three favourite dogs in the world. (RIP Shady & Jimmy, love you xx)

Shady Baby. Miss you so much x

3.

Lunch Out with Sy.

Somewhere nice. Anywhere. Posh-ish but not too posh. Just us, no sproglets so we could have a drink (yes, at lunch time) and just spend some time being ourselves together relaxing and having a giggle.

 

4.

Go watch a Matinee performance at the Theatre with my family & Liberty.

I’m not fussy what. I’d love to see Blood Brothers again or indulge myself with The Lion King but, really, I just love the theatre experience generally musical, Shakespeare, whatever. Again, I’d probably find a babysitter for the littleys and go with my parents, siblings, Sy & Liberty as a grown-up affair. I do love the Smalls but it’s nice to have grown-up time too…

 

5.

Night-Out on the town.

I have never been one for doing this *all* the time. Not even when I was at Uni. However, when I did go out I loved it and it happens even less often now. I would love to get all the Uni crowd together and the old College Crew and Sy and my big sister and brother and their other halves and go out on the town somewhere and get pleasantly merry on dubiously coloured drinks and dance like nobody is watching to music I’d never normally be caught dead listening to. That would be great.

 

Now click on the button and see what everyone else’s Perfect Day would include…