Thursday 13 August 2015

Five Things About Me



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This is a photo taken yesterday at the surprise Birthday Luncheon my friends from church gave me.  I have always hated having my photograph taken.  Even when I was thin and pretty and young . . .  I did  not like it.  I don't think I have ever liked the way I look.  Not since I was very young at any rate!

And that is a first thing about me, on a five things about me post, on my 60th Birthday, 2015.


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I used to be a pack a day smoker.  Although I don't think I ever ever looked this cool smoking. It started with taking puffs off friends cigarettes when they were being handed around at the bus stop when I was 17.  Trying to fit in I guess.  It didn't take me very long to get hooked.  I smoked for 17 years.  My mother smoked (Cameo) and my father quit when we were quite young.  I started off on Export A and finished off on Players Light.  (What could ever be light about smoking?)  Quitting was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life, and something which I had tried many times.  It finally stuck when I was 34.  I have never looked back, or been tempted since.   Okay . . .  lie  . . .  I was probably tempted multiple times in those first six months, and occasionally, very occasionally,  to this day, I will have a dream where I am smoking.  (And I am always uber upset with myself when I do!)  I did chew Nicorettes gum for two years after I quit, just so I could make sure I really had quit.  Then I chewed regular gum, and then I didn't chew anything at all.  I did find a whole new person in that I put on a ton of weight, which really annoys me.  I hate that fact about me.  The whole fat thing, but I am not sorry I quit smoking.

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I have tried every, and I mean literally EVERY diet under the sun.  I have even had hypnotherapy to lose weight.   And they have all worked.  I've taken off tonnes of weight.   But I have always failed at every diet I have ever tried, and ended up putting on more weight afterwards than I have taken off.  I guess you could say dieting has made me fatter.  I don't know what the answer is.   In all honesty, I repulse even myself.  I would go for a by pass surgery if I was not so afraid of being put to sleep and not waking up.


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I love the colour purple and once had purple highlights in my hair.  (A LOOOOOONG time ago now.)  I need to find myself something purple that I won't mind wearing.    I am growing my hair long again.  Not by choice, but because going to the hair dresser to get it cut is just too expensive.  £28 every time.  We can't afford that.   It's just too much.  We can barely afford the £30 it costs us every 10 weeks to have Mitzie done.  That is a necessity, but getting my hair cut is not.  It will be okay once it gets past this awkward stage.  But back to purple.  I love the colour purple.

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I love making lists.  I have always loved making lists.  Some of my earliest memories involve making lists.  Lists of what I was going to study in our encylopaedia over the summer when I was six or seven years old.  (What a geek!)  Lists of what I was going to do all day, each day.   Housekeeping lists.   Christmas lists, etc.   lists, Lists, LISTS!  I love the thinking process in putting one together, I only ever rarely follow the lists I make.  List making is almost a compulsion for me.

And with that I have to stop.  My laptop is telling me it is going to restart for updates in 14 minutes, and I can't figure out how to postpone it.     So I will have to love you and leave you!

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Baking in The English Kitchen today  . . . .  Lemon Cream Danish!  Delish!

Have a wonderful day!  Don't forget . . .

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And I do too!

14 comments:

  1. Have a Great Birthday, Marie!
    Wishing you a day as special as you are!

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  2. Thanks Helen! You are a real sweetheart! xoxo

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  3. Enjoy your very special birthday. I hope there are many memorable moments.

    And SNAP on the hair. I am letting mine grow. Each morning I wake to a greasy lank mess which still looks lifeless after wash. But it is an expense to remove.

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  4. Good morning birthday girl xx I hope that you have a wonderful day.i am so glad that you had such a good day yesterday.It was so nice of your church friends to make it such a lovely day. I love love love that photo of you..I actually think if you could somehow cut just you and Tod out it is a beautiful smiley one of you both..I have had the same as problem with my weight..the last time we tried was by the Dr sending me to a dietician at the hospital, I did everything to the letter and still lost not an ounce..Next time I saw the Dr she said...Sybil, it is quite obvious that you cannot loose weight so stop worrying, you are more likely to die worrying about it than you are with the weight you are..so so long as you feel ok..stop worrying.....I have done that ever since and now ignore the weight as much as one can....Please Marie you try to do the same and enjoy life..we are as God made us and as my Mum said...all the trees in the Forrest are different and all together make a beautiful sight...HAVE A GREAT DAY....

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  5. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my dear friend!! Fun with all these extras about you... and I LOVED your post from yesterday with all the different ways you could celebrate you're 60th! (I have to say it's hard to imagine you skydiving... especially as you don't even do well in a car. ;o) And paintballing??!! ... I'd love to join you in Paris for croissants and spaghetti in Italy! Oh, I love ya!) I'm a list maker too--since birth, I think...LOL! And since I still write a lot of them on paper my desk can get messy. I've not managed to go paper-less yet. :o/ I still like pen & paper too much. I've often wanted pink highlights in my hair...but no a reality now! And I'm with you on hair cuts. They are outrageously expensive here too--just a trim is crazy pricey. That's part of why I've left my hair grow long too. Anyway... hope you find wonderful (and cost-effective ;o) ways to celebrate your grand 60th today! You are a great treasure in my life... So glad we are here now sharing this time and life together! LOVE YOU!!!! ((BIG HUGS))

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  6. Happy Birthday Marie. I hope it is a great one.

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  7. Hope you have a wonderful happy day ! Happy Birthday to YOU! Celebrate your life ! Happy Happy Day !

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  8. Happy Birthday Miss sixo..

    what fun to grow your hair..you can clip it up..wear it down..I like that one can just tuc t in ..or let it down..I saw a woman with all grey hair at the pharmacy whilst:) I was getting distilled water..two big pink streaks guess who i thought of..just prepped a post mentioning hairdressing:)

    What a sweet party you had.. dang..it stll bothers me my parcel is not there..slow boat to China is right.;)

    Enjoy this day..

    PS I smoked too..the car would not start w/out one..I could not answer the phone w/our one..I started like you..maybe around 19-20.. stopped at 36.. never looked back..
    my mom smoked Du Maurier..my dad had stopped by the time I remember;)I used to liike getting Eve menthols in the states..lol how can a cigarette be pretty? Remember the flowers around the filter?

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  9. Happy birthday Marie! Hope you've had a lovely day and that the word 'diet' hasn't crossed your mind today! Lots of love xxx

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  10. I hope you had a great time celebrating Marie! I'm glad you documented with a photo. Even if you aren't happy with having our picture taken (I don't either). It's always nice to have a visual to see down the road. :-) Happy 60th Birthday to a wonderful person and friend! Was great chatting with you on your special day! And special YOU are!!! I love ya! xoxo

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  11. I know the feeling Suzan. Can't wait for it to be long enough to do something with! xoxo

    Thanks so much Sybil! I try hard not to gain more and according to the Docs scales I weigh the same this year as last. I just feel heavier, or it has dropped, probably the latter! Love what your mum said. xoxo

    Thank you so much Tracy! I love your longer hair. I can't wait for mine to be that long again so I can do something with it! Todd took hair dressing (Before I met him) but I wouldn't let him touch my hair, lol. I do cut his however. It's easy, I just roll over it with the clippers! Love and hugs to you! xoxo

    Thanks Dee, it was lovely! xoxo

    Thank you so much Pam! I had a lovely Birthday! xoxo

    Don't worry about it Monique! I still have something to look forward to! xoxo I do remember Eve Cigarettes with the pretty flowers. I picked up a carton every time we went state side just because they were pretty! haha How can a cigarette be pretty indeed! I didn't even like menthol! but I still bought them! The power of advertising! xoxo

    Thank you Maria! xoxo

    Thanks Katie! It only crossed my mind a couple of times but I chased it away! xoxo

    You are so right Valerie, probably 10 years from now (should I live so long and I hope that I do!) this photo will seem pretty nice to me! I was so happy to get your phone call. It's always a pleasure chatting to you! Love you too! xoxo

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  12. I love your Happy Birthday picture. I always enjoy learning more about you. My father smoked until I was six years old so I remember that. I never had the desire after I tried a puff once and choked so hard that I wasn't interested at all. Both of my brothers smoked for a while. Both were in active in the church and then came back one in their 50's and one in his 60's.
    I love the color purple; but wouldn't like purple hair.
    I know the feeling of being overweight. I have fought it my whole life too. I am a Yo Yo for sure. Right now I am the thinnest I have been in years and I do feel better; but it is still hard. I just love food.
    I like lists too and I usually don't follow them.
    Loved this one; and you are such a favorite of mine.
    Hugs!

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  13. Thank you so much LeAnn! You are a favourite of mine as well! xoxo

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Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!