Can’t Stop Smiling…An Award for Me!!.

Well it appears as if I have been nominated for a WordPress ‘Liebster’ award – see above.    I hadn’t heard of this, but Kat from Bourbontea nominated me as part of the process.   Apparently the rules are as follows:

• Post 11 random facts about yourself
• Answer your nominator’s 11 questions
• Nominate 11 deserving blogs with less than 200 followers and ask them 11 questions

So here goes (!):

11 random facts about myself:

1. I gave up a corporate job as a Chief Financial Officer to follow my dream to become a piano teacher
2. I originally started studying to be a piano teacher 26 years ago, but then got diverted along the way by secondary school teaching and re-training in Finance
3. I am happier now than I ever have been which proves the adage that money cannot buy happiness
4. My daughter is my best friend
5. I am Auntie to 2 of the most adorable children on the planet
6. I am Godmother to 3 of the other most adorable children on the planet
7. All my young pupils also deserve the above accolade, which means there are alot of adorable children in my life!
8. I am actually very patient.    Which may surprise my family
9. I am also a secret introvert which may surprise my friends and ex-colleagues
10. After years of travelling the world as part of my job, there is nothing I now like better than to sit in my garden with my bees and lavender.
11. One day I will be a fully fledged domestic goddess which will surprise absolutely everyone who knows me.

So, in answer to Kat’s 11 questions:

1.       What do you like best about being a blogger?

Finding people (virtually) who you would never normally come into contact with who share your values, interests etc.   I would never have met Kat in the ‘real world’ as we move in such different circles (and I’m scared of sharks) but it seems as if our blogs have inspired each other which is incredible.

 

2.      If  you could inspire just one person in your life to achieve their dreams who would it be?

My daughter, Carmen.

3.       How do you pick yourself up after a failure and keep believing in yourself?

I remind myself that I have always managed to succeed in the past, despite setbacks and wrong turnings. Because of this I am finally confident enough in my own abilities to have faith that things will work out ok.   Although it took me to my early forties to realise this!

 

4.       What memory makes you smile more than any other?

Any memory that involves my daughter in fully-fledged comedic mode making me laugh.  

5.       What helps to keep your creative spark ignited?

Other people. Whether in person or virtually.

 

6.       Did you set out to blog professionally or just for fun?

Just for fun as an adjunct to my teaching.   But there are so many wonderful piano bloggers out there who I have found through blogging.

 

7.       Favourite food?

Fresh pasta and really good truffle, with cream and parmesan.   Or a roast chicken.

8.       Describe your perfect day

Good friends, good music, good food and good wine.

 

9.       What are your hopes for your blog?

That it will inspire people to take up the piano or return to it after years of absence.

 

10.   If you could recommend people read one book what would it be?

Free Range Humans by Marianne Cantwell as it inspired me (and Kat, and many others) to leave the rat race behind and follow our dreams.

Or, as a novel, Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.  Sorry – cheated on that answer.

11.   What’s your biggest dream(s)?

I’ve just started to live it but I hope to continue to teach wonderful children and adults and see many of them become happy and accomplished pianists.  And I want my daughter to find her life’s dream before she is in her forties!

Now I am supposed to nominate other blogs with less than 200 followers.  I would certainly nominate Bourbontea as Kat writes so wonderfully about following her dream.    But most of the blogs I follow at the moment have many more than 200 followers, so I may have to get back to you all on that one!  Watch this space as I go hunting in the blog-o-sphere.

Many thanks to Kat for her nomination and inspiring me to write my next blog, which was overdue!

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