Happy Dance Time... and an award

I've been trying very hard to contain "happy dance" behaviour. I've not always been successful...

You may recall that a short while ago I posted about wanting to buy a particular plot of land and being thwarted. Well, never one to be put off if I really want something, I let it go and took the Taoist approach of "do nothing doing". And what do you know? The estate agents concerned sorted out their differences, I made an offer and after some negotiation, I am delighted to say, I own a piece of mountainside, and will, in due course, start building a house. How exciting is that?!

Okay, Happy Dance, Happy Dance, Happy Dance!!!

There are some who assure me that I'm totally insane. But I take the view that you should always do things in life that you've never done before - it keeps life interesting and keeps you young and adventurous. I'm mildly amused by those who insist I'm crazy (look, you really don't have to tell me) and who insist on relating their own horror stories. I am, however, far more pleased to hear others say, "That is so exciting!" I mean, really, what's not to get excited about? You get to dream and plan your space exactly the way you want it. You get, effectively, to build your own nest from scratch. How much more natural can it be? What's more special is that D's father is an architect and will be designing the house for us. He trained way back in the 50s as a student of the Frank Lloyd Wright school of architecture, which is my favourite forerunner of modern architectural design. Does it get any better than that? D will have a lasting legacy, a tribute to his father, I will have a house that I know I will love. I have to say, I feel blessed out of my little cotton socks.

I'm half tempted to start a blog - "This is the House that Nick Built" - but I suspect that may be one more displacement activity than I actually need. It will be quite enough working on the novel (and another in the pipeline) and seeing to the building, without needing to add to the load - given my already tardy approach with this blog...

For now, I leave you with the view - not from the plot, but from the top of the mountain. It gives you the same general idea. (Yes, I know, I should have taken the tripod up with me...)

(click image to enlarge)

And then, on another note. I recently received The Honest Scrap Award from Kim at Dragonfly Scrolls! Thanks Kim!

The Honest Scrap Award is about bloggers who post from their heart, who oftentimes put their heart on display as they write from the depths of their soul.

The Rules of this Award are to pass it on to 7 bloggers you admire and follow and then to share 10 honest things about yourself.

So firstly in the merits of Paying it Forward, here are the 7 bloggers I admire for always sharing their hearts on the written page (online and paper):

My lovely friend, Mandy, from FireByrd

Wonderful, beautiful and vibrant Tessa, from Aerial Armadillo

The inimitable Baino from Baino's Banter

Beautiful Kathryn from Crystal Jigsaw

Wise Rosaria from SixtyFive, What Now

Big hearted Geli from Letters from Usedom

Lovely Val, my Scrabble pal, from Monkeys on the Roof

and because I can never be doing with rules, No 8, Janet, the intrepid life adventurer, from Under a Blood Red Sky


So, ten honest things about myself... Hmmm...


1. I don't make it easy for you to get to know me.

2. What you see, is not always what you get, there is inevitably far more.

3. I love to cook (and I do it pretty well...)

4. Most days start with my special chocolately brew - and yet, I'm not actually a chocolate fiend, despite appearances.

5. Vanilla really is my favourite flavour of ice cream.

6. When I was young, I first wanted to be a ballet or jazz dancer, then an interior designer.

7. I wrote my first play when I was nine.

8. I love to make people laugh.

9. I believe the glass is always half full - even when it may appear half empty.

10. Courage and persistence, together with compassion and wisdom, are the cornerstones of my life. Humour makes up the roof.