Ursula has tagged me for the Stylish Blogger Award. The requirements are
- Link back to her site (done, thanks, Ursula),
- Tell five things about myself (currently it says seven, but I will go back to the original version of five), and
- Pass the award on to five other bloggers. Is anyone interested? If so, please let me know. Otherwise I’ll skip the last suggestion.
So, five things about myself:
- My funny bone is easily tickled. As you can see from the above cartoon the idea of me being stylish cracks me up. My biggest fashion statement is to wear white ankle socks with black sandals. It’s my version of wearing purple.
And apparently I’m not the only one who doesn’t think herself stylish. Last month Lyn wrote a post entitled 7 Reasons Why a Stylish Blogger Award is a HUGE Mistake. She’s a kindred spirit on this topic. 🙂 - I’m curious. After I finished laughing I Googled “stylish blogger award”. The earliest reference I found was
April 4, 2010, and I found that early recipients blogged about fashion, style and beauty. That made sense. And my reaction illustrates one of the biggest things about me… -
I’m a nerd. I never cease to be grateful for that. My brain is my favorite toy and playing with ideas, researching facts and solving problems give me great pleasure. - I’m a visual thinker. That’s one reason I like blogging, I can add pictures and not just deal in words.
- I enjoy the process of creating. When I can’t find a cartoon or picture that illustrates the point of a post I create my own on Photoshop. I can spend hours immersed in a project…I feel most fully alive when I completely forget about myself and am in the flow.
What about you? Are you interested in style? What do you love to do?
Purple, the interesting colour. Worn by royalty and the Pope.
I was told that once you start wearing GREEN you are one foot in the grave. Complete nonsense. I might be one foot into my grave but orange and green (not at the same time) suit me. So there.
I can do one better than you, Jean. Not that I am competitive: White socks and black SANDALS are a no no to me and if the undertaker dresses me like that I want son to demand refund.
But boy oh boy oh boy – and all my life I was deemed to be a colour co-ordinated perfectionist- I will wear, for comfort, socks belonging to my son: Those that have lost their partner in the wash and therefore can’t go back on his shelves. So, if you ring my doorbell, unexpected by me, you may find me with one dark blue (left) and one grey (right) sock. It’s amazing how life wears you down.
You call yourself a nerd. Such a self-deprecating view. Don’t: People might agree with you. Admittedly you have the makings of someone in the grip of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). Why call it a ‘disorder’ if it makes you happy?
Your being visual: You are. So very interesting to me. I SEE the world, sure, very much, in detail, every bloody detail – but I wouldn’t call myself a “visual” person. For me everything is in the word, spoken or written. I love your cartoons. BHB recently drew my attention to fact that you draw them yourself. And you have a distinct style. If you put 111 cartoons in front of me – one of them yours – I’d know which one.
Thanks for answering those questions. We can never learn enough about each other. That you didn’t (and you don’t have to) name other bloggers is a cop out. You do know that, don’t you?
With my very best regards,
Ursula
We are kindred spirits although I think you may just have the edge with white socks and black sandals lol!
Ursula is an Autumn who looks well in green & orange. I look my best in purple so I’m royalty. I’m a color coordinated perfectionist like U, & I also don’t wear socks that match. Id wear white socks with black sandals if I was wearing a black & white outfit, which BTW is my best look. I’d love to be a Nerd like Jean. I’m a visual learner. At Scottish night the dance is described. It goes in one ear & out the other. I need to see the dance. If Jean names other bloggers she’s adding more competition.
Ursula,
“You call yourself a nerd. Such a self-deprecating view.” You still don’t get it, do you? Reread Item 3 and look at the picture there. That is scarcely self-deprecating. It’s one of the biggest joys of my life.
Lyn,
Glad you agree with the white socks and black sandals…it’s such an easy way to make a fashion statement. It warms my heart every time I put them on in the morning. Life’s simple pleasures are the best, I think. Maybe that’s just because I’m so lazy. 😉
BHB,
Yes, I can see you as royalty. 🙂
Andy and I are both visual learners too. Our round dancing teacher is like Ursula, highly auditory. So at first he would explain and explain and explain. Our eyes would glaze over and nothing would sink in. We finally convinced his wife to show us and things improved a lot.
I have special sox for my exercise which actually were never new but they don’t hurt my toes when I’m pounding the streets in my sneakers…I don’t know what I will do when they finally fall to pieces.
Otherwise I wear Brooks black walking shoes with black sox – sometimes I wear another colour but rarely (sox).
I like green/orange as well but I rarely wear anything that colour and Ursula I do NOT have one FOOT in any grave either
I’m not really a nerd but I do like to use the computer as I can use cut/paste when my hands refuse to type properly…my handwriting has gotten worse because of the tremor. The other night, I woke up with this great idea and thought I might write it down – in the morning I could read very little of it!! Next time, I will get out my laptop…
I think I might be a bit of a visual learner because of not being able to read handwritten notes…or maybe my brain retains the spoken word better. Other times I think it is because I have ‘fallen in love’ with the paper/lecturer even 🙂
My creating depends on what it is that is a problem…love…need…want. One of the areas I’m involved in via a voluntary job is managing a fundraising venture that deals in stash for craftspeople mostly weavers, handspinners, handknitters, handmade feltmaking. Although we buy from suppliers we also get a lot of donations (d’cd estates, downsizers) which aren’t always suitable there and then for sale so I ‘revamp’ the stash into saleable items!! maybe I should make a post on my blog sometime about how that works…
Jean, maybe I don’t get it as you say. The way I understand “nerd” is quite negative: Someone who is obsessive about certain interests to the exclusion of having social contacts. Hence they often are equated with loners.
I don’t see you like that.
Neither do I believe that being nerdy and happiness exclude each others. One of the happiest people I know is, in his own words, a computer nerd. And by god he is [a nerd]. Take him to a gathering of people and he shrinks to an illtempered wallflower.
So, if you want to be known as a nerd that is fine with me. I will take you by your hand and lead a merry dance with you. Just don’t complain if I tread on your toes.
U
PS BHB is priceless. Oh did I laugh at her comment. No fooling her.
Ursula.
It is interesting that many people in our society deprecate the ability to focus intently. BHB and I live in a subculture where that ability is not only respected but highly paid. And our future technology depends on people like that…most Asian countries recognize that even if the Western ones don’t always.
Cathy and I were obviously writing at the time.
Cathy, when the colour ‘purple’ was mentioned I immediately thought of you and your hat. That hat is something else. You’d so fit Ascot and Henley you’d probably make it to the fashion pages. That’s the thing: How to stand out from the crowd. Not for the sake of standing out but neither being run of the mill either.
I am sorry to hear about your tremor. I so feel for you since if there is one thing I am paranoid about it’s both my hands and my eyes. If I lost either I do NOT know what I’d do with myself. If I did lose their use I am sure I’d turn into one of those bitter and twisted grumpy somethings. Neither am I rich enough to employ someone to take dictation and hammer the keyboard for me. It’s why I am in total and absolute awe of Beethoven. How did he do it? Deaf, yet writing such divine passionate music.
I wish you well. I really do. You write from the heart.
U
“P.S. BHB is priceless. Oh did I laugh at her comment. No fooling her.” I read my comment to see if I’d laugh but I didn’t.
How about this:
While creating husbands, God promised women that good and ideal husbands would be found in all corners of the world.
And then he made the earth round.
OK that’s not funny either.
Jean, I couldn’t agree more. And I do not deprecate people for being able to focus. Quite the opposite: I admire them. I do. I despair with myself at times. And if I had one hundred pounds for every time friends tell me that I need to focus my savings account would be swell.
Let’s not exaggerate: Obviously, I am able to concentrate. Very much so. But focus? Not really. I am too torn all over the place to be able to focus. Makes for an interesting life, but most certainly not an easy one. If ever there was someone who lives for the moment it’s me: Hedonistic in many ways; irresponsible in others.
Incidentally, and you might not agree, to focus appears to come so very easy to men. It never ceases to amaze me how they have ability to blend out everything.
But then, as they say, many more men than women are on far end of the autistic spectrum. Please don’t tell me I’ve said the wrong thing again.
U
My daughter, the psychologist, said that half the men (an exaggeration I’m sure) at the Lab are Asperger, a term no longer used, but at the far end of the autistic spectrum.
BHB, since when is one the best judge of one’s own jokes and comments? I can’t tell you how many times I have written comments on others’ blogs (you know where) and laughing my head off at my own ‘wit’ whilst typing. Only to get a heavy boomerang back, leaving me baffled. In moments of self pity I promise myself to shut up. Not that I will. I can’t. Not until my tongue will be lost to cancer or (see above) my hands amputated.
And what of the pub bore? I don’t know if the States have pubs or bores but do you seriously think that anyone would tell pointless jokes if they didn’t think them funny? Sorry, that was one of my typical diversions; nothing to do with subject.
So let me be the best judge of that which I find funny. And funny you are, BHB. Maybe not intentionally. And maybe it’s a mistake to tell you because sometimes – when you tell someone something good about themselves – they’ll go all self-conscious; taking away the very thing that so enchants you. Don’t listen to anything I say. Just stay as you are, BHB. Priceless.
U
PS And I know someone I will send yours and Galileo Galilei’s observation to. He won’t find it funny. I do.
“laughing my head off at my own ‘wit’ whilst typing. Only to get a heavy boomerang back,”
Yep! I do that too. Now I’ve even taken to using Conrad’s faithful LOL & Jean’s 🙂 or even :D.
Ursula,
Yes, I may not be a nerd in your concept of the word, but a lot of my best friends have been. So I proudly proclaim myself a nerd as a way of combating bigotry. Also our society tends to be anti-intellectual and some people use the term nerd to refer to anyone who is interested in playing with ideas.
From Wikipedia:
Hmm. Actually I do spend a lot of time alone and associate with like-minded people. The internet is a great boon to people like me.
Cathy,
I have feet (actually one foot) problems too. I mostly wear sandals around the house because I can rig them up so I can walk without pain. Sometimes one does have to be creative in order to function.
I wouldn’t have to wear the white socks except they tickle my funny bone.
BHB,
I laughed out loud at that one. 😀
I think Lydia got a bit carried away about guys at the lab having Asbergers. But if it were true I think the world needs more of them, and people who respect their contributions to the world. That’s why I love Myers-Briggs, they respected differences and tried to find places where people could use their talents to shine rather than be in places they were misfits.
U: thanks – yes I like purple as well…but then that’s what a lot of women like and I LIKE to have things a tad different…so I stand out!!
Today I am rather plain as such – denim shorts and a light yellow t-shirt that is adorned with running stitches around the edges in a variety of greens – a random coloured thread. I’ll be wearing my usual black sox/boots though…I have to be ready by 11am (lots of time)
I used to think of a nerd as a bookworm…someone who rarely went into the outdoors, always found some excuse not to play sports at school, wore heavy rimmed glasses, untrendy clothes and was always carrying a book and looking studious (?sp)
the tremor has always been part of me…I don’t always notice it but others do and some have made some very hurtfull comments about being ‘drunk or hangover’ or even ‘don’t do that’ – many other people think I am ill and rush about getting me a cup of tea, or want to carry things…
Jean: my feet are problematic as well…too short and my ankles have problems hence the laceup walking boots/sneakers. The short feet cause me to trip at times as the body is too tall, stub the toes of the boots all the time!
Cathy in NZ looks nothing like the woman with the big purple hat. Nice looking, VERY modern person, with spiked hair. She gave us a pic of her recent look & then quickly took it away.
No. My style is laid back and ethnic. I am normally in a lungi and a singlet at home. If I have to go out, I will wear a kurtha. In today’s India that is very unstylish.
I went to gravatar yesterday so maybe the new picture of me will show up when I post this one – yes the same pic you saw for a minute BHB on facebook. I don’t know how long I will leave it here…
rummuser,
That’s one of the joys of getting older, isn’t it? We can wear what we like.
Cathy,
Your new gravatar seems to be working just fine.