Ellis Island, Page Three and a Blog Nomination!
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The excitement this week has surpassed that of the week of the 10th of May for many reasons. The Diamond Jubilee Garden Party was beyond belief, and on top of that I got to meet up with the lovely Mars Lord, and to attend a midwives debate at a WI meeting in North London.
We also spent time with my nephew and his wife Chris and Julie, and their handsomely happy boys in their magnificent home in Highgate. Then I saw Frances and Gillian when I chaired the Campaign for Normal Birth meeting at the Royal College of Midwives headquarters.
The week started with a bang, when the amazing Emma Lee Potter nominated my blog as one that she follows. Now that is really something. If you know anything about blogging, writing or journalism you’ll know that my blog is quite elementary…I still feel very much the novice. You will also recognise Emma's blog as an award winning personal journal. So this revelation made my day, and week! I am still smiling.
Emma’s blog, A House with No Name has been my greatest inspiration as her posts are incredibly varied, entertaining and highly interesting. I have learnt so much about life itself from her, and from those she’s connected with. I have bought and enjoyed books she has recommended, and the positive influence goes on….
As well as all that, I was once Emma’s community midwife, and she influenced me then too through her love of Bridgewater Pottery!
So thank you Emma for all the above, and for nominating me! I am totally indebted, and thrilled to bits.
Now I must follow Emma’s instructions:
“Thank the person who gave you this award, and include a link to their blog,” she told me. “Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers you've recently discovered or follow regularly - I'd pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent! If it's a bit of a task to list 15, and I don't want you to feel being nominated is a burden, but mention as many as you can – eight or ten is fine. List them, and you might like to include a link to the sites, and let them know that you've nominated them. And then tell the person who nominated you seven things about yourself.”
So, in no particular order, I’d like to nominate:
Kate Takes 5, Darren Cockle, Northern Mum, Sarah’s Musings, Loosing Sanity, Doula-lly, Mummy, wife and student midwife
And here are seven random facts about me:
I travelled to Italy by car with my neigbours when I was 8 years old. This was remarkable as: a) it was for four weeks and I had no family with me, and b) I had never been out of the country before. We spent the holiday in Santa Anatolia, a small village near Rome, and I was stunned by the sight of a chicken neck breaking ritual immediately prior to the bird being served up in a dish for dinner.
In my teenage years I was a Page Three Girl. If you know me, I hear your gasp and your eyes will now be out on stalks. But don’t worry….the story goes that I was a student nurse on Ward 2 at Blackburn Royal Infirmary and a blackbird built a nest on one of the window ledges and laid eggs. The press found out and wanted to run with the story and I posed looking out of the window at the expectant ‘mother’. The article was published on page three of the Daily Mail.
I was nominated to meet the Prime Minister Tony Blair, twice in 2004. Both times I went to Number 10, and I spoke with him and his wife, Cherie. It was a great opportunity as I was interested in his position in relation to reducing health inequalities.
I once tried to eat a sacred stone that was being used as a tribal blessing on water, in Mexico. It would take me too long to explain, but I thought the stone was a sarsaparilla sweet! The toothless white haired elder leading the ceremony was about to spear me just before I spat it out. Not good.
I used to knit most of my children’s clothes, and even had my own label.
I delivered my sister’s baby. This was an incredible moment, and one that could never be repeated as although I was the immediate carer, I was a student midwife so the qualified midwife held the main responsibility. Francesca (my niece) has recently had her first baby!
We believe that the name Martin Murray engraved on one of the remembrance pillars on Ellis Island in the USA is that of my paternal grandfather, who travelled to America to make his fortune. He never returned to his family, in County Sligo Ireland.
I and so I wonder what will next week bring? Lots of love I think as I spend it with my wonderful Dutch Grandchildren in Holland.