50 Things About Me

1. I live in a small Irish town called Arklow. I wish to move away from Arklow as soon as
circumstances allow (I'm happiest either in a big city or the country, I dislike small towns) which won't be for a few years yet I know.
2. My ideal place to live would be West Cork-to my mind the most beautiful place in Ireland.
3. I don't have a full time job right now. I work part-time on commission doing small knitwear projects but am hoping to expand and maybe open a little Etsy store in the future.
4. I'm not rich-see point number 3, but I live quite frugally so I get by.
5. I'm not materialistic and one of my pet hates is conspicuous consumerism, which is why I feel very out of place in my own country right now :/ I subscribe to the doctrine of having "enough"
6.I just turned 40. Not a happy bunny about that but I don't feel my age and many people say I look younger so...
7.For 8 and a half years I lived in Gothenburg, Sweden working in a Hotel. After about the first year of wanting to leave I grew to like Sweden. It's had a huge impact on my life and has really made me more politically, environmentally and socially aware. We could learn a lot from it here in Ireland.
8.I love Nordic design and aesthetics.
9. I can speak Swedish and can understand some Norwegian.
10. I came back to Ireland to live almost 5 years ago. Why? I had originally only had the idea of living in Sweden for 5 years, and ended up staying for 8 and felt the time was right to come back to Ireland when I did.
11.I have no siblings. When I was younger I wish I had a sister but I'm fine with being siblingless now :)
12.I live with the man I love-Tony. He was a Luthier by profession (he handbuilt bass guitars, one of the best in Europe I believe) but lost his workshops (and home :/ ) when he got divorced and now repairs guitars on an ad-hoc basis. He has 2 children from his marriage-a boy and a girl, that stay with us on set days.
13.I don't have any children of my own and probably never will-by choice-but really enjoy when Dan and Rhi-Tony's two, come over. Fine kids, both of them.
14.I'm generally an optimistic person and usually look for the good in people.
15.I voted for the Green Party in the last elections and am delighted that they are in Government here-I only wish their numbers were greater in Government. They are the only hope for positive change in this country I think.
16.I'm politically left wing-see above-I guess I'm a Green/Social Democrat with anarchist tendencies :)
17.Ideally I would live in an Intentional Community (what used to be called a Commune) with lots of other friends , families and likeminded individuals probably in the country with lots of land and animals farming organically. I don't think humans were meant to live in ticky-tacky little boxes separate from each other. It creates alienation and depression I reckon.
18.I have a few really good friends that I cherish most dearly. I'm not the type to make friends really easily as I can be quite shy, but I do love meeting new interesting people.
19.I'm an Atheist. I was born Catholic but never felt part of all that. I believe in the power and beauty of Nature.
20.I've never broken a bone.
21.I'll eat most fruit and veg. except Celery, which is really what evil must taste like. Yuk!!
22.I like living in a moderate climate and hate extremes of temperatures. I have typical Irish skin and burn like mad in the sun.
23.I can juggle 3 things in the air at once. Literally, like.
24.I studied Art and Design when I came back to Ireland but never finished the course. I liked it but the extremely high cost of living here meant I had to quit before I could finish.
25.My Dad died when I was 18 and my Mum is still alive and well living in County Waterford.
26.I didn't like school when I was growing up. I went to all girls Primary and Secondary schools run by the nuns. It was very conservative and reactionary. If I ever do have kids I will not send them to a State school but to a Steiner school, if finances allow.
27.I have light brown hair and grey/blue eyes.
28.I'm 5'5" (165cm.)
29.I have no pets but would like lots whenever it's possible in the future.
30. I love animals, especially cats.
31. We rent as the astronomical cost of buying property in Ireland is prohibitive.
32.I really want my own little plot of land some day to grow my own food.
33.I hate industrial farming methods and try when finances allow, to buy Organic and local.
34. I wish I didn't have to shop in Tescos for some food that's not available elsewhere here.
35.I want to buy an upright Dutch bicycle this year to pootle to the shops in.
36.Green is my favourite colour.
38.I hate cars and don't drive, especially SUV's but appreciate that they're a necessity for most people here., mainly because of poor public transport and bad town planning.
39.I'm very worried about the future of our planet and climate change.
40.I started knitting clothes for my Sindy doll when I was 8 or 9, didn't pick up a needle for many years, then started again about 2 years .
41.I don't smoke (though I used to smoke socially) and I'm proud that we were the first country in Europe to introduce a smoking ban in pubs and nightclubs.
42.I love Guinness! Way too much. Em, I mean not too much ;) I like red wine also on occasion.
43. I don't read enough books but I'm trying to rectify that.
44.There's lots of places I want to travel to-Italy, France, the U.S., Czech Republic.
45.I have fine straight hair which I wish was thicker grr!!
46.I love cooking and can bake a nice Treacle Bread.
47.I love people with a good sense of humour and love comedy in all forms.-Woody Allen, Seinfeld and Monty Python are favourites.
48.I don't lose my temper that often but when I do... watch out!
49. I hate injustice in whatever form it takes.
50.I'm not a morning person.