Wednesday's Child

I have to interrupt normal posting once again (and I don't say this unhappily).

I allow interruptions when there's a much bigger reason than serving you with another hopefully endearing post. And in this particular instance the reason is to honour a friend who had kindly given me an Award. Yes, I received another Award!

The friend I'm honoring is Gary, who blogs as klahanie.  If you ever need a friend, visit him. If somehow your life turns negative and you want to turn it around, having a chat with Gary may help. If you think life is not fair, Gary will give you enough reasons to convince you why that's okay and why you can live with it. He is that kind of friend.

Gary had kindly awarded me with this:

This Award originates from the delightful Samantha Verant of Live, Love, and Living in France. I would like to extend her a warm Welcome to The Farm!

The Award comes hot on the heel of L'Aussies' Fair Dinkum - how cool is that?

With all humility I accept this award. Thank you, Gary.

Apart from fresh air and sunshine, few other things in life come free. An Award is not one of them. In order to accept this award properly there's a condition that I have to state ten facts about myself. That's easy.

In fact I've been waiting for the opportunity to do just that! (Shhh...I'll let you on a little secret here: quietly I've been waiting for Rachael Harrie of Rach Writes to do an interview on me so I could tell you more about myself, but since that's not going to happen this is just as good I guess).

So here goes:

Fact 1. I am NOT an Alien. To be convinced of this go here.

Fact 2. I was born the first child to an extremely* poor couple (*that's an understatement - impecunious may be a better word). My parents soon realised that there's another child on the way. How can they support two when they're struggling with one? So on my 40th day they gave me away for adoption.

My parents' marriage was matched-made, but they so loved each other that they were blessed with eight more children, despite being the poorest couple in the village. We refer to children as rezeki (gifts from God). We have very fertile genes. One of my aunts has sixteen children, the last time I checked, that is.

I was blessed to remain the only child to an otherwise childless couple.

Fact 3. I was born on a Wednesday in August in The Year of the Rat! So I am a Virgo and a Rat. Rats! What could be more potentially- challenging!

If you don't like horror stories, you should stop here and go continue with that novel, or pay Gary a visit.



Still here? Okay - the scary part was when both the Western and Chinese Celestial Gods ganged up to align the stars to coincide with the birth of this Wednesday's child.

The rest of my facts will bear testimony to this weird coincidence, to wit:

Fact 4. I am extremely fastidious, so much so that when I was working a colleague couldn't help but smuggled the "A clean desk is a sign of an unhealthy mind" sign to put on my desk.

But not wanting to perpetuate the Virgo/Rat genes and end up with a home which could be mistaken for a clinic, I gave up control and had to consequently bear with, or make up for, if you like, all the clutters that were absent from my life before. Sigh...

Fact 5. I am a man of very few words. Orally or verbally, that is. I'm way way below introvert. On the odd occasion that I join friends (I'm very selective on this too, by the way) to coffee shops or the pub, it has more to do with watching the world (or the women) go by rather than to talk.

Written words, that's an entirely different story - you can see what's happening here...

According to Thelmaz, a man speaks about 2000 words per day as opposed to a woman's 7000. There's a possibility of a typo there - perhaps one zero too many for men and one zero less for women.

I'm also for, in any argument, letting the woman having the last say. That's for my own safety, for anything I say after that would mean a totally new argument.

Fact 6. I am not terribly bad at making money, but absolutely hopeless at spending them.

To get me to part with my money I have been given countless advice ranging from "money is the root of all evils" to "you won't be bringing all that money with you when you die".

My stock broker keeps telling me that recovery is around the corner, so "buy!, buy!". I'm of course suspicious, and wonder why they are called brokers in the first place.

Some people just cannot understand or accept the fact that it is possible to be happy by just enjoying the simple things in life. Then there are those who tend to confuse prudence and thrift with stinginess, and pride for arrogance.

Fact 7. I don't suffer fools gladly.

Fact 8. I love and adore children, and grandchildren, even when they have become adults.

Fact 9. I am scared of heights, so no mountain climbing or rollercoasters for me.

Fact 10. I always dot my i's and cross my t's. On a hot day, I'll be cross if there's no ice in my tea.

Now to spread this goodness: It is my utmost pleasure to pass on this Award -

To Nancy De at The Hapless Homestead - a story of true grit. Read about a woman's struggle on the Big Island, making a home, raising children and animals, AND work at the same time.

For sharing colorful stories from their farms, to
Chai Chai at Homestead From Scratch
Faith at Lemonade Adventures
Jennifer at Goats in The Garden

Then go over to Texas and meet Maria Zannini, a writer with a naughty rottie. She also loves farming, or at least she intends to rear a few goats for a start;

To Melissa for sharing her life through the looking glass;

For sharing her fabulous photos of nature and her surrounding, to Linnea of Photoblogista

(I would have passed this Award to Patricia A. Timms too, but she already had one).