Honest Scrap Award - Received with thanks!

Thankyou Alecat, for passing the Honest Scrap Award on to me.  I am delighted to have received this award as I trust it is a reflection of the 'honesty policy' I live by.  It is my aim to be truthful and authentic in all I do and all I say.  It is wonderful to see this acknowledged.  Thanks!

To keep this award, there are some rules by which I (and future recipients) must abide:

1) Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award.

2) Share "ten honest things" about myself.

3) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.

4) Tell those 7 people that they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving it.

Now ten honest things about myself:

1. I am very glad to have received this award today as I have a houseguest and am finding having someone in the house constantly takes my mind from any blogging or crafting etc. that I might have on the go.  This has helped me think of another post - although I fear this one might take longer to write than some ;)

2. My houseguest is my Dad.  I am enjoying reconnecting with him again and seeing him with my children, his grandchildren.  Yet, I confess, I am frustrated.  I want to be able to accept him more for who he is, as my father and a grandfather of my daughters.  I desire for him to share more of his life, to have fun, to play, tell stories.  This he does very briefly when I ask him to, it is not spontaneous.  Each day I pray, each day it improves.   One day I hope to be able to do this with no reservations, just full acceptance.

3. Music has always been part of my life.  I cannot remember not being able to read music.  I have sung with my siblings, in choirs - in schools and out, have led worship in churches, have learnt, then played piano from when my father asked me late at night if I'd like to, as an 8 year old child.  I have organised little musicals and concerts with my siblings and of course, my career has been in educating families with very young children how to enjoy the routines of everyday life with music as an integral part, through Kindermusik.  Now I live that life, singing with my littlies, when they allow me ;)  (You'll know what I mean if you are a singing mother).

4. Being creative has always been part of my life.  For as long as I can remember I have been able to read a pattern and 'make things'.  As a child I remember sewing, patchworking and embroidery, making clothing and doing latchwork (among numerous other things).  I made many of my own clothes from a very young age and loved going to the local fabric shop, Sylvia's Fabrics, with Mum to choose fabric and patterns.  Most of the clothes I worked in were made by my own hand.  I made my own wedding dress with my Mum and also my daughter's bridesmaid's dress.

5. I grew up in a country town and my heart will always be in the country.  I live on the outskirts of the city now yet feel like a country girl as I travel 30mins to visit our markets to shop (actually longer than I travelled to shop as a child as we lived "in town") and participate in most activities we enjoy as a family.  I love the solitude of the country, the need to create your own fun for entertainment and sense of space all around.

6. I love to cook and find this a wonderful creative outlet.  This is very fortunate as I have a family to feed who seem to be getting more and  more ravenous with age.  It is very fortunate that I love to cook as we eat very little processed food as My Generous Gentleman and I made a decision to invest in our health in this way.  We make most food ourselves.

7. My GG and I both have a passion for growing vegetables (although I do all the work in planning, planting, nurturing and cooking). He helps with the manual labour.  We'd both love more space and our own place - he more than me at the moment as I feel very satisfied with my life at this stage.  In truth we are learning from his Dad and also eating most of his fruit and veg while we wait for a place to plant trees and improve our soil, our soil.

8.  At the end of this year we will have only been married for 3 years, yet it seems so much longer.

9. I absolutely detest washing dishes and am so very fortunate that while my husband doesn't enjoy, he gets much less stressed about it.  He is my dishwasher while I complete other chores and play with the girls.  I am eternally grateful for this.

10. I absolutely love caring for and nurturing my family - while it can drive me to absolute distraction at times (I have a very busy toddler).  I thrive on finding activities to enjoy with my girls which are creative and educational and am actually finding that school is getting in the way by taking up so much of my and my daughter's time and energy.  Your experience of homeschooling definitely tempts me on occasion Alecat ;)

So now to offer this award to 7 others in no particular order.

Sarah of the best days of my life for inspirational and honest writing

Beth of Beth Brawley Taylor for inspiration and encouragement.

David at Shaping the Space for sharing with truth, honesty, maturity and hilarity.

Juliane at Fröken Skicklig for delightful inspiration, honesty, integrity and fantasy.

Homestay Mama from Home to the World for authenticity, maturity and wisdom.

Julie of Towards Sustainability for ideas, honesty and inspiration for a more authentic lifestyle.

Melissa of Day to Day for continuing inspirational crafty ideas shared within the context of true family life.

I do very much look forward to reading your replies.