My First Meme.

One of my favourite bloggers, Shannee, had this meme on her blog. I've never done one before, but tonight, despite being put to bed, I still cannot sleep.... so I thought I'd give it a try.

Layer 1 : Tell us your...

* Name: Olivia Manners, obviously not my real name but I hope I do have manners ;-)

* Birthday: July 15th

* Current location: London, UK

* Eye colour: Green...really really green!

* Hair colour: A dark warm brown.  It was blonde until I was 4, and from 12 to 28 it has been various shades of black, red, blonde and brown. It has been its natural colour for over 3 years now.

* Height: 5'4"

* Righty or lefty : Right handed, but I can spank with both :-)

* Zodiac sign: Cancer, and I think I am quite a typical Cancerian in many ways. 

Layer 2 : What's.....

* Your heritage: Irish and English, although I often get called an English Rose or am told I look Spanish or Italian...slight contradiction and may be to do with how much sun I have had :-)

* The shoes you wore today: Some black lace up ankle boots with a pair of vintage canvas spats.

* Your weakness: Cheese, MSN chatting, old men,  new adventures, my libido

* Your fears: Not being loved. Not living in the truth.  I don't really fear anything else.

* Your perfect pizza: Thin, crispy base, blue cheese, toasted walnuts and baked pear.

* Goals you'd like to achieve: To find a more wide-spread, meaningful and impactful way to support others in the discovery, understanding, acceptance and expression of their sexuality. To help support and design better and more effective ways for people to communicate in relationships throughout their lifetime, and as their relationships shift. To be a part of something ( maybe a social movement )that works towards shifting mindsets and values away from such a materialistic focussed world, to something more meaningful, accepting of complexity and contradiction and with equality and compassion. To love myself more. To regain greater trust in myself. To always strive to feel alive!

* Your first waking thoughts: The man who gives me love and a smacked bottom.

* Your best physical feature: My eyes, and I have very tiny nostrils which are quite funny.

* Your most missed memory: People that I love who are no longer in my life any more,or the relationship has changed, although I still have them in my memory, so that is sometimes enough.

Layer 3: Do you...

* Smoke: I do, socially, and I've been paying attention to this more recently as I receive a stroke of the cane for each one I have! I'm one of those annoying people who can not smoke for 2 weeks but then may have a few of an evening. But I do know that this is even more of a reason to not do it at all.

* Cuss: No, I rarely swear at all.

* Sing: Only when I am alone, most of all I love to sing in my car, driving at full speed along the motorway. I am a terrible singer and when I was at school nobody would stand next to me in assembly because my voice was so bad it made them laugh at hymn time. I have quite a deep voice.

* Do you think you've been in love: I do yes.

* Did you go to college: Yes, when I was 18 I went to Uni, and then I went back again to do a Masters when I was 30.

* Liked high school: No, it wasn't a very happy time for me, although there are some aspects ofd it that I remember fondly.

* Want to get/ stay married: I've never wanted to get married.

* Believe in yourself: About some things, yes. When I shut out the voices of the same one or two people in my life who've lead me to doubt myself, then I often believe in myself.

* Think you're attractive: Sometimes. When I am at my most alive I am most attractive, my eyes sparkle extra green and everything just lights up and glows.

* Think you're a health freak: I do not look after myself health wise anywhere near enough.

* Get along with your parents: I love them for who they are, and they love me for who I am, and we connect on some levels but not on others. I am very lucky to have such a supportive Mum. My Dad loved me in his way.

* Like thunderstorms: LOVE them, especially when I am in bed.

* Play an instrument: I used to play the violin, piano and recorder when I was at school. I've just started to learn the cello. But I must say that music is not something I have a natural talent for.

Layer 4: In the past month have you...

* Drank alcohol: Yes! Although I don't drink very much. I like nice, heavy red wines, sometimes a Gin & Tonic, and then the odd pint of cider. 

* Smoked: Yes.

* Done a drug: No.

* Made out: I have yes, and very nice it was too ;-)

* Gone on a date: I have yes, once with a nice young man and once with an Irish lass.

* Gone to the mall: No, I don't like shopping centers, I am a market girl and vintage boutique shopper!

* Eaten an entire box of Oreos: I think this must be an American meme. I have not, but I have eaten a whole box of Dairylea triangles all in one go.

* Eaten sushi: Yes, vegetarian sushi.

* Been on stage: Not on stage but on a film set.

* Been dumped: No, not yet. Hopefully I won't be either :-)

* Gone skating: Yes, ice skating at Tower Bridge with the Irish lass.

* Gone skinny dipping: It is a little cold for that at this time of year.

* Stolen anything: Not without asking first.

Layer 5: Have you ever...

* Played a game that required removal of clothing: I have yes, every day when I am having to change into specified knickers feels a bit like that :-)

* Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Um...yes!

* Been caught " doing something": I am not sure what this means, sexually , no never, but I have been caught doing things I shouldn't have.

* Been called a tease: No. In fact at school I used to get teased for being such a rubbish tease ( or flirt as we say in England! )

* Gotten beaten up: I was slapped in the face once.

* Shoplifted: I did when I was younger on a day visit to a Butlin's holiday camp in Wales. We all got caught and I still feel guilty about it to this day!

Layer 6 :

* Age you did get/ hoped to be married: I haven't and I don't intend to...although if I were to get married I'd quite like a Celtic Pagan wedding in a forest clearing with lots of twinkling fairy lights and horses and fawns grazing, and beautifully dark and haunting music ...delivered in the moonlight.

* Numbers and names of children ( either you have or want ): I don't have children and I'm not sure that I want children either. I like being a Sister, friend, Auntie and Mentor to lots of people and giving/ sharing my love in that way.

* Describe your dream mate: Funny and playful, kind, curious, tall, dark hair, green or blue eyes, inquisitive, beguiling, an effortless intimacy that fits with mine, generous, wise, open heart and mind, adventurous, rooted into the ground and able to soar up high too. If it was to be a woman then I do like long hair. But something tells me that my dream mate would almost be indescribable and that is what would make them my dream mate.

* How do you want to die: In a way that leaves peace for those that are still here. And that keeps intact all that I have learnt in this life to go forward in to the next.

* What do you want to be when you grow up: A whole person with love flowing out and love being received in.

* What country would you most like to visit: Argentina, for the horseback riding across vast plains and over mountains, the tango, and the Malbec.

Layer 7: Now tell.....

* Name a drug that you have taken illegally: pretty much all of them when I was younger, except heroine.

* Name a person you could trust with my life: My other Dad, to name just one.

* Name a favourite CD that you own: A set of 4 CD's that were given out to each guest at my friends wedding last year...each guest had to dedicate a song to the couple, and they put them all on disc for us. I love both the variation of music on them from across the generations as well as the different memories that are attached to the songs as they were played throughout the day.

* Number of piercings: Ears but I rarely wear earrings, in fact I don't wear any jewelry except for a bracelet from the Second World War, called a sweetheart bracelet, that has special significance to me.

* Number of tattoos: None.

* Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: Three times I think, all when I was younger - once for winning a county tennis trophy, once for winning a swimming competition, and once when I was 16 for starting a fashion show event for my art GCSE.

* Name a past experience you regret: Not trusting people's affection for me more. But really, as much as it is a cliche, I don't hold on to regret.

Thanks for reading, if you did ;-)