An A-Z of Me - M

Marriage - I married Andrew in April 2007 on a beautiful sunny day in the church in our local high street. We ended up spending only around £3500 and planned the whole day how we wanted it ourselves. That meant things like no order of service leaflets, no seating plan, a buffet instead of a sit-down meal, no first dance on our own and my wedding dress came from the Oxfam Bridal Boutique - something I'd wanted to do ever since I read about it in a magazine when I was 11. It's true what they say after you get married about the time flying - I really don't know how we can be celebrating our 8th anniversary next year!


Memory - Andrew reckons I have an excellent memory; I didn't think my memory was anything out of the ordinary when I was a kid but since growing older, I do seem to be able to remember lots of useless stuff. Pity having a good memory hasn't got me anywhere in life!


Meal-planning - I am that sad person who plans the dinners several weeks in advance. You can read all about how I do it here if you fancy.


Masters degree - I've been studying for an MSc in Information and Library Studies with Aberystwyth University since September 2012 although I've technically only been enrolled on the course for just over a year as I put my studies on hold earlier this year when we were having IVF treatment. I love the content of the course but even though it's distance learning, trying to fit it in around working full time and running a home is hard.


Maps - I love maps and have a small collection of old ordnance survey maps on my bookshelves. When I was a child and we used to go out for family day trips, my dad would chuck me one of those large AA maps and tell me to work out where we were going based on the signposts, road names and towns we drove through. We also went on hundreds of family holidays around the UK and I would spend every journey looking at a map and staring out of the windows at everything. Consequently I can quite happily sit and read a map a bit like a book, dipping in and out of each area; I'm quite good at giving directions to people and can really easily translate what I've read on a map a few hours ago to where I'm driving right now without needing to stop and check. 


Midwifery - My Great Aunt was a nurse during WW2 and ended up being a midwife shortly afterwards carrying on delivering babies until she retired, I think in the early 1980's. She delivered both my mum and my uncle in the 1950's and when she died in 1993 we found her midwifery notebooks detailing every single birth she'd ever attended. I find it fascinating that one of my relatives was a midwife at exactly the same time as Jennifer Worth; although my great aunt worked in and around the Runcorn/Widnes/Liverpool area and not London. I think somewhere far away, in another life, midwifery might have been a career I'd have liked to follow.


Matilda - I absolutely loved the book when I was younger and then when the musical hit the stage, I really wanted to go and see it (especially with top man Tim Minchin doing the music). I didn't get to see it at Stratford but I went two years ago for my 30th birthday and saw it in London. It's such a spectacular show and the talent and energy from the young cast is unbelievable. I'm going to see it for the second time this Saturday evening for my 32nd birthday and on my list of favourite musicals, Matilda ties for the top spot with Rent.


Musicals - As well as Matilda and Rent (which I've seen an slightly embarrassing total of 17 times), I've also seen 27 other musicals. I saw a lot when I was at university as I could get really cheap tickets with my student card and if I enjoyed a particular show, more often than not, I'd go and see it again. My other faves include Blood Brothers, Godspell, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, My One and Only, Starlight Express (but only the original West End production, not the tour), Sunset Boulevard and The Rocky Horror Show.


Mayonnaise - I like putting mayo on chips. Andrew says I'm weird.


 

What 'M' things sum you up?

For the rest of the alphabet click here!