two for the price of one - Thursday Themes - and a thank you

Thursday Themes, brought to us by Toni, from Chick Chat, is this week all about Home.
Home Is Where The Heart Is, to be more specific.



Toni asks, what does home mean to you?

Home to me is a haven of peaceful solitude.

A place to get away from the noise, the hustle and bustle of the working day.
A place to recoup, to recharge, to prepare for what is to come.
Home is where I can walk in the front door (below) and say, geez, it's good to be home.

Home is the place where I can kick off my shoes, take off the bra and sink on to the couch for a quick nap.

Home is where I can curl up with a good book and lose myself in the story for a few hours.

Home is where I can lie back, close my eyes, and enjoy the music playing through my ipod.

Home is where I can cook up tried and true favourite recipes.

Home is where I can try new recipes.

I can sit in the sun streaming into the carport, or I can walk out of the back door, (below), into the backyard, (below), and potter around amongst my plantings.

Home is where I can welcome friends and family who come to visit.

To share a meal, or just to catch up on what's been happening.

Home is where I can dance around the kitchen if I've had a terrific day.

Home is where I can let loose the tears if the day has been particularly bad.

Home is the one place where I can truly be myself, where I can shed the workplace me and become the quieter me, slothing around in comfy old clothes, surfing the internet, catching up with all my bloggy friends. Doing things that make me happy.

What does home mean to you?

Join in with Toni's Thursday Theme.

Link back to Toni in your post, then add your name to the linky list over at Chick Chat.

Now, as promised in the title, two for the price of one, here is post #2.

A little while ago, Red Nomad OZ awarded me this Stylish Blogger Award.

Now I've always thought I was the least stylish person I know, but clearly others have other opinions. For which I thank them, because Elephant's Child also awarded me with this Stylish Blogger award.

There's a meme that goes with this award.

1. Link back to the person who awarded you this Stylish Blogger Award.

Done.

2. Share 7 things about myself that most people don't yet know.

1. I have light brown eyes and short grey/brown hair (that I try to keep as straight as

possible), which becomes a crazy curly/frizz after it gets rained on.

2. I like washing dishes. Colour me crazy......

3. I used to ride a motorbike, only giving that up when I became too pregnant to sit

comfortably on the bike.

4. I don't have "art" on the walls of my home. Instead I have photos of my children and

grandchildren.

5. I currently own 16 ballpoint pens, all the same brand, because when I find one that writes

really nicely I buy one every time I go out.

6. My favourite songs are: Hold On Tight To Your Dreams, by the Electric Light Orchestra;

Rasputin, by Boney M; Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine, by Tom T. Hall;

Something That My Heart Does, by The McClymonts.

7. I have lived in 29 different homes since I was born, with my current home being the

longest time I have stayed anywhere.

3. Now comes the hard part. For this point, I'm supposed to pass this award to 15

other bloggers.

I've spent the days since I received it wondering just who to choose from my many friends.

In that time, this award has made its way around to several of the people I would have

chosen.

All of you deserve it, because each of your blogs has a style all its own.

Some of you make me laugh, some of you make me think long and hard about issues you've

posted about.

All of you make me feel welcome and add to the enjoyment I get from my computer every

day.

So I'm asking all of you over in my sidebar and anyone else reading here, who hasn't already been awarded with this, to please accept this Stylish Blogger Award from me.

Lastly, I'm hanging my head in shame, because a long while ago, I was awrded this:->

A Special Follower Award.

Sadly, shamefully, I no longer remember who awarded it to me, nor did I do the right thing and pass it on. At the time wasn't sure how, so I set the picture aside in my files, then forgot about it.

I found it today while searching for my front door photo, which is in the post above this one.

I'd like to sincerely apologise, here in front of everyone, to the blogger that awarded me with this. I'm truly sorry that I didn't take action on this sooner, that I didn't find out how to link back to you and how to pass this on.

So I'd like to pass it on now.

To all of my loyal followers, please take this Special Followers Award, with my humble thanks for following my daily ramblings .