LIFE: The Things I Wanted To Be Growing Up

Little did that girl with her Shirley Temple curls know she'd end up living in America, neither did she really know what she wanted to do with her life, at least not since age 15. I somewhat floated between ideas and then around university and floated back out again. Sometimes it makes you wonder how life would have turned out if I had of stuck with either of my first dream jobs.

Joining the Royal Air Force

Growing up with a father who loves planes it was probably a natural thing that I wanted to joining the RAF. We use to attend the Elvington Air Show, visit all the plane museums around the UK that I looked up to those mechanical birds with such awe and I wanted to be part of it, I wanted to fly one. It wasn't really until starting senior school that the idea of joining the RAF started to fade, I can't pin point what it was exactly, but I'm not the best at taking orders, or discipline and having to get glasses probably just stuck the nail in the coffin. RAF life probably wouldn't have been the best for me but I still wish I could fly a plane.

Archaeologist
For this I blame Time Team - a show that was always on every Sunday evening while eating tea (basically if your unfamiliar it was a show based on a 3 day archaeological dig somewhere in the UK). I think it was a short lived idea, that and hating soil under my nails was probably too off putting. 

Journalist 

Teacher, friends, family - everyone use to say I would be a great journalist (since having a blog that isn't loaded with followers I'm somewhat doubting their positivity towards this idea in hindsight), I even did my work experience in year 10 at the local newspaper. I followed the editor, the photographer, the journalists and the sales team around. My articles were printed, my name was out there. And then the idea was dead and gone. Maybe because it was a weekly paper or just because our area was kinda rural and not that much happens, there wasn't all that much rushing about that I had imagined. Then again once I do something once and I can tick it off my list, the idea kinda fades.

The i'll be an illustrator, graphic designer, teacher, anything phase

Year 11 through to completing my A-Level was a big I don't know phase. I went with ideas teachers throw at me - illustrator, graphic designer, geography or sociology teacher, I started to become a bit lost - at the time when I really could have done with some advice, there was non going around (we did have career advice in school but that seemed to stop around year 11 - it was never an opinion when I could have done with some in year 12 and 13).

Academia

Jump forward four years and mid way through completing my MA fellow students and lecturers were suggesting doing a PhD and giving my life to academia. It was something I could see myself doing but the money side worried me - hell I was a working class kid, the first in my family to complete a BA yet alone and MA, and I always doubted if I was smart enough to even do that extra MA year. Either way I missed the opportunity to stick in a PhD proposal for that year and the idea kinda floated away.

*               *               *

Since leaving university I've done the retail, the pharmacy work and now I work for myself reselling vintage things. From a dream of a 10 year old of flying fighter jets, selling vintage is a big jump but having a passion and a love for vintage it certainly fits me better. I work long disjointed hours, certain months I'm run off my feet and can never catch up and having to rely on myself is both great but a challenge and biggest thing, I love it.

So what did you want to be when you were growing up? Did you get to live out your childhood dream job?

TRAVEL: Lily Pads and Sunsets

Sometimes fresh air can heal you more then pills and sleep. That was the case on a Thursday evening we were in Bay City when after spending most of the afternoon feeling under the weather, Joe drove us out to the Quanicassee Wildlife Area just outside of Bay City. With spaced out houses, field upon field of crops, it took this Yorkshire lass back to her rural days. 

The wildlife area has a small boat landing in a pond filled with lily pads surrounded by wild flowers, a couple were fishing, some teenagers on bike rides but it was ever so peaceful. A canal stretches out with a footpath running alongside takes you down to Lake Huron. On a late summers eve the walk was the perfect time to catch the slowly setting sun with the echoes of frogs and crickets bouncing off the marsh grasses surrounding the bay.

When you live in the burbs, you forget just how quiet rural life can be.

Quanicassee Wildlife Area

Essexville, MI

LIFE: I Am Blank Because

Remember when I stumbled across that things I am, things i'm not post, well after stumbling in a similar manner over I'm blank over on Little Miss Momma, I thought why the hell not. I'll do this one too. I always find these types of posts a great way of seeing a seek peek into the person behind the blog, so hopefully you might find it a helpful insight into what i'm like outside of the blogging world. 

I'm weird because

• i've never read/watched anything harry potter related, nor do I intend do, same for twlight
• i don't have dreams to visit NYC or disney 
• while i'm britsh, I hate roast dinners ... especially yorkshire puddings ... urgh
• i hate talking on phones, i'll never answer and I never check my voice mails, so my phone is nearly always on silent
• apple sarnies are the best, as are cheese and celery sandwiches
• at a month short of 28, i've never tried or learnt to drive a car
• i can write backwards - like mirror write, it's hard to explain
• i grew up being called weird because I could and would cross stitch, but apparently that's super cool these days. funny how things change

I'm a bad friend because

• i take forever to reply to emails
• i'm probably too honest and just say what I mean without really thinking
• i'm a bit ranty

I'm a good friend because

• whenever I do get around to replying to emails, it'll probably be a pretty long one
• if you're having a bad day/need advice, i'll just say it how I find it
• stay true and i'll stick by you - i know only too well about friends dumping me
• to be honest, i probably could do with working on this ...

I'm sad because

• you can't get bakewell tarts or fish fingers in america and i've been craving them both all week 
• bills ... enough said
• sometimes stock just vanishes aka i loose things too often
• i've just finished the last bit of chocolate in the house
• tonight's take out was on the bland side
• stress and my worry head stop me from doing things
• i can't go into my garden without being bitten alive
• neighbours like weed killing through the fence onto my garden
• sometimes i feel the urge to blog when i have nothing to blog about and i can't remember the idea i had for a blog post while falling asleep last night
• i had to take down a bird feeder because squirrels literally gnawed it apart

I'm happy because

• will and grace marathons
• long weekends with the husband
• sarah water's new book the paying guests is pretty darn awesome so far
• people still follow, read and comment on my blog after five years - it still amazes me

I'm excited for

• hockey season (roll on october)
• digging my scarves out
• fall tv seasons restarting (agents of shield i'm looking at you)
• painting the deck blue 
• fall leaf colours - we get spoiled in Michigan (you can see some snaps from last year here)
• planting spring bulbs
• making the move to more organic/green body and beauty products
• hanging a christmas wreath on my front door, oh no i mentioned the "c" word ... oops

Why are you blank? I'd love to hear how you'd answer these statements.

TRAVEL: Bay City

Friendship Shell, Wenonah Park

Last week we popped oop north to visit Bay City (the one here in Michigan, not Wisconsin) - Joe had a work conference up there so I tagged along, it's a place we visited before so I was more than happy to entertain myself wandering around. Because I was pleasing myself for eight hours I have many a photograph to break down and share but I thought I'd start with the main downtown area and as ever all the little things. 

If you know anything about my adventures while living here in the US I love exploring and finding the side of America that might get a little overlooked if you're just visiting. For me it's all about the faded painted advertisements on walls, the outside stairwells, the old buildings and street names. I love the architecture of 1800's America when all these small towns and cities were being founded and finding their fortunes be it home or business, and with Bay City being founded in 1837 it's my kind of place.

Purple building at N. Water St & 3rd, view towards City Hall and museum 

Bay City is located along the base of the Saginaw Bay just before Lake Huron. Originally known as Lower Saginaw it prosperity was founded upon the deep river waters , much deeper than in Saginaw itself, perfect for all the industries that rely on shipping. By the mid 1860's the city was dooming with the sound and life of shipbuilding, saw mills and lumber - the industrialists in charge made their fortunes and built their mansions many of which are now historical landmarks (more of this homes to come in following posts). But like many a city in the Midwest's Rust Belt and just like here in Detroit, by the 1950's onwards such areas struggled to adapt to the changes both economically and socially, the area lost nearly half it's manufacturing jobs and incomes further decreased.

Garden at 6th St & N. Van Buren St, Trinity Episcopal Church, alleyway along 3rd st. 

Birthplace of singer Madonna, local folklore declares the infamous fictional lumberjack Paul Bunyan was based on Fabian "Joe" Fournier - a fearsome brawler standing 6 foot tall, with the strength of three men and a double row of teeth. You wouldn't want to mess with him on a Friday night would you?! After his murder in 1875 tales and stories began. There are arguments over the origins, of who Paul Bunyan was or may have been, but in 1906 Michigan Oscoda/AuSable Press printed a story about a lumberjack with two sets of teeth - a man echoing the description of Joe Fournier. But who was he really, well who knows but Bay City would like to lay down their claim.

Now Bay City celebrates it's river heritage, street upon street is home to antique malls and it's old buildings still stand proud as their fortunes continue to change.