What you don't know about me!

Now that I have made some new friends in Blogland I thought some of you may enjoy hearing about other areas of my life.


I read- 


In 2010 I read 27 novels.  My favourite was "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.
In 2012 I read 14 novels.  My favourite was "Light Between Oceans"
I only read 10 novels in 2013, but 18 in 2014. "Rosie's Project" was my recent favourite!
In 2015 I read 15 books, with "Girl on the Train" being the standout.
In 2016 I read 17 books. I liked "Little Paris Bookshop" this year.
In 2017 I read 17 books.  I discovered a fabulous Australian author- Sally Hepworth.


I go to the movies-


In 2010 I went to 52 movies (one for every week of the year).  My favorite was "I Am Love", with Tilda Swinton.
In 2012 I went to 45 movies.  My favourite was "The Intouchables".
In 2013 I saw 29 movies. My fav was "Philomena".
In 2014 I saw 24 movies- I guess we are seeing more on Foxtel that before!
In 2015 I saw 31 movies- much better offering this year! "The Martian" and "Star Wars" were at the top of my 'favourites' this year.
In 2016 I saw 33 movies, with "Spotlight" and I, Daniel Blake" leaving an impression on me.
In 2017 I saw 26 movies. 




I cycle a road bike on the road-


In 2010 I went on 62 'road trips' totally over 3,000 km.  I cycled in New Zealand as well as Beach Road, the Dandenongs and the Great Ocean Rd here in Victoria, Australia.
In 2011 I did 14 bike rides in the Pyrenees of France, as well as many in Victoria, Australia.
In 2012, I didn't ride enough, even though I got a new bike!
My husband had a bike accident in 2014 so I haven't been riding enough! 
Started riding more in the Spring of 2015, hardly missing a weekend in four months!
I cycled nearly every weekend in the 6 months from November '15 to April '16, but not so much in the following Spring and Summer (2017)
Just as I was getting back into it after a foot operation in September '17, I had an accident on my bike in November 2017, sustaining a compound dislocation to my left index finger and tendon damage to the little finger!!
In 2018 I had another operation to repair my little finger. 

I am a school teacher-


In 2011 I taught Year 7 but I have taught children from Grade 1 up for the last 30 + years.
In 2012 I taught Year 8's both Science and Humanities.
In 2015 I am teaching three Year 7 Science classes.
In 2016-17 I am still teaching Science, and now Maths too.
In 2018, I am teaching English (yr 6 & 7) Science (yr 7 & 8) and RE. It is my 42nd year of teaching!

I live at a school-

My husband is the caretaker of a big private school and we live on-site!  It has its advantages (lots of outside space, a pool and gym, and an amazing view!) but disadvantages too (interruptions, a small flat, no privacy!) 

I love to travel-
I have been to Europe four times in recent years- 2008, 2010 (Paris for three weeks), 2011 and 2014. My husband and I love hiring a car and driving around rural France! Spain is pretty special too.
I have been to New Zealand twice (2005 and 2009)-once to drive around the South Island and the second time to cycle with my friends at Lake Taupo. The best walk I have ever done was the twenty-kilometre Tongariro Alpine Crossing!
I also went to Malaysia and Vietnam in 2006.
In 2012 we went to Sydney for a short break and to Bateman's Bay in 2015.
I snorkelled on the Great Barrier Reef in 2014.
We have also travelled extensively around Australia. In recent times we have cycled in the Grampians in western Victoria (2016), had a road trip around Tasmania (also in 2016), and visited Far North Queensland in 2014 when we had to come home early because of an impending cyclone! 
In 2017 we headed north again to Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast.  
We had two trips in 2018- a South Australian road trip at Easter and during October a four-week road trip around the North Island of New Zealand.
In 2019 we did a couple of road trips to Benalla, Rutherglen and Bright
2020 

I love to go to concerts- 
These are the international artists I've seen over the last 40 years:

Neil Diamond
Elton John
Paul McCartney
Phil Collins
The Eagles (multiple times)
Bruce Springsteen (multiple times)
Don Henley
Glenn Frey
Gillian Welch
Dixie Chicks
Emmylou Harris (multiple times) 
Rodney Cowell
Chris Isaac
Mumford and Sons
Sade
Patty Griffin
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Martha Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
David Cassidy
Jackson Browne
Jimmy Buffet
Lucinda Williams
Nora Jones
Buddy and Julie Miller
Dwight Yoakam
KD Lang
Tim McGraw
Faith Hill 
Kris Kristofferson
Gladys Knight

.........and many more Australian artists too!

Come back occasionally - I'll update when there is something interesting to add!
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