ask me a question replies.

(Q1) Right now I only want someone to explain bike gears to me lol x

When you start out, leave the left (front) gear lever at 2, so the chain is on the middle chainring. (If you have only two front gears, have the chain on the easiest gear (the smallest chainring). Then practise changing the back gears, one gear at a time, using the right gear lever. You can make small adjustments to your pedalling speed using the back gears.

Remember, you need to be pedalling to change gears, so that the chain can shift onto the new cog and wind into place completely. Sometimes it takes a couple of pedals for the chain to move into place. Don’t pedal too hard, though, as this will make the chain too taut to shift easily onto the next cog. If you’re having trouble changing gear, try easing the gear lever a bit past the next gear to move the chain onto the ring properly.

Once you are comfortable using the back gears, experiment with changing the front gears (with the left lever) as well. Notice how the front gears give you bigger jumps in speed.

(Q2) if money were not an issue, would you have more kids?

That’s an interesting one as I definitely don’t want more. I have several reasons, the first of which is the years it would add to my childminding. The others are also selfish reasons, although I miss my girls being little and the amazing closeness and the time we spent together, I love that I can have a lie in while they get a snack and get on with what they want on Sundays. Holidays would cost more (that’s the money thing again). I like that I don’t have to do everything for them. Their independence is also my independence.

The last reason is that I have my two amazing girls. Obviously the older a person gets, the higher the risk of birth defects. If I hadn’t had a baby yet than that issue wouldn’t even be a consideration but as I have, it’s on my list of reasons against.

Why would I want to have another baby? To smell it, to hold it, to feed it with my own milk. To love it and protect it. Those desires never leave 🙂

(Q3) If you could fix a broken or awkward relationship from the past which would it be?

I’m really struggling with this. I am a person who doesn’t regret. Hmmm. Eg. On facebook I don’t have any of my previous names (I have had two previous surnames) and the reason being, if a person doesn’t know I’m married to Rich then there is probably a reason we lost touch. I suppose the only people are the kids I’ve looked after who don’t seem so keen to meet up with their old nanny when they’re older.

(Q4) How do you picture yourself in ten years, realistically?

Exactly where I am now except with a 17 year old and a 15 year old… Although hopefully not Childminding!

(Q5) my question? So what was some of the gossip? 

Truth be told, it wasn’t gossip so much as putting the world to rights. One of my favourite subjects – the genderisation of children’s things from toys to bedding to school accessories. It really winds me up!

(Q6) I’m glad you had a good afternoon,

what was the path you didn’t take? 

Good question. We have a bazillion paths in life and only choose a few thousand of them. Which major one didn’t I take? Well, as I mentioned, I’m a person without regrets. I think that everything we do goes towards making us who we are and I think I’m an okay person. I’d probably get on with me if I met me. But one path I have wondered about (but still wouldn’t have changed) was the option to go to boarding school. I didn’t want to go. The idea of living away from my parents was unthinkable. No way, absolutely no no no no way Jose. My home was a place with warmth, love, understanding and, above all, safety. I have wondered about how my life would have turned out – would I have worked harder, passed all my exams and gone to university? What would I be doing? But that’s immaterial because leaving my home was not an option for me.

(Q7) What type of extra curricular activities did you do as a child? Or were you just left to your own devices?

I think my mum was pushed into classes – piano and elocution specifically. Although she enjoyed playing piano, she rebelled against the elocution. Because of this she never forced us into anything therefore I tried ballet and tap but got bored because we weren’t doing Swan Lake straight away so I lasted 3 weeks. I went to brownies but was disappointed that the girls there were the same ones as at school so they all knew me and I couldn’t make new friends. I wasn’t popular at school so I tended to make friends outside of school. Eventually, at secondary school (age 11 – 16) I joined Youth Theatre Yorkshire which was an improv theatre group. I was in YTY for over five years and loved it.

(Q8) I know you are a quaker and a couple of months ago I read Tracy Chevalier’s “the last runaway” which is about a quaker girl who travels to America in the 1800’s, arriving to a quakers community that shocks her because they’ve slightly different ways to act than in England. The thing is, I learned a great deal about quakers of that time but I know nothing about quakers of this time. Like their silence sessions, do you do it? and is your interest in quilting related to quaker traditions? is there different types if quaker? I’m basically interested in a “life as a quaker in 2013 in a nutshell” paragraph 🙂 hope it doesn’t bother you the length of this! 

It doesn’t bother me at all and it’s a fascinating question. It’s the one I have thought about while I’ve been out cycling. It’s almost an entry in itself! Firstly I would like to say that I am not a practicing Quaker nor a member of The Society of Friends (the Quaker society) so I can’t tell you about 2013 Quakers but I can tell you about the 70’s and 80’s.

For now, let’s go back to the early 60’s when my mum went to Kenya to work as a missionary – this was before she met my dad ergo before they lived in Kenya together. She was surprised to discover that the American Quakers believed that dancing was evil therefore didn’t allow it. My mum convinced them that Scottish Country Dancing was pure and even taught them how to do it!

Quakers believe in acceptance, they don’t try to convince others to become Quakers because everyone has the right to believe what they feel is right. Quakers don’t undergo rituals such as baptism/christening, holy communion etc… because they don’t believe that following rituals is what makes a difference to who you are in the eyes of God, its who you are and how you behave every day. Seeing someone in need and helping them is far better than eating a wafer of bread. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying communion is wrong, everyone has their own beliefs and own ways of doing things and most of the people I know who have faith follow through on the caring side of things as well as the ritual side, but I have met many intolerant Christians in my time. I feel sad that they can’t see the light for the trees, the whole bogging down of who’s right, who’s wrong instead of realising that perhaps everyone is right. Who says that Allah, Jehovah and God aren’t all one and the same with different ways of worshipping?

Quakers believe that everyone is equal. There isn’t a preaching minister/father/padre/vicar. In a Quaker meeting everyone sits together in a room, facing in towards one another, and prays silently, meditating, thinks of their fortunes and thankfuls. If someone feels a need to share they will stand up and speak. This could be a quote from the bible which has helped them that week or a prayer they wish to share for someone in need. At the end of the session everyone turns and shakes hands with their neighbours before having a tea or coffee and having a chat. We had a childrens meeting too, when I was younger it was in a small room but when I was older we had a separate building built for it. We would discuss a particular bible story and do an art project based on it or do some role play based on it. We always went into the meeting for the last 10/15 minutes.

Quakers don’t drink but my mum became a Quaker in her teens and did so because she had found a form of religion that fitted her beliefs. She never felt she should have to make her beliefs fit and so drinking (and dancing!) were things that she did, neither a massive amount.

My interest in quilting didn’t come from my Quaker background as I don’t have a massive Quaker background! My mum’s side of the family had a lot of vicars and my grandma would be, periodically, asked if “A**** is still into that cult?” I know?! Of course, my mum just laughed it off. My quilting came about because I love quilts. A friends from my home town wanted to do a quilt course but wouldn’t do it on her own so I joined her. I’ve made quilts, on and off, since then.

(Q9) Cycling or running? Ooh, tricky. Six and half a dozen, I reckon! I’ve been cycling (more than as just a kid) since I bought my first proper racing bike in 1986 aged 15, but I started running in 1985… Running is therapeutic, I meditate and do a lot of reflection, self and otherwise, to make sure I do my jobs as parent, wife and childcarer as well as I can. I feel this sense of calm euphoria. I notice the world around me, the way the light changes and nature changes. When I cycle I feel my eyes change. I can feel the light and the life I feel in me shooting out of them. I peddle as hard as I can and go as fast as I can. I take risks that I shouldn’t and feel oh, so alive. When I cycle the world is a blur and my face a huge grin, my heart and stomach become one as they swell with the pure joy of ‘the wind in my wheels’ (plagiarized from Josie Dew). When you get to the top of a steep climb you freewheel down again just so you can peddle to the top again, Just. Because. You. Can.

Which do I prefer. Oh, I prefer them both 🙂

(Q10) Did you ever want to be called a different name other than your own when you were younger? And if so, what was it?

Sue. There was a girl at school called sue and she was pretty and popular, therefore I wanted to be called Sue.

I’m really glad I wasn’t called Sue!

Feel free to ask any more 🙂