Walking on Sunshine/I can see clearly now...

I feel like a different person from the last time I wrote a blog entry. It hasn't been that long, but it seems like a lifetime away! I am now nearly settled in the new job, the house is on the market, and last but absolutely definitely not least I passed my PhD viva exam on Tuesday. PHEW. I don't think I have ever been so nervous in my life - I got myself really wound up and stressed - but it was actually an incredibly rewarding experience. My examiners challenged me (of course) but were satisfied with the last 4 years work, and my only corrections are typos, which is an outcome I didn't even think about.

So one big weight is gone from my shoulders and I can, as the song goes, see clearly now. Linking in with the theme of sunshine,  the lovely Anne and Michelle from Crochet Between Worlds have nominated me for a sunshine award. I love reading their blog, which is a great reflection of their strong friendship, and am honoured that they have nominated me.

As part of the award they have set me some questions to answer and I then nominate others to pass it on. I'd like to open the floor and nominate anyone who'd like to take part :) It's a lovely way to spread some sunshine in these long, darker (in the northern hemisphere anyway) nights!

The questions Anne and Michelle asked were:

1.  What is your favourite season and why?
2. Which Person(s) brings happiness into your life?
3. What is (one of) your happiest memory?
4. What makes you smile?
5. What is the most important thing in your life?

I love these questions! They are incredibly positive and uplifting thoughts to be thinking on a Sunday afternoon.

1.  What is your favourite season and why?

I have two favourite seasons (is that cheating?!) - Autumn and Spring. I love the changing seasons between the extremes of Winter and Summer. Spring is a new beginning, hopeful, exciting, Autumn is a season of colours and change.

2. Which Person(s) brings happiness into your life?

I'm very lucky to have lots of people who make me happy. My husband of course, he makes me very happy every day, my parents and brother, who have seen me at my best and at my worst and love me anyway, some very close friends who are there when things are good, and when they are not so good.

3. What is (one of) your happiest memory?

I'm going to have to be a bit corny here. The first memory that springs to mind is walking down the aisle with Chris having just said our marriage vows. The ceremony ended, our pianist played 'All You Need is Love' and we passed the happy smiling faces of all our family and friends as we took our first walk as husband and wife. My face nearly split I was grinning so much,

4. What makes you smile?

I smile quite a lot. Probably too much as it makes me go really squinty eyed. I smile at the people I love, food (!), a good book, a funny film, the usual things. 

5. What is the most important thing in your life?

To be happy, to be healthy, and to follow my heart.

If you would like to take part I am going to nominate the exact same questions as Anne and Michelle because they have made me smile a lot just thinking of the answers!

Have a lovely Sunday