About me

Please note:  This blog used to be called Cooking, reading, singing but I found that some of the time I wanted to write about things which didn’t really fall into those categories, so I changed it to a more general title.  I know that there are other Northern Mummies and Northern Mums out there (some much better known than I am!) and I assure you I’ve no intention of treading on toes or trying to trade off someone’s reputation.  Hopefully this “about” section, along with this post will explain my choice of name and why I felt it was appropriate.

About me

I’m a northern mummy!  I was born in the lovely north west of England, and have lived in the beautiful north east since I was 18 and went to university here.  (In between I spent several years living in the East Midlands but to many that’s still pretty northern!)  I’m married to Southern Daddy and we have 2 daughters – the Bookworm who’s 10 and the Butterfly who’s 7.  When I first started this blog I gave them those names because they seemed to suit their personalities – the elder was always curled up with a book somewhere and the younger flitting from activity to activity.   These days the descriptions are still pretty apt, although they could easily be reversed at times, as the Butterfly is becoming as book-addicted as everyone else in the house, whilst the Bookworm’s social life gathers pace in the way that only a pre-teen’s can!

I don’t have a “proper” job – I’m fortunate to be able to be a full-time parent and find that it provides plenty to occupy my time!  In some of my posts you might see references to the Boy and the Baby, who are the children of friends from church that I used to look after before they moved to a different part of the country.

I’m a Christian and take part in a lot of Christian activities, mostly at our church but some elsewhere.  In my spare time I really enjoy cooking, especially baking (I am coming to enjoy my battles against the Over-Zealous Oven!), but I don’t like washing up or clearing the kitchen afterwards!  I love Words, in many forms: reading, writing, a fascination with song lyrics which many find strange.  I read lots of different genres but since becoming a mother I’ve tended to stick to the easier end of the spectrum as it’s rare I have chance to give the more challenging sort the concentration they require!  However, I’m encouraged to do that by my reading group who tend to pick the more demanding ones.  I write my own fiction, although this is really just for fun rather than a career aspiration! As far as songs are concerned I do enjoy the music side as well as the lyrics, and since 2010 have loved singing regularly with a choir which meets on Sunday evenings, as well as taking part in occasional one-day events (usually at the Sage Gateshead) and seasonal (always Christmas, sometimes Easter) singing at church.