I could not survive without lists. I have a brain like a sieve, and lists are my way of getting through the days. Shopping, To Do, Wish, Life Goals, Favourite vegetables... I can put things on, I can tick things off. Gotta love lists.

And then yesterday, I was making nachos and I thought hell, I am forever grateful to my big brother for showing me how to make nachos. And it made me want to write another list, to bring together and record all the things my sieve-like brain will allow to trickle away if I'm not careful. I will never win an Oscar, or get an MBE, so this blog may be my only chance to thank everyone at once. Of course, I could phone you all up, or write to you, but I'm unlikely to remember. I'll put it on my To Do List...
Anyway (procrastination is another of my weak points).

Things My Family Have Taught Me. Wittingly or unwittingly, by positive example or by negative, I learned all these things from them. It's their fault!

My Daddy: How to forgive; How to read a road map; How to skimp on DIY (and why not to); How to give a firm handshake.

My Mother: How to fit in, even when you don't; How to have confidence in your convictions, and be bold about sticking to them.

And my siblings, who parented me in a much more haphazard way:

Niels: How to question; How to appreciate architecture; How to be highbrow; That even highbrow intellectuals have the occasional duff CD ;) How to bluff; That everybody has value, even if it's hard to see sometimes.

Moyra: That one must suffer for beauty (you said this to me once when brushing my hair, I remember!); An awful lot of useful things about dogs. Probably many many vital things, but before I was of an age to remember learning them.

Mat: How to be generous; How to cook oatcakes; How to cook by instinct; That just because people don't generally paint on something (cars, furniture) doesn't mean it can't be painted on.

Jon: How to make nachos; How to (and when not to) make a BLEVE; Time spent questioning urban myths is time spent furthering the knowledge of mankind (eg. The radiation between two mobile phones will boil an egg. No it won't.); Flourescent flash jackets are the best urban camouflage; That policemen tell the funniest stories; How to kick back and chill out; That America is a real place with real people and has tons of plus points, no matter what people say (butter popcorn by the sack? Do I need to say more?). French for lawnmower is laundeuse. Hell I still don't know if that's true.

I'm still not entirely sure who taught me how to cook, although it must have been Niels who made me realise it as an art. I can't remember learning anything specific. Probably all of you. Ta.

And, more than anything else, my brothers (particularly you, Jon) have taught me that if you answer a question confidently enough, people generally believe you. Especially children. And thus also, to be extremely wary and cynical of any bizarre story that makes you say 'That can't be true...'. It probably isn't. But thank you, all of you. Even if I'm crap at keeping in touch, I still love you.

I'd love to hear some comments...