Wednesday Writers – Mick And Liesel

This week’s WEDNESDAY WRITER is focusing on a fun loving couple who have been sharing with us their antics and their adventures, and inspiring us to enjoy the good in life.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DRINK WHILE WE ARE CONDUCTING THIS INTERVIEW WITH YOU?

First thing in the morning, it would have been a cup of tea.

Mid-afternoon, I’ll have a decaff latte please.

This post is scheduled to be published at midnight Mick, so I have made you a cuppa and thrown in some cookies because you mentioned liking them!

COULD YOU TELL US YOUR BLOGGING NAME AND THE NAME OF YOUR SITE PLEASE?

I’m Mick and my wife is Liesel. We started the blog together: it was meant to be 50-50 but I seem to be the main contributor, but I’m not complaining. It’s called Mick and Liesel’s Antics:

https://mickandlieselsantics.com/

Mick I love the tagline on your site: “Adventures in KT9, M22, infinity and beyond”.

WHEN DID YOU START BLOGGING?

We started this blog in February 2018. We’d both dabbled before, but without any real purpose. I did a blog about Radio for a while, but realised I was mostly just reproducing second-hand news and putting in my own second-rate reviews.

WHY DID YOU START BLOGGING?

This time, it was to document some big changes in our lives. I’d retired, Liesel was between jobs, my daughter Jenny gave birth to our granddaughter, and we decided to move house to be closer to them.

Also, we thought we’d go travelling while we still could. ‘Adventure before dementia’, as we saw on a car bumper. Our so-called grown-up gap year. That was an adventure. It’s been interesting writing about how we’ve coped during the pandemic.

WHICH IS THE MOST POPULAR POST ON YOUR SITE?

I had to look this up. Other than the ‘About’ page and the ‘Home page’, the most read single post is one entitled ‘Singapore (Part 2)’, describing a few days in the city-state during our travels.

Please don’t ask what was wrong with ‘Singapore (Part 1)‘!

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BLOGGING?

For me, the discipline of writing something at all each week is good mental exercise. Especially during this time of lockdown, when we’re not allowed to go anywhere or do much outside our neighbourhood. Also, it’s more enjoyable that writing a detailed, daily journal by hand, which I used to do years ago.

FOOD THAT MAKES YOU SMILE?

My comfort food is a cheese and tomato sandwich, so I was delighted when I saw Stephen Fry advocate such a delicacy on Twitter a couple of days ago.

Oh, and chocolate, cakes and cookies of course.

IF I WAS GOING TO SEND YOU FLOWERS AS A THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME INTERVIEW, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

Thanks, you don’t need to, but a nice bunch of pink carnations always reminds me of my Mum, they were her favourite flower.

DO YOU HAVE A SONG? ONE THAT FITS YOU AS A PERSON OR YOUR LIFE?

I don’t always feel it, but The Carpenters’ Top of the World has been in my life for many years, decades even.

I try to be positive and look on he bright side of things, but it’s difficult sometimes in today’s political environment, with big problems such as the climate emergency.

You are so right Mick! I am so glad that at last climate change is being given more attention by the media and social media but we need drastic changes and we need them now!

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING IN LIFE?

Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that I am retired, I don’t need to seek work, every day is a ‘bank holiday’ and I am free to do what I want (other than the current, temporary Covid restrictions of course), and I know how lucky I am in this respect. On the other hand, I hope there are still some surprises to come.

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU WANT YOUR BLOG TO TELL THE WORLD?

I hope it’s a positive thing. I hope readers are laughing with me rather than at me, but either way, laughter is a good thing.

Yes, I do like a moan and a whinge now and then. One message is that it’s possible to have a good time later in life, that the world isn’t really against us even if it feels that way sometimes.

***

Thank you so much to Mick and to Liesel for agreeing to be featured as part of the WEDNESDAY WRITER series. I loved looking back at your posts about your travels around Asia and Australia, North America and closer to home. I wonder where the two of you will head to next! I would definitely recommend Ghana!

I can only imagine that you are both longing for restrictions to be lifted (when it is safe of course) so that you can really make the most of spending time with your family and resuming your incredible travels again!

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