Archives for February 2008

You’re in the spotlight

February 29, 2008 by Jen

Shai Coggins crept into my radar again recently. I’d come across her blog some time ago when she was featured in our local rag, The Advertiser, and then again more recently when she joined a Flickr group I’m in. Every week she’s running a 52 weeks of blog community project (52WoC for short) and this week the task is to feature one of your readers on your blog. There’s a few ways of doing this and I’ve chosen to feature three of my top commenters. There’s a bit of a theme here as you will see.

Jeanie from Jeanie in Paradise came into my blogging life about a year ago. Her memory is better than mine so she might be able to remember how we met, but all of a sudden she started leaving me comments. We have some stuff in common, being sole parents and all – although she now has a man in her life. Tuesday night is Taco night is perfect for showing us mums how those great intentions we had before having kids go out the window when the little ones come along.

The Joy of Six

I met Joy of Joy of Six via her daughter Jory. Jory talked her mum Joy into blogging just over two years ago. She’s like a second mum to me and has been a fantastic support when I’ve had some life issues. Myself and JJ also have names starting with J like her and her family. She’s always encouraging and I love the comments I get from her and I actually like her poetry (I’m not a huge fan of poetry).

Imaginif child protection became serious business

Megan from Imaginif Child protection became serious business is yet another person who’s been really supportive of me and yet another person who I feel that if I met in real life, I would really like. If you want to know anything about child protection hers is the blog to visit. She writes lots of interesting articles and has got me thinking more about child protection. Her BITSS of protective behaviours is definitely worth a read and she also facilitates the Carnival of Australia.

Aussie bloggers

I’m also getting to know more bloggers because of the new Aussie bloggers community. Check it out if you haven’t already. There’s loads of how tos about blogging and if something related to blogging is not there you just need to ask as there’s plenty of people to help out. It’s not restricted to Australians either.

All of these people, and there are more who drop in occasionally (see the top commenters in the right hand nav), are fantastic blogging buddies and I feel honoured to know them, well know them virtually anyway. Thank you.

The great interview experiment

February 28, 2008 by Jen

Some of you may have heard of the great interview experiment on Citizen of the Month’s blog.

This is how it works:

Here’s how it is going to work. The first person who comments on this post, will get interviewed by me. I will read the person’s blog, then email him ten or so specific questions, hopefully more about his life (what makes them tick) than their favorite blogger (too obvious! — me). I’ll give my interviewee as much time as necessary to answer the questions, but hopefully he’ll finish it by next week. There might be a back-and-forth if the person feel uncomfortable with a question, etc. or if I want to explore a topic further. Finally, when it is all written up, I will polish the draft, send it back, and the interviewee can proudly publish the interview on their own blog.

I interviewed Kristabella. It’s hard thinking of interview questions, but I managed to come up with some and she’s answered them on her blog. She learned a new word ‘tipple’, goodness knows what I was thinking when I included that word as it’s not in my daily vocabulary. Go on and read it.

And it’s still not too late to participate. My interviewer appears to have dropped off the face of the earth so nobody’s interviewed me yet but if it happens I’ll let you know.

Sunrise

February 27, 2008 by Jen

I’ve got a couple of blog posts in draft form at the moment but otherwise am not feeling particularly inspired to blog.

So I’m showing you one of my favourite photos on my Flickr page. I took it with my old Kodak digital and it worked out really really well. It was on my last morning on Kangaroo Island the when I was there two years ago. I got up especially early to see the sunrise over Vivonne Bay.

Don’t tell anyone, but Vivonne Bay is one of the most spectacular beaches I’ve ever been to. It’s quiet and beautiful and you feel like you own the beach. I know my dog sure does and if she saw anyone in the distance she’d run up and check them out because they dared to come onto her beach. She even cornered the owner of the place we stayed at once and I had to go and rescue him. She wasn’t being vicious, just protective.

Oh how I wish I was there right now.

See the rest of the Kangaroo Island set.

True blue

February 24, 2008 by Jen

I didn’t really know what to do for the self portrait challenge this month – the theme being blue and then one day when I was carting water out of the house to water plants outside it hit me. One of the buckets I use is blue and it seemed perfect to use in the photo.

We’re currently on level 4 water restrictions which means that we can’t use sprinklers to water at all. We can use a trigger hose once a week on a specified day and to water otherwise we have to use buckets unless you’re eligible for a permit to use a trigger hose because it’s heavy work carrying buckets around.

This photo shows me emptying grey water from the washing machine onto the lawn, or my very poor excuse for a lawn. I used to have a grey water hose hooked up to my washing machine but the hose came off one day and I had to clean up and dry my new lino in the laundry. Not fun! Using one of these hoses is also a strain on the washing machine and I don’t fancy having to get the washing machine fixed because it’s blown up while I try to reuse water.

Now, instead of the grey water hose I carry it out bucket by bucket. It means being very attentive as to when the bucket’s full but if I am attentive I get about five to six buckets from my front loading washing machine. It’s also good exercise but it means I’m tied up to a 90 minute washing machine cycle.

I also use this bucket in the shower to catch the water before I hop in.

I know some parts of Australia have been getting far too much rain but other parts have been missing out altogether, or we just get enough to make our dirty cars even filthier. It’s interesting to note the people who still drive around with spotless cars and I wonder how they wash them as part of the water restrictions is not using the hose on your car.

Some voting

February 22, 2008 by Jen

I few weeks ago I submitted a photo to Neil Creek’s photography website for a View from below perspective. The submissions for this have now closed and voting is open. There will be one winner and I’m asking you to spend some time at the page to vote. I’m not telling you to vote for mine – but of course feel free to if you want. I don’t win a fantastic prize, just the satisfaction of knowing that my photo was ok.

Mine’s the first one on the page as shown below. Go here to vote or click on the image below to vote. You have until 28 February.

Bad day at work

February 20, 2008 by Jen

Bad day at work? Is everyone annoying you? Is just being at work getting you down? I recommend looking at this because you are not alone. This was waiting in my inbox when I got back to work on Tuesday after a busy and emotional few days and I watched it with tears rolling down my face and semi-controlled laughter emanating from my mouth. (Click on the image to view)

Away

February 15, 2008 by Jen

Every year for the last five years or so a couple of girlfriends have organised a camping weekend away. The boys do it regularly and they thought it’s about time the girls got a break too. I’ve made it every year for one night and last year I organised childcare for the two nights. Unfortunately four days beforehand my dad had his stroke and I didn’t feel as though I should go away and have fun for two nights. I still did for one, however, and when I wasn’t reflecting on family dramas I got stuck in and really enjoyed myself.

The camping weekend is on again this weekend and I was speaking to a girlfriend on Sunday night about it and jokingly said, ‘barring any major family dramas I’ll be there’. Of course there was a family drama (if you want to call it that) with yet another cousin dying in a car accident early Monday morning.

I haven’t rushed over to join the hoards of family and friends and have decided to still go away this weekend and hopefully kick up my heels a bit. Yesterday it was all catching up with me and I felt really rotten and I haven’t slept well the last couple of nights. I keep wondering who’ll be next to go. I’m petrified of losing my son which is a normal, yet irrational fear to have, but I keep thinking of what his parents and wife are going through right now, especially his dad who’s lost two sons in the space of just over a year (the two brothers were in fact half brothers, sharing the same father). I can’t live my life thinking about death all the time as it could so easily consume me. I’m sure these feelings will start to fade after the funeral on Monday but it’s a bit consuming at the moment.

I got the paper at the supermarket earlier and looked up the death notices and had to wipe away a few tears. I spent the rest of the time in the supermarket looking very somber.

So away I will be, spending some quality time with some quality girlfriends. A quality male friend is looking after JJ.