Tuesday 28 April 2009

My Blogging Quest

Jen @ Semantically Driven started a blogging quest ...
Blogging quest - brought to you by Semantically driven
  • When did you start blogging?
July 1st ,2005 was the very first day I started to blog...
  • Why?
I had just started the first part of my IVF cycle . I read an article called "Falling Pregnant" about Tertia and Julie and their blogs in the June 2005 Australian Readers Digest. I wanted what they had ...the circle of friendship and support There were other infertility blogs too and they all really inspired me to start. Though it was a false start. I accidently started a new blog instead of a new post, got all confused ...then gave up.
I started blogging properly again, when my boys were almost 11 months old, after Tiff at Three Ring Circus inspired me.

  • What did you expect in the beginning?
Originally I wanted to journal my grief and trying to conceive via IVF. After adopting 15yrs ago, my first natural pregnancy ended when our daughter was stillborn at 26 weeks gestation in 2004. Six months later in 2005 we went down IVF path .Women I met through online parenting forums gave me the knowledge and courage to try again and pursue IVF because of our long history of infertility. A few had blogs.
I wanted to have my own 'space' (blog) in 'cyber' space to do and say my own thing ...add links and write a ton of stuff anonymously. I couldn't do this on forums.
I had no real expectations. I just thought what the heck it if sounds this good I'll try it.

I had intense soul searching to do.I didn't want to tell family or friends in case we failed to get pregnant or suffered another loss.I wanted to journal our IVF experience 'privately' ... well with hundreds of strangers. I wondered if anyone else lived my life ...

  • Have your expectations been met or did something completely different happen?
Since I cast my new found blog aside after a few days... feeling a technologial failure. Something completely different happened from what I had planned...I retreated back to IVF sections on the parenting forums to lay low and forgot all about my blog. I got pregnant with twins.
I started blogging again after the birth of my twin sons.
I was glad to see others struggled with the same things and that I wasn't alone. Not that I would wish life difficulties and loss on anyone.
I wanted to be able to look back on the hard parts that were difficult to get through and at the same time, the good parts that were/are amazing, wonderful.

  • What’s blown you away about blogging?
The friendship and the connections. The honesty of some bloggers in revealing their own adversity , adventures and truimphs. The fact all over the world people want to be friendly with me. The comments ...
  • Have you encountered adversity and had adventures in your blogging quest?
Adventures absolutely .Truly I could never have expected. For many months I had only a rare visitor to my blog.I almost gave up till I started to get comments...don't we all love comments.
Adversity, only in the sense that it sometimes takes too much time away from my family and real life maintaining the special connections within the blogosphere. It is a difficult balance.
I have seen people come and go in the blogland and I guess it is easy for people to forget about you if you stay away.
Adversity also through reading the blogs of others who are going through the darkest of days.

  • Why do you continue to blog?
To journal my life with my boys , our cheeky little treasures that fill our lives with much love, joy and laughter. I hope it will be a record for them and to share a little with others going through the same joys and struggles.
I learn alot by reading other blogs and they share a wealth of information and links I might never have known about.
Blogging isn't just about daily dribble.
I can’t blog much about friends or family because some of them read my blog and they would get very upset.That is why sometimes I don’t write about emotional things.
I do love to peek in the windows of other blogs to see how the manage what I am going through but can't ask for advice on publicly. I have made so many special connections with people I may never meet and I know better than some real life friends. I cherish my bloggy friends, they make me both laugh and cry, help me out, hold me up. It is a great community. I also learn so much about cooking, planning, photography,current affairs and general history.
I love to put myself in their shoes and walk a mile with them ...well quite not in their shoes.
Mostly I enjoy the personal stories of others going through similar struggles and of course sharing their joys and mine.
I love humour, the acts of random kindness stories and the everyday fun with kids and spouses.I love competitions too ;).Blogging has been so much fun and therapeutic plus you can win cool prizes. I'm not sure I could stop. ...did I mention I have won a few very cool prizes.
  • How do you see the future of blogging?
Right now I am pondering that ... There are a lot of things I can't say on a public website ...unlike some others. I wish sometimes I was more anonymous.
I cringe sometimes whilst thinking how brave (or stupid) some people are.
I try not to fill my blog with the mundane things in life but sometimes that is all there is. I hope I'll always have my blog to express the things that mean something to me and share them with others.


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Sunday 26 April 2009

Weekly Winners 17 2009

April 19th - 25th edition 17

(Echidna from last week at the Zoo)

Last Sunday we went to R's party and she had a petting zoo with pony rides -whoa !
Are you talking to me ?

Tuesday we went to the Royal Easter Show
The old Chair ride ...

I wonder if facebook would find this obscene or this ...

Just their cup of tea

A few hundred of these made this ...

One of the District exhibits that take a week to design and put together -
very inspirational

'Toddler' Drink driving ...

What I didn't get pictures of ...
  • the rain pouring down ...well except where it started here
  • The Polo game played in pouring rain and puddles ...rivers of mud.
  • The Xtreme car/bike show - rain & showground was so bad they had to cancel it
  • The indoor baby animal nursery (so cute I feel bad for eating them ).
  • The exhibitors selling everything you "don't" might need
  • All the things I taste tested (mmm).
  • The showbags (we only got $5 Freddo ones)
  • The laughter, the joy and the smiles on the kids faces
  • The 'vomiting' twin 2 did - twice ( not because of the rides or the food he was a little of colour the night before we went ...we thought he was okay so we got to the show about 1pm)
  • The view from the Huge Ferris Wheel


  • The Fireworks Finale ...well good ones
  • Running in rain back to the car ...holding the umbrella,while DH pushed the loaded twin stroller
Thursday I didn't get photos ...
  • *sob* Of the blog meet at Balmoral Beach - you 'll have to go visit Guera, Fe, Tiff or M
  • The washing we did after Twin 1 took his turn, for the worse, and got the same vomiting bug 2 days later (& worse)
I wish every week was this exciting ...
Please go see more Weekly Winners @ Lotus's

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Friday 24 April 2009

Everyone needs some body ...

So do you like quizzes ? The ones you find in magazines.
Are you a good spouse ?
How romantic are you ?
Are you a good friend ?
Blah blah blah !

When you find one do you mentally see how you rate ?
Do you cheat to get the right answer ?
Are you brave enough to fill in the blanks (& honestly)?
Do you leave it lying around for others to see ? ... not me !

I digress . I am struggling to get through what I have to do let alone what I want to do with regards to keeping up with friends. I feel a bad friend at the moment.

So I wondered ...

How do you encourage others?
  • call them
  • email them
  • twitter or facebook personal message (PM) them
  • commenton their blog diligently
  • send them a note or card via snail mail
  • visit or plan a date to meet
  • Tell them you are thinking of them or just think of them (it is the thought that counts)
  • Pray for them ... ( maybe you don't tell them)
  • Buy, make ,bake or take them something special (or post it)

2. How do you show them that you care?
  • call them
  • email them
  • Twitter or Facebook personal message (PM) them
  • comment on their blog diligently
  • send them a note or card via snail mail
  • visit or plan a date to meet
  • Tell them you are thinking of them or just think of them (it is the thought that counts)
  • Pray for them ... ( maybe you don't tell them)
  • Buy, make ,bake or take (send) them something special (or post it)

3. How do you thank someone?
  • call them
  • email them
  • Twitter or Facebook or personal message (PM) them
  • comment on their blog diligently
  • send them a note or card via snail mail
  • visit or plan a date to meet
  • Tell them you are thinking of them or just think of them (it is the thought that counts)
  • Pray for them ... ( maybe you don't tell them)
  • Buy, make ,bake or take them something special (or post it)
4. How do you maintain friendships with those you can't see regularly (or at all - bloggy friends in another state or country) ?
  • call them
  • email them
  • Twitter or Facebook them
  • comment on their blog diligently
  • send them a note or card via snail mail
  • visit or plan a date to meet on a set date whenever possible (if ever)
  • Tell them you are thinking of them or just think of them (it is the thought that counts)
  • Buy, make or send them something special (or post it)
It is the same the world over.We all want to be a friend of someone.We all have our own unique ways of connecting with those around us (or far away).

Some of us may be really good at keeping in contact via the Internet/email/FB /Myspace /Twitter / Unique Forums etc. Others have the enviable reputation for sending a beautiful hand-written note, card or even a handmade crafty goodie.

In real life many try to find ways (excuses) to get together for a day out, coffee or lunch...not just with real life friends but real blogging ones too.

I had a great day yesterday meeting up again with Guera, Fe, M, Tiff ... Super Sarah was going to come but she much more important things happening ...her new baby girl, Stella was born on Wednesday.

Some of us pray, some others leave comments on blogs that we read. Some follow each other on Facebook. Some make a phone call. Some days we don't have time for any of these things but of course we 'THINK' about them.

It makes me feel bad.

The key is making contact. Real... Live... Contact... being Geniuine (even via fibre optic cables or whatever waves those wireless connections use)

There are so many comments I read every day on my own and other blogs that continually remind me how valuable it is to make contact , 'connections' however we can. Be it someone next door or across the universe especially in this world where 'time' seems to be in short supply.

There is a 'young' homeless woman who sleeps in the open at the end of our street. She has a bundle of blankets/doona and evena silver tarpaulin when it rains. She has been there more than a week. Sleeping or sitting barely metres from a busy'ish local main road , near the local 'corner' (but not on a corner) shop.

I spoke to her the other day.She is maybe in her early 30's (late 20's - I am so not a good judge of age).

I get scared walking down my driveway at night ...

I mentioned her to my husband - he said she had been there longer (around the district for months) , our 15yr old son had seen her too wandering about the local shops (1-2 kms away). Another friend who lives 3-4 kms away know about her and has seen her too. She stands out because she wears a red bandana on her head. I know nothing of her history. It was the first time I recall seeing her (a few times that same week)

I laid awake at night wondering where are her friends (or family) , who cares for her ? I worry about her. I now pray for her. I am not sure why I even mentioned her. I just wonder why ?

P.S. I did offer her something but she declined ...
P.P.S. I am trying to return comments.Life is just a little busy right now. I don't believe in The Housework Fairy anymore...*sigh*



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Wednesday 22 April 2009

Wordless Wednesday


what's the time Mr Tiger

"It's lunch time'

Run...
We took S & J on an African Safari ... to the Taronga Western Plains Zoo on Easter Monday.



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Monday 20 April 2009

For Dad

Today is the day we used to celebrate my Dad's birthday.
I heard this song today on the radio ...it made me cry and think of him (more than usual). Dad died 3 1/2 yrs ago at 63. Almost a year after Charlotte. His funeral was the day after her first birthday/anniversary.
Over Easter when my young sons were hanging out with 'Jampa' (My Father in law). I was feeling really sad that my Dad never got to meet S & J or even know I was pregnant. A miracle in itself.
Sad beyond words that S & J will never feel the great bear hugs he gave, often, to everyone. He was a generous man my Dad . They will never know what a wonderful man he was in real life.
I miss him.
Happy Birthday in heaven Dad.
I wish ...





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Sunday 19 April 2009

Weekly Winners 16 2009

Meow ...

April 12th - 18th edition 16
Please go visit other weekly winners at Lotus's ...
Easter Sunday after breakfast the Grandpa's raced their radio controlled boats on the dam ...
S & J watched ...
Dad's turn
'My turn' with a little help from 'Jampa'


They climbed this tree with a little help from mum - it doesn't look big but the middle was huge

A handfull heartfull

RRRR - off on two bikes
back on one ...
Easter Monday we went on an African safari to the Taronga Western Plains Zoo ... I was disappointed I didn't have my zoom lens & Canon 1000D ...it's still being repaired *sob*. We still had a great time.
The real Rhino
Hippos

WT ? A 2m tall baby that has to hurt.



Electric cars ... complete with a solar power station at the zoo. There were not ours.
I walked with the stroller most of the time...good exercise.

The boys loved the monkeys

Most exhibits were surrounded by a moat or water

'Rar' run ...it's Sammy the Tiger

Sumutran Tiger

White with black stripes or black with white ?
Banksia ?
Koala ... not a bear
We were quite fortunate to see a few animals on feeding time ... pure luck not good planning.
I only got zapped once by an electric fence ...lucky it was me not the boys. Poor signage and my stupidity trying to take a photo through the chain wire fence.

Have a great week