A New Kid on the Block

Today I came across a very new blogger.  Well at this time she has posted two blogs.  Today’s post really resonated with me.

Those of you who know me, know I have a real ‘thing’ about how today’s young are mollycoddled, wrapped in cotton wool and hardly ever left to their own devices outside in the fresh air.  Go over to Heidi’s blog here.  Please do.  Remember when we first started on this blogging journey, writing our posts and wondering if anyone was ever going to read much less follow us.

And this came up because Darlene Foster posted this today.   Darlene was a farm kid from out back Canada (sorry Darlene can’t remember where) and so she particularly liked this and shared it with us.  Thanks, Darlene.  We townie’s love reading such things.

And one of my favourite farmer bloggers is Cecilia.  She is a New Zealander residing in the US and running a small farm.  Currently, she is caring for Waimoana, or Wai for short a pot belly pig rescued from a farmer in Kentucky.  This poor pig has been treated so badly and Ce is doing her best to help him recover.  Here’s the link to the first introduction to Wai.  Each day Ce posts on his recovery.  Oh, it’s so slow but it is happening.  We all have our fingers crossed for Wai.

And another blogger Patricia at Patricia’s Place today mused on being grateful for kindness.  and of course, that took me back to this time last year when I was recovering from my big adventure aka accident and I had to learn to accept the kindness offered by everyone.  It is often easier to give than to receive and one has to learn to receive graciously the kindness offered.

And today, my sister of choice Chris at Bridges Burning caught my attention with the title of her post ““J.K. Rowling thinks of Harry Potter series as an ex-lover.”  She talked about headlines and how they can draw you into an item and how sometimes, they disappoint.

And another of my sisters of choice Dor at  Virginia Views talked about the To Do List and how even though we are retired many items just don’t get done.  Oh, at least she has Bill to cover for her.  How often during those busy, busy years did I think of what I would do when I had the time.

At the start of my blogging journey,  I wrote about the busy years and now, once again life has taken a 360-degree turn and things have changed. It is interesting to look back to June 20, 2011, and see how things have changed.

And so the musing of this elderly woman in far away New Zealand comes to an end for another day.

“And as the water continues in its downhill rush over rocks
and the thoughts continue to tumble around in my brain
with no defined pattern or path,
they eventually find and settle into a safe place
and the void is suddenly filled
and my mind is active once again.”
Judith Baxter, sister, mother, grandmother
blogger, and friend
1938 –

 

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Just the way it is

 

Well, that certainly sums up Summer in Wellington this year.  It has been cold, wet and windy for many days and the number of summer days can be counted on my fingers.  The forecast is no better and gale force winds are predicted for Wednesday and Thursday in Wellington.

How very different to last year. Then we had day after day of warm, sunny weather and I wrote about lunches in 3 different places with three different pools.  Well the pools are still there of course, and lunch is still on but unfortunately this year they have all been inside.

So I have had time to read more books and drink more tea.

Then today I thought again of the resolution I make around this time of the year.  For the last 4 years, my only resolution has been to get back to writing blog posts daily.  I’ve set the goal, have the best of intentions and then something/anything gets in the way.  So this year I haven’t made that resolution and it’s just as well because we are now at the 15th day of this New Year and I have managed to write two posts and now this one makes three.

Well anyway.  having started to write this post this morning, I then left it to continue my sorting out and clearing extraneous belongings; then it was lunch time and I thought after all that effort and energy I deserved a treat.  So I opened my book “The Lollipop Shoes” by Joanne Harris.  Well, it’s not really my book,  I belong to a book club where we share books with each other and this one belongs to another member. It’s a great way to read books you have been meaning to, and you don’t have to buy them or reserve them at the library.  You keep them for as long as you need. In fact, I’ve had these books since November.  After my latest Adventure with the chair and the rug, I wasn’t able to go to the December meeting so I’ll return the books in February.

After a couple of hours, I went back to decluttering.  I’m really feeling very pleased with myself at how well I’m doing (with a  little help from Grandson No 4 who has helped move things up onto the high shelves).   I have to have the occasional stop for tea and to rest my right arm and shoulder, and that’s an excuse I won’t be able to use for much longer.  The six weeks is up in 10 days time.  And then I shall be able to drive again.  Hoorah!

So my resolve, which I’m keeping secret this year, is to get back to writing and to posting a blog daily.  And as we say Watch this Space.

And from Bridget Jones’ Diary –

“Resolution number one: Obviously will lose twenty pounds. Number two:
Always put last night’s panties in the laundry basket.
Equally important will find sensible boyfriend to go out with and not continue
to form romantic attachments to any of the following: alcoholics, workaholics, commitment phobic’s, peeping toms, megalomaniacs, emotional fuckwits or perverts. And especially will not fantasise about a particular person who embodies all these things”

Another Award – Thanks

Patricia at Today I Think recently posted a lovely comment on one of my posts and awarded me the Versatile Bloggers Award.  Thank you Patricia.

I am constantly amazed at my blogging friends and their generosity.  This is the fourth time I have received this award and each time it reminds me why I am so happy to be part of this community.

In accepting the Award from Patricia (and her beautiful cat friend) I am called upon to tell you 7 things about me.  If you have read my earlier posts you probably know about me and how boring I am, but here goes:

1. I am in my 70s and live alone with my small companion Lotte a
   Tibetan Spaniel.
2. I was married for 41 years until my husband’s untimely death 13 years ago.
3. I choose to live in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.
4. I am passionate about this city and share as much as can with readers of my blog.
5. I have been part of the blogging community since March 1, 2011 and have to thank all those who follow me, and the 15000+ visitors to my site.
6. I love spending time with my four, gorgeous grandsons.  They are growing into fine young men – no bias here.
7. If I could choose, I would choose my daughter and son as my children over any others.  And I like love the two people with whom they have chosen to spend their lives,

Boring eh?  Did I warn you or not?

The second part of accepting this award is to pass it on to 15 others.  My blog roll lists 23 blogs that I follow and couldn’t begin to differentiate between them.  So may I cheat a little and ask you to go to the blogroll and check in on each and every one of these fantastic bloggers and their posts.

To all those bloggers thank you for brightening my days, for giving me food for thought and thank you for reading and commenting on my blog.

And here is the winner’s bouquet for each of you.

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They’re only words

You think that I don’t even mean a single word I say.
It’s only words, and words are all I have, to take your heart away….
from Words by the Bee Gees

I started blogging on March 1 and am now totally committed to writing a blog a day.  For committed read obsessed and/or addicted.

I hear a song on the radio and immediately I turn it into a blog.  Something comes on the TV and I think blog.  Words have always been very important to me and I have written all my life; from a diary at school, to articles for magazines, a book and now of course, the next natural home for me is the blog-a-sphere.

I look at a printed word and ask – what does it say, what does it mean and how is it being used?  The next question is in what context would I use that word.

The word ‘revenge’ has just been said in a TV program.  What would I write about revenge?  Nothing has happened in my life for which I need revenge.  So I would use that word in a story, or use it to illustrate an item.

Other words that I have heard today:

• Adventure – well there’s plenty I could write on this subject.  The adventure of moving around the world (twice) to make homes on the other side of the world.  Adventure in meeting new friends and sometimes coming across old friends in unexpected places then
• Friends – I wrote a blog on friends and friendship a couple of days ago.
• Weddings – the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton is all over the news at present.  I wrote a blog on weddings earlier this month.
• London – of course has been in the news because of the Royal Wedding.  I was born and brought up in this most magical of cities.  I have written on growing up there in an earlier blog.
• Family – I could write screeds (and already have) on family, my children, their children, my sisters and their children and families.  There will be more on this subject in future blogs.
• Sisters – I have two sisters who feature in my blogs and for whom I am truly grateful.  They also are on my gratitude list.
• Parents – mine unfortunately, are now both dead but they were great influences on me; each in a different but important way.
• Kidnap – we have just had a news report about a young child who has been kidnapped.  The reasons why and the eventual outcome could perhaps be the subject of a later blog.
• Love – I was lucky to meet my soul mate very early in my life and spent 41 years happily (for the most part) married to him.
• Genealogy – Who Do You think You Are was on TV earlier.  In it ‘celebrities’ trace their heritage.  What would take days or months in real time they accomplish in an hour.  My young sister is deeply into our roots and can trace the family back many generations and many years.

Tomorrow, I shall spend time with my Grandsons so am writing tomorrow’s blog tonight, Wednesday here and set it to publish tomorrow.

And now I have all these words running around my head as I am preparing to wind down for the day and get ready for bed.  Of course, now I am off on a tangent thinking of future blogs.

“It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by.  How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment?  For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone.  That is where the writer scores over his fellows:  he catches the changes of his mind on the hop.” ~Vita Sackville-West, 1892 – 1962, author, poet and gardener

Photo – Ed Dear

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