yes you caused this – a THANK YOU Post

December 9th 2013 – I posted my last THANK YOU!

How remiss of me for leaving it so long between ‘THANKS’- shame and tut tut (so not my way – or the Aussie way).

December I had 597 followers, 597 people whom I had never met. Never laid eyes on, never met personally (apart from two people) or bought a coup of coffee for, or shared a wine.

Today as of 21st February, 2014 I have 691 followers.

I don’t know you, I don’t know much about your lives or who you are, or what makes you special.

What I do know is that I am grateful, thankful that you have wanted to follow my rantings, raving, poetry, life stories. The ups and downs and in-betweens of who I am and what I write.

So I say THANK YOU to each and everyone of you, I may be weird in doing thank you posts, but that’s who I am and I am very appreciative that you enjoy what I write.

Most of you sit quietly in the background and that’s ok, I’m okay with that, you do what you have to do, as I do what I have to do.

If you wish to stick around I smile, if you get bored and go to greener pastures, I’ll understand.

So it’s just a thank you, pure and simple from my little pink thing that beats.

Chat Time Personal ‘stuff’ – pour a drink – its been a while

Dear  Fans Followers,

My Muse is still drinking I think and poetry is a struggle (at 4:18 pm Thursday afternoon) but I didn’t begin this blog to even write poetry so YAY to me for attempting…yes?

This afternoon, as Melbourne Australia (Horsetralia) swelters under a blazing hot sun and hot northerly winds, the temperature is 44C – that’s erm roughly 111.2 Farenheit. That is hot, I am hot (well I was when I was younger – that’s a joke everyone) so I sit here under a ceiling fan with the Evaporative cooler going flat-out as she/he is struggling somewhat.

Since I haven’t had a chat for a while, and Poetry Muse is off in some corner possibly sporting a massive hangover, my chat Muse is still able to talk…stop groaning it won’t be that bad.

Last weekend I had a visitor, http://summerstommy.com Michael lives in NSW – that’s heading up North from where I live and he was down visiting some of his children. He is the 2nd blogger I have met through WP and being a fellow Aussie – well put it this way – I greeted him at the door with a hug and a few kindly expletives 🙂 as is ‘our way’.

He arrived Sat and he sat in the kitchen whilst I fiddled about making potato salad for our BBQ dinner that night. He chatted to Mr. S and it was all very lovely and relaxed. Later we had the BBQ and I cooked a peppered butterfly lamb (Lyn will know of this) 🙂

Now Michael being a retired Drama and English teacher has assisted me along the way with the writing of my Eulogies and he does a damn fine job let me tell you. I use the word ‘that’ too many times, he corrects, I word a paragraph weird..he corrects. So as I had the Service yesterday – it was a perfect opportunity for him to sit with me and go through what I had written. “He done good” 🙂 (he will hate that) I can write, but sometimes my use of the English language is a little all over the shop and he points me in the right direction.

He stayed over Saturday night and Sunday morning the 3 of us went out for breakfast – ah to be sure it was grand. Meeting a fellow blogger is strange, you realise – they aren’t some imaginary/virtual being that you have communicated with, but a real live person (odd but true).

He left Sunday afternoon and I have to say it was a great pleasure to not only meet him, but chat/banter/whine/discuss etc. I even put the poor bugga through an ordeal he probably didn’t anticipate and took him to meet my Penguins – so he could see that they too (to?) (waits for the correction) were ‘real’.

So if you don’t read him or follow him – go over and take a peek – he writes mainly poetry and he’s a lovely, caring human being.

Yesterday I had my first Burial – all my other Services have been Cremations.
It was 41C yesterday, the Chapel Cooling system was struggling, as was I and I stuffed up and where did I stuff up…reading the Lord’s Prayer for the family. Of all the things to go wrong when I should know this off by heart – and do… but the family were also saying it out loud in front of me..and well…I lost my place. I apologised and continued.

After the Service we went to the burial site for her internment. A family with 6 children, 19 grandchildren and 29 great grand children. They let free their balloons, scattered carnations and roses onto the Coffin and everyone was emotional and very flustered with the heat.

I was invited back for refreshments by the family, they were simply lovely, getting me food and drink and asking me to sit with them. Hopefully the ‘muck-up’ will be forgotten, I did apologise again to them, they said not to worry…

Homefront: My Penguins – Pop seems to be struggling to comprehend what I say to him of late, when he stands now, his whole body shakes and he must sit down within a couple of minutes. Mum is on her medication for her memory loss due to her strokes and now and then gets very angry for no real reason. I am at the point of talking to her like a child, but not in a demeaning way, for I know this is not her.

I won’t go on with other members of the family – let me just say, things are in place to get us back on track…hopefully.

So that’s it – you can wake up now – sorry if I bored the pants off you, as I said it’s been a while since I chatted.

Yours Sincerely,

Rambles

Very Inspiring Blogging Award

Kimberly kindly has nominated me amongst others for a Very Inspiring Blog Award
I am flattered and grateful and have advised that in appreciation ( as I don’t participate in the Award process) that I list the other nominees on my post in recognition.

Congratulations Kimberly for your Award and thank you for nominating me. Please check out these other bloggers if you aren’t already!

In appreciation from :-

http://kimberlymellor.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/very-inspiring-blogger-award

http://matthewlhall.wordpress.com

http://vtypical.wordpress.com

http://parttimenovel.wordpress.com

http://irishfirebrands.wordpress.com

http://musesings.net

http://patwoodblogging.wordpress.com

http://rescuinglittlel.wordpress.com

http://jmmcdowell.wordpress.com

http://changeitupediting.wordpress.com

http://thebettermanprojects.wordpress.com

http://sebastiancoleauthor.com

http://bookwritingtips.wordpress.com/

http://sarahgroomsdotcom.wordpress.com

http://consortiumofthecurious.wordpress.com

Merry Christmas to you all…and to all a goodnight :-) xx

Credit pic essentialbaby.com.au

Best singing voices everyone – to be sung to Away in A Manger

Christmas in Australia

is just round the bend

I have prepped and stressed out

and now hope this will end

~~~~

We shall have our nibbilies

when they first walk in the door

then we’ll offer them a drink

one or two or maybe more

~~~

We shall sit at the table and crack

our bon-bons plastic toys and

paper hats silly jokes and

lot’s of noise

~~~

I’ll stress ’bout the turkey and also the pork

is it cooked through

is it done right

please test with your fork

~~~

I’ll consume too much alcohol

I know this to be true

and I’ll get all melancholy

just looking at you

~~~

the entree will come first

do not know what they’ll bring

I’m sure it’ll be delightful

and we’ll gladly tuck in

~~~

the potatoes will be crunchy

the pumpkin cooked just right

the mushy peas and salads

tasty morsels every bite

~~~

Then we have our pudding

lashings of custard if you please

then there’s trifle laced with alcohol

oh our belts will surely squeeze

~~~

The wine will flow freely

the laughs will get loud

there’ll be memories of

past years and how we imbibed

~~~

The presents will we open we

will goo and we will will gaa

we shall say oh you shouldn’t have

you really went too far

~~~

BUT secretly we are happy

for the presents that they gave

we’re delighted and thankful

and each one is our fave

~~~

The Carols will be playing

in the background soft and sweet

we shall eat drink and be merry

and later fall asleep

~~~

Yes this day is for families

and ones that you love

if I start to get teary

I will blame the egg-nog

~~~

The festivities will be finished

the kitchen is a mess

the dishes piled up high

but at least no more stress

~~~

Then Christmas day is over and

our tummies will be full and we

daren’t go and weigh ourselves

no that would be cruel

~~~

So enjoy your celebrations

whatever you may do have

and cry or laugh hysterically

for you’re entitled too

Credit pic 123rf

I wish a very MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of my Followers and readers.

Some of you have been with me since I began this journey, others who are new to my ramblings.

To all that have pressed LIKE, to all of you that have VISITED and SUPPORTED me on this wild ride of prolific writing (I don’t….do I?) when I first began in July. I had no idea when a friend of mine said  “You like writing so much why don’t you start your own blog site”.  I also had no idea that I would have an audience ..in fact any audience (I know it’s tiny compared to some, but more than I ever thought I would have). So to those that have made that possible  – I thank you.

For those that may check their Stats (hands up I know you do).

July 21 visits and 7 posts.

August 117 visits and 14 posts.

September 830 visits and 33 posts.

October 1,206 visits and 34 posts.

November 1,032 visits and 24 posts.

December 1,851 visits and 69 posts…. I did mention I was a prolific writer (went on a bit) did I not?

Good grief that means I have passed the 5000th visitor  –  Sings – “Celebrate Good Times…Come On”!

Seriously-

I have made friends on here, (sorry if that sounds cliche), but it is the truth….virtual though they are (for most of you).

I have read some amazing stories and equally some outstanding poetry.

I have giggled, cursed, empathised, rolled my eyes, blushed and shed a tear through laughter or sorrow. I have seen amazing photography,  I have witnessed people’s lives through their words and discovered truly talented and heart warming people.

So diverse the writers on here with so many stories yet told.

To those that I follow – I hope that I have been supportive and shown that I do care about what you write and grant me the sanity to continue 🙂

Tomorrow will be a hectic one… but when the family has left and the rooms are quiet, I shall be back on here helping RoS for C4C along with many others who have volunteered some time to help those that are alone and want to reach out to someone to hopefully bring them a little cheer… now that’s what Christmas is ALL ABOUT. 🙂

Take Care everyone, stay safe and may your Christmas Day be filled with wonderment, joy and mostly love.

Let’s see how long I will stay away for..knowing me..not long at all 🙂

Thank you

Ramblings

Writing Maniac

Can it truly be?

I purchased some journals to start a day by day diary, then I started blogging. Now I’m in the throes of writing a novel.

Is there such a thing as being an over-writer (term non existent I know) bare with me.

I don’t feel right unless I write.. yes I know that’s not funny. It’s such an over whelming feeling though, one that keeps me from nestling into slumber for 8 hours a night. One that wakes me at 3am with rampant thoughts and ideas running through my little head of “Does that sound right, should I use another word, is that even feasible?”

Sad but true fellow bloggers the urge to (clatter on a keyboard) as opposed to pen to paper is daunting.

Not to mention settling down to said keyboard full of thoughts and notions only to get ‘stuck’. Yes ladies and gentlemen, the famous writers block. 

It’s akin to your mind having a stutter the words want to come out but for some unknown reason they simply can’t.

You walk away, you recompose yourself, you inhale and exhale several times, to no avail. Why won’t the words come out you chastise yourself. They were there a minute ago. Frustration envelopes and you say tomorrow… I’ll try again tomorrow.

 

**My Memoir – The Empty Nest A Mother’s Hidden Grief is now available through Amazon and Lulu (J M Kadane)**