Monday, September 30, 2013

Finding Your Passion - A Nine Year Old's Big Issue


It seems I have my first guest blogger. She's smart, funny, a great thinker and she's about to turn ten.  Recently, she's been a little concerned by the fact that she hasn't found her 'passion'. Its been worrying her, distracting her, causing many unwanted sighs and keeping her from sleeping soundly. Seriously, do you recall ever giving that much thought to such things when you were nine? Not me. At nine, my main stress revolved around whether the ice cream truck was going to pass by our street over the weekend or if I was going to be allowed to watch 'Countdown' on Sunday. Anyway, hallelujah, she thinks that perhaps she's found it. She really wanted to write about it (I figured that she's so often the unknowing subject of my various parenting gripes and triumphs I owed it to her!) so may I present to you, the newly passionate and freshly focused, Miss O.

IMAGE : THE MOTHER LOAD | Finding Your Passion

Monday, September 23, 2013

Save Us From The 'Selfie' - When Innocent Becomes Suggestive


IMAGES : MORGUEFILE.COM | Save Us From The Selfie

It's a subject that's been playing on my mind lately, particularly as I watch my first born child heading towards her teen years like a clumsy snowball barrelling down a hill. Perhaps it's because we sat as a family and watched old videos of her as a toddler this past weekend, or simply due to the fact that her newly discovered sometimes surly teen-like attitude is belting me over the head as a reminder that my firm, motherly grasp is gently loosening. Either way, I need to give further consideration to this especially tricky subject that all parents face thanks to the wonders of technology and connectivity.  I am of course referring to the modern age artistic phenomenon of the 'selfie'. For those still living in 1980 or with their head buried in the sand (any room there for me?) a 'selfie' is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as follows:

Selfie
noun
(plural selfies)

informal, a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Saturday Thoughts From A Random Mind

IMAGE : THE MOTHER LOAD
While leaping around on our bed this morning, Miss A (aged five) announced out of the blue that Michael Jackson was dead (couple of years behind but whatever). We promptly confirmed this to be true (then admittedly, I began questioning the child-friendly content of our staple TV viewing, ABC Kids). When her Dad then asked who Michael Jackson was, she replied quickly and confidently:

"A cook. Michael Jackson was a chef."

Okay then.

Puts a whole new spin on the song, 'Beat It', I guess.




Thursday, September 19, 2013

Fashionable Frocks and Forty...


IMAGES : WWW.WILLHOPELOVE.COM.AU | Fashionable Frocks And Forty


Not sure about you, but I find elegant after-five wear really hard to find especially now that I'm on the north side of Forty.  Once upon a time a decade ago, 'short and tight' was perfectly acceptable - nowadays however that term refers mostly to my work deadlines rather than my appropriate choice of fashion, sadly.


Thursday, September 12, 2013

Doesn't Hurt To Ask....R U OK?


Doesn't Hurt to Ask - R U OK?

Today is R U OK Day. If you feel otherwise a little awkward checking in on those around you who you suspect may be struggling, today is your day to ask the big question. 

R U Ok? 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Conscience Versus Codeine...


IMAGE : MORGUEFILE.COM | Conscience Vs. Codeine
Just as I was beginning to boast about having survived winter without one cough or cold to speak of, WHAMMO. In it came to teach me a lesson that sometimes even my paranoid hand washing and love of antibacterial liquids can't protect me from an apparent tsunami of kiddie germs. Seven days in bed, two Dr's visits, drugs (not the fun kind) and plenty of drips and sniffs and I'm finally upright again. Woop! *cough, splutter*. So while in a codeine-fuelled haze (how innocent people don't get murdered thanks to this drug I don't know), I wrote a somewhat bitter and twisted piece about this damn election, why the whole thing is driving me crazy and how I have a strong desire to stick my head in the sand and wish it away.  The post provided witty, dry criticism of Kev's egocentric selfies (which I still say are maddening for what it's worth), Tony's evil and dangerous old boys' thinking, Clive's ludicrous plan to spend $200M on building a replica Titanic, and Julian's plan to rule the country from the four walls of the Ecuadorian Embassy and yet, I haven't yet been able to hit the 'publish' button. Why? Because when you boil it down, it's mean spirited.