Miscellaneous Mum - Trying to find the objective correlative, everyday

When A Seven Year Old Gets Preachy About Blogging – And What I Learned From This

January 24, 2012

Keira was sitting on the lounge reading Surprise! [The more cynical of you might think this is a setup, but it's true.] She was reading a library copy. She prefers those to our own here at home as library ones are virtually guaranteed to have pictures by other children in the back. She likes poring [...]

Well, that was an interesting weekend

January 23, 2012

On Saturday morning I woke up and couldn’t open my mouth. Hold on, that’s not quite true. I could open my jaw so my teeth were about two inches apart, the same as if you put in your thumb in sideways. I’ve been trying to think of funny ways to tell this story, but in [...]

Chicken Ball Noodle Soup

January 20, 2012

This is a recipe modified from Marion Grosby’s Marion: Recipes and stories from a hungry cook (she used pork in hers). Because the kids refused to eat it – more on that later – it fed Adam and me for two nights running. The portion sizes are pretty generous. Ingredients 100g vermicelli noodles 4 garlic cloves, crushed [...]

Profits Promise 2012 – The Starlight Children’s Foundation

January 19, 2012

From the Starlight Children’s Foundation website: Living with illness or injury can cause enormous strain in the lives of children and their families. The pain, loneliness and isolation that sick children feel dominates their lives, and they often miss out on normal experiences that healthy children take for granted. Starlight provides programs integral to the total care of [...]

That Particular Agony of Back To School Shoe Shopping

January 17, 2012

Yesterday, in a move of surprising organisation I’m not normally used to in holiday time, I was able to muster the children together and get them out the door and down to the local shoe shop by 9.10am. Unfortunately, a great many other mothers were even more organised and by the time I arrived I [...]

The Red Dwarf Geek Within Me Is Rejoicing

January 16, 2012

There IS such a thing as chicken marengo! I didn’t know! On the other hand, Adam’s bestowed upon me his best withering look of dismay when I shoved this recipe under his nose. “You’re joking.” “What? I didn’t know it was a thing.” “A ‘thing’? What else would it be?” “I thought marengo was a [...]

Some Writing Inspiration

January 13, 2012

One of my writing buddies, Mark Welker, made the above video and I’ll let him describe it: Untold numbers of manuscripts are started, finished, and abandoned at the antique desks of Varuna House. There is always a cup of tea on the boil, a well stocked jar of chocolate biscuits, and enough creative space to [...]

How Instagram Can Help Your Creativity

January 12, 2012

Like last year, I’m participating in this year’s Month of Poetry – writing a poem every day for January. I said something similar last month when I guest posted over at Problogger, but I do believe the more you stretch and push yourself creatively the more accustomed you become to the exercise. I won’t say [...]

Born to Run

January 10, 2012

I devoured this book in about two days and in this time would not shut up about it to my nearest and dearest. Really, with big saucer eyes and with a white-hot grip on your arm they’ll say, “Walk away now! Don’t get her started.” But you’ll listen to me, won’t you? Yes? Excellent. Now, [...]