Prior Preparation

As of midnight tonight my life will change for ever (well at least for the next month anyway). I have decided to take on the NaNoWrMo challenge. Which basically means I plan to write at least 50,000 in the space of 30 days. Not just any 50,000 words either, they must string together and form a novel.

Since discovering this wonderful challenge a little over two weeks ago I have been able to think of nothing else. What I haven't been able to do though is decide exactly what type of novel I will write. Naturally the possibilities are endless.

These are my possibilities so far

1. Teenage romance - I figure this would be fairly easy as I had plenty of romance as a teenager to draw from
2. A fictional recount of my father's life - he has after all done some pretty cool things and since he was born in 1929 there is again plenty to draw from. Plus it would be nice to have a record of it all. Would certainly need to do some more research though
3. A daughter dealing with her father's death - this would be based on my imagination though as thankfully my dad is still alive (though quite frankly I do expect him to die any day but then that has been a constant thought for many years and it still hasn't happened)
4. Mother/Daughter relationship - probably not going to be all that positive, which means my mother would probably get upset if she ever read it.
5. Five or six random characters and the lives they lead. Somehow they would all interact with each other, with it all coming together in the end. I particularly like this idea as if I am looking like being short on words I can just add another couple of characters
6. Junior fantasy based fiction. On the upside I would only need very easy language on the downside would also need a very active imagination

So there you have it, less than six hours to kick off and I am still sitting here wondering what it is I will choose to write about. Perhaps some mindless PackRat will help me find the answer!

The Great Things About Lists

Lists are great! They keep you organised, help you to stay on task and just generally maintain two hands firmly on the ball of life. Lists also have a very personal side to them and you are either a list person or not.

My mother was and to some extent still is a very big list person. While she may not write lists on a regular basis if there is a party to plan or spring cleaning to be done a list is sure to be made. Before I go on any further I must say that I love my mother dearly and would not wish for another, however she has never really been a person I have aspired to be like. The reasons of which I will save for another post (or perhaps even a book). As a result of this I have generally avoided making too many list for fear of someone making the comparison.

As I get older I have realised that lists actually need to be an integral part of my life. Without an adequate supply of lists I have found my self somewhat lost and just floating the the abyss that is my life. While it is hard to admit I think that I am actually the type of person that needs to have a list about all my lists.

So here it is a list of all the lists I need to have in my life

1. Chores and housework (for myself and family memebers)
2. Articles that I need to write
3. Dreams, hopes and ambitions that I have
4. Habits I wish to change
5. Monthly, weekly and daily achievements
6. Books I hope to read
7. Miscellaneous things that don't fit anywhere else

I know it is not the longest list in the world but I am a big believer in being able to tick everything off. Also the danger with a long list is that it may be overwhelming and intimidating.

So what has brought about my acceptance of my need to have a list? Have a look here.

Dreams, hopes, plans and ambitions

As you have probably noticed there has not been much success in my bid to increase the frequency of my writing. I guess you could say there has been a regular activity, but for what I have put out once a week is not really much of an achievement. I feel this is fairly indicative of my life. I have an innate ability to only do what is required and not an iota more.

The irony of this all is that one of my dream career paths it to be a motivational speaker.

I was recently asked if I had my dreams written out. I was quite taken by surprise by it actually, especially when I realised that I did not have my dreams written out. In fact I am not even really sure I could verbally list my current dreams.

As it is not wise to float through life without dreams, ambitions and the like I have complied a few to get me going. Perhaps this is just the motivation that I need!

My dreams, hopes, plans and ambitions

1. Be the best mother I can and raise beautiful children
2. Become an accomplished writer
3. Be an inspiration to others
4. Maintain an orderly and functioning household

Ok so that is all I have for now but at least it is a start.
You see all I really want out of life is to live a happy life full of love and laughter. I feel blessed to be able to say that I feel I have that now.
Sure life is not perfect and there is the odd occasion when my children drive me to distraction but each and everyday I spend more time laughing and enjoying life than not.

It's funny, looking back to my childhood and teenage years I recall a sense of expectation for my life. Not necessairily from myself but certainly from many around me (parents, teachers, etc). It is fair to say that after the age of 18 I failed to reach any of them!

By all accounts I guess you could say that I was a bit of a goody goody. I got good grades (not great but good) I generally made good choices and good friends so I was never in much trouble (mind you the debating team has more going for it than most know about). Life was just good. (much like now really)

However when I left school went to uni I got a bit lost. There were times when life was good, on occassion it was even great. There were also some really low moments that if I could change I would. If I could go back in time and pin point the precise decision that I could change I would. Mind you I hold no regrets and believe that everything happens for a specific reason so perhaps if the choice to change the past really exisited I would probably leave it like it is. After all it is the past that has made the present all that it is.

But I have digressed. Which makes me think now is a good time to end this post.

Followers Widget

I would just like to draw your attention over to the right of screen to my lovely new followers widget. This great little gadget keeps you updated on all my latest and greatest entries. With just a click of a button you'll always be able to easily find out what my rambles are.

I am very excited to announce that I already have one follower. So a big howdy hi to Bonnie.

The other great thing about being a follower is that it provides fellow bloggers a bit of a free plug so even if you don't want to follow me as such think of it as a great way to get your face seen by more people.

It's been a while since I have had a decent photo to post, hence the noticeable absence of them of late. Thankfully however I have come across one for today.

This is stunning bird was shot in a local park.

Daily Dilemmas

So I would like to introduce a new segment to my Rambles called Daily Dilemmas. The inspiration for this ingenious idea came to me earlier as I was taking out the rubbish. Which I must say is a common time for my brain to do some serious thinking.

Today has been a fairly active day in our household. Mind you it is not a minute to soon. To say I have been lazy of late is somewhat of an understatement. To help paint the picture for you, when I said taking out the rubbish what I actually meant was lugging a total of three medium sized rubbish bags and on heavily overloaded milk crate of trash and recyclables from my house to the other side of the complex to the waste disposal area.

Anyways here is my dilemma for today.

When taking out the rubbish should you

1. Let it all pile up and make one trip.
   
2. Regularly make the journey with smaller piles

Both have their pros and cons.
For example with option one the muscle strength needed to carry out the heavy load is a great workout, however should I drop the load there is a lot to pick up.
With option two and the smaller loads I will be walking a greater distance which in it's own right is a great form of exercise.

Oh decisions, decisions! Can you see my dilemma?

Please feel free to make a suggestion as to which I should choose for the future. What would you do?

A New Friend

I am sure you have all seen the email circulating that goes on about friends for a day, friends for a reason, friends for a season, and all that kind of stuff. Of course you have probably never received it from me and there are a number of reasons for that

1. Chances are you I don't have your email as we probably haven't had the chance to meet yet
2. Even if you are one of the few people in the world who actually know me and take the time to read this you know that I am just not one of those lovey dovey kinda gals who sends out junk like that on a regular basis (I must admit that on the odd occasion I have been caught at a weak moment and found myself clicking reply and thanking the kind person who sent it too me)

As a regular reader of my rambles you would be aware that friendship is something that I enter with great trepidation. People have a tendency to drift in and out of my life. I have come to accept that people, friends rather, have a specific purpose to serve. Just as the email states, for some this purpose may last a life time, for others only a season or perhaps even a few years. It all just depends on the purpose they are there to serve.

Sometimes the purpose is for emotional support and guidance. Sometimes it is to inspire and create a better you. Sometimes it is a shoulder to cry and and arms to hug. And sometimes it is just to make you see the world a different way.

I am EXCITED!!!

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! I am excited. The excitement within me is building up much like the big black clouds that are the wet season.

While chatting with a new friend last night I discovered National Novel Writing Month Basically a group of like minded folk have gotten together and set themselves the challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Always being one that is up for a challenge (not really) I have signed myself up.

Roll on November 1!

So in the meantime I should practice getting my knuckles to the grindstone! I am figuring the only way this will be a success is if I get myself organised. I have been rather lax in my list department so that is the first of many changes I am going to make.

Goodbye Mrs Nextdoor

Today I said good bye to my childhood neighbour. Even though I have not seen her for many years I felt it only fitting to attend. After all many of my early memories include Mrs Nextdoor.

Things were different back then. Children were respectful and all adults were referred to as Mr and Mrs. As youngsters we had trouble remembering our neighbour's surname so they were Mr & Mrs Nextdoor. A term which over the years grew great endearment.

Mr Nextdoor died many years ago. Time is not always my friend and the years seem to blur so I can not place an exact number on them but it would be over a decade. He fought a brave battle with the dreaded cancer. For some reason the final time I saw him is one of my most vivid memories.

After his death, Mrs Nextdoor moved with her son Steve, to somewhere smaller. I am not sure why Steve never moved out of home. I remember being facinated by him as a child. Still to this day I have no idea how old he is, only that he is much older than I. My memory of him bears an uncanny resemblence to Jesus. Seeing him today shows that my memory is in tact.

Though he no longer has the beard his whole demeanour and presence still makes me think of an iconic Christ. The tall slender body, long face and flowing hair. While his stature may appear frail there is also an overwhelming sense of strength.

While my mum was never the type to just 'let us hang out at the neighbours', she could not stop my brother and I from climbing the big old wattle so we could spy at them coming home. Or hide behind the cars and whistle, trying not to giggle as they searched for the latest hiding spot.

The Nextdoors were also guaranteed invites to any party that we had. My sister, Mrs Nextdoor and I all shared the same birthday. It just seemed to make the celebration more special.

It is strange that for nearly 15 years these people lived nextdoor to us, we were not by any means strangers to one another. However after they moved we never saw them again. Well that is not completely true. We would occasionally bump into one another at the local super market. Nothing more than idle chit chat and a smile though was ever exchanged.

I would love to write more but there is a storm here fast approaching and given the weak power of late I daren't risk a power failure!

Being on the losing team

So today saw my football team lose the grand final. It is only the second game of the season that we have lost. Of course at the end of the day that means nothing.

Right now it does not matter that for the entire year Geelong has outclassed and outplayed every other single team in the competition. For on the day that counted the most they crumbled like Nanna's cookies.

I was hoping to find a picture of a team sitting down crying their eyes out and while there are many of them of Geelong on the day I am not interested in the associated copywrite issues. So as always I turned to my faithful Free Images site and found this beauty aptly named defeat. Thank you to J Boontje for sharing it

Word Limit

I have just come up with the most brilliant idea ever!!!

I am putting a self imposed word limit of 500 words on all of my posts. The Internet reader has a short attention span and studies have shown that much past 500 the attention has is lost.

The other big plus is that in theory this should mean more posts! For those times when I really feel the need for a long ramble I can split it in half and get twice as much.

The article which prompted this brilliant idea is called The Problem and can viewed right below this post.
The second part will follow shortly but I don't think it will be called The Solution as many may well expect. Stay tuned for further details or better yet subscribe to an RSS Feed and never miss an issue!

Today's photo is one of my first taken with my flash new toy. If you look hard enough you can see a bird. Hopefully it won't be long till I have the whole zoom thing worked out!

The Problem

I think that I am unhappy with the fact I am not writing enough.

This of course is easily blamed on a lack of time. Naturally this is not really the case. Given the amount of time that I spend playing PackRat, I appear to have all the time in the world.

Of course it is easy to find time to play a game. Especially when other time consuming activities may include, cleaning, cooking, washing dishes and just generally living a functional life. A game is fun and enjoyable. Unless your name is Mary Poppins nobody likes domestic duties. Even though I love her dearly I am by no means her clone.

However if I really want to write that much why does the game continue to win me over?

After all, the game requires little to no thought and there is definitely no risk of physical exhaustion. (Mind you after more than 4 hours or so it is recommended that players stretch their legs for 5-10 minutes to regain circulation in the lower limbs and back.)

I have always rather prided myself on my mental capacity and generally I have been keen to use it on a regular basis. However this mind numbing addiction sees to be over taking my life. Sure it is relaxing and modern theology is always encouraging society to take time out and relax.

However I get the feeling that to really earn the right to relax some level of activity is needed, which is where I am falling short. By activity I don't really mean exercise. I mean actually getting up and doing something other than sitting in front of the computer.

I am almost ashamed to admit my addiction. Remembering that it is after all just an online game. There are no winners or loses. There is a leader board amongst friends however I have only looked at it once. When all is said and done, it does not really take a great deal of thought to play the game. I mean you just sit there clicking away. Silently hoping that the next screen will yield the card which us currently your heart's desire. Of course some brain capacity is needed to remember which three cards will make something better. Which can then be traded for perhaps some better. For the most part however my seven year old could play without there being a slither of difference.

Yet I am unable to go more than a few hours without having a 'quick click' through just to see what I might be able to nab.

Now that I have clearly established that a lack of time is not really the issue let's see if I can locate any other underlying causes....

Unfortunately this post has reached it's word limit so I will have to keep you all in suspense while I start a new one

Experiences

Image credit

Writing is often based on experience.

At least that is a connection I have always made. When I was younger I remember thinking no need for me to write yet I still have more 'experience' to gain.

I am still of the belief that I have more experiences to go through to enhance my writing ability, however even at the tender age of 30 the reality is I have had plenty of experiences that are worth writing about

So what makes an experience worth writing about I hear you ask. Hard to say really as I ask myself the same thing on a regular basis. Though a great writer can make any even the smallest thing sound exciting. The trick is in finding a way to engage people I guess...

There is no denying that we have 'experiences' everyday. As a life long learner new experiences are a regular occurrence. Really what if all boils down to though is perspective.

My perspective is that every time I met a new person it is the start of a new experience. In fact almost every conversation is the start of a new experience if you let it be. Sometimes it will just be an extension of a similar experience but all in all it is a new one.

So my new experience today involves shopping. Sure, I have been shopping before but today was slightly different. Today I was shopping with lots of money. Today I wasn't shopping for something that was needed. Today I was shopping to fulfill wants!

Hubby wanted a new TV. He is a big fan of keeping up with the Jones's, and they have a big flash TV. So naturally he wanted a bigger flasher TV. I have dreams of becoming an acclaimed photographer so I wanted a new SLR camera. (Why limit myself to writing I say!)

So thanks to the kind reimbursement from the tax man, our family is now the proud owners of a Panasonic 42 inch plasma TV and Sony Digital Twin Lens SLR.

How did this become and experience worth writing about?

Simple really. Everything about the purchase was positive. The sales assistant was friendly and helpful. My husband and I both come from sales backgrounds so we are very dubious purchasers. We always think we are getting ripped off (that is after all what salesmen do) Today however it didn't matter. Greg, our assistant made us feel totally comfortable with it. He was giving us exactly what we wanted.

However it was when we got our new toys home that the fun really began. We discovered that the TV was definitely too big for our existing entertainment unit (we had thought as much though). Not only that but in his rush to set things up hubby neglected to read the instructions which left us thinking we had not got a digital TV which was one of the main reasons we decided to upgrade. (Turns out we just needed to press the right button)

Meanwhile in camera land I have to wait nearly 3 hours before I could take a photo. Why they don't sell these things with a full battery I will never know. I also realised that my existing memory card would not fit and I needed a new carry bag. Thankfully the shop is just down the road!

Even going back was a pleasurable experience but not one I need to go on about much more for fear that your experience here may became tarnished as I head towards boring!

Was your last shopping experience worth writing home about?

Strange Fruit Spheres

Now I know that it is not the world's greatest photo, but it was the best that I can do undr current circumstances.
For those who don't know what they are looking at please let me explain.
These are the performers known as Strange Fruit. (click the link for more info)
I (along with thousands of others) was fortunate enough to attended the recent performance in Darwin.

Today's Tongue Twister

Say Strange Fruit Spheres for as long as you can as fast as you can

Not only is Strange Fruit Spheres a great tongue twister but it is also an absolutely brilliant visual stimulating group of performers. If they are ever in a town near you I strongly suggest that you go along as they are certainly worth seeing.

I realise that a bit of info about what they do would be handy, or perhaps what the show was actually about, however I am not interested in sharing those details at this particular point in time.

Their performance on four metre high flexible poles will leave you almost breathless as the concept of Freedom within restrictions is played out between your eyes. Accompanied by enjoyable music and magical lights this show leaves the whole family entertained.

Anyway their performance has inspired the artist within me. Actually as the prime cultural season draws to a close here in preparation for the upcoming wet season my creative juices are flowing like the expected rain in a few short months.

At least we are all hoping that the rain will come. Given I live in the tropics chances are pretty high it will, though with all this talk of global warming and climate change perhaps it won't. Of course though given the threat of flood to some areas in recent years hopefully we won't get to much!

It all gets back to that delicate balance in life.

I am constantly amazed at the tangents I take in life. Or rather the tangents my thoughts can scatter around my head. Being aware that a new reader, or someone not accustomed to the method in my madness may have difficulties following me at times, I try to maintain some sort of smooth flow to my concepts but it does not always pan out the way I plan!

Rest assured though that as time goes by and you travel further down this some what elusive twisty turny path known as my life it will all begin to unravel before your eyes.

If this is your first time here, click on some of the labels below and discover more of the crazy antics I go through. Hopefully it will encourage you to return... ...

Better yet sign up to an RSS feed and then you will never miss a post!

If you are a return reader...

Many thanks,
tell your friends and spread the word,
I have much that should be heard

Blah Blah Blah

It is hard to believe that deep down I aspire to be a writer. I am mean it is not like I consciously and regularly managed to share any of the many thoughts that whiz between my ears.

There is no doubt about the fact that I am a thinker. I must be, I seem to do so much of it. Not that the majority of people would realise that either as I rarely share these thoughts with a collective body.

So in breaking with tradition here are some recent attempts at putting pen to paper. Please feel free to comment as you see fit. Read and enjoy :)

Sunday 24th August 2008

Ok now for the rest of the world this may not be a startling revelation. For me how it is groundbreaking and explains a great portion of my resistance to the outside world. It is frightening to be the real you for fear of ridicule and personal attack.

For instance as any regular reader will know I am a rather big believer in fairies. I don't however go around telling everyone how great they are as I would never want to be in a situation for someone to be able to use that against me.

How would that be possible I hear you ask? Easy I say. You see people that believe in fairies generally speaking have some pretty far out thoughts. So imagine if I have shared one of these far out thoughts, which in reality could also be brilliant idea bringing benefits to many, and some non believer mean person that had it in for me turned around and said “What would you know you crazy fairy believer?” Now in such a situation there is little that you can reply to that with. Especially if you are a nice mild mannered person such as myself.

----------------------------------------

Friday 29th August

Quote of the day

You make me want to be a better person.

The fact of the matter is though I don't want to be a better person. I want to be me

So ideas flow around my head at cyclonic speeds. I know with some it may be a case of in one ear and out the other, that is not the case with me. Ideas float into my brain then seem to get lost somewhere in the system. I seem to start one thing and without doubt my attention is diverted into another direction. As a result I have resigned my life to be a never ending series of starts. I by no means achieve as many finishes as what I have starts in my life. Which of course is not necessarily a bad thing, though there are pitfalls.

I believe life is all about balance. Sounds easy I know but of course in reality it requires a high degree of skill in many areas. Something I don't always have.

The other night it dawned upon me that I am not an around the edges kinda gal. Like when you are colouring in, the centre is nice and easy. You have to be careful but not to careful as there is still room to fix up an imperfections. It is almost relaxing as you have the safety of not being near the edges.

Edges after all can be very dangerous. People can fall off of an edge. We are constantly told to stay away from edges and it is a warning I am generally happy to heed. These days not many people like going out on a limb

I am one of the fortunate people in life in that I do not have to incringe my personal time with the worry of paid employment. There is no angry boss if I am not sitting behind a desk bright eyed and bushy tailed by 9am. The teachers do however appreciate me getting the kids to school before the second bell. Thank god for a great canteen so I don't have to worry about lunches or we would never make it in time.

So Easily Sidetracked!

That is me! Always up for a distraction. Doesn't matter what I am doing I can always find something else that will find my attention.

You know how people say that women, particularly mothers, are some of the worlds best at multitasking? Well I take multitasking to a whole new level. In fact I think it is fair to say that there is never a point in time when I have just one job on at a time.

Take right now for instance. In my bid to conquer the world with my writing this is supposed to be my "Writing Time". Where as the name suggest I spend time writing, and while I am getting a few words down here and there it is not much more than a line or two at a time.

I will no sooner get a good sentence out and I will think 'ooohh I wonder if the flower pot is in the London Market yet?' and then promptly go and find out. You see folks I have an infliction known to some as the Rat Packer's Addiction.

Once again the forces of FaceBook have struck! This time in the form of a card collecting and trade game called Rat Pack. A truly addictive and time consuming game. It has mastered the art of desensitizing the brain to the perfect level of monotony yet still be interesting.

Anyway all this talk of has sent my withdrawal through the roof so I must be off.

I have included a full list of my blogs labels so please have a browse around. I have recently developed the desire to meet lots of new people so please drop me a line and say hi.

Feel free also to sign up for a RSS Feed, I assure you that the current updates will not want to be missed. After being relatively idol now for nearly 6 months I have decided to kick myself into over drive!