Ahem, Hello, erm I know it's been awhile

But holy guacamole life has been busy...Yes yes I know I say that everytime but c'mon you know its true.

Study is progressing as study does, with lots of reading and thinking and then comes the writing. Which is why I am posting on my blog, it is part of my retinue of study or assignment writing avoidance techniques. I like the assignment I have written, whether the marker does is an entirely another thing. But c'est la vie. Being an external student requires one to maintain a sense of perspective and commonsense, it is very easy to feel completely and utterly alone when you are really really not, lots of my colleagues are studying and doing very well. But commonsense and perspective are sometimes hard to come by late at night on the weekend.
Another assignment I am enjoying researching is all about Second Life & Libraries but I am a single task at a time kinda gal - so focusing on the other assignment at the moment. Second Life can wait till next week.

On a brighter note I am booked to go on a cruise on 24th April, my very first cruise ever, a fact my sister (a travel agent) is jubilant about, she has been on my case to take a cruise for a long time. I have firmly resisted for years because I am terrified to the marrow of my bones of drowning. I have no idea why but that hands down for me is the number one very bad no good way to die. The movie Titanic has a lot to answer for. This fear is odd since when I was nobbut a young lass we used to spend the Christmas holidays on my dad's boat, we lived on it for weeks at a time and I don't remember being in terror when on the boat, but then my dad was a superhero in my eyes so I probably had a bone deep faith that he would always save us if something went pear shaped on the boat.

So I am determined to enjoy myself on the cruise, with recreational reading, reasonable consumption of fruity cocktails with umbrellas in them and loafing on a sun lounge featuring fairly high on the list of things to do.
I am going with a mate who is a real go getter on the activities front so I am sure I will be entertained as often as I choose to be. There will be another lass coming along whom I haven't met but I trust Dawn with bringing her along and I am fairly easy going and it is only seven days so the risk of stroppy tanties happening is fairly low.

I have got a good strong start to this module of Karate, I am really enjoying this Kata - Pinan Shodan - it is a kata I struggled with the first couple of times I did it, but repetition has done the magic trick and I can recall it with reasonable ease and perform it with marginal competence - no kata is ever perfectly executed - humans are not perfect therefore kata cannot be perfected. The instructor who has been doing the majority of instructing for our class this module has been riding me hard and really pushing me out of my comfort zone. Calling me up out front to demonstrate the kata to the lower grades and it is well know that the best way to learn something is to teach or demonstrate it. I am benefiting from that although I feel daft when I screw things up which I do most nights and sometimes several times a night but you live through it and feel better for having learned from it.

Cycling unfortunately is something I have not had an opportunity to do much of yet. Time is a precious resource and allocated according to need. But Goldie waits faithfully for me to take her out for a spin. I need to organise a play date for Goldie and Iris to meet and cycle together. Iris is a gorgeous Amsterdam bicycle that my friend Kath purchased recently. So the motivation is there to get out there and cycle but presently time is a little short but I will get there soon I promise.

Finally, this coming week I return to my substantive role after having been in higher duties of one kind or another since November 2009. It has been a marvellous learning opportunity and I have had a wonderful time developing skills and thinking about the direction and trajectory of my career and I have decided that the role of Senior Librarian in a hub library is just tailor made for this little black duck. Now I don't know how long it will take for me to secure a role but I am a patient lass and always always always achieve my goals. I may make like a tortoise and seem to take forever but the tortoise won in the end didn't he.

That about wraps it up for this time, and now I am not going to make any rash promises about my next post, it'll happen when the time and muse strikes

Cheerio for now

My My Where did the time go..............

It's been a while since I've posted hasn't it. I guess not a lot of post worthy things have happened to me. However I am feeling re-inspired to post more regularly on my blog since I attended the PODcamp conference at the Gold Coast Library which dealt with all things related to social media. It was a very interesting day looking at various social media and it's impact on people's lives. So I feel somewhat re-invigorated about being more active in my online presence.

However, the more pressing news is that tomorrow is the official kick off day for studying. It's something I am fairly anxious about but figure I just need to start and the rest will fall into place. I do have a colleague at another branch studying the same subjects so that will be good to have a study buddy who understands or doesn't understand what you do or don't understand too.

That's about it for me for the moment, hopefully I won't be as tardy posting the next instalment

Busy Busy Busy...............

At the time of writing I am just returned from an 80th Birthday Party celebration of a neighbour from Cooroy - this woman is just amazing, her lust & verve for life is insatiable. Every day to her is a gift to be explored and used and enjoyed to the nth degree. She just wrings every precious second out to the end. The common refrain from friends, neighbours and family was " I wish I had half her energy right now let alone at 80" or "Joanie's amazing, I wish I had the energy" and other similar statements.
This got me thinking, this is a woman whose life has been interesting and full of adventures, but not because she is a particular beauty, particularly gifted, or blessed with any other rare or special traits. She has a fair ear for playing music and a reasonable singing voice, but again, nothing particular outstanding.
I think her secret to an interesting and adventurous life is that she is always on the lookout for things to do and opportunities to do them in. Now she loves to be the centre of attention and thrives on being the life and noise of a gathering. You always know when Joanie's around.

She is very involved in her community and has many a clipping with her name in the headline involved in one community activity or another, mainly to do with Pony Club & Active Riders Association.

She annoys people because she is so loud and sometimes she doesn't know when to pipe down and can seem obnoxious on occasions, but who among us is without fault.

Her life is not without tragedy or great sadness but nothing gets her down for too long. She is the only remaining child from a family of twelve kids. I think her secret is her resilience and innate positive nature. She takes joy from anything and everything around her. Her cackling laughter is contagious and her quick wit is delightful.

She, in fact, taught me to swear fluently and fluidly without repeating myself for a solid six minutes. Sadly I have rather lost the knack for it and tend to repetition to some favourite swear phrases.

I wonder what sort of life I shall have had by the time I reach 80, I know it won't be full of family to the extent of Joan as she was from a very large family. But I am hopeful it will be with people who are important to me both family and friends. Particularly, as friends are the family you choose yourself.

It is exciting to think what the future will hold for me and my beloved ones both friends & family. I shall rejoice and live a little more in the moment to be sure that I wrest as much from each day as Joanie does.

I'm excited................

The tone for this year has been well and truly set - my darling brother announced his engagement to his long time love on January 3rd and it has been an absolute boon to the family after our bereavement of last year. As my brother said it feels good to be happy!

It is not to diminish our grief because it is still everpresent but perhaps it is retreating a little to a softer more gentler place where the memories are easier and don't bite so hard into one's heart. Time is doing what time does best - softening the edges ever so gently.

They are both very clucky so babies won't be too far behind the horse and carriage caper and of course there will be a new Mrs Baillie in the family and that is just simply fabulous.

I have been enthusiastically planning my goals and aspirations for this year and had a massive boost to my self confidence by my supervisor and upper management who saw fit to entrust me with the managing of my branch for a couple of months. I have really enjoyed extending myself and problem solving and managing staff. Yeah there are things that are irritating & aggravating but it doesn't last long and for the most part I am loving it, learning processes and methods and nitty gritty of paperwork.

I have just two goals this year which are to get through my study load comfortably and keep steadily progressing through my karate modules.

Other things I want to factor in are

1. Sunday afternoon board game sessions - I have been somewhat obsessive of late buying board & card games - 12 at last count. I really love playing them and want to set up & host sessions for friends to come over and have a session

2. Sunday afternoon knit & bitch sessions - I want to learn and practice my knitting - I believe if you have good fine motor skills, it keeps you in good stead in fighting off the ravages of time

3. Also slotting in regular cycling jaunts too - my aim is to be well conditioned & feeling fit & flexible - so I don't groan when i bend over to shelve or pick up stuff.

4. Also am going to do more nifty weekends away and see a few places - starting with a quick weekend in Sydney at the end of February to celebrate my brother's birthday and check out their new abode in Marrickville which is a suburb I am unfamiliar with but am promisd it is a treasure trove of groovy cafes and nooks and crannies to explore.

So I will be ruthlessly planning my time for study, work and fun to ensure I am well balanced & content. However, as my sister has said, Sis, you are never happier than when you are insanely busy and got a deadline to hit.

I think that is enough to be going on with for now

Cheers

Good news...

I got a tap on the shoulder today to act in the Hub Team Leader role at my library today. I am very excited and challenged at the thought of it.

It's a big step up and I know I can do it, I am lucky to have the support of my team at the library and staff at headquarters, help is only a phone call away should i get stuck.

I have many things to learn and skills and techniques to develop over this time and will milk it for all the experience i can during the time.

Yay for me

I won an award ...how exciting

Sleepy Dumpling awarded me the HONEST SCRAP award - *blush* thank you




So here’s the deal.

1) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.

2) Tell those 7 people they’ve been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.

3) Share “10 Honest Things” about yourself.

So the 7 other blogs I am sharing this award with are:

http://fatheffalump.wordpress.com/


http://whenjoelmetkate.com


http://nonplusnonsense.blogspot.com/

and a few more when I find them perhaps I will award them but these three particular blogs are must reads for me and often give me much food for thought.

1. Grasshoppers/Locusts scare me silly, want to terrify me, just wave one of those suckers at me and watch me bolt.

2. Clowns unnerve me deeply. I am uncomfortable looking at clowns, seeing them dressed up in circuses and don't get me started on those hideous clown masks and blowing up balloons causes my heart to pound quite violently due to one bursting in my face as a child

3. I can't be around people constantly I need a lot of down time by myself. I find family gatherings unnerving and can always be found in a quiet corner somewhere after a few hours

4. I love board games and want to set up a board gamers group that meets regularly

5. I failed my driver's licence test twice before I realised that my eyesight had deteriorated markedly.

6. I solemnly and truly believe that I will be alone for most of my life with perhaps periodic relationships but am utterly OK with it although many many other people are not

7. I place a lot of value on my word and do my utmost to keep it and the few times I couldn't has caused a great deal of angst

8. I love being a public servant, I might whinge and moan but I like helping people and being able to assist them wherever i can.

9. I prefer being with my animals that with a majority of people

10. I love Facebook for the simple fact I can stay in touch with people but on my terms


There are my 10 honest things about me that you may have or may have not known about me

It's beginning to look a lot like.....

Baking - yep you read it right, I have a sudden and compelling urge to bake cakes, biscuits, muffins and all manner of baked goods. This urge hit me fair and square on a quiet friday afternoon, i must bake that night. So I polled my trusty colleagues as to what is necessary to have a standard fare for baking needs,and off I went, after work to buy said ingredients, some $96 later, I have enough stores for all manner of baked goods but not quite yet the skills to use them all. I have a groovy little bakery recipe book that was written and published by the Sandgate Historical Society and it filled with simple but very tasty recipes for a cock eyed beginner such as myself. So I have started with a simple chocolate cake that went down a treat with work mates today, judging by the fulsome praise I received from them all, and a lovely cinnamon teacake that my flatmate and I enjoyed over a cuppa tonight. I have never enjoyed cooking for myself and rarely like eating what I cook, those of whom I have cooked for before have always enjoyed it, but I think its the process of cooking by the time I have it cooked it, I am more or less over it and have lost my appetite. Yes I have cooked and then eaten the next day but still always the leftovers are more than one person can eat.

So I think my workmates are going to be benefiting most of all from this current craze of mine as I practice and develop my skills in baking. It certainly is cheaper than spending a fortune on cakes and cheesecakes from Michel's Patisserie and Cheesecake Shops whose premises I have patronised so fervently over these few years. I am lightyears away from the standards they have but perhaps one day.

Then of course I had to buy more baking tins, different sizes and shapes you see and some more measuring gear, I think that is as much fun as baking. I love wandering through kitchen ware shops and linen shops.

Oh well, am off to bake some more.....

I leave you with the following thought -

When I walk into my kitchen today, I am not alone. Whether we know it or not, none of us is. We bring fathers and mothers and kitchen tables, and every meal we have ever eaten. Food is never just food. It's also a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we have been, and who we want to be.
Molly Wizenberg, A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, 2009