2008, a year of surprises... 2009, a year of rises

A year of surprises
Out with the old and in with the young
From the start if something could go bung
It caught me and I was strung


But after a few hiccups and rises
Out of the blue
Came something true
And very very new


We take no prizes
Why did it take this long?
There is so many a song
They can’t be wrong


So no more crises
This is our new beginning
We are all singing
And the phones are ringing


Let’s begin 2009 with rises
Expectations all good
Like everything should
We really really could


No more surprises
Just friends and laughter to share
I know you want it and care
We just need to dare.


Don’t we.
xc

interaction through addiction, and then some...

leading up to christmas and christmas itself can be an exceptionally social time. and if you're like me, you like your wine. so by the end of it all, you feel like you've become an alcoholic... simply from the fact you are drinking nearly every day!! urgh

however, i do find february tends to be a quieter month. so, in february i've previously joined partners in self imposed no drinking (wine etc) bans. not so much because we have to. more because its good for our body and mind to have a rest. and we feel assured we aren't alcoholics!! well, not for that month anyway :) i've heard others have november off as their month of rest - to "prepare" for the onslaught. i guess it's whatever the person feels they need to do. before or after. but it is giving the body / mind a break.

so it amused me to hear the other day that my eldest daughter is doing a self imposed exile from the computer over the summer holiday break. 6 weeks.

she needs a rest. to assure herself she can "be without". to just "be". interesting.

is this the new form of addiction that we will need to take a rest from over time?

i have to confess to having various levels of trouble in my relationships these past 10 years due to the amount of time i spend online. the same issue has crept into my latest relationship, even though he is a far more tech savvy, social onliner i have ever dated.

so, it is an addiction.

and it amused me that I received a link to the following article. this week. what timing. but what a way to deal with it... using an online service. wouldn't that be like taking an alcoholic to a winery?? not sure.

http://mashable.com/2008/12/06/facebook-addict-2/

anyway... life is good and then you die. so, i'm here to enjoy it.

Blog conversations

i wrote myself a note today that i wanted to write my blog tonight. i missed it.

so i came home revved up to write some stuff. had jotted some topics and ideas down. but drew a blank when i went to write them. it could be mondayitis. do you get that? i do if it's been a big weekend. sometimes call myself fuddlehead even.

it was a big weekend.

it's normal for this time of year - the sun comes out - so the kids go out to play!! we recharge our batteries after the dreary winter.

so hi everyone, i'm going to write a real blog now :)
xc

interaction with the media

media is a funny beast. we all want it. we all need it. but there are times when it needs to back off and let be.

but who dictates when. who holds the standards. i do wonder if mine are too high. but then.

my twin bro died in an accident where he fell 60m of a cliff. tragic. freak. the media tried. no-one talked. they only had family to get hold of. dead end.

my corporate job is different. media have someone to get hold of. to be professional with. to ask questions of and insist an answer from.

i'm professional. and i believe in educational and informative media.

but i can say this past week has been tough. i didn't need to lose my bro to know that. but i have remaimed calm and professional. i have to. ive been there. i know what that family is going through. they have lost a loved one.

so the next media robot that comes stalking my way... forget your story. you don't deserve it. xc

Interaction through tagging

Well it has happened. I have been tagged.

My good friend JimBob51 kindly dobbed me in. Now, my first task is to shout his blog. Easy. So, AOEDE is one of the three original Muses. She is the Muse of Song or Voice. It is also the name of one of the Moons of Jupiter. JimBob51's blog is the perfect spot to muse on just about anything. And Jim certainly does that!! Let it be known though, I am happy to hear his voice... but he can leave the singing at home :)

Tagging is a bit of fun. And there are some rules.

#1 Shout your taggers blog

#2 5 Interesting facts about yourself

#3 Tag six more blogs

Number one is complete. Here's 5 facts about me:

#1 My (tiny) hysterectomy scar is the shape of a scorpion (on my belly). No pics sorry.

#2 I built my first website in 1998 but my latest is a blog for my wine group:
http://deadreds.blogspot.com/ (yes, i run a wine group)

#3 My parents and sisters are both English and grew up in the townships of Horsham (dad) and Crawley (mum). My dads name is Eric Stevens - nicknamed Steve. My first husband was Eric, my second Steve. My daughter lived in Horsham (England) with her dad for 10 yrs (both Australians). My previous partner's surname was Crawley who worked for Piper Alderman. My current home is in Pipers Avenue. My soul mate Trevor Cologne worked for the Woodville Library and rockclimbed. I have worked for the Woodville Library and my twin brother rockclimbed. You could say Trevor is a combination of me and my twin!!

#4 My first dogs name was Sandy. My last Coco.

#5 My vision for the community sector was always about the voice. Generating conversations and interacting. Using less expensive but templated models to infiltrate and provide a platform for the sector to springboard from. So many groups are invisible to the masses as they have no funds. And I could talk about this for hours.

Thanks for reading this far.

Here's my six tags:
#1 Trevor or Odi's Ramblings for a laugh

http://tcologne.blogspot.com/

#2 Dead Reds Wine Group cause i run it!!

http://deadreds.blogspot.com/

#3 My Social Newspaper
http://www.socialtimes.com/

#4 National commentary by my friend Graham Young

http://ambit-gambit.nationalforum.com.au/

#5 My girlfriend who I'm proud of for giving blogging a go:

http://danamallach.blogspot.com/

#6 and I grab a coffee with Allan

http://allancockerill.com/

and I'd like a special mention to this one (cause I'm in the hall of fame - ahhaaa): http://www.freelance-articles.com/

xc