What's in a word?

Hello everyone, hope you're having a good day, whatever 'a good day' means to you ;)

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Today I'm feeling quite self-satisfied with my technical prowess *grins smugly*. 

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Being one of those new bloggers who finally realised she was never going to start a blog unless she settled for 'start it NOW and learn as you go, don't wait until everything's perfect' which obviously included the skill-set to actually design and run the flipping thing.  That wasn't a proper sentence (duh, writing skills Pamela!).  Sorry.  Point is I was far from happy with the end result.  Definitely a work in progress. 

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Of course some skills you pick-up without realising you're learning anything.  Follow on-screen prompts.  Click-click ahh!  Others come with a bit more effort.  So I've been fiddling for more than a few days.  Not musically, you understand.  Tweaking.  Re-arranging and adding gadgets, seasonal greetings, info about me and the like.  

I'm wanting, desperately, to change the colours/fonts/banners aka the look of the thing too.  And take better photographs.  But that takes more time.  And I've heard scary stories about whole blogs disappearing into cyberspace if you do too much too soon.  Oo er.  So those can wait.  

But what I really wanted to sort TODAY was the 'blogs I follow' bit.  Somehow only a dozen or so were on show.  And I'd had several bashes at rectifying it.  Because I follow a lot of blogs.  And I like to share.  And I didn't want to appear rude and exclude anyone.
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So anyway, job done:)  Apart from the ones I follow that I don't follow directly through blogger.  Obviously.  I'll get onto those directly eventually.
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On a different note,  I've been thinking about quotes and mottoes.  I notice many blogs carry a 'quote of the day' or and inspirational saying.
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In my life one has been very useful and got me through some rough sh stuff.

I don't know who it's attributed to.  But anyway, it helped me, made me stop and think, and/or changed my actions.
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treat every obstacle as a stepping-stone

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Simple eh?
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A couple of others -

does your face light up when your kid walks in the room?

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That pulled me up short (I'm thinking it's Maya Angelou right?) at a time when all was going downhill.  Me against them scenario.  Bless!

I think that applies to a whole lot of relationships or scenarios.  Think about it.

And how about ........
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your lack of planning is not my emergency!

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I only just learned the last one.  Shame.  Could've used it A LOT with my teenage/twenty-somethings back then.  *Sigh*

Could you use it now with someone?  (I'm not saying you shouldn't help-out of course I'm not, but y'know, you've got a life too, agreed?)

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I've also been thinking ahead about changes to come and how to 'be the best' I can be (apart from recognising zombie-danger of course!).  Lots of motivational thinking out there.  One great idea here on Christine Kane's blog to change the approach on the resolution front and choose a word.  One word becomes an emblem of the game-plan for the year.  Read her post from 2007 and then again this week if you're one who fails to keep her new year's resolutions, like me.  Don't give up!  Get smart!

  I've chosen my word of 2011.  'TRY'.  That's it!  I'm holding that thought.  On serious issues, plans, and fun.  I'm going to TRY.  And not have the pressure of MUST (....lose weight, de-clutter, learn whatever).  I think this is the way for me, motivational, and mindful.
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So there you have it.  Technically accomplished, wise and smart;)  Lol!

How about you?  Any mantra guiding your day? 

And what word would you choose?

Love to hear from you!

pamela x
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and for a bit of fun (aka 'life')

from the Channel Four comedy series 'Black Books' - Bernard: [selling a book]
"Enjoy. It's dreadful, but quite short"

Zombies........and then some

Hello folks,
Time for a change around here.
*Sigh* Y'know, the internet is a wonderous, fragile, fascinating and dangerous place.  Oh yeah, you knew.  Enough said.  On a positive note, I've being learning about zombies.  And how to battle against them.  And then some.  Let me share....................

Over the past few weeks I've had a great deal of time to kill (awful expression that, killing time).  And yes, you're right, I could have spent it crafting or reading or writing.  I was just too unwell, drugged-up and unmotivated and, truth be told too absorbed into travelling the blogosphere to do owt else (a northern phrase - owt=nought=nothing).  I'll go as far as suggesting I had a bit of an addiction phase going on.  As in, morning starts: wake up, turn on computer check blogger, before tablets toilet teeth tea toast.  Hmmmm.

I've been all around the world.  I've visited (sometimes leaving comments, oftentimes just ahem lurking) blogs in many countries, in most continants.  Virtually.  I've gained insight, nay, witnessed the most amazing, or heartwarming, or heartbreaking, sorrowful, joyful, or mundane, prosaic lives and lifestyles, stories and events.  I've wanted to share.  I've mentally composed posts.   I've wanted to write about blogging, and about blogs.   I've thought about this alot.  Blogging is a very thought-provoking pastime.

I started off with craft blogs.  Colourful, inspiring, technical, helpful.  I wandered into home-making, small-holding, arts, literature, all things vintage, frugal, green and minimalist.  All have a hold on me. Learn new skills, get ideas, find validation.  But I wanted more.

Read a blog post.  Read the comments left.  Link to the commentors.  Read their blog.  Link to.....and so on.  Start to meet blogs I've visited already, commented on, sometimes weeks before.  But got there by a different route.  Sometimes I stand by my comments - hey! I said that woah! or sometimes I groan, I was too hasty! in my rush to leave a message and move on.  Sometimes I didn't remember visiting or commenting, like seeing a ghost of me, in the wrong place.

I've read a lot of blogs.

And slowly something less transient, more meaningful started to evolve.  Not just the serendipitous spider's web, but a shape of a change in the way I was thinking and reacting, mirrored in the blogs I found.

If this has happened to you then you'll recognise what I mean.  Some key points, maybe erm......

Personal reflection
Living with gratitude
Making changes
Being kind
Being kinder
Clearing space
Clearing more space
B-r-e-a-t-h-i-n-g
Releasing possessions
Releasing possessiveness
Getting rid of stuff

All from the same nursery.

The new year, twenty eleven, is nearly upon us.  Time for a change.
I need a plan.

1. Deal with the zombies.  Start by identification. Find a plan here farbeyondthestars
2. Build an escape tunnel.  Find a plan here Regards From The Balcony
3. Eat real food.  Do this already.  You can find it here veganlunchbox and a gzillion other places
4. Stop being a packrat.  Clear out clutter as demonstrated here  minimalistpackrat
5. Creat your new life, discover your passion here christinekane.com
6. Just care more as shown fantastically  here notesfromthefrugaltrenches

Don't want to be a zombie?  Me neither!
Twenty days.
What's your plan?