New Blog Posts 15th - 21st January

[ScatCatShoo]

Been trying out some new stuff in my kitchen recently. Featuring an old Indian royal recipe in my newest post.

Taar Korma

So what have all of you been up to this week?

Whoo - 1283 page views today up to now :)

Mostly of our Quick Music Reviews Post

Are you near a beach justa? It's one of the few places can just about cope with my three alone (if I have to) or ds1 and the dog. No places to hide, lots of open space and a sea that sort of stops them (ds3 usually falls in but hey ho). I remember kiwi beaches being beautiful and (the best bit) empty - so easy to supervise 3 at once.

Justabout, I can't reply on your blog ( need URL/Name option) but can so relate to what you are saying. Last time we visted Nz, ( 4 years ago) we went to a park I had enjoyed as a child. Looking at it as someone who has spent over a decade in the UK now, I was horrified. The 3 girls went in 3 different directions; the swings, a slide and a climbing frame but beyond those lay the shore, a carpark and a busy road. And not a fence in sight. My heart was in my mouth! I def prefer the well fenced playgrounds in London with the little ones, but now they are older and can be trusted not to run off we spend a lot of time in the nearby woods. NZ bush is thicker at ground level than British woods which would make it more difficult I suppose.
Hopefully things will get easier as they get older.
NZ may not have had Dunblane but it had Aramoana. Gun laws got a lot tighter since then but I remember it probably as clearly as those in the UK at the time remember Dunblane. :(

I have been moving the direction of my blog away from parent posts (cos let's face it there are loads of posts about parenting!) and so, here's my latest post, musing whether TV (for adults) was better before multi channel programming came about. What is your must see programme? Do you love the old shows of the 70s/80s or before?

Feel free to check out my other recent posts too-comments always welcome!
t.co/qcFE540t

An update about my attempt to write two books (my fourth and fifth novels - eek), which involves kidneys, Jack the Ripper, gin and Donne.

I'm trying to take the writing lark a bit more seriously now that I have an agent on board, but my God, it's hard work getting organised.

Have you looked in the mirror lately? Think it's about time I did!....

Happy weekend everyone

Love the new name, Justa.

I blogged about the Glitter on Twitter hoohah today When a guy set up a fake Gary Glitter account in order to draw attention to the safety of children online.

My son has been having speech therapy

Right, here are the latest Camel's Hump posts. I do read this thread, honest, and visit many of your sites, it's just that atm, most of my blogging time is taken up with CH. Hopefully that will be easing off soon, now we have more writers and a good editing team.

So, the last time I updated (apart from earlier today) was The State of the Union, right?

Are "women in industry" type awards actually harmful to women? Pick up Thy Soapbox and Walk

Has Simon Cowell killed music? The Music is Dead, Long Live the Music

A very interesting interview with a lady who quit her job and started running a spoken word project in the North East You Hate That Job, Why Are You Doing it?

The importance of the apostrophe 's out

More hellish customers In Which we Operate a Challenge 25 Policy

An easy (and tasty) use for leftover puff pastry Lazy cheesy twists

The importance of science and learning For The Love of Knowledge

Anyhow, enjoy! Please do let us know what you think - any comments (especially from seasoned bloggers) are very welcome.

justa that sounds a bit like Ireland!

flubba if I could help you I would! An american blogger very kindly did one for me after she read that I was trying to make one. Very, very kind of her really, an
example of the lovely support bloggers give each other I thought.
Stichthis be sure to leave some for me
Thanks for joining in!

Oh just sharing with you here too what a fool I am because no one else in real life would get it! I was asked during the week to do a spot on Northern Ireland radio talking about having a large family. They contacted me suggesting it would be great exposure for my blog. And I said No. I hadn't the nerve to do it. I'm raging at myself. I never used to be such a chicken.
Just thought I'd share with you all so you can tell me to grow a pair!

Yes I see the problem. Ds3 used to run in the opposite direction to ds1 but now he has a fear that ds1 will go into the river and so sticks right next to ds1 worrying that he'll get lost! I very rarely take all three by myself though and when I do I lecture ds2 and ds3 on how they must behave. I can see your difficulties. Any chance of paying a teenager or student to come with you? An extra pair of hands makes all the difference. D3 does usually run into the sea at some point bu he rarely goes more than waist deep :o

Otherwise you heed norn Irish beaches - there are quite a few that allow you to drive your car onto the beach. We thought this was fab until ds1 developed the latest 'climb in random strangers cars' obsession and on our last visit I ended up so stressed I refused to go to any car allowing beaches ever again :o

Oh north shore - are you near browns bay? Loved the beach there

Ah yes that would be a bit of a downer! My aunt used to live in Browns Bay. Ach I love New Zealand!

My blog post today is about today's trip to the beach (sort of). Jusabout there are probably some photos there that will make you very pleased to be in summery NZ.

Four years to get fully dressed

what's been good in your week?

Queenmaeve don't be so hard on yourself. While it can be good to leave the comfort zone, it's sometimes braver and more liberating to accept ourselves the way we are. To know ourselves and to just say no. Perhaps your blog is your favoured way of communicating and there are plenty of other ways to get exposure for it. Blog about this experience perhaps and what you learned?

Sorry I've been away these last few days. Have been trying to keep a three posts a week system going, but I was struck down with tonsilitus on Thursday, and have been busy sleeping, not eating, and trying not too moan too much!

QueenMaeve Thanks for the invite. Have joined in. It's nice to be invited to a party that's manageable even sat in pjs, with hot lemon drink, paracetamol to hand and rubbish on the TV! Will come back and grab your button and browse through some of the other partygoers entries when I can concentrate for a little longer.

Have had to skim read last couple of pages of this thread, but it looks like they'll be loads for me to catch up on when I get some time on Monday (day off.. woohoo..)

Who thinks I'll actually do the ironing before I start blogging/browsing/reading blogs!!!) ....!?

My one ponce at a time post! Well it made me laugh.

www.theworkingparent.blogspot.com

Queenmaeve If you didn't feel comfortable about doing the interview, then probably best not to put yourself through it. On the other hand, if you now think it's something you would like to try, then I'm sure another opportunity will come along. Was it radio Ulster? and was it a live or pre-recorded interview?

Don't try this you're right! Never looked at it that way. Thanks for that.
Yummymummyreally yes there will be no awkward small talk at this party and no squeezing into hold me in knickers.
Married mum not sure if it was prerecorded or not. Ah well not worrying now!

Dear Mums!

My name is Aga and I am a mum of an absolutely amazing little girl called Odessa. Please follow our every day adventures on my blog...

odessasaysabracadabra.blogspot.com/

...and find out about our small, but wonderful discoveries: places to visit with the children, creative toys, unique clothes, and how to buy beautiful things without spending much money.

Some really great pictures odessasmum - what camera do you use?