Aussie Bloggers, and other new beginnings.

Apart from having both husband and child at home all day every day at the moment seeking distraction and entertainment (does the phrase "what are we doing today?" come hard-wired with the Y chromosome?), I've had a couple of other distractions.

Most recently, the new website Aussie Bloggers and its already excellent community forum (Aussie Bloggers Forum) has provided much amusement and enlightenment. As they say in the intro,

"We are passionate about blogging and helping other Aussies. If you are an Aussie who is already blogging, or thinking about it - then you've found a new home...".

The site aims to:

"* provide a resource for new bloggers
* provide assistance in a welcoming (non-threatening) environment
* promote networking of Aussie bloggers
* promote the visibility/credibility of Australian bloggers and the Australian blogosphere."

Based on my experience of the last few days, they are on a winner, as we say down here.

The blogosphere often distinguishes itself by the particularly helpful and close-knit nature of the relationships that are formed between bloggers. Forgive the touch of patriotism, when I say that perhaps nowhere is it done better than by Australians.

Snoskred, Meg, Andrew, Lani, Kelley and many others who are working very hard to get this site ready for its launch date of January 21st have, I'm sure, already begun to see the fruits of their labours as the Aussie blogging community rolled in the "door" of the newly opened forum, and made themselves at home with a great deal of appreciation and bonhomie. Over 270 bloggers were online at once on the forum's first night!

The quality of information for new and more experienced bloggers, the support, the good humour, all make this forum a great place for bloggers to connect and network with other bloggers.

Oh, and did I mention that all nationalities are welcome? Already people are popping in from all over the place. Whether you are an Aussie or not, if blogging is your thang then drop on by.

***********************************************************

The other distraction is a new blog I have in the pipeline. (Having the brains of all these great and experienced bloggers mentioned above readily available for the picking has been a great piece of synchronicity...not to mention a faintly obscene image! *grins*) I'll not say too much about it yet, but it is a bit of a departure from this one - it is both less and more personal, and I hope will reach out to a whole lot of other people to form a blogging community project of a different kind. As soon as I have the domain name sorted out, I'll tell you a little more. Watch this space for further developments.

Why I decided to start this new project right when I have less personal time due to the holidays is anyone's guess - I love a challenge, okay?

************************************************************

Oh, and my littlest and newest distraction is sitting on my lap. His name, if you ask the wee man, is Stuart Little - and if you ask me, it's Fergal, because I just cannot call a cat Stuart (I know too many 2-legged ones, too.). The boys brought him home yesterday. Nine weeks old, but he already strikes me as an old soul. He has immediately made himself a computer-lap cat - if I'm on the computer all day, then so is he. The wee man is a bit frightening for him (and me! - I am soooo sick of saying "leave him alone!"), though he's holding his own.

It's been over 2 years since my last cat Pepi died (of old age), and three and a half since my very special little blue boy Bilbo died (too young - taken by an eagle at 18 months old! He is a whole post on his own, and one I owe it to him to write.) I guess you could say I have been in mourning for all that time, not ready to have another cat step into those spaces.

Recently, the feelings have changed and I'm ready for that kind of company again. Cats suit the introvert in me - we can appear aloof and independent to outsiders at times, but reveal ourselves in our wacky humour and affectionate companionship at home, in safety. I think everyone who doesn't "like" cats just hasn't met the right cat yet. Bilbo illustrated that amazingly; he won over everyone he met, regardless of their assumptions about cats.

I'm not asking Fergal to fill those paw-prints...just the small cat-shaped hole in my soul which has been empty this little while.