So where was I when I wasn't here...?

Truth to tell, it was real life that mostly got in the way. With the lead-up to the election (no, not THAT one...my local government election), plus the other things I like to involve myself in, plus everyday life with the wee man, I would flop gratefully on the couch at the end of the day, happy for some mindless TV or a little Sudoku...anything that allowed 90% of my brain to drift.

(And, it must be said, I found dial-up so intensely annoying and resented the huge amount of time spent waiting for pages to load that I often found it a real dis-incentive to turning on the computer to read or write blogs.)

However, there was another distraction, another seductive little time-waster, which won a lot of my on-line attention for a while...and it's all my family's fault!

That's right - if I hadn't gone to my aunt's wonderful wedding back in July, and had such a fantastic time catching up with my cousins etc (plus the new members of the family we inherited through the wedding), I wouldn't have made all those rash promises about catching up through Facebook!

Yes - I'm a bit of a late-comer, I know. I had a very minimalist presence on Facebook previously - just a bare-bones profile, as it was a place I used to stay in touch with one girlfriend who lived in England. Then my brothers found me there, and kept sending me all these silly applications (which piled up, 'cos I had no idea I could just hit 'Ignore'). I'd contemplated wiping my profile, sure I had far better things to do with my time...and then I went to the wedding, and suddenly discovered the real strength of Facebook, when it comes to keeping in touch with people you love.

All of a sudden, my family and I (and then my network in general, as I expanded to include many of my playgroup and preschool circle) were able to exchange photos with all with one click of a button, share happenings, children's triumphs, illnesses and worries almost immediately. Indeed, we often tune into the nuances in one another's status report, sharing a sense of supportedness and involvement that the sporadic phone calls and emails we previously exchanged couldn't come near to.

As any regular readers of my blog will know, I am a big advocate for community, and through Facebook, I found another level of community which transcended time and distance and, since it involved family, became very special. Things have quietened down from the first heady flush of connectivity, but Facebook is now a valuable tool in my daily routine, and I use it regularly to weave tighter the threads of family and friendship.

PS. Guess what was one of the first things I did when I moved into this house? Yep! Got me some of that broadband PDQ!!!

PPS. Guess who was the cutest of a very cute bunch of under-age wedding attendants at my aunt's wedding?

Embracing the community ethos

Well, I'm starting to feel at home now. The world of blogging has offered me a warm smile and a cheery "Hello", and invited me in for a cuppa. What is she blathering on about? you wonder (I often do!)...I've participated in a couple of blogging carnivals over the last few days and been tagged for a meme!

So, if you've dropped in from the All Women Blogging Carnival hosted by Red Sultana, or stumbled in from the Carnival of Australia, beautifully set out by Martin at SmallOfficeAustralia, welcome! And if you're a regular visitor here, you'll find some great posts at both Carnivals - pop over and have a look, and support Aussie and/or women bloggers!?! ;P

Goodness knows the meme (7 random or weird facts about me) is going to test my resources, both in coming up with enough quirky/interesting/random answers, and enough bloggers (7) I have to the temerity to tag in return, but it still gives me the warm fuzzies...thank you, Tiff (of Three Ring Circus), for the tag and extending the hand of friendship. :)

So, here's the meme rules:

Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.

Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.

Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.

Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

And here's 7 random or weird facts about me:

1. I picked up the phrase "the wee man" from my Tasmanian aunt, and I hear in it the resonances of our Scottish and English heritage.

2. At the age of 15, my best friend and I chucked aside the 2 litre bottle of Coke we'd bought as mixer, and took turns chugging down the 750ml bottle of Bundaberg Rum refused by our 3 other friends. Five minutes later, we were raging away in the local Town Hall at an All School's function - 1/2 hour later, and my best friend was driving the porcelain bus while I was dancing on the tables!? And they worry about youth binge drinking today? This sort of thing is the reason why my kidneys, liver and I have decided that we're pretty uninterested in alcohol these days... (Ps. My best friend still drinks rum.)

3. I was "re-named" by the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (later known as Osho) at a ceremony in Poona, India when I was 8 years old. He named me Ma Prem Bindu, which apparently means "drop of love". Funnily enough, the name stuck when I came to live with my Dad, was sort of a pet name used only at home, and many of his friends still remember me as Bindu all these years later.

4. I have lived in every capital city in Australia except the nation's capital, Canberra, which I have still never set foot in. (Nothing personal, folks, just hasn't been high on my "things to do" list.)

5. I don't drive. To be exact, I have had a learner's permit on and off over the last 15 years or so since returning from OS, but have never been for a driving test. I'm not incredibly confident, but I don't really know why I haven't got around to it...I'm putting it down to a bad past-life-experience (lol!). I've owned 4 cars in that time - own one right now, actually. I used to drive my lovely old Peugeot around Brisbane by myself (shhhh...), but haven't driven in a few years now and my last permit has expired. Bugger - now in NSW I have to do an incredibly long logbook process before applying for my test, so it just may never happen. (Don't tell the Big Feller I said that... ;-) )

6. I usually read 3, 4, 5 or more books at the same time (and let's not mention the magazines, okay?). They sit by the bed, by my favourite chair, on my desk, waiting for me to pick one up depending on mood and the amount of time available. These days, it's a mixture of fiction and non-fiction - a bit of chick lit, science fiction or fantasy, travel and memoirs, books on parenting or digital scrapping or food or...

7. I would love to go on Australian Idol...but I can't sing to save my life (unless you count passion and enthusiasm)!

Now, for the seriously hard part...tagging the bloggers! Thank heavens for NabloPoMo, which has allowed me to "meet" some more great bloggers.

So, I have to start with Red Dirt Mummy - spill the dirt, rdm! :)

Cecily, at happy chatter

Trish, over at Light. Sweet. Crude.

Ginny from Really Ginny

Lotus from Sarcastic Mom

Motherscribe

and finally, fiddlemama. Good luck, all...or forgive me! :)

PS. The wee man giving his Daddy a farewell hug yesterday...doesn't it make you just melt?