So, Where The Bloggie Hell ARe YA?

Madmother turns 50!

 

 

Okay, so I have ventured back into the land of blog and am having a little WTF moment. Bloggers who were proficient and high profile have sunk below the surface, some have gone private, some have vanished completely AND some, like mine, are sitting untouched for months or years.

So, what happened to everyone? Where did you all go? And are you coming back?

 

 

Oh, and do you like my dress? Lol - I will tell you the tale of the size 10 dress in the next few days. What a farce!

 

 



I think I may be heading on back in...

Hello! How are you? Remember me? I used to be that woman who blogged and blabbed and babbled frequently. And I think... maybe I'm coming back.

Just recently I have begun to miss having my safe place, my haven of words. When I lost my mother three years ago (hell - is it really THREE years?) I also lost a lot of my voice. Words that flowed easily seemed clogged behind the huge lump of unspoken grief. My blog became somewhere the memories of Wise Woman jumped out at me, confronting and brash, a place where pain awaited whenever I ventured in. And so I rarely did. I have posted blog entries THREE times prior to this one in 2013. THREE. And this from a woman who wrote almost daily for years.

A lot has happened. I turned 50 last week. My sons are young adults, my husband is slowing down, the wheels of the world continue to grind on, turning, churning constantly.

Facebook has been an outlet to some degree. Sometimes I write pieces more suited to here and yet post them there. It is not faceless, and I must admit the need to be politically correct and play nice has me grinding my teeth at times. And the unspoken words I bite back almost choke me. The double standards and the two-faced nature of some make me want to scream "Charlatan! Do you not think I remember the heinous words you spewed forth about him/her/them and now you are kissing his/her/their feet with your false traitorous lips?"

Yeah, I really need to come back. Before my black and white stark sense of honour gets me in real trouble.

So, how are you all?

Hello?

Anybody out there?

A Break In Transmission...

Lots of sorries, peoples. I have gone over to the new blogger setup thingamajig and my laptop/internet/life is having conniptions.

To use a favoured term from Boy 1, I am feeling ever so slightly discombobulated!

I cannot post from my old laptop, the error messages are flying thick and fast. I am sitting at work (Shhhhhhhhhhh!) secretly typing away to get this up so you don't think I've had another little wettie and runded off to my cupboard of shame.

Will be back as soon as I can... and shamefully, it should never have to come to this as I purchased a new dell laptop prior to the blogger's conference...


Have I mentioned I don't like change?

Well, I don't.


*Sniff, sulk, pout*

Oh, I don't even have access to my coolest dude ever signature on here.

So this is what you get instead:

MADMOTHER

Why?

Sitting here at 4am in the morning. It is hot - 24 degrees at this early hour, in the midst of a torrential storm downpour, atop our mountain... rare. I have my youngest in my bed, my restless sleeper. With the blackouts (power on, power off, power on, power off), a rogue spa which makes a high pitched squeal as every power outage bizarrely switches it on, and the heat, I have slept little.

My post of yesterday brought a leap in my stats, and yet no-one commented. It was linked by a few wonderful friends on facebook and other sites, and yet... no-one commented. I put myself out there, open the rawness afresh, try to help in some small way... and no-one responds.

I am in the midst of a self-pity week. My health is sucky (yes, am onto it), my life is still stressful (as it will be for a while yet), and my husband is heading away for a few well-desrved nights fishing with the boys and I will be alone. Normally not an issue, but when my usual zing has pinged, I am dreading it.

I have been reading posts. And looking at blog lists. Lists I was once on, and yet seem to have dropped from?

I am not commenting much at all. I read blogs and go to comment, then stop, disregard, figure "why bother, my opinion is not needed, I am not relevant in the scheme of things anymore."

Gradually I am looking at less, following fewer, pulling more and more into my blog self.

Everyone, no matter how big or small, how cool or not, needs to feel valued.

And right now I don't.

So, smaller and smaller I curl. Until one day I will be invisible. Or am I already? And I ponder, do I bother to post or just delete? And does it matter either way?

Hello Reality!

Trying to slowly nudge my way back into the blogosphere.

According to my stats over 100 individuals are still visiting over a 24 hour period. Do me a favour... please leave a comment, even if it is only a "Oh, hai."

I need the shove to get back on board this blogging wagon.

Hornet's Nest - Or How Nuffnang Stuffed Up Big Time

I am a tiny little fish in a very big pond of Aussie bloggers. This year, my voice has been even smaller as I struggle to post in this busy world.

But over at Digital Parents a large hornet's nest is opening up and spilling forth multiple Mummy bloggers buzzing with ire, as some of our most proficient and well known big fish bloggers are leaping vocally out of the Australian territorial pool.
"Why?" I hear you ask.

Well you see in the blogosphere there is a large commercial presence that goes under the name Nuffnang. You see their banner on many a blog, and also the multiple ads that go hand in hand with said banner. I am not a commercial blogger, but that is a whole other post.

Now Nuffnang run annual awards. Many of the more well known bloggers are nominated in lots of various categories. The most influential blogger being one of the biggies.

And, in my opinion, they stuffed it. They chose a blog I decline to link, for I will not be responsible for boosting traffic to such a site. I find this person blatantly offensive, racist and sick in her rants. I will not term them posts for, from what I have seen, they do not deserve to be categorised as such. I would not even compare her writing to the scribblings of a child, they lack any style and the content is... well, vomit-worthy.

If this is what they consider the best of the Asia Pacific region then I must admit I am proud to not be affiliated with Nuffnang.

Oh, and the best bit? They chose to blatantly ignore their own TERMS AND CONDITIONS by choosing this blog as the winner! Commercial whoring at its finest!

Thank you DP for revealing this travesty.

Boy, am I grateful to be a little fish at this point!

Fluff, Yeah I did say it: *Fluff* poem!

Blog Days of Bounty

In my first blogging comp

The winner me to be

A camera from Woog & JVC

For the second blogging comp

Specsavers sent to me

A freebie time for glasses

A camera from Woog & JVC

In the second blogging comp

Acknowledged she must be:

Madame Bipolar

With freebie time for glasses

Add to camera from Woog & JVC

For the third blogging comp

Misc – laneous Mum laughed in glee

Sydney Writer’s centre voucher,

Madame Bipolar

With freebie time for glasses

Add to camera from Woog & JVC

For the fourth blogging comp

U_B_ER_KATE!

Sydney Writer’s centre voucher,

Madame Bipolar

With freebie time for glasses

Add to camera from Woog & JVC

With the fourth blogging comp

Wanderlust gave to me:

U_B_ER_KATE!

Sydney Writer’s centre voucher,

Madame Bipolar

With freebie time for glasses

Add to camera from Woog & JVC

In the fifth blogging comp

We will have to wait and see!

As none entered as yet by me!

And to the wonderful ones who ran these comps for me to blitz win:

Go, check out their blogs, though I have no doubt you already do!

Merry Blogging one and all!

42

The meaning of life. Right now I am pondering the meaning of life here at this blog. What do I want from here? What is this blog to me, or more importantly to others?

When I began this blog over two years ago the community was small, tight, supportive. Now so much of it is about earning potential, stats, hits, comments, followers.

I have never been one to run with the crowd and crowded the blogosphere has become.

Is this why I am not drawn here as I once was? Is it why I do not have the yearning to write like I once did?

Maybe it is because I am writing my tales of fantasy for my dear friend, sending them off with love. Maybe that is filling the hole once satisfied by blogging?

Maybe I am sick of commenting and supporting those who offer none back? Only some, not all, but their silence pisses me off to be perfectly honest.

Maybe I feel the blogosphere is not the place I need to look to for ideas, ideals, friendship?

Maybe it is time for change.

I just don't know anymore.

Weekend Rewind

Nearly every week I join in a blog hop known as weekend rewind. It is held over at a little shack known as the Pink Fibro. But I must admit I am a bit slack, merely linking up an old blog post and not posting about the linky!

I'm also having a little trouble remembering which ones I have already linked, lol. So I'm posting today to not only promote the Weekend Rewind Blog Hop, but also to give myself a reference point for past posts linked... So here goes. This week the theme is quite simple: link one of your favourite past posts.

This is it:

The Glass Heart

I can look back now and truly appreciate how fragile he was back then, and how heat-forged strong he is now. I am sure there are frailties waiting to show, that we will dip down into darkness, but right here, right now he is dragonfly bright. And looking back makes us grateful for where we are now.

And more for me than anyone else, the past linked posts have been:

Rest & Relaxation: Julie & Julia & Me

Lessons: Life's Hard Lessons

December links: Drive & An ASD Night Before Christmas

October Link: Blogging the Memories

September Link: The Black Panther

July Link: Yee-haw Grandma

June Link: Toot Toot

May Link: Imaginary Friends

April Link: Ode To The Pure of Heart

Yours, Mine or Open Slather?

Two Blogs I follow have had their identity, well, cloned I guess... Not purposely or maliciously, but still.

I have been under the Madmother name for over a decade of online personaing, and must admit get peeved when I see another using it. But I have never had to face a real blog dilemma regarding it, hell, who'd wanna imitate me?

But two of my faves, Alex at Whoa-Mumma, and Megan at Writing Out Loud, both have doppelgangers and I must admit it gets up my nose so how must they feel about it? I mean, there is so much talk at the moment about building your identity and branding, what about when you do all that only to find a conflict? Seriously, I would be pissed if it were me.

What about you - any doubles out there lurking waiting to usurp your life?

Weekend Grateful: No Time To Blog.

Bit scary, and lucky I noticed, for the typo in my title said "No time to BOG"... Whoops! That could have been a whole different post, and *TMI* really, with the fast pace of life, quite apt.

My blogging has dropped off. Probably somewhat influenced by the Blogger issues, but these are not totally responsible. Nope, this thing called FUN is at fault.

Ah, it is hard to be the mountain socialite!

Great week - very grateful for this lack of time!

My gorgeous friend Lisa - great night last night!

Sharon and me - Melbourne trip.

AusMummyBlogCon Vs Australian Bloggers Festival

Most of you would be sitting back watching the territorial shit fight unfold over the web. AusBlogCon (which has now announced it will downscale and only concentrate on Mummy Bloggers for the next one) and the new kid on the block, the Australian Bloggers Festival (which will from now on be affectionately known as AusBlogFes).

Now I didn't attend ABC this year, and whilst I am hearing lots of glowing reports in posts I am also hearing voices of dissent and disappointment. Always the case in any big function - you can't please all of the kids all of the time. I am not going to comment as I WAS NOT THERE, and this is something a lot of others need to keep in mind. Hearsay is not admissable in a court of law and in the real world it is called GOSSIP. As a lovely lady once told me: "If you aren't part of the problem, nor part of the solution: ZIP IT!"

It is not some sort of blogging bitch fight and those who wish to make it such have greatly dropped in my impression of them. For me, I do not see myself as a "Mummy Blogger", I am a mother who blogs and my scope is so much broader than the bounds of motherhood. It is why I am a member of so many diverse blogging groups (-> see sidebar), it is why I have four blogs.

So for ME the AusBlogFest is going to suit far more, and I know many others who will fit this group far better, as basically some are:
(1) Men
and
(2) Not mothers.

Lastly - for fuck's sake GROW UP and start acting like adults instead of the children you mother! Some of the comments have amazed me - from both sides. It really is not the way to win friends and influence people. JMHO.

Disclaimer: This is NOT aimed at the organisers but rather some of the comments I am reading in various places.

Blog Drool...

Hah - so much for culling my blog list! It has now growed back even bigger. So many blogs, so little time.

*Drool* *Dribble* *Slurp*

Must. leave. chair. Back. to. reality...

Disqus, Envy and a Little Procrastination...

Sitting here just a little envious this morning. The amazing Mrs Woog of Woogsworld fame (or is that infamy?) is off to lunch with Google! Yes, you read it right  - GOOGLE! You really know you've reached the pinacle of all blogicleness when Google want to wine and dine your arse! So I told her I wanted to be her! Yes, a little stalkerish. Okay, a lot stalkerish, but hey, wouldn't it be worse if I sat and let my jealousy fester unvoiced behind a false smiling facade? And that leads me to my next point. Disqus. No false smiling facade on MY comments in Disqus. No facade at all - I am faceless. Must admit the envy was creeping insidiously in about this one too. I would sit, muttering madly under my breath "She got a photo. Why does she get one and not me. Who does she think she is? How did she get on the inner? What have I ever done to Disqus to make it treat me with such obvious disdain? Why aren't I in the cool group? *Sob*" every time I commented and had to enter e-mail, enter username, enter first born son's right testicle...

But then I noticed something. A little thing that soothed my jaded spirit. I was not alone. The uber-cool Allison from Life in a Pink Fibro was sitting a couple of comments away SANS photo! So maybe I am in the cool group. and the other is the uncool group! Well, that's my premise and I'm sticking to it.

And now we come to the procrastination bit... As you may have read in my other post, I won Challenge 67 on Blog This. Which meant I had to come up with a topic for Challenge 69 (I know, I know, okay?). After no help from you lot I came up with a topic:

What would you do if you won the big one. Not one million, or even two million, but a division one prize of 52 million dollars? Would you go public, remain anonymous, use it for good of others, or on family only? If all your financial issues were swept away, what would you do with the rest?

Yeah, not brilliant but all I had at that moment (being put on the spot kinda thing ya know). Now I am avoiding as only someone as consummate a procrastinator such as moi can. You'd a thunk if I was the one coming up with the challenge that I'd have some ideas about it, huh?

Lucky I'm a fly by the seat of my pants sorta gal. Because that's what I'll be doing. For this challenge entry and for Muse Wars I would say. Cest la vie.

Oh, and drop over and check out Challege 68 - Valentine's Past. Vote for your favourite - and I'll let you know I was lucky, for this one I had already written an apt post way back last year.

Okay, no more stuffing around. I'll get stuck into it, I promise. Right after I just go and...

Comment Nazi.

Probably showing my age here, but do you lot remember the soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld? I will add a disclaimer: I must be one of the few who actually disliked this show but sadly was forced to sit through many episodes with obsessed friends.

It's here for those unfamiliar. Well I am the comment Nazi. Yes, I have comment approval enabled here. Is it to screen comments? Well, not really. I have scam protection so most of the crap gets shoved into there before it even reaches my moderation. Is it so I can dictate and keep tight control, utilising censorship tools and exhibiting all the signs of prohibition of free speech? I'll admit a little. Some things such as my name, or my children's names are not used here and I like to keep it that way.

But in reality it is for one real purpose.

How else would this manic Madmother ever know someone has commented on a post, old or new?

Yep - it is my own private tracking system. And speaking of tracking, how good are the IP trackers so you can see what comes from where? Cool, eh.

Awards, Competitions, and Hoisting Your Own Alpaca...

As Trav seems to have dropped the ball on Memoir Mondays yet again (Trav, consistency, CONSISTENCY!) I am coming in with a bragfest general post. It has been an exciting week so far in Madmother World, and it is only Tuesday!

A lot of you would be followers of the impressive Woogsworld. You may even be one of the seventy odd (yes, and I do mean odd) people who commented in the hope of winning this little beauty:

But being one of the oddest of them all I have to brag to inform you...

I WON!



Me! Who never wins anything! At last, my ability to write greeting card poems has paid off! And the truly tragic ironic moronic funny thing is - what was rhymed is all true! Even Part Deux...

So come on, accolades people. Don't make me hoist my own alpaca all by myself. I think the last thing I won may well be one of those school awards I found stashed in Wise Woman's draw yesterday.

Woohoo - go me! Now to fight off marauding children with plans for blackmail world domination one photo at a time.


So, being full of myself now feeling confident I have decided to put my hand up for Torkona's Aussie Blogger Awards. Mainly because I like the blunt, kickarse tone of Tork's blog and want some honest, brutal feedback. In other words, Tork, I ain't really in it to win it (well, yes, anyone wants to win, would like to win, but I know January has been fraught with pain and grief and totally raw emotions and is not truly representative of the Aussie Mummy blogging world), but maybe you can point me in the right direction to move forwards with this blog. 

I'm coming out of the fog and now need someone to give me clarity. Or a kick up my considerable arse.

Bowing out slowly backwards for now, hand covering said bountiful butt in case of premature arse-kicking, QEII wave perfected...

Your own

Greeting Card Poetry and Other Drivel.

For those unfamiliar with me on here, or even irl, I am a bit of a puerile poem profligate. I call them my greeting card poems - you know, the sort of rhyming drivel that briefly charms then sours like eating a large packet of jelly belly beans in one sitting?

I also have been know to dissect a good song and mutilate transform it into my own little ditty. Prime examples are my Blog This Challenge winning rewrite of a Midnight Oil classic (yes, I did just sit and do spirit fingers dancing in the instrumental bit); and also my rehash of Hey Soul Sister by Train for a friend. The second was bloody difficult I might add. won't be doing THAT in a hurry again, let me tell you.

But it is my little poems of fun that tend to burst forth at the strangest times. Like the comp over at WoogsWorld atm. Don't get me wrong - the comment ditty I entered is all pretty damn accurate, it just is rhymingly accurate. Bit tragic I guess. Oh, and the rude versions of Christmas songs me and kids have made up. Those I best not post, or your view of me as a delicate little petal may be forever tainted. Really.

And of course I cannot leave out my fundraising efforts, and school projects.

Things like the magnet hand cut out with a marble on the thumb:

Happy Mother’s Day Mum,

I thought I’d lend a hand

Cause I know you are so busy

And always in demand.

On it is a marble

For you to have to put away

I KNOW you lose your marbles

As you tell me everyday.

So next time I annoy you,

And make you tear your hair

Just look upon the fridge Mum,

And your marble will be there!

Or the door hanger, again with marble:

Please Do Not Disturb

Do not dare to enter here

Cause inside is a madwoman

Known to you as “Mother Dear”

Today has not been good to me

I’m losing the whole plot

You know I love you dearly

But some space would mean a lot

I think I’m losing all my marbles

Nothing is very clear

But when you feel I’ve lost them all

You can show me this one here!

Oh, and lastly - my interpretation of the Jar of Nothing:

When I asked you what you wanted,

For Father’s Day this year

I know I heard growled: “Nothing!”

It was so very clear.

I’m sure I heard you right,

When at last you made reply,

Did you not say nothing

As I looked you in the eye?

Now, I searched all sorts of places

High and low and here and there

Until I found the perfect gift

(It is all full of air.)

So next time when I ask you

Sincerely what you need

Recall this Jar of Nothing

And answer properly please.

See, I should be writing for a greeting card company! Now, go to Woogsworld and have a go at winning her JVC camera giveaway.

Madmother? Wasn't she...

That woman who had a blog? Oh, hang on, didn't she have more than one? Wonder whatever happened to her?

Yeah - that's the one. Cheeky devil, but I think that photo is from quite a few years back when she still had her spunk and spark. Wonder where she is now, she just seemed to vanish into the ether...

Oh well, I'll just move on to the next blog that tickles my fancy.

Ever wonder if this is what will happen to you? So many bloggers seem to come and go, the blog muse is a fickle creature who abandons even the most prolific of us. Remember Kellyansapansa? Kellywhat I hear some newer folk asking? Kellyansapansa was a shining beacon in blogworld until moving onto other lives. Melissa at Things I'd Tell You is another popular blogger who has hit the real life sucks wall. And as for me, well I didn't even have the energy to go to most of my writing course let alone blog. *Sigh*.

Destined to become a mere passing comment in years to come... "Madmother? Oh, yeah, I remember her..."