tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70995741278129640002012-02-02T23:20:49.825+11:00Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.comBlogger1251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-373102785342256092011-11-30T11:34:00.000+11:002011-11-30T11:34:15.233+11:00

That's how I feel at the moment. It's ok. It's all we can really do sometimes isn't it? Muddle along and hope for the best? I'm busy with the laundry, the cooking, some writing, the playdates and the story-reading and playing with small ones. No blogging and very little cleaning. Something had to drop off my to do list. One day I will write about my recent silent retreat. Today I have a couple

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-64049081959213457282011-10-21T14:43:00.004+11:002011-10-21T21:42:43.766+11:00

I've been a working from home mum for five years now. I cannot believe it's been that long! I love having my own writing and editing business, but I've struggled to fit it into my life since having kids. I've been frustrated about not being able to grow it as quickly as I would like. And I've also found it hard to come to grips with the inconsistent work flow which can come with solo

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-20978825119538096762011-10-05T09:19:00.000+11:002011-10-05T09:19:57.329+11:00

I'm linking up with My Little Drummer Boys' Aussie Wordless Wednesday

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-87669629495448335762011-09-30T15:12:00.003+10:002011-09-30T18:10:06.534+10:00

Sometimes I wonder, where are the happy people? Seriously, for all the articles, books and even research papers that are around which are devoted to happiness, all the daytime chat show hours, we seem to still sit around being miserable a fair amount of the time. I've been guilty of this myself. It's easy to be happy, I've said, you just have to live in the moment. Enjoy the blue sky today, the

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-46119526193468817952011-09-30T08:42:00.000+10:002011-09-30T08:42:24.449+10:00

I've updated yesterday's post to reflect my better understanding of the situation I was responding to.

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-23654301374918898172011-09-29T10:01:00.009+10:002011-09-30T14:22:34.310+10:00

For Lori, whose husband died this year: I'm so sorry that you felt let down by that Catholic priest when you looked to the church for support. (*see below for a fuller explanation in an update) I believe Catholicism does offer answers, but it doesn't claim to answer everything about why horrible things happen to innocent people. You only have to look at its symbol, a good young man murdered and

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-66945298126810146932011-09-26T09:45:00.002+10:002011-09-28T12:41:03.390+10:00

Over the weekend I re-read Enough by John Naish. I think what I like best about it is its title. It basically sums up his whole thesis, in an imperative tone which I think is intentional. One of the arguments Naish makes in his book is that Western societies in particular must regain a sense of 'enoughness'. That we will have more satisfaction with our lives when we stop trying to grasp

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-12318491748812808972011-09-24T07:27:00.000+10:002011-09-24T07:27:53.184+10:00

I've been thinking this week about work. How many hours should I be working each week? What do I want to achieve with those hours? How do I wish to spend my non-working hours? I'm fortunate to be able to choose my hours, working in my own business. But I need to reassess how things are going from time to time. I found this to think about, from Enough - Breaking free from the world of more by

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-20687244145432244952011-09-23T10:00:00.001+10:002011-09-24T07:33:51.445+10:00

Last week I posted some quotes I loved at 16 - and now. Here are some more: The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention It's only when you quit that you lose Things turn out right a ridiculous amount of the time. Stephen King The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Chinese proverb The way to love anything is to realise that it might be lost. G.K.

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-14271577278308454412011-09-22T07:24:00.000+10:002011-09-22T07:24:42.400+10:00

Weekday mornings used to be so stressful at our place. I always lost track of the time. I'd forget whether I'd taken my multivitamin or not, and where my keys and sunglasses were. The kids were always scrambling around looking for their shoes at the last minute, too afraid to ask me for help because I was giving them the look of death. I sometimes had to dig into the dirty laundry basket for

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-61330327289481724312011-09-21T06:13:00.001+10:002011-09-21T06:15:25.295+10:00

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys today.

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-16246824316120116072011-09-20T07:24:00.000+10:002011-09-20T07:24:49.226+10:00

It's been a long time since I posted my freelance writing goals. My business has been basically in maintence mode since I've had my gorgeous baby at home with me 24/7. I picked up one very valuable client during that time, who is also a friend. But now is the time to start setting some further goals and particularly promoting my services as I'll have some week days child-free from January. I

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-27602897940185059012011-09-19T06:59:00.001+10:002011-09-19T07:16:35.510+10:00

I seen a few people's lists of the 100 things they'd like to do in their life. I like reading them. Then there's the Day Zero Project where people nominate the 101 things they will accomplish in in 1001 days. Me, I just can't come up with that many meaningful things to do. I mean, apart from learn to play the piano, there's not much else I want to do which I haven't already done except: write

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-34171325144512144922011-09-17T12:37:00.001+10:002011-09-17T21:10:23.328+10:00

I like this, from A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I learned while editing my life by Donald Miller. The book is full of pearls like it (plus, it's really funny): If you think about it, an enormous amount of damage is created by the myth of utopia. There is an intrinsic feeling in nearly every person that your life could be perfect if you only had such-and-such a spouse or such-and-such

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-48554750359447334392011-09-15T07:21:00.002+10:002011-09-23T13:52:29.671+10:00

At 16 I didn't keep a journal but I had this very slender, purple notebook that you could seal shut with a stud. I used it to scribble down quotes I liked from conversations, books, short stories or poems. All this time it's been in my top bedside drawer. I hadn't opened it for years and years and forgotten what was inside. The other morning I was trying to convince my wide-awake baby to lie

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-47936935897157058882011-09-14T10:54:00.001+10:002011-09-14T11:59:50.199+10:00

Joining up this Wednesday with Little Drummer Boys.

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-14990912468866199472011-09-13T14:34:00.000+10:002011-09-13T14:34:44.194+10:00

I have donor fatigue. I admit it. We have our children's school fundraisers, the various public awareness and fundraising days (Daffodil Day, Red Nose day etc), our family's own regular giving and my husband's work-arranged giving. I am all donored-out. I've even avoided the kind-looking Salvation Army person stationed with a collection bucket outside my local supermarket. I slowed down until I

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-19309916883567066912011-09-12T10:21:00.001+10:002011-09-12T12:56:24.033+10:00

What am I doing with a blog? Why do I feel an urge to write and, importantly, what am I to write about? What's worthwhile? What is the best use of my time here? About a year or so ago I was directly challenged by these words I read in a book. "If your words do not bring with them the light of Christ, then they increase the darkness." Increase the darkness. Those words cut right to the depth

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-62563060889098821442011-09-11T13:31:00.002+10:002011-09-11T13:33:45.546+10:00

This was too cute not to share. The girls were home from school - a staff development/pupil free day. It was too cold and rainy for the park, but the perfect day to put the oven on and potter around the kitchen. We made raspberry, blueberry and chocolate chip muffins. When we moved on my husband went in and baked a leg of lamb, studded with garlic and with a thyme, sage and parsley crust, 

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-33252932560972115472011-09-07T21:52:00.005+10:002011-09-09T11:47:37.043+10:00

Some of my readers come here looking for advice on alleviating PMS symptoms after childbirth. It's true that some women find that there's an increase in pre-menstrual symptoms or their severity after having a baby. But it's hard to find out exactly why, apart from the obvious, that is, fluctuations in hormone levels. I tried to find an answer after noticing it myself after the birth of my

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-28108781515665980522011-09-06T22:14:00.004+10:002011-09-14T12:08:45.501+10:00

I'm so lucky to be able to work from home while my children are little. I've been a work from home mum since our second child was born nearly six years ago. My four-day weekly income was only slightly more than the cost of putting two children into formal childcare and we didn't have anyone who could help us out with free child minding a day or two a week. So I quit my job, except for two days

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-24579659022909128422011-09-05T12:46:00.001+10:002011-09-05T12:49:02.617+10:00

My husband is a bit of a numbers man. He's not an accountant or anything like that, but he occasionally likes to make intriguing calculations about things in every day life. Some are interesting, others less so. I had to feign interest when he wanted to tell me how many yellow cars he's likely to see on his morning work communte. But I like this one: he's worked out that we will spend three

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-27869064749894431842011-09-01T22:35:00.001+10:002011-09-01T22:37:02.291+10:00

This is what I need someone to tell me every day. It's what I will tell myself every day, now. Whatever it is you want to do, if it's really important to you, give yourself permission to start it today. Don't listen to the "Yes, but..." monster in your head. Case in point: I want to write books. I have wanted to write books since I was eight years old. I did journalism because I wanted to

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-66597717608367072522011-08-31T10:30:00.001+10:002011-08-31T10:32:00.889+10:00

Ever been frustrated by the differences in your parenting styles? I've written an article for a Father's Day edition of CathFamily e-news about involved fathering and some benefits of Dad's way of doing things. Here's an excerpt: A recent study (as reported in the Wall Street Journal) on the impact of involved fathering on children’s development found that fathers are more likely than mothers

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-51979322533934622692011-08-28T22:50:00.000+10:002011-08-28T22:50:45.082+10:00

Ah, did you think I meant money? Of course not. It was better than money. My husband and I just spent the weekend helping to run a pre-marriage course for engaged couples. It included pretty much every aspect of their hopes and dreams for their lives together and covered things from sex to budgeting to resolving arguments fairly. We do this a couple of times a year and it is volunteer work. 

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-69981263958241418872011-08-25T21:40:00.003+10:002011-08-31T10:55:56.735+10:00

We all want to look and feel our best. For me that means being as healthy as possible, eating well and getting some exercise, wearing clothes that are at least clean and at most flattering, and taking reasonable care of my skin and hair. That's it. I think I look and feel just fine for someone in their mid-30s who's given birth to four children. I'm fit enough to keep up with all of them, that's

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-49756447438721234642011-08-20T15:17:00.000+10:002011-08-20T15:17:04.178+10:00

Our littlest boy turned one recently, and instead of slaving over a novelty cake the day before the party as I usually do, I threw some sandwiches, poppers and hat into a bag and we wandered around a war memorial bay walk near our house. This was big! Birthdays are ALL about the birthday cake around here. We usually begin discussing a child's birthday cake 11 months, 29 days and seven hours in

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-59311853341374827612011-07-19T13:32:00.000+10:002011-07-19T13:32:24.341+10:00

1. That occasionally it's ok if I'm home during the day to turn on the TV and watch whatever movie that happens to be on. 2. I can get a lie-in on a Saturday morning even if the children hop into bed with us. All I have to do is ask them what they would like a picture of on his or her back and doodle away with my finger. Very little effort required and it keeps them quiet and still for ages as

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-28373786313086660172011-07-14T14:29:00.002+10:002011-07-14T14:37:50.497+10:00

Having the flu is awful at any time, right? Having the flu when you're responsible for young children, and a baby, is really tough. No one has escaped being sick in our family this winter and I'm in my third week of feeling horrible at the moment, I think, with sinusitis and conjuctivitis - secondary infections after the flu. Man it's making it a challenge to choose happiness this winter! I

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-58775204456948813452011-07-11T15:09:00.001+10:002011-07-11T17:16:06.378+10:00

I thought this blog was pretty much dead and buried, but surprise! Here I am again. I can't leave it alone. It's lovely to have somewhere I can just write what I please and have somebody read and drop me a line. I have begun a new blog, Confidence and Love, because I'd like somewhere to ponder out loud about life, family, faith and spiritually, from a Catholic perspective. The tagline is '

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-69741531288563407482011-04-26T07:36:00.000+10:002011-04-26T07:36:48.967+10:00

Here it is, with a link this time Life, the universe and almost everything

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-89167116420629952692011-04-26T07:28:00.000+10:002011-04-26T07:28:04.618+10:00

What a lovely Easter and long weekend we've enjoyed here! I hope you have all enjoyed a beautiful rest and refreshment with family and friends. If you're looking for some new blog reading with this extra free time make sure you go and have a look at the one my husband has just launched, Life, the universe and almost everything. It broadly encompasses family, faith and life and I'm told it will

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-69262991789982117392011-03-25T15:37:00.001+11:002011-03-25T16:59:07.850+11:00

I bought my ticket to the first Australian bloggers' conference as a birthday treat for myself, months before the event. I wasn't updating my blog much, but at least I kept up reasonably well, for me, with reading and commenting on other people's. But in those months between buying the ticket and actually going, I got so busy with the children and the baby, Christmas and New Year, with

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-50804658718936886292011-03-22T14:34:00.000+11:002011-03-22T14:34:06.677+11:00

I thought I'd learnt this already but I evidently need reminding. That I'm not a slave to my to-do lists. A list is supposed to serve me, not the other way around. But there's a lot of good stuff that I know that I don't live. I have such a love-hate relationship with my daily lists. It's as satisfying to grab these pesky thoughts fluttering around my head and pin them onto a piece of paper as

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-74876831500976495062011-03-20T14:38:00.000+11:002011-03-20T14:38:08.002+11:00

I feel as though I am in a waltz with God, sometimes. I had spun out, so wide (did he do that, or did I?) and am now curling back towards his embrace again. It is Lent, and so I am turning back, keeping pace with sombre music, because it is dark out there on the limits called self-reliance. Dark and very cold. I move (am drawn) towards the light. Yes I trust in you. I do. And yet, of course I

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-88358155282001995722010-12-01T14:22:00.000+11:002010-12-01T14:22:31.043+11:00

To you who subscribed to or followed my blog this year, thank you. To you who have stumbled across it while looking for something else, thank you. To you who have commented here, emailed me, and been kind to me this year, a BIG thank you. I still read your blogs sometimes, but I'm back to being a lurker for the time being. I've struggled with updating this blog since being pregnant with my

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-62698484350139223472010-09-27T19:59:00.001+10:002010-09-27T20:00:21.068+10:00

I've been busy, but still have some time to write a little. I had a Heckler column published in the Sydney Morning Herald recently, about MasterChef, reality TV and celebrity culture. Check it out here.

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-8728998442971343522010-09-17T16:27:00.001+10:002010-09-17T16:49:17.567+10:00

                                                                         Image by Aussiegal "Beauty is truth; truth beauty. That is all you know and all you need to know." Keats' Ode to Beauty I don't know if that quote tells the whole truth, but I do believe that part of my job as a parent is to facilitate experiences of beauty for my children, and part of that is making our home a beautiful

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-77164162422612868002010-09-14T11:39:00.000+10:002010-09-14T11:39:42.254+10:00

At least that's been my experience. While I was pregnant I wrote about giving up my lifelong dream of being a published book author. I didn't have the time, the energy, or the ability to work towards it. This time of my life was for building a family. Other things would have to wait indefinitely. I was resigned to the fact, and although God knows I love this family raising business I did feel

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-3110622907420710602010-08-24T13:44:00.000+10:002010-08-24T13:44:51.897+10:00

I don't have time to blog right now, but I wanted to post this picture of our sweet boy, born a couple of weeks ago. He seems to like us well enough. He's not complaining anyway. And we're very happy to have him with us! I hope to return to more regular posting soon. At the moment I'm enjoying taking it easy, napping whenever I can, spending time with the bigger kids and basically sucking

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-27881059205695599282010-07-04T12:59:00.000+10:002010-07-04T12:59:23.484+10:00

Yep, one day I will manage to blog consistently. And twitter. I really hate it when I find a blog I like and then the person stops posting. Now I've been that person! Twice! But my recent commenters - lovely, lovely commenters, you know who you are - have pulled me back in to at least add this note that I'm still around. I still want to contribute to the amazing Australian women's blogging

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-60568714667192333842010-05-24T10:40:00.001+10:002010-05-24T15:41:47.821+10:00

With our fourth baby due at the end of August, we're in the market for a seven-seater car and found this one online, Toyota calls it the Swagger Wagon. I don't think it's available in Australia, but the ad is worth watching - catchy tune and absolutely hilarious!

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-68483738581682774992010-05-21T14:31:00.000+10:002010-05-21T14:31:34.778+10:00

I recently heard about this new Australian magazine for teenage girls which aims to provide an alternative to "the sexed-up modern magazines like Cosmo and Dolly". Bella - beautiful girl - is the latest girls’ magazine for 13 to 19 year olds and was launched earlier this year. I haven't seen a copy yet, but I hear that it's good. A high-quality glossy mag similar to its mainstream counterparts

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-77316528313966845822010-05-20T14:53:00.000+10:002010-05-20T14:53:58.666+10:00

Image by Zoutedrop Male readers: If you're squeamish about mention of my reproductive parts, pregnancy woes, sex stuff etc., then click away now. The upshot is that the baby and I are okay anyway. My obstetrician told me this week at my regular appointment that the baby's head is butting against my cervix, and that the cervix is a bit short at 3cms (according to Google - yeah I know - the normal

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-4858812672095147992010-05-17T18:46:00.001+10:002010-05-17T18:50:41.794+10:00

Image from www.mindgardener.com. I was recently sent the Bump to Baby Guide to review for Connect2Mums. The in-depth review should be up on the website soon, but in the meantime I just wanted to say what a great resource it is for expectant mothers. It's a practical resource using a series of note cards, one for each week from around the middle of your pregnancy. The first week has this great

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-62896232941791008022010-05-14T06:57:00.002+10:002010-05-14T08:37:53.483+10:00

first thing in the morning. When he's woken me from across the other side of the house with his cheeky, sing-song, "Muuuummmmy! Mummmmmy!" I took my camera in recently to get a photo of his usual dawntime bright-eyed exuberance, (I think he's at his most gorgeous when he's just woken) but he wanted to take one of me instead, in all my dawntime puffy-eyed weariness! He was so pleased with his

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-31014144380117049052010-05-12T13:53:00.002+10:002011-10-21T17:54:18.306+11:00

Image: Brenda Starr Yesterday I looked at my work goals for this month and I finally had to face up to something hard. I'm not going to write a book this year. It's possible I may never write one. It's the one enduring dream I've had since I was a child and I've always assumed that I would do it. It's all I remember really wanting. To write a book that people would read, that would maybe

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-57670639161819042492010-05-10T16:44:00.001+10:002010-05-10T16:50:10.902+10:00

It's true, I can tell you the secret to having the best of everything. Actually, there are two parts to this secret: Lower your expectations. Be happy with what you have. Easy huh? Bet you already knew this. Me too. But actually it's taken me a while to really get the knack of it, and I'm not sure I'm there yet. But I can tell you I've had the best Mother's Day this year and a big reason is

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-52845111002774859872010-05-06T19:41:00.001+10:002010-05-07T07:32:22.766+10:00

This is me a month ago, five months pregnant, wearing a dress my mother-in-law gave me around Christmas time. Yeah, pregnancy has a way of creeping up on me from behind. Anyway, I've been getting away with wearing my regular clothes until this week. On Monday, getting ready for the school run on a chilly autumn morning I realised I literally had nothing suitable to wear that fit me and was warm

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-42168122893031910142010-05-03T15:48:00.117+10:002010-05-03T21:49:04.119+10:00

Well, April wasn't as productive for me work-wise, compared with March. But we did manage a few days' family getaway to the beach, ended up spending a bit more than we expected to (as you do), and I didn't feel guilty at all. We enjoyed what was probably among the last of a run of gloriously warm and sunny autumn days before winter's chill sets in. But today it was back to work and my

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-15993591174222036932010-04-29T22:31:00.004+10:002010-04-30T07:13:52.378+10:00

Image: David Sifry What a week! My gorgeous boy turned two, I got back to writing work after the school holiday break, and this blog got another award (this time from the lovely and talented Michelle at Warsaw Mommy). I said to my husband the other night that I feel as though I've been pushing myself to get through the last few weeks. Since Easter we've all had the flu, we've had two of the kids

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-64649404484675539982010-04-27T14:33:00.003+10:002010-04-27T14:45:26.000+10:00

Every day I have a new, fantastical, often complex story in my head. Last week I had this terrific notion of a Zen-like superhero who was an ordinary Catholic monk in everyday life, but in a crisis could lift a car off a person with one finger and the power of his super-concentrated mind. Another time it was a murder mystery involving a still-living person in a shallow grave and another in an

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-25729972452246922132010-04-21T18:27:00.000+10:002010-04-21T18:27:36.118+10:00

On Monday, the first day back from two week's holidays, when I was going to hit the ground running to complete my April freelance goals, I spent the day in bed. Didn't count on getting sick, did I? But it was a good lesson. While it's important to plan ahead and set goals, you have to leave a little room for the uncertain and the unpredictable and good old bad luck, and not get too cut up

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-84466901765825384432010-04-16T10:38:00.003+10:002010-04-16T11:10:37.566+10:00

A We're at the end of two weeks of school holidays and on the days my two youngest have been in day care I've enjoyed spending some rare one-on-one time with my big girl. She's just turned six and I'm starting to think that this might turn out to be my new favourite age. The two of us have been going to the cafe for smoothies, scootering around the city's Botannical Gardens, sharing fish and

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-54805577385132981812010-04-09T13:54:00.001+10:002010-04-09T14:07:05.167+10:00

I spent last Saturday night, the Saturday before Easter, baking, decorating and wrapping these Easter biscuits (or cookies). Things got a bit stressful at 8pm when I pulled the dough out of the refrigerater and found it too crumbly to roll. I had never used this recipe before, did I follow it right? I didn't know so I just added water and crossed my fingers for luck. All I knew was that it had

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-20014132324602088352010-04-01T16:29:00.000+11:002010-04-01T16:29:32.390+11:00

I was so surprised and thrilled this morning to find that Kristy at Pampers and Pinot had given me two lovely awards, for Beautiful Blogger and One Lovely Blog. Thank you Kristy! How did you know I needed cheering up today? I'm enjoying reading your blog too. Here they are: To claim these awards, I have to share seven things about myself and pass on the awards to 15 other bloggers. Here goes:

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-60867330824957138652010-03-31T14:39:00.000+11:002010-03-31T14:39:24.442+11:00

I found this precious thing the day after a storm about a week ago. It'd been knocked out of a tree near my daughter's school. It looked unused, there weren't any feathers stuck it, or any eggs or feathers on the ground around, so I figured it was a gift and I could keep it. "She made it out of all these little twigs Mummy," my eldest daughter marvelled when I showed it to her. "Did she use

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-21735831231408267552010-03-30T12:41:00.001+11:002010-03-30T12:47:51.088+11:00

Last month I posted my freelance writing goals for March and I'm doing it again for April. If you're also doing the solo-working-from-home thing you might like to put your own goals in the comments and we can support each other. Or post them up and let me know so I can have a look! Posting my goals gave me a sense of accountability (even if only my husband read them) which is pretty vital in

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-91212704951426487072010-03-26T14:35:00.003+11:002010-03-26T16:09:03.733+11:00

I wanted to write a fabulous post for anyone dropping by today, especially for FlogYoBlog Friday. Had a few plans for today. Some work calls to make, some emails to reply to. Also hoped to catch up with a friend at our local park for a picnic while the kids played on the new equipment. Then I found out that my daughter tested positive for dust mite allergy, so I'm spending the day washing

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-60944185267030745412010-03-24T15:57:00.000+11:002010-03-24T15:57:36.338+11:00

The first two things my 23 month old son says in the morning are, "fas" (breakfast), and "jump" (his favourite song). The 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th things he says are "more jump!". Can you guess what it is? Someone put House of Pain's Jump Around to a Bollywood movie clip which is pretty cool. (What's that called? Mashing?) After hearing it 15 times a day for the last few days I'm still happy to

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-74400008943687248862010-03-22T14:01:00.000+11:002010-03-22T14:01:24.234+11:00

I met up with four lovely women in a Newtown cafe on Saturday, who are also mothers with blogs. Thanks Fe, for the photos. Brenda organised the meet up with sponsorship from Nuffnang (thanks Bren).She is just like her Mummy Time blog! Very bright, funny and down-to-earth. Sarah aka Mrs Superwhite. Zoey (Good Goog), who like me has applied for the Smart Home Family project. Right, it's on! (nah,

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-90440874223383339462010-03-19T08:34:00.001+11:002010-03-19T09:33:13.848+11:00

"If you look six months down the track and there's nothing there, and that makes you feel extreme dread, then freelancing is probably not for you. "If you look six months down the track and there's nothing there and you feel a bit of dread, followed by extreme excitement, than you are definitely cut out for freelancing." Luckily I fit the second scenerio, but that's no surprise. I know that

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-41008024966265219912010-03-17T14:15:00.004+11:002010-03-17T15:55:56.700+11:00

This is something I've been struggling with lately.Although I have pretty much everything I could wish for.I have great health, live in a beautiful country, am happily married. I'm mother to three lovely small children and have good family and friends. I have interesting work as well.Sure, not everything is the way I would like it to be, but hey, that's life. I have it pretty good.So when I'm

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-45249044122218224422010-03-15T09:52:00.009+11:002010-03-15T10:52:44.891+11:00

Image by Dreamglow Pumpkincat210I spent the other night moseying around some other blogs and it was a mixed experience I must say.I love discovering new blogs, even if they are just new to me. And it was great to catch up on some old favourites. But boy, did I get a major case of blog envy, verging on total life envy!"These women are cool," I whined to my husband when he got home. "I'm not funny

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-42794356978960007562010-03-11T17:23:00.011+11:002010-03-12T13:27:26.356+11:00

For some years I've been freelance writing for a terrific magazine called My Modern Home.I love this gig, mainly because I get to see inside lots of fabulous Australian homes and, especially, get to speak with the people who live in them. Some are celebrities, most aren't. Some hire interior designers, others have done months or years of searching and researching to find the things they want.It

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-34763904634814771252010-03-05T12:13:00.011+11:002010-03-05T18:49:48.136+11:00

Last week I had four eggplants in the fridge from my mum's garden and decided to make a parmigiana.It's probably one of the most run-of-the-mill Italian dishes there are. But not to me. Making it was as exotic and exciting for me as seeing Brad Pitt in the flesh would be. (If I were a fan, which I'm not, in case my husband's wondering ; )In the end it was too 'saucy' to stand as a meal on its own

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-54269315095536628612010-03-01T10:57:00.010+11:002010-03-03T15:51:53.125+11:00

I've just completed my first month back at work as a freelance writer, proofreader and copy editor. I would like to say I'm doing it just for the love of it, but, well, no. I need to pay for swimming lessons and nice cheeses.At the start of February I set a goal, the average sum of money I wanted to be earning each week within six months.Four weeks later, I think I've done a pretty good job to be

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-32431917183655607702010-02-25T16:11:00.009+11:002010-03-02T17:42:55.762+11:00

Maybe I should start a blog about how a couple with a few kids might be able to afford to buy a house in Sydney which is not a shoebox, is not falling down and is a reasonable distance from work. Or maybe not, considering it would necessarily be a one-post blog, with a depressing post at that. Such as this recent article in the SMH about housing affordability.On a more optimistic note, we managed

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-59220237111099630042010-02-18T13:25:00.007+11:002010-03-02T17:43:08.865+11:00

I've had bit of a hiatus from blogging, as I've tried to tweak and readjust some of my priorities and the way I spend my time.But I'm inspired to post news of a hugely exciting opportunity, an initiative of Energy Australia and Sydney Water. They are looking for a family to live in their 'Smart Home' in Sydney. For free. For one year. As guinea pigs, basically, to give us all a glimpse into how

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-88558555043896969892009-10-29T16:02:00.010+11:002010-03-02T17:41:45.180+11:00

Just a quick note to say head over to Julie Parker's blog, Beautiful You by Julie, to see pictures from the current issue of Australian Women's Weekly and an intriguing story behind them.The cover story on model and TV personality Sarah Murdoch includes the usual array of photos of her, and she looks lovely, but the pictures have not been airbrushed or re-touched in any way, at her insistence.

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-87517914286268325542009-10-02T13:18:00.013+10:002010-03-02T17:40:54.518+11:00

Pic: http://freeimages.co.ukI'm thinking they don't, or at least shouldn't, mix.I saw a poster for a remake of the horror movie The Last House on the Left last week. Normally that would have been no big deal. But I've been feeling a little more sensitive lately about my kids seeing images suggesting sex or violence.The poster for the R rated movie which they had chosen to put up and the position

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-69669436749907940912009-09-29T14:22:00.006+10:002010-03-02T17:42:13.194+11:00

I had a few minutes today by myself while sitting on the back door steps to eat my lunch.I watched the breeze ruffle the sheets on the washing line, and that often gives me such a quiet sense of contentment. I noticed my own breathing, which felt one with the movement of the wind.Then I followed the breeze over the neighbours' backyards, along train lines and through little creeks. I tugged on

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-29997392928517896922009-09-22T15:59:00.009+10:002010-03-02T17:39:01.714+11:00

My daughter rushed up while I was sweeping the leaves from the front porch today, and I tried to shoo her away, thinking she was going to mess up my neat little pile. "No, mum," she said excitedly, "look, it's a heart!".I don't know why these leaves are falling in spring. But I'm just so glad that warmer weather is here. Today was a balmy 31 degrees, and it ended with a thunderstorm. Instead of

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-79172616479514852722009-09-11T21:20:00.013+10:002010-03-02T17:32:35.350+11:00

My life was pretty hectic last month and I felt that I just needed to go off the radar for a while in order to get back to the basics.It was like a mental health day, I guess, except that it was extended for a couple of weeks!I stopped work, apart from one job where I had a deadline (a perk of being self-employed). I had just joined twitter, but I had to drop it; I stopped going online on a daily

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-51468993440078220902009-09-03T18:23:00.011+10:002010-03-02T17:37:06.947+11:00

Picture: Noel Zia LeeI realised I couldn't spring clean until I got rid of some of the stuff that was covering all the surfaces that have to be cleaned.It's not too hard to declutter our house. Still, it took me three days.I started on Monday afternoon, going through the house looking for anything broken that I wasn't going to fix - broken crayons, pens, toys, earrings without partners, cheap

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-17499641264133928492009-09-01T21:37:00.005+10:002010-03-02T17:34:03.256+11:00

Spring.At last.I'm spring cleaning. I'm starting with decluttering; my house, my mind, my heart and my time.That's one reason I haven't written on this blog, or read anyone else's, for a while. The other reason is that I wrote what basically amounts to half a book in just two weeks, in preparation for leading a Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend.I don't think I've ever worked so hard for that

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-60672400545758661262009-08-24T13:13:00.011+10:002010-03-02T17:45:07.344+11:00

Spring is here! Not officially for a few more days of course, but there's no ignoring that it's here nonetheless.The mornings are warmer, wattle trees are blooming their fuzzy little pom poms of colour, and the August winds hurry delicious scents of jasmine and sweet peas along the streets from people's front gardens.The temperature is in the 20s today, and it's glorious! (Out of the wind that is

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-63103888355005866332009-08-21T13:13:00.005+10:002010-03-02T17:36:32.376+11:00

I was invited to dinner at one of the L'Arche homes in Sydney last night.L'Arche ('the ark' in French), is a vision of community where people live together in small groups and support each other in daily life. They include people with developmental disabilities, people of vastly different ages, religious and cultural backgrounds, and people from all over the world.One of the women I met last

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-19969794994156422722009-08-20T15:58:00.015+10:002011-09-07T22:02:44.041+10:00

Sorry guys, this is a women-only post. You wouldn't be interested, trust me. I have been wondering if there was any evidence that PMS symptoms can worsen once you've had a few children. I've done a little research on symptoms and treatments, and summarised the best I found here. In my case, ever since my cycle resumed after baby number three, that time of the month has been starkly evident -

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-12509219043515794382009-08-18T22:19:00.005+10:002010-03-03T18:21:48.900+11:00

These two pics are from the magnolia tree I pass twice a day.For months it was an intriguing canopy of closely woven, intersecting branches. Stark bare and knobbled twigs that looked like lace against a cold blue sky.Now the lace has disappeared; exploded into this mauve and white brilliance.Magnolia trees are in flower all over our neighbourhood at the moment. This one is easily the best one

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-14730872657250451272009-08-17T19:54:00.006+10:002010-03-02T17:34:35.830+11:00

Photo credit: D Sharon PruittMy 16-month old son offered me a glass of water today, which he had poured from his beaker into my glass, and carried all the way to the living room where I was.I was surprised and impressed that he'd thought of doing it and could actually execute it. So touched. It was just what I wanted too, and I didn't even have to ask for it.Who has given you a helping hand

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-90648254648606645672009-08-12T19:55:00.006+10:002010-03-02T17:43:41.017+11:00

Have you got a blog, or another personal or business website?I recently attended a one day workshop on writing and editing for the web with the Society for Editors in NSW. I can highly recommend reading on the subject, if you can't get to a similar course.From the first exercise Simon Hillier (one of the guys behind the popular travel websites travel.com and lastminute.com) got us to do, my head

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-13594601323784479362009-08-11T17:08:00.015+10:002010-03-03T18:22:30.719+11:00

Picture credit: druss101A new study has proved that people are better off when they have contact with nature.Benefits come from being in private gardens and public green spaces and even just looking at photos of them.The study by the University of Newcastle in Australia found that people exposed to natural environments:report higher satisfaction with lifeare healthiercope better with

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-8218304649254747872009-08-09T19:34:00.002+10:002009-08-09T20:21:17.985+10:00

Especially when you don't do an awful lot of running. We did a bit of jogging, before a sore knee (not mine), slowed us down.The last time I was in a such a sea of people was last July, during World Youth Day. It is truly amazing to be part of a mass of humanity which stretches out in front of you and behind you as far as you can see in both directions.And everyone was happy. Even the lady I saw

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-45359325943848032852009-08-06T20:14:00.007+10:002010-03-02T17:39:35.204+11:00

I jumped at the chance to interview Julie Goodwin and her family for the Broken Bay News, an Australian Catholic diocesan newspaper and website.Julie was the popular winner of MasterChef, which was the most successful reality show on Australian TV this year so far.So I was more than interested in the chance to meet and speak with her. Better still, as we tried to find a time that was mutually

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-69231742497406569942009-08-03T19:55:00.008+10:002010-03-02T17:41:18.478+11:00

Photo credit: jennifrogI love Taronga Zoo. I took my two youngest children there last week.It’s like a little piece of Australian bush in the city except that you can also find zebras, lions, giraffes and elephants, turkey and hawks and hundreds of other wonderful creatures there which you can't find in the bush or the outback. Hopefully not anyway. You get spectacular and unique views of our

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-45610588812699581362009-07-31T22:44:00.030+10:002010-03-02T17:48:41.282+11:00

Photo credit: mape_sOrganisation is a big key to living simply and frugally while still having fun.For example, we're sometimes given free movie passes or vouchers as gifts and although we appreciate getting them and fully intend to use them, the last few have ended up expiring or we've given them away.We just didn't get around to organising baby sitting, or an evening for my husband to get off

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-1994758495216389042009-07-28T20:00:00.022+10:002010-03-03T18:24:50.145+11:00

My husband gets writers' block every time he has to write a greeting card.The minute we were married, he considered himself relieved of the job of writing personal messages on cards to his mother, sister and aunties.And whenever I do my ritual purges of cupboards and drawers, I come across long overdue birthday and anniversary cards for 'my darling wife' and 'mummy' which are still blank inside.I

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-71514101463939618562009-07-27T15:39:00.007+10:002010-03-02T17:45:52.107+11:00

There are two weeks to go until the City2Surf fun run, and I can't believe it's come up so fast.My fundraising tally has reached $200 so far, money that will go to Caritas aid and development projects here or overseas.I used be positively afraid of running. What was I afraid of? Plenty. Being tired, hurting, and looking silly for starters. What made it possible for me to contemplate running was

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-75187381162520519342009-07-25T20:41:00.008+10:002010-03-13T17:12:16.619+11:00

Ever since my chubby little hand could form words on a piece of paper I have got enormous, heart-widening pleasure out of expressing and creating realities out of writing.But noisy, persistent, surprising Life kept getting in the way of the book I always wanted to write. Some could say it was laziness. I say it was Life!In particular, it sent me this guy who seemed convinced that we should be

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-59363814528079776932009-07-24T14:12:00.009+10:002010-03-03T18:24:10.558+11:00

We had a special visitor today!We've been hearing some kookaburras around lately, with their distinctive cackling laughter. But we haven't spotted any until I walked outside and saw this one, not in a gum tree, but our old lemon tree, a couple of metres from our back door.He seemed very interested in watching me take photos of him.It's not often we get to see them in our suburb, being so far from

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-59483227623115336742009-07-23T20:54:00.016+10:002010-03-02T17:51:04.593+11:00

I've always believed that the less things you have the less you have to worry about.I don't want to live life more widely. Variety is nice, but it's not what I need. My deepest desire and one real need is to live life more deeply.I know some people are amazing at balancing sucess with family life, but I'm the kind of person who would be so exhausted by a two-house, two-career, two-car,

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-19014519512520242112009-07-22T21:46:00.011+10:002010-03-03T18:24:33.542+11:00

We took the kids to a big local park yesterday to meet up with friends and have a picnic. It was a gorgeously sunny mid-winter's day.Bicentennial Park was created in Homebush, a western suburb of Sydney only 30 years ago, when Australia celebrated its bicentenary in 1988. It's a natural heritage site, and a large part of its 100 hectares is a protected wetland ecosystem.It also has a little lake,

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-63347855467147484082009-07-21T21:49:00.014+10:002010-03-03T18:23:44.959+11:00

If you live in Australia then the words Julie and MasterChef probably mean something to you.Julie, a 38 year old wife and mother of three young boys, who runs an IT business with her husband, out-cooked and out-lasted 19 other promising amateur chefs on this popular reality TV show for the title of the country's first MasterChef.I'm not a reality TV fan ordinarily. I only started watching this

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-48034171543520714622009-07-20T17:28:00.006+10:002010-03-03T18:23:29.341+11:00

Next year Australia will again host a Happiness and Its Causes Conference.The conference website says it will be focused on "the key issues of the mind and its potential, happiness, wellness and the care of others. Attendees will be drawn from professional groups such as psychotherapy, mental health, counselling, coaching and human resource management."I'm intrigued by this conference. I was last

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-67106658843628181132009-07-20T10:30:00.008+10:002010-03-02T17:47:25.951+11:00

Last night I reread The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the first time since I was about 10 years old. I had largely forgotten it. It's so passionate!There's innocence, sensuality, hatred, awe and reverence, malevolence, love. It's great stuff even though it does have a wussy ending, but hey, it's a children's novel from last century after all. It's no Harry Potter. All the

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-52180839851789904312009-07-17T22:03:00.008+10:002010-03-03T18:22:06.437+11:00

I finally found a breakfast cereal I want to eat, a lovely, toasty, nutty, cinnamony museli I've been smothering with yoghurt and a bit of honey, and it's one of the most expensive cereals in the supermarket.I went through a couple of boxes of it in as many weeks, and I just couldn't justify the expense. Not for breakfast time, when toast and jam has been doing me just fine for so many years. So

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-36768815790049225482009-07-17T09:57:00.011+10:002010-03-02T18:13:40.229+11:00

I made a trip to Reverse Garbage yesterday. It's a wonderful community resource which accepts industrial discards and sells them very cheaply to the public for creative use.It's all about sustainability, creativity and recycling what would otherwise go to landfill.There are two sections to the big warehouse, the bag section and an indivually priced section. You can stuff a cloth shopping bag for

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-56983154761690439122009-07-15T21:23:00.008+10:002010-03-02T17:47:12.031+11:00

For two days everyone has been sick with the flu at our place, except for me. Monday was great, the house was quiet because everyone was sleeping, and I could do what I love doing when I'm at home on my own.I did a little cleaning (loving the fact that I could do it uninterrupted and things stayed clean), I did a lot of reading, a little writing, and I called up some friends for a chat and to

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099574127812964000.post-47702958435780987922009-07-13T11:12:00.013+10:002010-03-02T17:46:07.015+11:00

Since having my first child more than five years ago, I have admired those mothers who seem to do amazing things as well as raising their families. Fiona Wood is one of these. She is a mother of six, a world-renowned plastic surgeon, business woman and inventor of a special spray-on skin for burns victims.I don't have Dr Wood's kind of talent, but I have been envious of her energy and ability to

Marilyn Rodrigueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688997303381945278noreply@blogger.com2