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Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts

Thursday, 10 May 2012

The Best of Times

Oh my goodness me!! I'm as excited as I've ever been... Even more than when I FINALLY got a certain son, (no names J), potty trained. Even more than when Chris de Burgh sat on my knee while he crooned 'Lady in Red' in my ear. This is big - really BIG!!
Turning on my bashed up iPhone on this morning, I had a 'Congratulations' tweet from a fellow blogger - the fab Sarah -and to cut a very long story short, after a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, and checking and rechecking....and rechecking again, I found out that I've been nominated in two categories for the MAD Blog Awards!
Peeps, this is like the Oscars for blogs, so you can just call me frickin' Angelina Jolie. (Just today, humour me!) I couldnt believe it!  Still can't actually, and I'm almost afraid to even look at all the other finalists because I KNOW they'll be tote amaze but, you know what? Right now, I don't even care!
 One of the very first things that I did do was to phone my mum. Now, just to put you in the picture, she and the whole Interweb thing don't really see eye to eye- she once did a 10 week course on basic computer skills and announced, at the end, that all she now knew was how to use the mouse. End of. So to say that she's a bit baffled by the whole 'blogging' concept is an understatement. I mean, she still hasn't actually managed to access my blog, ('Is that all one big long word? What do you mean 'a slash?'), so, a while back I printed off a couple of my posts and to date, that's all she's ever read. But that didn't stop her making multiple copies, and then passing them out to friends, relations, neighbours, complete strangers..anyone actually.
Anyway, I rang her this morning and she answered the phone with a terse ' Is that you Emma?', which of course it was and SHE knew it was too, because it said so on her phone.
'Yes mummy, is everything OK? You sound a bit funny.'
She actually sounded like she was doing some kind of surveillance work, possibly undercover, but as it turned out, she was merely in the dentist's waiting room, which was apparently jampacked with eariwiggers, hence the loud whispering.  When I explained to her why I was phoning, she was (quietly) thrilled and I suspect still slightly baffled, but she totally got the whole trip to London thing. Then gathering herself, and in typical 'mammy' fashion, she put me over it all again.
'Okay, I'm writing this down now- tell me again, how many were nominated? And how many are finalists? And you're doing what exactly? I'm meeting your auntie M later, and I want all the facts in front of me'. Then, with a cheery ' I always said you should have done English A level!', off she went, to get her filling replaced.
I've been on a high all day myself- it doesn't matter that it's pissing down outside, or that in my excitement,  I broke two eggs and spilt fabric softener all over the floor, because I'm a FINALIST- Moi!  I even caught myself humming the stirring 'One Moment in Time' and I HATE that song!
I DID have a mini panic for about five minutes when I thought,  'FTLOG,  what if they actually MEANT it for 'AdventuresofasuperfitmotherIjustmadeitup' and I'll get a tweet saying 'Sorry, we're taking it back but here's a balloon instead.' But then I thought, 'Feck it, they'll have to (virtually) prise it from my cold dead fingers first!'
The truth is though, in this rambling, overexcited, roundabout way, what I'm actually trying to say is thank you very very very much,  because if YOU hadn't bothered your arse nominating me all those weeks ago, I wouldn't be reclining on this very cloud right now. I certainly wouldn't be dreaming of a Finalist badge glittering to your right hand side, or of a September trip to London, and now there's even the teensiest possibility of *whispering now* winning!  And yes, at a later stage, I'll probably beg, plead, cajole and even bribe you into voting again.... and I hope you will....but honestly, right here and now, is more than I ever dreamt of anyway, and I'm so very grateful to you for it. Oh dear...I think I feel another song coming on......

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

Compare and Despair

You know, I was going to fill you in on the mad Holy Communion weekend we just had, chat about the Homeland finale, (Can you BELIEVE it's over?), and possibly even touch on our head melting trip to Toys R Us this morning....but then I got waylaid by a runny -nosed grinch of a toddler, who refused to do the decent thing and take a nap, new toys,(from the aforementioned trip), that needed batteries, and predictably enough, a real stinker of a nappy. After that, over a snatched lunch of beans and toast, I couldn't help popping on to the Twittosphere and catching up on a few of my favourite blogs... which I LOVE to do, really I do, but depending on my mood, it  leaves me feeling one of two ways.
If I'm in good form, I usually depart feeling inspired, entertained and thrilled to be part of such a diverse, stimulating, blogging world. If I'm not in great form, a bit stressed or plain old PMTed, I often mooch out feeling a bit deflated, trending thoughts of 'Why didn't I think of that?', and 'Maybe if I was a bit more...,' and, worst of all, 'They're so talented, and I'm so not, and what the hell am I doing?'
Oh yeah baby! NOBODY throws a pity party like moi!
Later though, when I'm all partied out , I remember why I'm doing this blog in the first place-it's a much needed outlet, (and I'm secretly hoping for free stuff), that I've only been doing it for 9 months, (like pregnancy without the piles), that I'm still finding my voice, (though Loverboy assures me I never lost it in the first place), and that I'm still experimenting, learning and growing. And meanwhile, back in the real world, I'm also desperately trying not to mess up the five souls in my care, while peeling the spuds, sticking on a wash and having the odd cheeky snog with Loverboy.
So yes, I know that I CAN'T be those wonderful other bloggers- I'm just not as funny, or as rude, or as clever or as candid. I'd LIKE to be, but it's not who I am, and I'd only end up being the crappier knock- off version anyway. No, all I can really guarantee myself (and you!) is that I'll be honest and authentic and 100% me. That's why when someone, (whose not family!), tells me they read my blog, or leaves a comment, it's such an amazing feeling because it tells me, that just being me, is enough actually and it's worth reading ...and that's a compliment, a relief and a massive buzz all at once. So thank you (yes you!) for reading this- it honestly means the world to me. Now... mind how you go, don't be a stranger, and I'll catch you in the long grass. Emmax
 Ps in case you want to take a peek at a few of my fav blogs here they are.....
http://sahdandproud.wordpress.com/
http://blackwatertown.wordpress.com/
http://www.thevoiceofsarahmiles.com/
http://upyoursginaford.wordpress.com/
http://testosterhome.net/
http://writtenoff.net/
http://motherventing.wordpress.com/
All brilliantly written, yet wonderfully diverse-enjoy!