Cartoon Diaries

Gees I wish I could draw!

I've always wanted to be able to draw - I've tried and tried and tried. I even suck at playing Hangman I am so bad at drawing ...

Cartoon diaries are a really interesting genre of diary.

You could say that they started with the cave drawings of ancient times. Other examples include the political cartoons in the local newspaper - chronicling the events of our time.

The advent of a personal cartoon dairy dates back to the 1960s - and to continue on today.

Here's one you can check out (Where this pic is from) ... Spaniel Rage... very creative and emotive in a way that I sometimes think words fail to achieve (did I say that as a writer? Wow!).

If anyone has another example I would love to link to it ... as a non drawer I am totally intrigued by the whole concept ...

Release Your Books ... Set them Free!

I am releasing this book to the wild!

I joined Book Crossing ages ago and have been meaning to release a book ... finally I get around to it. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago I have been reading Susan Howatch's Starbridge Series. I ended up with two copies of Scandalous Risks so one is now off in the wild ...

bookcrossing
n. the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise.

(added to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in August 2004)

You can trace its journey on Book Crossing.






All you readers and writers out there ... set a book free. It's fun. You might want to check out "wild releases" in your local area on the Book Crossing site too ... it's kinda fun to see where people are leaving books in your local area. What goes around comes around remember?

The Discipline of Writing

Every writer faces this ... every writer has techniques that work - and then days that don't. 'How to' books are filled with tips and techniques ...

Yet in the end, the journey of writing is laced with very personal ways and means to deal with the act of discipline. Not the whip brandishing kind, but the 'just sit there and write' kind.

The main enemies of a writer's life are procrastination, distraction and lack of passion - and all writers suffer these from time to time.

The difference between a productive day and an unproductive day is huge. You feel different at the end of the day and the cycle of each is hard to break. Productive doesn't only mean how many words you write - it can be linked to research and experiencing things that are essential to the art of what you are writing too. I think it's really important to remember that reading, listening to others, trying new things and sometimes, especially if you write fiction, sometimes just day dreaming is a part of the writers productive tool kit ...

Of course in the end you still have to face that blank page or computer screen ...

Button, button, whose got the button ???

We all have dirty little secrets right? Well I'm coming out of the closet with mine ... well one of mine anyway.

It's my button collection. A source of rolling eyes from my kids, raised eyebrows from my partner when I buy more on e-bay, and a source of laughter behind my back from some friends ... though there is one friend who 'fessed up and said she collected them too

... So you see, your dirty little secret might inspire others to tell you theirs ...

I'm not a particularly focused person at the best of times, so you can imagine my collection isn't catalogued (much!) or in any particular order, and I am not an obsessive type so I actually don't even know alot about buttons on button collecting. I just like the things.

It all started when I had a huge jar of them from various sources and I kept adding to it. I actually used to bring out the jar and a tray when the kids were sick in bed and we played all kinds of games with them (I am good at imagination games ... thus a writer, but not an obsessive one!). (So you see kids ... it could be seen to be your fault I have that collection you roll your eyes at.)

Some people take it all so seriously and have the most amazing historical or themed collections ... mine just sit in jars - one is even colour coded which impresses me no end! I have recently started buying vintage buttons still on their old cardboard backings and they sit in a gorgeous treasure box I got as a birthday present.

What do you do with them? Well like any collection ... I suspect it's just about having them ... not much more than that really ... I found a source of sites if you're actually interested in button collecting ... there is obviously alot more to it than I originally thought ... but I'd rather spend my time on e-bay ...

Fruit Tuesday!

Seriously ... I do think that we need to declare the first Tuesday after Easter, 'Fruit Tuesday'.

Enough of the hot cross buns and chocolate eggs... today, turn to fruit for redemption. Happy Fruit Tuesday!

We're getting hitched!

Phew! We finally set a date and are taking the final plunge!

For those of you who know us, you'll know we haven't rushed into anything ha ha! Getting married just kinda slipped our wee minds for awhile with all the adventures we have been having. And now the time has come.

It is kind of like eloping without all the secrecy.

We have decided to be oh so totally selfish and we are flying over to the Gold Coast and doing the deed over there on the Pacific Ocean. We're having all the usual wedding trappings - only without a guest list of thousands - thus we get to do everything the way we want to. How clever is that? Even better? We get to spend our holiday time over there just having a good old fashioned party for two - our honeymoon starts the second the ceremony finishes this way!

It's been a hoot trying to organise everything from over here on the West Coast. The kids have been holding the whole secret with us ... but now the word is out. Married life here we come!

How many days till July 16???? (too many)

Living at Starbride for awhile ...

A good friend of mine has added to my list of addictions by introducing me to the Starbridge Series written by Susan Howatch. One of the many wonderful things about being a writer is that you must read. One of the even better things about being a writer is having other wonderful writer friends who lend you their entire collections! I mean how lucky can you get?Despite the fact these books were published over a decade ago now, they are entirely timeless.

The characters' lives are weaved throughout the series so you feel like you never have to say goodbye to your favourite people.

I saved the last of the series of six until Easter weekend to read as a treat ... so I'll be back at the other end of this addiction ...

Check out Mother Inc ...

Hot off the press!

One of my articles 'To Work or Not to Work' has been published on a great web site for Mums (and Dads!) called Mother Inc. here in Australia. Check it out if you have been struggling with the decision of whether (or when) to go back to work now you're a parent!

And to think you were starting to think that I hadn't been working while I had my little break from Blog Land!

No excuses except to say "I'm Back"!

I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!! No excuses or anything on my part. I'm back. Been productive to say the least ... it's kinda nice to be back here ...

My mum's response ...

Well how do you like that?

It seems my mum was the "unknown author" on Grandma's diary. My grandad asked her to write some things in it - he apparently dictated much of it ...

Anyway here is my Mum's reponse to reading it all back ...

"How do I describe my feelings and thoughts of seeing my Mother's Green Five Year Diary, wrapped by a silk wide ribbon,laying upright on a cushion of my bed?

My first impulse was a feeling of Pure Love! The vibrations were hitting me so strongly knowing of its originality.

I was mesmerized, so much so I just wanted to savor the moment and its feelings as long as possible, yet at the same time wanting to enter and read its contents...

It looked so lovely sitting there.

I kept going in and out of the room, still not believing my eyes and thoughts.

Finally.....after about three hours the urge was so strong to pick it up and untie the ribbon, yet not really wanting to disturb it.

I carefully untied the ribbon,gently opened the cover, read what was written there and then read each of the following pages.

I could relate to most all she wrote about and the people she mentioned. Her written abruptly stopped on October 16th 1960 and from here someone else took over and as I continued to read I kept saying it looks like my writing, the more I read the more I knew it was my writing, but so help me I could not remember writing it,but then this was 45 years ago.

After re-reading it came to me. Yes, I now do remember writing in it for Pa. He wanted me to do the writing as he never did much writting and when he needed correspondence done he usually dictated to my Mom, now he was dictating to me.

Reading this diary has brought up many questions in my mind that need to be addressed.

Acknowledgement: Many Thanks to my niece Reba Miller for sending this Diary down to Pamela and many Thanks for sharing it with me.

Love to all! Ella Weatherill (Nee Miller)."

How it all ends ...

For those of you following the path of my grandmother's diary from Canada to Australia I have the end of the diary for you ...

If you remember right her last entry was on October 16 ...

Then the handwriting changed to someone who is currently 'unknown'. And here is how her diary ends [TISSUE ALERT for the more sensitive among you]:
October 30 1960
[Unknown author writing]
Pa got sick to-night & Ma stayed up all night to look after Pa.

October 31 1960
[Unknown author writing]
Ma took sick to-night and Pa stayed up all night to look after her.

November 1 1960
[Unknown author writing]
Bea took Ma to the hospital today.

November 2 1960
[Unknown author writing]
Bea and Michael took Pa to the hospital.

Thursday November 3 1960
[Unknown author writing]
The Dr said to-day that Pas has pleurisy & pneumonia.

November 5 1960
[Unknown author writing]
Dr said Ma has had a heart attack.

Sun November 6 1960
[Unknown author writing]
Bonko came down to-day from La Morey. Mum had 2 attacks to-day.

November 7 1960
[Unknown author writing]
Mum feels a bit better to-day. Ella [My mum] & Pete phones Pa to-day & said they would be up on Friday.

November 11 1960
[Pa’s writing] Mun wanted Ella [My mum] to write in her diary to morrow. Mum passed away smiling at 12.40. Mun knew she was leaving us. The best wife and mother in the world.
[Unknown author writing]
Ella & Pete got up to see Ma 3 times to-day. She looked grand.

November 12 1960
[Unknown author writing]
To-day is very sad. We are all mourning the loss of a wonderful mother. There’s nothing too good in this world for her. God bless Her! At last she is at peace.

November 12 1960

[Unknown author writing]
To-day has been so long. Just can’t seem to think straight. All the family stayed with Pa at the hospital when we could.

November 14 1960
[Unknown author writing]
We (the family) visited Pa at the hospital & are trying to think of the things to be arranged for Ma’s funeral.

November 15 1960
[Unknown author writing]
The family have been running around all day to get everything settles. Visited Pa all day. Elsie, Frank, Henry came up from Salmon Arm to-night.

November 16 1960
[Unknown author writing]
Bill W [My dad], Bill M & Margaret came up by bus. Ma’s funeral was to-day, we all paid her our last respects. Pa’s house was full of people, over 50. Ma had a lovely bunch of flowers. Over 50 wreaths in all. She had a lovely service at the church & the Legion had one at the cemetery, with armed guards & last post.

I will write more later, on the subject of multiple people writing in a journal, but will leave you with this lovely set of entries for now. Hopefully when My mum finishes reading the diary she will comment here so you all get to read her response!

Grandma's Diary is on its way ...

Well Grandma's diary is on its way to Bunbury W.A. to be with my Mum tomorrow ... It has been so fun having it here and reading it, scanning it, devouring it again then transcribing some of it as well ... Oh and sharing it with any poor soul who walks through the doors ...

Once I know my Mum has had a chance to read it I will tell you the story of how it ends ... just get your tissues ready ...

Can't wait to hear what my Mum has to say - it was great to read my Grandmother's diary ... imagine what it would be like to read your mother's diary????

All things young and new ...

New life is a useful tool for the creative spirit ...

We are surrounded by it here at the moment ... new fluffy kittens (really fluffy as their Mum is a Persian tortoiseshell) and new baby budgies and more eggs ready to hatch ...

The way the kittens play, then the dogs react to the kittens playing, and even better when Mum Cat (Emily) reacts to the dogs reacting to the kittens ... it is really funny at times ...

I suggest that any writer cloistering themselves up to consider having a pet ... and I know where there are some kittens looking for a good home!!!

Madison Town ... circa 2007

Those of us bloggers with partners in real life know about the compromise... you know the one? The one where YOU want to blog, and work on your latest writing project ... and THEY want some real life interaction with you ...

We have a solution in our household! A suitably addictive hobby for my man! AND .... (drum roll) ... one that feeds my creative nature as a writer at the same time ...

Stuart has joined the millions of guys around the world that spend their time, dollars and other resources into setting up a model train and associated landscape and village! Now I must be honest here - if I wasn't so damn addicted to the writing work I do, I might even be tempted to join in (which would defeat the purpose I alluded to in the beginning) ...

While he has just started this hobby recently it was a long time in the wishing! We finally broke through the resistance, visited our local Hobby Shop and there HIS addiction began.

Madison Town has begun - and I must say its sparking all kinds of creative responses in me ... While I am not heavily in to the train part of it, I insisted that the landscape needed some people models to populate it ... and now .. I find myself writing the inner lives of the little OO size model people sitting on park benches in a vilage that is just beginning ...

But I'll stop there - non-writers will be sending the men in white coats over soon if I carry on ...

The best bit? I'm here blogging away ... and Stu is happily engaged in creating Madison Town ... where Jimmy is sitting under a tree wondering whether the couple on the bench are going to move soon so he can sit on it while he watches the trains go by ...

Saskia's Valentines Contribution!

Well she's done it again! Saskia Walker has published another hot read, and was sooooooo sweet as to send me a signed copy (nearly) in time for Valentine's Day!

As I said to my daughter " I wanna be just like her when I grow up" (despite thinking I might be a tad older than Saskia!). Saskia's new novella Sex, Lies and Bondage Tape is in KINK ... and if you like erotic romance you really need to have a read.

Us Aussie readers need to get it on Amazon - but if you're in the UK, US, or Canada you are lucky lucky punters and can buy your own hot copy!

I had fun when I picked mine up from my P.O. box ... I can never resist opening a parcel straight away, so there I was with those poor people who work a nine to five work day, first thing in the morning in their suits and office gear ... they opened their mail boxes to a day's worth of correspondence to deal with ... and ... now I'm living the writer's life ... I could stand there with my red hot copy of KINK and saunter to the local cafe for a read ... I am sure the look on their faces was one of jealousy ... or perhaps it was just intrigue at the cover of the book ...

My daughter thinks all I do is blog ...

I'm sure she thinks all I do is blog all day .... (check out the lack of blogging in the last month to see this is NOT true!).

Anyways ... she sent me a fun little site called Blog Things .... where I got this little quiz about blogging. It's all lies of course ... I have NO class when it comes to who I share my blog with ... I share it with anyone who will read it ha ha!

Your Blogging Type is Artistic and Passionate

You see your blog as the ultimate personal expression - and work hard to make it great. One moment you may be working on a new dramatic design for your blog... And the next, you're passionately writing about your pet causes. Your blog is very important - and you're careful about who you share it with.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Grandma's last Diary entry ....

My grandmother's diary, is from the last year that she was with us ... She died on November 11 1960 ....

Her last entry is here on October 16 1960 ...

There is actually a lot more written after this date but I don't want to spoil the reading for my Mum. I'm taking the diary down to her next Sunday. So after she has read it I will publish more here ...

It is a story worth hearing ... but be warned, you have a week to buy tissues!

Here is a picture of my (2nd) Cousin who is visiting from Canada (Carissa) and my Mum (Evelyn). It was Carissa's Mum (Reba) that sent the diary for us Aussie family to read!

Here's One for Esther's Namesake

Here's a little more of Esther Miller's diary from 1960, she was living in Quesnel, BC Canada ...

It appears that she was given the diary for Christmas 1959 ... She addressed herself as Mrs J.A. Miller (her husband was James Adelbert).

You can enlarge any of these by simply clicking on them ... it makes them clearer to read ...



I purposely put one in here where she has a win at Bingo. My sister was named after Grandma (she was born before Grandma died) ... my sister Esther married a guy with the last name of Miller so she ended up with the whole same name as our grandmother - Esther Miller! Seems they both also had Bingo in common! Winning $1.50 was obviously a big won in those days ...

There are lots of entries that give you an idea of the cold winter being married to a Railway man who worked away at times ... with grown up family and grandkids all around her.



And some references to the Cariboo region in which she lived (for 37 years it says here in this entry).

Journal Journeys

You can learn heaps from reading someones journal.

However ...

You must always remember that the journal is never the whole story. They might have been fictionalised, sanitised or written knowing someone was going to read them and thus have an audience that you aren't really sure of. They must always be rad with respect. Unless of course someone has published their own journals and I reckon that gives you full permission to critique them the same as any other publication ...

And I want to repeat here that it is rude to read the journal of another person without some kind of permission. Published journals are fine. Journals that have been willingly passed down (or given) to family members (as long as you abide by any instructions) are fine, but other than that leave journals alone. Even if you stumble across an open page of your loved one's journal sitting on your desk!!!

Having put out that proviso - I will continue writing about my grandmother's journal here. There are some pages I don't wawnt to talk about until my Mum (now head of that particular line of the family) has read it. For now tho ... I just feel like yelling from the roof tops!

It is so much fun to discover my Grandma as a mum of adult children and grandchildren. To be connecting with a part of my heritage. Especially my female heritage right now ... sitting between my own mother before me and my daughter coming up behind ...

Does your diary or journal provide useful stories and memories for a future generation?(Click on images to enlarge)

My Grandmother's Journal is in Australia (travelled from Canada!)

(double click on picture to enlarge)

I am actually rather overwhelmed today. Really overwhelmed to be honest.

Regular 'New Century Notebook' readers will know the basic background ... but here's a summary. I live in Perth Western Australia - possibly the furtherest Capital City from British Columbia Canada where I was born. I left there when I was 8 ... (yeah you can do the maths and work out my age ... it was 1970 when we left). The only blood family here in Australia are my kids, mum and dad, one brother ( & his kids) and my sister. I grew up not knowing my extended family - and with sketchy memories to say the least. My Grandma died 2 years before I was born.

Recently, my cousin's daughter has come to visit us here from Canada. It's been a blast having family around .... and one of the stories she told was about having read her Great Grandmother's diary. Check out previous post regarding my excitement that there was even a diary in existence ... My partner Stuart put up with me ranting non stop about how I really wanted to read Grandma's journal ... I needed to read it ... but didn't dare think I could actually hold it in my hands, thousands of miles from its origins ...

... The diary is now here ... sitting on my desk ... in front of me ...

You can only imagine the crazy emotions. I collect old diaries as part of my research, and to have my grandmother's here is such a gift. My cousin Reba is the most amazing cousin to have (albeit across the miles). First she lent us her daughter Carissa for a while (!) and then she posted the diary so we could all have a read here in the Antipodes.

I will feature the diary in some future posts - believe me there is some tear jerking to come. For now I just wanted to let regular readers know the exciting news and say a big THANK YOU to my cousin Reba!

Typo Queen

OK OK OK ... I get the message.

Those of you who are sick and tired of my typos will be pleased to know that I have downloaded Blogger for Word and the typos should cease.

I understand your frustration - imagine how I feel? Freelance writer, editing, lecturing and marking University papers for goodness sakes.

But ... consider this ... I am so comfortable in the company of such a wonderful blogging community that my typos are merely a demonstration of my comfort with you - a little like wearing ugg boots around the house when no one is looking ...

I mean really ... my blog is like one of my notebooks ... and perfect just ain't part of the game ...

I hereby promise to take more time when I am blogging and not irritate the more perfect of you in the blogosphere ... hee hee

Surrogate Journals

It strikes me that not everyone keeps a journal or a blog ... this was no major revelation mind you, just something I have to remind myself now and again when I am socialising. "Not everyone writes a journal Pamela", I sometimes have to soothe myself ...

There are so many other forms of chronicalling our lives. I mused here recently about the visit of an old friend. Catching up on news face-to-face is a great way to review the months since last you met. Even emailing a friend regularly can become a type of journal experience - especially if you (or they) keep them all and you can review them at a later date.

Then there is your daily diary. If you record your activities (and perhaps some qualitative comments about the day) then your appointment diary becomes your journal too ...

More recently for me I have had a young cousin staying from Cananda. This has inspired more conversations with other family memebers too. And I see these interactions as a nother way of telling the stories of our lives ... our family lives, history and points of remembrance ... all really important aspects of who we are.

It is making me feel quite strongly about my heritage, especially my female heritage, right now.

Consider the things that are journalling, but without journalling ... collecting letters, notes, souveniers from movies you go to, photo albums, postcards or your scrap book.

Expanding the definition of journalling as a verb can only be a healthy thing I am sure ...

Can I Have Five?

Can I have five minutes of your time???

Oh you would not believe the twists and turns in New Century Notebook at the moment. Wow.

I really would love some responses to my Blogging Survey ... all dead easy questions and really fast and easy to fill out. Five minutes maximum. Calling all bloggers!

The survey is ..... here ... if you choose to accept this mission!

Test time!

Ok!

So who is still keeping any New Year's resolutions to write everyday in their blog or diary???

Hmmm?

How are you doing?

I'm keeping up my usual writing rituals but falling behind in the blogging (we have had so many visitors from other cities and my gorgeous cousin from Canada that I have a great excuse!!!).

It's only 24 days in to the year - too early to be faliling those resolutions guys!

My Grandma Wrote a Journal!

Can you imagine how excited I was to learn this news!!!!!!!!!!!??????????

It was like - "OH MY GOODNESS". I couldn't think straight for a little bit when I heard the news. My poor cousin is here down under visiting from Canada at the moment and she just mentioned in passing that she had read Grandma's diary and that it is "full of ordinary things like what she did each day, going shopping and things like that".

I nearly lost my breath, fainted, & screamed with delight! To know that I come from a genetic pool that includes a diary writer! Horray. I am not alone in being the mad diary writing one in my family anymore. Phew! To think that it is in family hands and wasn't destroyed or given to a local museum or historical society too. I am so pleased it is in family hands. My grandma died before I was born so I never got to meet her ... but my mum tells stories about her.

I asked my Mum if she knew that HER mum had kept a diary and it was a total surprise to her too. It's so exciting. Of course now I need to work out how to get an airfare to Canada solely for the purpose of reading it ... hmmm ... what can I sell on e-bay?

Seriously - it has given me such a boost of motivation for this project just knowing she kept one ... But now of course my cousin think's I'm some kinda strange person - I'll need to work on that and start acting normal again! (By the way this is a pic of my Gramma in Sept 1960 - don't you LOVE the feather?).

Calling All Bloggers!

Research and book writing is never easy ... I need help from fellow bloggers for my book.

I need to know more about how people got started blogging, what they blog about and WHY they do it ...

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ... I have set up a survey for bloggers here ... and I would really really really love you forever if you could stop by and just fill out this quick survey. I would love you even more if you sent other people there too!!

(I've plenty of love to go around!)

Old Friends - Walking Diaries

Summer seems to be the time so many people return to Perth if they are living overseas or interstate ... this is possibly due to the great summer weather, but more likely due to the fact it's also a long school holiday period.

I like catching up with people I haven't seen for awhile. I might put a restriction on that, I like catching up with people I haven't seen for awhile if they are friends and I like them!

I had reason to catch up with a few people over summer, but one was a friend I haven't seen for a few years. We knew each other when we were like 17 and starting our nursing careers together. This was a time we all 'grew up' from innocent childhoods to adults who help really responsible jobs and met incredible people in awful circumstances (the patients). We witnessed all those embarrassing mistakes one makes in the transition - you have to stay friends because you all have so much 'dirt' on each other!!! In those days (oh dear ... I am coming off old now!) we did our nursing training on the wards, and very little in the classroom - we played and worked hard.

The catch up was like re-reading a diary. Snippets of gossip about people we still saw, changes in our own lives and changes in people around us. It stimulates memories, feelings and thoughts from the past the same way reading an old diary can do.

Old friends, diaries, memories, photo albums - like it or not the past determines part of who we are.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I'll feel better soon ... I hope ... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Hmmm ... not yet obviously ... but I will .... soon.

Regular readers will remember how much I loved the new Beta Blogger when it first came out (not). Well I succumbed. I tried again. I was really postive (honest). I didn't have even the tiniest little negative thought in my mind. I figured the bugs would be out of it by now. I was actually being really rational.

It was all wasted *sigh*

But - in trying to stay positive my blogs appear on line this time. That is a huge improvement. What has been missing is any comments people have left in the last few months. Well interestingly, some comments were still coming to me, and some weren't.

SO- If I offended anyone by not getting back to them I apologise. And I am going to sit here and read them all now. (Well sometime in the next couple of days, but from your PC screen you can't tell that I am actually taking off to the movies with my daughter to see Holiday).

Now. Back to being positive. I don't think (fingers crossed) that the new Blogger has any other hiccups.

New Year Diaries

So how does your new diary look?

Are you already regretting not getting a different one? Or perhaps you love the one you have but wish you had written more neatly in it that last couple of days? Or are you still to buy one (perhaps you are one of those people who will wait until they are on sale before you buy!).

Whether it's your date book or journal - the new year usually brings new books to sribble in - and the opportunity to do it differently this year. Just don't forget you don't need to wait a whole year to change how you are doing your journal or diary. Don't fall for that one!

Happy New Year

Oh the joys of the New Year and a new blank book to start writing in!

Yep, that's crazy I know. But it's an exciting part of the annual cycle to start afresh, start anew. No different than we can every day of our lives, but there is something special about New Years.

Make the most of it. And have a great start to 2007.

The Half and Half Solution

Try something new for your diary or journal this year ...

If you like to have a paper based diary for recording to do lists and appointments in, but you don't seem to use all the space for each day, you have a wonderful opportunity.

This year buy a diary that gives you just a little more space per day on the page. If you used to have a week to a page, try two days to a page for example. Then, use the top part of each page to record the things you need to remember like bills to pay, appointments, friend's birthdays, shifts for work (or whatever you use a date book/diary for normally).

THEN ... use the other half of the page (or more) to record things that happen during the day. Or things you over hear, places you go, situations you observe or feelings you have as you line up in a queue for 20 mins at the bank.

By the end of the year you will have a full record of a year's worth of living - and how you felt about it. Sometimes from a planning perspective, sometimes written as you experience it and at other times when you reflect at the end of the day.

One book.

Two purposes.

New way of looking at the world.

It's ALL about Diaries now!

Ok ok ok ..... Stop the chatter about Turkey and Families now. THIS ... this little week between Christmas and New Year is THE time of year for all diary and journal writers.

We come in to our own now.

You can spot the serious diary users and journal writers at this time of the year. We speed through the shoe sales and spend most of the day around blank books, journals and new diaries. Oh those new diaries. It is such an important decision ... do you upgrade your electronic PDA? Do you revert to the old paper based day to a page? Week to a page? A4 size? Pocket size? Pretty or classy?

And that is just the way you handle your date book.

Journals take on a new meaning. So many journallers won't just keep writing in their current book. These get disbanded and discarded for new blank books to start the new year with a blank page. Oh the blank page! (More on that later in the week).

Then when you get your purchases home ... time to fondle, fill out opening pages, decorate and generally just satiate yourself with the touch of the new and blank pages ahead ... sigh ...

The week between Christmas and New Year is journal and diary week ... life is so sweet. (And better still the left over turkey is all finished!).

Nearly Time for New Year's Resolutions

Like it or not, I bet you over indulged in SOMETHING over Christmas huh?

There is a great health and wellbeing site to go to to start thinking healthy. No Excuses Gym is both kind and hard on you!

It is tough because it reminds you that there really isn't any good reason not to get fit, exercise, eat well etc etc (you can add your own failures here!). I think I am most creative when it comes to excuses not to do things I know I really want to do - and should do.

The site is kind because it doesn't say "Don't go to a Mexican Restaurant" ... instead it says "Here's what to order so you can still get out the door after eating at a Mexican Restaurant". How much better is that? Simple ways to change some habits but still not miss out on life!

This blog is written by Marcela who is totally into personal training and highly qualified by the look of it - both a PhD and Masters ... . I am NOT focussed on intense exercise or motivated by lectures on health, but I like her site. It has a sense of realism to it. Just what I need as the New Year starts. No more huge resolutions thatI know I won't keep.

Pop by and have a look at the hints about exercise, eating healthy, sleeping more (I like that one!), daily tips, interesting tid bits and information that is current and looks at the wellness debate.

Merry Christmas to All and To All A Good Turkey!

I'll be back writing again after Boxing Day - so have a ...

May all your pressies be great ones ... Bridget Jones's Diary

Let's hear from BJ for the last Chrismas Diary Entry ....

"12.30pm. Gift exchange was nightmare. Always overcompensate for bad presents, yelping with delight, which means I get more and more horrid gifts each year..."

So may your presents be wonderful, and IF NOT, then keep the yelping to a minimum!

Christmas Diary - Andy Warhol

Christmas Day 1980 - Andy Warhol ....

"It was the coldest day ever. And I'd been afriad to go to sleep becasue I was alone in the house. I'd like to get Nena and Aurora's brother Agosto to be a bodygaurd, although he's like only two feet high, but he's just out of Marine Corps and its "Yes Sir!" and "No, sir!"and he's great. I was on my way to work but since there was no heat I decided I couldn't. Picked up John Rienhold and we went to Sharon Hammond's for Chirstmas Dinner (cab $5). But there wasn't anybody good there."

It sounds so lame to work on Christmas Day. That's it. No blogging after Friday. (I love Christmas Eve as much as Christmas Day). None then until after boxing day.

Even writers deserve a break. Don't they? Doesn't mean my head will stop.

Christmas Diaries

I figured that in the lead up to Christmas it would be fun to look at OTHER people's Christmas Day musings in their diary ...

I find it interesting, because one of the days I most often MISS writing in my diary is actually Christmas Day. Boxing Day often starts with a list of pressies tho! There is NO WAY I will blog on Christmas Day. The computer will be off ... well and truly! Will you BLog for Christmas?

Anyway If we are to hear from other diaries - I thought it best to start with our friend Kilvert. And this diary entry also has significance for those of us living down under ... but read it no matter who you are. The last line is not what you would expect from the local parson at Christmas ...

" To-day we heard by a short telegram of the awful calamity of the burning of the emigrant ship Caspartia near the Cape of Good Hope bound for New Zealand. Four hundred and forty persons burnt in hher. One boat reached St Helena with three survivors who had lived on the flsh of their companions"

I'll try to find something more uplifting for tomorrow ...

Happy Birthday To Me!

Well......... happy birthday to my BLOG that is!

I can't believe it. I started blogging twelve months ago when I started the research component to my book The New Century Notebook. It had been suggested to me that perhaps the best way to learn about blogging (its ups & downs, its addictive nature, its frustrations and fun) was to become a blogger.

It was supposed to be a short term thing.

No one warned me it was so totally addictive!

Here I am, with a 12 month old blog now, wondering what happened. No longer just about the research I am still finding my blogging voice. Still creating a blogging community around me and most definately learning the more advanced things about blogging still.

I'm here to stay. NCN Blog is here to stay. There will be some change in focus from just the NCN project ... but I ain't goin' no where!

Happy Birthday Blog!

Mummy Bloggers Wanted!

I love Mummy Bloggers!

As part of the New Century Notebook Project I am now doing a mini study on Mummy Bloggers!

You know the ones ... the witty women who share their daily trials and tribulations so the rest of us parents feel half normal.

If you are a Mummy Blogger, please please please pop over to Mums@home in the Blogosphere and share the URL for your Mummy Blog so I can profile you!

RIP Muppet Mobile

There is definately something in this Feng Shui thing ... I swear it.

When we put up our HUGE Chritsmas tree in what Feng Shui people would call our "Finance corner" of the house. I said to Stuart: "This is bad financial Feng Shui to put an artificial tree in this corner". He argued well, pointing out it is a Christmas Tree, not just any artifical plant. So we added our nativity to that corner, great lights, metallic looking decorations in silver, red and purple, and forgot the conversation really.

* Then the air conditioning broke down in our house: Bill $600+
* Excess water bill arrives (I am more disgusted that we went over our limit in these drought ridden times, than the bill to be honest): $ you don't want to know!
* Then Stuart's car needed new brakes and something done to the transmission: $1500+
*Then my car overheats and costs me unexpected coolant: $30 (small price to payI know ... but it's the point that it was unexpected in December. Who has extra money in December?)
*THEN ... my Muppet Mobile dies totally (my car, ok? Yes, it has a name!) -LOWEST quote to resurect it?: $3500

So excuse me if you don't hear from me for awhile ... I'm off looking for a LIVE tree for that corner of the house ... but with the Muppet Mobile gone I will have to walk ... and drag it home over my shoulder ...

New Skin Design Wanted!

Position Vacant!

New Century Notebook will be one year old in a dew days ... and to think I started this blog simply to experience blogging for the book! I need to seriously focus my postings, but I also want to get a new look.

That's where you come in.

I would really like a blog skin designed that more clsoely reflects the blog and me ... and I would love some recomendations about who to get to do it.

Any ideas? I know some of you have had some work done to your blogs recently, so I would love a referral. Or perhaps you are a designer and would like the challenge.

Help me out here. (Oh and thanks to Zoot for this temporary change!).

Do check out Pay Per Post ...

I have fallen for as many e-scams as the next person (give or take about a million!). So I am actually quite pleased to add a new little link to my blog (Check it out over there by the other blogging resources on the right ... no lower ... where all the icons are under my visitor numbers ... yeah there!).

As you will know there aren't many legitimate deals for making money on your blog. Well Pay Per Post is one place you can earn serious blog money . And it is perfect for any blogggers who already talk about cool sites and share resources with others. The best bit is honestly that there is no unwanted advertising on your site. If you like something, you blog about it, you get paid. There are a few restrictions ... like you have to have a cool blog approved, write regularly and not just be a sales blog of some sort. But it's dead easy and no more adsense putting whatever it wants on your site!

So click on that little banner (... over there ... LOWER ... gees do I have to go thru all that again ....)
Oh bugger ... here's a link just for you lazy ones that have had too much Chrissie cheer to be able to scroll ....

Dear Diary ...

Dear Diary ...

How do you start your journal or diary entires? Your blog entries? Have you noticed that most blogs (while they often have an alter ego attached) rarely start with a salutation of any kind.

Traditional diaries definately had a persona, and were often adressed by a name, or more generically as "Dear Diary..."

I haven't used a name or a salutation for years ... what do you do?

New Roomie New Roomie New Roomie!

Come on down and meet Noi from Singapore!

Do pop over to visit Noi at 'Voicing My Thoughts' blog.

I hate choosing who to take up for renting my blogspace ... so thanks to everyone who put in a bid ... please try again next time. As a political act I am keeping the bid amount to 10 points (the minumum you can have) ...

Now ... go see Noi!

Happy Birthday Claire

Hey there Claire.
Happy Birthday.

We all wish you were here to share a cocktail or two - tho of course you would have to make them!

I can hardly believe this picture is two years old at Christmas time. I am still taking care of your bucket ...

I still miss you, you cheeky young thing.

Rest In Peace.

Urban Legends Debunked!

Hey - wanna have some fun?
I am always looking out for interesting tid bits to add to my writing - especially in novel writing. But I also find it kinda useful to have a pocket full of interesting 'facts' to have at the ready when I am socialising at this time of the year too.

The good people at Maxim magazine have taken a set of Urban Legends and common myths and opened a "Debunkment" Section of their web page (yeah I know, I doubt that this is a real word!).

I 'borrowed' this pic of the laughing nun from their site too ... isn't she cute?

There are some Urban legends I hadn't even heard of before like ... using the words 'president' and 'kill' in one telephone conversation could lead to the US government recording your conversation (in the States obviously ... or phoning in to the States) .... and chewing gum taking 7 years to digest if swallowed ...

Hee hee - I'm not telling you if they're true or not. Go check them out for yourself!

Year Endings

The year coming to an end often moves journal writers in to a new frenzied state. Do you buy a new journal to start on January 1? Do you try to quickly fill the old one up even though it still has so many pages left? Do you just leave the last pages blank? Or - do you just keep writing as if the end of the year is nothing special at all?

Have you noticed the journals for sale as Christmas presents? There are some really lovely ones out there at the moment (no free ads from me I promise!). BLank books can be used for so many purposes ... they are worth considering as a present ...

I'm thinking I might try a new radical approach next year ... but I'll write about that later if I decide to.

And tell me ... does anyone else feel like time is speeding up as we approach the end of the year???

Fun Way To Spend On Line

I have a lovely little dirty secret people ... and whilst I realise that sharing in the blogosphere means it will no longer be secret ... it is still very very clever from a budget concious point of view.

And isn't this time of year so much about Christmas present buying?

I'm sure many of you have already learnt the beauty of doing a lot of Christmas shopping on line. I am seriously suggesting to my family that we even have 'on-line' shopping as a theme for our pressies next year. It takes the stress out of finding a car parking space that's for sure!

Now as all bloggers know, anything on line has the potential to being addictive. Therefore it stands to reason that Christmas shopping on line is a potential new addiction to add to your ever growing list.

BUT ... there is good news. The good people at Pay Per Post have a solution for this little problem (and yes this is an ad ... but it is worth thinking about ok?) . If you are willing to join the crew of people who are getting paid to blog by simply writing the occasional copy for companies you actually DO believe in... then by simply assisting companies YOU choose to advertise on blogs and by working with the PPP team, you can easily get the funds you need for your Christmas shopping addiction. I have nearly $30 US on its way to my PayPal account, which means it will already be sitting there when I want to buy on line using my Pay Pal account.

Now that is only going to cover me for one pressie this year ... but I'm already feeling good about having a full fund for 2007!

How easy is that?

Delivering Your Vision Newsletter

Christmas Pressie for all!

This is a one time offer to be on my e-newsletter mailing list, usually reserved for my life or career coaching clients. I promise that this is a 100% sale free zone, It is simply a method I use to further motivate clients I am currently coaching - and arrives by email once per month with a monthly challenge (oh and a little waxing lyrical from me!). Feel free to even just subscribe for one month to see if it's at all useful for you.

Email me through my web page by clicking on CONTACT PAMELA and filling in the contact details so I can email it to you. You can, of course, unsubscribe at any time.

Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings to all bloggers ...

Meet Saskia!

I have noticed that many writer's blogs are full of the dramas of writing or the business of writing. And that's not a judgement, I'm not making any kind of statement about it ... coz I do that too! But there are SO MANY wonderful things about being a freelance writer ... and one of them is meeting other writers ... so I want you to meet Saskia Walker ...

I only just met Saskia myself recently. In October this year she published a new erotica title for Penguin called Double Dare and I had the privledge of a pre copy so that I could do a review for the Erotica Authors Association. You can read what I had to say here. It's all good ...

So you can imagine my delight when invited to interview her.

I love meeting other writers and hearing how they deal with the ups and downs, and craziness of the writer's life ... and Saskia has a great blog where you can follow her musings. She writes across a few genre ... It gave me a chance to wax lyrical with someone I respect as a writer ...

I've just finished an interview with her where we had a look at strong women role models in erotica ... check it out here.

I love freelance work. I love the little journeys that I get to go on because of it.

Oh and thanks Saskia for being so cool whilst I totally ranted and raved!

Especially for the Kilvert Fans ...

Oh you have to read this ... I TOLD you this guy was a little .... well... strange ...

Remember this Kilvert guy is the local pastor in the village ... and also remember that back in 1875 we wrote and viewed the world quite differently ...

But I still think this is all a little strange ... welcome to Kilvert's World ...

"Saturday June 12
I went to see my dear little lover Mary Tavener, the deaf and half dumb child. When I opened the door of the poor old crazy cottage in the yard the girl uttered a passionate inarticulate cry of joy and running to me she flung her arms round my neck and covered me with kisses. Well. I have lived and I have been loved, and no one can take this from me"

That's it from me with regards to Kilvert ... there is a Kilvert Society if you're interested in joining ... I think I will move on to someone else's published diary next week ... I can't do much more of this one!!!