Versatile Blogger Award

Last week, I found out that Meg Dunley had nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award.

Wow, I thought. What a lovely surprise. Someone actually read my blog - and found it interesting.

You never know do you?

The Rules for excepting the Versatile Blogger Award are as follows:

Thank the person who nominated you. Tell 7 things about yourself, so that your readers may learn more about you, and nominate 15 other newly discovered bloggers, then let them know you nominated them.

I have been slow to accept the award because life is so terribly itsy-bitsy during the January holiday season and also because I needed to work on my blog feed-reader. I decided to use the award as a motivator. I have been trawling blogs and working through a backlog of reading. I am not quite ready to nominate my Fabulous Fifteen yet, so keep watching. But I thought I may as well get the ball rolling by telling you seven things about me:

1. I was born in the summer - but, I celebrate my birthday in the winter

2. I became engaged at nineteen years of age, married at twenty, and had my first child before I turned twenty one

3. I had four children but only had three pregnancies

4. I am trying to write the next great Australian novel

5. I like silence, strong coffee and siocled (chocolate)

6. I learn Welsh

7. Self-doubt has been my life long companion

 
 I will work on the blog lists this week so please keep reading. But I just wanted to thank my nominator, Meg Dunley, and to point out that she has three blogs, and a travelogue. They are all worth reading:

Meg's Threads

Living Green and Thrify

By Meg's Pen

Mae periant bara gyda fi - I have a bread machine

Rhoidd ein plant i ni beriant bara am Nadolig – Our children gave us a bread machine for Christmas.

Yn gyntaf, ro’n i’n synnu gan y anrhegion – at first, I was surprised by the gift. 

Dw i ddim yn ‘domestic goddess’ neu ‘earth mother’ – I am not a domestic goddess or an earth mother. 

Dw i wedi bod gwybod i ddweud ‘best thing’ ac ‘sliced bread’ yn y un frawddeg – I have been known to say best thing and sliced bread in the same sentence. 

Ond y mwy meddyliais i e, y mwy wnes i sylweddoli  roedd e’n syniad da – But the more I thought about it, the more I realised, it was a good idea. 

Dw i ddim yn gallu bwyta gwenith – I can’t eat wheat. 

Prynais i bara arbenigedd a rhio e yn y rhwegell – I buy specialty bread and put it in the freezer. 

Ond fy ngŵr, Andrew, ddim yn hoffi bara wedi i rewi – But my husband, Andrew, doesn’t like frozen bread. 

Mae fe’n prynu bara ffres – he buys fresh bread. Ond wedyn, mae gormod o fara gyda ni – but then we have too much bread. 

Mae rhaid i ni daflu e yn y bin yn aml – we have to thow it in the bin often.

Roedd periant bara yn syniad da – the bread machine was a good idea!

Darllenais i llyfr gwydbodaeth – I read the information book. 

Wedyn, es i allan a prynu y blawd arbenigedd – then I went out and bought the specialty flour. 

Roedd amser yn dechrau – it was time to begin. 

Wnes i mesuro y blawd ac y ‘yeast’ yn ofalus ar fy nghlorian newydd – I measured the four and the yeast carefully on my new scales. 

Wnes i dywallt y dŵr mewn – I poured the water in. Ac wedi troi y periant ymlaen – and turned the machine on. 

Wedyn arhosais i ac arhosais i – then I waited and I waited. 

Cymerodd y periant pedair a hanner awr i bobi y bara - the machine took four and a half hours to bake the bread. Ond pan daeth e allan o'r periant roedd e’n berffaith – But when it came out of the machine, it was perfect.

Diolch yn fawr plant – thanks very much kids!

Mae'n ddrwg da fi am y llunia yn ddrwg - apologies for the bad photos (and Welsh). 

Dw i ddim gallu bod yn dda yn bopeth - I can't be good at everything. :-)

New Years Resolutions

If you haven't settled on your new year's resolutions, you may like to consider this little gem.

That's right. A book on Facial Fitness.  If you had a less worthwhile pursuit in mind: Stop right there!

Turn around.

Ignore the 365 Steps to Self-confidence.

And the Flat Belly Diet.

Ignore your racing blood pressure and your high cholesterol levels Forget that you have always longed to meditate. And that life-long ambition of playing the guitar.

It's time to head on down to the library and start tightening your smile.

Great little giant

Cawr mawr bychan — great little giant,

Cryf cadarn gwan, gwynion ruddiau — strong, mighty weakling, pale of cheek.

Cyfoethog tlawd — poor wealthy one,

A'n Tad a'n Brawd, awdur brodiau … our Father and Brother, author of brothers ...

Isel uchel — low and high,

Emmanuael, mêl feddyliau … Emmanuel of honeyed thoughts ...

Pali ni myn — he won't have silk,

Nid urael gwyn ei gynhiniau — of no white weaving are his rags;

Yn lle syndal — no fine linen

Ynghylch ei wâl gwelid carpiau … where he lies, only tatters ...

Ei leferydd — and his words

Wrth fugelydd, gwylwyr ffaldau — are for shepherds, the fold-watchers,

Engyl yd fydd — there'll be angels

A nos fal dydd dyfu'n olau- like day, night will become bright ...

Nos lawenydd — a night for joy

I lu bedydd; byddwn ninniau — for all Christendom; so let us be.

This lovely poem was written by Brother Madog sometime in the twelfth century.

Pastor Matt Glover forced to resign

A bit of a black day for the Baptist Church - among whom I am ranked.

After a secret? Clandestine? Impromptu? Members meeting Pastor Matt Glover has been asked to resign from his position at Lilydale Baptist Church because of his support for members of the gay and lesbian community.

Here is a quote from a paper Matt Glover wrote as part of his theological studies entitled:

Pastoral Response to Homosexuality in the Church

“Our churches have argued the issue on biblical, theological and moral grounds for years, and agreement seems elusive. But as the battles rage, real people are being forgotten, left bruised and hurting, and wondering where they fit. While not tackling the more specific issues of the debate like gay marriage and the ordination of practicing homosexuals, it is the purpose of this paper to bring another approach to the issue that is based on our equality before God, the work of the Spirit in our lives, and the unity that the Spirit produces in our church communities.

This alternative approach requires journeying with the real people stuck in the middle of the debate, listening to their questions and seeking answers together. It is a pastoral response that has its grounding in scripture and in my experience of ministry over the last twenty years …

Pastoral care begins with the life and practice of Jesus. With those on the fringe of his society, Jesus was welcoming and compassionate, touching the untouchable, loving the unlovable and creating a community that saw all people as equals before God. His life included teaching on scripture and the condemnation of religious leaders who had twisted scripture to protect the institutional religion. But never did Jesus isolate those with a genuine response to his care and his teaching on the Kingdom of God.

Pastoral care in the church must reflect the care of Jesus by opposing rules that drain life, and instead, create a life giving community where burdens are carried together."

Not an unreasonable response, I would argue. Yet Matt Glover has been asked to resign.

This leaves him without full time employment.

Shelley Argent of PFlag (Parents and Friends of lesbians and gays) Queensland, has started a fundraising appeal for Matt Glover and his family by donating $1000.

She has opened a bank account at the Bank of Queensland for direct debits and donations.

BSB: 124-001 Account No: 2172-4166

Account Name: Shelley Argent (for Matt Glover)

Please put in what you can.

Alternatively, if you would like to post a cheque or money order please write them to Rev. M. Glover and address the envelope to PFLAG, PO Box 1372, Eagle Farm 4009.

Fy wythnos Cymreig

Dydd Llun - Monday

Fe gorffennais i ddarllen 'Mae hen wlad fy nhadau gan Gwynfor Evans - I finished reading 'Land of my fathers by Gwynfor Evans.

Roedd pedwar cant chwech deg pump tudalen gyda y llyfr - the book had four hundred and sixty five pages.

Fe ddarllenais i pob tudalen. - I read every page.

Wnes i ddim yn ddarllen e yn Gymraeg - I didn't read it in Welsh.

Ond, bydda i'n darllen e yn Gymraeg unwaith nes ymlaen. - but, I will read it in Welsh one day.

Dydd Mawrth - Tuesday

Roedd y ddosbarth diwetha Cymraeg am eleni - was the last Welsh class for this year.

Fe orffennon ni ddarllen 'Y bywyd Blodwen Jones' - we finished reading 'The life of Blodwen Jones.'

Roedd e'n ddoniol iawn.

Dydd Mercher - Wednesday

Fe es i i weld 'Under Milk Wood' ar y theatr Heidelberg - I went to see Under Milk Wood at the Heidleberg Theatre.

Fe mwynheuais i e yn fawr iawn - I enjoyed it very much.

Dydd Iau - Thursday

Wnes i ddim gwneud dim byd Cymreig - I didn't do anything Welsh.

Gosh! What do you think I am? Obsessive? 😊

Dydd Gwener - Friday

Siaradais i gyda ffrindiau newydd ar Skype - I spoke with my new friend on Skype.

Fe wnaethon ni siarad Cymraeg ers bron dwy awr - we spoke Welsh for almost two hours. (there were a few English words thrown in - but mostly Welsh)

Dw i wedi blino iawn nawr I am very tired now.

Mae rhaid i fi fynd i gwely - I must go to bed.

Nos da!

My Big Boast

Sometimes my writing journey feels like this. No honestly. It does.

For a while, due to a series of health and family misfortunes, my writing felt like it was forever chugging up-hill.


This is a serious problem for a writer.


What does one do in such a time?


You don't stop writing - that is the number one rule. You somehow keep putting words on the page. If you can't write fiction you blog - about anything. Even in Welsh, if that helps. You write copy. You dabble in short stories.


You journal. Hoping, life will one day return to an even keel. You also read. Copiously.


Non-fiction, recipes, your Welsh dictionary. Literary fiction. Historical. Light contemporary works. On holidays, you indulge in a great big romping holiday read. The kind that cuts you off from your family for hours at a time. A book in which you get lost - or maybe found.


My last summer holiday read was Kate Morton's, The Distant Hours. 

Having read Kate Morton's earlier novels, I knew roughly what to expect. A tale of crumbling castles, ancient families and compelling inter-generational secrets. 


Aside from their clear gothic influence, her books also have another element in common. Whether a screenwriter trying to understand the death of a war affected poet, a cameo appearance by Frances Hodgson Burnett, or a young writer finding the courage to write on the crisp new pages of a notebook, her books all provide insights into the writing life.


The Distant Hours didn't depart from this pattern. It was a tale of readers, writers, editors and war-affected families, who were influenced, by the work of one a dead man and his signature tale: The True History of the Mud Man
. 
I gobbled the story down, revelling in its lessons and insights, and came up wanting to know more. How much did Morton's character's writing habits mirror her own? Did she use notebooks? Had she walked the fine line between sanity and insanity? Had she ever felt like giving up? Would she be willing to tell me?


If she did … wouldn't it make great article. I pitched the idea to the Historical Novels Review. Yes, they said, go for it. We will put it in our November edition.


Kate Morton was a delight to interview. So enthusiastic. Her replies so comprehensive. I wanted to publish every word. But due to a tight word limit, I had to edit her response. The result an engaging, tightly honed article (my exaggerated description), that is only the beginning of my big boast. In addition to the article, Kate asked whether she could use some the questions on her blog. The Review said yes, of course, providing the article came out after the November publication date. 


Today, I had an email telling me one of the questions has made it on to the blog (yes, follow the link)


My writing life has taken a turn these past months. I no longer feel like the little red engine - I think I can, I think I can. Some days it even feels quite easy. 


So what does a writer do then?


You don't take it for granted. That's the first rule. You know life is a series of ups and downs. The mountains will rise up again. Some days, you will wonder whether you can keep going. 


But in the meantime, you say a little prayer of thanks when words flow onto the page, or when an article is published, and, when you find your name on the web page of an international, best-selling author, you whoop and throw your hands in the air - and enjoy the ride.