Fabulous!

I have been lucky enough to be nominated for another award. This time it is the 'Your Blog is Fabulous Award' and it has been bestowed upon me by the Fabulous , Talented and Witty notSupermum.

The etiquette of this award states that I must list my 5 least favourite things before passing it on to some of my favourite blogs. These are as follows:

1) Being late for an appointment, meeting, (and, on the odd occasion) party, anything that is dictated by the dreaded clock.

2) The fact that I plan to blog for twenty minutes and then an hour (or more!) later, I am running late for an appointment, meeting (and on the odd occasion) party!

3) Getting food (especially leafy greens!) caught in my braces. I am usually quite meticulous after eating. Even then, if I talk with someone and they happen to look towards my mouth (as people do when they speak with you!) I get very paranoid and impatient to get to a mirror (and then I'm most definitely late for an appointment, meeting (on the odd occasion) party!).

4) The weather at the moment. It is cold and very, very wet (unlike our usually sunny, cool Autumns). Usually this would not be a problem, however when you have a 10 metre x 5 metre hole that up to 2.5 metres deep in your backyard and filling up at a rate of 10 or more cm per day, then the weather really gets to be a problem. I guess we'll get our pool a little earlier than expected and a little murkier as well...tears well up in my eyes as I write!

5) The tradespeople who are trying to convince us that they can pump the ever-increasing water out of the 10m x 5m hole, and try to convince us it is okay to concrete over rusty scaffolding and mud. Yes, these people are really starting to be my least favourite 'thing' already.

To shed a little happiness (and I need all the happiness I can get right now!) and blog cheer, I would like to award the following blogs with this Fabulous award:

The Child

Frugalious Living

Absolute Vanilla (and Atyllah)

Lilly's Life

The Clever Pup

Don't forget to list your 5 least favourite things when you pick up!

Have a great day everyone, while I check how much more rainwater we have in the earth-shell of our pool!

Brave & Generous Kayleigh

This post is dedicated to a brave, strong woman, Kayleigh, who has taken us with her on her journey: discovering she has breast cancer. From the moment she had her mammogram until recently finding out she needs to have a mastectomy, and possibly chemotherapy and radiation therapy, she has unselfishly and generously kept us updated on her blog Fashionably Later.

On top of having to deal with learning, in less than a month, that she has cancer, requires surgery and treatment, as a nursing mother, Kayleigh is also faced with having to wean her young son, Daniel. In learning of her pain and torment, I could only offer her my words so, I wrote the following poem:

Still your Mama

From the moment of conception
They prepare for you
They tingled, they ached
Readied to nurture you

Thick pearl-like colostrum
Rich in nutrients, high in energy
More suckling, more milk
Before long there was plenty

I fed you, you suckled
I nurtured you dear
You were near to me
Close to me
Over twelve months and a year

And, after all this is done
Please rest assured, that
I’m your Mama, Meggie’s Mama
Not one who is new

Our routine will continue
Your place near my heart
Lay your head on my arm
Touch my hair, close your eyes.

Kayleigh is not only a beautiful, stylish lady, she is also a talented writer and has two other blogs: 1000 words each day and Miscellaneous Brain Music.

Please pray, meditate or offer what words you can at this time to Kayleigh and her family.

Copyright: Mervat @ The Writing Instinct

Stay

A character well known,
he'd shake your hand, have a laugh
quiet man, thinking man,
he didn't do things by half.

Wonderful children and a wife
he truly was blessed,
but then his pain came
with all its wickedness.

His smile it shone
through thick and thin,
he picked at his food
'til he had no energy.

And when they sat with him
noon and night,
they stroked his forehead
held his hand tight.

His daughter beside him,
she recited a prayer
with her heart, with her head,
she willed him, please stay.

His breathing was laboured
his body limp,
these were his last moments
a final glimpse.

One last goodbye,
he took his last breath
he gave his last smile
and she bowed her head.

Copyright: Mervat @ The Writing Instinct

Lovely Blog Award

I am thrilled that the lovely Amy has nominated me for an award.


The One Lovely Blog Award, says that I have to pass this onto 15 new blogs. I don't usually follow blog award rules, but a change is as nice as a holiday and I will stick to the rules (yes, I am still hyperventilating at the thought!). I would like to nominate the following blogs who make the blogosphere that much more interesting and special. In no particular order, they are:

Bay side to mountain side

Fashionably Later

La Belette Rouge

notSupermum

Elena-Lu

Ephemera

Printemps

sixtyfivewhatnow

Fashion after 40

Val's Diary

workthatwardrobe

Transcript of a Significant Life

Musings from the Deep

The Writer Today

Living Abroad

Suko's Notebook

My Voice, My View

Dress for the Best

Family Fountain

Okay, okay, I cheated and nominated an extra few...couldn't help myself!

Now, please take (cut and paste) this lovely award and disperse it further into the blogosphere, spreading flowers and cheer to all the new blogs that come across your path. Don't forget to link back to The Writing Instinct when you do - it's all part of blogging fun and games.

Happy Mother's Day

My mother's day started out with breakfast in bed (notice the heart shaped mandarine wedges by my daughter!) and the most thoughtful and lovely gifts from my children and hubby, plateaued out to include me cooking lentil curry, rice and making naan bread for my wonderful family and ended with me doing the ironing! And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way (except for maybe getting a magic ironing lady whom I could summon any time I pleased!).

My beautiful gifts (including my favourite perfume line):



(Mr.6 purchased the blue box with candles and incense, using his pocket money, from his school's mother's day stall).

My hand-made treats:

To all my lovely friends, whether or not you are a mum, I hope you had a day filled with love, a peaceful moment and a cup of your favourite brew!