This is going to be a quick post this evening, as I’ve been pretty busy and don’t expect to be up many more hours myself. I am now on Nanny duty for a week, staying at my daughter’s house while she and my son-in-law are away enjoying a vacation.
donating her hair
No big deal, you are probably thinking. But hang on a second, besides being responsible for a seven year-old girl and a five year-old boy, there is Ginger the cat and Nico the golden doodle dog. In addition, Poppy won’t be showing up to help out until Saturday.
dog eating the cat food again
Ginger is a breeze, and adorable with her new “lion cut”, but Nico is another story. Daily walks, poop-scooping, and simply managing an unbelievably lively and big one year-old pup may be the most challenging part of the deal.
Ah, but it is only for a short time. And it certainly has its rewards. Our girl has always been our angel, being the first grandchild and all. And then there’s our little man. After I read him a bedtime story and tucked him in for the night, I said, “I love you.” Sleepily, he said, “I love you too, Nanny.”
When I got the idea to start this little blog sixteen months ago, I didn’t fully appreciate what lay in store. For those who haven’t been following my blog since the beginning, my purpose for blogging was to give me incentive to create, and to develop the stick-to-itiveness I would need to tackle the project of writing a novel.
By sharing something regularly, I anticipated Jennifer’s Journal getting some initial feedback from my family and friends, and indeed, that was how it progressed for the first few posts.
But as time went on, I gained other followers. I was thrilled! As many of you did before me, I was claiming a tiny corner in the blogosphere with my words and pictures, and you gave me the inspiration to post every week. Bit by bit, you helped my confidence grow.
What I hadn’t counted on, though, was how a number of my new followers have turned into friends. My WordPress family feels very much like a family, in the way we support one another and appreciate what we as individuals are trying to contribute as we blog. Some connections have even gone beyond our blogs. But whatever the connection, I love this community and value your support. Big Hugs to all of you. 🙂
This brings me to the subject of blog awards. I am always honoured and pleased when someone nominates me for one of these tokens of recognition, and I happily accept it in the spirit in which it is given. However, to blog about them individually can be very time-consuming and repetitious, not only for me but for my readers as well. That is why I am taking the liberty of changing the rules and doing what some others have done: combining accumulated awards in one blog post, dispensing with questions and answers, and giving a shout-out to some of my most recent new followers.
Thank you, everyone! Readers, I urge you to check out these wonderful blogs.
Here are some of my most recent blogger/followers. Thank you, and welcome aboard. In appreciation, I share the WordPress Family Award with each of you. Respond to it, or not, as you wish. Once again, Readers, I suggest you sample these interesting blogs for yourself.
This morning I read a funny post by 40 is the new 13, a fellow blogger, on how children make crazy assumptions based on their own brand of logic, such as dogs are boys and cats are girls.
It sparked a memory for me. It wasn’t of an assumption one of my kids made, but a memory of what my son said one day when he was in grade two. I think it would be considered a malapropism.
Above is a pic I took of my boy back in the day, waiting for the school bus on his first day of kindergarten. When he got to second grade, his teacher, Mrs. Snow, was a kind and lovely young woman, and all the children adored her.
One day, when my little boy was nearing the end of that school year, he got off the bus and came home with an interesting piece of news. My friend and I were chatting over coffee when he entered the kitchen. He dropped his book bag and announced,
“Guess what? Mrs. Snow isn’t going to be a grade two teacher anymore.”
“No?” I asked, curious. “Is she giving up teaching already?” It seemed odd because she was nowhere near the age of retirement. “Oh, she’s going to teach a different grade, is she?”
“No,” he said. “She’s going to be a prostitute teacher.”
I nearly choked on my coffee, while my friend tried in vain to suppress her laughter.
Now the first thing I did was gently correct him. “You must mean substitute teacher, honey.”
The next thing I thought was, where did he hear that word? It wasn’t a word that was bandied about in our household. It wasn’t like he was living in a bordello, or that we let him watch a steady stream of TV shows like Hill Street Blues or Spencer for Hire. And I sure as heck couldn’t imagine it as a topic of conversation among him and the other kids around his age. How did this word get into his vocabulary?
To this day, the answer remains a mystery.
Another one I liked was when my niece asked for a “girl-cheese” sandwich. Even when her mother corrected her, she continued to say it.
“It’s my cheese sandwich. And I’m a girl, right?”
Did you have any “verbal typos” to share from your childhood, or from one of your own kids?
(Of course, you don’t need to be a kid to say the darndest thing. The other day I called a take-out restaurant and asked if they had any “pressure-treated” chicken. I’m still shaking my head over that one. 😉 )
Hello, Friends and Followers. A dear and close member of my husband’s
family has suddenly become very ill and is currently fighting for her life in ICU. Because of this, I have not been able to focus on my novel-writing, or my blog recently.
So I thought I would share with you something that made my day on March 29th: one of my favourite bloggers, Diana Schwenk, chose my blog as her Friday Pick for that week. I was beyond flattered when she posted this. I suggest you check out her inspiring blog; you won’t be disappointed.
Jennifer x
She’s real with a heart full of love and has inspired me many times to want to be a better person. Jennifer is also very interactive and this appeals to my “community building” nature. That’s why I follow Jennifer at Jennifer’s Journal. I hope you will have a look and I’m sure you will agree that Jennifer is worth a second look and a click on the follow button!
In her own words, Jennifer says:
Looking back on my blog after its first year, I can safely say that my Journal’s overall theme has turned out to be one of Love, more specifically, the sharing of what I love or have loved in my life, with you. Two years ago my husband and I got out of the city and returned to rural life in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Our hope is to continue living life simply…
Hello there, Peeps. Vivian K. Perry here, Jennifer’s (dare I say) favourite cat. Just don’t tell my sister Maisie, capiche?
Jennifer asked me back to host her blog today, because she is a little bogged down writing an especially exciting chapter of her new novel.
Whatever! I was happy to oblige, nonetheless. This is my second time guest blogging on Jennifer’s Journal. If you’re interested, and I’m sure you are because I’m so cute, you can see my first post from last summer here.
Maisie and I do agree on one thing: we are getting bored with the cold weather. We miss the summer days of hunting little creatures, and basking in the sun. It is warming up a bit, but it’s still darn chilly on the paws most days.
So we while away the hours with our indoor activities.
Tucked away in the linen closetStill looking pretty spiffy there, AlexNice! But do they come with kitties on them?Lying on humans, one of our best-loved pastimes
Sometimes, we get on each other’s nerves, as sisters often do. I was thinking Maisie looked entirely too comfortable having our little house all to herself, so I had to act.
Minding her own businessWant some company?Getting too crowded for someone!There. That’s better.
Of course, at other times Maisie and I are closer-than-this:
Maisie lets me cuddle her when she’s cold
But what is my Number One Favourite Activity?
Dream, dream, dream
That’s right, Dreaming of Summer
Thank you for visiting Vivian’s View from Here! We hope you enjoyed it. 🙂
Would you like to see more of Maisie and Vivian? Check out these links:
Yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to learn my blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award, by Alessia and Fabrizio, the authors of a lovely blog I’ve been recently following, Maple&Saffron.
Thank you, Alessia and Fabrizio! I recommend for my readers to check out this wonderful cooking and travel blog, by a couple who have immigrated to Canada from a country I adore, Italy.
Here are the rules for this award:
When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you.
Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions.
You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated you!
Make sure the blogs you choose have 200 or less followers ( I did the best I could with this, but sorry, I might’ve cheated on some).
Okay, time to get down to business. Here are my random facts:
I have the worst handwriting of anybody I know. Good thing I can type well.
I am eight months younger than my husband.
I have one older brother and one younger sister. And you know what they say about the middle child.
Being in nature calms my spirit.
I have a cat figurine collection.
There is a sandy beach 25 yards from our front door.
I like a good joke and a thoughtful quote, some of the reasons I still use Facebook.
I feel more comfortable in small groups, or just one on one conversation.
I can’t imagine a life without pets.
I worked in a bank for about 15 years.
I consider my daughter and my son my most significant contributions to this world.
Maple&Saffron ask:
If you were to leave for a trip in 5 minutes, what are the 3 things you’d take with you? An easy one, if we are talking living things and a long trip: my husband and our two cats. If not, my iPad, straightening iron, and camera.
What instrument have you ever wanted to learn to play? The piano. The guitar is a close second (tried three times but never stuck with it ).
Which recipe do you really love cooking? Not exactly a single recipe, buta big turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
What’s your favourite song when you’re travelling? Hmm..only one? That’s hard. Life Is A Highway? 🙂
You’ve just landed in Italy: what’s the first dish you wish to taste? Any kind of pasta! Or maybe margherita pizza..
Mountains, hilltops or beaches: where would you go on vacation? Anywhere is fine with me if the weather is nice, and it’s not too crowded
What’s the best thing about your country? Lots of open spaces and open minds
How do you like spending your day off? Getting outdoors for a walk or a hike, or sitting on our deck in the summer
What’s your favourite world cuisine? Italian
If you could only save one of your books, which one would you choose? One of my poetry anthologies
What role/part would you like to play in a movie? Another tough one, but I went with Ripley in Alien.
Here are my nominations, lovely blogs on some of my favourite topics. For those of you nominated who don’t do awards or don’t have time to participate, please know that I understand. For those who do, thank you for participating. Your questions to answer are after the nominations list.
One year ago today, on New Year’s Eve, 2011, I started this blog, Jennifer’s Journal. And as I mentioned in the very first post, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, I had no idea where my blog would take us. So here is what I found out.
1. I didn’t know I would have the resolve to faithfully post to my blog a little more than once a week on average. WordPress, being the best blogging site – in my opinion – had a lot to do with my enthusiasm.
2. I didn’t know I would be taking my visitors and followers on a pictorial journey of our 2011 trip to Italy and France. Nor did I know that one of these installments,
“Scenes From Italy – Part Three: Siena and Florence, Tuscany” would consistently be my most visited post, from all around the world!
3. I hadn’t made plans yet to take a Spring vacation in Florida, with my husband and my daughter and her family. My photo album from that trip,
“For the Young, & the Young at Heart: Disney’s Magic Kingdom“, would garner a record of 449 views on May 8th, the most views I had in one day.
4. I wasn’t fully aware of how beautiful it actually is where I live, here in Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland, until I read your lovely comments on my local photographic efforts. 🙂 “Autumn Walk on the East Coast” was a particular favourite.
5. I came to learn how the poems, musings, and photographs of my grandchildren would be a popular subject for many!
7. I was overwhelmed with the outpouring of support my blog received, as I was losing my mother. I cannot fully express what a source of comfort those caring comments were, and still are.
8. I didn’t know I was going to publish sixteen of my poems, and that I would be proud of them. 🙂
9. I wasn’t sure (but I am pleased I did) that I would keep my resolution to start writing a novel, and am now starting Chapter Six of the first draft. My post about it, Then You Must Write It, would be one my most popular blog posts, generating many of your comments.
10. Novel writing or not, I love my blog as the vehicle of self-expression it has turned out to be, and I will continue to update it in 2013. Connecting with many of you and making new friends is one of the best advantages of blogging.
So, let me say to all of my followers and visitors from sixty-six countries, a GIANT THANK YOU! And a Happy New Year to you all. 🙂
Well, what do you know? WordPress.com prepared a 2012 annual report for my blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 5,700 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 10 years to get that many views.
Silly statistic, isn’t it? But don’t let that stop you:
This Friday, my husband and I are going to town to spend a few days caring for our two little grandchildren. Allowing L and J’s hardworking parents to go off on a private weekend and enjoy some time by themselves has become a little tradition for us, a tradition we happily and gratefully accept.
We look forward to taking them on a couple of outings, one of which will be to buy a Christmas present for a needy child and putting it under the Happy Tree at the mall. Some visits with family, a Santa Claus Parade, and the obligatory games and bedtime stories will ensure lots of fun-filled moments for the children and grandparents alike.
This weekend couldn’t come at a better time for me. Spending time with my sweet little ones is just the diversion I need right now, a breath of fresh air that will help me regroup, regain focus, and get back to my normal life. There’s this novel I started writing last month that I had no other choice but to put aside due to my recent loss, but it is back on the agenda this week, I am pleased to say.
Here are just a few photos I selected from fun times we had with L and J, over the past year.
Four more sleeps, kids! Your Nanny and Poppy can’t wait. 🙂
“If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” ~ Toni Morrison
I have recently begun a new adventure, dear readers and fellow bloggers.
No longer can I ignore the voice inside me that is clamouring to be heard, so I have started to write a novel. I am a little nervous, but mostly I am excited to be on this new journey I have destined for myself.
When I told a friend a little while ago about my plan to write a book, she said, “Gee, I’m the one with the English degree. I should write a book!” Well, I don’t have a degree, but I’ve always had a passion for stories, fictional or otherwise, and a desire to tell some stories of my own.
Heck, I wrote a teen novel when I was still in school, at the grand old age of fifteen. So diplomas and degrees or lack thereof won’t hinder me now either.
It has been a rewarding experience keeping this blog that I started back in December. The original purpose of Jennifer’s Journal had been to get into the habit of creating and writing something on a regular basis, in order to better prepare me for the demands of writing a novel. But now that I have taken on this ambitious new project, I will have less of that precious commodity of time to devote to blogging.
But abandoning my blog seems unthinkable to me.. Have you ever nurtured a child? Cared for a pet? Or even tended a garden? And then, stopped? No, I will keep my blog, adding thoughts, inspirations, and a photograph or two, as often and as regularly as I can. I would also like to keep you updated on my novel’s progress.
Life is going to get busier, that’s all.
I leave you with another favourite quote of mine:
“Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.” ~ Gloria Steinem
How about you? Have you ever written a book, or do you see yourself writing one someday? Do you have advice for someone taking on a creative project?
Jennifer's Journal 
