Citril's Xanga

Day 3 of Build a Better Blog

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:03:47 GMT

Today's task from Problogger was to Promote a Blog Post, and we were shown 11 ways to promote a blog pos. We were cautioned about our use of the techniques, and encouraged to use our best posts and to promote them selectively.

11 Ways to Promote a Blog Post:

1. Pitching Other Bloggers

2. Social Messaging

3. Social Bookmarking

4. Internal Links

5. Newsletters

6. Other Blogs Comments' Sections and Forums

7. Email Signatures

8. Followup Posts

9. Advertise Your Post

10. Pitch Mainstream Media

11. Article Marketing

We were then encouraged to take a look at what we'd posted yesterday and think about where it might be appropraite to promote it. Or, alternatively, to look at a post we are particularly proud of and promote it.

Useful links we were given were:

11 Ways To Increase Your Chances of Being Linked to By Another Blogger,

Run a StumbleUpon Advertising Campaign For Your Blog,

How to Get to the Front Page of Digg - 6 Ingredients of a Successful Digg Campaign

and

Using Social Media Sites to Grow Your Blog's Traffic.

I had already linked yesterday's post via my Facebook and Twitter, but had never thought of the other suggestions. I really didn't think that yesterday's post was worthy of promotion, so I am going to try and find some time to write a new post and promote that at a later date.

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It won't be in the next few days, however, as things are about to get really manic here! I'm heading home with Niamh tomorrow - Charis is going to have a sleepover at Noni and Gramps's - then have a shift at the alcohol rehab in the evening, Then it's pile back into the car on Friday and head back down the A82 to Oban with Andrew and Niamh, and we have Niamh's baptism on Easter Sunday.

Back up the road to Inverness on Monday for 3 evening shifts at the supported housing complex, then BACK down the A82 to Oban for my lovely wee sister's wedding on the 18th! Phew! I'm exhausted thinking about it all! But I promise I will blog photos as we go!

Goodnight Xangaland!

Day 2 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:50:25 GMT

A wee shot of Niamh at 16 weeks old - she's 6 months old now and I can't believe how big she is!

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Today's challenge from Problogger was to write a list post. He taught us:

8 Reasons Why List Posts are Powerful for Bloggers

1. Lists are Scannable

2. Lists keep posts succinct

3. Lists look ‘neat’

4. Lists can be comprehensive

5. Lists are persuasive

6. Lists can add to the ease of writing

7. Lists go Viral

8. Lists break down the complicated

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

So today's task was to write a list post. Yet again I felt slightly disadvantaged because:

a) I had an early start with the girls

b) I had a 3 1/2 hour drive south to my parents' home

c) I am blogging, once more, at 2am.

Then I realised that what I had just written could probably count as a list post! Tempting as it was to leave it at that, I set my brain into first gear and had a wee muse to myself as to what my list post should be!

Problogger gave us some excellent examples of list posts, a couple of examples being:

10 Steps to the Perfect List Post

and

Top 10 Blogs for Writers – 2007/2008

Also useful was a list of 301 list posts!

It did occur to me that this is a technique I have probably employed often, especially with my photo blogs. And many Xangans also use this as a means to blogging.

So I decided to keep my list short and to make it personal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 Reasons Why I AM a Good Mummy!

1. I am responsive to my children's needs, 24/7

2. I make sure that each day has an abundance of love, laughter, encouragement and teaching.

3. I encourage them to get wet, dirty, and scruffy.

4. I nourish their curiosity and love of animals and nature.

5. I give them the respect they deserve and teach them to respect others.

Day 1 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:58:56 GMT

Oh my brain is so tired! I had a really awful day - upset my best friend unintentionally; was little help to my Mum who is still searching for an outfit for my sister's wedding in less than 2 weeks; and then had to cover part of a shift at the alcohol rehab - which was actually a good, productive shift, but I spent most of it worrying about EVERYTHING!

But I signed up for this so I'm going to start it!

Basically, today was about how to write an elevator pitch for your blog. Wikipedia states:“An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (for example, thirty seconds or 100-150 words).”

So I had to think about what my blog is about and also about what direction I want to see it take. To be honest, brain fuzz is apparent, so nothing earth shattering hit me! I decided I actually like my Facebook pitch, which has been refined over the last year - "An aspiring novelist, avid reader, keen photographer and lover of travel, I'm Mummy to two gorgeous girls, wife to Andrew, and adoptive Mummy to two mad cats! And the two most important things in my life are my God and my family. I Twitter & Blog." So my 'elevator pitch' for my blog would be along those lines.

A writer, avid reader, keen photographer and lover of travel, I am Mummy to two gorgeous girls, wife to a Highland lad, and adoptive Mummy to two mad cats! The most important things in my life are my God and my family - come join me in my journey with them.

New life - God's blessings

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:50:31 GMT

It has been so long since I last blogged! Tsk, tsk! I have to confess that FaceBook is my means of contact with my friends in the ether these days. And with Charis now being 3 1/2 years old, and having also returned to work, life seems rather frantic!

As you know by my last blog, I was blessed with another pregnancy and this time things went so well. Our baby was due on Sun 26th October, however, as seems to be par for the course, things did not go as planned. This pregnancy certainly wasn't as enjoyable or worry free as Charis's was, and by the time I got to 32 weeks I felt huge and cumbersome, but was determined to keep working!

However, when I was 35 weeks gestation, my waters broke ... not that I actually realised (*blushes* I thought I had a bladder problem!!). That was on the Friday , but I carried on with my scheduled shifts at work. On the Monday when I phoned my midwife, she suggested yet another check up at our hospital (I had so many of them throughout the pregnancy, especially towards the end!). So up I traipsed and was yet again strapped to the monitor for and hour, then the midwife went to examine me, only to realise that my waters had indeed broken (I will spare you the details!).

As I was only just 36 weeks the day before, and given I had no contractions, was not dilated and the scan showed the baby was snug and well and my placenta was well out of the way of the cervix, the Doctor decided to try to keep me going until the following Monday, to give the baby that few more days extra developement. I was taken in on Tuesday for blood tests and to have a chat with my consultant. I then happily took hubby back to work, where I recieved a phone call from the wonderful consultant I had when Charis was delivered. When she heard that it was me who had been in, she had over-ruled the other consultant and doctor and wanted me in that day!! Talk about major panic!!!!

Now, I don't know what other Mums-to-be who are on their second (or more) child are like, but hubby and I were very laxysaisy! We read nothing throughout the pregnancy, didn't seek out classes, and had not packed a thing. We were organised with names though .... for a boy! And it struck us that perhaps it would be an idea to have some girls names, just incase!! So, I went into Andrew's work, he persuaded his boss to let him home early (his work are amazingly accommodating when it comes to time off!), and we rushed home to pack and scroll the internet for girls names!

We picked Charis up from nursery, made all our phone calls (poor Mum was working, but Dad was able to travel up that evening so he could watch Charis for us), had our evening meal then the three of us went up to the hospital. Charis was particularly taken with the doctor who came to do all my checks, and to put a canula into my wrist and copied everything the doctor did on Daddy with the toy set she was given! I had as restful a night as one could hope for in a hospital ward, and grew more and more excited knowing I was going to meet our new baby!

At 6am on Wednesday 1st October, I was woken by one of the midwives who wanted to check if I was dilated. I wasn't so they took the decision to c-section me and I was given the pre-med than had another hour's sleep. I phoned Andrew at 7am and told him to ome up for 8.30am - being Andrew he arrived at 7.45am so we sat and watched the news til the midwife came through with our theatre gowns. Our consultant for the op came to speak to us, Dr David Herd, a wonderful, gentlemanly, surgeon. He told us that he always took his time with procedures and that I was his only patient for the morning. At around 8.45am I was wheeled through to the pre-theatre room where I met my anaethetist and he and his team gave me my epidural - it was so much more painful than the one I had with Charis, so it took longer than I thought.

I was then wheeled through to the theatre, a new one since I was last in and impressive to see! Andrew was brought in and I was delighted to see the doctor I'd seen on Monday assisting Dr Herd. It was very calm and unrushed (unlike Charis's birth!) and one of the nurses switched the radio on to our favourite staion, Radio 2, and the Ken Bruce show. When they had opened me fully, I glanced up at the light and realised that I could see EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!! So I watched them lift my baby out - what an experience that was! She was held up and they told us she was a girl. - she weighed a very healthy 6lbs 15ozs and was 56cm long - 1cm off her big sister! She was swaddled and handed to Andrew while they finished with me, then she was laid on my chest. As I looked at her in Andrew's arm, I knew which name, out of the many we had chosen, suited her - Niamh.

But we could tell that something was amiss, and very quickly the decision was made to take her along to the Special Care Baby Unit - she couldn't breath properly. We were so distraught!

Niamh MacDonald Simpson, hours old

To cut an already long story short, Niamh (which means blessings) spent 5 days in SCBU whilst they helped her with her breathing. She was too weak to feed off me for the first few days (though she doesn't look it!) so I had to express and she was fed through a nose tube. It was day 3 before I was able to hold her, my arms ached for those first 3 days.

3 days old

On day 4 she managed her first feed off me, though tired quickly, so the nose tube was kept in and I continued to express.

Niamh, 5 days old, with Daddy

On the evening of Day 5 we were delighted to have Niamh join me in my ward! What a relief, but I didn't get much sleep!

And, to our surprise and utter delight, on Day 6 she passed all her examinations with flying colours and we were told we could take her home that evening! Praise God!

Niamh, 6 days old, and me ready for home

Niamh is going to be 5 weeks old on Wednesday and is absolutely thriving. Her big sister is delighted with her and adjusting well to sharing Mummy and Daddy's attention. And Niamh charms everyone she meets, as all babies do!!

Charis and Niamh

God has been so wonderful yet again to us!

Placenta Praevia

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:32:44 GMT

As friends and family will know, we had a pretty scary time of it when Charis decided to make her rather dramatic entrance into the world! I had undiagnosed Type IV placenta praevia. Long story short is that I haemorrhaged badly, not realising I was in labour. Charis was delivered safely, but I had to receive 10 units of blood (O' Rhesus Neg at that ... very precious!!), and further surgery to close off blood vessels and tie off the uterus which had failed to contract.

Placenta praevia can be divided into four types, of which the first two are the most common:

Type I the placenta is positioned low in the womb, but the baby can still be born vaginally.

Type II the lower edge of the placenta touches the opening of your cervix, but does not cover it, so the baby can be born vaginally.

Type III the placenta partially covers the opening of your cervix. The baby will need to be born by caesarean section.

Type IV the placenta completely covers the opening of your cervix. The baby will need to be born by caesarean section.

Placenta praevia is also known as low lying placenta, but in the third trimester my midwife tells me the placenta still can move upwards as the uterus continues to form. Between 3 and 6 of every 1000 pregnant women can have this problem. Especially at risk are women who are having their second or subsequent baby, or who have given birth to a baby by caesarean section, or who have previously had a pregnancy with placenta praevia. Deepus joyousness!!!!

During the last 3 months, many Mums-to-be can experience painless vaginal bleeding, often a warning sign that the placenta may have become detached. But in my case, with Charis, it was undiscovered - a midwife I spoke to recently questioned why my midwife at the time had not questioned the fact that my baby's head was not engaged even though she was 5 days overdue.

So ... here's the thing.

I had a detailed scan last week, at 21 weeks pregnant. Baby is doing fantastically well - the placenta is low lying and covers part of my cervix. As I said, it can still move up, so I will be scanned at 36 weeks, and have an appointment to see my consultant then. So I have been advised that I should not exercise vigorously and should take it easy. And the chances of that when I have a very active 3 year old, a new job and have home care to do for a bereaved friend are ....???? I can try and be strict with myself though, and plan to sit down with my family and household to discuss how best to reduce stress levels.

However, if I bleed, I could end up hospitalised for the rest of my pregnancy. I am trying very hard to remain positive, I fully trust that God has it all in hand, and I try not to dwell on it, but I was already beginning to have panics about the birth as it was. Now every little twinge (man, there are so many of them, but no surprise given my age!!!!) sends a little flutter of panic through my chest!

Tomorrow, for my own peace of mind, I plan to write a list of jobs needing done in the garden and house, and work out a contingency plan incase my worst fears are realised! For now, I hold on tight to God and His promises, and pray that I don't continue to be a neurotic wreck!

Daniel and Charis - best of pals!

Rant for today!

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:39:29 GMT

I am an avid reader of, and contributor to, the blog of Chris Evans. No ... not the Fantastic Four, actor, Chris Evans, but the entrepreneur and Radio 2 broadcaster, Chris Evans. Today he had a wee rant about various things, which led to me having a rant. So I thought I'd share it here ... especially as I haven't blogged in a wee whiley!

Zimbabwe!

Here in the UK, we are so unbelievably hypocritical as a nation, getting on our high horse about the atrocities in Afghanistan and Iraq - yet the day to day lives of folk in Zimbabwe, and other countries, is dire or worse. Yet our politicians aren't up in arms (literally!!) and are content to meet up and discuss politics with this tyrant, Robert Mugabe!

Since coming to power in 1980, this former guerrilla leader has brought Zimbabwe to it's knees. The annual inflation alone is 100,000%! (And we think we have it bad here in the UK!) In his bid to rid the country of white-owned farms, which were the backbone of the economy, Zimbabwe now has the fastest shrinking economy. He blames western countries, specifically the UK, for the dire circumstances in his country, yet the land he seized mainly went to his already wealthy supporters. His critics are dismissed as 'traitors' and imprisoned, tortured or worse. His militia are utterly ruthless and he has no qualms about using them to unleash violence and murder in a bid to remain in power. He has complete control of security forces, the civil service and the media. And the government has now vowed to seize 51% of foreign companies operating in the country.

I have always been of the opinion (and it's just my humble opinion!) that we will be held accountable as a nation and as individuals for the compassion we have for those in less fortunate circumstances than ourselves, and for the stand that we take for them. If we find it appropriate to take down dictators like Saddam then why is there no intervention on behalf of the oppressed in Zimbabwe? Whilst their government officials, top police and army officers, and judges prosper, and build their mansions and golf courses, and drive their luxury cars, most Zimbabweans are trying to survive on less than £1 ($2 approx) per week. Families are fortunate if they can eat one meal a day. There has been an exodus of over 4 million people already from the country.

It takes just moments in our busy lives to get organised to lobby our MPs and our government to take a stand on our behalf.

Child Abduction

Thu, 01 May 2008 19:14:56 GMT

On 3rd May 2007, 9 days before her 4th birthday, Madeleine McCann (above) was abducted from her bedroom in Praia da Luz, Portugal, where she was sleeping with her younger brother and sister. Her parents, Gerry and Kate, dined just 50 yards away with their friends, checking every 30 minutes on the children.

Despite a massive investigation by the Portuguese police, Portugese Policia Judiciaria, who liase with the UK police in Leicestershire, Madeleine’s home county, it is still do not known who has taken her, why she was taken or where she is.

Since September 2007, a private detection agency Metodo3, based in Barcelona, has been employed, in particular focusing its enquiries outside of Portugal.

A forensic sketch of Madeleine's probable abductor has been produced by an FBI-trained artist based on an eye-witness account.

Someone, somewhere has information about Madeleine that could be the breakthrough her family have been waiting for.

If you have any have information regarding someone who fits this description and could have been in Praia Da Luz on May 3rd 2007, or any other information that may be of help, then please contact the investigation line :-

Telephone: +34 902 300 213
Email: investigation@findmadeleine.com

or contact your local police or pass your information on to a trustworthy person in authority such as a local priest or religious minister.

Since Madeleine’s abduction, Gerry and Kate have learned a lot about missing children and child exploitation. In the UK alone 100,000 children go missing each year. Gerry and Kate have made it their duty to highlight the horror, as well as areas where legislation can be improved. They are working closely with the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Centre for Child Exploitation and Online Protection and other non-governmental agencies throughout Europe.

They visited the European Parliament on 10th April 2008, and presented a written declaration to the parliament asking for the introduction of an EU wide missing child alert system based on the US AMBER alert system, which has been incredibly successful in rescuing abducted children. France adopted a similar system in the last 2 years - it has been activated 5 times with all children being recovered alive.

Gerry and Kate presented the declaration to MEP’s, answered questions and then held a press conference. For the declaration to be taken up, 51% of (the 785) MEP’s need to sign the declaration in the next 3 months. They urge everyone to lobby their MEP’s to sign the declaration.

Christmas Day

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:58:24 GMT

So - how was your Christmas? :)

Every year we start off so organised, especially as we are always on the Isle of Arran for the week prior to Christmas each year, and each year without fail it unravels the closer the BIG DAY comes! This year it did not help that not only had I dropped the mobile phone down the loo and lost everyone's numbers ... but I also lost the address book so had to work from my old one which was last updated in 1997!!! So anyone we met after 1997, or who moved address, will probably not have got a card from us! Sorry!!!

Ofcourse this year it was a lot more exciting for Charis ... though she had a wobbly at the beginning of December and told us that Santa was not allowed in the house, but that we were to meet him outside to get the presents! But, buy the time Christmas Eve came, she was ok with a huge, overweight stranger dressed all in red, parking his sleigh with 9 reindeer on the roof and squeezing down Noni and Gramp's chimney to leave her presents!! She even left him milk, chocolates (it was too wet to go back out to the car to get the cookies) and a carrot for Rudolph! It was still midnight before she went to sleep though, and so very difficult to wake her next morning! ('Mummy, have I been a good girl?' an anxious wee lass asked a few days ago!! Bless!!)

When did Santa Claus become the representation of the celebration of Christ's birth!? Well, we all know that Father Christmas is based on St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, who was a Christian leader from Myra (in modern-day Turkey) in the 4th century AD. It is said that he wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it, so one day he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney, and it landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire! It still doesn't explain how Santa Claus became to mean more at Christmas time than Jesus, who is the 'reason for the season' as they say! No wonder Charis looked mystified when one moment she was being told about the birth of baby Jesus and the next Santa Claus walked into the children's party at church!

Originally the 25th December (or around then) was the Roman festival of Saturnalia, who was the harvest god. They would decorate their homes with evergreens. The early Christians adopted the mid winter festivals as the time to remember and celebrate the birth of the Saviour. Just as well ... could you imagine the whole of winter without something in the middle to look forward to?!

Anyway ... this year we decided on a champagne breakfast, with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast. And the early start (well .... 9am is early for me!!) was to get breakfast and Santa's pressies in before the church service at 10.30am. Ok, so it was Cava, with a dash of pomegranate juice - but the combination was a definite hit! Charis, I hasten to add, had the normal Frosties and milk, then set about the gifts left by the fire place. 'Just what I needed!!' greeted each gift! And she was not at all bothered about leaving the rest of the presents til after church ... what DID bother her was being told that she had to take one of her presents to show Rev Cringles .... 'But someone will snatch it, Mummy!!' In the end she would only take her Dora backpack with Dora and her pony inside!! So, there we were, sitting in the beautiful St Oran's church in Connel, surrounded by kids with super-douper, high-tech, battery operated contraptions, and Charis proudly holds up her Dora backpack for Rev Cringles to show to the congregation! Bless her!

After church I made the whole family stop beside the Falls of Lora so I could get the Christmas Day shot with Connel Bridge in the background (note to self ... remember tripod in future!). Then it was home to start the mammoth task of getting Charis to open her presents ... and to keep track of who gave her what!! She had an absolute ball, though we were almost too exhausted by the end of it to open our presents! A definite hit was all the Dora and Peppa Pig stuff (especially the LeapFrog laptop!), the Tallulah Barbie monkey (thanks Tom .... did you listen to it before you wrapped it!?!), and her Barbie Princess tent! Most amusing watching her Uncle LehLeh and Aunty Ali putting the tent up! And clothes ... that girl does love her clothes!!

When I was pregnant, we agreed that we wouldn't be parents who would get sucked into commercialisation! Yet there it all was! And we had endorsed it in the presents we got her! Ach well, best laid plans and all that!

I want to end with a poem the Rev Cringle found in an old magazine, which reminds us of the real reason we celebrate Christmas. He says, 'It challenges us afresh to give our hearts and lives to Him in the service of His kingdom.'

O shining light and angel strains, a heavenly host to shepherds came.
To tell of tidings, peace on earth, great joy to all, a Saviour’s birth.

They came with haste to see the sign, a stable place, the manger find.
God incarnate, Immanuel, from heaven’s glory with us to dwell.

Oh Bethlehem’s star, a wondrous sight, which led wise men through days and nights,
Until with joy and gladness found, his dwelling place, in worship bowed.

They offered gifts so costly, rare, gold for a King, frankincense and myrrh.
‘Twas worth it all the journey made. A King indeed from age to age.

And can I come though dim my way, behold his star the lightening ray.
And find at length the place where he my gift of love will still receive?

Yes, I may come, the way revealed to worship Christ. My life I yield
To him who gave his all, his blood. I find, I bow, Oh matchless love!

Unwritten

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:05:44 GMT

On 3rd February 2005, God blessed us with our daughter, Charis Margaret Simpson.

This song was in the charts then and spoke to me about the wee life that was just beginning, an unwritten book.

Photographs are by me.
Music is 'Unwritten' by Natasha Bedingfield.

Lyrics:

I Am Unwritten, Can't Read My Mind, I'm Undefined
I'm Just Beginning, The Pen's In My Hand, Ending Unplanned

Staring At The Blank Page Before You
Open Up The Dirty Window
Let The Sun Illuminate The Words That You Could Not Find

Reaching For Something In The Distance
So Close You Can Almost Taste It
Release Your Inhibitions
Feel The Rain On Your Skin
No One Else Can Feel It For You
Only You Can Let It In
No One Else, No One Else
Can Speak The Words On Your Lips
Drench Yourself In Words Unspoken
Live Your Life With Arms Wide Open
Today Is Where Your Book Begins
The Rest Is Still Unwritten

Oh, Oh, Oh

I Break Tradition, Sometimes My Tries, Are Outside The Lines
We've Been Conditioned To Not Make Mistakes, But I Can't Live That Way

Staring At The Blank Page Before You
Open Up The Dirty Window
Let The Sun Illuminate The Words That You Could Not Find

Reaching For Something In The Distance
So Close You Can Almost Taste It
Release Your Inhibitions
Feel The Rain On Your Skin
No One Else Can Feel It For You
Only You Can Let It In
No One Else, No One Else
Can Speak The Words On Your Lips
Drench Yourself In Words Unspoken
Live Your Life With Arms Wide Open
Today Is Where Your Book Begins
The Rest Is Still Unwritten

Staring At The Blank Page Before You
Open Up The Dirty Window
Let The Sun Illuminate The Words That You Could Not Find

Reaching For Something In The Distance
So Close You Can Almost Taste It
Release Your Inhibitions

Feel The Rain On Your Skin
No One Else Can Feel It For You
Only You Can Let It In
No One Else, No One Else
Can Speak The Words On Your Lips
Drench Yourself In Words Unspoken
Live Your Life With Arms Wide Open
Today Is Where Your Book Begins

Feel The Rain On Your Skin
No One Else Can Feel It For You
Only You Can Let It In
No One Else, No One Else
Can Speak The Words On Your Lips
Drench Yourself In Words Unspoken
Live Your Life With Arms Wide Open
Today Is Where Your Book Begins
The Rest Is Still Unwritten

Light

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 23:41:05 GMT

"Light is the chaser away of darkness. Shade is the obstruction of light."

Leonardo da Vinci

I was thinking today about what chases away the darkness in life. I realised that I am blessed with so much that brings light into my days!

First and foremost is our gorgeous daughter, whom I marvel at every day and who surprises us every day! Her smile illuminates my universe and her giggle is more beautiful than the whole of Heaven's host singing! I still don't know what I did to deserve such an amazing gift as her I certainly don't deserve it!!

My husband has his moments! lol Seriously though .... I would be so lost without him ... he lights my path in this world and holds me up when I stumble .... picks me up if I fall .... and sympathises when I break a toe (I keep doing that in reality, not metaphorically!). Then tells me off for wearing high heels and then complaining when my toe is sore and swollen!!

I was saying to a friend the other day that I am so fortunate with my family and the close bonds that I have with my parents and siblings, and with some of our extended family. They have given me such light in my very darkest of days and without their love and support everything would have gone dark.

And my friends .... I have lost a few along the way ... but some of them only brought shadow and darkness into my life and, man, what light came flooding in when they were out of my life! But one or two have stuck by me, and I've gained some really awesome friends. They have been with me in the bright sunshine, and they have really shone for me when things have gotten very dark for me.

I get my peace from nature - the sea and countryside have an air and a light about them that truly soothes and restores my soul. It is such a blessing to live in such a beautiful country, and often when it all crowds in it is only in the open spaces that I can see clearly again. I guess that's why I love my camera so much - it records little memories of a moment in time when, for me, light shone ... whether that be in an amazing landscape, a close up of something, or a portrait of the person or people I'm with.

And music ... where would we be without music!?!

But through it all I see God, who has woven His light into it all, and through everyone and everything. And for that I have to thank and praise Him, because if I didn't have Him I wouldn't be here, pure and simple. At the darkest of times He put the right person in that moment or guided me to the right place for me to be.

"Shadow is of the nature of darkness. Light is of the nature of a luminous body; one conceals and the other reveals."

Leonardo da Vinci