Blogging June, the Final Day

Wow - June 30 is here (finally) and I am pleased to say that I managed to blog 30 times again. A bit different to last year where I actually managed to do it everyday as opposed to this year where it has been done in chunks. I suppose this can mainly be put done to work (new job - very busy) and kids (who have been sick and demand lots of attention). Anyway, I hope that you may have learned a little bit about me, in particular the books I read and the cards I make. Plus some sporadic library and family stuff inbetween.

This year I'm very much behind with reading other people's post.  I am yet to read anything written past mid June but hopefully that'll change this week. Once again it comes down to work and family commitments which leave me very time poor.  But rest assured I have enjoined all that has been written and am looking forward to reading more.

So my blog will continue with my crafting and reading habits but they will be dwindling in the next 6 months as I am back to Uni soon aftert having this first semester off.  Sigh. So much to do and not enough time!

Kaszazz Card Workshop

Last night I went to my friend Vicky's house to make the below three cards as part of a Kaszazz workshop. I'm happy with the yellow ine but the others have dodgy stamping on them. I love the fact that I can easily replicate this one at home and change it slightly to suit the materials I already have. It was also a great nice as per usual just to catch up with some gorgeous girls :)

Card Challenge

My friends is running a card making challenge every month (see my entries below). Basically the gist behind it is that you pay $5 and she sends you a pack with envelope, cardstock and other bits (ribbon, bling, paper, button etc.). Then you have until the end of the month to design a card using only the materials you have been supplied with. So far I have created the 4 below. I'm really loving seeing other people's cards and what they come up with using the same materials (some are so inventive!). If you are deemed the winner for the month you get a gift voucher to spend with Kaszazz and free entry into next month's challenge. My efforts have so far got me absolutely nowhere but I am still loving it! I actually like all my cards below except the Mother's Day one.  If you are interested in joing contact Lisa at cougala@hotmail.com

Book: Shattered Sky

Summary: Surviving a missile strike on her aircraft suddenly seems like the easy part for Lauren Bennett. A year after being attacked mid flight, Lauren is sure she’s overcome her guilt at losing a friend in the ensuing crash. Her brittle, glossy veneer doesn’t fool Callam Granger, though. But the naval patrol boat captain knows he’s got no right to an opinion. He wasn’t there when she needed him most and she’s not going to let him forget it. On a routine surveillance assignment Lauren uncovers an operation trafficking sex slaves. Pursuing the women – and their captors – will take her deep into the Australian outback and a reluctant Callam knows this time he can’t let her go alone. Is it possible for Lauren and Callam to put aside old enmities to outwit, outrun and ultimately out-fly the traffickers? Or will the frantic race to free the women simply ignite their emotions, endangering yet more lives?

What I thought: Again I found this one a bit slow to get into but once I did I couldn't put it down!

Book: Jacaranda

Summary: At nineteen, Molly Jones has the world at her feet. Then one drunken night she falls into bed with Mark, a cowboy just passing through. By the time Molly realises she is pregnant, Mark is long gone.  Now, at twenty-six, Molly’s life is almost perfect. She’s the devoted mother of Rose, and a renowned horse trainer. She lives amid the beauty of Jacaranda Farm, surrounded by family and friends – none closer than hunky stockman Heath. But she’s still looking for the love of her life, and a father for Rose.  When Mark stumbles back into her world, as charming as ever, Molly begins to hope for a future she’d long ago relinquished. But how will Mark react when he learns he’s a father? And could the man of Molly’s dreams be closer to home than she thinks?

What I thought: This was OK. I found the first half a bit slow and the writing was very basic and what I would call dumbed down. But once I hit the second half I really got into it and enjoyed it.

Book: Love Rules

Summary: Is love ever enough? Thea - sensible and cautious - has always believed in old-fashioned romance. Her best friend Alice is more of a 'fun first, think later' kind of girl. But just recently they've both been behaving out of character. When Thea Luckmore falls head over heels for a man she meets on Primrose Hill and Alice Heggarty marries her best friend Mark, both women are blissfully happy - for a while. But it's not long before Alice admits to herself she likes the thrill of the chase more than the easy pace of married life. And then Thea makes a shocking discovery - one which forces her to rewrite her rules for everlasting love!

What I thought: Another new author that I loved! This was actually rather raunchy in places (which was ok!). Plus I so did not pick the second half of the story or how it would all pan out. A really good book and am definitely adding her to my chick lit pile more often!

Book: Outback Sunset

Summary:  When English actress Vanessa Forsythe falls in love with Ben Selby, her life changes forever. Leaving behind her beautiful Belgravia apartment, she becomes mistress of Amaroo Downs, a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory. Not only does Vanessa have to adjust to the outback lifestyle, but she has to make her place in the Selby family. Ben′s brother, Curtis, isn′t too pleased to have to make allowances for the English blow-in, while his mother, Hilary, finds it difficult to let go of her hold on Amaroo, even though she no longer lives on the station.  However, Vanessa′s real challenge comes when a family secret threatens to overturn life on Amaroo, and someone seems determined to bring her happiness there to an end.

What I thought: OMG, this is just like reading Di Morrissey. Very happy to have found this new author (though she has since passed away). Anyway, I did enjoy the book and am looking forward to reading her again.

Kid 2 - Luke

This is Luke, my spunky little boy. He is now 16 months old and boy has time flown. I blogged about him last June too. Amazing what can happen in just one year. We can now walk, sleep, talk (some words) and boy can we eat! Luke is the human garbage disposal. If we are full (or if Adam doesn't eat his dinner) that's ok because Luke will polish everything off!

Luke loves playing with toys (cars especially) and he loves putting stuff like blocks in other things. He also loves to get right to back of the cupboard to get that toy as per the photo above! But most importantly he loves "Ducky" which he got for Easter. Snuggles in to him everynight.

He FINALLY sleeps through. This was a nightmare kid. Realistically it was only once he turned one that he stopped crying in the night and has only been about a month since he has slept right through for a full 12 hours (I was spoilt with Adam I know...)

Luke loves his big brother most of all. Together they laugh, play (and fight). But Luke adores him. Follows him everywhere. So lovely to see...

Really looking forward to the next 12months as Luke will go from baby to toddler. Fun times ahead!

Kid 1 - Adam

This is my gorgeous little boy Adam. The first picture is of a rare lunchtime nap, and the second is him posing after seeing the photo of him sleeping. I blogged about Adam (or Addy, or Adsy) last June. It really is amazing at this age how much kids grow up. He turned 3 in March.

In the last year he has become a little man. He is now toilet trained (except at night), he now swims all alone with the other big kids and he no longer has a dummy.

Current obsessions include dressing up in costumes (Batman, Buzz Lightyear, Lizard etc.) TV wise we are obsessed with Mike the Knight and still fairly fond of Shaun the Sheep. Food wise we are obsessed with eating very little (but mushrooms, sausages, cheese, juice and bananas are ok).

He is still a fabulous big brother though he needs to learn to share (especially his cars), and needs to stop pushing if he doesn't get his own way.

All is all he is a fabulous little munchkin. Love him to bits and looking forward to seeing him develop in the next year.

Book: The Dog Fence

Summary: At 5400 kilometres, the Dog Fence is one of the longest man-made structures on Earth. It slices across Australia’s desert heart, dividing the continent to keep dingoes away from livestock. Bestselling author James Woodford embarks on a journey to follow its length, travelling some of the loneliest and harshest country in the world. He begins on a clifftop overlooking the Great Australian Bight and ends in the foothills of Queensland’s Bunya Mountains. He meets many of the remarkable people who maintain this amazing barrier as he passes through rocket ranges, nuclear test areas, sacred sites and places where nineteenth-century explorers perished. The Dog Fence is an enthralling account of a most unusual journey over sand, gibber plains and salt lakes. It is about the hazards of travel, the lessons of history and the passion and resilience of the men and women on the land.

What I thought: LOVED this book! I have had it on my shelves for years but picked it up because I watched a story on Landline about it. I couldn't put it down. I would read bits then Google to find out more about stations and locations. Just amazing!



Book: Tim Fischer's Outback Heroes

Summary:  Tim Fischer and Peter Rees tell the tales of some real outback heroes, their communities and their success in bouncing back from hardship to success. Full of canny thinking, hard work and a refusal to give up, these truly inspiring stories come from every corner of Australia.  The gap between the city and the bush has never been greater and the bush has never had to work harder to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing society.  This is a book about the never-say-die spirit of those who live in regional Australia the people and communities who see opportunity and the chance for renewal where others see dust.

What I thought: Hit and miss! I bought this at Clunes Booktown before hearing Tim Fischer talk. Like most of these books some characters you love and think are amazing and others are just so so. But it did highlight the fighting spirit of the bush. So proud to live in this beautiful land.

Card Swap #4

And the last lot...

Card Swap #3

And the next few...

Card Swap #2

Here are the next few...

Card Swap #1

Me and 19 of my closest friends (including acquaintances and strangers) have taken part in a card swap challenge. The general gist was that you made 20 of the same cards (one design), then you sent them to me, I split them out and send you back 20 different cards. The next few post are photos of the cards. Would love to hear which ones people like! (sorry some uploaded the wrong way).

Ballarat Technology Park Breakfast

On May 15th myself and a colleague headed out to The University of Ballarat Technology Park for a breakfast talk. Shane Carmody from the State Library of Victoria came to speak about The Changing Role of Libraries in the Digital Age.


Basically he discussed the Ballarat Store of the SLV and how it works and it's future, then he discussed online resources and some digitisation projects occurring at the SLV. For me I had pretty much heard it all before from one of the many talks or visits I've had to Melbourne. However my colleague was fascinated. All new information which highlighted the amazing work of SLV.

For me, it was fantastic that this sort of event was held in regional Victoria. It was also fantastic to catch up with other local colleagues who ranged from academic, school and public libraries. Makes me think that I could organise something else like this. Now just to find a library speaker who would be willing to travel...

Monday Night Bookgroup: The Slap

Summary: At a barbecue in suburban Melbourne, a man slaps a three year old boy across the face. The child, Hugo, has been misbehaving without any intervention by his parents, "the steely-eyed Rosie and the wimpish Gary". The slapper is Harry, cousin of the barbecue host and adulterous businessman whose slightly older son, Rocco, is being threatened by Hugo. This event sends the other characters "into a spiral, agonising and arguing over the notion that striking a child can ever be justified. Some believe a naughty boy should be taught some discipline, others maintain the police ought to be brought in to investigate a common assault" with a range of positions in between.

What I thought: I really loved this book and really hated the characters. They were all horrible! I did find it a hard slog though to get through it all. I sort of went in spurts of 100 pages here, then another 100 pages a few weeks later...  But it did lead for great bookgroup discussions. I just felt that the majority of characters were not in suburbia (well certainly not the one I love in). But maybe I lead a sheltered life...  I don't know if I will read any of his other books but I am still pleased I read this considering all the hype about it. I've got the TV series to watch now (but no time to watch it)!

Clunes Booktown

Once again I was fortunate enough to head out to Clunes for Booktown this year. So handy when it is only 20 minutes up the road.

On the Saturday I headed out by myself and browsed collections, purchased books, ate lots of yummy food and listened to a variety of guest speakers (notes below).

On the Sunday my hubby went to work so I took the kids to Booktown for a few hours to enjoy the attractions. This included stepping into the world of Narnia and sitting int he big story chair (see below), dancing and singing with a local musician, running around in the hay bale maze and it was finished off with a horse and cart ride.

I had a fantastic time and can't wait to do it all again next year.

Notes from the guest speakers:

Peter Rose (editor of Australian Book Review) on Reviewing

Have the confidence. Find your markets.
Sites like ABR have guidelines to help.
Lots of stuff in from the PR machines of publishers. Often we get lazy and use what they supply.
Not enough people tell it like it is. Tend to gloss over more...

Writing for family (Alice Pung and Anna Goldsworthy)

Both brilliant speakers!

AP - Second book is so different/such a different voice from the first. First book was as a 19 year old. She grew up!

AG - Writing family is a fine line. Your writing about THEM!Z Do they have a say? One thing to think it - another to write it! What to omit/include? Your memories are highly subjective.

I also listened to the Patrick White's Centenary talk and the Tim Fishcher talk. Both excellent too!

Research Involvement for Librarians

Question: How are you involved in research within your organisation? Should you be more involved? Less? What are the benefits and drawbacks of being involved?

Here at my place of work and I have recently begun to get more involved with the formal side of research. This includes me being an "expert" on the Human Research and Ethics Committee (HREC) which bridges both hospitals in the region, and I'm also now sitting on the Research Advisory Committee. I feel that the library is now working much more collaboratively with the research department and that we are marketing the library in a much more positive light. But I can't help but wonder if there is more I could be doing... I know that academic libraries are very different but in special libraries we are more thinly staffed and we can't do it all... Thoughts? What committees do you sit on that you think form an essential part of your job?

Stamp Club

At the start of the year I joined my local Stampin Up Stamp Club. I love their products and really like the concept of Stamp Club. There are 8 in the group. You meet 8 times per year at the demonstrators house. Each month you get to make something (see below). The rule is that you have to spend $38 on products. Then once a month you get to be "hostess" and reap any of the benefits. So here is what I madwe on Friday night. A gorgous card/box. Basically I will wrap some jewellery in tissue paper and pop it in as the gift.

I won a book!

So excited. Just got an email saying I won a copy of Jilted by Rachael Johns. I entered the competition through Cathryn Hein's blog. I already love Cathryn's books and if the blurb of Jilted is anything to go by I'm sure I'll love Rachael's books too. You all know how much I adore my rural romances so this has just made me so happy and cheery on a miserable Friday afternoon!

So what did I have to do? Just share my ideal breakfast. Here's what I wrote:


Mmm. Breakfast. Mine is similar to bacon and eggs but it our own take. It is affectionately known as steak and eggs. Marinated steak tips, fried eggs, home made chunky toast with lashings of butter, sautéed mushrooms and a home made hash brown. Delicious!

Book: Follow the Morning Star

Summary: Queenie and TR return in Di Morrissey's sequel to the bestselling Heart of the Dreaming (review here).  Queenie Hanlon has a perfect life. She's the mother of two adoring children, the wealthy owner of a thriving outback station and the wife of handsome bushman TR Hamilton. Then one day, Queenie's perfect life comes crashing down...

Her bitter and vengeful brother returns from Italy to lay claim to his inheritance. Her precious daughter is seduced by her uncle into giving up all Queenie's strived for. And her beloved TR, injured in a riding accident, can no longer recall the life they once shared.

What I thought: Ah, gotta love a good sequel. So nice to jump back into the lives of characters you love...

Crafting...

One thing I LOVE to do is craft. By this I mean scrapbooking and cardmaking. Problem is that with two small kids I rarely find the time. There is no way known I can do anything during the day while they are awake. And these days, by the time they are in bed I am too exhausted to do anything. So generally I slump on the couch or read...

However, one a month I go to a Stampin Up Stamp Club (which is tonight) and once a month I head to my friends for a Kaszazz Workshop (either cards or double page as above). I love these nights out as it gives me a chance to chat and relax and do something that I enjoy. I just wish I had more hours in the day (or energy) to inguldge in this hobby more often...

Another thing I have done recently with a great bunch of girls (including @shewgirl and @fionawb) is to organise a "card swap". Basically 20 of us from 5 states all made 20 of the same card. They have been posted to me (still waiting for one) and when I get them all I will split them up. That way you make one design (20 times) but get 20 different cards back in return. I'll take photos and add them over the coming weeks.

Book: Size 14 is Not Fat Either

Summary:  Former pop star Heather Wells has settled nicely into her new life as assistant dorm director at New York College - a career that does not require her to drape her size 12 body in embarrassingly skimpy outfits. She can even cope (sort of) with her rocker ex-boyfriend's upcoming nuptials, which the press has dubbed The Celebrity Wedding of the Decade. But she's definitely having a hard time dealing with the situation in the dormitory kitchen, where a cheerleader has lost her head on the first day of the semester. (Actually, her head is accounted for it's her torso that's AWOL.)

Surrounded by hysterical students (with her ex-con father on her doorstep and her ex-love bombarding her with unwanted phone calls) Heather welcomes the opportunity to play detective . . . again. If it gets her mind off her personal problems and teams her up again with the gorgeous P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives it's all good. But the murder trail is leading the average-sized amateur investigator into a shadowy world. And if she doesn't watch her step, Heather will soon be singing her swan song!

What I thought: I LOVED this. I also enjoyed the first and this was just like meeting an old friend. I had lots of laugh out loud moments. I mean sure it's pretty tacky but still so wroth the time!

Libraries and Digital Repositories

Here at work we are looking into having an organisational "Digital Repository".  I emailed a few e-lists the other day to see if any small libraries had digital repository. I got a number of responses that all pointed to dSpace. Are any of you out there using dSpace? Are you using something else? Thoughts? How do you go about it? Does the library run the project or is it another department? Is the repository well used? Up to date? Highly regarded? Any insights are most appreciated as I start along this journey.

Book: Wattle Creek

Summary: Damien McAllister is a man on the brink. Spending long, hard days on a farm he has no affection for, and nights ignoring the criticisms of his mother, Damien can no longer remember what he's living for. But in a small town like Wattle Creek, there are few people to turn to - and Damien learned long ago to keep his problems to himself.  Until Jacqueline Havelock, a young psychologist escaping her own issues, arrives fresh from the city and makes Damien question everything he has known about himself…also igniting a spark in his lonely heart.  Soon Damien is daring to ask for more than an ordinary life, and can glimpse the possibility of happiness. Will this accidental farmer dare to fulfil the long-forgotten legacy of his father and find peace in the arms of the doctor?  Or will the ghosts of their pasts threaten the fragile new lives they've just begun to build?

What I thought: OMG. I so LOVED this book. Read it in two days (which is pretty quick for me with the two tiny tackers!). Just a fantastic rural romance which helped top touch on a serious rural issue. Highly recommend.

Bonfire night

Once or twice a year we have a big bonfire night. Saturday night was lots of fun and the kids had a ball.

Before

During

After

Book: Naomi's Wish

Summary: It had always been Dr Naomi Fontaine's dream to practice small town medicine - an ambition that has brought her to the quirky, tight knit community of Cypress Hollow. But no matter how hard she tries, the locals still treat her with suspicion. Then ruggedly handsome Rig Keller walks into town and Naomi's heart stops for all the wrong reasons. For a few months back Rig was a rip roaring, throw caution to the wind one night stand. Now he's her partner at the practice - and keen to play doctors once more...

What I thought: Another trashy romance that hit the spot. I like that it is loosely based on her previous two books so that I feel like I already know the characters. Wish I could knit too!