Sorry for the spammers

Hi everyone .

Unfortunately my change of name from Simple Loving Thoughts to Button Brain has taken an unexpected turn.

Some very enterprising spammer has registered that blog name "Simple Loving Thoughts" and is merrily spamming my old email follower list with awesome links to essentials such as herpes medications.

While I absolutely promise I did not sell your details to anyone, if you have followed by email Simple Loving Thoughts, this gives them access to you. I have asked for further support  from Blogger via their forums but right now, all I can do is apologize.

Please take care to unfollow or unsubscribe at the base of their email.

Cheers, love and best wishes

Lisa

PS This shouldn't apply to followers of Button Brain

Back in blog land

Hello bloggy friends.. It's been weeks since I last posted.

I could lie and say I took a much needed hiatus to reflect and refocus. 

That would be a big fat lie.

I just haven't really had much to say. The blog world is overflowing with so many people hot on the pulse of every social drama or conflict, every injustice and here I am, wondering what the heck I'm gonna make for dinner, and how on earth I'm going to get all these clothes dry on the middle of a cold wet Victorian winter..?

Does that make me shallow? That I spend more time thinking about the general comings and goings in our own little house than I do about the greater matters of the universe? Probably.

But as hard as I try I just can't get on board with constant social outrage that seems to be fuelling the greater portion of blogging land at the moment.  I'd rather have a laugh at something silly, or admire something gorgeous. 

I'm the one posting goofy pictures of a cat who missed the window sill.

I'm the one saying "Nawwww" at the fluffy baby bunnies.

I'm the one chuckling at this and forwarding it to everyone I know who grew up watching the Muppet Show

( Hahhaaaaa , you just read that using the chef's accent, didn't you!)

So for a while I've wondered if I should be bothered with this blogging thing, because I really don't seem to fit the norm. I'm not deep and meaningful ( I have short bursts of that but nothing sustained). 

I'm not a 'Mummy Blogger", I'm fairly old fashioned in what I think is appropriate in public.... and I don't have my ranty pants on twice weekly.

But I've decided that I will keep doing it, because I like it. And if my non-ranty posts amuse someone, that's lovely.

I'll leave the social rants to someone else.

xx

World Autism Day - The Carnival Ride

Today Is World Autism Awareness Day.

Not only do we want to raise awareness amongst the greater community about the challenges of living with Autism, we also want to take today to reflect on the joy and wonder that Autism brings to our world.

A couple of years ago I wrote a post about how it feels to find yourself parenting a child with ASD.
I am re-posting it today, for Autism Awareness.

Like so many young romantic couples, we bought tickets to go on the Carousel.

Many of our friends had already gone on it and said it was great. It looked like fun and we could afford it. We had to wait in line, but we had friends waiting too, so it was a good, gossipy wait, talking about what it would be like.

When we finally got through the gates, none of our friends were near us.The ride started and almost immediately, we realised that we were on the wrong ride.

Our seats didn't look like the other seats, and the cars banged and crashed and made weird noises. The seat belts pinched and I felt the first tentacles of fear sneaking into my heart.

A man popped out in a white coat and told us we were on the Monster Crash Roller Coaster. He smiled in a detached way and sent us through the big swinging doors.

  ***************

The Roller Coaster is not at all like the Carousel. It is unpredictable, frightening and fast. There are exhilarating highs and stomach churning free-fall drops. There is always a jagged corner hurtling towards you and you never really know where you will go next. You can't hear anyone else because there is so much other noise, and sometimes you actually scream in true fear.

Even with someone sitting right next to you, there are moments when you feel totally and desperately alone. 

You can see the carousel in the distance, with it's pretty lights and gentle well groomed ponies.

Your friends are watching you, as you fly through the air, hair tangled, clothes askew. You can't explain to them why you aren't sitting nicely or why you need to hang on so tight. You know from where they sit, you look wild eyed and out of control. You wish you were sitting on a happy little pony, not this monster ride. 

You start to worry that you will not make it to the end. You worry the safety rail will fly open, that your car will derail. You forget to breath. Your stomach churns and your fingers ache with the effort of holding on.You close your eyes and wish for it to be over, to be different.

But then... you stop and really concentrate.  Your heart is leaping, not only in fear but also in the most incredible joy. You are starting to anticipate the climb and then the drop. You learn to hang on tight in the scary bits, and you open your eyes and really look at the world from the very peak of the steep climbs.

The world looks so different up here, and none of those people on the Carousel can possibly see the world from this angle. 

They have no idea how beautiful it can be up here. 

At the last climb and free fall, you are grinning, eyes wide open. 

As you reach the peak, you let go of the safety bar and raise your hands over your head and welcome the rush.

  ***************

　
The ride slows down and we turn to each other, grinning from ear to ear. No, it wasn't the Merry-go-round ride we anticipated. It was so, so much more.

We have since then ridden on the Carousel. It is fun and wonderful too. But there is always a special place in our hearts for the Roller Coaster... what a ride.

Cocktail Dresses for Cruising

If I tell a mum at school that I write a blog, usually the reaction is a polite but blank smile.

Trying to explain to non-bloggers (or non-blog readers) what the point of a blog is, is nearly impossible.
Mostly because in my case there is no actual point. I don't review products, I don't have a sponsor, I don't make any money and usually I don't have anything profound to share.
I just like to write.
And over-share.
And off-load.

I can't explain why I like it, why this has become my hobby. It is no more significant than if I spent my time knitting or perfecting the art of cake pop making (NOT gonna happen). Yes, its probably a bit of time wasting nonsense and yet, so is just about anything we do outside the confines of our working hours.

In 2 weeks I'm heading off to a blogging conference, this year aboard the awesome Carnival Spirit Cruise Ship. I've been to the last two Digital Parents Conferences and loved meeting other bloggers. They get me, (or if they didn't, they did a great job pretending to understand me!)

I have a room-mate matched up, I have my plane tickets booked. Hubby and kids are well warned and prepared. In the wee small hours I briefly considered booking in for spray tan and some botox but I decided that a weekend cruise probably didn't warrant that degree of vanity.

So yesterday I tweeted one of the organisers to get an idea of the plans for the first evening - how we would all find each other aboard this enormous ship.
She wrote back with details and asked if I had my Cocktail dress ready.

I chuckled, then realised she was serious. A cocktail dress! Not an item that is essential in the wardrobe of a night shift nurse with 4 kids in hometown Wangarattta. I can't say there are a great number of Cocktail dress worthy events on my calendar.

I'm not even sure I know what makes a dress a 'Cocktail dress'. Are there Cocktail dress rules?
I am worried now that I will commit a Cocktail Dress faux pas, and of course be completely unaware.

Fortunately, I turned to the endless wisdom of google, which gave me not only the definition of a cocktail dress ( including the variations of hemline length and acceptable standard of dress by accompanying males) , but google also offered examples.

Now I know what I'm looking for, I'm off to shop... where do you think I will find one of these ?

Linking Up With Jess For I Blog On Tuesdays

Mummies can work too .... Weekend Writer

"But Mummy, when you go to work I don't feel right. I miss you"

The words from my daughter today, as I accepted a night shift from my nursing co-ordinator.

Mid last year I finally got my Nursing Qualifications. It took 40 years, 4 kids, many hours of study and a few false starts but finally, I had the beginnings of a career.

Since September ( when my registration was recognised) I have worked mornings, afternoons and night shifts. More and more I am becoming a night shifter.
The hours suit me - I can leave for work after my littlest goes to bed and I am home before she pours the milk on her Cornflakes.
I sleep when the kids are at school.
The challenge of night shift appeals to me, with a bigger patient load and less "on-the-ground" support. The learning curve is steep but the satisfaction of a well completed evening is enormous.

So what's with the guilt trip being laid on me? Miss 9 has happily accepted that Dad goes to work 5 days a week, for a few years Dad would leave on Sunday night and not re-appear until Friday night.

I am feeling torn. Again.

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I want to grow, to develop a career. I like the interaction and frankly, it's nice to finally be able to take some of the financial burden that The Man I Married has carried for so long. It's nice to see a payment in our account and know I put it there.

But the (guilt) MOTHER in me is whispering in my ear, guilt tripping, and the small child in front of me, telling me that she doesn't want me to go breaks my heart.

It's so hard to ignore the negative voices.

I know she is safe. Looked after and loved.
I know this is just because for so long I was here, always, and she is struggling with the new regime.
I know she will be fine if I go to work.
I know every hour or so, her words will jump back into my mind and I will wrestle the guilt back down into a manageable lump.

Counting the hours until I am home, and my small one feels all is okay once again.



Time to link up for the Weekend Writer Blog Link-up

 

 

Add your weekend post to the linky below .

For the rules and hints visit this page

 

 

Weekend Writers Linkup --- In the beginning

While there are many dedicated daily bloggers out there, there are also many who just blog when they get a chance, and often that chance comes on the weekend.

This is a new link-up, it will run every weekend... and the rules are pretty simple.

Love the Linker! - Comment on the hosts post ---(I love how that sounds - "Host posts"...) - A little loving goes a long way, and with some support, I will do my best to continue this link-up and showcase some of the best Weekend Writing we bloggers have to offer. Follow Button Brain in the social world somewhere - on Facebook , Twitter or follow this blog.... Thankyou!!!

Add the Weekend Writer Button somewhere on your blog, either on the sidebar (I have a Grab the Code option) , or add a link to Button Brain and the Weekend Writers image within your post - feel free to right click and copy the images available.

 Link your previously unpublished weekend post via the Linky tool .. this is any post you wrote and published over the weekend, there are no rules on topics ( as long as it isn't illegal) . If you blog Saturday and Sunday you are welcome to link both.

Show your love to other linkees - we can be a great support and source of friendship in blogland, spend a little time reading other peoples posts.. you never know, you might find a kindred spirit or a fellow lunatic.

Please be honest and only link a fresh unpublished post ... don't link old posts or send your sales pitch every weekend... show us your blog !

Join me this weekend and add your link to the Weekend Writer Link-up.

Dogs

Life is complicated and there is so much that needs attention in the world.
There are truly awful political and humanitarian situations worldwide (and yes, on our very own red soil) . It can be very easy to get mired down in the sadness and the unfairness of it all.

I don't want you to think that I'm a complete airhead, or totally lacking in social conscience but there are many blogs that speak far more eloquently about social issues than I could ever hope to.

And so, I shall bring you what our house does best.
Silly.

We do silly well. We laugh a lot, mostly at ourselves.
And I'm grateful for that. A day without a good giggle is a day wasted in my opinion.
We laugh at Miss Abby , the paranoid schizophrenic but lovable pup who is wearing yet another thing that amuses me greatly - dog clothes

If you think she looks pissed off, it's because she is. Turns out dogs don't really like wearing knitted jumpers.

After Teddy Had a Haircut , one commenter (aka my mother) suggested I ought to make more effort in seeking out a more masculine outfit. Now he is resplendent in his very Aussie ACDC coat.

 

Of course all this dog-clothes-wearing malarkey led me on a Google Images extravaganza. God I love Google! When I think of Thankful Thursday, Google is right at the top of my hit list alongside Electric blankets and spa baths.

 

So because I'm a sharing, caring kind of girl .. here's some of my favs - superman is a recurring theme.

 

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Of course googling one thing leads to another... from doggy toenail pedicures ...

 

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Seriously, people have time for this????

 

To happy dogs ....

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To my favourite Dogs underwater by the Amaaaazing Seth Casteel

 

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From here it was really just a hop, skip and jump to a man wearing limes on his body.

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In answer to your last question. I have no idea. Not a clue. None.

I'm off to do some shopping, buy some limes.. the usual stuff.
What do you do when you want to put a smile on your face?

I forgot I wrote a book

Sometimes I am pleasantly distracted.
Other times I am frighteningly vague and forgetful.

For the past 2 years I have been immersed in the blogging community and daydreaming about the possibility that I might actually one day hold in my hand something I have written. A hard copy of my words.
There are fellow bloggers who have 'self published' and I am always amazed at their self confidence. I wonder how I would ever get to the point that I feel my work is worthy of real paper.

I woke up this morning feeling unsettled. Something about a book, something about a box of ....

HEY ! Wait a minute.... I did that !!!!

ZOMG !

It troubles me that I FORGOT I did this!

So this morning I was out in the shed, digging around in the back of an old cupboard, and voila'

front cover

back cover

Back in 2008, while I was still madly making all my buttons, as well as raising my babies, I decided to have a go and creating a craft book.
Thirty four pages of stitching, baking, quotes....

I did the setting out all myself, on my little laptop in the study.
I sourced a printer in South Australia, and pressed send.
And 4 weeks later they arrived.

I am laughing at myself today, but also wondering what else I have forgotten about.

Would you like a copy?
I'm happily giving away 5 copies (yes I've checked and I do have them!)

Tell me what you have forgotten? Are you as ditzy as me?
The top five answers that make me laugh or gasp can have a copy of the forgotten treasure in my cupboard!

Tell your friends, share away...

Winners announced 13 July...