Blogger Recognition Award

I said I wasn’t forwarding them because it was all getting a bit much (details), I am not churlish enough to not do them myself.  That is where I draw the line, I make absolutely no judgement on others, it is an arbitrary line really, this just feels right for me.

Besides I was nominated by the beautiful wordsmith cirque de la nuit (don’t you just love the name).  Visit for wonderful poetry and unique insight.

Rules for The Blogger Recognition Award:

1. Write a post to show your award.
2. Give a brief story of how your blog started.
3. Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
4. Thank whoever nominated you, and provide a link to their blog.
5. Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to.

Brief Story of How Your Blog Started

I believe I’ve written about this before, but here goes.

I have always liked writing but the physical act of writing more than about 300 words would make my head spin, thoughts flying so fast that I would lose my ideas.  I experimented with Voice recognition but couldn’t make the computer understand me.  I had given up, my mum hadn’t.  She harbours under the delusion that I am brilliant & creative despite all evidence to the contrary.

I was offered some government funding for some psychology sessions; due to my Autism and severe Depression & Anxiety.  I went to a new psychologist recommended by the family’s Occupational Therapist (the greatest therapist in the word) Claire Druett .  The new psychologist Rikki Ambrosius talked with me and suggested that I already knew lots of coping mechanisms and basically had a positive attitude; we agreed the problem was that anxiety and depression crept up on me without me knowing it so I couldn’t use coping strategies.  Instead my first sign of anxiety was physical illness, hysteria or fainting.

So Rikki suggested Neurofeedback; she didn’t even have to finish.  Neurofeedback had been considered ‘just around the corner’ when I studied Psychology almost 20 years ago.  By the way she did finish and gave me lots of information to study at home.  Anyway I leapt at the idea, but it was only supposed to reduce my anxiety & psychosomatic illnesses.

So a few months into treatment I was sitting at the table at my mother in law’s and I got a funny idea.  My mother always grumbled because I don’t write these “brilliant” ideas down, so I started writing notes.  I kept writing sentences instead of notes.  I stopped and interacted with everyone and continued during gaps celebrating with my Mum.  A couple of hours after Mum left I had written & typed almost 2000 words.  (Welcome to Mother’s Day)

Meanwhile my 2nd eldest Alex had started attended KSP Writer’s Centre and wanted me to go with her.  Initially it was the same time as my therapy but one week when Rikki had to change days I attended.  The next week I told Rikki what an unbelievably fantastic experience it had been.  From then on my life was scheduled around the writer’s circle.  It is such a supportive and inclusive group of talented writers,  I am more desperate to read several of their finished novels than I am to write my own.

Photo taken in the beautiful grounds of the KSP Writers’ Centre.

I was reading them some of my stuff about autism and the leader said I should blog it.  I went home and got confused, but the next week she directed me to an upcoming blogging workshop.  It was run by Anabel Smith who taught me everything I needed to know.  I had a website by that afternoon and was ready to wait the two months before I would get a view.  2 hours later David Snape had followed me & I was hooked.

So don’t blame me blame the following; Claire Druett Occupational Therapist Extraordinaire, Rikki Ambrosius Brain Reprogrammer, my Mother (no website), my daughter Alex, KSP Writer’s Centre & the two circle leaders that encouraged me Tabetha & Lisa (yes another one), my Blogging 101 & 2 subsequent workshops teacher Anabel Smith and finally David Snape.  And my husband who keeps me alive.

And biggest blame of all, that someone who writes such beautiful poetry can have such bad taste tsk tsk, cirque de la nuit (still love that name).

Advice.

1.  Don’t worry too much; WordPress is an embracing and supportive community, we will forgive your mistakes because we’ve all made them.  Ask advice from other bloggers & WordPress.
2. Use pictures I get mine at Pixabay mainly, they work by donation but I tend to donate about 20c per picture because if I paid more my kids would get very nasty about not being fed;brats!

Thank you, thank you cirque de la nuit , I am touched and honoured by your attentions.

I can’t pick, I just can’t I’m sorry!  I love you!