twenty-six

Image:  Lime Crime  on Flickr

I've been poking about in the corner of my blog and I came across a somewhat alarming statistic. I posted a measly 26 times in 2012. Wow. For those who have stuck around through my absenteeism, thank you. For those who encouraged me to keep going, thank you too. I'm going to aim for better this year. There are no big plans, just little ones, but I know I can do better than 26. 

Ita

I am the first to admit that I knew almost nothing about Ita Buttrose before listening to this podcast. I kind of dismissed her as "the Women's Weekly" editor, always looking perfectly vacuous with her blow-dryed bob, perfect manicure and chiselled eyebrows. Truth be told I dismissed her as an airhead with nothing of any import to say except, perhaps, for how to make a delicious meal for less than $10 and the best way to get grass stains out of clothes. Had I actually stopped to think about it, I might have guessed that a woman who managed to successfully swim to the top of the Australian media fishbowl in the 70s might have had a thing of two to say about women in media and the role that the Australian media is currently playing in belittling our current Prime Minister*.  She also has a lot to say about the failure of women to progress beyond talking about the issues she was writing about in the 70s; equal pay, flexibility in the workforce and that not-so-mythical mythical glass ceiling. By the end of the podcast I wanted to read her book and there was just a little bit of me that wanted to be just like her. Passionate, feisty, ambitious and nice.  

*For the record, Ita has fairly strong views on who should be able to comment hair colour, bottom size and choice of shoe - funnily enough it's not the media, nor is it a stranger and probably not even a friend. Because personal attacks like this aren't nice and above all Ita is nice. 

Oy!

This girl of mine! She knows exactly where she's going and makes no apologies for rallying anyone and everyone around her to help her get there. For one of very few words she is quite the communicator, mustering up all her energy into the power of the pointed finger, the emphatic head nod and more often than I would like, the disgruntled grunt. Heaven help us when she actually learns to talk!

Feasting

There's been much feasting going on around here in the last few days. Lots of time spent with family relaxing and enjoying that quiet time between Christmas and New Year. Sleep-ins, trips to the farm, a bit of kangaroo spotting and for one little girl, an opportunity to watch TV.  And although I'm very glad to have 2012 behind us there's a small part of me that wishes the quiet could continue just a few more days before everything starts back up again in 2013.