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I’m Calling A Meeting

September 27, 2012 By Janine 15 Comments

This morning I have been so bereft of blogging ideas I've even packed the dishwasher to avoid the computer. I have a thousand and one ideas but all of them require some level of effort, a little bit of research, a touch of organisation, a request to interview people, preparation of photos, reading books to review. As the clock ticks away on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: Blogging, ideas, prompts, Writing

If you want to publish a book … you’ve got to WRITE

August 17, 2012 By Janine 9 Comments

It is 10.54 am on my day off from my real-world job. When I decided to work part-time the aim was to spend my day off writing. Get a book published. Uncover that latent dream from underneath the grown-up world responsibilities of kids, mortgage, bills and ... well you know the drill. This morning I was determined. My only responsibility was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Project 44 Tagged With: Books, roi social media, Writing

Reading This Week – Silent Fear by Katherine Howell

April 27, 2012 By Janine 4 Comments

I love a good crime novel, mystery or thriller. The obsession began with Enid Blyton's Secret Seven, moved through Agatha Christie and into Patricia Cornwell, PD James, Ruth Rendell. If I'm left to my own devices to choose a book to curl up with on a rainy day I wade straight into the murky world of corpses with secrets,  fascinating forensics and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Book, Books, crime fiction, Katherine Howell, Silent Fear, Writing

Blogging My World

March 2, 2012 By Janine 28 Comments

Blogging - it's a weird concept isn't it? Carving out a space for yourself where you can vent, share, amuse, entertain, inform. Giving yourself a power you have never had before. Welcoming strangers into your life to comment on the thoughts that tumble from your mind. The habit of blogging is slowly beginning to ingrain itself into my daily life.  … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: Blogging, Creativity, Writing

The Power Of Words

February 26, 2012 By Janine 21 Comments

Those of us who blog, or like to read blogs are very aware of the power of words. However, this video says it in the most eloquent way possible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU I first saw this video at a work conference last year, thanks to Kirri White at Success Coach for reminding me of it this morning. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Creativity, Life, Writing Tagged With: Life Experience, Power of Words, Writing

Reading This Week – Watercolours – Adrienne Ferreira

February 10, 2012 By Janine 9 Comments

A gifted child, a quirky family, an inexperienced teacher, a mysterious death all jumbled together in a small, country town that's the essence of Watercolours. This is the debut novel for Adrienne Ferreira and in it she creates an engaging story with a  group of likeable characters. Watercolours is a gentle book which meanders through the everyday … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Adriènne Ferreira, Australian Women Writers Challenge, Book, Books, Literature, Watercolours, Writing

A New Year Begins

January 1, 2012 By Janine 9 Comments

Well the first of my goals for 2012 is down the toilet. I didn't win the $31 million Lotto draw last night. So instead of shopping for a new, highly expensive car this morning, I've got to settle for a cup of coffee (instant I can't afford one of those fancy schzmancy machines) and a blog. It's the day of resolutions, when all the world unites in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Project 44 Tagged With: Beach photo, David Fitzpatrick, Goal setting, Life Experience, New Year's Resolutions, Photographs., Photography, Port Macquarie, Project 44, Writing

NaNoWriMo – The Confession

December 1, 2011 By Janine 8 Comments

Big cheers please, my friend Michele from Savannah Photography completed the 50,000 words  in 30 days for NaNoWriMo. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Creativity, Humour, My Favourite Posts, Project 44, Writing Tagged With: humour., NaNoWriMo, Writing

Reading This Week – Bereft – Chris Womersley

November 25, 2011 By Janine 3 Comments

The new novel by Chris Womersley is a dark tale with Gothic sensibilities. Womersley portrays a world of sadness and pain, set in 1919 in the aftermath of the First World War and in the midst of the Spanish Flu epidemic. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Reading This Week, Writing Tagged With: ABC Mid North Coast, Bereft, Book, Book Club, Chris Womersley, Writing

Writing The Great Aussie Novel During NaNoWriMo

November 20, 2011 By Janine 1 Comment

Saturday 6.00am  - Rise early to avoid the family. Sit down at computer. Write sentence. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Creativity, Family, Humour, Writing Tagged With: Family, humour., NaNoWriMo, Writing

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Janine Fitzpatrick is a personal blogger with an untidy house, imperfect children and no celebrity friends.

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Weekend Notes

WATCHINGI went to see Fiona O'Loughlin last night. She's the comedian who survived alcoholism, a two week coma from not realising, in her drunken state, that the heater in the dive she was living in was leaking carbon monoxide.  Then went on to spend … [Read More...]

Weekend Notes

Watching We headed to the movies this weekend and saw the latest Spike Lee film, BlacKkKlansman. It's the story of the first black cop in the Colorado Springs police force, Ron Stallworth, who in the late 70's managed to infiltrate the Ku Klux … [Read More...]

Sleepless

So I've been awake since 3.00am. In that time I've signed the family up for an organizing app which can run a joint calendar, shared shopping and to-do lists and has downloaded a series of recipes that are supposed to make my "what's for dinner" … [Read More...]

Grey stairs.

The Widow Goes On A Date

The last time I went on a first date Bob Hawke was Prime Minister, Liam Hemsworth was being born, Madonna was singing Vogue on the radio, Macaulay Culkin was being left Home Alone and Kevin Costner was Dancing with Wolves. It was a long time ago … [Read More...]

Father with two daughters.

Another Father’s Day

Hi Simon, How's things going up there? Did you have a beer with your Dad for Father's Dad? We blatantly ignored the day here. Just pretended it wasn't happening. We still think about you every day. I didn't post anything on Facebook because it … [Read More...]

Daisy flowers

Hellooo Again

  Hi, I'm just here unwrapping the dust covers, brushing down the spiderwebs and sweeping up the left-over dreams of my tiny little space on the internet. I know I've been gone almost 12-months. I'm not even sure how that happened. A … [Read More...]

A messy scrapbooking desk

Milestone Moments

Hey Simon, Despite my best intentions to ignore the milestones they keep on happening, with or without you. We celebrated your Mum's 80th birthday back in August. A rushed trip of some 1,850 kilometres all up with just four days to do the 9 hour … [Read More...]

Weekend Notes

What have you been up to this weekend? Watching  We caught Home Again in the cinema. It's the latest Reese Witherspoon film.  It's a fun little comedy. Reese plays Alice a just-turned 40 divorcing mum of two. At her birthday drinks she … [Read More...]

Picture of a beach.

Weekend Notes

  As the weekend draws to a close here's a little of what caught my eye in the last 48 hours. Watching Saw Battle of the Sexes the new Emma Stone movie about the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Oh what a time … [Read More...]

A Bag of chips, wine, chocolate, lemonade and magazine. A parody of a bug out bag for the apocalypse.

Could You Survive The Apocalypse?

South Koreans are buying "survival bags" and turning to YouTube for tips on making it through a nuclear blast. The New York Times is writing articles on How To Survive The Apocalypse and the doomsday preppers are starting to look like the smart ones. … [Read More...]

chocolate and wine

Home Alone: The Empty Nest

The empty nest looms in my near future. One more year before the youngest heads out into the world without my micromanaging her every move. I can feel the rotor blades on my helicopter starting to slow.   I heard a whisper of what may … [Read More...]

Weekend Notes

It's a long weekend here in Australia.  So it's been a lazy time. Perfect for some catch-up TV, movies and reading.   Watching I've been enjoying Doctor Doctor it was shot in my old hometown of Mudgee and gosh it's looking … [Read More...]

iVillage

Janine Fitzpatrick is a personal blogger with an untidy house, imperfect children and no celebrity friends. Read More…

Grey stairs.
Father with two daughters.

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