Rhyme and No Reason!

Blogger, author and rhymester who likes to find the humour in life.

Episode 289: Facebook Friends – or Foes? — April 15, 2015

Episode 289: Facebook Friends – or Foes?

Having a baby is such a life-changing experience. You can’t wait to meet your little bundle and as soon as they are born, you oooh and aaaah over every little milestone, especially if they are your first. In this age of social networking, you can record and document everything for the benefit of your family and friends so they don’t miss out either.

How would you feel then if you received an anonymous letter through the post from some of your ‘friends’ slagging you off for your excessive Facebook posting? This is what happened to one poor Australian Mum.

Apparently, a group of her so-called fiends had got together and had written (or should I say typed. this was anonymous after all) to her telling her that they were fed up with her constantly posting pictures of her little girl. The said hurtful things like ‘they didn’t care that she was able to crawl on the carpet.’

They were also sick of the little girl modelling outfits that she had been given as gifts, telling her mother that she should ‘ send the person who sent the gift a private photo of her wearing it, rather than plastering it all over Facebook.

They also told this Aussie mum that they would be glad when she goes back to work so that she won’t have as much time to post as many pictures of her daughter online. These people, don’t forget, were supposed to be her friends! 

However, this mum had a good friend who happened to be a comedienne with a load of Facebook followers. She sent the nasty note to her who posted it on her own page with a little message explaining how this ‘took bitching to a whole new level.’

Who needs friends like these?!

The Daydreamer Challenge: Day 7 Pt 1. — April 12, 2015

The Daydreamer Challenge: Day 7 Pt 1.

It is getting near to the end of the Daydreamer’s Challenge, and the lovely Caitlin would like to know which day we have enjoyed the most and why.

My favourite day was yesterday, day 6 of the Challenge. The reason for this is we got to answer some questions from other bloggers. I think you find out more about a person from this kind of interaction, and it is something a little different too. I feel that it beings us a ll just a little closer which is really lovely.

One of the posts that I have enjoyed reading this week, is by Sophie Speaks Up. This blog is very funny, but Sophie’s enthusiasm really shines through as well. Her excitement when getting notifications that someone has read or commented on her blog I can really relate to. She has gained a lot of followers in a short time which is due to her creative and funny ways with words.

I would like to thank Caitlin very much for organising this challenge. It has been a lot of fun as well as very enlightening to participate in, I am thrilled that she is going to host another challenge in August, and will be signing up for sure!

Daydreamer Challenge: Day 6: Questions From Other Bloggers. — April 11, 2015

Daydreamer Challenge: Day 6: Questions From Other Bloggers.

Today is Day 6 of the Daydreamer Challenge hosted by the lovely Caitlin. Yesterday as part of the challenge, she wanted us to post questions we would like to pose to other bloggers. She has chosen a few of those including her own first question which we are to answer for today’s challenge.

My Question – Can you believe it is coming to the end of the daydreamer challenge? No I can’ actually. I have really enjoyed these challenges, interacting with the other  participants and finding out more about them. I will be sad to see the end of it. Maybe you would consider doing another one  in the future?

Just Call Me Elm Or Something – If you had the chance to meet one of your best internet friends/favourite blogger, would you be nervous before meeting them? I think it is always meeting someone new for the first time even if you had built up a great rapport online. I would worry that we would not get on or something in reality which would spoil a great online friendship. On the other hand, it was be fantastic to be able to meet up with some of the lovely bloggers that I have a real connection with.

Bubbakavangha – How do you describe your mind? Oh my poor mind. It is a bit ‘higgledy-piggledy’ to coin a phrase! I know i go off ion tangents at times and sometimes I forget what I was going to say completely, but I do try to bring some sort of order to it!

But I Smile Anyway– Would you like one of your posts to go viral? I dd answer this one on Ritu’s blog. Yes I would love one of my poems to go viral – but then would be worried that I wouldn’t be able to live up to it!

Silver Sparkling Stories – What’s your biggest fear? Death, I won’t dwell on it, but it is a huge fear for me.

A Random Person Called Annie – How did you feel after you posted your first ever post? Nervous and excited. I didn’t actually think that anyone was going to read it – but they did and I was thrilled.

One Sip At A Time – What’s your favourite phone app? I love to play Candy Crush on my phone/tablet as I find it a great stress reliever!

K.E Wilson – Where do you draw your inspiration? From life, work, family (that’s where I get most of it from), wacky or silly news. Anything that strikes me as funny really!

Lrod’s Blog – Would you rather have your blog go viral or keep t as it is (small audience)? I think many of us would like one of our posts to go viral. However, I have a wonderful group of people who follow my blog and who I love to interact that, No way would I want to lose the friendships I have made, so definitely keep it as is.

Gess Pressing Words – What is the most awkward situation you’ve ever been in? I have been in a few embarrassing situations mainly due to me clumsiness and ineptitude! Things like being signed off for things like would dressings etc where everything has to be kept as sterile as possible, and the equipment needed is all on a sterile field. I have been in the middle of the dressing and hit something onto the floor, whilst a senior nurse looks exasperated and I then have to get clean stuff and start again!

Sophie Speaks Up – If you could have someone’s blog for a month, whose blog would it be? Oooh, I don’t know really. There are so many bloggers that I admire that I could not just choose one.

Rogue Vogue – If you were to re-write the dictionary for the year 2030, what one word would you like to change the description of, and why? I would change the word ‘clumsy’. It would mean pleasantly pleasing, or highly talented or something!

Annemarie & Life – What is your favourite part of the day? (could be a time or an activity etc.) It has got to be early morning for me. I am a real early bird. I love the silence, and being on my own to wake up! I particularly like the early summer mornings with the back door open, sitting at my laptop with a cup of tea.

Daydreamer Challenge: Day 5: Achievements and Goals. —

Daydreamer Challenge: Day 5: Achievements and Goals.

Today for the Daydreamer Challenge, the lovely Caitlin has asked us to talk about our achievements and goals for our blogs. (If you have not already done so please check out her blog as it is filled with lots of good things).

I am stunned at  what I have achieved so far. I have only been blogging for about 6 months, and already have over 460 followers. More importantly than that, I have built up a real rapport with a number of fellow bloggers and would actually count them as my friends. I have loved interacting with them and reading their blogs too. There is so much to learn from each other.

My favourite posts of my own (seems a bit funny to say that) are usually my poems, like this one or my attempt at a Christmas Classic here.

Other achievements include writing a Haiku for the first time, and also taking part in various challenges, oh and choosing my favourite posts of the week to share on my Free-For-All Friday post.

My goals are just to keep writing, and hopefully bring a smile to someone’s face if I can. Although I have found that writing this blog has been very cathartic for me, especially in coping with my depression, it has turned into so much more, and I truly love blogging, and all that it entails.

My question is: Have you ever taken down a post because it offended someone?

Free- For-All Friday #5 — April 10, 2015

Free- For-All Friday #5

Hello and welcome to my Friday Free For-All, we are on week five already! I have been busy reading lots of blogs and choosing my favourite posts for this week. As per usual, I would urge you to check out these wonderful blogs. They all have so much to offer, and I have tried to choose different types of posts that will appeal to you as they did me.

Please feel free to leave links to anything that you have come across, that you think others might also enjoy. I have had some lovely comments on here from people who have found new blogs to follow which is thrilling to hear, and I hope that continues to be the case.

So here are some posts that caught my eye this week:

Wild Daffodil. This post was lovely in so many ways. As you all probably know by now, I love words, and actually I like photos as well. Combine the two and you have a delightful, and funny post.

Dublin Housewife This blog I came across via the Blogging From A-Z Challenge I have been taking part in. Bernie is so funny, I just didn’t know which of her posts to choose as they all had me doubled up with laughter! She likes to use conversations she had with people which will have you rocking! She might use the odd swear word, just so you know!

The Offkey Of Life This post is one of those that make you think very carefully. We are all so quick to judge, and write people off. We forget that there is so much more to people than meets the eye, and we can in fact, learn something from them.

The Return of The Modern Philosopher. This blog I have not been following all that long, but it has so much going on! There are jokes, blog parties, even poems. I have chosen this post because I love the way it flows, and I love the message right at the end of it! Very touching.

Hugh’s Views and News – This is another blog that has a lot going on! Hugh is funny, very supportive of other bloggers and extremely helpful, giving out advice without getting cross at my ignorance! His blog has everything from Haikus to short stories, which is what i have chosen for this week. It is a beautiful, heart-warming story which I thoroughly enjoyed!

An Armchair Perfectionist Prajakta has written a really happy, inspirational post here about something that to me, is frankly hard to get excited about! However, such is her enthusiasm, it really shines through how much she enjoys it and how good it makes her feel. Lovely, cheery post.

Joeyfully Stated I have been following this blog for a while now. Joey writes about all sorts of things, She is funny, witty, sarcastic, and extremely articulate! I thought this post was really nice. It was something we can all relate to written in a down to earth style.

A Prompt Reply. I loved this post. It just goes to show that if you look hard enough there is beauty to be found. It is an optimistic look at what is around and being grateful for it!

Free-For-All Friday #4 — April 3, 2015

Free-For-All Friday #4

Welcome to my Friday-Free-For All number 4. This is where I like to share with you some of the brilliant posts that I have read over the past week that have had some sort of impact on me, whether that be funny, educational, or just plain mad!

It is also a chance to find new blogs to follow as well as new followers for your own blog. If you have read something that you have enjoyed, then feel free to post a link in the comments so we can all go and check it out!

Here are my blog-tastic choices for this week:

Listful Thinking. Stephanie’s post about her love for grammar and her lack of hobbies is so funny. Given her penchant for list-making she us trying to come up with a new hobby that incorporates things that she likes. Check it out.

My Spanglish Familia Oh how handy it must be to be bilingual! This post was teaching kids how to make polite conversation – without spilling the beans on what really happens at home!

Single Family Asylum Now this has to be the funniest post I have read in ages. It is a series of bizarre events that would make a hilarious comedy sketch. Only it is true! You have got to give Blunderdad points for trying, but it just seems that things seem to go disastrously wrong for him, not to mention his poor wife!

Sheldon Kleeman This is a poem that I came across during the week. It was simple and sweet. A lovely reflection on some special memories, and one I could relate to.

Smorgasboard – Variety Is The Spice of Life. This post was wonderful. I have not been following Sally for very long, but she is a very talented and funny woman. She is also very generous in promoting other people’s blogs. This however, is a wonderful clip that she posted featuring an amazing dog dancing beautifully!

Ronovan Writes. I was recommended to visit this blog by the wonderful Hugh as Ronovan hosts a weekly Haiku poetry prompt challenge. Now I had never written a Haiku before but had a go and found I loved it! I also entered this week’s challenge, and you can have a go at it to as there is still time. Ronovan and the other participants are great too, really friendly and supportive.

Elan Mudrow This is am amazing poet, so talented and clever with her words (I am extremely jealous)! She also uses retro photographs to illustrate her poems  which only add to their appeal. Fantastic.

Gluestick Mum. This was a brilliant story, told so well that I could really picture the scene! There are a couple of swear words in it though, just in case you might be offended. However, in my opinion, they were more than justified.

I Refuse To Follow Your Blog I have been following this blog for a while now. I love his sense of humour and the fact that everything is ‘Pathetic!’  This post  made me laugh as we have all heard it said so many times!

10 Years A Single Mom This is a new blog I am following, but as soon as I saw this post, I could really identify with it totally! It is so funny – and so true!

Episode 239: Making a Date… — March 22, 2015

Episode 239: Making a Date…

For the very last Bogging 101 post, our task is to ‘set ourselves up for continuing success’ by working on an editorial calendar, letting our readers knows when they can expect us to post. Then we are to visit five other blogs and congratulate them!
The last part of that is pretty easy as I am always visiting other bloggers, and they have plenty for me to congratulate them about.The difficult part for me due to my technical ineptitude is creating a calendar…

Suffice it to say, I have now got a calendar, and I have even added some events to it. The tricky part is trying to sync it (or whatever it is you have to do) to my blog! I have created a page for it which I will publish tomorrow probably.

What you can expect from me? Well this is a tricky one. Apart from the new Free-For-All Friday feature I created in order to share other brilliant posts that I love, and an upcoming challenge I am going to be taking part in soon (I will reveal more about that tomorrow. See I have learned how to schedule a post at least) I do not have a set timetable of what I post.

You can expect to see at least one daily post from me, and possibly more. It all depends on what mood I am in; what I have seen that has tickled my fancy, or whether or not something has happened that I want to write about. I do not plan what I am going to post at all really. The one thing I do hope though is that whatever I do post can make you laugh, or at least smile. That part is in the rules 🙂

Episode 226: Choppy Seas And A Chilly Breeze! — March 17, 2015

Episode 226: Choppy Seas And A Chilly Breeze!

I like the concept of today’s Blogging 101 task. Yesterday we used a prompt which we had to interpret to fit into our blog’ today we have to read six other blogs that used the same prompt and comment on at least two of them. I have actually commented on more than that as there were some great takes on it.

If we felt like posting today (which I always do, then we could use one of the comments we left, expand on that and use the inspiration for the post. I love the beach in all weathers and I enjoyed the pictures that donegallizdoyle used in her post entitled ‘Wild Winter Beach’. I love the drama of the sea throughout the year and here are my thoughts on Portland and Chesil Beach, which unsurprisingly are only about five miles from Weymouth in Dorset, which I wrote about yesterday.  

As well as spending a lot of time on the beach at Weymouth, Dad used to take us to Portland. I loved it there as well. The weather always seemed to be rather brisk, and very windy, and the sea is extremely hazardous. Not only are there many lost vessels lurking under the turbulent sea, but Portland Bill itself boasts not one, but three lighthouses!

Pulpit Rock – Portland. Photo by Kris Dutson

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As kids we all used to love clambering over the giant rocks in Portland that came out of the sea. My brothers however would always climb to the top of Pulpit Rock (much to my terror as I hate heights and was terrified they would fall into the crashing waves below) Dad was not averse to clambering up the rock himself, but mostly he would be holding mine and my little sister’s hands, guiding us onto the safest rocks.

Occasionally, we would go further along to Chesil beach which was too pebbly and wavy for my liking! My family are all very strong swimmers, and although I can swim, I am more of a chicken than them, and when they played ‘chicken’ in the waves,  I was only about knee-deep because even there the waves could be quite high.

Portland is on the Jurassic coastline in the UK, so there were interesting fossils to discover, and in time a museum was opened in one of the lighthouses showcasing some wonderful findings from around the area.

Again, the last time I went to Portland was when my dad had just died. We had gone down to Dorset for the funeral, and I wanted to go to Portland one last time as a special tribute to my dad. The last time he was well, was the summer before (he died in the April) and we took him and my stepmum to Portland. Dad was in a wheelchair by then and we sat outside eating ice creams and looking out to see on a glorious day.

We then went to the museum where Dad was explaining to my daughter all about the history of Portland making it interesting for her. He was a very educated and knowledgeable man, and loved to make people laugh as well.

Anyway, myself, Mr Grump, my younger sister and her husband took a trip to Portland on this very wet and cold April day. It didn’t deter us as we had some nice warm jackets; We visited the places Dad loved so much.

He would have so loved to have been there with us!

Episode 224: Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside! — March 16, 2015

Episode 224: Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside!

For today’s Blogging 101 task, I have to publish a post on my own, personalized take on a prompt. The prompt of the day was places. We can interpret this prompt however we like to make it fit in with our blogs, so this is my take on places…..

My favourite place is Weymouth in Dorset which is depicted in my picture. I have many reasons to love this place. My Mum and Dad were both born here for a start. In fact they lived next door to each other right up until when they married in 1954. A few of my siblings were also born here, and my eldest brother still lives in the area.

I have very fond memories of this lovely little town, mostly made when I was a child. We always spent a lot of time at the beach as children, and I remember the fun we used to have building sand castles, collecting shells and catching crab. There was always something to do.

On the beach itself there was  (and still is) a Punch and Judy show that  all the kids used to watch huddled in a semi-circle and interacting with the puppets! There are lots of pretty, brightly coloured beach huts there too. At one end of the sands there are permanent trampolines there as well as some swing boats and a couple of small rides. This used to keep us amused when we had a bit of extra cash.

Another feature was the ‘Sandman’. He (and now his sons) have a little area cordoned off where he would cleverly sculpt all sorts of scenes out of just sand and water. It was amazing to see them develop and try to guess what they would become. In the middle he had a large container where you could throw coins and if it went in, then  a bell would ring.

sand-sculpture

One feature I always spent a lot of time at was the ‘lost children’s hut.’ I don’t know how I did it, but I always got separated from my siblings and spent half an hour playing with the toys there until someone realised I was missing and came to claim me!

Unfortunately Mum and Dad divorced when I was 6 years old, but Dad stayed in Weymouth and it was still a large part of my life. My younger sister and I would very often get the coach down and spend a week with Dad and, in time, my step-mum. The beach was still a main feature as my dad swam everyday in the sea whatever the weather!

Years later when we all have our own families, and still we went to stay in Weymouth. Sometimes Mum came and we all stayed in a caravan park just outside of the town. When my eldest brother married in the church there we all came down to stay for a while and had a great time.

Myself and my two sisters and niece went off for a holiday before my daughter was born, and had a wonderful time. The weather was vile but of course, but we were not deterred and swam anyway. Us Brits are pretty hardy you know!

Sadly, the last time I went to Weymouth was for my beloved Dad’s funeral. He was very religious man and the church was packed. After living 82 years there, he was quite well-known. I always wanted to move to Weymouth myself, but that day after we drove past the harbour where my dad used to take us on Sunday mornings for a very early walk, I decided that it would never be the same.

Maybe one day I will be able to go back…..

Free-For-All Friday!! #1 — March 13, 2015

Free-For-All Friday!! #1

Welcome to my first Free-for-all Friday. Today is all about sharing each other’s work. I was partly inspired by Josh over at My Friday Blog  who decided that he would rather not accept any more awards due to all the work involved. However, on the last award he did accept, he did a little added extra which is what I would like to incorporate into my free-for-all.

I will be sharing links of posts that I have enjoyed throughout the week, and would encourage you all to go and have a look yourselves. It may not be the type of blog that you would normally read, but it is so enriching to broaden the horizons, learn something new, or see something from a different perspective.

Below are some of the brilliant posts I have enjoyed this week, and I would love it if you could post a link in the comments to a post that has touched you in some way, be it funny, sad, enlightening, whatever, it doesn’t matter (this is where I nicked Josh’s idea). It’s just lovely to be able to share with each other something  we enjoy.

Wendy Of The Rock. Now this post really made me laugh. It is something that most of us can identify with, Having kids that think we are a ‘fail’ when it comes to being a cool Mum! There is a bit of swearing in this, but it is well worth a read.

Fill Your Own Glass. This is a great post for looking on the positive side of life. You know how some of us tend to get bogged down with always being negative, well Karen has given us a great tip on how to start the day on a cheery note.

 Emmanuel Muema. This post is a very erotic poem and Emmanuel is a very talented young man; I have read several of his poems, and enjoyed them all. However they are a bit ‘racy’ !

Inventing Real Life This post was Marti’s account of a terrible road accident that she had been involved in, which she recounts on the anniversary of the event. This really touched me in many ways.

My Friday Blog. This post by Josh is a post cancer bucket list. I have only recently started following Josh’s blog, but I love it. He is very direct and speaks his mind, He is also very funny (sometimes I don’t even think he realises it)!

My Spanglish Familia This post really made me roar my head off! I love La Sabrosona’s mad sense of humour! She is definitely a woman after my own heart. She likes a double entendre as much as I do, and a bit of smutty humour. This is great!

Beyond The Picket Fence This post was another inspirational one. It is about finally succeeding even though nobody thought that you would be able to do it. It just goes to show what self-belief and a positive attitude can achieve.

 But I Smile Anyway… Ritu is a prolific blogger and is absolutely brilliant! She writes poems, anecdotes and everything else in between! This post is part of a ‘Flash Fiction Foray’ I thought it was a really great story and a very clever ending!

My OBT Donna always has such wonderful and different posts. I have not only screamed with laughter at some of the stuff she has on here, but have been educated as well. This particular post is so funny, it amazes me the things people will buy. Check this stuff out!

Joeyfully Stated. This post is really sweet, about the interaction of a dog and cat! Joey has a great blog. She says what she thinks, and I love her style of writing. She makes me laugh a lot too! Oh, she does use a bit of swearing at times as well, but do check her blog out!

So there you have some of my favourite posts this week. I know you are going to enjoy them, and please don’t forget to leave links in the comments to your own favourite post this week.

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