At least it’s not raining today. Must get out.
I am putting up this pic below, because its a pose my cat’s been getting into – but strangely, it also LOOKS like my cat: Powerpuff. The last few nights there have been some Powerpuff poses which begged to be photographed and captioned – but I am without the requisite combination of resources and skills, so far!
So THIS pic will have to substitute for my Puffy, at this point.
Yesterday, I found out that I can stay living where I am, for another year.
I am renting, and have a 12 month lease, which expires in 4 weeks time. Some months ago, the owner raised the possibility that she might sell this house, so from that point onwards I have been rather anxious about what would happen.
I love this house: it’s a really special place and I would love to own it.
It was particularly frustrating for me to have her phone me and ask if I want to buy it, because A) i WANT IT and B) it’s COMPLETELY impossible financially and C) I never imagined she would be willing to sell, anyway - based on her stated intentions about why she bought the house (for a very longterm investment) – so I never thought that even the possibility would arise – even if I won the lottery!
But, THERE was the possibility, dangling in front of me – and no way to make it happen. And now the possibility has gone. So THAT’s ok – because now I know at least that I can stay for another year.
From the time she said this – at least 3 months ago, I have been wondering what the outcome would be…and feeling less secure in living here. So, NOW, I can start fresh with knowing that I have another year (and most importantly another summer). So I can get around to various little tasks that I was putting off because they “aren’t worth doing if I’m moving”, and THAT will allow me to re-invest my interest in the house, and reap the rewards of that caring investment.
One day I will work out how to take digital photos and upload them, so that I could illustrate this story with a pic of ‘my’ lovely swimming pool! – Because THAT’s what I was thinking of, when I heard that I can stay: YEAH! more swimming! (as in: next summer, in about 4 or 5 months time).
The NEXt thing I was thinking of, predictably, was “how am I going to find the money to AFFORD to stay here?”, because there is an inevitable rent increase. But it is very reasonable, especially consifdering the way rents have been rising (in this part of the country especially), over the last year – AND all the publicity that that issue has had. Only last week the main daily newspaperpaper headline was “Rents to rise by $100 per week!” – so THAT was a worry.
My rent has only gone up a little – but every ‘little’ matters, when you are really financially struggling to get by. Please note that “financially struggling” does not mean emotionally struggling, or even mentally struggling (usually). It just means that making the money eke out is a constant cautious disciplined conscious restraint – which one makes ‘a way of life’, in order to have what matters most, which is this beautiful home where I can feel so lucky!
If I had had to move, I would have turned it around, into an adventure to find somewhere different, which I would enjoy in a different way. I was ready to face that, and to make the best of it, because I LOVE houses in general, so I love imagining how I could live in them/what THAT life would be like. But I am very grateful to be able to stay.
Categories: cute pics · depression · gratitude
Further thoughts about the issue of what I put in this blog: going on from where I left off (below) about what I should use this blog FOR, it occurred to me that perhaps I should put up a ’secret’ blog, like the one I was reading, for mundane daily posts and general whingeing!
- Because I really want THIS blog to have a fully positive and uplifting focus – as previously explained. THAT was really my main motivation for blogging, at all: to share GOOD stuff. Definitely NOT to write about myself, in a diary or journal sort of way…which is what I find myself sort of starting to be drawn into…
That’s just lately, while things have been a little in transition in my life, in small ways. I very well might NOT be able to sustain a ‘whingeing’ blog…but it might serve a purpose for a while!!
This is a bit of a variation from what I usually post about. This week, quite by chance, I came across some information about the Chinese journalist, Shi Tao, who was imprisoned three years ago in China, after the Chinese government asked Yahoo! for the identity of a particular email correspondent.
Shi Tao “used his Yahoo! email account to send a message to a U.S.-based pro-democracy website. In his email, he summarized a government order directing media organizations in China to downplay the upcoming 15th anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy activists. Police arrested him in November 2004, charging him with “illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities.” ” This quote is from Amnesty International’s US site.
Yahoo! provided the requested information, which lead to the journalist’s arrest and subsequent sentencing to a long jail term – and to serious consequences for the lawyer who tried to defend Shi Tao.
Somehow I never noticed information about this when it happened in 2004, so maybe this is ‘old news’ to readers…
But here is the link to the Amnesty International UK page about Shi Tao, which also has a letter which you can send to the leaders of YAHOO!, if you feel so inclined (I did.)
Here is a photograph of this man and a bit more information.
“Shi Tao … was legitimately practicing his profession, not committing a crime” The BoingBoing page (which that quote comes from) is also interesting, reminding us that behind every email address or blogger pseudonym is someone just like… you …and me.
Categories: Uncategorized
Have just discovered that my one and only South American reader is in BRAZIL – AND that Brazil is HUGE! (See map)
Here is a lolcat which I hope causes no offence to Brazilians:
~ poor baby!
I need to decide what this blog is FOR – beyond my initial intention that it be a gratitude journal.
Maybe that is what it should be.
Or maybe, with something else as well.
Thta’s why I have put up my little poll at the side, so that I can collect a few opinions. There is only a small readership here, so every vote counts: please vote!
I don’t want to write an on-line journal. I don’t believe that my life is that interesting. Nor do I want to expose myself, to that degree. Nor do I have the TIME to want to prioritise the maintaining of a journal.
But every now and then – especially lately – I find myself feeling the need to articulate things in writing, Why? Because I am lonely, so I don’t have people to air these things to, verbally/in person.
No need to feel sorry for me. I can handle ‘lonely’. I am well used to it. I am not complaining. I am just stating fact, that, in the absence of anyone to air one’s thoughts to, in real-life, a blog COULD serve that purpose, but I don’t really want THIS one to.
Today I had my first access to someone’s PRIVATE blog. It is just personal, largely unedited thoughts about the everyday situations of the writer – not in any way explosive or secret or even particularly exposing or sexual – compared to a lot, that is online… but I can see why the writer made it private, so she would not feel under any obligation to tidy it up – in terms of writing structure or whatever. It is maybe a bit more ’stream of consciousness’… which is suitable to its intent/purpose/aim.
Meanwhile, let’s find a CHEEZBURGER to smile at:
actually, come to think of it, THIS pic came from somewhere else – but I don’t remember where (apologies to source site – please speak up if you are reading!)
it has happened: a dot in south america! hello to you. love to know who you are: the ONLYperson in ALL of south america who is looking at my blog! 
now, i’m embarrassed to admit that i need to look at a map, to work out which country you are in: primary school geography was a long time ago! so any help from you would be welcome…
i have put up a POLL today, for readers: it’s in the sidebar, under the world map. please voice your opinion/s, including via comments.
and from good ol’ cheezburger:
hope you all had good caturdays – i did.
been cranky for a week, still cranky. but caturday had a change of scene - and you know what they say: a change is as good as a holiday!
it’s amazing how much good exercise does for a person, especially when they’ve been an exercise addict for years, and then become lazy…
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![Drop Crown.. [ Explore #1 ]](http://static.flickr.com/4059/4231438863_17461115ac_t.jpg "Drop Crown.. [ Explore #1 ]")
