What I think about Pink.

I celebrate the diversity of life and that we make up our own minds when we make a purchase.

It's Pinktober again.

I've come to dislike the plethora of pink merchandise  - commercialism of pink ribbon and breast cancer for profit.

I'm just over two years out from my Breast cancer and two days into October I've seen some bizarre campaigns to promote awareness or in the name of donating to research.

Several breast cancer bloggers I follow are disgusted about one hotel chain's plan to raise money and awareness for breast cancer - by promoting a woman in a provocative pose with their  “Get into Bed for the Cause” campaign offering guests luxurious pink sheets, pink robes ...

I am just as appalled.

Each year an increasing number of pink products are being pumped out and pimped with a pretty pink ribbon.

Breastless and bald doesn't make an advertising campaign. The all things pink and pink ribbon has been hijacked by some  unscrupulous and well meaning companies whose purpose is to boost sales, push products on the public because they will donate 10 cents to cancer research or awareness.

Yes, while contributing only a fraction of the profits they proceed to lure people into buying for a good cause - yet are you really donating to charity or to the cure ?

Make a bigger difference by donating directly to your Cancer charity of choice.


We're aware. Please find a cure for my friends diagnosed with 'terminal' secondary (breast and other) cancers that will ultimately cut short their life and give them grief and suffering trying to outlive the treatment.

Many were diagnosed early and it made no difference. The cure is what we need.

This is what breast cancer really looks like, not a woman in bed, legs in the air - adorned in a pink robe.

 I'm a survivor of life,  and all its challenges so far . I don't know if I will survive my two different cancers. I say I had Breast cancer , if someone wants to know and I'm a warrior not quite a survivor. I will live in it's shadows always.

My battle scars from the storms and wars I've weathered remind me every day. There is no avoiding it I feel even when my clothes cover the scars. 




  ♥

Wordless Wednesday- Birthday Wish

It came true !

Happy 15th Birthday D

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Staying one step ahead of a teenager

or how to get even

okay ... so I might be the meanest mum but hey I laughed so much it was worth it.

One of my intentions in 08 is to stay one step a head of my teen. I know, I said my intention was to show him more respect but it cuts both ways.

We had the usual today I am not doing xxxxx.

Why is everyone else having fun ?.... blah blah blah and worse curse curse curse a mouthful of hateful words and foul garbage spewing out of his once every so sweet mouth. (Mummy am I your little darling ?)

So when he was outside I changed a few settings on the computer ... oh the password to log on , his name & hotmail display picture (to the duck) and his tag line (Snow White rocks). Then I waited for him to come back inside sulking and smart mouthed yet again.

I had already slipped Windows Family Safety on to his computer - we only just yesterday connected it to the Internet (right near mine so I can see what he gets up too) . Before he used mine and we had so many arguments about whose turn it was. Mine always...

He was 'mad' to say the least - especially when a few of his friends knew about Snow White ... he was begging me to change it back ... especially the duck - oh for goodness sake !

I let him eventually and the threat of deleting his hotmail or blocking his contacts ... had him scared (and in tears) but still angry at the injustice. Me, I don't care. He needs to learn a little respect.

Yesterday, his father left him at the boat ramp ( 6 mins drive from home but probably a good 1.5 hr walk) because of his cheek and carry on. I am usually the mean mum .I was the hero when I went to get him after 15 mins. I was already on my way home when DH left him behind. D had actually got out of the car, refused to get back in and said I am walking home - so DH let him and drove off.

Dh was mad and it takes a lot to get him mad. He is the most patient man on earth (he has had a lot of practice with me ). Dear Son's friends were here to see him slink in embarrassed but still grinning like he had won. The cheeky brat wanted me to pull over so he could walk in and pretend he had walked

D isn't a bad kid but just going through a rebellious phase and sadly his friends have too much freedom, money and electronic gadgets that he craves . He sees injustice that he doesn't have it all too. I know he tries hard sometimes to be good but he does a lot of uncool stuff.

I remember this brilliant piece Don't mess with Mom.

Anyway - there are still 3 weeks till he goes back to school ... give me strength. Tomorrow, he is going to work with his Father (for $$) ... peace will reign.

Weekly Winners

December 23rd - December 29th
My photography skills aren't, but these are a few of my pics from the last week - I was too busy to take many ... why don't you join in too , thanks again to Lotus @ Sarcastic Mom

notice the shelf is now clear

Dear Santa ... I can explain

wake board skiing ...

Little red wagon

An old dog learns new tricks ... and an old dog

The last few days I have been learning a few new tricks and all about chicklets and widgets, rss and Google reader.

I discovered I do have feed burner readers (thank you to 32 people - I am honoured). I subscribed to a whole of blogs but I didn't know how to access them easily. I do now.Before it was hit and miss. I am sorry to the people I have neglected.I also re-directed my blogger rss to feed burner... at least that is what i think I did. I saw a jump in my readers on the stats yesterday too. I have along way to go to crossing the 10,000 reader milestone.

So now I am off on a mission to add more blogs to my Google reader.I have so much to learn. I am seriously thinking about changing to Wordpress ... well next year.

I have been so busy of late NaBloPoMo... and I feel my precious little guys need me more than I need to fiddle with my blog stuff. They have been into everything and while I secretly say horrid little things about them (to myself) - when they rip yet another lift the flap book or mildly important papers, steal my phone,keys, camera or wallet, bite me while nursing,climb and stand on the furniture, escape the $160 playpen, remove their nappies, throw clean washing all over the house, explore the toilet,refuse to eat & throw food at each other and on the floor, unpack the bag I just packed to go out and generally trash the house and that's just today - I still think I will keep them.

I might just keep him too ... though at the moment we clash terribly... *sigh*I am a mean mum and he is now 14 going on 40 who thinks he has all the answers. The babies adore him.

I digress , yes, we do have an old dog - Patch is now 11 yrs old. We gave him to our son D on Christmas day 11 yrs ago - D was 3yrs old and Patch was barely 5-6 wks old, with a belly full of worms (eeewww) . He was a wee scrap of a thing - 'heinz' Blue cattle/heeler dog mix. We played out the Rod Campbell story " Dear Zoo".
A boy writes to the zoo for a new pet ... and they send him a variety of animals - I wrapped small toys/plastic animals and lastly they sent him ... in basket can you guess ? and we presented the dog to him in a picnic basket.

Playing -fetch the ball is his favourite past-time but he gets puffed quicker now. I will have to find a photo tomorrow of him now. S & J love to throw the ball too ... but they only get it a metre of so.Poor Patch he gets so excited for nothing. D wanted to call him Pat (after Postman Pat... but unfortunately(yes it's true) my MIL lived in a little house/flat attached to our house and her name was *P a t xxxxx ... (almost the same as mine). LOL we knew she wouldn't appreciate it. Here 'Pat' ... yelled out !

By the way, Patch still loves her (and remembers her car - we know she is driving up the drive by the way he gets so excited in anticipation) even after 7 yrs since she/we moved.
She was his best ball thrower ever.
*The same name thing now that is a blog for another day.
Heads & Tails follows ...

Heads or Tails .... Mark

Skittles has picked Mark as the theme or prompt for this week

Mark ... my first thought was finger marks ... S & J and the way they mark their territory ... me (my clothes) everyday with their fingers and face to claim me as their mummy.

Vegemite , olive oil margarine , sticky Nutra grain fingers , yogurt etc etc.

Someone once told me they white clothing was BC (before children) but I don't learn.

Then of course making their mark ....(marks) all over the lounge, windows and mirror doors (on holidays) they loved to kiss themselves and then in the ruin they leave behind or scribbles on the wall. We still haven't washed it off after weeks.



Of course we all want to get good marks in exams , and when the end of year reports come out I have no doubt about the marks of our eldest ... I know he struggles with learning,yet he refuses to lift a finger to study.The marks will be low.*sigh*(next year will be different)

I also thought of Mark Holden ... he was a 'hottie' once in 70's yes I am showing my age ...now he is an Australian Idol judge. Mark made his mark once and now he judges 1000's of other young hopefuls trying to make their mark, and become the next Australian Idol.