Identity 2.0: Constructing identity with cultural software

As a part of my studies I have been asked to create a web presence with a central node presence connecting to my other nodes.  Of course, I've created a family history presence as my central node in Wordpress, and then connected to Delicious (bookmarking service), Flickr (organising photos), Networking Blogs, and Facebook Community Page. 

Just doing a bit of extra research, found an interesting article by Anne Helmond discusses
Identity 2.0: Constructing identity with cultural software.http://www.annehelmond.nl/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/helmond_identity20_dmiconference.pdf


Thought the illustration below was a really interesting visual of the whole scenario.

Illustration: Network of data flows of social services

Enlightenment and forgiveness

I feel this real attachment to the Buddhist religion and always want to know more. 

I'm not sure if I am searching for something more than the realities of everyday life, a special place or spiritualness leading me on in this life.  It could be this, so the thought of Enlightenment is very appealing and place of ease and happiness.  Letting everything just be, and accepting things as they are is special to me.  To fully be able to enjoy the smaller thing and feel no attachment to things that give me pain and just let things be is really really appealing. 

I found a lovely quote too, which I thought was fitting to some of my life experiences at the moment.  I'm wanting to acheive this always especially some of my friends who are feeling pain and angish in their lives at the moment so hope they find love in their heart to forgive and move on to a happier place. 

So anyway, the quote is:

Forgiving is love's toughest work, and love's biggest risk. If you twist it into something it was never meant to be, it can make you a doormat or an insufferable manipulator. Forgiving seems almost unnatural. Our sense of fairness tells us people should pay for the wrong they do. But forgiving is love's power to break nature's rule. 

Lewis B. Smedes

Lovely isn't it!!!

Intention for the Day!



Intention for the Day!

I love writing on small pebbles and leaving them on my kitchen counter.

Throughout the day as I am meandering around the kitchen, they provide me with a reminder, inspiration or an intention for that day!                  

Walking to Kindergarten with Charlie!



Charlie Dale Penhall 4 years old

I love having chats with my son Charlie! 

This morning after finding the car's battery had gone flat, Charlie and I decided to walk to his kindergarten.

I reassured him it wasn't a long walk, only 15 minutes and he responded that it was a nice day and I responded yes it was a nice day with blue skies. 

I asked him what the furthest distance he has ever walked before and expected him to say the duck pond or the shops to buy him a toy, but his response was totally adorable. 

He said the most far he has ever walked is to Melbourne last week with his back pack.

I was very impressed with that!

Charlie is back at swimming

Charlie at swimming lessons

Charlie has been asking to do swimming lessons, so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to spend time with him straight after Kindy.  It has been a few years since he has had lessons, as we used to take him to Blue Dolphin swim centre when he was a baby at 8 months. 

I bought him new swimming goggles, cap and bathers which he loved and the day before the session insisted on wearing them, and showing Grandma Penhall and I how he was going to swim.  It was funny to watch him on the floor thrashing around with arms and legs going everywhere. 

On the big day Thursday, we arrived at the Blue Dolphin swimming pool at 3.15pm and I as a concerned mother insisted on going in the pool with him.  The instructor didn't think it was necessary but I explain that most times Charlie the cautious child does not go swimming in pools and had only just recently swam in the holiday park swimming pool after play and splashing and getting totally drenched. 

We got changed and slid into the pool, and the water was lovely and warm at 32 degrees.  Charlie wasn't scared at all, and jumped straight into it.  Our instructor Clare, provided encouragement to him and the other children, sang songs and played different activities like swimming on their back and front, swimming after a ball and he wore a big yellow ring to keep him afloat.  By the end of it he was jumping into the pool from the edge of the pool and doing everything the other children were doing.  It was awesome to see this confidence and he looked very proud of himself. 

What a lovely activity for Charlie and I to do together and I am sure he is looking forward to next weeks lesson. 

Charlie is at Kindergarten

Charlie has started Kindergarten at Chandlers Hill Kindergarten and so is constantly letting me know he is a "big kindy boy Mum and Owen is a childcare boy".  Its wonderful to see him enjoying this experience with a lot of interest and enthusiasm to learn more and make new friends.

I am making his lunches required by Kindy.  I was a bit spoilt at childcare as all of the meals were provided and the kids loved them as a Chef worked there full time and I would often hear from the childcare workers how the boys went back for double servings.  I hope that doesn't say anything about my cooking as they hardly eat their meals.  Anyway, back to meals at Kindy, usually a sandwich, fruit, yoghurt and biscuits.  All health eating and a big bottle of water. 

Upon arrival Charlie finds his name and photo on the wall and on a small table prepares to write his name on a blank peice of paper.  This is a new experience for him, so I often help him by guiding the pencil in his little hand and try to describe the actions.  There seems to be a lot of structure and activities to keep the kids learning all day.  Charlie is always tired at the end of the day too. 

I take him at 8.45am and pick up at 3.00pm, and then we usually do something together.  I am really enjoying the time with just Charlie and I so we can talk and just hang out. Its lovely! 

Troubridge Island November 2010

Immediately after our holiday at Moonta Bay we met with Diana and Chris at Edith burgh for our next part.  Chris and Judy ? took us by boat to Troubridge Island which 8km off shore from Edith burgh. 

What an amazing place with over 30 species of bird life like south pacific gulls and fairy penguins breeding and surviving on the island. The University of Adelaide use the island to do research with students because its such a unique place with thousands of birds inhabiting the shoal/island.

There was a big red light house built in the 1850s and two white light house keeper cottages.  The last light house keepers left in the 1970s, so the place is starting to look a bit worn out.  Also the sand island is moving so the lighthouse is at risk of being taken by the sea.  There was a king tide which washed great waves into the cottages.  Chris who has a lease applied for funding to restore and protect the lighthouse and cottages but the government won't contribute.  There was some funding received in the 1990s with a team of people reinforcing the structures with cement and giant size sand bas. 

We stayed in the big cottage, with lots of big rooms and beds, and lovely kitchen facilities where we cooked our meals daily and talked with the Penhall family.

Every day we would go walking, canoeing, birdwatching, playing with the children, and looking for treasures like shells, glass and crockery. 

It was a lovely place and I will look forward to visiting again! 

Moonta Bay November 2010



Moonta Bay Jetty at Sunset

We had a wonderful family holiday in November.  Jamie and I with both boys stayed at the Moonta Bay Caravan Park.  Mum and Dad Saunders stayed right next door our cabin in their caravan which was great. 

It probably took a day or so to get into the swing of holidays, but then it was great.  We did the typical tourist stuff like Moonta Mines on the tourist train, Miners Cottage, and family historian. 

I met with the local family historian who gave me a lot of information about Jamie's Penhall family.  There was heaps, and she managed to solve some mysteries for me too about the Baker side of the family.

Every day I walked along the beach collecting shells and stones.  Charlie loved the stones cleaning them straight away into his little red tin lunch box. The beach was pretty and sunsets glorious. 

Mum and I enjoyed walks along the jetty admiring the fish people had or hadn't caught.  We even saw a man catch a squid and all of the ink sprayed a big black cloud into the water blow and then all over the jetty.  We steered clear! 

Every night we had a BBQ as the meat and food was cheap, so we were better off preparing our own food.  The caravan park facilities were excellent and very clean too and we could enjoy the beautiful scenery of the beach whilst bitten by a million mosquitoes. That was the only thing, a million mosquitoes. 

The kids had a swim down the beach, but ended up with sand everywhere, it was quite hard work but Dad and I took some awesome photos and had the opportunity to laugh at the boys chasing each other around the beach throwing sand at each other. 

So we had 5 lovely nights and days at Moonta Bay and really look forward to doing it again sometime.