We want your blood

Posted: July 10, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: LOVE, Parenting, Self improvement | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
“The hand that gives, gathers.”
Mei-Lai , a lovely lady whom I met via the internet, lost her beautiful baby girl, Minty (Araminta) two years ago on July 11th – one day after her 1st birthday – to a rare form of infant cancer. During Minty’s terrible battle with her disease in her tragically short life, an army of people provided great care and Minty endured many blood transfusions. In Mei-Lai’s own words, “Minty received countless blood and platelet transfusions throughout her 366 days; sometimes multiple times a week; and though her treatment did not cure her, any hope of survival was absolutely dependent on a constant supply of safe blood and platelets, which we were fortunate enough to tap into.”
To honour her memory this year, Mei-Lai is asking friends across the globe to donate blood in the week which would have been Minty’s 3rd birthday on July 10. Mei-Lai has established a Facebook Page for the blood drive here:
If you feel inclined to donate blood in honour of this little girl and for all the children across the globe whose lives depend on it, please do so wherever you may be, and send pictures of yourself donating to Mei-Lai for her to post. She is posting a running tally of blood donation and a map showing where blood has been donated around the world.
If you live in Australia, visit the Red Cross Blood Donation Centres in your capital city. Click on the link to see if you are eligible:
If you live in LA, you can go to UCLA’s Blood Platelet Center in Westwood Village. All the info is here:
Please direct any images you take of your donating to Mei-Lai at
This is something I would LOVE to do, especially considering I work with dying kids who are dependent on blood products. But I’m not allowed to be a blood donor. I lived in the UK in the late 80s (which makes me a mad cow), I’ve had multiple transfusions myself, and my body doesn’t absorb iron well. I’d make a great vampire, always needing a top up. So I am promoting the cause, including a drive to see how many of my Australian friends I can get to donate blood. I recently worked in the transplant ward at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and there are 11 children there waiting for transplants. These are the kids that are being kept alive by blood. I also wish more people would donate organs. We must not give up hope, some childhood cancers that had a 30-40% survival rate in 1980 now have a 70-80% survival rate (I was talking to a researcher at Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick about this early in 2012).
Mei Lai sounds wonderful. I’m always in awe of people who have been through tragedy and not only survived but have an incredible will to help others.

Please give blood for Minty, what a beautiful way to honour her memory

Batten down the hatches

Posted: June 28, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Parenting, Parents, Raising Hell, Self improvement | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Parents, school holiday torture is imminent. Medication may be required. Stock up now while you can. Finish your sentences, drink a whole cup of coffee without interruption, go to the toilet on your own, do all the fun things you’ll be giving up in the coming weeks. Parenting is great when you do it your way.

My Big Baby

Posted: May 23, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Birthdays, LOVE, Parenting, Self improvement, Theme Songs, Thought For the Day | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

My biggest baby turns 15 today. Now we are the same age. Well, the same mental age. Those of you who know me well will say she is more mature than me. And the shrink I go to said that there’s a touch of  Edina and Saffy about our relationship. My big baby changed my life, I love her more than words. I would run in front of a speeding train for her. I can’t live without her. I used to sing her this song when she was little (minus the making love reference of course).

Happy Birthday Luscious girl. Thank God you are my daughter. I won the mothering lottery when I had you.

Yes Mum, everything’s fine

Posted: May 13, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: LOVE, Parenting, Parents, Raising Hell, Theme Songs, Thought For the Day | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy, Happy Mother’s Day. Today is the day we say thank you to the woman who created us in her belly. Mothers love us more than anyone can and at the same time drive us completely mental. Even though I was the world’s most revolting teenager my mother would run in front of a train to save me. I’d do the same for my daughters, even though they think I’m bonkers and I make them crazy some days. I love you Mama. Thank you for having me and loving me. And for making your pavlova, no one has ever whipped up a pav better than you Barbara Pollard.

 

Single Mother’s Day

Posted: May 13, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: LOVE, Parenting, Parents, Self improvement, Thought For the Day | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Just when I think single motherhood is too crazy and I want to take them back to the pet shop to get a refund, I get this card from my 7 year old:

My mummy is so nice unique and pretty

Mummy I love you

Mummy I never want you to go away

You are the best mummy in the world

Love S

I did not pay her to do this. In the stressed out, overworked world of single motherhood we sometimes forget about the joy of mothering and that all the little tedious tasks of being a mother on your own add up to a lifetime of love and care for your children. So I’d like to pay tribute to all the solo mothers I’ve met, you inspire me with your hard work, dedication and devoted love. You are all yummy mummies.

The night Max wore his wolf suit

Posted: May 9, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: ART, LOVE, Parenting, Self improvement, Thought For the Day, WRITERS | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘And made mischief of one kind and another. His mother called him WILD THING!” And Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” so he was sent to bed without eating anything.’

The brilliant artist and author Maurice Sendak died today. His books were a part of my childhood and I read them to my children.

Growing up in New York, the son of Polish Jews, he said,

“My childhood was about thinking about the kids over there (in Europe). My burden is living for those who didn’t.”

When director Spike Jonez made the movie version of “Where the Wild Things Are,” Sendak urged the director to remember his view that childhood isn’t all sweetness and light. And he was happy with the result.

“In plain terms, a child is a complicated creature who can drive you crazy” Sendak said in 2009. “There’s a cruelty to childhood, there’s an anger. And I did not want to reduce Max to the trite image of the good little boy that you find in too many books.”

“Kids don’t know about best sellers,” he said. “They go for what they enjoy. They aren’t star chasers and they don’t suck up. It’s why I like them.”

Vale Maurice Sendak, thank you for sharing your gift.

 

Ingrid Poulson

Posted: January 2, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: MARRIAGE, Parenting, Self improvement, Thought For the Day | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This time last year Ingrid Poulson and I were speaking on the same stage. I was asked to speak (about Clown Doctors and using humour to relieve stress) at ‘Radiance’ as part of the Woodford Folk Festival in December 2010-January 2011. She spoke after me and told her story. Part of me didn’t want to hear her as I still can’t get my head around what she has been through and survived. But as she spoke I realised she was an incredible woman and the lessons she learnt needed to be shared. Ingrid Poulson wants the parents of Australia to cherish their children. “Hold your babies tight. Love them just a little more. They deserve it,” she was quoted as saying after her children died.

Later I realised that her tent was next to mine in the camping area and I met her. I’d been having an argument with my teenager but my angry mood dissolved after about a minute in her presence. She is a radiant, amazing human being (she must have been just pregnant at the time). She now has a baby boy with her new husband. Ingrid Poulson is living proof that we can learn resilience and recover from even the most horrific life events. I find her strength inspiring.

 

New Year’s resolutions

Posted: December 30, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Parenting, Raising Hell, Self improvement, SONGS, Thought For the Day | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Parents don’t really need to make resolutions, we’ve already given up everything, our sanity, our sleep and secure employment. But I have decided to make a few resolutions for 2012:

1. I will give up late night drunk dialling and adding provocative comments on the Facebook pages of spunky men in the New Year. I don’t think it’s helping my dating prospects.

2. I will eat green vegetables and chocolate will not be the only food group I consume when my kids aren’t with me.

3. I will wean myself off reading star sign/astrological forecasting/personal analysis websites (mostly).

4. I will exercise daily (including chocolate eating competitions)

5. I will become a sophisticated urban professional, find a nanny for my children and secure a high-powered executive position. Will work 15-hour days armed with lots of gadgets to make me look successful and I will act terribly important while nanny feeds and clothes my babies. Nanny will rescue me from the quagmire of my life. Damn, why can’t I invent something simple in my kitchen that makes me a million bucks?

6. I will abandon all resolutions by 6th January and carry on with my usual debauchery.

School formals – Everybody Run

Posted: November 18, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Raising Hell, Self improvement, Theme Songs | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

This is a song for all the Sydney school kids who were ripped off by the guy who said he’d organise their end of school parties, then took their money and ran. Hope the school kids catch up with you creep.

October 19 birthdays

Posted: October 19, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Birthdays, Parenting | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Jeannie C Riley was born today; I’ve loved her singing this song since I was single and childless. Now I’m glad my kids’ school is a little less Peyton Place.

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