That's me there with my friend's clothesline in the background, enjoying a glass of bubbly on Melbourne Cup Day.  We haven't had our cup day party for a while because she's so busy making hats at that time of year. 

I was born in Australia in 1966, (despite this, I continue to be approximately in my mid 30s, and will keep this up as long as possible).  I live in Melbourne, Australia, with my five wonderful children who are aged from 4 to 17, and our pets.  We have two cats, a very demanding Eclectus parrot and a puppy.

I work from home writing for my website, marketing my e-Book Organized for Life, wishing I was a super geek and trying to be less useless with the technical and marketing parts of this business. 

Why the funny surname?  I can explain, and will, to whomever will listen.

Apart from sitting in front of my beloved computer, I spend my time cooking, doing housework, buying groceries, driving children around and generally being climbed upon, singing nursery rhymes, telling them I don't know how to do their maths homework and being forced to listen to terrible pop music.  I'm your typical frazzled, busy single mother.

When I can I also like to read, sing, frequent Karaoke bars, play with my iPod, surf the net, watch TV and movies, and hang out with friends and extended family.

Interests

I enjoy music, (a lot!), reading, writing of course, movies, TV, keeping pets, cooking, eating out, roses (the only plant I can't kill), art, dancing, comedy, history, psychology, home aesthetics, personal development and I'm very fond of beer and pizza.  I look forward to travelling one day, and hope to learn to play the piano and have a better relationship with my guitar.

Skills

I can touch type, make decent lasagne and wiggle my ears.  I am also Mummy, the finder of all missing things, including socks if I’m really on the ball.

My adventures on the internet

I published my first page online in October 2006, marketing my eBook Organized for Life.  As the collection of articles started to build up, I decided I quite liked this writing thing, and got myself this domain name so I could write more stuff.

Being a beginner in the wild west world of internet marketing and publishing, I invested in some sturdy gumboots for wading through the ever increasing piles of dung dressed up as information products and software tools, and have tried not to waste too much time or money listening to self proclaimed gurus. 

I’ve written another page detailing the history and struggles of my online outings, called My First Three Years Online.

The subject matter of my writing

Psychology and personal improvement, understanding how to get control over the aberrations of one's own mind, are things I've always been fascinated with.  I'm interested in reading anything which might contribute to a better understanding and mastery of myself, and I believe that freedom and happiness are within our control by learning how our minds work. 

I don't claim to be educated or knowledgeable about these or any other subjects, but I feel very comfortable writing about them.  I think that in talking about my own efforts to understand and apply concepts and ideas, I will find ways of expressing them which may make them more accessible to more people.  After all, I'm not alone in wanting to gain more control over my own life.

Personality

For those interested in astrology and so forth, I was born on the cusp of Aries and Pisces, in the year of the Horse. 

Jungian personality surveys seem to come out different every time I do them.  The last two I did came out as ENFJ and ESTJ.  I think I have some creative tendencies, as I enjoy music and art, but I suspect they're kind of introverted or repressed; I feel I'm a very analytical type of person, which my writing probably reflects. 

I have a morbid fear of haircuts, I'm obsessed with organization, and prone to slight exaggeration.  I don’t enjoy being part of any kind of team or committee, preferring to work alone.  I can be a bit of a drama queen, and I’m totally vain and obsessed with my looks.  I can be obsessive and a perfectionist, to my detriment, and I can take rumination and worrying to extreme levels.  I daydream a lot, am prone to anxiety and depression, but despite all this, usually optimistic, if a little jaded and cynical these days.

Resume

I began my working life as a tea lady/kitchenhand at 14, then went on to work in a shoe factory, sandwich bars, retail, publishing, car insurance, waitressing and bar tending, workers compensation insurance, as a restaurateur, and in a health insurance call centre.  I did my Higher School Certificate (year 12) at night school at 19, and made 3 lame attempts to get started on an arts degree.  I also failed a sound engineering course in my teens.  (Failed the recording session but passed the theory exam).  I have no formal qualifications at all, but I can read.

Values

I value honesty, openness and good manners.  I believe in not judging people, in the power of forgiveness, and in taking responsibility for oneself.  I believe in keeping an open mind. 

I value family very highly, and feel very fortunate to have a large one of my own, which is what I always wanted.  I look forward to lots and lots of grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on. 

I'm fastidious about communication, accuracy, getting things right, that sort of thing.   

But enough about me, tell me about yourself - what do you think of me?  Yes, that's a joke.  (I'm quoting Bette Midler).  Don't go emailing me, unless you have something very insightful, and well, complimentary to say.  About me.