What a day we had yesterday. We partied like it was 1999. Translation: I renewed my driver's licence for another five years, Hanno took me to the lingerie shop and bought me a new winter nightie and we had lunch in Caloundra. ;- ) I received a lot of wonderful phone calls from friends and family, I loved reading so many comments full of love here and felt truly special on a beautiful autumn day. Thank you for the warm wishes and generous comments you sent yesterday. Each and every one of them made me smile and it put in place one more piece of the puzzle that is you. I build a picture in my mind's eye of everyone who comments here regularly and every comment plays a part in constructing my image of you. I don't know if it's accurate, and maybe I'll never know, but it is my way of personalising this blogging thing so that I feel I'm surrounded by warm-hearted and like-minded friends.
A while ago I was contacted by the folks at kidspot.com.au to tell me that Down to Earth was one of about 700 blogs nominated for inclusion in their Voices of 2013. Recently, they contacted me again to say I was in the top 100 Australian bloggers. I'm in the Creative and Home category along with 25 other creative and home-type bloggers, including the beautiful Katie and Reuben from House of Humble. All the judging and announcements will take place much later in the year. I haven't checked out many of the other bloggers yet but those I have look fabulous and interesting and all those things you want a new to you blog to be. I thought it would be a good idea to highlight and feature of few of them in my weekend reading in the coming weeks.
Off to the big playground with Opa.
I had a bit of a chuckle when I looked at the photos of the other bloggers. I'm the only old duck by the look of it so I'll hold the flag high for all the grandmas and opas out there. It's nice to know that my blog is considered relevant alongside all those written by younger women. Still, I would have liked to see a few more older women there as well.
Full grain rolls ready to go in the oven.
So let's get back to basics again after all the palaver of illness and birthday celebrations. I haven't done a cooking post in a long while so tomorrow I thought I'd share a very versatile whole chicken and vegetable recipe that will warm the cockles of your heart. I love easy food, as long as it's delicious and nourishing. Tick and tick for this recipe. I hope you like it as much as we do. See you tomorrow in the kitchen.
Good morning Rhonda
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your nomination with kidspot, great to see your wisdom filtering through!
Enjoy your day, you sound so full of energy.
regards Leonie
I'm so glad you had a good birthday and congratulations on being recognized for your blogging! You certainly deserve it. I'm looking forward to your cooking post; I love to cook whole chickens. I just did one yesterday.
ReplyDeleteGood morning to you Rhonda and Happy, happy birthday (for yesterday!). You are so funny with your party like it's 1999! So good to hear you had a fantastic day.
ReplyDeleteI saw your face in the top 100 and was thrilled you made it there (but never doubted you would). As always you keep on pioneering a way forward with blogging and I know so many of us look up to you because your blogging is always real and true and never follows someone else's style. I love that about you, and your blog :)
Here's wishing you another happy day today.
xx
Hi there Rhonda, over the last 3 months I have been reading bavk through alot of your older posts, I am so pleased to hear that you are so high in the blogging world you deserve it, your blog is so inspiring. As I live in NZ, i find most of it still relevant & usefull, so a huge thank you from me & my family.
ReplyDeleteSo pleased to hear your better & big hugs for yesterday.
Welldone
Nic
A happy birthday to you Rhonda! Sounds like you and Hanno had a great ole time. So enjoyed your story about your life and what was going on in the world at the different times. Right now I write my journal in that same way, thinking that my great grandchildren might enjoy that someday. I still want to try to blog but must admit that I am scared to try because I feel so lacking in the technical department. However my 12 year old grandson tells me that he will help me! Love the picture of Grandpa and grandson headed to the park. Congradulations for being nominated for the new honors. Blessings, Carolyn in Florida
ReplyDeleteA Happy Birthday to you for yesterday Rhonda. It sounds like you had a lovely day!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you enjoyed a lovely birthday Rhonda. I can't wait to see your chicken and veggie recipe tomorrow, it would be perfect for us considering the weather here is wet and dreary and I'm caring for a sick bubba and husband (I'm sure you can guess who's complaining the most)!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely happy day! Looking forward to your post tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI am actually seeing more and more blogs by the 55 and up crowd here in the USA. I am happy to see that as I often feel like the Mom out there on the web and in blog world. Congrats on the recognition of your wonderful blog!
Sadly we have had another event here in the USA today. Our son and his wife do not live far from Boston and we had a flurry of texts and phone calls in the family trying to locate them to be sure they were okay. They were both at work thankfully.
Lana, Hanno just called me to watch what is happening in Boston. I don't get it. People are carrying around such hatred inside them. I'm very pleased to know your son and DIL are okay. {{Hugs}}
DeleteThanks for the hugs! I know what you mean about not getting it.
DeleteJust got your book today in Minnesota, USA!! I've been waiting on the postal service! So excited to snuggle in (its still snowy and 30 degrees F here!) and read tonight! Thanks for your email reply to help me find where to order it!
ReplyDeleteNicki
I'm pleased it arrived, Nicki. I hope you enjoy it.
DeleteNice Tea pot....I've always enjoy visiting your blog...your so inspirational.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on.
Palaver.
ReplyDeleteYou don't hear that much, do you?
It's a good word.
So glad that you had a lovely birthday, and you deserve to be high on the bloggers list.
ReplyDeleteSue
Am glad to hear you had a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteI have been searching lately for blogs written by older folk and there aren't that many around, are there?
Hi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a lovely day yesterday, well deserved. I'm glad you had a nice birthday and congrats on the nomination, also well deserved. Hanno sounds like such a nice guy, lunch and a visit to a lingerie shop for pressies. Not a lot of men would do that. You are really one lucky "old duck" (as you put it). Best wishes to you both and keep well.
Dawn
I am pleased you had such a lovely day, Rhonda. Caloundra is our favourite holiday destination and we have been going there for many years. It's a lot busier than it used to be but still is a nice place to go to relax. I have a lot of books on loan from our library at present on how to start a blog but I am not even sure what I would talk about on it. I would like to read more about others who are retiring and about how they feel.
ReplyDeleteThat little boy is adorable. I know you just want to squeeze him tight!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, your blog is very relevant to young and older alike. Thank you for writing.
Belated Happy Birthday, dear Rhonda. I'm pleased you had such a lovely day, and what a beautiful "Tea for One" set - I'm sure the tea tastes extra special from that cup.
ReplyDeleteBelated Birthday wishes to you for yesterday! and I consider your blog and your writing very relevant!! In today's society we are rarely around parents, aunties and grandparents, so in a way, I think your blog fills that gap of knowledge and wisdom. So THANKYOU!!
ReplyDeleteLauren
x
g'day & happy birthday for yesterday rhonda!
ReplyDeleteglad you had a great day, what an interesting history, some of which i'd forgotten
love the teapot & cup there too
hope you have a great day today too
selina from kilkivan qld
Glad you had a wonderful birthday and hooray! for you on the nomination.
ReplyDeleteYour blog means a lot to me, Rhonda... looking forward to your cooking post. I am glad you are feeling better, too! :) Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you had such a lovely birthday and congrats on the nomination at kidspot. It seems that grandparents have been bypassed a lot in the modern world as life seems to go so fast these days and there doesn't seem to be as much time for extended family. Your grandchildren are lucky to have you and Hanno and enjoy the lifestyle you live :).
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Robyn xo
congrats rhonda and much deserved accolades! amy
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear you are on the mend. My grandmother use to say you are not old, you are just more experienced. So no Rhonda you are not an older blogger just an experienced one!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a lovely day to help perk you up after your recent ill-health. Thrilled, too, that your wonderful blog has been recognised in the blogging world as it is truely like a breath of fresh air!
ReplyDeleteJak x
Congratulations on your blog status. I am another Gran who blogs. I live in New Zealand and link to a number of other wise women who blog there.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were well enough to really enjoy your birthday.
Hello Rhonda! No, you are not the only old duck here.......I am 66 and a Grandma to two little boys. I read your blog every day up here in Scotland. m
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday! As another 1948 baby, I want to thank you for the history of my life...but you are only as old as you feel!
ReplyDeleteLast time I checked, we still cannot get your book here, on Amazon (USA)....I keep trying!
Happy birthday! Sounds like you had a lovely day. XXOO
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday! congratulations, You deserve that spot, and no, it is not only young ducks out there in blogland!
ReplyDeleteyour rolls look lovely and I'm so glad you're feeling better! I LOVE when little things are such treats because we live such quiet lives (I just posted about buying flannel, which was a treat to me - ha - and then I see your PARTY!!!).
ReplyDeleteBelated happy birthday wishes! I'm very glad you are feeling lots better now. PARTY!
ReplyDeleteLove that teapot/cup! And congrats on the recognition. Caloundra is one of my fav places.
ReplyDeleteKelly
Yes! To all the Grandmas and Opas!! It blesses me deeply that older women like you take the time out of your day to teach us younger women the ways of housekeeping as many of us younger folks were not taught by our parents having grown up in 'daycare'. I've been following your blog for 5-6-ish years now (shortly after my eldest was born and she was born in 07!..my how time flies), and I've learned so MUCH. I am constantly encouraging (begging) my grandparents to write a book or blog of their younger days to encourage and teach the younger generations as it is all so different and fast paced now. Thank you Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteKatie
www.simplefoody.org