The Gallery - My Blog

I really enjoyed taking part in The Gallery last week so am having another go. This week's theme was challenging again. How does one sum up a blog that is quite diverse in content?



I decided to pick items from around the house that say something about my blogging.

I knew I had to relate this image to my late Mum in some way. She was the catalyst for this blogging business. One drink-fuelled night over Christmas 2008, she told me I must pursue my writing "even if it is just keeping a diary". She was most insistent and that is how this blog came into being. Within weeks, Mum was telling me she was terminally ill and by the time the blog was a year old she had died.

So the first thing to do is show you Mum and you can see her picture on my Gallery contribution.

The picture of her shows her on her trip on the Orient Express which I got for her and my Dad for their Golden Anniversary treat. She had always wanted to go on it and ruled it out for herself. How often do we do that? If I have done one vaguely good thing, I ensured she had that trip. In this picture she looks so serene and at peace.

The little blue cushion is there for two reasons. Mainly, through the "Come in!" it represents the fact that I am very open on this blog and welcome you in to my thoughts and feelings. I don't find it as easy to do this in the "real" world. Funnily enough, on the other side it says "Stay Out! and too often in life that is my attitude resulting in isolation all too often. Finally, there is cat on the cushion and when I am blogging, there is often a cat trying to sleep on my keyboard!

The dictionary is there as I love using the power of words on my blog and in life generally.

The stickers are to say how I have found that the whole blogging experience gives me a sense of validation. Comments, followers and Twitter friends effectively are saying that I have done a good job or have tried my best at least. So my children get stickers and I get comments. That will do me. If you are a follower, a commenter, a Twitter friend or any of my lovelies out there, give yourself a virtual gold sticker from me.

The rolling pin was the first item I chose for this random selection of objects. It belonged to my Mum who was a keen cook and a fantastic pastry chef so that connection remains with her. It has being in my life always and as this blog reflects on all aspects of my life, that seems apt.

Rolling pins flatten and shape dough. Sometimes when blogging, it seems like I am making some sort of shape or sense out of the past and the present. I find that very therapeutic and have the same sense when baking too. Rolling pins come in different shapes and sizes for different uses just like blogs and bloggers themselves.

Baking like blogging is a creative outlet. Also, traditionally, rolling pins are associated with angry housewives. In the 21st century, have angry mums put down the wooden rolling pins and started ranting in their blogs instead?

The final item is a thermometer and just for fun, I will ask you to say what you think that might represent about my life as a blogger.