HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Happy Mothers day to all those mums out there in the world!

I was awoken to the delightful sounds of 'winge, winge, winge - Mum! Get out of bed! - winge, winge, winge'. *sigh* After telling my 3yo to go out to the kitchen and see dad they soon returned with coffee and pikelets covered in maple syrup and cream.

Okay. Winging forgiven LOL!

I was very pleased to see a gift card from Big W (much smaller version of Wallmart?) for $100. In my mind it's already been spent on a new happy snap camera. My daughter got me a lovely necklace and matching earings from her school Mothers Day stall. Very impressed and will not hesitate in sending money with her next year.

So not a lot planned for today. The V8's are on (car racing) and I don't mind sitting down and watching a bit of V8 madness. We're a Ford family *ducks for cover* LOL. You're either on one side or the other here in Aus - Ford or Holden. I think that's what makes the V8's so much fun. There's always that rivalry between fans. Funny how I've always found the V8's comforting. It always brings back memories of my childhood with the V8's on the telly and dad snoring away in his chair LOL!

Here's a little glimpse for all you rev-heads out there:



Okay. I'm a bit peeved with myself ATM. I finished book 5 in the Sookie Stackhouse aka Southern Vampire Series last night only to realise that I did not purchase the next book in the series. I have book 7 but not book 6. Grrrr. Now I'll have to order it online and it will take a good 3 weeks to get here. Damn I hate that. I have nothing else to read (well, nothing that I'm in the mood for) so I'm going to be like a bear with a sore head until I get my next fix of Sookie. LOL.

I could always go to Dymocks but why pay $20 when I can get it online for $11. Yes, there's postage to consider but if I purchase a few other books at the same time, the postage doesn't change. Anyway, I don't want to risk the 40 minute drive only to find out they don't have it in store anyway.

This is what really tempts me to get a e-reader. I could purchase a book and have it within minutes. I wouldn't be stressing about the growing pile of books on the floor beside my bed because there's no more room in the book cases and cupboards. I'm a book hoarder. I don't like to get rid of them. Although I must admit to having sold a few series of late. The ones where each book a repeat of the previous, just with a few names changed around.

So that brings me to the question. Which e-reader? If I get an e-reader I don't want to be limited to only one e-book provider (eg. Amazon = Kindle), yet I want the flexibility of genre's that Amazon offer. Do you have an e-reader? What would you recommend?

Speaking of all things technological. I've found all of a sudden I want an Ipod. I don't know why. I've never wanted one before. In fact I couldn't see a place for one in my life before this. I wonder what happened. Must be related to my mid-life crisis that I seem to be having ATM.

I might just get the smallest, most basic (= cheapest) one for the time being as much as the ones with all the bells and whistles call to me.

We'll see.

Let them eat rice!

The wonderful Denise Rossetti posted this on her blog a little while back. I've been playing it ever since and I think I've now managed to feed a third world country LOL! It's nice to know that I can make a difference while having a bit of fun. Just click on the banner below.

How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work?

For every word you get right, FreeRice donates 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger. Here are some facts from their FAQ.

FreeRice has a custom database containing thousands of words at varying degrees of difficulty. There are words appropriate for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most scholarly professors. In between are thousands of words for students, business people, homemakers, doctors, truck drivers, retired people… everyone!

FreeRice automatically adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, assigns you an approximate starting level. You then determine a more exact level for yourself as you play. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. This one-to-three ratio is best for keeping you at the “outer fringe” of your vocabulary, where learning can take place.

There are 60 levels in all, but it is rare for people to get above level 50.

Who pays for the donated rice?

The rice is paid for by the advertisers whose names you see on the bottom of your vocabulary screen. This is regular advertising for these companies, but it is also something more. Through their advertising at FreeRice, these companies support both learning (free vocabulary for everyone) and reducing hunger (free rice for the hungry). We commend these companies for their participation at FreeRice.

If FreeRice has the rice to give, why not give it all away right now?

FreeRice is not sitting on a pile of rice―you are earning it 20 grains at a time. Here is how it works. When you play the game, advertisements appear on the bottom of your screen. The money generated by these advertisements is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people.

Does FreeRice make any money from this?

No, it does not. FreeRice runs the site at no profit.

Who distributes the donated rice?

The rice is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). The World Food Program is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good. Wherever possible, the World Food Program buys food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. We encourage you to visit the United Nations World Food Program to learn more about their successful approach to ending hunger.

Will the rice I donate make a difference?

The rice you donate makes a huge difference to the person who receives it. According to the United Nations, about 25,000 people die each day from hunger or hunger-related causes, most of them children. To a mother or father watching a loved child die in their arms from hunger, the rice you donate is more precious than anything in the world.

So it's Mothers Day tomorrow. The kids are quite excited and have a bounty of home made pressies lined up for me. No doubt I'll be getting the book that I bought myself the other week or one of the cracked coffee cups from the cupboard. All nicely wrapped of course ;)

We have ANOTHER appointment with the dentist this Wednesday. This time, hopefully with the gas. The poor kid has had a horrible week, pretty much stuck in her room the moment she get's home from school. I've been using her homework as an excuse to get her out of her room, but you know what? She's been an absolute ANGEL despite the punishment LOL! Might have to send her to her room a bit more often.

She has a bit of a cold atm so no doubt that will herald the beginning of the 'sick' season in our home. Yee-bloody-har. NOT!