Snowflake Challenge #1 and #2

[margaret_r]

With encouragement from kat_lair  I decided to try out the snowflake_challenge  in an attempt to be a bit more socially active.

Challenge #1

In your own space, introduce yourself! Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Done with the posting of a brand new sticky introduction, only somehow I made it a Sticky: Sticky Introduction. Not sure how that happened but oh well. And I left a link on the comm to my bright shiny new sticky introduction.

Challenge #2

In your own space (or their own space) interact with someone new. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. No need to leave a link for this one, but if you’d like to invite others to join the conversation, please do leave one.

I managed this despite being a naturally reticent person, and have as a result gained some new and interesting friends on my f'list. Welcome new friends I hope you enjoy being here:)

Now to see what comes next!

In other matters, Christmas was hugely successful as daughter and grandsons were able to cross the border and land on our doorstep. We had nine days to catch up on everything from the last sixteen months - which is when we last saw them. There are thoughts and hopes of Easter together, either here or in Victoria but after a short and sharp period of all our borders being open to everyone to come and go as they pleased, New South Wales let COVID escape again the barriers have risen and there are border closures to contend with. This pestilence will just not go away. If New Zealand can do it, why can't we*sigh*. I feel for all my friends in the northern hemisphere though, we have it relatively easy. Am thinking of you guys and hope things get better for you.

I'm trying to get back into writing again after the chaos of Christmas and the resultant clean up after the tribe left, with limited success so far. Of course I took lots of photos during the visit but will have to sort them out before I can post some of them, there will be a pic spam eventually though - be warned!

And that's it for now.

Comments

[ci5mates]

Good on you for branching out to new friends and committing to whatever it is that the snowflake challenge entails. *g* I am very much looking forward to the pic spam and reading your current WIP.

[moth2fic]

I'm looking forward to the picspam too!

It's nice to find new online friends and I'm sure they'll love your photos of Australian wildlife!

[margaret_r]

Who can't love Australian wildlife:D Just need a bit of quiet time to get the photos done, should happen fairly soon.

[margaret_r]

The Snowflake Challenge just might lead me to posting a bit more regularly than twice a year - at least for this month *g* Both pic spam and WIP will happen, just not making much headway at the moment!

[sjh2009]

It lovely that you got to see your family, and I think you're doing pretty well as a country. As soon as it looks like your numbers are going up those in charge take immediate action and that does seem to be working.

Here in the U.K. They allowed people to mix over Christmas and, guess what, were back in lockdown again with the pestilence spreading like wildfire. 58,784 new cases were diagnosed yesterday and that's up by 50% to the previous week! On Sunday the Prime Minister told everyone to send their children to school, today all schools are closed unless the children are vulnerable or the children of key workers. That's what we're having to contend with.

On a happier note my 87 year old mother is one of the few lucky people who have had both vaccine jabs, going forward people will only be getting one jab so they can give more jabs to people more quickly, they won't be getting their second for 12 weeks instead of three.

Hopefully by Easter you will be able to travel again and see your family again.

Oh to live in New Zealand, my friends there are living normal lives!

[margaret_r]

That's wonderful for your mother, you must feel so much better now that she has some protection, it must be such a relief.

Hopefully we'll be free of restraint for interstate travelling by Easter again, the situation is so changeable it's hard to know what to hope for! It's mainly our state governments that have been so proactive with trying to control the virus and it has paid off but we still have the whingers who don't want any lockdowns or any border closures. I get so annoyed with them because that is what is actually keeping us reasonably safe, if we didn't have the restrictions we'd be in a much worse position. It's a horror story over in UK and I worry so much about my friends there and hope they all keep as safe as they can.

New Zealand is so lovely and looks more attractive all the time*g* Their PM certainly knows what she is doing:)

[sjh2009]

Yes, I wish our PM came down as hard as she did, but we have too many people arguing and protesting against every rule and restriction. Over 1000 people died in the past 24 hours and they're still wingding, doctors and nurses are pleading with people to stay home as the NHS is barely coping. And still people don't believe!
I'm so glad things are better for you over there, fingers crossed for Easter.

[sw33n3y]

Lovely to hear you managed to get the family together for Christmas.

Also great that you're getting back into writing.

I always enjoy your photos, so will be looking forward to a some more views of your world.

Happy New Year!

[margaret_r]

Happy New Year to you too! Hope it's a good one for you:)

The anxiety levels were high waiting to see what would happen with the dreaded virus before Christmas, as you well know things change overnight. But it worked out and it was great to see at least some of the family. Son was supposed to come for a visit this week but the situation in Victoria now has meant cancellation:( Still things have to get better, right?

Writing/photos, all in the plans. Watch this space*g*

[smallhobbit]

Lovely to see you taking part in Snowflake too - it's a great way to find others with similar interests. And I too am looking forward to your picspam.

[margaret_r]

Snowflake has been an interesting experience so far! Not sure I'll go for every challenge but it is nice to involved and interactive. Hopefully picspam will happen before too long:)

[kat_lair]

Whoo, I'm so glad you're doing this! And well done for all the interacting :)

[pushkin666]

Glad that you managed to see some of your family at Christmas. I was supposed to have Kat visit but the government put paid to that and now we're in lockdown again. I see that your prime minister isn't planning on vaccinating until March. Is he mad?

[margaret_r]

I suspect our PM is waiting to see if the vaccine turns anyone into a zombie before he brings it to us ... However, under some pressure, he has stated that it will become available at the end of February rather than halfway through March. At least we don't have the same horrible cases you have so I suppose waiting a while isn't a disaster, but I won't be very pleased if we have a major breakout and he's delayed the vaccine.

It was wonderful to see the family, it had been so long and the grandsons have grown amazingly in the 16 months or so since we last were together. I was sorry to hear you couldn't be with Kat for Christmas, that sucks. We can only hope that the next few months sees things getting a lot better.