Smile...

There always seems to be one in the family, doesn’t there? One person who’s not quite as intuitive with technology - or maybe it’s interested in technology, I’m not sure. Well, in our family, it’s me. Yes, even if I became an overnight expert, I imagine the rest of the family would instantly know more too - it’s just the way things are. Not that it really bothers me, and, I have to say, they are all genuinely supportive of my confusion and achievements.

My latest success has been to take a cute animal photographs on my phone, transfer them to my computer and then post them on Facebook. I know… no big deal to a lot of people, but to some… Well, let’s just say, I was suitably chuffed with myself when I did it (all by myself) for a variety of reasons.

Not just for the obvious reasons (like, I finally did it), but because it means our travelling pet owners can now (with no major effort - or expense) see happy snaps of their much-loved animals while they’re away and feel the reassurance that brings.

The idea of doing it came to me recently when I discovered the ridiculous price some mobile phone companies charge if you want to make an international email or phone call (say from a picturesque paradise back to your caring house-sitters in order to check on the well-being of your much loved pets). Whilst on the other hand using wifi, in said paradise hot-spot, can often be easy and free, thereby also making Facebook easy and free. So this - believe it or not - is one of the main reasons for our Facebook ‘HouseSitting Life’ page.

See, it’s not really just to promote our services, or to drop far from subtle prompts about when we have a gap in our calendar and would love you to invite us over.

No, it’s to offer you a simple and cheap way to stay in touch and, of course, be reassured that everything is progressing perfectly in your absence. After all, what better way to let you know your pets are doing well than to share a cute picture of them. In fact, what better way to make a day better or to make a person smile, than to share a endearing photo of an animal - whether it belongs to them or somebody else.

So there you go (even though Steve is the photographer in the family and I tend to be more focused on life than technology) I’m having a great time with my recent achievements and photographs which can be seen, liked, and shared by simply visiting facebook.com and going to our ‘Housesitting Life’ page.

You could even Like the page while you’re there… If you wanted…

North, South, North, South, East, West, East, West...

We moved again last week! And, as we drove from one end of the freeway to the other (again!), I stared out the skylight of our car, at the stars in the clear evening sky and felt my brain kick into gear.

How often have we driven from one end of the freeway to the other in the last six months? More times than I could count off the top of my head.

After all, it seems like the majority of our latest sits have all been at the end of the freeway… alternately mind you… north - south - north - south… Even now, we’ve just left Pearsall to go to South Lake, after this we’re back north to Landsdale and Carramar - each one almost an hours drive from the other. I bet I couldn’t have planned the alternating better if I’d tried!

Good job we like driving - or should that be ‘still like driving’. After all, we do have well over thirty-five years of courier driving racked up between the two of us!

Still, it is us who picks the jobs and (if we wanted) it could be one side of the world to the other, as opposed to one end of the freeway to the other.

In fact, last week, we officially expanded our list of places we’ll sit to include more than West Australia. Yes, now we’re looking for places in Tasmania - although they need to be for more than the standard week or two (ideally a couple of months or more) to justify the week’s drive it takes to get over there.

For those that are wondering, the decision to travel there isn’t as sudden as it may appear. It’s been a plan from the very beginning, we just had to wait for the right time. You know, standard parent stuff… once I’m sure the children (who aren’t really children any more) are settled and capable of managing without us (or is it me without them? Never!)

Of course, by offering to house-sit in the lush green hills of Tassie we are aware that we’ve now opened ourselves up to ricocheting across the sandy plains of Australia. Still, what a way to spend your time, especially since we’ve both always wanted to live in Tassie and have not, as yet, had a chance to explore the island, or… as people constantly remind us… feel the true extent of its winter chill!

However, since we haven’t yet been lucky enough to be offered a suitable house-sit there, we are continuing to enjoy the warmth of the West Australian sun and pingponging back and forth along our expanding freeway.

So...

Do you know, I’ve never kept a blog before… or at least not for long. They’ve been a bit like the journals I’ve kept, started with enthusiasm and excitement that doesn’t last for more than a month or so, then they’re left to drift and fade. So the fact that I’ve kept this blog for a year is pretty impressive in my world (even if the posts haven’t appeared online quite as weekly as they were meant to).

Of course, there was a sincere motivation for keeping this blog up-to-date. It was created not only to offer insights on Steve and me to people we could potentially house-sit for, and to pass on helpful information to novice house-sitters. It was also to reassure friends and family across the world that even if we couldn't keep in regular contact (or catch up for regular coffees) they could still know we were okay and having fun experiencing our new way of life. All reasons that give me the gentle nudge, or extra impetus, needed to actually come up with a topic and put the words on the page.

However, today (as I reflected on the blog post that had just taken me two hours to write, only to decide that it was too similar to one of last month’s to actually post) I realise I’m heading towards a long break between posts. A lengthy time lapse that the recent festive celebrations can’t even justify… or at least I don’t think so, considering I’ve completed a year, a whole year!

I like writing, it feels like a physical part of me. So for that, and the above reasons, I intend to keep adding posts to this blog (hopefully more regularly than I did this December). After years of writing for publishers there’s a certain enjoyment in the freedom of writing for myself - I can say what I want, make the articles as long as I like, miss ‘due dates’, and create my own Submission Guidelines. But there’s also the - what do my readers want to hear? How do I know if readers return? Am I achieving my goals?

Like I say, I do intend to keep blogging, but I would so love to know if there’s anything in particular you like/dislike about this blog or would like me include (insights, topics, answers, information, etc). It would make such a difference for me to have even the vaguest idea.

So is there any chance you could spare me a couple of minutes?

Go on, tell me what you think. Tell me anything - how good is that offer?

Just for example:
Do you want to hear more about the general details and challenges of house-sitting?
Do you want to know more about our daily life and unexpected incidents?
Do you agree with my philosophies on life?
What makes you decide to read a new post as soon you know about it, or leave it til later?
What would make you Follow the blog so that you’re informed immediately there’s a new post, or make a ‘Comment’, or even ‘Share’ it online?

Yes, I know… the questions could go on forever. That’s just the kind of person I am, I guess. Any way, if you have time I would love to know. Even if you don’t want to leave a Comment at the end of this post and would rather send a couple of anonymous words through the Contact Us page on our www.housesittinglife.com. Anything would be truly appreciated, and who knows, make this blog more fun to read. So please…

Thank you