tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96843972009-02-21T21:35:06.673+13:00I began this blog to reflect on my experiences as a 2004/2005 Flexible Learning Leader in New Zealand. I am now officially a member of the FLLinNZ alumni. My personal learning continues...Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1144550919496896322006-04-09T14:50:00.000+12:002006-04-09T14:54:30.686+12:00

My husband Lynsey is of Viking descent. When I saw this illustration on the Flame Warriors website it somehow seemed appropriate to use it here. It is particularly pertinent to the announcement I am about to make.I have moved my blog and I am no longer writing in this space.My new home is http://marica.ako.net.nzLynsey and I decided we wanted to bring both our blogs together onto our own server

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143796847375282352006-03-31T20:05:00.000+12:002006-04-01T01:27:02.836+12:00

It has been another long and difficult week. I am completely wiped out. I should be downstairs preparing tea for my family. Instead I am sitting here back in front of a computer. I only left work 2 hours ago. Yet here I am at it again! Although I must admit this isn't work, this is what keeps me going.Every week I promise myself it will be different.Every week I promise myself I will get more

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143260553795030722006-03-26T16:22:00.000+12:002006-04-01T17:06:00.096+12:00

My son Damian is different. The packaging is different on the inside and the outside. As a result life poses challenges for him that you and I can't imagine. I often wonder what it must be like living inside his body. I love him. I want to protect him. I want the best for him.I have watched him fight; to stay alive that is!I have watched him get excited over the simplest of things.I will never

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143334967578111812006-03-25T19:00:00.000+12:002006-03-26T15:33:19.126+12:00

I have been endeavouring to write regularly, to listen more carefully, and to increase my awareness of everyday things going on around me.Today as I was walking up Cuba Street I was stopped in my tracks by a group of people catching up with one another. They had completely blocked the footpath. They were so busy talking that they were oblivious (at least that is what I would like to think) to the

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142926461267447792006-03-19T19:19:00.000+12:002006-03-22T00:11:11.106+12:00

We were sharing a sisterly moment. We had both just attended the most inspirational workshop facilitated by Trevor Romain on writing memoirs. We wanted to talk about it. The sound of my sister's mobile phone ringing interrupted us. I could tell straight away that something was wrong.Barba Ivan had died! Our mother's beloved youngest brother, our uncle, had lost his fight with a brain tumour. He

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143274748449804152006-03-16T23:49:00.000+13:002006-03-26T14:44:29.160+12:00

One day to go until Blog Hui.Today is one of those special Wellington days. The sun is shining. It has created this amazing haze so that the light is not crisp and clear as it usually is. Colours look incredibly different. It is warm. I am automatically feeling energised as a result. Lynsey and I have so much to do for tomorrow but none of this is as important as going to the airport to meet

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143029540296568372006-03-15T23:48:00.000+13:002006-03-23T00:12:20.310+12:00

Blog Hui begins on Friday. Both Lynsey and I are beginning to feel excited. Two of the international speakers have arrived - Torill Mortensen and Mark Bernstein. I can't wait to hear everyone and meet everyone.We had so many things to do today. As we were dashing about we bumped into Mark in town. A quick change of plans. Everything else can wait. We decided to spend time with Mark instead and so

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142370622650554232006-03-14T23:47:00.000+13:002006-03-22T23:47:12.966+12:00

One of my passions is journalling - the old fashioned version that is. In more recent times I have ventured into creative journalling where words are not the primary means of recording a message. This has been a challenge because I have always considered myself to not be artistic. This new form of creativity has led me into a new interest area - book binding.As I have juggled study, FLLinNZ, work

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142025856873703112006-03-09T22:41:00.000+13:002006-03-12T13:17:10.233+13:00

No act of kindness,no matter how small,is ever wasted.AesopWe have had a lot of people leaving my workplace in the last few months. Farewell events have become commonplace. Today I attended a farewell which really moved me. The person who was leaving began by explaining how he came to the decision that he needed to move on to another job.It all began last July when he was sent by work on an 8 day

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1141808401830153342006-03-08T21:43:00.000+13:002006-03-08T22:06:40.706+13:00

I am so excited because Trevor Romain will be taking these two writing workshops. I am really interested in the one on writing memoirs. I keep thinking my interest in blogging, digital storytelling, writing, and online human communication is connected and is leading me somewhere. Where? I am not sure.Don't forget to register for Blog Hui. It is promising to be an exciting event. Check the Blog

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142040478696342272006-03-07T23:18:00.000+13:002006-03-12T22:52:29.726+13:00

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.Albert EinsteinI received some work for marking from one of my learners the other day. Tucked inside was a card my learner had made for me. I was so incredibly touched. A few days earlier in a phone conversation she had asked me how my own studies were going. She had been reading my blog. She wanted to know more

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142039711290058932006-03-06T23:49:00.000+13:002006-03-12T22:20:39.140+13:00

This evening I went to listen to Andrew Thompson be interviewed by Chris Laidlaw for a Radio New Zealand programme which will be broadcast at a later date. The National Library Auditorium was packed to capacity with organisers having to turn people away.Something that Andrew said took me back to my previous posting on the wrestling and the discussion of whether experiencing a real event was the

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1141442624599287482006-03-04T23:59:00.000+13:002006-03-11T09:40:12.256+13:00

Tonight has been an experience - a very special one at that - and yes, it involved wrestling. Or more accurately WWE - World Wrestling Entertainment!My son Damian has long been a wrestling fan. His passion has not abated over the years. We as a family have had to listen to many accounts of the wrestling matches Damian has watched on TV. We have been woken in the middle of the night to be told

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1141420228813412552006-03-01T21:26:00.000+13:002006-03-04T12:22:35.910+13:00

Have I got your attention? Now for the story behind the title...I had an appointment at the hospital this morning which meant I was going to be at work later than usual. I normally detest my daily drive to and from work. Having to concentrate as the driver of the car and being stuck in traffic are not my idea of having fun nor do I consider it a good use of my time. Many people tell me they use

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1139667223424013332006-02-12T01:54:00.000+13:002006-02-12T03:19:16.253+13:00

For some reason I can't sleep tonight. So instead of tossing and turning, I have got up out of my bed and here I am at my computer. I hadn't thought of blogging as a 'cure' for insomnia but I may as well do something constructive with this time.As you may have guessed - I am back! I can't believe we are already well into February. The days are flying past.The great news is, I have finished my

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1139662015318119532006-02-11T12:15:00.000+13:002006-02-12T01:50:58.186+13:00

We normally don't rush to get up early on a Saturday morning. We all look forward to a lazy start to the day after a long working week - well, that is what we aim for. This morning was different. We wanted to watch the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics being held in Turin in Italy.As with all these ceremonies it was a spectacle. I kept wondering what it must feel like to actually be there.

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1137320887842924972006-01-15T23:24:00.000+13:002006-01-16T01:12:20.526+13:00

2006 has got off to a flying start - writing, work, work, work, tragedy, unplanned family get togethers, questions about life and living (far too many actually), study, research, writing, plotting and scheming (or is this goal setting?????), and more writing - and I am still pondering 2005 - what happened last year and what I hope to achieve this year!Every now and again I buy a Saturday

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1137298775254551722006-01-15T16:34:00.000+13:002006-01-15T17:19:35.696+13:00

As I was reading about data analysis today I came across this quote.A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged, it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in colour and content according to the circumstances and the time in which it is used.Oliver Wendell HolmesAn interesting point to consider in light of the current controversy over James Frey's book A Million Little Pieces.

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1137224151372723002006-01-14T20:09:00.000+13:002006-01-14T23:31:58.326+13:00

Before getting on to what I am really supposed to be doing (yes, you guessed it, my research!) I decided to read some of my regular blogs. In light of my recent meanderings about life, I couldn't wait until I wrote again to draw your attention to this post from Trevor Romain.Yesterday my cousin told me how fantastic the Victim Support people had been over the past week. The discussion veered to

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1137208914671006842006-01-14T12:16:00.000+13:002006-01-14T23:51:43.756+13:00

Yesterday was a day of stories. These stories were about a life lived to the full and they were rich with expressions of love for a special woman who has touched the lives of many. This is a woman who thought she wouldn't have a 40th birthday party because she didn't believe she had enough friends to invite to it. Yesterday was testament to how wrong she was. The church we sat in to farewell

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136884107457435402006-01-10T19:52:00.000+13:002006-02-12T00:15:44.686+13:00

Words have no legs, yet they walk.Mali proverb (Bambara people)I couldn't write about this yesterday. Today I have a need to write about it. Something has happened which has taken me back in time - a flashback of sorts - to a morning when I was sitting in bed after coping with a devastating personal crisis. I was exhausted. I hadn't been sleeping. So many people were relying on me and I had to

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136788541959270652006-01-09T19:02:00.000+13:002006-01-10T00:45:41.616+13:00

I am not sure where to start. I am still in shock from the phone call I received this morning at work. Bad news always takes you unawares and this morning was no exception.My youngest sister could barely talk as she told me that our cousin and his wife, who live in the South Island, were involved in a jet ski accident yesterday while on holiday. My cousin's wife, Leslie, died at the scene. Even

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136707496397862202006-01-07T20:26:00.000+13:002006-01-10T01:14:26.953+13:00

Why is that we always equate natural flow with moving forwards? It has permeated our culture and our beings. This is typified in sayings like 'onwards and upwards'. We always focus on moving forward. This is the power of positive thinking and is great. However, if we continually exclude going backwards from our psyche we deny an unavoidable reality that faces all of us at some time in our lives.

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136619492468624582006-01-04T22:00:00.000+13:002006-01-07T21:45:17.646+13:00

I think I should re-title this blog posting to: Paper, paper everywhere!Over the last three days I have concentrated on nothing else but my writing. I am now getting excited. The thoughts are flowing as are the words. All the reading, the thinking, the discussing, the agony, the fear, is all coming to something. I have to admit though that navigating the flow is more challenging than I would ever

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136615060278149982006-01-03T17:32:00.000+13:002006-01-07T21:46:21.020+13:00

Lynsey and I are home alone. The kids have gone away on holiday together. We have stayed behind so I can work - mind you Lynsey is busy working too, but on other projects. It is so exciting that the kids get on so well and care for each other as they do. I don't remember ever going away with my sisters for a holiday like this so I have suggested it - a girl's adventure now that we are older and

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0