Featured Blogger: Barb Taylor – Passionate about Pets & People…
“Give without expecting anything in return and it will come back to you a hundredfold” Anon
Featured Blogger: Barb with Pop & Pen... girls day out.
Barbara Taylor is one of those bloggers whose warm smile and kind heart reaches right through the screen to touch you. I met Barb this year through my interactions with lots of bloggers on the DailyPost Challenge organized via WordPress. The first time we connected, I was drawn to both her smile and blog name; Passionate About Pets. When I clicked through to her site, I was immediately drawn to her engaging post on The Dingo; a wild roaming dog. I had never heard of them and then in other posts, I learned more fascinating facts and even a sad story about losing pets, coping with loss, and the rescue of animals in the Queensland floods in Australia.
Barb is generous in connecting with people too and is involved in several social network sites such as Twitter, Facebook,Triond, Buksia, Helium , Linkedin, MyLot and on Flickr where you can connect with her. In this week’s interview, as part of an ongoing series, I am delighted to introduce Barb as our Featured “Get To Know” blogger of the week. Please welcome her and visit her blog too.
Where did you grow up and why do you blog?
I was born in a small village in Scotland, and at the age of 10 my mother re-married and took me away from everything and everyone I had ever known. Mum’s new husband was English and a soldier; so we traveled a lot. The first move was to England and I hated it; especially school, because everyone made jokes of my Scottish accent. I soon learned to lose it and speak with an English accent! At that age, no-one likes to be different … do they?
We weren’t there long before the Army moved us to Germany, then back to England, then Singapore, then back to England again. I went to school in all these places which was quite exciting, except for having to make new friends every time we moved.
Back in the UK, I finished college and got myself a job as a secretary and settled down – that is, until I met my husband! After dating for a while, he suggested we immigrate to Australia as they were crying out for English people to fill certain trades over there. We did! I was 19, he was 21. Boy, what an experience, but I got homesick and a few years later, we returned to the UK. We soon realized we had made a big mistake, but by that time we had a house, a thriving business, three kids and two dogs!
When the kids were older, we moved to Florida where we stayed for three years. We got ripped off, lost everything (long story) and returned to England penniless with our two teenage boys; our daughter had met someone and wouldn’t leave. She still lives there with her two children. We again immigrated to Australia with our two boys and have been here over 20 years now. We love it, but miss our daughter and two grand-kids back in Florida…
I love to write, therefore I blog. I’m not much of a talker and find it easier to express myself with the written word. I like to see things in black and white, written down. Writing is a release for me.
“If we don’t make changes today, tomorrow will be just the same.” Stephen Chbosky
Featured Blogger: Barb, Pen & Pop...
What is most important to you/about you?
The most important thing to me is my family and my little dog. Watching my children grow into fine, mature adults is the most rewarding thing I have experienced. I treasure them daily.
The most important thing about me is that I am a good listener; tell me a secret and I’ll take it to the grave! I am also very loyal to those I love, and I abhor liars and cheats.
Kookaburras at an Australian Zoo via Barb...
What motivates you to get out of bed?
The sun motivates me to get out of bed in the mornings – and also because I know I have to go let the chickens out! I’m a morning person and as soon as the sun starts to rise, I am up with the lark (or in my case, the kookaburras)!
How would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as a kind, caring person who loved to help her fellow man and the animals of this earth.
Barbara spends happy days with her hubby, her 11-year-old Shih-Tzu named Poppy, and a clack of new chickens… Again, do connect with Barb on Her blog and the various sites she participates in; listed above. She’d love to hear about you and your pets too. Plus, you are guaranteed to learn a thing or two about pets. Do leave a comment/question for Barb. Do you have a special story to share? Would you like to be part of our Featured Blogger series? Leave me a comment and a way to connect with you. Thank you!
Positive Motivation Tip: In life and in love, stay true to your passion… That’s where your bliss resides. 🙂
Related Articles
- Featured Blogger: Leslee Hare – All About Enlightenment… (eof737.wordpress.com)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All featured Photos are courtesy of Barbara Taylor.
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Trackbacks
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- or not – Blogging Buddies Interviews « Things in life I find annoying
- Featured Blogger: Arva N – A Box of Vistas… | Mirth and Motivation
- Featured Blogger: Laura Saenz – Phrogmom! | Mirth and Motivation
- Featured Blogger: Barbara Hammond – ZeroTo60andBeyond | Mirth and Motivation
Eliz, thank you so much for featuring me and my blog! It seems really weird reading about myself!
Loved it, Barb!
You sure have traveled around the world a bunch. Sorry you had a bad experience in Florida. So far, so good, for us.
I’m also sorry you shed your Scottish brogue ~ my maternal grandparents emigrated from Scotland and I loved the lilt in their voices.
I love the Scottish accent too but when you are 10 years old and get picked on because you sound “different”, you work hard to sound the same. Sad but true that we feel pressured like that. Our boys had the same problem when we emigrated to Australia.
I love my heritage, and am proud to be a Scot living in Australia!
It was a pleasure to do this and lots of fun too.
Thank you so much Barb! 🙂
Eliz
It was my pleasure Eliz – thank you for the privilege!
Eliz ~ Thanks for another terrific interview. Great quotes and pics!
Thanks Nancy. Barb supplied the quotes for her piece and I will happily use any you give me for yours. 🙂
Thank you!
Eliz
Elizabeth, you are generous in connecting with people!
And so are you Frizztext! 🙂
Thank you!
Eliz
great story barb .. as an australian, i’d have preferred that you stayed instead of strayed .. 😉
Alan, I thought you were English… now you’re Australian? Really 🙂
Eliz
Where are you?
This is so sweet Eliz! It’s such a nice way in introducing someone new.
Thank you and don’t forget I extended the invite to all… You are still welcome to join in… I believe you were included in my original mass email. 🙂
Best,
Eliz
Thank you so much for introducing this feature Eliz. You have a gift for making many people feel very special. 🙂
Barb – I am delighted to see you as a ‘featured blogger’ and to have learnt some more about you and your amazing life. As Eliz has highlighted – you are a lovely lady who offers us so much hearfelt advice and support. It is a pleasure to know you. 🙂
Juls x 🙂
Thank you Julie and so do you. I love these featured blogger sets because I get to know a blogging friend a little better… Plus Barb was a perfect and cheerful interviewee. I look forward to the rest. 🙂
Eliz
Thanks for your kind words Juls – and I could say the same about you too.
Eliz did a great job didn’t she?
Eliz, you are unique! And wonderful!
Introducing us to the “featured blogger” is such a cool idea. I will definitely hop over to meet Barb. 🙂
And I hang my head in shame as I have not yet written the little piece for you…my dental surgery (and my husband’s insistence that I refrain from too long at the computer) has put me behind. 🙁
Please don’t worry… most if not all of us are swamped with other obligations so I wont worry about it. Do send it in when you can and it should be fine.
Thanks again! 🙂
Eliz
Thank you Elizabeth for expanding our horizons. I am writing today about all the wonderful people I’ve met through blogging as my 1st blogoversary is here. Can’t believe it. I will definitely check out Barb’s blog.
You are a wonderful human being lady!
Plus you both share the same name… I was thinking of you as well when I put it together… Did you get my email? I’d love to add you and the Blogs-tresses to the mix… 🙂
Consider it Barb. 🙂
Best,
Eliz
Hi Barbara, nice to meet you – I just subscribed to your blog.
Lovely! She certainly seems like someone I’d want to be friends with.
Thnak you Debbie,
She really is a lovely lady. I’m grateful for the interview… 🙂
Eliz
Hi Barb, it great to meet you. Congrats! Love the picture of you and the dogs. You have a lovely smile, no doubt those cute furry friends had something to with that 🙂 I just subscribed to your blog. Looking forward to your posts.