The time has come....

This is written with a heavy heart, but the time has come.

The time has come for me to say goodbye to MamaBake In Macarthur.

Why here? Why not just in the group? Good question - for me it's something coming full circle, when I started MamaBake In Macarthur I could see a need for the group, I could see so much potential, so to me it is only natural that my ending of association with the group also be included in this blog as well.

How did I come to this decision? I hope the following can shed some light on this for you - but let me assure you this is not a decision I have made lightly or easily.

Certain issues have been bought to my attention regarding myself - if my conduct has been anything less than professional I apologise. If at any stage you felt you had to 'run things by me' as has been raised I apologise, I thought it was clear the direction I had hoped the group would take, that people would take ownership, open themselves up to others in their community, make friends around them they might not have otherwise had, things of that nature.

I have tried my best to make it the best fit for all concerned, I have organised a public space after people raised concerns about using their own homes, I have organised in home sessions, others have opened their homes - all of which have not garnered a lot of response or commitment. I understand life happens and kids get sick etc but to me it's just common decency to send a message/call someone and say you can't make it.

In retrospect I shouldn't have cancelled daycare on the first day I attended Tallowood on my own - that was my mistake and I own that. At this stage daycare may be re-instated in the next school term, at this stage that is only a remote possibility and given current numbers I hightly doubt it will occur.

These last days at home, whilst it has meant caring for a sick child - have been the most relaxing I have had in months - I have been able to be home during the day, to relax, to unwind, to focus on my youngest child, to focus on my business, to focus on myself. No meetings to go to, no events to organise, no speakers to liase with - my usual life sees me running out the door at 8am every wednesday, thursday and friday and not returning until after I get the big two from school at 3pm - I have been running on empty trying to please everyone when it's just not possible.

I will be starting studying soon - which will require my attention. My own health is also decreasing more than I have put into public consumption as frankly it's no one's business but my own, so I need to focus on myself to ensure that I am able to function at a basic human level - something that is presently not occuring.

I am aware I could simply not do anything, but I can't do that - if people ask for something I will try my best to arrange it if they cannot, or I will support them however they need to get things done.

As such, effective 25th of June 2011 I will be ceasing my involvement with the group. I will need someone to take over as admin on the facebook page so I can remove myself - otherwise the group will simply disappear (that is if anyone actually wants the group to continue to exist), I will also need someone to take over this blog and the email attached to the group via gmail.

In saying that - as has been advised, the name of the group will need to be changed - the project at Claymore is something that I initiated after thinking it was just a simple 'we will let you use our kitchen' discussion - as such I will continue to see that through to fruition through other relationships I have formed, as it has also been bought to my attention that this may not be an avenue that the majority of the group wishes to follow.

All details for the required changes, terms for use of the MamaBake intellectual property are contained in emails in the mamabakeinmacarthur gmail account.The permission for use of the logo etc will need to be reapplied for as I have done previously, details of how to do that are contained in the gmail account. I have also changed the blog name to reflect the majority vote to the question posed in the facebook group a week ago. You are free to change the name to a more suitable one at a later date, but for now we need to change the name and democracy rules.

All promotional material, whilst in essence my intellectual property will remain with the group - I will email it both in pdf and publisher form - the later enabling whoever is the new admin of the group to edit as required.

I wish you all the best for your future endeavours.

AMENDMENT ADDED 18.6.11 - I am unable to change the URL directive for this blog, I have changed the name but the URL will need to be changed - in order to do this the new admin will need to set up - if the group desires - a completely new blog. You can import posts from this blog via the dashboard settings otherwise I will simply delete this blog on the 25.6.11