wino

"Whats a voice without a face?"
No Use for a Name, Dumb Reminders (Hard Rock Bottom, 2001)

Mum was truly an amazing person. And as Step Dad, Younger Bro and I discovered after her passing, the hours spent behind the computer in her (limited) spare time weren't just spent watching videos on youtube, or commenting on so and so's new hat on Facebook.

Mum, (or "wino" as she was known in cyberspace) had created a huge following on both her own blog, and on the "farmy" forum, lifestyleblock.co.nz. By appearances, her blog was initially intended to provide a tell all account of what was happening in her part of the valley (if you could come across it), and her talent as a wordsmith could make even the most mundane rural story appear intriguing.
Mum's reach was confirmed to all when a condolences thread appeared on lifestyleblock.co.nz on the day of her passing. Many people had grown to know "wino" extremely well, despite never actually meeting her in person or even knowing her real name. As one poster put it, "The name Wino and this photo are inextricably linked in my mind." The picture in question was that of an orphaned kid, one of two that she had hand raised.

Mum taught me a lot of lessons in life, but one more after her passing; the internet can be a powerful tool, even if you don't have an ulterior motive in mind for it.

And thanks to the cyberworld, her legacy lives on... 

http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/lsb-forum/showthread.php?t=24070
http://www.kismetfarm.blogspot.co.nz