This Week: My Birthday

May 4, 2013 in Lifestyle, Self, Work

We haven’t caught up for two weeks so I’ve got a few photos to share with you today. The last two weeks have been fairly eventful and today is my birthday just in case my constant updates left you in any doubt. So be warned that next week will be all about my birthday, even though it’s actually today. The first big thing in the past two weeks has been JJ stepping back from blogging, which has had a huge impact on the site but as always I’m behind him 100% in what he wants to do and I can’t wait [...]

Where Do You Draw the Line Between Tragedy and Stupidity?

April 29, 2013 in Family, Health, Lifestyle, News, People, Society, Work

Life can throw curve balls. You could be blissfully happy in your relationship, and next thing you know you are breaking up. You may have found the perfect job, only to be made redundant. You could be completely healthy until an accident renders you paraplegic. The above three things are devastating, but completely out of your control. The last one would even be considered a tragedy. But what if the “tragedy” is self inflicted? What if someone becomes brain damaged because of an overdose of drugs or alcohol? What if someone becomes a paraplegic because they were messing around when they knew better? [...]

My Mother, Margaret Thatcher and Me

April 11, 2013 in Celebrity, Current Affairs, Human Rights, News, Politics

My mother has this irritating habit of always seeing the good in people. I suppose it’s an admirable quality too – but sometimes I want to have a rant about some in-justice without having to see it from a different (and empathetic) perspective. There are a two exceptions to this… the ex-boyfriend who cheated on me and Margaret Thatcher. I won’t pretend to understand all the politics of the time. My family enjoyed a relatively comfortable lifestyle; we had overseas holidays, two cars. We didn’t experience financial suffering the way thousands of others in our country did. Perhaps it was my mother’s [...]

Dying with Dignity

March 6, 2013 in Family, Health, Human Rights, Pets, Self, Society

It was a typical Australian summer morning. Off to get a coffee I decided to swing by the vets to buy some rabbit food. It was surprisingly busy and I queued patiently, taking in the pets and their owners. The doorbell rang again to signal the arrival of another patient. I saw a golden retriever before anyone else. Tongue lolling because of the heat, he looked like he was smiling. I only noticed his age when his owner, a smiling grey-haired man, helped the dog pet negotiate the steps up into the waiting room. And then I saw the rest [...]

I’ve planned my funeral; does this mean I’m morbid?

March 5, 2013 in Health, Music, People, Self

  I have planned my funeral. I have a will in which I have left friends mementos of our friendship. My worldly goods have been allocated a home for when I am no longer here. I have a list of the music I want played, the hymns I wan t sung, the preacher I want to have preach.  Readings/poetry I want read. Which church the funeral will be at. I have picked the colours for floral arrangements. I have stipulated where I am to be buried. I am an organ donor with conditions- I don’t want to donate EVERY organ [...]

The Day My Father Died

February 28, 2013 in Anecdotes, Children, Family, Fathers, Mothers

Based on true events… It was a crisp winter’s day, the day my father died. He had been in palliative care for a few weeks, still in a coma that he would never recover from. It was school holidays, and I was at home with my mother. When the phone rang, my mother was told that my father would most likely not last the day. She took the news stoically, as she always did in moments of extreme emotion. Emotions were meant to be expressed in private, they were not for public display. I think that’s why she asked me to ride over to my [...]

Fiction: A Minute Before Midnight

February 26, 2013 in Fiction, Relationships, Stories

Today’s guest post from Sarah Butler: A little giddy from the joint, Tracey leaned heavily against the vanity. She studied the way her make-up seemed to sit on top of her face these days, obvious on the uneven surfaces. Sighing she stepped back, her magnified features rearranging themselves into a face. She didn’t think she looked like a widow. She supposed that no one would be able to tell from the one moment to the next. Or perhaps there would be a subtle shift, a flatness to her gaze or a heaviness to her carriage. She wondered whether she would stop wearing [...]

The Disaster Spiral

January 10, 2013 in Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Money

Around December every year, and a few times throughout the year if we’re honest, I tend to find myself caught in the disaster spiral. If you’re unfamiliar with the disaster spiral (lucky you!) it’s when you go from a rational thought that’s a little bit stressful to complete disaster in only a few steps. For me, particularly around the holidays, it goes like this: We have too many people to buy Christmas presents for. We have to pay for Stepdaughter to visit. We’re going to spend too much money. We don’t have any money. We can’t afford to go overseas. [...]

Silent Night: A Warning to Drive Safely

December 6, 2012 in Lifestyle, News, People, Stories, Travel

Today’s guest post from Chantelle Dalgarno: “People say their heart misses a beat when they hear the sound of squealing brakes; when they hear the sound of someone screaming after an accident. Mine doesn’t. The screech and squeal of brakes show that there was time to react, to prepare, to brake, to brace. The screams of someone involved in a motor vehicle accident show that they’re alive, they’re conscious, they’re aware. When there’s only silence… when there’s nothing… that’s when my heart misses a beat.” It’s been a year since my baby’s first Christmas. It’s been a year of ups [...]

The End Of Everything

November 28, 2012 in Fiction, Mental Health, Relationships, Society, Technology

The day he no longer recognised his online profile was the day he knew everything had to change. He no longer felt connected with his online persona, his audience – with anything in particular. Google+ was the first to go, soon followed by LinkedIn and Tumblr. He was surprised to discover that he still had a Myspace account, and he had almost forgotten about his Hotmail address. He even found an old ICQ account – it was soon deleted as well. None of these changes made much difference. Deleting these services was no more significant than chucking out on old pair of socks, [...]