I know I am a bit late to the wake but I am so sad that the world has lost Dolly Parton. And I was so furious when I read that the US President had ordered flags to fly at half mast for a week in her honour. Not because I don't think Dolly deserves... Continue Reading →

“I don’t swallow” would have been an accurate but sensational title for today’s blog post. I was a judge yesterday at the Australian Gin Awards and put 49 gins through their paces. Swallowing 49 gins could be dangerous, so you’re given a spittoon. We kicked off at 10am and even after doing a lot of... Continue Reading →

I slept very badly last night after checking the mailbox on my late-night dog walk and discovering a letter from the Sheriff’s Office. I have been summoned to a 16-week trial. Far out! They will need to excuse me because I have travel and a medical thing booked, but it freaked me out. This jury... Continue Reading →

Those sneaky buggers at IKEA sent me a voucher for $35 off my next purchase, which weirdly coincided with the youngest wanting a metal chair from IKEA for the verandah of her tiny home. The voucher arrived last Tuesday, but I didn’t notice it until Saturday morning. I read the fine print and realised it... Continue Reading →

How are you with long-haul flights? I am contemplating returning to Europe after a very, very long absence and I’m a bit nervous. The decision is mainly being driven by friends who want to holiday with us over there after DD attends a conference. While I am vaguely excited by the thought, I mainly feel... Continue Reading →

I’m a restless creature. I crave constant mental stimulation. Boredom is not my friend. I've spent most of my life frantically avoiding it. Before mobile phones, I was a voracious speed reader. I’ve always struggled to savour the words and wolf down the storyline instead, racing through a book in a few hours. These days... Continue Reading →

I am struggling with the deprivation that is required by dieting. I know I need to bite the bullet and do it, but dieting is very, very dull. And it’s a long-term project, not an overnight fix. My sister stayed over last night and brought lamb koftas from Dales Downtown Meats in Uralla. (Uralla has... Continue Reading →

About halfway through lunch on Sunday, all the couples at the table - and the recently uncoupled bloke - realised that none of us live with our partners. DD and I were the longest not-living-together couple out of the bunch, clocking up 12 years this October. That raises eyebrows and "have you had a serious... Continue Reading →

Within hours of posting these fateful words on Friday morning - "my weekend is surprisingly under-scheduled" - I found myself typing my credit card details into the Kangaroo Valley Golf and Country Retreat’s website. Yep, I booked a cabin there for Saturday night. Why? I hadn't seen the youngest for ages and the next few... Continue Reading →

I was very unhappy to find a notice in my letterbox yesterday informing me that I have been chosen at random to be on the jury duty list until July 2027. Blaaaaaah. The last time I was on the list for Downing Centre purgatory was back in 2018, when I thankfully wasn't chosen for a... Continue Reading →