Guess where I've been for the past few nights? Adelaide! I scored an invitation to Coopers Brewery's 160th anniversary celebration. In May 1862, 10 years after arriving in South Australia from Plymouth with his young family, stonemason Thomas Cooper recorded his first brew. And, on May 20, 2022, Alana arrived at the Freemasons Hall in... Continue Reading →

I need to share more roof porn with you. Think of it as 50 shades of grey and blue ... Admittedly not quite as titillating as a red room, but I’m very excited. My roofing guy - a lovely Yorkshireman called James Stokes at https://uptoproofingsolutions.com/ who painted the tiles and replaced the gutters - had... Continue Reading →

My heart clenched yesterday when the NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman said he would be making an announcement about Kathleen Folbigg at 1.45pm. There were so many ways the announcement could have gone. Earlier this month, journalist Quentin McDermott noted in The Daily Telegraph that Kathleen could possibly face five potential outcomes arising from the... Continue Reading →

The case for the youngest being adopted grows. She just scored three goals for her AFL team at their latest match, contributing to them winning the game. Not bad for someone who had never played AFL in her life until a few weeks ago. It really is quite odd and I have no idea where... Continue Reading →

I worked 54 hours last week as a contractor. When I moaned that I was tired, my friends noted that at least I was being paid by the hour for my efforts. Yeah, that's true, I suppose. However, being paid by the hour has put a very different spin on my spending. Every time I... Continue Reading →

I had an epiphany as I stood on a ladder yesterday painting my eaves. I don't want a house any more. I am done. It was an unseasonably warm Sunday. The sun was shining, the air temperature was 25C, the water temperature was 22C and I wanted a swim SO BADLY. But, no, I was... Continue Reading →

I feel fortunate that my divorce was so civilised. We calmly discussed our co-parenting arrangements and the division of assets. There were no lawyers or astronomical legal bills or screaming matches over who deserved what. And while my husband left, my connections with his family remained. I could pick up the phone to any one... Continue Reading →

It felt a bit like when I walked The Pilgrim Trail at my place yesterday. It was cold and relentless, filled with sore muscles and mud. The only things missing were the smell of horses’ piss and farting Frenchmen. Oh and it all took place in suburban Sydney rather than Spain. The day was a... Continue Reading →

It's weird how everyone [who isn't immuno-compromised] was completely terrified by COVID-19 one minute, then totally blase about it the next. It's still raging through the community, but we've decided to get on with the business of living. While we no longer fret about daily COVID-19 numbers and hardly anyone wears a mask, it's irrevocably... Continue Reading →

The youngest informed me yesterday that one of her teachers had quietly asked if everything was OK at home. The teacher was concerned that she was being physically abused because she is covered in bruises. The youngest thought it was very funny that her AFL injuries had been mistaken for domestic violence. I was mortified!... Continue Reading →