I have been practicing saying no. Someone rang me yesterday and asked if I could do some freelance work for them. I said I didn't have capacity. This is very unlike me because I am very bad at saying no. I hate feeling like I am letting people down. But the past couple of months... Continue Reading →

The youngest is meant to start her trial HSC today, but she's at home on doctor's orders. Her concussion symptoms aren't going away and endless medical appointments and tests are failing to get to the bottom of why. We're just being told it's a matter of time and patience. I wish the matter of time... Continue Reading →

My last post about the blog going temporarily dark backfired on me. It was meant to be a quick note to let readers know that I was so under the pump that I had to take a break from blogging for a few days. But people were really worried that I was teetering on the... Continue Reading →

I didn't blog yesterday because some stories aren't mine to tell. There are a few of them in my world, which is remarkable considering how many tales I have that I do tell in technicolor detail. However, it felt a bit insincere to pretend nothing was happening and blather about inane stuff when someone else's... Continue Reading →

How was your weekend? Mine started with a trip to Newcastle for my dad's birthday. I got him a dad joke book and a lottery pack because 83 year olds are very hard to buy for. The shop assistant at Dymocks terrified me when I bought the book by firing dad jokes at me while... Continue Reading →

I've made friends with the female baristas at a cafe near Wynyard Station. They welcome me by name and know my coffee order. Those little things put a smile on my face in the morning. It was crazy busy when I walked in yesterday and they accidentally ignored a middle-aged male waiting to place his... Continue Reading →

I’m blaming it on my life stage - a mid-50s woman with teenage children, ageing parents and a late 50s boyfriend - but I seem to be constantly messaging my boss with health crises. Yesterday morning I sent her a Teams message that started with the words "as you are probably beginning to realise ...... Continue Reading →

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you put a headline in my newsfeed that reads "My Dad Was A Famous Alien Abductee. I Thought He Was A Joke — Now I'm Not So Sure" I will click on it. The article was written by a man who grew up thinking his father was... Continue Reading →

I hardly ever check my letterbox any more, do you? Remember when it was an exciting repository for postcards from friends traveling overseas, letters from pen pals and monthly newsletters from fan clubs and badge makers (OK maybe that last one was just me). Now there’s just the occasional bill you’ve forgotten to switch to... Continue Reading →

I am quietly panicking about the looming deadline for my book. I tried to break the back of it over the weekend, but life kept getting in the way. I was madly typing on Saturday at 11.55am when I got a text from the youngest about borrowing the car. I replied that she was welcome... Continue Reading →