Maeve was excited when we picked up Elsie’s new birthday puppy. ‘I’m not getting a puppy, am I?’ she double-checked as we drove into the breeder’s gate. On the way, we’d shown them a photo of the pup that we were going to pick up. Elsie held the phone, looking at the photo the breeder … Continue reading My new invention: modified baby carrier
Now, you have my full attention
My dad opened the glove box and there it was. A carton of Marlboro Reds. Not a packet. A carton. I was 23 living in America and my parents had come to visit. Source I used to smoke for a few reasons: It made me look cool. They were really cheap in the States. And, … Continue reading Now, you have my full attention
And the gold medal goes to…
I was really bad at running cross country at school. It made me sick with anxiety. It was a cruel thing to do to kids; make them leave the warmth of the classroom where they were learning good lessons about the placement of the apostrophe and 'it's' vs 'its', to go out into the bush … Continue reading And the gold medal goes to…
It’s only ten years away
Ever since I was fourteen, I've felt fourteen. Whether it's cooking marshmallows on a school camp, cooking two-minute noodles at college, or cooking cupcakes with our kids, my mind has always been the same age. Where I'm at in life might change, but ultimately I still feel like a 14-year-old who wants to be liked … Continue reading It’s only ten years away
When your tank is overflowing…
When you put a lukewarm cup of coffee in the microwave, it's quicker to press Start and let it start cooking on high for one minute, than it is to press the '1' then the '5' and then Start. I'll just stand here and watch and I'll stop it after 10 or 15 seconds. I've … Continue reading When your tank is overflowing…
I’m sorry I haven’t called
It's cool how there are some friends you don't speak to very often , but when you do, it's as if you'd just had a coffee yesterday. Or a laugh in a shop fitting room earlier that morning. (Don't get me wrong, talk-more-often-than-that-friends, you're cool too.) Sometimes when you get together with don't-talk-very-often-friends, you each … Continue reading I’m sorry I haven’t called
Taking an idea and making it your own
I had a picture in my mind of how it would turn out. Actually the picture in my mind was compliments of Pinterest: Source I gave Elsie and Maeve a canvas each, showed them this picture on the computer and waited for the announcement that they wanted to make one exactly the same. 'That's cool!' … Continue reading Taking an idea and making it your own
Book proposal
In a shop yesterday Elsie fell in love with a turtle hand puppet. When I suggested we write to Santa and ask for a turtle hand puppet, her shoulders raised slightly then slumped forward and down with great force. Her mouth formed a perfect upside-down smile. I reminded her that it wasn't long until Christmas … Continue reading Book proposal
Free money
Today we collected the girls' pavilion entries following yesterday's local show. It was the first year that I'd sourced a schedule and read through to see if there were any categories that the girls might like to enter. We were a little stuck for time. We learned that you could (and should) have faxed or … Continue reading Free money
Writing by Larissa Patton 