Sometimes I grab a notepad or turn on my AlphaSmart and then turn to Anthony and ask, “What should I write about?” You know when your child sits poised with a red texta and the back of an A4 sheet of paper that’s printed with the last few terms and conditions of a flight you … Continue reading Act because you need to act
Cathartic writing
After my interview with the editor of the Country Living section of the Weekly Times, I emailed her to request that she put something in the article about me now being back to full health. I started thinking about why that was important to me and stayed at the keyboard to find out why. This is what I wrote: … Continue reading Cathartic writing
I got a hippopotamus for Christmas
I love prudent advice and wise insights. During our trip around Australia, I shared a Cairns house and worked to save money for the next leg of our journey. There were 15 of us in that house, five nationalities and three jobs (two of which were mine). One of the other tenants was an Aussie … Continue reading I got a hippopotamus for Christmas
Choose your attitude
Growing crops is a bit like trying to start a family. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you’re getting a baby. And just because you planned your cropping rotation, prepared your paddocks, controlled pests, weeds and diseases, welcomed rain at the right times and geared up the header to strip golden crops that sway in … Continue reading Choose your attitude
World prematurity day
Today we honour the million babies worldwide who died this year because they were born too soon, and the 12 million more who struggle to survive. November 17 is World Prematurity Day, raising awareness of the serious problem of premature birth and helping to give our smallest world citizens the healthy start they deserve. A global … Continue reading World prematurity day
Committed but not attached
I thought it would have been easier. Through determination or good fortune I had always done what I wanted or got what I needed. Yet, as a wedding guest in my late 20s, I’d been tacked on to my parents’ invitation. I wondered when I would be the bride, proudly and lovingly taking the hand … Continue reading Committed but not attached
Flame of hope
I have wiped tears from the keyboard and laughed out loud tonight while reading journal entries from the time that Elsie was born prematurely (16 weeks early) four years ago. So it's now that I'd like to share a short story—actually, it’s almost entirely snippets from my journal—that I compiled a couple of years ago about her … Continue reading Flame of hope
Frozen lamb
There was a group of lambs in a paddock today running along a dam bank. Some of them were jumping and twisting mid-air, before landing on all four feet to continue the race. It’s a sight I’ve always loved. And it’s one of the reasons I don’t eat lamb. I can’t bring myself to eat an animal … Continue reading Frozen lamb
Birthday thoughts
Today I turned 37 years old. The journal entry on my birthday each year almost always begins like that, like each age is a huge milestone. And I guess if you've reached it, that’s what it is. Some years I then go into some sort of reflection of where I’m at in life and other times what … Continue reading Birthday thoughts
