Gifts, giving and gratitude
As we battle with last-minute gift-giving dilemmas, and curse roundly as we circle the shopping centre car park in a seemingly interminable search for an elusive…
An empty place at the table
Christmas can be the loneliest, saddest time of year for some people. They may not even be alone, but there may be that sense of loneliness…
My Christmas card list
It’s the middle of December, and so far I’ve only received one Christmas card. From my mother. And somehow, I won’t be surprised if it’s the…
Slipping into a swimsuit for summer
Buying a new swimsuit strikes dread into the heart of a woman. Or at least of those women who are past a certain age, and a…
The meaningful month of Mo
My waitress has a moustache. It’s black and pencil-thin, curling up at the ends; the kind of moustache that a vaudevillian villain would twirl while pondering…
Hair today…
Shelley is giving me a lesson in blow-drying my hair. I tell her I just normally blast it and it looks fine. She asks about what…
Raising a glass to Merle and Ro
On a Wednesday afternoon in March 1965, Merle Thornton and her friend and fellow feminist Rosalie “Ro” Bognor walked into the public bar of a Brisbane pub and…
Winking at the moon
There was a lot of “do you remember where you were?” talk this week, with the death of astronaut Neil Armstrong bringing back memories for those…
Snagging a snap with Kevin 07
It’s not every day that I receive an invitation to a barbecue hosted by a former Prime Minister. But so it was last week, when a…
A story of loss, and love, and hope
My sister Anne died of cancer when she was 54. It was a sudden and devastating blow for all who loved her. Anne was the oldest…
A Glass Half Full 