Today is a day of spooks and thrills, donning the garb and physicality of many creatures one would not ordinarily want to meet. It is a thinning of the veil between worlds, a mark of respect to the dead and celebration of the fact we are not yet among their number. To the kids, it’s…
It was the NSW launch of Crying in the Car last night. I’ve put my speech below for those of you who are interested. I need to thank the incredible hospitality and warmth of Maclean’s Booksellers who were just marvellous. Also, my family and friends for coming, and for spending up huge at the cash…
As I’ve previously written, we’ve just bought new couches. This purchase was over a decade in the works and so it might be understandable that I’ve been pondering a certain feeling that we might now be ‘proper’ adults. This feeling lasts for about three minutes, until I spy our beanbags in the corner, their…
Adam bought me a lemon tree for Valentine’s Day almost three (I think) years ago and look – it’s doing something! Because I rarely – on purpose – grow anything in the garden to this extent, let alone fruit trees which are, I hear, trickier let’s just say I’m a) excited and b) really, really…
School holidays are fast approaching. If you’re like me, this means that you will be inundated with questions such as “What can I do?” and “I’m bored”. However, thanks to this giveaway nanoblock, that situation will be resolved. nanoblock has been in Australia for almost three years. If you’ve stepped in a gift or games…
The weather is warming up, and as I was feeling temporarily inspired and hopeful, after coming home from standing in line with other people as we exercised our democratic right to vote, I decided to get into our vegetable garden on Saturday to do some well-needed weeding and tidying up. As you can see, I…
It was recently National Book Week. Unlike many schools in our area and over Australia, the school the kids’ attend did not have any kind of dress-ups, or parades, or any sort of concerted effort to acknowledge the event – at least, not that was communicated to the parents. I’m not going to turn…
I’ll begin with Night Games by Anna Krien for several reasons. First because I think it is an important book on an important subject. Second is everyone I know who has read it loves it. Third is because I have a crush on Anna; I think she’s terrific. Taken from The Monthly: Krien’s new book,…
As I was driving home from Ballarat late Saturday afternoon, with the sun low in the sky behind me, I crested one of the hills on the highway and beheld a panorama of Melbourne and its surrounds. There in the distance was the city, its skyscrapers reflected white, outlined much like a child’s painting. Closer…
