In my blog in September of last year, I revealed the 4 layers of connection that life story writing brings: 1. Connecting to family and friends by reaching out to them for memories and stories; 2. Connecting to children and grandchildren by handing them your completed book full of those memories and stories; 3. Connecting
On a warm Friday night in the 80s, my sisters and I arrived at the Pointe au Baril marina to be met by Dad and whisked off to our island home. An idyllic picture, yet, it was about 10 pm when our meeting time was supposed to be 8 pm. Dad had sat in the
While I was swimming laps yesterday, I looked up over my left shoulder and saw a patch of blue amongst the clouds in the sky, then I looked up over my right shoulder and saw another burst of blue and I was wishing I could ask Mum: “Does that count?” “If there’s enough blue in
Sydney’s one hundred- and seven-day lockdown ended for me when the King declared: “Sydney is open!” “B’what?” you may ask. Read on … My family fulfilled a five-year dream when we went to see Hamilton at Sydney Lyric Theatre last Tuesday. As the curtain went up, to rapturous applause, King George pranced upstage and told
Among my favourite authors are Tim Winton, Kate Grenville and Trent Dalton. You picked it, they’re all Australian. Their Aussie dialogue, vivid descriptions of the land and how they bring history to life are teaching me about my new country, which in turn makes me feel more connected and at home.
My brother-in-law, Abes, set me the challenge to write my life story in fifty words or less. He let me know that ABC Radio Sydney is running a competition to celebrate the annual National Biography Award: “What would it say on the back of your biography?” Here goes: There were two of his, two of
A compass A pencil case Sleepytime tea Those three things are helping me to navigate through lockdown. They are steering me. Steering me towards calm. The compass is on my chest of drawers in my bedroom. It is partially filled with sand and rusty. I found it when I was ten, in the Bahamas on
It’s official, I have a new theme song: “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS Don’t ask me What you know is true Don’t have to tell you I love your precious heart I I was standing You were there Two worlds collided And they could never tear us apart We could live For a thousand
If a picture is worth a thousand words, memorabilia is worth a million. This birchbark birthday card is a great example. It’s from me to my biggest sister, Aileen, when I was eight and she was twenty-one. It is me stopped in time and a few facts become clear: I was a terrible speller I
One of my favourite things to do is to walk up to my nearby lookout and look down at my home, framed by the sprawling city and ocean beyond. It makes me feel empowered. I can conquer anything. I am on top of the world. I will get through my To Do List. That invigorating