I’ve been watching Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen, in which Dr Lucy Worsley OBE tells us that Mrs Christie is not the person we all thought she was. Among other intersting titbits, Lucy believes Mrs Christie did lose her memory, and drawing against other sources, that she sought treatment for it. But […]
The Smell of Wood Smoke
The other day, a rare for this year sunny day, we took Clever girl for one of our longer weekend walks around the neighbourhood. There was a beautiful blue sky, and the temperature was warm, but not too warm, with just a lazy wind. And the smell of woodsmoke. These days, on a summer’s day, […]
Christmas is coming
I saw my first Christmas decorations recently, and I suddenly realised Christmas is coming. It came as quite a surprise – even though I’ve just done my quarterly plan, (or maybe because), I was still thinking I had all the time in the world before Christmas got here. There’s food and drink to buy – […]
There’s been a Data Breach!
“There’s been a Data Breach!” (please imagine the grizzled voice of Taggart’s Detective Chief Inspector Burke). Here in Australia, we’ve recently endured a data breach or two (that we know of) involving some of the largest companies doing business here. Data stolen includes identification (passport and driver’s license numbers), credit card numbers, address details and […]
The Wisdom of the Crone
One of the major fictional archetypes is the crone. She may be the grumpy old woman you want to steer clear of in case she curses you. Or, on the other side of the coin, she may be wise beyond your years. The Crone may form part of the triple goddess (maiden, mother and crone), […]
Little Seal Pup
We managed to get away and took Clever Girl for a long walk along the beach. While we were there, we saw a little seal pup. As we walked, we saw a big black lump on the sand, and I wondered if it was a dead seal. Mainly because we’ve met dead seals on the […]
Is Your Home Your Castle or Prison?
Recently, I’ve been wondering whether your home is your castle or prison – does it keep you, or do you keep it? By now you’ll be aware of my thoughts on wealth – it’s not one thing or the other but a constant tradeoff between your time, health, and money. The suburb I live in […]
Too Late Now!
I admit it – now and again; I get annoyed with Clever Girl and want to send her back. But I recently realised it’s too late now. We can’t let her go. Where I live, pet regulation leans heavily toward desexing. Not that everyone does it, but that it’s more common than not. Clever Girl’s […]
Leaving a Legacy
Just recently, the notion of leaving a legacy keeps coming up again and again as I research and write blog posts and stories. For example, during research for a recent story, I discovered a large oak tree near here (which I’m particularly fond of) was planted sometime around 1870. Planted specifically to shade the house […]
In Case of Doubt
I recently came across an emergency alarm – “in case of emergency, break glass”. A clear and simple instruction, along with a clear and simple action – break the glass. I’m assuming the action triggers an alarm to sound, providing the opportunity to do something to help the situation. Which in turn, would make you […]
The Greatest Ever Haiku
I wrote the Greatest Ever Haiku this morning, and I was so excited to share it with you. But there is a thing that sometimes happens to writers. It’s distraction. I’m sure it happens to other kinds of people too. When they’re doing whatever it is they do. But for a writer, it can be […]
When Enough is Enough
Recently, I’ve been a bit short tempered and snappy. Prone to watering eyes at the oddest of occaisions. Thinking enough is enough! But not long ago I read an article by Peggy Kern, that made sense of it all. According to Kern, tears are an outer reflection of out internal state, triggering when we feel […]