Your basket is currently empty!
Friendship
For our Ancient Greek philosopher friends, once you had your food, water and shelter sorted, friendship was the very next necessary thing. Well, healthy and independent friendships anyway. I think you can be friends with creatures, and even the planet. I think the planet might really need friends right now.
Forever free, unsponsored, and proudly primate produced! If you’ve enjoyed reading, please consider buying me a coffee.
-

Happy Holidays 2021!
I feel more positive about the 2021 Holidays than I did about the 2020 Holidays. Perhpas because last year was looking like more of the same, but this year, I feel like 2022 might actually be better than 2021. Even if the Covid affected supply chains can’t catch up. Like Canada dipping into its maple…
-

Ma’aming Me Elderly
Only weeks after my Woman of a Certain Age post, I’ve reached a new miletstone in the race towards elderly, and I thought I’d share it with you.
-

What are They Fighting For?
And like many vaccinated people, I’ve been watching the protesters on the news, trying to work out what they’re fighting for. It’s not easy to understand.
-

Where did all your friends go?
One of my friends asked me what happened to DB, Katy and Toseland. And as it turns out, it’s a good lead in to a post I’ve been trying to write for a while. Because the answer is a little more complex than it would otherwise seem.
-

A Woman of a Certain Age
Some where along the line, I became a “Woman of a Certain Age.” That is, the age at which it becomes unnecessary, and possibly impolite to query further.
-

Monk’s Evening Routine
Having been intrigued by the Venerable Nick Keomahavong’s morning routine, it’s only a small step to wondering about a Monk’s evening routine. Similar to morning routine, most evening routines are focused on increasing productivity the next day. But the Monk’s purpose in their evening routine is to bring the mind back home to stillness and…
-

Monk’s Morning Routine
Not sure what I was searching for when I came across a new to me take on the morning routine – the Buddhist Monk’s morning routine as demonstrated by the Venerable Nick Keomahavong.
-

Princess Jellyfish
I recently watched a Japanese show called Princess Jellyfish, based on the Shลjo manga (girl comic) of the same name.
-

The Day Seems Bleak
We’ve had FIVE covid related lockdowns. Full of long, bleak days. So many that even I, an introvert who works from home, has about had enough.
-

Walking the Tightrope
It’s the time of year when I usually start to get a bit snaky. Walking the tightrope between the usual thing and the need for a break.
-

5 Tips for updating our homes without updating them
In April, I mentioned we had started a list of renovations for updating our homes. I had even gone as far as short listing some builders to do the work.
-

Tell your fear “Silenzio Bruno!”
Alberto tells Luca that the voice of his fear is Bruno, whose role is to stop him doing anything interesting. That when he’s afraid he should tell the voice “Silenzio Bruno,” and do it anyway.
-

Dating Spending Plan
I heard the divorce rate has skyrocketed, so it’s the perfect time to set up a dating spending plan
-

Forgetting and Remembering
I find I’m forgetting a lot lately. And I’ve been thinking a lot about how to expand my memory, in part to recapture some of what I lost after the stroke.
-

Puppy has Sharp Teeth
It’s hardly groundbreaking news for anyone who owns a puppy (or is owned by one), but they have sharp teeth.
-

Decisions Big and Small
Lately, I’m wiped out by about lunchtime. I put it down to all the decisions I’m making. It’s like all the small decisions take just as much brain space as the big.
-

It’s not all just dumb luck
I admit it. In fact, I proudly declare it. I am a “bleeding heart liberal.” It’s probably because I grew up poor. The seemingly dumb luck of it. I mentioned in the dedication to Holistic Personal Finance that my mother saved the one and two cent pieces for herself. She saved the 5c for me.…
-

I’m Losing My Mind (I think)
I think as well as rats (of the flying and furry kind) we are infested with mischievous pixies. Either that or I’m losing my mind.
-

Life is Short
Life is short. It’s over before you know it. Even without the Cult of Celebrity, most of us want to be remembered. Hopefully for something worthwhile. I’d prefer to be known more for my books than my lackadaisical housekeeping. You might prefer being a good parent, circus performer or surgeon. It’s funny that when I…
-

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Something I’ve learned since becoming a dog owner again is that it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie. When they’re sleeping they are quiet.
-

5 Things I Learned From My New Dog
We recently got a new dog, and boy it’s been exhausting. Lily died at 16. And I’d forgotten what she was like during the first few months.
-

When the Sun Comes Out
Last week was a bit cloudy and miserable, and I was struck by how beautiful the garden was when the sun comes out. Raindrops glistening and all that.
-

Taking Pleasure Where You Find it
Taking pleasure is largely a matter of choice. Sometimes the things that bring you pleasure are the things you have to work for.
-

Stop and Smell the Roses
Last year, I wrote about tiny little things. How pausing to stop and smell the roses might help you feel a little bit more in control. It does for me at any rate.
-

Time Passes Slowly
I’d like to say my vacation time passes slowly, and I really enjoyed my break, but that would be a lie. I’d also like to say I’ve got grand plans for 2021, but I didn’t really make time to work them out yet.
-

Happy Holidays 2020!
Happy holidays 2020! But, let’s be honest. The only happy thing about holidays in 2020, is that the year is nearly over.
-

Welcome Back!
Welcome, welcome back! It’s been ages since I wrote. I didn’t mean to leave such a long gap between posts.
-

This Will Pass (at some point)
I’m writing the books people will need to take their next steps into whatever new normal is on the way. So my point here, is this will pass. Life will move on.
-

The Tiny Pretty Things
When you think about it, life is all about the tiny things. The tiny pretty things.
-

“My” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine is out!
Just a quick note to let you know my story is in the September/October Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, available from August 21, 2020.
-

Beauty Excites Emotion
Okay, so we all know that the last few months have been hard, emotionally draining, and not very beautiful. Especially here in Australia, what with it being winter and all. Some days, I look out the window at the cold grey skies, and wonder where all the beauty went. Though beauty is as beauty does.…
-

Melody for Marbles
In a recent blog post, Dean Wesley Smith mentioned driving from Lincoln City, Oregon to Las Vegas, Nevada with a car full of marbles. Carefully packed to not “bang together.”
-

We’re Busy Doing Nothing
Many of my friends are marooned at home, busy doing nothing. For them the world has ended, but for me nothing much has changed.
-

My Trifecta of Thanks
There’s a lot to be upset about at the moment, most of it we have no control over, but there’s still a lot to be grateful for, so here’s my Trifecta of Thanks.
-

Times Are Tough and Getting Tougher
There’s no doubt times are tough right now – June especially so under Covid restrictions has passed, even though they’re easing a bit.
-

Is the Old or New Normal Better For You?
Politicians have “won” the war on Covid, and are talking “getting back to normal,” even though we don’t have a normal to go back to. We have a “new normal.”
-

Carlton the Human Hairpin
I have to start by saying this is not the post I set out to write, and if you’re not fond of clowns, you should immediately shut the page down and move on to something less frightening. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now. I’ve written before about appropriateness in clothing and a little about…
-

The Joy of Being
It seems to me, despite the sh*t going on right now, the joy of being alive balances it out.
-

I’m Fine Just Behind
Bearing in mind my friend Katy’s concern about her favourite blogger, I thought I’d post a picture and let you know I’m fine just behind.
-

Virtual Dinner Party
It’s hard to stay connected in lock-down. You can’t meet in person, but you can get online and host a Virtual Dinner Party.
-

The Little Things I’m Grateful For
When times are tough (like now), it can help to acknowledge the good things we’re grateful for. Some days are harder than others, and on those days, I try to focus on the little things I’m grateful for. The everyday ones that I would suffer without.
-

It’s Weather for Ducks
I’m not sure why people compain about rain they call it nasty – weather for ducks! (Though I’m not exactly sure why it’s only weather for ducks, and not swans or ibis.)
-

How to Set up a Giving Programme
About a hundred years ago (February 2020), I suggested we think about setting up a giving programme.
-

It’s Not War, it’s Sickness
All these fat old white men talking about a war on Covid-19 is making me irritable. It’s not war, it’s sickness.
-

Do I Start Again or Start Something New?
Poor Pretty Girl is gone now, and I find myself not only orphaned but petless too. It’s been hard to start again
-

In Memoriam Pretty Girl; Maidenbelle Snow Lily (2004 โ 2020)
Little pretty girl, playful and so very sweet, goodbye, yu good dog
-

On Not Perpetuating Sexist Language
I recently read an interesting piece by Alison Flood, who reports Oxford University Press (OUP) are replacing the sexist language in example sentences in the Oxford English Dictionaries (OED).
-

Wealthy is as Wealthy Does
There’s a proverb of sorts, Beauty is as Beauty does And according to Walt Disney (video has sound) at any rate, it means being kind and doing something nice for someone who feels down. Every single day. Because beauty is about what’s on your inside, not the outside. You can Google to your heart’s content,…
-

The Weird Joy of Life with Wildlife
Since my post about my garden planning, people have told me how weird they think life with wildlife must be.
-

How to Design a Peaceful Garden
Iโve mentioned one of my major goals this year is to create a peaceful garden thatโs lush and abundant, provides habitats, weather protection and a mystical threshold.
-

Public Bathroom Benefits
A while back, someone told me that most people are too lazy to travel more than one or two cubicles in a public bathroom. And the longer the run, the cleaner the end is by comparison to the beginning.
-

How to Respect All People
Respect; politeness, honour, and care shown towards someone or something that is considered important (Cambridge dictionary) When
-

Welcome 2020, good to see you
It seems like no time at all since I was wishing you Happy Holidays, and now itโs all Welcome 2020.
-

Happy Holidays 2019!!!
The fifth anniversary of this blog passed quietly during the year, so this is the sixth time I’ve wished you all Happy Holidays. So, happy holidays 2019.
-

How to solve the time management mystery
I was chatting about the Time Management Mystery with some creative friends the other day. Actually, we were whining about how we have so much to do, and not enough time to do it in. And speculating how some of the creatives we’re inspired by manage their time.
-

The Melodious Dawn Chorus Daily
One of the amazing things about birds and animals, is vocal group communications, whether that’s the Dawn Chorus, Twighlight Barking, or the alarm tones that signal mass evacuations.
-

Thank You Mrs Sparkle
Mrs Sparkle is the most selflessly loving person I know. She’s always making and doing things for other people, and no one ever says thank you.
-

Remembering and Forgetting
Not long ago, Katy got in touch. And I was remembering that she taught me one of the most important lessons that I have ever learned.
-

Medieval Dinner Party
I watched The King, so now I’m doing a Medieval Dinner Party. Though I suppose more technically it should be called a Banquet.
-

Joy in Matching Beanies
The other day, I saw a young couple wearing matching beanies on the train. He had his arm around her, and she was nestled into his armpit, leaning her head on his shoulder.
-

Alice ‘mid the Starships
When I first saw this image I was intrigued because it’s a Victorian glass lantern slide titled ” Oh there, ‘mid the starships, Alice, I know a”. And I was really curious about the starships.
-

Joyful Memories from Gifts of Love
Iโve already talked about realia; the stuff used by historic figures or at historic events and therefore worthy of collection. But as it turns out, we leave us day-to-day reminders of themselves as well โ Gifts of Love.
-

Understanding Choice and What To Do With It
A while back, almost at the start of this blog, I talked about a place for setting goals for choice. And when it came down to it, understanding choice – consciously making choices, not having them thrust on me. Mind you, that also came with the intention of getting good at cryptic crosswords and I…
-

Stealing Kisses
Sometimes, I think the best viewing comes from watching ordinary people doing ordinary things, like stealing kisses.
-

Your hierarchy of needs
In 1954, Abraham Maslow posited that all people are driven to fulfil a basic set of human needs, from the most basic through a hierarchy of needs.
-

What I Need Right Now
The other day I was watching Men in Black: International, and among other things that made me laugh, were the red buttons. The “what I need right now” buttons that supercharge whatever thing they’re attached to
-

Time of Great Regret
I generally call myself a forward thinker, but just lately I’ve been thinking backwards. It’s been a time of Great Regret.
-

5 Hints for Achieving Happiness
Some days it seems you are exhortated to be happy. Other days you might as well try to be cheese as be happy. So, how do you go about Achieving Happiness?
-

The Happy Benefits of Overcoming Fear
One of the 2019 Emerging Writers Festival workshops I enjoyed was Madeleine Dore’s Reaching the Finish Line, but it was mainly about overcoming fear.
-

London Blitz Dinner Party
Just recently I’ve read (and written) a few stories about World War II London. I’m inspired to write a London Blitz Dinner Party. Food shortages not withstanding, it’s easier than you think.
-

How to Save Your Private Papers for Posterity
I’m working on a new book and over the last few weeks I’ve spent many hours snooping about in century old private papers.
-

How to mind the beeswax of business
I’ve been thinking about minding the beeswax of business. It started when I was happily watching a period drama.
-

How to Choose What To Do First
It’s been a busy couple of weeks. I have so much to do that I’m not sure what to do first. Or second. Or last for that matter.
-

The Exciting Discovery of an Epic Library Catalogue
Sometimes it’s funny what you find isn’t it? You start an internet search with a clear goal, and this leads to that, which comes round to the other. And before you know it, the day’s gone and all you found was an epic library catalogue from the sixteenth century!
-

Are Traditional Family Values a Good Thing?
Here in Australia, we’re just a couple of weeks away from the Federal Election. Like all elections, the bulk of candidates are campaigning on Traditional Family Values.
-

How to Renovate Your Life
Pretty Girl’s experiencing a new interest in things that make Labradors happy – she makes me think there are times you need to renovate your life.
-

Funeral Outfit
People die all the time and we barely think about it, but now and again there’s someone we want to pay our respects to, and that means a Funeral Outfit.
-

How to Plan a Bright Future
Iโve been reading Any Ordinary Day and thinking about what makes a bright future. In the book, Leigh Sales interviews people about their first-hand experiences.
-

What labels do you wear?
Since the Christchurch attacks, Iโve been thinking about how we label ourselves. The need we seem to have to package ourselves in a way that makes us appealing to others.
-

Books: to keep or not?
Since I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, I keep falling over intense, library voice (whispered) bookish debates about books – to keep or not.
-

Year of the Pig Perspicacity
If you hadn’t noticed, we’re just starting the Chinese Year of the Pig. I have a few words about pig perspicacity. Mainly because it’s a nice alliteration.
-

5 Ways to Make a Bad Day Better
Ever had one of those days when something went wrong? What seemed like a reasonable day is in a ditch, and youโre looking for ways to make a bad day better.
-

Bushfire Dinner Party
This Bushfire Dinner Party is a bit of a cheat because if you’re having a Dinner Party and a bushfire breaks out, it’s time to abandon the party and activate your bushfire plan! Having said that, I was inspired by local tv coverage of a cafe madly making lunches for the volunteer firefighters working to…
-

How to celebrate your 100th birthday
A few days ago, Mary Beard asked; “How do you celebrate your 100th birthday?” Like her, I don’t have a fond hope for reaching 100 years.
-

K-Drama Dinner Party
Stillย binging on K-drama, but wanting a K-Drama Dinner Party to share some of the food I’m seeing.
-

Steampunk Dinner Party
I’m laughing a little, because thisย Steampunk Dinner Party, is an almost but not quite a Victorian Dinner Party, because Steampunk is a futuristic science fiction genre powered by Victorian steam technology.
-

In Memoriam Pretty Boy: Maidenbelle Snow Tsar (2004 โ 2018)
My pretty boy’s gone, chasing rabbits in the sky – neve forgotten
-

What is Love?
Iโve been watching a few romances lately, and I canโt help asking, what is love? Bearing in mind the standard romance book/movie/song story line where a person meets another person, falls in love, has a big fight, gets back together and lives happily ever after.
-

I miss you so much
One of the key Stoic philosophical foundations is preparing yourself for misfortune. There’s a sort of miss you or make you risk management element to it.
-

Big F and small f Friends
After debate about Big L and small l liberals, I got thinking about Big F and small f friends.
-

How To Apologise Like You Mean It
There’s been another round of dud apologies, and I just don’t get why some people find it so hard to apologise. Perhaps they too have a mother who spent years demanding that they apologise like they mean it. And when (if) they do, it’s often too late – the horse has bolted – the damage…
-

Start a New Business Spending Plan
It’s tax time here in Australia. Often people seeing their numbers in black and white on their returns start wondering about starting a new business.
-

Yes, Love is Forever – No Matter What
Love is forever. At least that’s what traditional marriage vows say:
-

Dinner Party When You’re Not Hungry
While aย Dinner Party when you’re not hungry seems like a contradiction, it does sometimes happen that for one reason or another you lose your appetite.
-

Coffee’s Place in the New Culture of Selfishness
Recently I’ve been pondering the culture of selfishness we live in. The one where people pull out in front of you rather than waiting a few seconds for you to drive past.
-

The Pleasure and Pain of the Stories You Tell Yourself
They say thereโs a novel in all of us, but it seems to me that the stories you tell yourself on an average day could write a novel a day for the rest of your life. And still not make a dent in your story.
-

Dinner Party to Comfort a Friend with Depression
Let me start by saying that a Dinner Party to Comfort a Friend with Depression is not the end of what you can do.



