Memorabilia? Mess or Matter?
Author Nate Berkus in his new book The Things That Matter asks a poignant question which has me pondering about how to rid my life of clutter. “Does Your Home Tell the Story of Who You are?’’ he asks....
View ArticleShriver writes a shattering book about Kevin
Review By Fiona White. We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver is a shattering book and tackles many taboo questions head on: Is mother love a totally natural instinct? Is it Nature or Nurture...
View ArticleJudy’s Art Life in Shades of Grey
One of Australia’s eminent neuro scientists, Associate Professor Judy Morris, has taken off her white lab coat to draw intricate art of the natural world and the human body. She, who once used...
View ArticleGarden awakens to greet early Spring
With the arrival of an early August spring, I seem to be living in a bird aviary, so prolific is the birdsong. The plumber who is installing a tap in readiness for summer, comments; “Those birds are...
View ArticleKing of Magic Mountain Still Reigns At 70
Adelaide’s own ‘ silver bodgie’’, former rock star and amusement industry entrepreneur, Frank Sebastyan has turned 70 with a karaoke night for family and friends at the Stamford Plaza Crystal Room....
View ArticleFrench TV program triggers Ghan Deja Vu
It was so thrilling to see a dose of Australia on French television on 20 Heures, the daily news/current affairs program which filmed a segment on The Ghan trip to Alice Springs. The program goes to...
View ArticleA Cauldron of Emotion in Jill’s Poems
Sometimes it takes serendipity to reach out to strangers and decide on the spur of the moment to meet them at a local coffee shop to learn something of another woman’s difficult life. Such is the story...
View ArticleFather’s Day family fun
Fathers Day is a continuum of family fun from lunch in father Frank’s nursing home to watching entranced as Scarlett took her first three steps. This big step forward for a 13-month-old was a...
View ArticleParis Pockets Packed with History
In his grand tome entitled Paris, Edward Rutherfurd describes the site on the Left Bank where the Romans established their town, named Lutetia, as ”a low, flat hillock, like a table overlooking the...
View ArticleFrail Frank soldiers on at 95 years.
My frail father, Frank, turns 95 today and my sister Anne and I are with him as he shuffles on his walking frame to Kafe Schulz, the restaurant in his nursing home where we will buy him a chocolate...
View ArticleJoy of Life “quotidien”
I am trying hard to nudge out grief from my mind by paying attention to the joy of life around me. There is delight simply by walking down my street with Oscar on his lead sniffing at every blade of...
View Article“Flamby’s Angels” or “Hell’s Angels”
Here is a gem of a photograph from France which reflects the sexual politics of the moment. However, has anyone ever seen French president Francois Hollande smile? Must be heavily photoshopped because...
View ArticlePoverty, violence worsens for world’s women
On International Women’s Day we could be complacent and think upon the amazing advances made by women into powerful leadership roles in the world today. Particularly here in Australia, we have had the...
View ArticleA beautiful big baby boy is born – Zachary
Our family has welcomed a big, beautiful baby boy following the safe delivery of Zachary Graham Williams, first son – and second child – of my son Tyson and his wife, Vanessa in Melbourne over the...
View ArticleBeautiful baby Zachary brings blessings
April has been a month of high excitement. Baby Zachary Graham Williams, born the first week, presented as my fifth grand-child, a big baby boy weighing 4.12 kilograms and 51 centimetres long. A fine...
View ArticleHollande’s private life pales his presidency
There’s always something happening with ‘sex’ and the French! And presently, French president, Francois Hollande is the star act. He continues to court emotional and political disaster because of his...
View ArticleSome Days Are Diamonds for Sisters
My sister Anne has a crammed life, but today we shared some incredibly uplifting sisterly events. On the eve of Mothers Day, we bought chrysanthemums from a road stall and visited our mother, Florrie’s...
View ArticleWorld-famous women must inspire teens
News about three outstanding women of the world today deserve attention as female role models – Hilary Clinton, Dr Catherine Hamlin and world renowned primate expert and conservationist, Dame Jane...
View ArticleSecurity skipped in scramble to leave Paris
My dear French friend, Dominique Bievre, who lives in Valance, France recently visited Paris and then got caught in the crippling SNCF rail transport strike. As soon as he arrived home, he sent this...
View ArticleHicks gives goss on Hollywood stars
Oscar-winning Welsh actor, Anthony Hopkins can be “really stroppy’’, Clive Owen brings “a laugh onto the movie set’’, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is “so unpretentious’’, says renowned Australian film...
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