RULES for the SWIM MUM Nobody expects to be a swim mum. We hear that swimming opens up a child’s lungs and all this water-safety-for-children lures us in. Next thing, it’s squad training three times a week, and before you know it, we are up way before 4am every morning for the swim run, waiting two hours, then rushing home – only to repeat in the late afternoon. We … [Read more...]
Days of our Lives
This is possibly the scariest time of my life. My dad is back in hospital, where he has been on and off for over a year now, and he describes himself as being on the pointy end of life. My mum is lonely and isolated in the north of Scotland due to circumstances. And my teenage sons are becoming increasingly independent and in 18 months, the eldest will be driving so they will … [Read more...]
Brain Gone Missing
Sometimes I wonder if my wandering mind has gone more wayward than normal – but I have no doubt it is making it even more difficult to be me. A few months back, I hauled my children out for a day watching a free music festival in the park. Wearing out picnic best and armed with deck chairs and cooler bag, we schlepped down to the venue – only to find it was in fact taking … [Read more...]
Life, Death and the grey in between
A 104-year old Aussie scientist committed suicide because he felt he was too old and didn’t want to live anymore. He had no serious illness, there were clips of him walking and singing, eating cake, drinking champagne and hanging out with his family. Yet he was allowed to kill himself in Switzerland because he was tired of life and wanted to die. What I think he needed was … [Read more...]
Road-tripping and camping with Team Z in 2016
Every school holiday, the boys and I grab our wire baskets of camping gear, chuck them on the back of the car with our clothes, hitch up the trailer and head off somewhere. Often, we have no idea where we are going as we seldom research properly – but it’s always an adventure. Easter saw us in Valla Beach, outside Coffs Harbour between the Gold Coast and Sydney. Valla Beach … [Read more...]