Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to my mum, Nanette. Born a country girl, in a border town, with thick and curly hair, she earned herself a scholarship and found her dramatic flair. Her job in advertising took her interstate where she met a certain guy… …they decided to exchange their vows beneath a sweltering Brisbane sky. They…

A Star is Born

A Star is Born. Well, that is a catchy blog post title if ever I saw one. Actually the star to whom I refer was born 20 years ago, and has been shining ever since. This is my daughter, Georgia Belle, and I’m writing this post to alert the world (or anyone who might stumble…

Favourite Song Friday – The Snowman

It is Christmas time and whilst I have never been a lover of many of the traditions surrounding this feast that are associated with a cold climate, e.g. plum pudding, mince tarts, eggnog and hot roast dinners on a sweltering summer day (in Australia), there are some things I do love and one of them…

Favourite Song Friday – Cat

I love, love, love this song and I always have.  It is my favourite song for everyday, not just a  Friday – Remember the Days of the Old Schoolyard by Cat Stevens. The artist ‘formerly known as’ Cat Stevens – now Yusuf Islam – (born Steven Demetre Georgiou) has often generated controversy with his religious…

Pirates, fact and fiction

International Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19th. I wrote a post about real pirates a few years ago after sailing through the Gulf of Aden, famous for the Somali pirates who frequent those waters. But most people are familiar with pirates through children’s books or movies, so here a few pretty images from…

Friendship

Friends are priceless.

Travel theme: Sport

This week’s topic from Where’s My Backpack blog – Travel theme: Sport Travelling isn’t always as easy as it should be on holiday and some of what you experience (or endure) can feel like you are participating in an olympic sport. First, you must get your bags to the airport or cruise terminal. This involves…

I left my child in New York city (part 3)

Every parent tries to do their best when raising their children, from the very first night they are brought home from the hospital right through all those school years and into young adulthood. Depositing them in a strange country, over sixteen thousand kilometres away (or just over ten thousand miles) may seem akin to throwing…

I Left My Child in New York City (part 2)

After several earlier inadvertent attempts at abandoning my daughter in the Big Apple, this year I nailed it and finally left my child in New York city. As she is a budding actress, it wasn’t too difficult to lure her back to New York –  the mecca of acting – where she was accepted into…

I Left My Child in New York City (part 1)

There is a delightful and wistful old song called “I left my heart in San Francisco” that many of you may remember.  It highlights the joys of San Francisco in contrast to other cities.  Included in those lyrics are these: I’ve been terribly alone and forgotten in Manhattan These lyrics could have been penned by…