The Annals of Annabelle

A First!

2010-09-23T12:07:00.003+09:30

Well, it's official. One of my short stories is to appear in print. I am thrilled and honoured to have been selected to be one of the authors in the forthcoming "New Australian Stories 2". It is an exciting achievement for me, and one that is inspiring me to forge onwards with renewed vigour in my writing endeavours.For further details, you can check out the Scribe Publishers website. http://

Happy Birthday David!

2010-06-05T13:03:00.004+09:30

Yesterday was David's birthday, which means he's a Gemini.Even though being a pragmatic soul I don’t place a lot of credence in astrology, my imaginative side finds it kind of intriguing. I’ll happily get excited about anything nice the stars say, and just as happily ignore anything nasty.So what about David? Well they say a lot of nice things about him, and I can vouch for them being true.

Dog Friends

2010-05-28T11:16:00.003+09:30

Blimey, she's finally posted something. Have been sooooo flat out with writing, work etc. But here's a nice pic of Fergus and Lottie (David's lovely Red Setter) coming home from the Million Paws Walk a couple of weeks ago. This is a great initiative put on by the RSPCA to raise funds for animals, and takes place nationally each year. The sight of hundreds of human and doggie feet tramping

Together we can make it

2010-02-07T15:24:00.003+10:30

This week saw the release of the much heralded Federal Treasurer's Intergenerational report 2010. One of the themes of the report is the challenges posed to this nation, as to many others, of an ageing population. Given the media reaction, one could be forgiven for thinking the older generation is dragging the country to its knees. At the well worn feet of our senior citizens has been laid the

The Power of Positive Thinking ??

2010-01-23T17:58:00.012+10:30

Having been an unquestioning subscriber to the PPT theory for as long as I've understood what it was, I was intrigued to read an article in last weekend's "Weekend Australian Magazine" written by a breast cancer victim, who had an interesting take on the ubiquitous "smile though your heart is breaking" school of thought.Barbara Ehrenreich has recently written a book entitled "Smile or Die: How

Welcome to a Tiger of a Year

2010-01-01T16:51:00.004+10:30

Well here we are, having survived the noughties and moving inexorably into the .... what ... teenies? Teenie naughties of course brings other thoughts to mind, but my philosophy has always been, if you're going to be naughty, make it a biggie! The old year was certainly a biggie for many people, in good as well as bad ways, although sadly we always hear more about, or rather get beaten about the

Doing the dog paddle

2009-12-26T16:19:00.008+10:30

A dog in a life jacket .... whaaaaaat!!! I hear you say. Like most people I have been under the mistaken impression that dogs are born with innate Ian Thorpe like tendencies, i.e. all you need do is point them towards the sea, or chuck 'em into the nearest creek, lake, dam, or whatever and off they'll paddle like the proverbial ducks, not a care in the world, budgie smugglers not required, let

A Little Dog

2009-11-14T12:45:00.006+10:30

Yesterday I sadly had to say goodbye to my dear little dog Scully. As I wrote in a post a while ago, she started having seizures a few months ago, for unknown reasons. Since then she has been taking barbiturate medication to prevent them, which worked until a couple of weeks ago when she had another couple of seizures. These events, as anyone who has ever witnessed them would know, are extremely

Happy birthday Andrea!

2009-11-03T18:56:00.005+10:30

Thirty-five years is a long time to have a friend. They have to be pretty good to last that distance and my dear friend Andrea certainly fits that category.We first met because she was a close friend of my boyfriend, at the time, and had come back to Adelaide for a flying visit from a sojourn in France. Fortunately (for me) she didn't stay in France and even though the boyfriend of the time and I

Women Writers

2009-11-01T13:03:00.011+10:30

I was in the library the other day looking for a particular book which I found, but then I noticed, sitting on the shelf near it, the book "At Eighty Two: A Journal" by May Sarton http://great-writers.suite101.com/article.cfm/may_sarton_biography.When my second marriage ended and I moved into a tiny cottage on my own, I felt very alone. Returning to the single life after seven or so years of

A Literary Lunch

2009-10-05T10:58:00.012+10:30

A few weeks ago I attended the Salisbury Writers' Festival at which one of the speakers was Olive Senior, a Jamaican born woman, former journalist and historian, and now successful publisher of fiction and poetry http://core.ecu.edu/engl/deenas/caribbean/senior.htm. She was a fascinating and inspirational speaker and during the break, my friend Nina (who had accompanied me to the festival) and I

No Woman is an Island Either

2009-09-07T12:23:00.005+09:30

Apologies for the length of this post. It's an article I've written for submission but thought it would make a good blog post as well. I’ve been single and I’ve been coupled. Both states have their pros and cons of course and the characteristic perversity of human nature usually ensures that when we’ve been in one for a while we start to wish we were in the other. However I’ve been without a

A Watch Dog's Work is Never Done

2009-08-15T17:10:00.002+09:30

Here is Fergus taking a breather from his watch dog duties. The mad koala took his leave of us a couple of days ago and will not be missed. Although the coast appears to be clear, the wise Fergus knows one can never be too careful and has been patrolling the grounds with commendable zeal ever since. Too much zeal perhaps as one of the after effects of the koala capers is that once night

Kenny K rides again

2009-08-10T13:47:00.007+09:30

Just when we thought it was safe to expect a night's sleep uninterrupted by close encounters of the animal kind, Kenny K decided to drop by again. Hell hath no fury like a koala given the cold shoulder and this time he decided to give us that message personally.The happy trio were peacefully slumbering en famille last night. Me snoring faintly and doubtless dribbling, Scully snoring loudly in her

Another brush with an Australian fauna icon

2009-08-07T15:26:00.002+09:30

I’m moving – somewhere – anywhere where the innocent populace is not plagued by rampant marsupials running amok.First it was Skippy the kangaroo or one of his relatives, blundering into my car and causing one hell of a mess. Now it’s Kenny the Koala decorating my backyard with the fruits of what must have been a veritable orgy of pooping, and then to add insult to injury rudely awakening me from

Kangaroos and Cars don't Mix

2009-07-24T11:42:00.009+09:30

This is the story of something that happened to me a couple of months ago. I had lunch yesterday with Mme Benaut, dear friend and inspirational blogger, and she suggested I should recount this for the edification of others. And to serve as a cautionary tale.It was, as they say in the classics, a dark and stormy night. In fact it was the night before I was to leave for a weekend in Sydney to

Nieces

2009-07-19T15:11:00.007+09:30

On Friday my sister Rosemary and I had a girls' lunch with my two nieces, Renee and Melissa, ostensibly for Renee's birthday but also just to get together, the four of us, for a gossip and a catch up. We do this all too rarely and it was great fun. Both girls have grown up into lovely young women and although they're both currently single, I'm sure some lucky bloke will be smart enough to snap

To Plot or Not

2009-07-12T16:37:00.004+09:30

I've recently been reading quite a few books on writing by writers of varying degrees of accomplishment. These are not so much "how to" books as advice from those who may be expected to know, in so far as they have had books published. As an aspiring writer, I am eager for all the advice I can get, although as with any field of learning you must take some and leave some. There is a common theme

Dodgy (and other) gates

2009-06-28T11:36:00.006+09:30

It seems Marty and Mal haven't learnt anything from the fate of the quintessential Artful Dodger*, immortalised by Dickens in the following description:He was a snub-nosed, flat-browed, common-faced boy enough; and as dirty a juvenile as one would wish to see; but he had about him all the airs and manners of a man. He was short of his age: with rather bow-legs, and little, sharp, ugly eyes. .....

Life is a Picture

2009-06-20T17:56:00.004+09:30

In my quest to become a writer, I attended a writing workshop last weekend at the SA Writer's Centre. It was entitled "Writing from the Inside Out". Although only three hours in duration, it was a very rewarding experience. As it was a practical workshop, we got to write (what else!) and read the fruits of our labours to the class. Although potentially exposing one's vulnerabilities, this is an

Sisterhood

2009-06-14T16:51:00.005+09:30

In thinking over the past week which has been quite a stressful one for me with Scully's problems, I felt so grateful for having a sister who is always a rock of strength and support whenever life gets a bit difficult for me. I haven't written anything previously about my dear sister, Rosemary but I would like her to know she is loved and very precious to me.We are different in many ways, however

A little girl in trouble

2009-06-07T13:54:00.004+09:30

My little dog Scully has had some very worrying health problems just recently. She has suffered several convulsive attacks, which although fortunately short lived are alarming and distressing, both to her and to me. She has been thoroughly examined by the vet and had a full set of blood tests done. There don't at this stage appear to be any specific causes for the seizures and she doesn't have

Decision Time

2009-05-31T16:40:00.004+09:30

As someone who is always rushing into a discussion saying "life is short", "seize the day", "you can't take it with you" and so on ad nauseum, I have been strangely reluctant to follow my own advice. However after a week that began with a severe, verging on terminal,case of Monday-itis, which hadn't really improved by Friday, I have decided to do something about the ho-hum nature of my current

Ecology can be a health hazard

2009-05-17T12:11:00.003+09:30

There I was yesterday staggering to support the weight of my vibrantly hued ecologically aware cloth shopping bags filled to the brim with the fruits of the supermarket, when two things happened.First, I remembered when long ago at the very beginning of the enviro-bag revolution, I used to scoff at the greenies who would turn up at the supermarket each week religiously spurning the plastic bags

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T11:34:00.004+09:30

Happy Mother's Day to all us mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law or whatever other title we bear that entitles us to be specially acknowledged today. Today has evolved in an interesting way. Originally it was "Mid Lent Sunday" or "Refreshment Sunday" (because the rules for Lent were relaxed to commemorate the biblical story, the "Feeding of the Five Thousand"). Pity the poor mother

Happy birthday Nina!

2009-05-04T14:22:00.006+09:30

My dear friend Nina turned 60 on Saturday, not that you would ever think so from looking at her! Always the soul of elegance, she looked even more gorgeous than usual! We had a wonderful celebration to mark the occasion - not just a great night out, but a great weekend as Nina's lovely daughter Melisha (in the photo below) decided her mother deserved a very special event and arranged a cruise on

Lest we Forget

2009-04-26T11:27:00.013+09:30

The scale of the homage this country pays to its men and women who served in times of war is deservedly huge and seems to grow with each successive Anzac Day commemoration. It is a very public tribute, but made up of millions of personal stories. There would probably be few Australian families who do not have a link in some way to a relative who served in one or another of our wars, in particular

Moon fish with candied olive crumbs anyone?

2009-04-19T16:08:00.004+09:30

I've just finished reading the new foodie supplement in the Weekend Australian, claimed to be the take on the "essential Australian eating and drinking experience" by those in the know, that is those at the cutting edge of the gastronomic coming of age of the Australian eating out experience. I know we had a lot to learn, starting as we did with our closest things to multicultural cuisine being

Dog Rage and other things

2009-04-13T11:53:00.004+09:30

I was going to write something here about the quiet Easter I've had and how much I enjoyed the opportunity and time to reflect, contemplate, and complete a few undemanding activities without the constant intrusion of obligations, commitments and externally imposed timetables. It can of course be great fun to take a trip at this time of year, as the weather is usually good and it's often the last

Body / Brain Interaction

2009-04-05T15:07:00.004+09:30

Having reaped the benefits of a year of pretty regular exercise now, in terms of being a lot slimmer and fitter, I am enthused about the idea of keeping on with it. As I might have mentioned on my blog a while ago, I joined up with Healthy Inspirations - a place devoted to "reshaping" women, not only bodily but also in terms of reshaping their ideas about healthy nutrition and the very real

Oh where did I go wrong?

2009-03-29T16:14:00.004+10:30

"Why he didn’t call you back" / "He’s just not that into you"/ "You lost him at hello" .........The above are just three titles of a growing genre of “self help” literature aimed squarely (but not fairly) at single women. On the assumption, presumably, that they are hapless lost souls searching in vain in the mysterious world of dating for a bloke to fancy them. The second simplistic and

Autumn

2009-03-21T15:07:00.007+10:30

It's officially autumn here in Adelaide, although today is uncharacteristically hot and humid. Earlier in the week though the weather was decidedly autumnal with a distinct and welcome chill in the air in the early morning and once dusk fell. I think this is my favourite season of the year as after the ferocious heat, blazing sun, dust and dryness of a South Australian summer, coolness brings

Happy Endings

2009-03-15T12:17:00.004+10:30

Maybe I am becoming an old cynic, but much as the world might be easier if there were more happy endings, life is rarely an experience that brings neat, tidy and prettily parcelled up finales. Such is not the case though in certain types of fiction. I recently read (or I should say listened to, as it was an audio book) a Danielle Steel novel. The reason I did so, was its title, which was "The

Learning to Walk

2009-03-09T13:05:00.003+10:30

As a voracious reader, I sometimes wonder if I live vicariously through other people’s lives and to some extent that is true. Perhaps though it’s not a bad thing, if in doing so I can understand my own life better. That happens when I find a writer with whom I feel an instant and instinctive empathy. The great gift to me of such a writer, is their skill at articulating feelings and ideas I

The cutest of critters

2009-02-26T13:18:00.009+10:30

Taronga Zoo in Sydney now boasts two extremely cute baby meerkats – Zanzibar and Nairobi, (the two tiny ones just above) born in January, bringing the zoo’s meerkat family to a total of nine. I have always been fascinated by these little creatures, with their quirkily alert little faces and upright almost human stance. They are said to be quite precocious, intelligent and social animals.

Caring for our Furry Loved Ones

2009-02-20T11:55:00.005+10:30

As I've mentioned before, but it bears repeating, my little dogs are a constant source of delight, comfort and love and my life would be pretty desolate without them. Their uncomplicated sweet natured selves provide a solace amidst the maelstrom of a world lurching from one senseless disaster to the next. They are a breath of calm at the centre of my often pointlessly frantic existence. Unlike

On Writing

2009-02-15T15:53:00.004+10:30

Following on from a recent post and wondering how one attempts to give some authenticity to my boldly stated ambition to be a "writer", I have been considering for a while how the link between reading and writing can be put to practical use. Aside from the obvious interdependence between the two functions, it seems reasonable to assume that reading could significantly enhance one’s ability to

Scenes from the inferno

2009-02-09T12:22:00.002+10:30

It is only now, two days after the event, that estimates of damages, lives and properties lost in what has been officially called the worst fires in Australia's history can be made with any precision. Although, as firefighters are still searching for bodies in the burn out remains of homes and vehicles, the death count, already estimated at up to 100, is likely to escalate. The sheer horror

I hate Valentine's Day

2009-02-04T13:49:00.004+10:30

Yes I know it's a week or so away, but I just saw an article about how to look your best for Valentine's Day and it reminded me of this impending assault on our fragile sense of emotional equilibrium (or mine anyway) not to mention our wallets if we happen to have a partner who needs a reminder of our devotion to them.Now this cynical attitude could be construed as a case of sour grapes on my

Of horses and ballet dancers and books

2009-01-31T15:41:00.013+10:30

Having already confessed to my bookaholism, which if anything is escalating rather than the reverse, I must now confess to a desire to complicate my obsession with reading books, by trying to write one. Rather than an indication of latent literary talent finally emerging after a long gestation, this is more likely one of those predictable age related yearnings, sort of like the desire to have a

The Love Rat

2009-01-24T15:26:00.004+10:30

Or why men who can't keep it in their jeans may now be able to blame their genes!Recent medical research has discovered that men who have trouble being monogamous may be the inheritors of a particular genetic variant which has an effect on “an important attachment hormone”. Findings indicate such men are more likely to stray, tend to have difficulties with commitment and experience more marital

An older lady has a birthday!

2009-01-17T15:58:00.004+10:30

This week was little Scully's 12th birthday, so in doggie years she is becoming an older lady. Despite what can only be described as rather a matronly figure, she is doing very well for her age. And matronly with good reason of course, having been the mother of around 5 litters of puppies in her time, some champions of the show-ring among them too I believe. Not the least of her prize offspring

Commodifying Cupid (or how I've learned to hate online dating)

2009-01-10T16:49:00.006+10:30

Reckless as it can sometimes be to make "never again" statements, I am vowing "never again" (for now at least) to online dating. After lots of reflection, I've concluded it is a process that is fundamentally flawed. Flawed that is, if one uses it like I've done to try and make contact with a likely person of the opposite sex, with the aim of establishing a committed, mutually agreeable and

A little holiday project

2009-01-04T11:36:00.009+10:30

Having declared no New Year resolutions, I have at least set a goal (which sounds more personal growth-ish I think) which is to do more blogging ... I know at least one or two of my friends read it occasionally which is enough to keep the muse alive and kicking and there's nothing more disheartening I know than logging on to something (like your personal emails) and finding zilch - not even a

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

2008-12-31T15:27:00.004+10:30

Now's the time for getting well and truly into excessive consumption mode ( just in case we were at all restrained over Christmas), as we say farewell to the old year and face the new one with hopefully not misplaced optimism. For those of us who decide to party, as the clock strikes midnight, no doubt we'll be lifting our voices in song in yet another boozy rendition of Auld Lang Syne - a nice

Footwear at the Cutting Edge

2008-12-02T10:50:00.004+10:30

Well I was wrong - not green moon boots after all but these fetching numbers nattily fitted with velcro straps for ease of slipping on and off. The physio who fitted me helpfully advised that the section over the instep is detachable and can be quickly removed when weather permits for a charmingly summery effect! I fear however greater exposure would only reveal more of the increasingly tattered

Bunions Be Gone

2008-11-13T12:51:00.004+10:30

( Pics are not of me obviously as I have yet to classify as "post-op"except in my fantasies plus mine are more wrinkly.)On Tuesday I say goodbye to the dreaded bunions at long last and very good riddance to the little buggers I say. My right foot especially has turned into a very poor apology for a foot (despite the red toenail polish which, although the orthopaedic surgeon rather fancied it,

Everyone's going OS (except me!)

2008-10-06T17:36:00.003+10:30

Just in the last few months there has been rather a constant stream of friends and workmates tripping off on overseas jaunts, and today my sister and her husband left for their long awaited trip. They have been furiously saving and planning for about two years so the level of excitement had about reached fever pitch by today. Here we are at the airport (my sister on far right, my two very tall

What to read???

2008-09-25T12:54:00.003+09:30

Fellow bookaholics can probably relate to the nagging sense of anxiety that I feel every time my pile of books to be read starts to dwindle and the prospect of having nothing to read starts to keep me awake at night ... another definition of insanity perhaps, considering that if I actually sat down and read all the unread books I've bought still lying around, it would probably take me at least

My dear friend Ginny

2008-09-06T15:22:00.005+09:30

I first met Ginny about 9 years ago when she was assigned as my "mentor" on my first day in my new job, and I couldn't have had a better one. She and I have subsequently become great friends and have shared some memorable times together. In one of these pictures we are at my 60th birthday party, with her gorgeous daughter Becky. She also came with me over to Geelong earlier this year when I

Un-Happy Feet

2008-08-30T12:03:00.003+09:30

It seems my devotion to my fitness regime has been sabotaged by my very un-happy feet. Perhaps it's just their way of saying "give us a break", but in recent times, it's been a litany of podiatric problems. First it was corns and calluses, then bunions which admittedly have been hanging around for a while but in recent times have swollen to undreamed of heights, then last weekend a chilblain on a

Teddies for the Bears

2008-08-30T10:11:00.003+09:30

One of my favourite animal welfare organisations, Animals Asia, as I have mentioned before desperately needs funds for helping the rescued bears in China and Vietnam. Abracadabra Teddies is currently running a special Big Summer Online Teddy Bear Auction until 31st August 2008, and all funds raised will go towards helping the bear rescue.My love of teddies goes back a long way. I clearly

A taste of spring

2008-08-26T18:20:00.007+09:30

Here in Adelaide we have had a couple of days of somewhat premature spring weather - given that spring officially begins on 1st September. We seem to have had a particularly long, cold winter so the warmth of the sun is very welcome. I occasionally escape to a nearby park at lunchtime to read or meditate or just enjoy the fresh air and commune with the ducks, who I must say are considerably

Dogs about the house

2008-08-17T15:35:00.005+09:30

As anyone who has dogs or for that matter cats, knows only too well, whenever you're engaged in doing something around the house, they have to be "involved". My domestic duties around the house are considerably lightened these days by being fortunate enough to have the lovely Maria who comes once a fortnight to keep order and restore cleanliness to grubbiness. However occasionally I have to get

Found ... and lost

2008-08-17T12:04:00.006+09:30

I haven't referred to my romantic quest for a while, the reason being I thought I'd found something that looked and felt so much like the real thing, I wanted it to have time and space in which to grow and blossom. My forays into the online dating world seemed to have finally borne fruit, in that a few weeks ago I met a man who was sweet, kind, caring, thoughtful and so drop dead gorgeous he made

9/11 - Lest we forget

2008-08-16T13:46:00.006+09:30

I was recently reminded of the horrific events of 9/11 by reading an account of Caroline Overington’s interview with the widow of one of the victims. Caroline Overington is a Walkley Award winning journalist and I have just finished reading her book “Only in New York: How I Took Manhattan (with the kids)”, a fascinating and humorous account of her experiences as a foreign correspondent who

Susan Jeffers

2008-08-10T10:39:00.004+09:30

I have always had an interest in the field of personal growth and have read a number of books over the years on how to understand ourselves and others better, how to deal with the difficulties life throws our way, how to establish and maintain better and more lasting relationships and many other aspects of life that sometimes seem really hard to grapple with alone. I do feel the insights offered

BEAR HUGS (ANIMALS ASIA'S 10th BIRTHDAY)

2008-08-08T14:52:00.005+09:30

The wonderful organisation, Animals Asia, which I submitted a post on recently (entitled "Caring for Bears"), is celebrating its 10th birthday this month. To recognise that event, and also to help raise additional funds for rebuilding the sanctuary in China which was seriously damaged in the recent earthquake in Sichuan province, Jill Robinson has come up with an innovative fundraising

No paradise for dogs

2008-08-06T16:52:00.007+09:30

Thailand, as I know from my own couple of trips there to visit my son Simon, is a beautiful place - some may say a paradise. The people are warm and friendly, the scenery is magnificent, the sense of history, culture and tradition is all pervasive. It is particularly shocking to see therefore in this beautiful land of gentle people the brutal treatment meted out to dogs. As any tourist will

Mamma Mia: the movie - Go See It!!

2008-07-31T15:32:00.005+09:30

As someone who is a total non-lover of musicals, I was a bit sceptical about this movie, even though I'm a dyed in the wool Abba fan from way back and not ashamed to admit it. (Although my Dancing Queen rendition leaves a bit to be desired these days, I still join in very lustily, if a touch desperately on "Gimme Gimme Gimme (a man after midnight)".However having seen MM the movie last weekend, I

The economics of love

2008-07-31T14:47:00.003+09:30

Economist Harry Clarke, in his very interesting blog on "economics, politics and other things" in a recent post referred to an article written by Ben Stein which was published in the July 13, 2008 edition of The New York Times. The article is entitled "Lessons in Love, by Way of Economics" and puts a rather interesting new perspective on relationships.Ben Stein's hypothesis is centred around the

The art of happiness

2008-07-29T12:14:00.004+09:30

Happiness (which I have sometimes seen as just an illusion dreamt up to make us think all this slogging away and muddling through has some purpose) is apparently a much more concrete entity than that, according to the latest psychological research. A founding researcher in the field of "positive psychology", Dr Martin

Mme B - my blogging inspiration

2008-07-23T12:09:00.003+09:30

I first became enthused about the idea of blogging, thanks to a tour Mme B kindly gave me of her lovely blog featuring photographs taken around her home and garden, birds, her cats and other delights of the natural world ( do have a visit if you haven't already). She and I have been friends for many years and share an enthusiasm for writing so it wasn't difficult to convince me to have a go. Mme

The great weight debate

2008-07-22T15:34:00.011+09:30

In acknowledgement of our nation's growing girth, the Federal Govt Health & Ageing Parliamentary Committee recently launched an inquiry into obesity. Obesity of course has been recognised as a major risk factor for conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, some cancers ... and the list goes on. Despite the wide dissemination of that knowledge in the community,

A sick boy

2008-07-19T15:40:00.003+09:30

Poor Fergus is feeling rather sorry for himself this weekend. He had to submit to a dental operation yesterday. As the result of an infected tooth, and a couple of other dubious ones, the vet recommended a thorough going over in the dental department. Not only did the tooth in question (a large canine) have to be extracted, but a couple of others as well. A typical male invalid I have to say -

Brotherly love

2008-07-15T12:35:00.007+09:30

Relationships between brothers and sisters have often been called life's most influential and longest lasting relationships - lasting longer than ties to parents, spouses, or children (Bank & Kahn, 1997). As such they can certainly teach us a lot about ourselves.This past weekend I spent some time with my brother, just he and I, something we have rarely done through the course of our relationship

Caring for Bears

2008-07-11T10:19:00.009+09:30

Animals Asia I seem to have inherited my family trait of devotion to animals in spades. You only need to check out the number of dogs in attendance at our family gatherings (who usually outnumber the humans) to realise we're fanatical dog lovers. All very spoiled little pooches of course, I might add. However I believe it's important also, where we can, to try and support those many animals who

More adventures in looking for luurve online

2008-07-09T12:28:00.004+09:30

A major area of debate with myself in the online dating venture has been deciding whether to show or not to show the photo. I am currently fearlessly exposed, so to speak as am conducting a sort of self-experiment to gauge whether or not my success rate zooms or plummets. Prior to this, suffice to say that most of my efforts (about which I remain extremely ambivalent) had met with resounding,

Music to quiet the soul

2008-07-05T16:55:00.003+09:30

I stumbled upon Levon Minassian, this sublime Armenian artist of the "doudouk" on a world music site called Calabash and fell instantly in love. The album I first heard was "Songs from a World Apart" - aptly titled, as his music literally does transport you to another world ... do have a listen.When I figure out how to put music on here, I'll try to put it up, in the meantime clicking on his

Bookaholics Anonymous

2008-07-05T15:08:00.005+09:30

Given my addiction to books, I was intrigued to note there is in fact such an entity as "BA", although currently no chapter exists in South Australia. Perhaps I should start one. However with the escalating popularity of Blogs on every conceivable subject, not surprisingly there is a multitude dedicated to books. So probably enough is enough. For those who are interested in checking out book

Lurve on the Internet

2008-07-03T14:09:00.002+09:30

Herein I must say a few words about my ongoing experiences with online dating. As my friends know, I have been single for quite a few years now since the demise of my second marriage.In the earlier years, well at least before I turned (gasp!) 60 (herinafter referred to as BITGS) this was purely a matter of choice, and there were in fact frequent brushes with romance, some lengthier than others. I

Love it!!!

2008-07-02T12:34:00.003+09:30

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt". Bertrand Russell .......... mmmm some examples just spring fully formed to mind don't they ???

Women in Politics

2008-07-01T14:59:00.002+09:30

Have just finished reading “Getting Even:– Women MPs on Life, Power and Politics” by Anne Henderson. For a political afficionado like me, makes fascinating reading. My interest in politics was initially sparked by several years as a political staffer, which led to a period of party membership, and has been reinforced by the completion of a degree in Politics last year. For any woman with

The joys of pets

2008-06-29T14:40:00.002+09:30

My pets are a prominent feature of my life, they being two Border Terriers, extremely cute and adorable (from a mother's highly prejudiced point of view). Many note that for people who live alone (as I do) pets provide a substitute for human company. I disagree. I find the company they provide is uniquely characteristic of their own particular doggie personalities, and possibly superior to the

Welcome to The Annals of Annabelle

2008-06-28T17:27:00.001+09:30

Wherein you may find absorbing information, amusing trivia, abstruse musings, aimless anecdotes, acerbic or possibly asinine observations (depending on her mood), assiduously researched and au courant political comments and all sorts of arbitrarily composed nonsense. Annabelle and her life are doubtless far more engaging to her, living at the centre of it as she is, than to observers, spectators