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When There’s No Tonic On Supermarket Shelves, You Know The Civilised World Has Gone Mad
Here in Australia, we are not in full lockdown yet, but the system is already broken. A couple of days into any sort of meaningful distancing rules and not a drop of tonic water is to be found on supermarket shelves. Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash I’m not certain where it all went wrong,…
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9 Innovative Games To Help You Pass The Time During Self-Isolation
Isn’t it funny how swiftly the things you once dreamed about can turn to disappointment? Not that I’ve ever dreamed of spending more time (than I have to) with the old man, but surely I can’t be the only one who used to fantasise about having more time to write, more time to watch back-to-back…
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Educate your parents about COVID-19 – They may be stubborn old fools, but they’re stubbo
It’s been pretty appalling to hear the way some people dismiss the value of our elderly at the moment. This is what happens to equal rights in the face of a crisis. And while I understand the theory behind “survival of the fittest”, I’ll be the first to admit that it never crossed my mind…
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Middle Age: Time To Stop Worrying About Our Bodies And Start Focusing On Our Brains
I’ve had a mixed reaction in my circle about my decision to shed a few kilos. There are those friends who have been supportive – in that they understand the need to manage my weight gain through menopause, if possible. Then there is the other “life’s too short to be miserable” camp, who don’t believe…
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How You Can Help Bridge The Gap Between Rich and Poor This Valentines Day
I hate to name-drop, but I found myself in the same breathing space as two former prime ministers a couple of days ago. The first was Malcolm Turnbull, one of the many speakers at the Side By Side conference run by the Wayside Chapel, who had been invited to discuss the crucial role of students…
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I’m An Empath, So Why Can’t I Cut Myself Some Slack?
I’ve been really grumpy over the past few weeks. I can tell I’ve not been my usual happy-go-lucky self because I’ve seen that fear in the old man’s eyes each time we pass each other, and he has been uncommonly brave and accused me of being “unreasonable” several times. Photo by Dale de Vera on Unsplash We’ve both…
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Losing Weight: Who Knew Salmon Was Such A Traitor?
I was listening to a podcast with Clare Bowditch on Conversations this morning (about her book Your Own Kind Of Girl) and it made me question exactly why I’ve started another diet. Like her, I came to the conclusion a while ago that weight is unimportant (as long as it is within a healthy range…
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It’s Never ‘Too Soon’ For Laughter In The Face Of Adversity
We’ve had the usual mix of experiences over Christmas. Some of them have been as gloriously perfect as the anticipation and some have been the inevitable shite sprinkled on the top. That’s life. That’s the reality of the season for most people. Photo from Louis Hansel on Unsplash.com But it’s safe to say the fires…
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20 Surprising Things I Am Thankful For This Year
Anger was the main topic of conversation during my last visit to my therapist for the year. Anger about stuff I can’t control, mainly, but also anger about the world stuff I talked about here in my last post, as well as some anger issues about the usual personal frustrations. Photo by Howard Riminton on…
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There is only one guarantee in life: Everything changes
Some people are resistant to change – particularly from middle age onwards – while others embrace it. Some of us want to cram as many crazy, new experiences into our twilight years, while others take comfort from what they know. Photo by Alexandra Ișvănescu on Unsplash On a personal level, I have always embraced change, which explains my…
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The Brain Fog Caused By Menopause
Increased forgetfulness or fogginess in the brain has to be one of the most debilitating symptoms of menopause, and it comes at a time when dementia is already a terrifying prospect, particularly for those who have lost parents or older relatives to the degenerative condition. Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash Two or three…
LOUISA SIMMONDS 