The Tote and men with hair - a night out with Bubblers
Bubblers are the most welcoming of people. Since I am new to this city of tram tracks and rightangled roads, having moved here from sweaty, shiny forehead Sydney, my favourite bubblers – Bellmusker, Lisa Jewell and the effervescent Gretchen – took me under their wing. Following a Vietnamese meal where I accidentally threatened to poison Lisa and admiring Bell’s beautiful dress f…
Coming home
I never thought I would actually get there. I always thought that going home was for other people.
But my time has come.
In exactly seven days I will be pulling my car up in front of a Victorian terrace house in the gorgeous suburb of Richmond, Melbourne. Inside my car will be a dog, a cat and a 12 year old girl, as well as me. I will be holding her hand as we make our way up the path, and fling …
Busting with pride
Today a not-so-little girl of mine became a Red Bubbler.
She is a mere 12 years-old and yes, I’m aware of the “must be over 16” rule but she’s been keen to show her art and I think she’s grown up enough to do it.
I promise this will be the one and only time I spruik my little one’s work.
Promise, cross my heart, etc.
When the ground moves, my bones shake
Several months ago I was approached by a friend and colleague to paint a picture. I laughed gently and said, “sure, I can give it a go…” in a jokey sort of way. I’m no portrait painter, and I thought this suggestion would simply go away on it’s own.
It didn’t.
My colleague turned up with a photo in a frame – her father. A hunting portrait. A nuggety man, …
Breaking Through
This year is the year of discovery and release. It has been a long time coming, but a return to Europe during their summer has helped me finally let go of old patterns and start to create something new. Many years ago I lived on this side of the world. A lifetime ago I soaked up the soft summer light with the nodding hollyhocks, I sweated on underground trains and strode through streets lined wit…
CV
I was recently asked to write a CV. So I thought quite a lot about it. I have written quite a few in my time, and they are always crafted words – knotted neatly with crochet hooks. This time I decided it was about time to get serious about it, and really write my curriculum vitae.
2009 till now – The Sleeping Life
Group Manager
My day-to-day job is to run and manage a public relations agency.…
I broke someone's heart
Nothing more than that to say. It speaks reams on its own.
Tonight I saw a shadow
Tonight I saw a shadow. It was inside the flames that leapt from the roof of a burning car. The world was silent around it, and I thought that this was odd. Where there are flames and cars there should be sirens and screaming. But there was not.
Why is there a fire on the highway? I wondered. My brain did a slow ticking motion and I seemed to have time to swallow and lick my lips between each wor…
I'm breathing rain soaked eucalypt
I’m breathing rain soaked eucalypt. The rocks out the front are groaning from the surge of water, and I can almost feel them settle again into their grudging silences. They remind me of office workers in reasonably good suits, caught out in the rain and running for cover. These rocks raise their shoulders like the office workers do; ducking their heads in a vain attempt to avoid the downpour. But…