Confessions of a Free Range Prolapsed Catholic

Newcastle Baths – Heritage and Heart I learnt to swim here. One of my dad’s earliest slides ( not print) was of me in a bubble fabric cotton “bather” ( we called them swimmers or togs). I had mastered the art of floating on my back on the ramp that was the entrance to the…

Are you kidding? Thing is, I need sleep! There is something about surrender and trust that invites me to sleep. My days are not frantically filled with things like routine. My life is boring, calming, challenging, sad, humbling, affirming and life giving. I invite sleep at the end of the day, or the gift of…

Called me home! It was January 2001. I drove my new car 1,079.9 k from my home. I travelled alone. The middle of summer. The little town I stayed in was Foster and the gorgeous little cabin was called Wattle Cottage. I’d been told to check out Fish Creek because the hotel was huge with…

Answering with a question. Would I pay anything to come back?

What major historical events do you remember? I was at teachers college. Black and white tv only. Perched on the verandah of the crowded lecture room….. “one small step…..” etc. my Dad was a newspaper editor. He managed to get some brilliant NASA photos which have resided on a shelf in the room I am…

What are you most proud of in your life? I had no idea of who or what I was when I was married at 19. Now I’m heading towards 75. Most proud of? Our children and theirs. Good people. Not perfect. Who is? Hope filled people. Independent people. Resilient, tested people. Kahlil Gibran wrote ”…

What is your favorite hobby or pastime? I love to knit. I use cheap yarn. It washes without shrinking. I knit rugs on circular needles. Our pooch sleeps on or burrows down into a mountain of 8 ply on her bed. Try as I might, they never end up exactly square but a quick crocheted…

If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be? “Dickhead”. Why? There are so many of them in my past, my social media, my present. If they changed their focus, their attitude, sharing their political opinions when interacting with me, I would become a better person. To dream…