Have you ever lost yourself in some kind of activity and wondered where the time went? You say, “oh my gosh, the time flew by, I have no idea where it went!” Toseland recently created an emoji to represent himself. It’s an old man. I suggested that he wasn’t that old, and he should consider […]
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5 Tips for Updating Your Home Without Updating It
In April, I mentioned we had started a list of renovations for updating our home. I had even gone as far as short listing some builders to do the work. And then in May, I mentioned the shortage of building and therefore the hight cost of building supplies, and my intention to focus on home […]
Tell your fear “Silenzio Bruno!”
I recently watched Luca, a Disney movie about two young sea monsters meeting humans in search of a Vespa. Among other things, Alberto (one of the monsters) tells Luca (the other monster) that the voice of his fear belongs to someone called Bruno. His role is to stop him doing anything interesting. That when he’s […]
Liquidambar Leaves Falling
This time of year, liquidambar leaves are falling, though I only just noticed them. I mentioned before, that we take Pretty Girl to the local park every day. With the recent lockdown over, the streets are starting to get back to normal, seeing more cars, and dogs and people. It’s still mostly peaceful though the […]
NBN Outage
Over the last few days we’ve seen been severe storms across Vicoria. Some people have been warned not to expect the power back on until June 17th. There’s been trees down and widespread flooding. And if that’s not bad enough, we’ve been warned the storms are doubling back on themselves. We’ve been fortunate; we had […]
May 2021 Progress Report
May 2021 turns out to be the month I broke, and then got my shit back together again. Struggling with bronchitis, but making progress. It feels bloody good to get back to living again. So it’s just as well I have stuff to do, and heaps of energy to spend on it! Virtue Apr May […]
Silent Walk in the Park
We take Pretty Girl to the park every day. We get up early, because she’s still young and active – if I want a quiet day to get things done, it’s what I have to do. Usually we see cars and people. But more recently, it’s been a silent walk in the park. Only the […]
Dating Spending Plan
I heard on the news the other morning that the divorce rate in Australia (and presumably other contries) has skyrocketed. The going theory is that we’ve spent so much time in lockdown together, without the distractions of other people, that we’ve realised that we don’t in fact like each other very much at all. Which […]
Cracking the Code: a common or garden variety hero short story
Sometimes you get a second chance. A woman is missing. Perhaps injured. Maybe dead. The Police failed her. Gemma Jones failed her. Now she has a second chance. Can Gemma find her in time? “Cracking the Code” by Alexandria Blaelock, is free on this website for a month. Currently only available as part of Common […]
The Nature of Pleasure
I recently read an article that suggested stoke survivors have a decreased ability to experience pleasure. As do those with depression, traumatic injuries, and chronic stress. So it made me wonder about the nature of pleasure. The Cambridge Dictionary, is next to no help on pleasure; it’s 1. enjoyment, happiness, or satisfaction, or something that […]
April 2021 Progress Report
April 2021 pretty much followed on from where March left off, and I ended the month still tired and needing some rest. I started with a flu jab and a tetanus jab on the 1st (did you know you should be getting boosters every ten years?) And then on the 11th I got my first […]
The Miracle of Rain
The miracle of rain is that it happens at all – drinking water just falls from the sky. It supports all life on this planet, and literally falls fall from the sky! That’s amazing. Yeah, I know it’s all down to evaporation and condensation, but even that’s pretty incredible. (sorry to get all sciency) The […]
I’m not feeling well…
Taking some time away as I’m not feeling well. Back when I feel better. This photo of me and Pretty Girl by DB. For more Haiku, click here.
The Day the Schedule Broke: A Short Story
Take an ordinary moment. Add golden light and dramatic music. Now you’ve got a movie. Sandra (not Sandy, Sands or Sando) Lockwood works in a basement storage cupboard come office. That just self-destructed. Now she has Daniel Carruthers, movie star and Gorgon Studios CEO to deal with. Is it possible she’s in the right place […]
Forgetting and Remembering
I find I’m forgetting a lot lately. And I’ve been thinking a lot about how to expand my memory, in part to recapture some of what I lost after the stroke. A couple of years ago, when I had a reliable memory, I wrote about Remembering and Forgetting; the difference between intending to remember, and […]
2021 Q1 Review
Before we get to the Q1 2021 review, let’s take a quick look back at the planning. Planning 2021 So. According to my random, and tongue in cheek horoscope selections, 2021 is going to feature the clash of innovation and tradition. Here in Australia, politically, that’s certainly been the case, but no early Probyn style […]
March 2021 Progress Report
Spent most of March 2021 feeling exhausted and napping. I am one of those people tend to sleep when times get tough, so I’m starting to feel the pandemic is finally getting to me. Pretty Girl does contribute to my sense of exhaustion, but at the same time, she forces me to keep going. And […]
Puppy has Sharp Teeth
It’s hardly groundbreaking news for anyone who owns a puppy (or is owned by one), but they have sharp teeth. They chew rocks, and twigs, and the skulls of things they dig up in the garden. Their beds and blankets. Empty packets and bottles they find in the recycling bin. And those sharp teeth work […]
Decisions Big and Small
Lately, I’ve been finding that I’m wiped out by about lunchtime. Sometimes I get as far as mid-afternoon. I put it down to all the decisions I’m making. It’s like all the small decisions take just as much brain space as the big. I start out fine, but as the day goes on, I get […]
2021 Winter Wardrobe Plan
Maybe it’s just me and the kidney failure induced anaemia, but I’ve been freezing for what seems like ever. And therefore, thinking about lots of warm layers for my 2021 Signature Wardrobe Winter Plan. 2021 Winter Wardrobe Plan As I mentioned during my 2020 Summer planning, I had a stroke last year, and now I […]
It’s Not All Just Dumb Luck
I admit it. In fact, I proudly declare it. I am a “bleeding heart liberal.” It’s probably because I grew up poor. The seemingly dumb luck of it. I mentioned in the dedication to Holistic Personal Finance that my mother saved the one and two cent pieces for herself. She saved the 5c for me. […]
The Ghost Detectors: A Hayward Hall Short Story
Zoo doesn’t believe in ghosts… Zoo hosts The Ghost Detectors show. As far as he’s concerned, it’s all mass hysteria. When his show visits Hayward Hall, he’s not prepared for what he finds. It will challenge his assumptions. And change his life forever. “The Ghost Detectors” by Alexandria Blaelock, is free on this website for […]
2020 Signature Wardrobe Summer Update
Before I get into the Summer Wardrobe Update, let’s recape My 2020 Summer Plan. Which was basically to get a bunch of black clothes. And this was to help with the stroke recovery by reducing the visual distractions my coloured clothes became. I needed the confidence boost of the style and quality I prefer (as […]
February 2021 Progress Report
February 2021 was mostly devoted to settling the new addition to our family in. There was a lot of dog proofing, though we found out fairly quickly it was mostly inadequate, so we now have boxes stacked above puppy height with all the portable things. Virtue Jan Feb Notes Beauty: bodyI enjoy exercising my lean, […]
Read an Ebook Week: 7 – 13 March 2021
It’s Read an Ebook Week (7 – 13 March 2021), and Smashwords is having a sale to celebrate! Smashwords ebooks are discounted as much as 100% off. ALL my books and short stories are 50% off, so get in while you can.