It's been a year like no other so far. From drought, to fires and extreme heat, to a global pandemic, it feels sometimes like Australia is working its way through the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Slowly Australia is reducing restrictions due to COVID-19, but for some it's too slow, and some it's too fast. … Continue reading Random Thoughts on Things
Football and COVID-19
Here is Australia, so far we've been incredibly fortunate in terms of coronavirus infection and mortality. Thankfully, our government instituted some fairly hard distancing measures soon enough with vigorous contact tracing and quarantining. We're also a very large island, so we've been able to shut down our borders very effectively. This is a great site … Continue reading Football and COVID-19
#StandAtDawn
It's the 23rd of April, and I've just popped a couple of trays of Anzac Biscuits into the oven. On the 25th it's ANZAC Day. But for this one year, it'll be an Anzac Day like no other - except once, which was in 1918 during the Spanish Flu Pandemic. Anzac Day commemorates the first … Continue reading #StandAtDawn
Amethyst Pledge Now Available
Amethyst Pledge is now officially available for purchase. It's the first book in my new fantasy series. Like my previous science fiction trilogy, it's published by Hague Publishing. We launched Live on Facebook, as due to COVID-19, we were unable to have the launch we'd initially planned at Double Picc, one of our local cafes, … Continue reading Amethyst Pledge Now Available
Language Shifts in a Global Pandemic
I've been thinking about how our language has suddenly changed in the last few months. Not so much individual words, but how we put them together. As a writer, language always interests me, and sometimes the way we change things annoys me. As an Australian who is now in her fifties, I much prefer the … Continue reading Language Shifts in a Global Pandemic
The Perils of Social Media During a Pandemic
Social media and online connectedness is both a blessing and a curse at this time in history. It's a blessing in that I can video call my parents, who are in their 80s and 90s and are thousands of kilometres away. I can also keep in touch with our kids, who are also thousands of … Continue reading The Perils of Social Media During a Pandemic
Dog Walking and Peace
I've just walked our dogs. I decided to walk them around the middle of the day on the grounds that I wouldn't meet many people, therefore making physical distancing easier. I was correct about that. What I forgot, was that the forecast today was for 27 degrees C. (80.6F). Our doggies were very excited to … Continue reading Dog Walking and Peace
Bird TV
I sat outside today, and watched what we call 'Bird TV.' We have three indoor cats, and they all enjoy watching birds visit, have baths, and eat from seedblocks. We got into the habit of making sure there's always water and seed outside because of the drought. We've now had some rain, but sadly, not … Continue reading Bird TV
Book Launch
Amethyst Pledge is due for release on the 17th of April. I was going to have a lovely affair down at Double Picc, one of our local cafes where I often sit to write, involving coffee, snacks and book signings. This is looking incredibly unlikely right now. We're not 'locked down' as such (although I … Continue reading Book Launch
A Letter To Our City Brethren
This morning I had the weirdest shopping experience of my life. We were out of cat litter (we have three cats), and we needed both cat and dog (two dogs) food. Cat and dog spam below.... Boots Socks (Yes I know, but it wasn't deliberate.) Nosey Diva (small dog in big bed) and Jace (bigger … Continue reading A Letter To Our City Brethren
