For a little while when I was at university, I made some pocket money doing nude modelling for art classes. It was a job, like any other and I was grateful to be part of so many artists’ learning. I’d arrive at the studio, head to the dressing room and take off my clothes, throw a…
Early birds vs night owls: why do owls bother larks so much?
My mate was over on the weekend and we really get each other. He’s a confused night owl just like me. “Why do early birds always assume I’m lazy?” he asked. Hot dang! I’ve been wondering that exact same thing. We both agreed that we are sick to death of the early risers assuming that…
Weekend Rewind | Drama, drama, drama
This week I had my integrity as a mother called into question. I see no other way to read the silly stitch-up that iMeanytown published after I said no to them republishing my post about yelling. I was so fucking angry I swore in international blogland. Whoops, I did it again. I welcome opinions that differ from my…
Slipping away on the technology slide
An unexpected, but entirely welcome, side effect of coming out as a ‘screen freedom’ parent is that I have become something of a sounding board for parents to air their grief about the impact technology has had on their lives. I do not use the word ‘grief’ lightly here, either. The sadness and hopelessness expressed in…
Judging others and how to stop
You know how we all judge but we know it’s wrong to judge so we all pretend we never judge? We say things like, “whatever works for that family” and “she’s doing what’s right for her” and “she’s living her own truth” and stuff like that? And then deep inside we’re actually saying, “OMG, what’s…
When are the adults going to grow up?
No one I know feels “grown up”. We’re all 30, 40, even 50 and we’re still waiting for the real grown ups to come along and sort us out. I can’t help but wonder if our generation’s weird fear of growing old has meant we don’t want to grow up either. Remember my mother’s wonderful…
Chintz and the art of grooming
I went into No Chintz this morning to check out their drawer knobs (as you do). It’s actually rare that I go into a physical shop these days, so enamoured am I with the online shopping choice and convenience. Even though I love him dearly, my postie hates me. It’s all those heavy parcels. Anyway,…
I’d rather be fat than nasty
Perhaps I’m fixated on it because it’s a topic very close to my heart, but the media seems rife lately with people thinking it’s okay to judge people for being fat. Joan Rivers mocking Adele, some poor kid’s mum having a passive-aggresive go, anytime anyone mentions Chrissie Swan. Why does what someone weighs bother people so darn…
I don’t like you, so why am I desperate for you to like me?
There is something that I had hoped that I would have grown out of by now. Actually, there are a lot of things that fit that category (drinking too much, not menu planning, giggling at farts), but for now, we’ll focus on the big one. My suckyupedness when I think someone doesn’t like me. I…
Sometimes I want to troll myself
You know how people receive those Anonymous comments from really sad people with nothing better to do but type vitriol into a comment box? I’m lucky enough to have avoided trollish commenters (saying that is surely asking for it?), but I see their demon droppings all over the blogiverse. Favourites that I have lately collected from random…