How to be eighty ⋆ by Maureen Helen

Songlines: The Power and Promise – a review

Songlines: The Power and Promise by Margo Neale and Lynne Kelly provides a compelling and in-depth discussion about part of the culture of Indigenous Australians.

The authors point to a way forward in which all Australians can benefit from an increased understanding of Indigenous culture. See below for more about the Margo Neale and Lynne Kelly.

Songlines are the means of storing and earning knowledges, ancient and modern. They are stories embodied in the land, sea and skies to be remembered and passed on through song, dance, art, ceremony and, most importantly, through attachment to Country.
From the back cover, Songlines: The Power and Promise

Confessions of a house cleaner tragic

A house cleaner tragic through and through, I’ve enjoyed cleaning my own house all my adult life. I find it meditative, creative and satisfying. But, at 80+ I finally decided to take the plunge and employ a cleaning firm that specialises in working in apartments.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth – a review

The Good Sister: Everyone has a Dark Side kept me turning the pages until way past my bedtime. The sixth book by best-selling Australian author Sally Hepworth, it boasts plenty of plot twists and big themes. Mystery and psychological intrigue abound as we learn about the family dramas that surround the sisters and their mother.

Hard lockdown mark II against COVID-19

Hard lockdown mark II in Western Australia pounced quickly. After ten months of no community transmission of COVID-19 and our ordinary lives, the edict came yesterday as a shock. Not that we should have been surprised. Mark McGowan, the State Premier, warned all along that, should there be a case of community spread of COVID-19, he would act swiftly.

Within minutes of the announcement, the sceptics and naysayers showed up in force on social media. But those in favour of the restrictions greatly outnumbered them. Most seem to be glad that the government took strong, decisive and immediate action.

Alert: post contains tragic news

It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart

that I announce the death

of my beautiful and beloved younger daughter,

Anne Mari O’Callaghan (Annie).

Born on 11 August, 1965, she died on 27 December 2021.

She is survived also by her daughters,

Renee Paige and Megan Jane Muhleisen, her grandson Bailey Muhleisen

and her siblings, Jenny, Michael, Peter, James and Timothy O’Callaghan.

Rest in peace, dearest Anne.

Fake it till you make it psychology and sociology

Fake it till you make it sounds like an instruction to trick or deceive. But it actually provides useful direction for people who find themselves in a new or difficult position and unsure about how to proceed. The phrase suggests that by imitating confidence, competence, and an optimistic mindset, a person can realize those qualities in their real life.

I first came across the concept way, way back in my early years of tertiary study. Hearing about it at the start of a Social Science Degree at the WA Institute of Technology,* I laughed at the idea.

Book review challenge that preferences women writers

A book review challenge that preferences women writers guarantees my interest. And, as it turned out, my participation also over a number of years. This is the tenth year of the Australian Women Writers Challenge.

Here’s a quote f rom their website. It explains this book review challenge better than I can.

‘The AWW challenge was set up to help overcome gender bias in the reviewing of books by Australian women. The challenge encourages avid readers and book bloggers, male and female, living in or outside Australia, to read and review books by Australian women throughout the year. You don’t have to be a writer to sign up. You can choose to read and review, or read only.‘

Tin Horse Highway for serious fun

The Tin Horse Highway featured high on my list of things to do during our recent venture into the Great Southern Region of Western Australia. We left it until the last day, and went on our way home from Hyden and Wave Rock. Such a treat! If you get a chance to go that way, don’t miss it. Be prepared to laugh out loud!

Australian Women Writers Challenge 2020 completed

Australian Women Writers Challenge completed

The Australian Women Writers Challenge 2020 completed itself, or so it seemed. It took very little effort on my part this year. Most years, I commit to review a certain number of books by Australian women. Then I struggle to review the number of books to which I’ve committed. So, at the beginning of this year I decided I’d be really gentle with myself. I opted to review six. That’s known as the Miles level in this challenge.

Here’s a link to the blog I wrote earlier this year about the Challenge.

How to be eighty

Songlines: The Power and Promise – a review

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Confessions of a house cleaner tragic

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The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth – a review

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Hard lockdown mark II against COVID-19

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Alert: post contains tragic news

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Fake it till you make it psychology and sociology

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Book review challenge that preferences women writers

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Tin Horse Highway for serious fun

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Australian Women Writers Challenge 2020 completed

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