Nanna had offered to take the little girl off her parents hands for a few weeks so they could decide finally if the marriage was over. Nanna had heard first hand some of the screaming matches and she thought it was no place for a child. Her Nanna told… Read full post »

 Ashes and Snow is a photographic collection by Gregory Colbert. I love them not only for their beauty, but for their portrayal of the relationship between animals and humanity. They have such a soothing quality that I thought I'd share a few of them here for those who aren't familiar with… Read full post »

A new law that came into effect in March of this year is causing wide spread horror among philandering husbands and wives in Australia. The law, aimed primarily at recognising and granting legal privileges to same sex couples, also supports the rights of those in extramarital de-facto relationships.… Read full post »

Looks idyllic doesn't it?  It's not.

Over the weekend, a 6 metre Great White shark took a bite out of a smaller, but still pretty damn big 3 metre Great White that was being towed into shore after being caught off this… Read full post »

I use the fact that I'm Australian to keep me from looking like a total idiot (hopefully). When I make a spelling mistake or grammatical error, I just say "That's how we do it in Australia." Surprisingly, people buy it. Either that or they picture Steve Irwin and Paul Hogan and… Read full post »

I find myself thinking of you throughout the day when I'm supposed to be doing other things. You call to me and though I try to resist, I know that I'll soon be whiling away precious hours in your embrace, so unaware of the passing time that when we part, the… Read full post »

My grandmother died four years ago this November. I was in the hospital room with 3 generations of my family when she passed in what appeared to be a peaceful way after months of battling cancer at 76 years of age. Her fragility in those moments has made… Read full post »

 When I broke free I stood alone in a dense, thick fog of desperation.  As I became myself, you lost your bragging rights. The parts of me that made you proud are the very things that suffocated me, and your championing of these 'virtues' only increased my determination to… Read full post »

Not long ago, I wrote an email to my Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. It was just a quick note to show my appreciation. In Australia we have an organisation that runs a 'Promise Watch', where the promises made during the election are kept on record and ticked off as they are… Read full post »

The beach is her haven. Laying stretched out on her back, grains of sand massage her back as the heat of the sun penetrates her. She feels a pleasantly mild burning sensation on the delicate skin of her forearm as it rests lazily across her eyes, shielding them… Read full post »

 ...if you lay a hand on my daughter.

A 61 year old Atlanta man has been charged with felony cruelty to children after hitting a child in Walmart. This man wasn't the father or grandfather of the child – but rather a complete stranger. After warning the mother of the 2… Read full post »

 *warning, use of this product can result in serious injury or death 

          ~Public Service Announcement re the Ped Egg~

I have a foot phobia. Now I know that sounds crazy, but I don't like looking at other peoples feet. I can barely tolerate… Read full post »

A man of middle eastern appearance being attacked during the Cronulla riots in 2005

As I was driving this morning I had my second favourite breakfast radio station playing. One of the top stories that the hosts were discussing was an aeroplane that went down in… Read full post »

Last night I went to have dinner with my mother, stepfather, little sister and her boyfriend. I was planning on taking some photographs of the city I live in while I was out and about but as you can see, it was raining and cold.

 … Read full post »

She is tired of hurting people. Weary from the burden of their pain that she must carry around with her until her back starts to bend and her arms tremble from the pressure. She cautions them before she begins the dance, but even though they know the steps as well as… Read full post »

After reading about the debacle that is the American health care policy, I just don't get it. Nana has tried to explain the objections that some Americans have regarding health care reform and as a citizen of a country with universal care, I have to say the fears are completely ungrounded.… Read full post »

Our little Houdini.

Thomas has posted an open call asking for the perspective of parents raising children with disabilities. There have been many moments I could write about concerning my seven year old autistic daughter, but one in particular comes to mind.

When my ex-husband and I were still… Read full post »

 It's Monday morning here in Australia. The sun is shining and it's quite warm for the middle of winter. I signed in to OS to check my messages and read some posts and lo and behold!...my first semi anonymous piece of hate mail. I don't mind being called a bitch, or… Read full post »

The American right must really be desperate, given their latest asinine attempt to smear Obama. In response to the laughably out of context photo of Barack supposedly ogling a woman at the G8 conference, I’ve decided to share some undoctored photos of Dubya, that born again paragon of family… Read full post »

 photograph sourced from google images

Jeff (nanatehay) and I were talking in yahoo and he was describing the DC fireworks to me. We started to talk about the absurdity of millions of dollars literally going up in smoke for the sake of some visual pleasure, while people are homele… Read full post »

I have a plan, but first some background. I left school at 16 and worked in different areas over the next few years. I married at 19 and had my daughter 'L' at 26. During that time I started a small business that I'm still running but it doesn't fulfil me… Read full post »

A poll conducted for Australian Marriage Equality found strong support for same-sex marriages within the Australian community.

Among supporters of the Green party (Australias third most powerful political party) participating in the poll, 85% feel that laws should be changed to allow gay marriages. T… Read full post »