This is the week that I reach the formidable milestone of turning 70. I never thought it would happen, but time moves right along and here I am enjoying myself with a week of activities whereby I have managed to involve my family and most of my friends. In seven decades I have jammed in […]
Exhilarating journey of an eclectic life
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Birthing, Bonding & Back-to-work for mums
One thing that fascinates me about the current feisty debate around Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s “signature” Paid Parental Leave proposed policy is that women, themselves, are not hailing this initiative as the best thing since sliced bread. The hoo haa from men was always expected, because the vast majority simply continue to go off to […]
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France’s Provence Delivered 70 years ago
August 15, 2014 Seventy years ago, the liberating Allied forces invaded France from the Mediterranean Sea and delivered Provence from the Nazis. The French news featured an amazing spectacle of remembrance involving a flotilla of battle ships and an Allied airshow. Hosted by the president of the Republic of France, Francois Hollande, the historic event […]
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Pivotal day of Peace once more for Parisians
August 25, 2014 – Another pivotal day in the history of France, which we should remember if we love to visit the City of Light, or the City of Lovers, whatever suits your situation. Today, 70 years ago, Charles de Gaulle, rode down the Champs Elysses and accepted the capitulation of Hitler’s general. We should […]
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A Snake Sneaks into my Spring garden
It began as one of those lovely lazy spring days, which erupted into fright when the bloke visiting the house shouted “There’s a snake behind you!”. A nonisecond beforehand, he was quietly reading a novel in the living room and we two women were scanning cookbooks outside in the al fresco. “Quick! Where is a […]
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Flowers fertilise the soul
If flowers fertilise the soul, then my spring garden with its gorgeous crop of fancy irises and first rose blooms are the reason for my tranquil pleasure. The lavender bushes are in flower, the herbs are lush, the pansies have yellow faces smiling at the sun and the ”seduction’;’ roses are bursting out of their buds. With clippers in […]
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Art Gallery to show iconic Paris fashion
Adelaide fashionistas have an exciting – and rare – chance to visit an amazing exhibition of some of the most famous post-war fashion masterpieces ever created by the world’s top designers at the Art Gallery of South Australia. “Fashion Icons”, a major international exhibition of French fashion from Paris’s Musee des Arts Decoratifs, raises the thorny […]
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A moving funeral to farewell infant Jayden
It is a beautiful Adelaide Hills garden setting and we are gathered in rows of white plastic chairs, not for a wedding, but for the saddest event. There is a tiny white coffin sitting on a lace-covered table cloth at the funeral of my niece Chelsea’s infant son, who was stillborn a week ago. Chelsea married her husband, Allan, last year, […]
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My family wins table at Heston’s Fat Duck
Pity it wasn’t one of those multi-million dollar lotteries, but from the exhilaration from my son Tyson’s household you would think they had won the jackpot. However, in an exciting win, his wife, Vanessa’s name came up in the ballot results for reservations at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant at Melbourne’s Crown. Thousands missed […]
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Boomers’ unlikely to enjoy long Bucket List
If there is one thing which will keep ageing Baby Bpomers in the work force is the realisation that their long “bucket list’’ of activities for retirement will be unachievable. According to new research released recently by Rest Superannuation Fund, of 1000 people surveyed, less than one third believed they would be able to fulfil […]
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Trusty Xmas treat for time-poor ladies
We women have always been great at multi-tasking, so it seemed natural that at the end of a consultation, my local GP, Dr Helen Roxburgh, flashed her iphone to show a quick Christmas dessert, which she whipped up recently for a family event after a heavy day at the surgery. The base of this delicious treat is […]
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A Holy Metamorphosis for former premier
Could it be called a Holy metamorphosis when former South Australian premier, Lynn Arnold was ordained an Anglican priest earlier this month. He, who presided over SA Cabinet ministers from September 1992 to December 1993, will preside over a parish and minister to the spiritual needs of his flock as the Reverend Lynn Arnold. His […]
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La France strengthens ties with Down Under
French president, Francois Hollande became the first chef of La France to visit Down Under when he stepped onto Australian soil for the world leaders’ meeting,G20 summit held in Brisbane last month . Although his visit did not attract the same headlines as our vital Asian trading partners, India, China and Japan or Russian President Putin, President […]
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Our Christmas celebrations are an expression of our family tradition, our love of food and our faith and I hope you enjoy these photographs which capture special moments. This year, for the first time, our father, Frank was too frail to attend the big family party, so we took my son’s family, here from Melbourne, […]
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The bonds and blessings of family at Xmas
Our Christmas celebrations are an expression of our family tradition, our fondness for food and our faith. It all began on Monday when my son Tyson and I visited my 96-year-old father in his residential facility. He was too frail to attend his family event in the evening, so he met my grandson Zachary for […]
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French Alize’s ace words –“Stay really close”
The shocking slaughter of 12 cartoonists and editors in the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris, followed by another four hostage deaths in a Jewish supermarket by home-grown Islamist terrorists, shocked the world out of our New Year euphoria. The French people instantly realised the immensity of these evil acts and took to the streets to show that “liberte” and freedom […]
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Beloved Literary Legend dies
One of Australia’s top-selling novelists, Colleen McCullough, who wrote that salacious best-seller, The Thorn Birds, has died on Norfolk Island, aged 77. It was the story of a celibate priest trapped between his vows of the Catholic church and his passionate love of a woman. The American paperback rights worth $1.9 million alone allowed her […]
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Marie’s art on Danish Royals’ chocolate box
Hallett Cove naïve artist Marie Jonsson Harrison has pulled off an international artistic coup, with her artwork printed on the prestigious limited edition series for SV Michelsen Chocolate-box in Denmark. The leading chocolatier visited an exhibition of Marie’s work in Denmark last year and promptly commissioned her to create the lid of the chocolate tin for […]
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Delicious dose of French culture d’Adelaide
After the dramatic gathering of the French community to show their “Je Suis Charlie” solidarity, it was time to have French fun once more for French speakers, students and Francophones alike over the past weekend. Alliance Francaise held an Open Afternoon with wines and crepes to herald the new academic year at its Young Street premises […]
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50 Shades of Drivel
Forget about reading those popular movie reviewers: Here is the first reaction (review) to the film “50 Shades of Grey”, by my astute, wise friend, renowned Adelaide divorce lawyer, Diane Myers. “Dear nadine The movie was dreadful I yawned through most of it Just a bit of tantalising and bondage The actors looked gorgeous as […]
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