Segullah

Mormon women blogging about the peculiar and the treasured

Lest We Forget

Australia and Turkey fell silent today. Half a world apart, people gathered before dawn in local parks, on beaches, at cliff tops and in nursing homes, then joined in remembering the fallen. Wherever Australian or New Zealand troops are stationed, they too stopped, stood and remembered. These words were read into the smudged dawning light: [...]

Pocketsful Of Whimsy

For at least 97.364596% of the time I am a responsible adult, contributing to society and trying to be a decent human being.  I buy carrots, insist my children eat them, mop floors, study my scriptures and read lecturer-assigned journal articles, consider which politician to vote for in the coming elections, try not to swear [...]

Life As A Dance

At this time of year in Australia, all kids are back in school after Summer holidays, the mad dash of organising stationery lists, uniforms, classes and text books has faded to a frustration tinged memory, and routines are getting re- or newly established. I’m rubbish with routines. Sure, my household has a definite dance number [...]

If You Just [Insert Stupid and/or Unhelpful Here]

“Hey Kel, I know this really nice guy – “ “No thanks.” “But I haven’t said anything about him!” “You said you know a guy.” “I do!” “You said ‘nice’” “So?” “You’re trying to set me up.” “Um, yeah?” “No thanks.” I do not need a husband. I’ve had one and frankly the model I [...]

This Time Next Year

This evening, I’m pulling down all the Christmas decorations. Our baby Christmas tree will be casually folded then cheerfully shoved until it (mostly) fits in the box it came in. The decorations will be jiggled carefully into their special container, the cards decking our windows put in the recycling bin, and the last of the [...]

Where Art Thou, Inspiration?

I am not my right breast. Uh, okay. I thought in response. I’ll take your word for it. I was browsing the “For Sale” books at my local library, and that first line was the title, stretched out along the peeling spine of a hardcover. I continued looking over the assorted bundles, sniggering at the [...]

Unpacking Boxes

“Yeah, G’day, it’s Barry here, the removalist. Look, we won’t be up your way next week after all – we’ll be there Friday afternoon, Saturday morning instead. That’s this week, love. See ya then!” And that’s how my move – initially planned to stretch over three weeks – condensed into four days of madness. I’m [...]

What Are You Wearing?

Last Friday after work, I stopped at the shops to grab some groceries. Before I even entered the centre, two strangers had nodded at me as they walked past. I can’t remember ever seeing them before in my life, I wouldn’t be able to identify them now, but I know why they acknowledged me – [...]

You’ve Got Mail!

His name was Alessandro. He was tall, Italian, with thick curly black hair and eyes warmer than dark chocolate. He didn’t speak English, I didn’t speak Italian, yet we were pen-pals for a year in the ‘90s. We murdered verbs and sentence structure as we tried to describe our lives in French, then sent our [...]

Since When Am I A Grown Up?

Late 1980’s I’m freshly, garishly dressed, having spent most of my Saturday morning watching the latest music clips on Rage. The inspiration is obvious. My hair is teased at least a hand’s height above my head, I’m still trying to unstick my eyelashes from the deluge of hairspray I’ve used and my outfit is red [...]

A Matter of Perspective

This week, I spent nearly a full day by Mum’s bedside in hospital. Her pain was neon intense, as unstoppable as a meteor, and anxiety framed her face more starkly than her sweat slick hair and oxygen tubing. At one point just before her CT scan she gripped my arm so tightly my hand turned [...]

Release the [Control] Freak!

I’m not in control of my life. Sure, parts of it are neatly, docilely in place, waiting like an obedient dog told “Stay.” The other parts rampage all along the opposite end of the scale. Some areas need to be held carefully between thumb and forefinger as they squirm and resist my attempts to make [...]

Eat Dessert

Example of my side of a conversation held many times before: “Yes, I would like the dessert menu. Yes, I know I haven’t ordered my main. I would like the dessert menu at the same time as the main menu. Really. (Muttered aside to my Mum/friend/nearby stranger – Would you mind telling the lovely waiter [...]

The Skin I’m In

There was a click, like bending a toothpick, then a sting as sharp as a cut green apple. I sat on the kwoon’s mat floor to look at my foot, where my left little toe was proclaiming nine o’clock while the other toes insisted twelve. Taking a shaky breath, I raised my hand. “’Scuse me, [...]

He and Me – Can We Be (Just) Friends?

I have lots of friends. I have friends I talk books with; go to movies with; friends I sweat on or near during Kung Fu; friends that know what I look like both when I’m feeling good and (especially) when the world is trying to kill me, the way I know how they look at [...]

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