“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighbourhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or … Continue reading Dementia Action Week
Author: Karen J Schoff
Gaia Challenge 2022: The Good Earth
Image by Sasin Tipchai - Pixabay Out of the land we came and into it we must go. Pearl S Buck - The Good Earth (1931) The Good Earth, written by Pearl S Buck and first published in 1931, is a surprising candidate for the Gaia Challenge. Set in China, the book traces the life … Continue reading Gaia Challenge 2022: The Good Earth
The Second Elizabethan Age
Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) This morning we were greeted with the news that our monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, had peacefully passed away in her sleep. It was sobering news, although not that shocking considering her recent ill health. Quite aptly our day here in Toowoomba had begun a little earlier with reverberating thunder that vibrated … Continue reading The Second Elizabethan Age
Literacy is a Human Right
Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Kofi Annan Do you remember learning to read? I don’t remember the actual specifics … Continue reading Literacy is a Human Right
Welcome to the Future: Heat Islands and Ice Boxes
The Place to be in the Middle of a Heat Wave - image by Renato Laky (pixabay) Heat waves are not uncommon in Australia, but over the last week or so our attention has been captured by the extreme heatwave occurring across Europe. For the first time ever, temperatures soared over 40°C in the UK. … Continue reading Welcome to the Future: Heat Islands and Ice Boxes
Not the Best of Times
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it … Continue reading Not the Best of Times
A Sadder Mothers’ Day This Year
This week our dear mother and grandmother, Joy, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning with her lifelong partner and dearly loved husband, Hedley, by her side. It was only just Mothers’ Day last year that I wrote about her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. It seems sadly bittersweet then, that this Mothers’ Day … Continue reading A Sadder Mothers’ Day This Year
The Schools’ Patriotic Fund
Image by Bec T - pixabay A few days ago Australians commemorated Anzac Day. It is a time to remember those who have sacrificed their lives and their physical health and mental wellbeing in the pursuit of peace and freedom. There are numerous books, both fiction and non-fiction, that pay tribute to the soldiers and … Continue reading The Schools’ Patriotic Fund
Disability is a Blessing Too
The Australian Federal Election campaign is now in full swing and "Scotty from Ableism" has lit up the internet because he is “blessed” to not have “children with disabilities.” Understandably parents with children who have disabilities and the rest of the disability community are shocked and outraged. What does that make us? The Cursed Ones?? … Continue reading Disability is a Blessing Too
The Betrayals and The Glass Bead Game
Never judge a book by its cover, so they say. But we do. For The Betrayals by Bridget Collins, it was the cover that captured my attention. It's hard to go past gold embossing on a dark cover. Especially an embossed gold antique clock surrounded by golden swirls and dark red flowers. It was just … Continue reading The Betrayals and The Glass Bead Game
Living on the Downs 