The Village Roses

Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. Hans Christian Anderson If the Covid Pandemic has taught us anything, it is that happiness, mental wellbeing and quality of life is not found in wealth, social status or even in the office, but in deep connection with family, friends and …

Caring for Our Elders

I don’t know where the last two months have gone. October and most of November have just flown by taking all my good blogging intentions with them. 2022 is feeling a little like 2020. Remember 2020? The first Covid year. At the end of 2020 we were so glad to get to the end of …

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?? …

Day of Happiness

It seems somewhat incongruous to be celebrating the International Day of Happiness when so many people around the world are experiencing anything but happiness. The corona virus is still claiming lives and there is great inequity across the world in access to vaccines and treatment. There is also an unsettling disquiet about whose lives have …

Phosphorescence by Julia Baird

"How do we continue to glow when the lights turn out? All we can do really is keep placing one foot on the earth, then the other, to seek out ancient paths and forests, certain in the knowledge that others have endured before us. We must love. And we must look outwards and upwards at …

i4Give Week

“There is Freedom in Forgiveness” Two years ago a horrible and tragic accident took the lives of four children, Sienna, Antony and Angelina Abdullah, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, when a man, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, lost control of his vehicle and mounted the footpath. The tragic loss of four young …

Accessible Housing Benefits Everyone

Image by Anastasiia Chepinska - Unsplash “We all aspire to have our own homes, we all aspire to be independent, and we all aspire to live in a safe environment.” (David Blower, Endeavour Foundation) Today is the International Day of People with Disabilities, one of the most important days of the year for the disability …

Carers Week 2021 – Millions of Reasons to Care

“Carers are an essential part of our health system. They are the foundation of our aged, disability, palliative, and community care systems.” Every year 2.65 million Australian carers perform 2.2 billion hours of unpaid care. There are many reasons why a person may become a carer - disability, mental illness, chronic conditions, terminal illness and …

Migraine and Headache Awareness Week

Headaches are one of those annoying things in life. Often caused by stress or noise or sometimes even a little too much to drink, they are irritating but usually quickly treated with a couple of pills or a good lie down. Migraines, on the other hand, are a serious and debilitating condition that can rob …

NAIDOC Week 2021 – Heal Country

Over the last few weeks Dan and I have been spending the weekends doing puzzles. It is that time of year when it is wet and cold outside, and now that Dan is transitioning into independent living, puzzles have become a great weekend family activity that we can do indoors. Where it is warm. Dan …