‘Feature Stories’

Comfort Books

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Sunday, August 1st, 2010

Yours truly has been curled up in bed being remarkably lazy between coughing spasms, bouts of self pity and sporadic checks to see how much sympathy I am getting on Facebook. Definitely not a time for serious book reviews with my declining headspace already under siege, so I did what we all do at such [...]

The Board Rider

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Sunday, August 1st, 2010

At the beach where I walk most mornings the coastline stretches in a long wide arc, defined by scrub covered sand dunes and the ever moving blue Pacific Ocean.  Some days the beach is teased by a gentle wind and other days much stronger. The weather conditions control its form and shape. He is there [...]

Andriana Goes Shopping

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Saturday, May 1st, 2010

I’m a fairly laid-back sort of bloke, so it was without any qualms that I accompanied my daughter, Mary, and my 4-year old granddaughter, Andriana, on a shopping expedition as Mary wanted, so we went to an upmarket store. While her mother inspected various Jeans, Andriana inspected a certain display-shelf, stacked with neat piles of [...]

Willy Wagtails

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010

by Michael Grounds Willy Wagtails are Australians’ favourite bird. They’re small, bright, active and friendly, and they punch above their weight. They earn their living by catching flies on the wing, perching on a fence or sheep and pouncing when they see an insect leave the ground. Sheep and other beasts are good because they [...]

The Raven

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Saturday, January 9th, 2010

by Michael Grounds We always have magpies in the back yard. They poke around pretending to be earning their living, but really they steal it, pecking at Jay’s dog-bones and eating a little of the chooks’ wheat. They were much happier when I used to give the chooks pellets once a day, but they’ll eat [...]

Happiness is a Good Lie In

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

by Heather Stone C’mon love, it’s a quarter past five”. “C’mon. If you don’t get up I won’t have time for a coffee. ……..” “Get up NOW! You waste a third of your life sleeping!” By the time I’ve produced the coffee, made the sandwiches, brought the towels, laid out the clothing, tied his shoelaces, [...]

Maritje

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

by Michael Grounds The images dissolved slowly into colours, changing to their own rhythm while the sound changed to another. They had lost the significance their frantic makers had gathered into them; small significance, she thought, for such enterprise. John would be still in focus. John always chose the evening’s viewing, carefully assessing the weekly [...]

All in Good Spirit

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Sunday, November 1st, 2009

by Brian Barratt There are many books and websites dealing with after-death experiences. A friend told me about one such website. One particular story was impressive and very well written. Having been asked to comment, I analysed it thoroughly. Without going into details, here are my main conclusions: 1 There was no real evidence or [...]

A Birth on Board – Part 9

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Sunday, November 1st, 2009

by Carmel Fitzgerald (from The Morgan Tree  – an Australian novel – a work in progress) “Why John,” Sarah said,  “I do believe the ship is docked. The crew expected to arrive in Cape Town about this time, right on schedule and Captain Jackson and the Surgeon intend to go ashore.” Sarah, placing her inverted [...]

Crossing the Equator – Part 8

Click the title above to read the complete post. Posted on Thursday, October 1st, 2009

by Carmel Fitzgerald (from The Morgan Tree – an Australian historical novel – a work in progress) Sarah sat Emma close to Elizabeth. Hannah squeezed onto a nearby seat on the upper deck, over to Sarah’s right. They gathered to watch the “Crossing” ceremony from their vantage point. “John told me that women are not [...]