What is one thing you would change about yourself?

The one thing that I would change about me would be that I would like to be able to lose weight easily. The psych medication that I have been on for many years has affected the brains chemistry ⚗️ and means that my metabolism has been altered, and I have gained a bit of weight that I am unable to lose. It has also made me diabetic. I don’t regret being on this medication because it keeps me mentally well, and I don’t consider my mental illness to be the worst thing that has ever happened to me. It is, in fact, quite the contrary. My experience of mental illness has made me a far better person, with compassion and empathy for all. I just wish I could lose the weight, because I feel I am judged as being overweight and people who stigmatise me because of it, don’t get that my overall health is a juggling act and I would much rather be a bit overweight, if the trade off because of it, is good mental health. So I guess it is a juggling act that makes me a better person. Never judge a book by its cover. You never know what a person is dealing with. So I guess the one thing I would like to change is other people’s attitude to my weight and my mental health.

Are you more of a night or morning person?

I am definitely a morning person. I love it when the day is young. Just about every morning 🌄 I take Lily for a walk in the fresh, crisp morning air and sunshine. I think the quiet, gentle start to the day is my favourite time of day.

My body clock is used to waking up with the sun. At nightime my brain becomes foggy, and I feel sleepy. I am definitely not a night owl, as I need a good night’s sleep to function.

Lily too is a morning person, though she does sleep in a bit. She wakes up happy every day, and normally, she greets me as I wake up. She wakes up happy every day, and this brings me happiness too.

What are your two favorite things to wear?

My absolute favourite thing to wear is the green dress 👗 from Susanna that she bought me to wear at Christmas time. Susanna gave me lots of clothes, most of the day to day clothes I now wear have a connection to Susanna.

The other favourite thing in my wardrobe is the mauve silk pyjamas thst my niece Emily gave me a few years ago in our family Kris Kringle Christmas present. I treasure these because Emily chose well and really did spoil me. I keep these pyjamas for good. They hold a lot of sentimental value to me because they came from my beautiful niece, just like I value the clothes from Susanna for just the same reason.

If you didn’t need sleep, what would you do with all the extra time?

If I didn’t need sleep, I would spend that extra time doing the things that I enjoy the most, that being reading and writing. They are the things I find the most fulfilling in my life. I also would give extra attention to Lily.

The other thing I would spend time doing is getting back into one of my past great loves, that being dancing. I would happily dance around my home to the music I love. This would become my main exercise, apart from taking Lily on long walks 🚶‍♂️. I would like to dance in private just for my own pleasure. As they say, we should dance like no one is watching. And yes, dancing in my own home means no one will see me.

Who are your current most favorite people?

Today’s topic is an easy one to write ✍️ about. One of my favourite well-known people is Sam Neill, who has written his memoirs whilst he has been battling cancer, called Did I Ever Tell You This. His memoirs are warm, heartfelt, funny, and poignant. I would love to have a meal with Sam and just chew the fat, so to speak.

My second favourite well-known person is Scott Aplin. I personally like Scott a lot because of my personal contact with him, he as been compassionate, empathic, wam, thoughtful, and engaging. He is one of the people I would most like to meet. He is remarkably talented, and I think every fan of The Voice and The Recording Studio here in Australia would really like him.

My other favourite people are Kathryn, Helen, Russell and Liz. These people, including Adrian, are my best friends in this world. I particularly appreciate Kathryn Helen and Adrian because during my hospitalisation many months ago, they would come and take me on outings outside of the hospital environment. This did me a world of good, and I appreciate that more than words can say. I appreciate Liz for looking after Lily at this time. She provided Lily with a warm, safe, loving home at that time. Russell, as always, is the most amazing gentleman friend I have ever known. We are soul mates in many ways. I am blessed with the people in my life, and I don’t take this for granted.

What are your favorite animals?

My favourite animal, not surprisingly, is a dog. I love my little Lily more than anything on 🌎 earth. Dogs are amazing creatures for their bond to us humans. They love us more than they love other dogs.

Also, not surprisingly, I love the wildlife native to my homeland, being koalas, kangaroos, and wombats, and I think that platypuses are pretty special too I live in a country know for its unique wildlife. I am a proud Aussie animal lover.

Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?

Although I do love the high country here in Victoria, I would have to say I prefer the beach, particularly the west coast here in Victoria. My favourite beach is Barwon Heads for families with young children and Ocean Grove as a surf beach. We used to rent holiday houses at Barwon Heads when I was a small child and I have good memories of this as a child, even though when I was a toddler walking along Thirteenth beach a freak wave carried me some distance. I’m obviously not traumatised by that because I love the beach.

I had a dream honeymoon at the seaside village of Queenscliff, not far from Barwon Heads. It is such a quaint historic and beautiful little town, full of character. Although my marriage didn’t work out, I treasure the memory of time spent in Queenscliff.

My favourite little seaside village close to Melbourne would have to be Williamstown. again, it is quaint and full of character. My parents nearly bought a house there when they were first married and I often wonder if they had lived in Williamstown would they still have had me, and how different my life would have been growing up in Williamstown. I love the shops in Williamstown and love the fish 🐟 and chip shop along the pier

I recommend that any visitors to Melbourne visit Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove, Queenscliff, and Williamstown to get an idea of what life is like in coastal Victoria.

What are your family’s top 3 favorite meals?

The top 3 meals that I like to cook when I have company over for dinner are as follows

1 Chicken and spinach Indian style curry from Gabriel Gates Good food fast. I occasionally have substituted silver beet for the spinach. This is a truly delicious meal.

2. Roast lamb with mint jelly and vegetables. I haven’t cooked this in a while because lamb is too expensive at the moment. I would cook the lamb in my slow cooker with potatoes, pumpkin, and sweet potato. It’s a definite favourite..

3 Beef and red wine casserole with all sorts of veggies. Again, this is a recipe from Gabriel Gates. Good food fast, which I have cooked a lot. It’s a really hearty winter casserole that is made extra special with a little red wine added.

Do you trust your instincts?

Do I trust my instincts? Absolutely I do. In my life, one of the main impacts on me is to trust my gut. If my gut, my women’s intuition is telling me something is not as it seems I know from experience to trust it. The times I have ignored my gut instincts are the times I have experienced difficulties and trouble and strife in my life. When I trust my gut, I make wiser choices with my life. So yes, I do trust my instincts.

What’s your favorite month of the year? Why?

My favourite month of the year is November. I like it because it is late Spring here in Melbourne and the flowers 💐 are blooming. The weather is just starting to heat up and is pleasant. Daylight saving means the days are longer.