that's life! Issue 50, 2021

There are so many stories that left me with a smile on my face this week and put me right in the mood for Christmas. For a start, I loved reading about Adelaide mum of two Amy, who has complete strangers to thank for the lives of her precious boys. Countless people took the time to donate blood that was in turn used to save the lives of five-year-old James and two-year-old Jack. I was a proud blood donor myself until I came back from living in the UK in the ’80s and was, sadly, disqualified from donating. But my wonderful dad, who is 90, was a regular donor of blood and plasma until a decade ago. I asked him if he knew how much blood he’d given over the…

Here’s me and my daughter Milly all ready to celebrate Christmas. Beverley Royes, Crows Nest, NSW Our gorgeous grandson Asher is getting into the Christmas spirit. Cornelia Tippett, Baringa, Qld I had a memorable sailing holiday in the Whitsundays with my friends Komal and Jen. It’s such a beautiful part of the world! Louise Cowie, Bondi, NSW I love our family Christmas lunches! Here’s Garth, Richard, Simon, me and Cameron. Amanda Ambrose, Marrickville, NSW Poppy Bob can always make Ruby, 10, laugh. Rachel Smith, Haberfield, NSW My gorgeous granddaughter Beatrice is looking forward to her fourth Christmas. Doreen Firth, via email Eleanor and her big sister Audrey are all smiles on Christmas Eve. Tony Lastro, Lane Cove, NSW Soph, Phoebs and Jasi are waiting patiently to open their presents. Lynn Miller, via email email: thatslife@aremedia.com.au write: AUS: GPO Box 5245 Sydney NSW 2001 NZ: PO Box 90064,…

Carol Wilson, 60, St Clair, NSW Christmas carols blared through the speakers and tinsel hung from every store window as my husband, Ian, then 60, and I walked through our local shopping centre. It was November 2005, and, as people ran from store to store to tick items off their Christmas lists, the holiday rush was well and truly in full swing. Suddenly, a stranger came running up to Ian, grabbing him by the arm. ‘Will you be my Santa?’ she asked, excitedly. At first, Ian and I were confused. But the lady, named Barbara, quickly explained that she ran a photo business and needed someone to wear a Santa suit for photos at the shopping centre. ‘You’d be great at it,’ she said, trying to convince Ian. With his long white beard, bushy eyebrows and glasses,…

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, I hummed to myself as I scooped up a pile of clean laundry and headed upstairs. It was two days before Christmas, and I was in a frantic rush to get everything ready for the big day. The tree was up and decorated, the gifts wrapped, the fridge was stocked, and the chocolates from our advent calendars had almost all been eaten. That year, 2019, was extra-special and we were going all out as my sister, Sara, 39, was flying in from Perth, WA, to join us. Now I was heading upstairs to change the sheets on my six-year-old son Max’s bed during my clean up. But as I went to go up the stairs, I tripped over and fell into our stair gate, bashing my thigh against…

The roads were quiet as John and Patsy Ramsey arrived home with their children from dinner at their friends, the Whites,’ home, on Christmas night, 1996. It had been a long day for the kids, Burke, nine, and JonBenét, six. That morning, the children, dressed in their pyjamas, had risen early to find their lounge room full of gifts, including a green bike for JonBenét. Posing for a photo astride it, JonBenét was used to smiling for the camera, having taken part in children’s beauty pageants since she was a tot. Winning numerous titles, including America’s Royale Miss and National Tiny Miss Beauty, JonBenét became somewhat of a local celebrity in their affluent suburb of Boulder, Colorado. But, there was no way of knowing that JonBenét would soon be known around the world, for the…

For my 50th birthday, my daughters, Lara, Rachael and Tanya presented me with a lovely pair of pearl and diamond earrings. ‘They’re so beautiful,’ I gasped. ‘They must have cost a mint!’ ‘You’re worth it,’ Lara replied. ‘We got them especially made.’ Thrilled with my gift, I put them on immediately. ‘You look breathtaking,’ my husband, Patrick, said. This was a very special gift. Since the girls had all left home, I knew just wearing the earrings would help me feel close to them. A month after my birthday, it was Christmas, and the girls were all coming to stay, bringing their families. I decided to get cleaners in to help get the place looking its best. After they’d left, I noticed one cleaner had put everything from on top of my dressing table onto the bed.…