that's life! Issue 3, 2022

I loved reading about the enterprising Josh who decided to celebrate being one of many young men called Josh by holding a get together of Joshes (Page 74). It reminded me of a story we ran years ago about The Shirley Club, which was formed in 1996 by Shirley Brown. She was meeting up with a couple of other friends called Shirley, and they came up with the idea of inviting other Shirleys to join the fun. It grew from there, with Shirley clubs popping up around the country. There are plenty of other names of my contemporaries that I suspect could set up similar clubs. My own name is of course incredibly common in my age group, with the added bonus of an even more common surname! When I…

Happy 40th birthday Danielle! Aylene Skliros, Boronia, Vic This pic of my daughters, Paige and Akasha, with their horses, Scarlet and Anzac, at the river is one of my favourites. Sarah Herbert, Nowra, NSW I was excited to receive my cheque for being Puzzler of the Week! My grandson Destin was also a Puzzler of the Week last year and was so excited too. We definitely are the lucky family. Karen Watson, Sunbury, Vic My son Blake enjoyed spending quality time with his grandma Sue, helping with the puzzles while she visited us from Tasmania. Rebecca Valentine, Cashmere, Qld This is me taking a walk down memory lane. I love our colourful Sydney streets! Robyn Roberte, Woollahra, NSW My new puppy Cleo, loves being in the garden with me. It’s our favourite place. Alexandra Whitehead, Eight Mile Plains, Qld I came across…

Brodie Parbs, 27, Cowra, NSW Feeling a bit off, I reached for a pregnancy test. My fiancé Damien, 27, and I had been trying for a baby. But sadly, in the past year, we’d had two miscarriages. ‘Our dream will come true soon,’ he reassured me. After an anxious wait, the result was clear – positive. Given our heartache, we had a six-week scan to make sure everything was okay. But the sonographer had some news. It was twins! Damien and I could hardly believe it, but we were happy. In fact, we had a lot to look forward to, as our wedding was planned for a month’s time. My bump grew and I felt my boys kicking However, it was March 2020, and COVID-19 restrictions cancelled our celebrations. We opted to get married with just the celebrant and…

Breana, we could both fit in those baggy clothes!’ I giggled, as my stepdaughter met us at a restaurant. We were having a joint birthday dinner for her and her dad, Dave. I’d never seen her dressed in men’s trackie pants and a jumper before – she usually wore pretty clothes that suited her slim figure. It was 2018, and Breana, 17, didn’t quite seem her usual self, but I didn’t push it. I thought I’d ask her about it the next time we saw her. I’d started dating Breana’s dad when she was six years old. We took to each other immediately and, as the years went by, we became very close. She mostly lived with her mother, Melissa, but I spoke to her often and she would visit us a lot. I couldn’t take…

Dylan Lazzaroni, 26, Aloomba, Qld Diving into the creek, the water was so refreshing. It was a scorching March morning in Cairns, Queensland, so my girlfriend Olivia and I had gone to Emerald Creek Falls in Mareeba, together with our friends, Craig, Alex, James and Ashlie. After a quick swim, Craig convinced me to climb to the top of the waterfall. There, we had a perfect view above the treetops, with bushland as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful. Waving at the girls down below, Craig and I continued on to a small swimming hole at the top to take a quick dip. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head We planned on grabbing lunch at the pub on the way home. As we made our way back to the group, we…

Kim, Frankston, Vic* Would you mind feeding Mittens while I’m away?’ my best friend Rosie asked over the phone. ‘Sure,’ I replied. A couple of weeks later, Rosie left to go on a short holiday to Cairns. That night, I had a date with Brad, a guy I’d liked for ages, so I decided I’d feed Mittens on the way. Nervous, I’d spent ages getting ready. Brad was well worth it and I was not going to blow my chances. We had a lovely evening, and Brad gave me a sweet kiss goodnight. ‘I’ll call you,’ he smiled. Thrilled, I spent the next two days waiting for the phone to ring, in vain. In tears, I called my sister, Jen, and we talked for hours, trying to work out why Brad hadn’t called. The rest of the week was spent…