Table of contents for Issue 43, 2024 in that's life!

We often share stories about how life can change in an instant, and often it’s the power of nature that turns everything upside down. This week Jessie Racicot tells us how a fishing trip changed her life (page 10). Jessie and her hubby Frank were dashing home after it started raining, when she was suddenly struck by lightning. Thankfully, despite being injured and losing some of her hearing, she lived to tell the tale. It got team tl! talking about our own brushes with the power of nature. Darren told us about a time he and his brother had a close call when they were young. ‘We were bringing the washing in for our mum when lightning hit our neighbour’s sundial, inches away from us.’ He felt the heat from…

VICTIM Janie Lynn Ridd was like a breath of fresh air to Rachel. It was 1995, and 22-year-old Rachel was recently divorced and living back with her parents. Janie, 26, was living in an apartment that had been broken into and didn’t want to live on her own. It made sense that the two women, who’d recently met and become friends, share a place, so Rachel moved in. Janie was good with finances, helping Rachel to organise her bills – and Rachel was bright, fun and social, helping Janie to make friends. But Janie grew possessive, acting jealously when Rachel spent time with other friends or went on dates. Then, in 2010, Rachel suffered a herniated disc in her back and could no longer work as a paramedic. Around that…

Kate’s girl Marleigh is alive today thanks to donations from generous Aussies Kate Fisher, 39, Little Mountain, Qld Slurping a strawberry milkshake, my daughter Marleigh, eight, happily giggled, ‘Thanks, Mummy.’ Kind and gentle, Marleigh had such a sweet nature from the day she was born. My husband Geoff and I were already parents to Thomas, then five, and Campbell, three, when we decided to try for a third baby in 2015. Diagnosed with endometriosis at 17, I’d been told I wouldn’t be able to carry a baby, so we’d conceived our boys through IVF. With just one embryo remaining, we were excited to be growing our family. But on the day of the transfer, we were crushed to learn the clinic had lost our embryo – it’s believed to have…

CHOC-HAZELNUT FERRERO ROCHER BROWNIE SERVES 15 PREP & COOK: 1 HOUR ½ x 250g packet Choc Ripple biscuits, broken into pieces 50g butter, melted ⅓ cup Nutella 200g box Ferrero Rocher chocolates (16), unwrapped BROWNIE MIX 180g block dark cooking chocolate, chopped 150g butter, chopped ¾ cup caster sugar 3 eggs ⅔ cup plain flour 2 tblsps cocoa powder 1 Grease an 18cm x 28cm rectangular slice pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending 2cm above pan edges. 2 To make base, process biscuits in a food processor until finely crushed. Add butter and process until combined. Press firmly over base of prepared pan. 3 To make brownie mix, combine chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.…

I love the new kitchen we had put in last year, but having never owned stone benchtops before I had no idea how easily they’d mark. At first, every time I walked past I spotted a stain that stubbornly refused to budge. Suddenly, keeping our new benchtops looking, well, new, seemed like an impossible task. I found myself googling expensive pastes, powders and pump packs claiming to be the king of all cleaning products, in the hopes they’d do the job without leaving the stone scratched or discoloured. Thankfully, I decided to call the stone guys who installed the benchtops first. ‘Just make a paste with dish detergent and bicarb,’ they said. Amazingly, it worked a treat and I didn’t need to spend an extra cent. Here are a few…

Mum Claudia has made $11,000 from things she’s found in the street Claudia Romero, 36, Sydney, NSW Picking up a French 1930s casserole dish off the footpath, I was in awe. This is in perfect condition, I thought, carrying it home with me. Growing up, I’d always been thrifty and found beauty in pre-loved goods. When I was six, in 1994, my parents, Silvia, then 37, and Victor, 39, migrated from Peru, South America, to Sydney, with me and my brother Pat, 18 months. At a young age, my parents instilled the value of repurposing and upcycling clothing, furniture and other items. Dad loved mending his own clothes and fixing tech items, while Mum had a passion for sewing clothes. By the time I was seven, I realised just…

RASPBERRY WALNUT BANANA BREAD SERVES 8 -10 PREP & COOK: 1 HOUR 20 MINS 1½ cups self-raising flour ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 cup over-ripe mashed banana (about 3 medium) 125g butter, melted 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup frozen raspberries 1 banana, halved, sliced lengthways ⅓ cup chopped walnuts Greek yoghurt, to serve 1 Grease a large loaf pan (top measures 14cm x 24cm). Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 3cm above pan edges.  2 Sift flour into a large bowl. Stir in sugar.  3 Add combined mashed banana, butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Gently stir in raspberries. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Smooth over top. Arrange banana slices on top of cake mixture. Sprinkle with walnuts.  4…

Thank you Cathy Gilmore, The Entrance, NSW Dangling a fish from my outstretched hand, I willed the injured pelican to come closer. With painful fishing hooks and lures digging into his body, he also had a foot missing after twisted fishing line cut off circulation. Since early 2024 I’d been trying to catch Kevin Bacon, named because, like in the movie, he was Footloose. Now, months later, my fellow volunteer Rob and I were determined today was the day. ‘We got him!’ I cried, as Kevin hopped into the humane foot snare and it closed around his leg. I was so sad to see how he’d been injured by rubbish left behind by careless fishers, and vowed to help him. As an animal rescuer of over 30 years, I’ve…

EDITORIAL Editorial Director Kate Kirsten, Editor Sarah Firth, Deputy Editor Beth Young, Art Director Darren Monaghan, Picture Editor Holly Campbell ARE MEDIA Chief Executive Officer Jane Huxley, Director of Sales Andrew Cook, Director of Content Sally Eagle, General Manager Entertainment Susan Armstrong, Commercial Brand Manager Jessica Ashworth, Head of Consumer Marketing Louise Cankett Subscription enquiries: Customer Service 136 116 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST) International +61 2 9692 3535 Email magshop@magshop.com.au Website www.magshop.com.au Advertising enquiries: advertising@aremedia.com.au Published by Are Media Pty Limited (ABN 18 053 273 546), 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. ©2024. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission. that’s life! is a registered trade mark of Are Media. Use of trademark strictly prohibited. Licensing Inquiries:…

Chloe Smith, 27 Who are you talking to?’ asked my mum, Emma. ‘My friend,’ I replied. From when I was three, a messy-haired boy in shorts and a T-shirt had visited me and we’d play together. But for some reason nobody else could see him. Mum was so worried about my ‘invisible friend’ that she talked about getting me help. My beloved nan Sue wasn’t concerned. ‘She sees spirit. It’s a gift,’ she told Mum. When I was 10, my boxer dog Charlie had a stroke and died. I was heartbroken – until he reappeared soon after, looking like his healthy self again. ‘Charlie’s here!’ I told Mum and my dad, Dean, pointing to the dog, but they couldn’t see him. At 18, I fell pregnant with my partner Mason,…

After personal tragedy, Cathy and her hubby have breathed life back into a country pub Cathy Willis, 52, Gladstone, Tas I’m coming up on the weekend,’ my son Kieren said. ‘I can’t wait to see the house. Love you Mum.’ ‘Love you,’ I replied. It was April 2021 and I was excited for Kieren, then 23, to see the place I’d bought with my husband Bob, then 60, in Gladstone, Tas. A builder by trade, Kieren was excited to help us renovate. My boy and I had always been close. After splitting with his dad years earlier, Kieren became the man of my house before I met Bob in 2014. At just 14 Kieren met his childhood sweetheart Shania, also 14, at school. I was thrilled when they married in…

SWISS TURKEY PATTIES SERVES 4 PREP & COOK: 25 MINS 500g turkey mince 2 tblsps mango chutney 1 tblsp Dijon mustard 3 green spring onions, finely chopped ⅓ cup packaged dried breadcrumbs 4 Swiss cheese slices Toasted herb bread slices, to serve TOMATO SALAD 2 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges ½ red onion, thinly sliced 60g baby rocket leaves 2 tblsps bottled French dressing 1 Place mince, chutney, mustard, spring onions and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Divide mixture into four portions and shape into 10cm diameter patties. 2 Heat an oiled, large, non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add patties and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Transfer patties to an…

SEND US YOUR CLEVER IDEAS Add some oats to your bath to help soften skin and soothe rashes. Lee Parsons, Horsham, Vic To get my kids interested in gardening, I give them each their own little patch and some easy-to-grow seedlings, such as pansies, marigolds and cherry tomatoes. Anna Martin, Chermside, Qld Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the water when you mop the floor, and place peel around entryways to keep ants away. Dorothy Mann, Auckland, NZ To stop garments sliding off coathangers, put elastic bands around each arm. Robyn Laidlaw, Mt Druitt, NSW Sawdust in your garden bed will deter snails and is safe for pets. Trisha Barnes, Mildura, Vic Apply Vaseline to your hairline when colouring to prevent your skin staining with the hair dye. Tracy…

It should have been the happiest day of her life. Mary Gough, 27, was the only daughter in a family of six kids, and her wedding day was finally here. She looked beautiful in her long-sleeved white lace gown and tiara, but after tying the knot with her fiancé Colin Whelan, 29, she looked miserable. Others noticed it too, including Mary’s brother James, who had walked her down the aisle. The couple had met in a pub in 1993. Before long they moved in together, and within two years had got engaged. At first Mary seemed happy, and for some time Colin, a computer analyst, seemed like the perfect man. He bought Mary gifts, took her on holidays, and got on well with her family. But footage from the lavish…

Rebecca Castano-Mander, 39, Gold Coast, Qld Dropping off my son CJ, then three, at daycare, I hopped back into the car. It was February 2020, and I was on my way to town to run some errands. I entered a roundabout in the right lane, before hearing a big bang! Then everything went black. As I came to, a bloke pulled me out of the car and laid me on the side of the road. ‘Stay there,’ he said, before moving my car, which was in the middle of the road. My car was completely wrecked. Confused, I couldn’t remember what had happened. In shock, my ears were ringing, and pins and needles were tingling over the left side of my body. Before I could piece together the accident, an…

It’s often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul – and it’s true. Our eyes can express so much. But did you know that your eye colour has meaning as well? Read on to find out more Dark brown or black Eyes so dark they appear black are rare. If you have these, you’re a natural leader who others lean on. Confident and mysterious, you are also highly intuitive. Dependable and honest, your secretive air makes you alluring. You work hard and tackle tasks with enthusiasm and passion. THE DOWN SIDE You may have trouble trusting people and having enduring relationships. Light/medium brown You love socialising and trying new things. You value people and experiences more than things. Self-confident and determined, your natural charm often helps…

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20 Are you feeling restricted? What on earth could they be when you’re at home, in your workspace, or with your partner? Actually, Aries, there are lines you can’t cross and for good reason. Blocked money fortunately starts moving. LUCKY NUMBERS 2, 9, 17 Taurus Apr 21 – May 21 Something playing on your practical mind, Taurus? A domestic problem, work glitch, or forever-family issue requires your contribution. Someone who promised you the world kind of delivers on Wednesday. LUCKY NUMBERS 13, 15, 19 Gemini May 22 – Jun 21 It might be an idea to rein it in before someone gets the wrong idea, you commit to something you might regret, or you find yourself in the same predicament as last year. Your…