Dear Simon, Well we got through it. The first Christmas without you. There was the usual chaos. Hippie Child was tasked with recreating your famous potato salad the one that you've served up every year since we've been in Port Macquarie to great compliments from the family. There was some pressure. I forgot to buy the bacon. I thought … [Read more...]

Clearly, I'm not meant to be organised. For only the second time in the three-year history of this blog I had a week-long editorial plan. I KNEW what I was going to be blogging about each day. This is vastly different to my normal mode of blogging which basically is start with a blank screen, begin typing about the first random thought that … [Read more...]

Organised the logistics of taking two teenagers away within the only  four day window available between their other engagements. Managed to pull it off only a few days before leaving (when they eventually agreed to go away). I am a champion. Finally wrote down everything I need to do. Got to 45 things (90 per cent related to Simon's death) before … [Read more...]

Dear Simon, Guess what? I fixed that blocked drain in the bathroom. OK so I just poured some draino stuff down it, but then I had to do some poking around with a chopstick to get rid of some of the glunkier hair mass. (Why do our daughters have long hair? Why?) So don't rain on my parade I FIXED something. Your birds came to visit yesterday. … [Read more...]

  Me Mate  by Brett Goshorn It never sounded right to me The word mate I was used to friend, pal, or even buddy But now it sounds natural Now that me mate is gone I saw his picture the other day and it startled me There it was under a pile of my daughter’s books The Great Big Enormous Toshi Stephen Colbert’s I am a Pole and So Can … [Read more...]

I hope all the dads, granddads and stepdads out there had a great day yesterday. I hope you were surrounded by love and everyone laughed at your silly jokes just to make you feel good. It's kinda scary, there are some guys who read this blog, some who I even know in real life, every time I start on about menopause, my boob size or other "too … [Read more...]

Managed to work on the days I was called in for my casual job. Completed the fire training course for that casual job - apparently I'm now allowed onto fire grounds to report on bushfires! Took the girls to a Kate Miller Heidke concert. Stayed strong for my grieving friend. Sorted out a blog redesign (coming soon folks). Crawled through … [Read more...]

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; W B Yeats Grief is a tumultuous rollercoaster ride. I've always hated rollercoasters. The wind is blowing a gale force this morning which does nothing to help our … [Read more...]

Dear Simon I need you to do something. Our friend Alex joined you yesterday. You need to find him and make sure he's OK. He'll be a little confused, given he's an atheist and all, so the whole heaven thing might be a bit of a shock for him. For the purpose of these letters I assume you are in heaven. (Although you did always have poor sense … [Read more...]

  Dear Simon, Has heaven gotten a little funnier this week? Robin Williams left us, so if you run into him say hi. I wonder if famous people get to mix with ordinary folk once they get to heaven? These are the questions I ponder now. I had another dream. This time you were mucking around with the kids in the lounge room. Then for some … [Read more...]