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Two Years on The Grief Journey

April 18, 2016 By Janine 8 Comments

Flowers on the Grave

So it turns out this grief thing doesn't have an end date. The calendar says it's been two years but our hearts still feel like it was yesterday. You've got no idea the number of people who drown, this summer has been a particularly bad one. I want to pass a law that nobody goes onto a beach without a life jacket. It seems there's a lot of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grief Tagged With: death, Grief

Christmas 2015

January 6, 2016 By Janine 4 Comments

Christmas when someone is missing can be a tough gig. Robin Bailey wrote about the lead up to her second christmas since her husband's death on Mamamia. While Christine Rasmusen on Second Firsts had some great advice for those struggling to deal with the holiday season. This year was our second christmas since we lost Simon.For the first time we … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, Grief Tagged With: Christmas, Grief

And So I’ll Stand

January 19, 2015 By Janine 2 Comments

 By Brett Goshorn He never sat on the sidelines, He always stood, And I never paid much attention to it. But as the years passed, I found myself dragging an extra chair, To the weekly ritual of the round ball. Where it would be thrown on the cold earth, Unused, Wrapped in its shroud. The ladies loved to sit. And that was fine. Blankets, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grief Tagged With: Grief, Soccer

So There’s A Right Way To Do This?

July 17, 2014 By Janine 7 Comments

I managed to catch a bit of Offspring last night. I know it's a national crime but I've never watched the show. It appears Nina, who lost her husband at the end of the last season, is more advanced in her grieving process than I am. I tuned in just as she was having mad, passionate sex with some tall, dark handsome guy on her kitchen table. My … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Grief, Offspring

Then The Dance Was Over

July 13, 2014 By Janine 31 Comments

We spent some twenty-six years with our lives entwined. We were friends, a couple, formally husband and wife, then (god help us) parents. Twenty to Forty-Six it's a big chunk of time spent in each others company. We were always a mismatched pair, big picture girl, detail orientated bloke. I liked things to happen, you hated change. I live in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family Living Tagged With: Grief

30 Days Done and Dusted

June 30, 2014 By Janine 8 Comments

Yippee. Doing a happy dance. I've posted every day for thirty days. Clearly not some of best work (although there were moments where there a sign of the old me in there), and I seem to have developed an obsession with all things death related (sorry, but I don't think I'm done with that topic yet). I've realised writing at night (which started … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Grief

Thank You To A Stranger

June 28, 2014 By Janine 1 Comment

Tacking Point Lighthouse

On the day Simon died somebody had seen him fishing and a little while later noticed his gear was still on the rocks but he wasn't. That was the person who called in the rescue guys. There is no doubt in my mind that the reason his body was recovered was because of that person's vigilance and action. At the time the girls and I met with the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Grief

Missing

June 27, 2014 By Janine 9 Comments

There was someone missing this week. Someone who should have been there to celebrate the life milestone of a daughter getting a licence. Someone who should have sat me after the Senior Soiree, where his daughter displayed her art and sang her heart out, dissecting the evening with pride. Someone who should have suffered with me through … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Grief

Maudlin

June 23, 2014 By Janine 2 Comments

Feeling maudlin tonight ... perhaps having Nick Cave as my youtube mix was ... well just ridiculous. Then I wandered into this ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDXWclpGhcg But it did lead me to this ... which made me laugh (don't watch if you are offended by the F-word 'cause well that's the featured word of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Grief

Letter to the Husband

June 20, 2014 By Janine 10 Comments

Dear Simon, How's things with you? All harp music and fluffy clouds? Just a few things you've missed, the Blues won Origin, Ford has sacked 230 workers so manufacturing is in even more trouble, nobody likes the Lib's budget and Kim Kardashian got married.  Kardashian ... the reality TV ... oh never mind. I took a quiz tonight, the how will … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Grief

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Janine Fitzpatrick is a personal blogger with an untidy house, imperfect children and no celebrity friends.

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Weekend Notes

WATCHINGI went to see Fiona O'Loughlin last night. She's the comedian who survived alcoholism, a two week coma from not realising, in her drunken state, that the heater in the dive she was living in was leaking carbon monoxide.  Then went on to spend … [Read More...]

Weekend Notes

Watching We headed to the movies this weekend and saw the latest Spike Lee film, BlacKkKlansman. It's the story of the first black cop in the Colorado Springs police force, Ron Stallworth, who in the late 70's managed to infiltrate the Ku Klux … [Read More...]

Sleepless

So I've been awake since 3.00am. In that time I've signed the family up for an organizing app which can run a joint calendar, shared shopping and to-do lists and has downloaded a series of recipes that are supposed to make my "what's for dinner" … [Read More...]

Grey stairs.

The Widow Goes On A Date

The last time I went on a first date Bob Hawke was Prime Minister, Liam Hemsworth was being born, Madonna was singing Vogue on the radio, Macaulay Culkin was being left Home Alone and Kevin Costner was Dancing with Wolves. It was a long time ago … [Read More...]

Father with two daughters.

Another Father’s Day

Hi Simon, How's things going up there? Did you have a beer with your Dad for Father's Dad? We blatantly ignored the day here. Just pretended it wasn't happening. We still think about you every day. I didn't post anything on Facebook because it … [Read More...]

Daisy flowers

Hellooo Again

  Hi, I'm just here unwrapping the dust covers, brushing down the spiderwebs and sweeping up the left-over dreams of my tiny little space on the internet. I know I've been gone almost 12-months. I'm not even sure how that happened. A … [Read More...]

A messy scrapbooking desk

Milestone Moments

Hey Simon, Despite my best intentions to ignore the milestones they keep on happening, with or without you. We celebrated your Mum's 80th birthday back in August. A rushed trip of some 1,850 kilometres all up with just four days to do the 9 hour … [Read More...]

Weekend Notes

What have you been up to this weekend? Watching  We caught Home Again in the cinema. It's the latest Reese Witherspoon film.  It's a fun little comedy. Reese plays Alice a just-turned 40 divorcing mum of two. At her birthday drinks she … [Read More...]

Picture of a beach.

Weekend Notes

  As the weekend draws to a close here's a little of what caught my eye in the last 48 hours. Watching Saw Battle of the Sexes the new Emma Stone movie about the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Oh what a time … [Read More...]

A Bag of chips, wine, chocolate, lemonade and magazine. A parody of a bug out bag for the apocalypse.

Could You Survive The Apocalypse?

South Koreans are buying "survival bags" and turning to YouTube for tips on making it through a nuclear blast. The New York Times is writing articles on How To Survive The Apocalypse and the doomsday preppers are starting to look like the smart ones. … [Read More...]

chocolate and wine

Home Alone: The Empty Nest

The empty nest looms in my near future. One more year before the youngest heads out into the world without my micromanaging her every move. I can feel the rotor blades on my helicopter starting to slow.   I heard a whisper of what may … [Read More...]

Weekend Notes

It's a long weekend here in Australia.  So it's been a lazy time. Perfect for some catch-up TV, movies and reading.   Watching I've been enjoying Doctor Doctor it was shot in my old hometown of Mudgee and gosh it's looking … [Read More...]

iVillage

Janine Fitzpatrick is a personal blogger with an untidy house, imperfect children and no celebrity friends. Read More…

Grey stairs.
Father with two daughters.

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