At any give time I will have between two and five notebooks on the run. One for daily lists and work notes, one for flower stuff and the rest are spares or specials. They don’t mean anything to anyone but me - piles of paper there at the ready in case I want to pen my dream novel at a moments notice. It’s a thing I know but if nothing else, surrounding myself with notebooks propels me forward into organisation and work.
I paused reading a piece by Bernard Salt. Some of his mother’s most prized possessions were her notebooks that itemised the weekly costs of running their home in the 1950’s.
“Each page is dated. Each book begins with Da’s wage. Her sums are never crossed out, never corrected. Every penny is accounted for. Her are the workings of a girl who left school at 14.”
It strengthened my resolve to keep my endless pile of notebooks, where previously I have felt like a pure hoarder. Some do go in the bin when I’ve filled the final page. Wince. Mostly, they’re stacked in the old original kitchen building in the middle of our garden with its wooden floorboards, national green pressed tin ceilings, walls of bookcases, a fireplace and two desks. It’s the notebook cemetery, I think. They’re stacked there neatly, waiting to be tossed but not by me. My day-to-day notebooks are kept company by old farm diaries, ABC notebooks, piles of magazines and more notebooks, half filled and caste away. The farm diaires are written by Andy who’s no longer here, so they will never go. My ABC notebooks are justified by the fact they are filled with names and contact numbers of farmers and important people all over Australia - if I ever need those numbers they will be there buried in the books. Out of date and Impossible. As long as they matter to me they will stay, but will they matter to the next in line, the next to repurpose this room for something else? I don’t know. What happens to your’s? Don’t tell me they’re not with you anymore…….
This week’s newsletter is brought to you by Sorority Clothing.
Podcast Playlist
I drove to Sydney this week and listen to nothing more than this episode of Feel Better, Live More; it’s about the proper brain science behind make habits and rituals and also goes deep into communication and how it’s really just key to everything. Brilliant to listen to as a journo, but for anyone really who has relationships.
Loved hearing Hetty McKinnon’s voice on the Morning Person podcast.
15 Minutes with The Boss (The Fin) is a weekly regular for me now - this episode with M&C Saatchi CEO has a heap of takeaways.
Lay your eyes on these Instagram accounts
@nestingwithgrace (addicted) || @saype_artiste || @ladygarden.world
This pile of things to read
Please watch this touching film by @rabbithopfilmssacha - produced in memory of the beautiful, Jess Walker. The Walkers were family friends of our growing up. Everyone in our community remembers, vividly, the time, 20 years ago, when Jess was lost to suicide. In the last 20 years we have learnt a lot about mental health and how to help others, how to speak about it but we still have more to learn, more talking to do and attending a 12 hour Mental Health First Aid Course could be one, easy way to lift the bar.
; Mixed tapes, Hamburger phones (landline), portable TV’s; why are we all finding so much comfort in our ways of the past, and One Day.I think this is what they mean by dopamine decor (Cup of Jo).
Extreme dishwasher loading is a thing: There’s a Facebook group about it. With 29,000 members.
And loved this from Annabelle Hickson for RM Williams.
New newsletters
Signed up to Catherine Newman’s (We All Want Impossible Things) newsletter
: about the 50-something stuff: menopause, semi-grown kids, aging parents, empty-nesting, food, colonoscopies, vaginal estrogen, fun stuff, weed, sex, friendship, writing, insomnia, occasional crafts, dinner, books, rage, grief, autoimmune illness, mindful drinking, holidays, marriage—alllll the stuff. We All Want Impossible Things, and the forthcoming Sandwich (June 2024). You can learn more about me and my writing at my website.Guys. I cannot believe Sorority Clothing has not been in my orbit before now. We’ll be learning lost more about them over the coming weeks - but if you love yourself some LIberty - this is the place, the Australian place to sort yourself out. Pre-orders are open now for the latest range of its bestsellers. Like this divine LilliBet shirt. It’s in the cart.
Have you heard? This with Edwina Bartholomew? Is a real behind the scenes of TV Brekkie Presenter life. If you love our Daily Routines podcast you’ll love this one!
Until next week, dear readers. Sxx
Hi! I am so excited to see both the Liberty clothing and your coverage of Crone Sandwich!!!
How fun! If you have a mo...That's what I cover too, just a bit differently. I interview women passionate about what they do post 45...and I aim to talk to people what have started something new or, professionals we can all benefit from like financial advisors, skin care guru, other bloggers that focus on my age ground like The Empress and The Unspeakable....I'm loving my place in life now as there are so many cool women writing about what used to be taboo! Love your blog, btw...I think I am "Recommending" it!! :) Want to Collab somehow? I a game...