Uncontactable

Only comfortable if you're in charge

Illustration by the brilliant @lianafinck - please check her out.

I lost my phone this week. In the kitchen. I’m so embarrassed about it. Like it’s really lost. The house has been turned inside out. It’s nowhere. It’s a mystery and an uncomfortable one. I’m sure all of us have misplaced our phones at some point in time and know the discomfort that this brings: ‘what if someone is urgently trying to contact me?’ Even if it’s only for a few hours, it’s not a relaxing moment in life.

All in all, my emotion has been anger at how beholden I am to my device - and also huge frustration that I could not for the life of me locate the darn thing. It’s a direct reflection of my own domestic mental load. I am forever hiding sweet treats, ipads, my own phone, presents etc etc. There are so many hiding places, that the ‘hiding places’ are no longer cutting it and so I make new ones up on a whim; and promptly forget!

In a huff, I trundled myself off to Canberra and brought a new device outright. While I was driving there (1.5 hours) I festered on how stupid this whole thing was. I was reeling with rhetorical questions like; How can a period of no more than 12 hours without a phone have such a huge effect on me? Do I really need it? That’s it, I’m off social media, I’m not doing it anymore!, I’m definitely having a technology sabbath, and on it goes. I got the new phone - but for boring reasons could not get a new sim-card, so no-one can call me. It’s unsettling but I’m starting to not hate it. This, I think, is called the comedown of an addiction. I suppose we never stop to think much about this and I doubt my habits will change but this is my realisation for the week.

Ohhffftttt - That was a rant wasn’t it? From this point forward there is only enjoyable things to consume here. Have a gorgeous Sunday (maybe without the phone?). Sxx

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Podcast Playlist

Here’s what I know: an awesome 5 - 10 min podcast series by ABC from Life Matters. This one with Marieke Hardy on why she always takes a book to dinner.

Janette Winterson and Kate Grenville on the gift of writing. RN The Book Show. It’s about AI.

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Lay your eyes on these Instagram accounts

@pattipinkcake (shockingly hilarious) || @lucyalicehome || @thecobblervillage

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This pile of things to read

- Finding beauty and benefit in the domestic life. OMG this is so good right down to the making x2 big arrangements of flowers in the house each day. Helen Hayward’s book; Home Work; Essays on Love and Housekeeping has been added to cart.

- The Catch Up is a weekly newsletter by Grace Ryan, editor of the Central West Daily - although she lives in Nyngan and works remotely. I’ve just signed up but cannot wait to get amongst it.

- 12 lessons from 12 years of serious meditation

- Annnnnnnnd my favourite

Stephanie Wood

is back in the newsletter world with Vamp. She’s just starting out on Substack so go on over and say hi to here there! Her idea is for the newsletter to be like the magazine from the weekend papers.

-Additionally Stephanie’s book, Fake, has been made into a TV series ft Asher Keddie. It’s based on Stephanie’s true story of a heartbreakingly deceptive relationship with ‘Grazier’ she met via a dating app. It’s getting some awesome reviews like this: ‘The best Australian drama in years, Fake surgically dissects a sham romance’. It’s out on July 4.

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We released a trailer for our new podcast about the Olympics: Paddock To Paris this week. No-one seems to have found it yet - (23 listens at last count) - we’d love your support ina ‘subscribe’ as we are pretty excited about this one!

Keep an eye out this week; Our first episode with rower, Laura Gourley from near Tamworth will be coming out this week. She was an absolute delight to talk to. I’ve been blown away by how chilled out all the athletes have been - and not an inch of ego.