So, for a few months now I've been using Grammarly. It was actually recommended to me by one of my fanfic readers - as my fanfictions are entirely unedited and therefore - a bit of a mess. Honestly, having readers who stick around to read my unedited works continues to be the greatest honour I've had as a writer.

‘What the…?’ I exclaimed surprised. A wet nose nudged my cheek and a soft purr hummed in my ear. Sylvie was pleased with herself at having leapt up onto my shoulder. From now on, this would be a ritual. Every time I went out to water plants, Sylvie would leap onto my back and claw her way onto my shoulders.

The October Newsletter for Tea&Whiskers!

A family of four, Dad, son, Mum and daughter, strode along the jetty into the setting sun. There was a purpose in their stride and the set of their shoulders. Father and son marched ahead, while mother and daughter brought up the rear. All were laden with crab-nets, fishing rods, buckets of food, bait and bags.

Tea&Whiskers Newsletter for the Month of September

So last night my current host student was showing me how she makes stunningly beautiful collages to post on Instagram - using an array of different apps, tools and media - all very fascinating stuff I had no idea about.

Recently, my current host student introduced me to a game called Sky: Children of the Light, and I say this - hand on my heart - it has become my favourite game. I don't say that lightly - for the longest time, Kingdom Hearts has kept that spot, followed by Death Stranding, and then came Baldur's Gate III, which upended the apple cart. And now...Sky...wow...

Stars – there are trillions of them. Stars are being born every day, it seems. But we are unaware because they are so far away, and their light takes many light-years to reach us. There are the human stars of TV, films, the sports arena, the music industry, even God.

We found him sitting in an experimental shaft dug into the wall of an opal mine. It was just above the water level of an abandoned cutting that had flooded when the miner excavated for opal. The hydrologist was reading the paper; several books lay strewn beside him.

Dear Grandma, I will miss you. Every time I sit down to write this, I find myself overcome with tears, filled with the realisation of just how much of a cornerstone you were in my life. Your quiet, gentle and warm radiance I have always known. Since the day I was born, you were there, like the most gentle touch of sunshine, always watching and always caring.

Children ran every which way, many of them in just their birthday suit. They were to sit on the floor at the front of the hall so they could see but none took any responsibility for them, and they ran amok. Crocodile Dundee was showing, and the whole town attended. The building, a tin shed, was called the Progress Hall. The noise level was rising; soon, the roof would lift off.

A question I often get asked is 'Where do you get your ideas from?' And it's a difficult question to answer on the spot. I tend to give a vague answer like 'oh, you know, they just come to me.' Which - technically - that's true. But it is a little more complicated and convoluted than that, and it does tend to take time for a story to mature to the point of being 'readable'.

So, you may notice some changes have been made around here. The old website outlay was getting a bit clunky and outdated.

SEVEN POINTS OF LIGHT ‘Contrast is what makes photography interesting,’ states Conrad Hall and what better way for the beginning photographer to create contrast than the use of light and shadow. Morning light produces tender beautiful light and is sought by photographers. To catch early-morning light calls for an early rise, when the alarm is set, warm clothes worn. Our camera bag is packed the day before. The colour is soft, delicate and mysterious. The hard angles in the la

Kylie talks about her recent keloid scar and radiation surgery...

Poetry by Gwen Leane

There is something sinister that I have been noticing online recently whenever I open my Instagram, which I will admit, is rare these days for the very reason that I find it a place of depressing toxicity. Creatives seem so angry, bitter and upset because of the rise of AI - and don't get me wrong, I completely, 100% understand the lamenting and ALL the concerns. This is not me dismissing those AT ALL....

Kylie went to see He-Man: Masters of the Universe - here are some of her thoughts about the movie.

Thursday Brew with Gwen Unbowed by Adversity Ramrod stiff, like a soldier on parade Pride in every limb, Unbowed by drought or flood, Through countless years, the eucalypt grew tall. A chaotic spread of trash Lay about its feet Rotting down, providing nutrient Against the day of want. A king amongst its kind, An ageless living column, A home for bird and possum Shade and shelter for the traveller I sat beneath this sovereign gum Listening to its heart beat strong I hear

A story from the life of Bruce and Gwen Leane about the their adventures and finding mateship alive in the Australian outback.