Travels with Our Aunt

‘What a lot of traveling you have done in your day, Aunt Augusta’. ‘I haven’t reached nightfall yet’. In the 1969 book ‘Travels With My Aunt‘ the main character is a rather lacklustre retired Bank Manager Henry Pulling, whose main occupation is tending to his dahlias. At his mother’s funeral his Aunt Augusta sweeps in (whom he has never met) and proposes a little trip. She laments that her traveling days have been curtailed. ‘Ah’ says Henry ‘Age strikes... Read More

The town everyone forgot…

Last weekend I spent 2 days in Gundagai with my man, and were so very pleasantly surprised. I had driven past Gundagai many times over the years but had never driven into the town. Arguably best known from the song “track winding back”, there is also much history to this lovely town on the Murrumbidgee. Floods, the relocating of the town up into the hills, Captain Moonlight (heralding from Co Tyrone in Northern Ireland like our Dad), the bridges, the painted hotel,... Read More

Dilettante or Demented?

Why not both? I am heading off to the launch of the MIFF programme, like the opening of an envelope only better, this is about the launch of a list of films… but really – what to wear? It’s a very cool Melbourne event that is a lead up to the Opening Night of MIFF, an even cooler Melbourne event. Oh dear goddess, two outfits? Maybe the same one? Will anyone but me care? Do I do black cool ‘I couldn’t care any less darling’? Do I do hip cool... Read More

Red in the Face…

I don’t live on a high horse like some of my sisters, however I’m happy to make the climb to my high horse when required. I do like things to be a little bit real so when I saw a Red Rooster ad recently I raised one eyebrow until it hurt. The ad shows a woman about to start demolishing an inside wall in a house with a (big) hammer (get correct name here).  Decked out in all the home renovation fashion, complete with safety goggles and steel-capped boots,  she winds... Read More

Pink Perspective

After a long drive to Sydney from home, I felt super sluggish and knew I had to get the body moving. Exercise is a real motivator for me and I knew how much better I would feel after a brisk walk. I set off in the lovely late Autumn afternoon sunshine and was getting up a fair pace, breathing deeply, filling my lungs, pleasant thoughts flooding my mind as the endorphins went to work. A car full of young men approached me. Okay, I was feeling blissful (pink), in a state of nirvana, ready... Read More

Jill and the Pudding Doll

Do you remember honorary Aunty Jill, her dimples and stories? She is as engaging as a dinner party host who can’t remember your name and doesn’t want you to know… mind you Jill doesn’t forget much! I last met Jill on the train to the big smoke… “Oh darling, you’ll never guess where I’ve been!”, turns out she had spent the last hour on the roof of her house. She had lost a ‘pudding doll’, and proceeded to reel me in,... Read More

What would you do if…

… the driver of the car in front of you had a seizure? Having been a First Aider for about 10 years, I’ve never had to use it. Until yesterday. My hubby Stephen, also a first aider (who weirdly, and for no real reason, had just been reading the First Aid booklet in the glove box), and I were traveling back from the coast, when we came upon an unfolding emergency. The  driver in the car in front of us had an epileptic seizure, and, unlike TV shows, we found... Read More

The Competitive Nature of Us

There is a competitive/compulsive side to our family. Sometimes obvious, extravert almost, and other times just an inner challenge that no one knows or would even care to know.  Here are some starters … Yesterday, on an early morning walk, I saw another walker in front of megoing at a good pace.  The challenge was on and I accelerated.  I felt the thrill of the chase as I lengthened my stride and her dog looked over it’s shoulder at me. I didn’t seem to be... Read More

A Woman in Her Prime

There is a lovely old novel about a school teacher, set in England pre WW2 . The main character is a Miss Jean Brodie and well  … in her prime. The book is called ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ by Muriel Spark and it is deliciously discussed here in an episode of The First Tuesday Book Club. The wonderful Maggie Smith, a woman forever in her prime, stared in the movie in 1969. We never do get to learn Miss Brodie’s age – when queried she would simply state... Read More

Keep Warm Dahlings

I have recently purchased an item, that, in the past, I had completely turned my nose up at. I had dismissed it as an item of total daggy-ness, rather than the item of luxury and/or necessity it truly deserves to be called….. Oh how wrong can a woman be? Well, enter the: Dressing Gown… Yes, ladies do believe your eyes….a dressing gown…who knew that it would become my most cherished item, and it all happened so quickly? I had no idea what I had been missing out... Read More

Mum Sayings

"I wonder what the poor people are doing?"
"Did you see anyone you liked better than yourself?"
"I've had that new coat forever."
"Go on, you deserve it."

Yummy Aunties…

We demand more Auntys reveal themselves... Email the Valet... valet@theaunties.com.au