Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 36, 2025 i that's life!

Ashley was pulled into machinery in a freak farm accident Ashley Lawrence, 35 Pulling on my gumboots, I headed out to the paddock beside my home. ‘Ready to get started?’ I called out to my husband Colson, 35, as he jumped into the tractor. It was August 2024 and we were doing some DIY, adding a gate to the pig pen on our family farm. My daughter Emma, then three, was playing in the pasture nearby. ‘Stay where I can see you,’ I warned her, as Colson and I turned our attention to digging the holes for new gateposts. Colson had added the auger attachment – a 1.5m high by 30cm wide spiral with a point used to drill holes – to the back of the tractor. As the machine…

Elaine transfers the remains of late loved ones into masterpieces Elaine Murray, 54 Blending the blotches of aqua and cerulean onto the white canvas, I stepped back to admire my work. It was July this year and I’d painted calming blue waves crashing against a white sandy shore. ‘It’s stunning,’ I smiled to myself, pleased. But unlike the usual abstract artwork, I’d mixed acrylic paints with ashes. Growing up, I relished arts and crafts. My parents Carol – an artist – and Christopher were supportive of my hobby, buying me special pens and crayons. ‘You’re a little artist,’ Mum would beam, hanging up my drawings on the fridge. After graduating from high school, I moved to the city where I worked at a stockbrokers before moving into a media role,…

SEND US YOUR CLEVER IDEAS When grocery shopping, try breaking down costs by serving size. If one meal’s ingredients cost $10, that’s $2.50 each for a family of four – cheaper than takeaway. Karen Doyle, Parramatta, NSW Soak lemon or orange peel in a jar of vinegar for two weeks, then strain and dilute with water for an all-natural multipurpose cleaner. Sandra Holloway, Frankston, Vic Remove balled-up lint from clothing by gently scraping it with a safety razor. Chris Stevens, Fremantle, WA Try a new use for... an ice cube tray ■ Organise your jewellery, using each cube to store rings, earrings and chains. ■ Chop leftover fresh herbs, place them in the tray, cover with water or olive oil, and freeze to use in cooking later. ■ Fill cubes…

IT STARTS WITH A QUESTION This year, R U OK? Day falls on September 11. Think of it as a reminder to check in with yourself and your loved ones to make sure they’re doing okay mentally and emotionally. This year, R U OK? is encouraging people to ask this all too important question on any day of the year, through regular and meaningful conversations with your loved ones. To find out more about how you can get involved in this worthy cause, visit ruok.org.au Music to my ears If you’re in need of a mood booster, try blasting some music. Research has shown that listening to music you enjoy releases dopamine, the feel-good hormone, while reducing cortisol, the stress hormone. It also helps to regulate your nervous system, and…

Katrina’s brother came to visit her – after he passed Katrina Hawker, 51, Ravenswood, WA Bye, Granny. See you soon,’ I said, giving my grandma Nelly, 90, a warm hug. Granny was the mother of Patrick, my stepfather, who I called Dad. He and my mum, Valerie, were living in Turkey at the time for Dad’s mining job, so I’d been visiting Granny every week at her nursing home. As she’d recently fallen, I visited her more often. When I left she seemed in good spirits. Afterwards, I rang Dad. ‘Granny seems happy,’ I reassured him. It was January 2002 and I was 28. The next day my boyfriend, Andrew, and I headed off to Augusta, WA, for a two-week holiday. Just two hours into our journey, the matron of…

WE PAY FOR EACH PHOTO USED Archie chilling out on a comfy chair! Marilyn Waddington, Labrador, Qld Bubble wants to go on holiday and is already in the car seat. Alison Buys, Butler, WA It’s great to be a winner. Thanks that’s life! for the knife prize! Peter White, Queenstown, NZ WINNERS ARE GRINNERS WHAT’S ODD? PUZZLE $50 CASH HOW TO WIN... This scene is from the film Judy. We’ve tinkered with the image and added something that doesn’t appear in the original scene (7). Write the name of the object that doesn’t belong on the entry coupon and you could be a winner. Turn to entry coupon (p50) to enter! My chihuahuas Buster Bear and Muffin with my daughter’s Pomeranian pups Fox and Mochi. Milly Smith, via email Me…

CONTENT WARNING: FAMILY VIOLENCE Lee is fighting to change the law after her daughter was tragically killed Lee Little, 71, Melbourne, Vic The magnetic smile spread across my daughter, Alicia’s face. ‘He’s spoiling me, Mum,’ she grinned showing me another gift from her new partner Charles. I should have been pleased that my beautiful bubbly daughter, then 37, had found love. But mother’s intuition told me I couldn’t trust Charles. Overly affectionate and generous, his behaviour felt over the top to me. Alicia had always drawn people to her like a moth to a flame. As a young girl, she and her older brothers, Bronson and Heith, travelled with me and my hubby, Bronco, in the circus. Alicia loved working with the animals and was a talented aerialist. As she…

Taking a sip of her margarita, Penny, 30, felt warm and fuzzy. ‘This has been such a beautiful holiday,’ she said to her beau, Jake, 28. Both living in Brisbane, Qld, they decided to celebrate three months of dating with a long weekend in Noosa. Beau clinked her glass. Moments later, the waiter brought the bill. ‘I’ll get it,’ Jake winked. ‘Thanks,’ Penny smiled. ‘Actually, I left my wallet in the room,’ he said when he checked his pockets. Penny was falling for Jake, except for one very annoying flaw – he never paid for anything! No matter the scenario, he always found a way out of paying. He’d either forget his credit card, claim his phone wallet ‘tap and go’ wasn’t working, or he didn’t have any coins for…

JAILHOUSE ROMANCE Feeling bored, single girl Paige Nicole signed up to a penpal site called Write A Prisoner. Spying a particular profile belonging to ‘bad boy’ named Joseph, Paige was immediately taken with his attractiveness. He was ‘super hot,’ she told The Sun. At the time, in February 2021, Paige – who had a five-year-old and a job as a healthcare worker – wasn’t looking for anything serious. But she wrote Joseph a letter, then keenly waited for his response. When mail arrived from him soon after and Paige read his reply, that was it for her… she was head over heels in love. After continuing their relationship on paper, the couple finally met in person that December. During Paige’s brief visit to the prison they shared their first hug,…

Aries March 21-April 20 Feeling uncertain about where to take a fresh idea, new partnership or financial freebie? Once you streamline your quicksilver thinking and explore those recommended options, you’re on a roll. A relative takes a terrific turn. LUCKY NUMBERS 10, 15, 32 Taurus April 21-May 21 After seriously considering what you want to keep and what needs to be abandoned, Taurus, you’re ready for your next magical life phase. Does a newly ignited business, recent hobby or standout talent have lucrative legs? LUCKY NUMBERS 22, 30, 41 Gemini May 22-June 21 Once you realise how being apart from someone doesn’t mean it has to be the end of your connection, Gemini, it’s time to plug into those moneymaking activities. Wandering off the beaten path works well for a…

With the odds stacked against her, Zaria waited years to become a mum Zaria Assal, 35, South West Sydney, NSW When my period arrived on time, as per usual, my heart sank. ‘Am I ever going to be a mum?’ I sighed, defeated, to my husband, Moustafa, then 25. Tying the knot four years earlier in 2011, we’d always dreamed of becoming parents. Being young and healthy, I assumed it wouldn’t take long. But now it was 2015, and after four years of trying for a bub with no luck, I decided to visit a gynaecologist. After several tests, including one to check my fallopian tubes, she delivered shocking news. ‘You have a unicornuate uterus,’ she said, explaining the rare genetic condition causes only half the uterus to form. In…

An a-MAZE-ing proposal! Caroline Liggett was on cloud nine after her boyfriend, farmer Tim Sullivan, took his marriage proposal to new heights… literally, popping the question when they were on a flight above his property. What Caroline thought was a private flying lesson quickly turned into an unforgettable moment when she glanced out the window to see Will You Marry Me, Caroline? spelled out in the field below them. With the help of a computerised tractor, Tim and his team had begun planting in June, and within weeks his important message stood out in the rows of corn. And, thankfully, Caroline said yes. ‘I wanted to do something big, something she’d never forget,’ Tim told ABC6. ‘Seeing her face when she realised what it said – I’ll never forget that…

Country cop Mark has seen it all from his time in the police force Mark Tregellas, 64, Mallacoota, Vic Balling my hand into a fist, I knocked on the door. Red and blue lights flashing behind me illuminated the woman’s face as she peeked out. ‘I’m so sorry, there’s been an incident involving your son,’ I told her gently, my police hat in hand. Her son was just weeks away from his 21st birthday when his car tragically crashed into a tree. The woman’s face crumpling, tears streamed down her cheeks. Everyone in the small town of Portland, Vic, knew each other. And as the area’s senior leading constable, I knew no-one wanted a knock on the door from me at 2am. I’d been a cop for over two decades,…

Dear that’s life! When my daughter became a single mum of three, her dad and I set up a bank account to help cover the children’s school needs and medical or dental costs. Now the kids are grown up, one of them keeps asking us for money. We agreed to help him buy a car, but he’s been slow to pay that back and has since asked for help with paying a bond and then getting furniture. We’d really like to enjoy our retirement without this extra burden, but don’t want to cause any bad feeling. How do we close the bank of nan and pop? What do I do? Make a plan I’d do anything to help my grandkids. Explain to him that money borrowed has to be returned.…