Family

Posts about both sides of my family

My boys and I when we were all so much younger

On being a mother

As an only child and the daughter of an only child, I grew up without siblings or cousins. We moved house many times during my childhood which was hardly the best foundation for building friendships. I longed for a big family. I yearned for large, noisy family gatherings at Sunday

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Family history – we all have a story

The word “history” has its origins in the Greek language, from words which stood for “learned”, “wise man” and “finding out”. One could almost say it is a wise man who finds out and learns about his story. I believe it is important for all of us to find out

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The Courage of Memoir

I am not a courageous person. I will go out of my way to avoid conflict. I will accept responsibility, even for things I haven’t done, to avert tension and unpleasant situations. Although I have been rebellious in many ways, I prefer my rebellions to be private. I don’t often

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Tracing Threads of the Past – Live art performances

Yesterday I visited one of my friend, Luci Callipari-Marcuzzo’s live art performances at the Museo Italiano Language and Cultural Centre in Carlton. For three days Luci has sat at a small table in the entrance to the Museo, dressed in a similar fashion to her ancestors, embroidering much like her

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Pitching to persuade

I’m nearing the end. After three years and ten months of writing and researching, I can almost say I’m finished with the memoir I began after the death of my father. I’m still rewriting and tweaking and cutting and pasting and editing, but it is nearly there. Every ending is

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My mother

Mother’s Day

Every family celebrates special days in various ways and Mother’s Day is no different. Some families gather in cafés for breakfast or brunch. They might meet in restaurants or pubs for lunch or dinner. Other families get together in their mother’s home, or they might bring their mother into their

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