I’ve had a fantastic break — I’ve spent most of the last five weeks locked away in the 'Orange City Life' office, alone. Because I have been (almost) finishing writing a book.

When I was very unwell last year and struggling to cope with it all my beautiful husband bought me a journal and told me to write it all down. I spent months venting about how unfair it was, and how scared I was, until April when we went to watch the Air Force Roulettes at Gosling Creek. This was the week before I had radiation, and I was on a stupid restrictive diet that banned coffee, chocolate, seafood, and all bread. I was tired and miserable and while watching the planes I was stung by a wasp.

However, once I got home and opened the journal, I started a list called “good things are always happening to me” and wrote “Today I discovered I’m not allergic to wasps.”

And look, there are a lot of people who say that getting cancer is the best thing to happen to them, because it made them appreciate the small things and see the bigger picture. I am not one of them. Cancer sucks. But I remain determined to be my positive, optimistic self.

And that’s what this book is about... it’s a fiction novel, set here in Orange (the most beautiful city in Australia), about looking on the bright side of life.

So, these last four weeks I’ve turned my journal ramblings into a semi-legible story and it’s been a fun, challenging yet very therapeutic process. And I need to thank my husband and my in-laws for taking time off work so I can concentrate child free.

However, I’d like to mention that Hubby bought Miss 11 an airhorn one day, which is probably the worst parenting mistake he’s ever made. Then the next day he took Miss 11 to Gosling Creek to fly her new remote controlled dragon toy. It seemed to go very well because an hour later he messaged me to ask if we own a hot glue gun.

And today my mother-in-law is taking Miss 11 to get her ears pierced, after texting five times to make sure I’m okay with it. I have asked for a video, because I’m 100 per cent sure she’ll have the first one done then freak out, but we will see.

The girls have been with their grandparents for a week and a half now and the commentary Miss 17 is providing via text has been hilarious. Miss 11 takes a lot of energy to parent, but I miss her vibrancy and cuddles desperately.

Lastly, I need to apologise to all the staff at 'Orange City Life', because Miss 11 walked into town to meet me for lunch one day. We got sushi and brought it back to the office. The next morning, I arrived to find my desk overtaken by ants, converging on the two grains of rice I’d missed. I spent the next three days trying to get rid of them, but I suspect they’re now a permanent office fixture. Perhaps we could give them a column, tracking their gradual takeover of the workplace.

And so, even as I too looked forlornly at the empty 'Orange City Life' stands over Christmas, missing my favourite paper, we’re all back. Refreshed, renewed, and ready for 2026.

I spent most of last year napping on the couch, watching bad reality TV and getting weirdly competitive with wordle, so this year I’m hoping for some fun, some special moments as my girls finish primary and high school respectively, and a great year of storytelling at the paper. And I’m picking my girls up from their grandparents tomorrow, so there’ll be plenty to catch up on next week…