DEAR Jasminda, MY 70-year-old mother has expressed an interest in learning the electric guitar. How can I encourage her to try something more age-appropriate? Gerard H. Dear Gerard, Well, don’t you sound like a wet sock. And when I say wet sock, I mean one of those sports socks that ends up stuck behind the […]
DEAR Jasminda, I HAVE been going really well with my eating and exercise plan, but over Easter it went out the window. I’m feeling very guilty and disillusioned. Fiona W. Dear Fiona, This is completely relatable, and I’m sure many of our readers will be feeling post-Easter remorse. In a 24-hour period, I somehow managed […]
DEAR Jasminda, THE cost of fuel is ridiculous. How do I make travel arrangements to my work and my gym and my social engagements when it is so expensive? Leanne M. Dear Leanne, It is hard not to feel particularly vulnerable at the moment, when there are many external factors impacting domestically. A trip around […]
DEAR News Of The Area, JASMINDA’S answer to Georgia D (1 April edition) is wonderful and full of wisdom. My life has changed since I accepted the Philosophy of Absurdism, which is, we really do not know what is going on. Quantum Field Theory and the fact that we could be living in a dream […]
DEAR Jasminda, How do we cope when there is so much chaos in the world? It feels as though every new day brings a worse news story than the day before. Georgia D. Dear Georgia, There is no point denying that the world feels as though it is in a massive state of flux at […]
DEAR News Of The Area, OWEN Nicholson was a man who rarely, if ever, said “no.” His response was more likely to be, “We can do that – not a worry.” That simple phrase captured the spirit of a man whose unwavering dedication, tireless commitment, and generous contribution to the Dungog district inspired everyone who […]
DEAR Jasminda, I PUT a collectible item on Facebook Marketplace. A man offered to buy it. He also paid a deposit, so I marked it as sold. He said he couldn’t attend the first pick up date, then said he was sick, and now he wants to meet me at a halfway point with cash. […]
