Every morning when I sit at my desk in my living room, I plan to ensure I get out into the sun or whatever weather and stroll about. I plan to take my elderly pooches. I plan it and I’m determined. It’s not happening and it’s odd.

I am 57. Three years until 60. Do I want to retire? Yes! I have so much to do. Retirement from daily paid work would be really freeing. Can I afford to. No! I cannot. At least I don’t think so. I really want to know if it is possible.

I do not want to end us as a fat old woman in a scooter and I’m very much afraid that is where I am heading.

I have severe arthritis. I was diagnosed in my late 20s and practised determined denial for the next 20 years.

This is a tough one. I really struggled with dishonesty. It took a lot of working through for me to understand that lying is a reflection of the liar, not me.

A phone call comes in. It’s my brother. I don’t have a lot of contact with the family that I grew up in, because… I

I have three little dogs. I love them. They are my little buddies and make my life so much better. They keep their little brown eyes on me and are my posse whenever we go out.

Grumpy Baby Bird sat on my steering wheel and glared at me. I had made him a week before and still had not delivered him to his human, Youngest Daughter. He was not impressed.

Awhile ago I wrote about the tree mural I was painting on my wall to create a family tree. I finished it.

It’s raining, it’s pouring, I wish I was still snoring. All the animals are inside, and slightly damp, the visiting teens are inside, and watching telly loudly. The view through my lounge window is of looming grey clouds and rain. All the plants are holding their leaves to the sky and laughing.

Over the past few years, life has changed dramatically. You know, life happens.

I have been keeping a spare room. Daughters have slept in it, mother and friends. It’s been good.

I have good intentions but there is always one more thing to draw, another game to play, one more episode to watch. It’s never, oh I’ll just get these dishes done or I’ll get this floor mopped now. Which would be bizarre but interesting at midnight. No, it’s always play.

I’ve been exploring art. My art. My art, my heart, my words, my stories. Art for my stories and art for art’s sake. I thought I might share a bit of my art, as part of my stories.

As someone passionate about animals, I have a uncomfortable relationship with zoos. We need zoos (or do we?) to learn about animals and protect species from ourselves.

There are not many Quakers in the world yet there has been a disproportionate impact by Quakers, historically, on some of the most contraversial issues.

Today I travelled with my colleagues on Puffing Billy then coffee and lunch and more coffee. Along the way we hung out the train, waived at every passer by and laughed at ourselves. The youngest of us is 30.