Innehållsförteckning för TAK2334 från Take 5

Emma Burns, 37. Lightning flashed across the sky, sending my heart racing. “Come back inside,” my mum, Rebecca, urged. “But it’s so beautiful,” I protested, looking at the darkening sky. I was six years old and loved nothing more than sitting on our veranda in Sydney’s southwest watching storms. When the movie, Twister, came out, I watched it so many times my VHS copy was almost worn out and, while some kids looked forward to sunny days, it thrilled me when the weather was wild and unpredictable. As I grew up, my love of storms didn’t go away – in fact, it got stronger. I’d heard all about how intense they could be in the United States, so at 32, I booked a 10-day storm-chasing tour in Oklahoma City. The…

Samantha Wilson, 57. Peering out of the window, I felt my heart thump faster at the sight of the handsome young man approaching my front gate. “Just popping out, won’t be long,” I called to my mum. It was 1982 and I was 15. Adrian, 17, and I were childhood sweethearts, but Mum wasn’t keen on him, so we were forced to meet in secret. The two of us drifted apart In time, the two of us drifted apart and I heard he went on to marry. Then when I was 20, we reconnected and I learned that Adrian was now divorced. We picked up right where we’d left off. “I always wanted to be with you,” I told him. Five years later, in 1991, we married. Adrian was one…

Shirley Brookes, 60. I sat in the car and started to cry. “I need help,” I wept. It was 2013 and I’d just attended an information session about addiction. But it wasn’t for me, it was to help my 22-year-old son, Sam. A few weeks earlier, my husband, Grant, 52, and I had paid for him to go into rehab for the second time. “I promise I’ll get better,” Sam had told us. For the last three years, he’d been battling an addiction to drugs and alcohol – something Grant and I had never expected would happen. Growing up, Sam had always been a very quiet and sweet-natured boy. But during his teens, he often felt lost in life and lacked confidence. At the age of 18, he’d started to…

Melissa*, 36, Balaclava, Vic. My dad, Peter, sighed. “There’s a lot to do,” he said sadly. My younger sister Kate, 34, and I were at our childhood home visiting Dad. Mum had died unexpectedly from a heart attack a year before at only 65 years old. Since then, Dad had decided he wanted to downsize to a smaller house, but he found packing up daunting so Kate and I had offered to help. “You start with your bedroom, and I’ll start with mine,” Kate suggested, handing me a cardboard box. Mum had been sentimental and kept everything. Going through all my childhood toys was like taking a trip down memory lane. Boxes of Sylvanian Families figurines jostled alongside Barbie paraphernalia. Scrounging in the back of my wardrobe, my hand grazed…

Family mystery At a recent family gathering we started talking about traditions and my granny, Violet, 97, let us in on a secret. “I put a silver sixpence in the pudding every year. Then whoever got the coin in their slice would have good luck for the rest of the year,” Granny said. We all nodded, remembering the tradition fondly. “Well, one year I put the coin in and waited for someone to say they found it, but no-one did. I knew someone must have swallowed it. Grandpa always said it would happen and I didn’t want him to know he was right, so I said I’d found the coin.” None of us have any idea who swallowed it, but it gave us a good laugh. Gemma Weston, Waratah, NSW.…

There’s no denying the popularity of devices and computers with kids, but with this comes the risk of online threats. Kelly Johnson, Australian manager for cybersecurity software company ESET, says while it’s impossible to watch our kids while they’re online, here’s how you can keep them safe: BE PREPARED “What this means is ensuring password and device security, parental controls and all software applications are up-to-date so you have multiple layers of protection,” Kelly says. Make sure your child’s devices have the relevant parental control levels to protect them from accessing age-inappropriate material. If you are sharing devices with multiple accounts, ensure the other accounts are logged out. Kelly also says it’s critical that all apps and software are running with the latest updates. Change your passwords regularly and consider…

Victoria Brooke, 46, Mackay, Qld. Putting the wine glass down, I buried my head in my hands. “Something has to change,” I sighed to myself. I was 43, overweight, lonely and miserable. My husband, Kurt, worked in the mines, while I ran my own bridal hair and make-up business and was busy with our two daughters Courtney, 15, and Sienna, 12. But over the years, I’d taken to drinking heavily. I was destroying my marriage and felt isolated and depressed. The next morning, I decided enough was enough. I stopped drinking and started seeing a psychologist. She suggested exercise would improve my mental health. “Think about doing something that will bring you joy,” she said. I remembered how much I’d loved dancing as a kid. I’d practised jazz dance until…

Hi Take 5ers, When I recently visited my daughter, we had a laugh as we swiped through the profiles of men on her dating app. When I got home, I thought it might be interesting to see what kind of single men were in my neighbourhood and downloaded it. I was devastated to discover that my own husband of 36 years has a profile on there. If I confront him about this, I’m afraid he won’t believe that I only got the app for entertainment purposes. What should I do? Michelle*, 60. AreYOU in a tricky situation? Why not write in and let our readers help you out. We’ll pay $50 for every question printed. Our contact details are on page 73. Maybe he thought it would be interesting to…

Kim Prosser, 47, Melton, Vic. Sitting at the pub with a glass of wine in hand, I watched my date arrive. “Cameron?” I asked as he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. “Nice to meet you,” he said, smiling. It was July 2022 and I’d met Cameron, 44, on a singles Facebook page. As a single mum of four children, Dylan, 22, Tyler, 20, Flynn, 17, and Charlyze, 16, and a full-time nurse, I’d been out of the dating game for over 15 years. In those years, I’d focused so much on my kids and making ends meet that my wellbeing had fallen by the wayside. I was overweight and suffered health problems like migraines and was at risk of a heart attack. But four months earlier, I…

Tony Armit, 90, North Auckland, NZ. Drilling into the kauri log, I stepped back to admire my handiwork. “It’s taking shape,” I said, proudly. I was 18 and building my own yacht from scratch, after watching and helping others. I’d always been fascinated with sailing and in 1954, at age 21, my yacht, Marco Polo, named after the Italian explorer, was complete. A rugby mate from college, Brian Loe, who I called Tig, said he’d accompany me on a trip to Australia. We wanted to meet Jack Earl, the first Australian to have sailed around the world, to get some pointers off him. We set off with a boat full of dried goods and £50 between us. We had no life jackets, four ancient flares and a borrowed life ring.…

Emma Burns, 37. Lightning flashed across the sky, sending my heart racing. “Come back inside,” my mum, Rebecca, urged. “But it’s so beautiful,” I protested, looking at the darkening sky. I was six years old and loved nothing more than sitting on our veranda in Sydney’s southwest watching storms. When the movie, Twister, came out, I watched it so many times my VHS copy was almost worn out and, while some kids looked forward to sunny days, it thrilled me when the weather was wild and unpredictable. As I grew up, my love of storms didn’t go away – in fact, it got stronger. I’d heard all about how intense they could be in the United States, so at 32, I booked a 10-day storm-chasing tour in Oklahoma City. The…

While colds and flu can feel like an inevitable part of winter, there are steps you can take to decrease your chances of getting sick. Dr Priya Chagan, general manager of health services at TAL, says there are some simple lifestyle adjustments we can all make to stay fighting fit. KEEP YOUR STEPS UP It’s long been known that regular, moderateintensity exercise not only helps your immune system, but also your overall health and wellbeing. Staying active over the winter months helps your body to fend off illness. Try starting with a walk at least three times a week. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE AND PRACTICE HYGIENE Hygiene practices adopted during COVID appear to have gone out the window post-pandemic. But one of the most effective ways to avoid illness is to practice…

My dog kept scratching the front door so I put some clear contact over the bottom panels. Ashley Leong, Mackay, Qld. When my grandkids are here, I pour pancake mixture into cookie cutter shapes in the frying pan. They love eating the fun shapes! Marilyn Levy, Southport, Qld. Sprinkling parsley leaves on tomato plants will help protect them from pests. Janine Russell, Werribee, Vic. Every week we set a family goal of visiting a new place in our city we haven’t been to yet. It’s a great way to get more out of your weekends. Taylor Jones, Sunnybank, Qld. I have a pretty pink lip balm that I sometimesmes use as highlighterhter on my cheeks. Works nicely! Leigh Watson, West Auckland, NZ. Old tins are great storage canisters for pens,…

Jennifer Jefferies, 62, Gold Coast, Qld. Paddling towards the wave rising in front of me, I jumped up onto my board. As I glided through the water, I threw my arms up in the air triumphantly. “Woo hoo!” I screamed, as a feeling of pure bliss took over my body. It was 2019, and at 58, I’d just surfed my first unbroken green wave. I was so grateful for the moment two years earlier, when my assistant, Shane, 30, suggested we learn to surf. “Sure, why not?” I replied. I was in my mid-50s and had never considered surfing before, but that wasn’t going to stop me. Working as a naturopath, I was passionate about encouraging women to step up and not let their age hold them back in life.…