Innehållsförteckning för TAK2549 från Take 5

It was a bit of a shock experiencing winters in Bathurst, NSW, where I went to uni many moons ago. It rarely snowed when I was there but the icy sleet felt freezing and my housemate and I would wear 10 layers and snuggle under blankets near the heater when watching TV. When I lived in London for a bit, it wasn’t much better – the cold rain that hit you sideways, like little needles in your face. The most frozen I’ve ever been though, was watching a snowboarding competition in Queenstown, NZ – that chilled me to my bones and even an extra hot shower didn’t help. But I guess some people are born to love the colder temperatures and snow. Reading Marisa’s story on page 22, she’s clearly…

Sarah Dougherty, 34. Standing behind the reception desk at the optician’s, I watched as my colleague Jim finished with a patient. “That young lady over there will take care of you now,” he said, pointing at me. At 24, I’d just started as an admin assistant, fresh out of uni and still living with my parents. Jim, 60, was an experienced optician who’d worked there for 30 years. Everyone admired him. He had a calm, gentle energy and was always ready with a smile or a joke. Between appointments, he’d often stop by my desk for a chat, and I found myself looking forward to those moments more and more. At the time, I had a boyfriend a year younger than me, but he was immature and unsure what he…

Loz Antonenko, 40, Ipswich, Qld. My husband, Brian, sat on the sofa and sighed heavily. “You all right, love?” I asked him gently. “I feel like such a failure,” he said, placing his face in his hands. “You’re not a failure,” I said softly. “You’re just in a tight spot right now.” It was 2015, and Brian, 29, had left his secure public service job after hitting a career ceiling. He was brilliant at it but wanted more. When he landed a new role in the private sector, he was thrilled – until the sales-driven nature of the job crushed his confidence. After eight months, he was let go, and it hit him hard. Once confident, funny, and full of life, he became withdrawn and anxious. He lost weight, stopped…

Fig, burrata & prosciutto tartine SERVES 4 PREP 5 MINS COOK 10 MINS 4 slices sourdough Olive oil, for drizzling 2 tbsp fig chutney 200g burrata, drained 8 slices of prosciutto 4-6 ripe figs, roughly torn or halved Handful of thyme or oregano, leaves picked Balsamic vinegar, to serve 1 Heat the air fryer to 200°C for 2 mins. Drizzle each side of the bread with a little olive oil, then toast in the fryer basket for 4 mins, turning once, until golden brown. Do this in two batches if necessary. 2 Spread the fig chutney over the toasted bread. Tear or chop the burrata into chunky pieces and arrange on the toast. Create little nests of prosciutto on top, then add the fig pieces. Sprinkle with the thyme or…

Paige Benson, 37, Newcastle, NSW. Placing my knife and fork together on my plate, I smiled at my husband. “That was delicious,” I said. Adam, 41, had been fishing that day in July 2023, and we’d taken his catch to my grandfather Gary’s house for dinner. My daughter Willow, 12, sat opposite me. I noticed the corners of her eyes looked yellow. As a vet nurse, I’d seen many animals with jaundice, but never my own child. “Can I check your eyes?” I asked. “Okay,” she giggled. There was no mistake – they were definitely yellow. “I’m taking her to hospital tonight,” I told Adam. He took our younger kids, Hazel, six, and Otis, four, home while I drove Willow to hospital. “Have you been feeling tired or unwell?” I…

Kirsten Diprose, 40, Caramut, Vic. Three hours after leaving Melbourne’s skyline behind, I pulled up beside an old farmhouse surrounded by an open paddock. Above me, the night sky glittered with more stars than I’d ever seen. “This is beautiful,” I said. It was February 2012, and I was visiting my new boyfriend, Gerard, on his sheep and cropping farm in Caramut, rural Victoria. We’d met only three weeks earlier at a bar in Melbourne, where I worked as a TV news reporter. I was a 26-year-old city girl whose weekends were filled with brunches and theatre. Gerard, 38, spent his fixing fences and shooting rabbits. We were worlds apart, yet I was falling for him. He was grounded, funny, and passionate about his life on the land. We took…

Tracy Hemingway, 33, Hamilton, NZ. Staring at the bill, I felt tears form in my eyes. “I can’t do this any longer,” I said. It was 2016 and I was in serious financial trouble. I’d been to see a business coach who helped me write out all my debts. They amounted to $94,000 plus interest. “What am I going to do?” I said to the coach. “Make an appointment with the insolvency office,” he said. I was only 24 but had been running my own sports business on the North Island since I was 18. I’d tried to grow the business but wound up owing a lot of different people and my outlays became more than my earnings. I took out more loans and credit cards to pay off my…

Marisa Delgado, 47. While my mum, Juana, pottered around the house, I stood quietly in the lounge room, staring at photos of Dad rugged up in layers of snow gear, grinning against a backdrop of dazzling white. “Looking at pictures of Dad again?” Mum smiled, bringing in two glasses of icy cold orange juice. It was 1985. I was seven, and it was a sweltering summer morning during the school holidays – a sharp contrast to the frozen world in Dad’s photo. My dad, Nestor, worked in the military, helping scientists maintain stations and support research in Antarctica. He was absolutely smitten with the icy continent and had worked there several times over the years. “I want to go!” I said. “It looks so beautiful.” “You already have,” Mum grinned.…

From the outside, Julie Jensen seemed to have it all. At 40, she was married to stockbroker Mark Jensen, 39, who she had met in college, and was the devoted mother of two young sons. Friends described her as warm, loving, and the glue holding her family together. But behind closed doors, Julie’s life was far from perfect. By 1998, she was living in fear. For years, Julie believed she had a stalker. It started with anonymous phone calls – a dial tone, a click, and then silence. Then came pornographic images left on the doorstep of her family home. And shortly before the harassment escalated, Julie had confided in her husband about a brief affair with a co-worker, a secret that would have devastating consequences. Julie was a loving…

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23–Dec 22 The chaos in your daily life isn’t going to last forever. See if you can use it to make changes where they are needed. Before too long your love life is going to be taking up your attention. ★ Shore up in advance any relationships that are out of kilter. CAPRICORN Dec 23–Jan 20 It’s that time of the year when no-one’s going to blame you if you want to take some time out. Yes, party season is upon us, but you have an astrological pass to only attend the parties you really want to go to. Have fun, but make sure there’s room for relaxation. ★ Do what works best for you. AQUARIUS Jan 21–Feb 19 There is a whole lot of fun available for…

Xavier Wills, 36, Hobart, Tas. Looking across the gym, I spotted a brunette woman I didn’t recognise. “Hey,” she called out. “We’ve met before.” Taken aback, I felt horrible I couldn’t place her. Her name was Tara. She was a boxer and as we chatted, her gorgeous smile knocked me off my feet. After that, we continued to meet up and a few months later, in October 2018 we moved in together. Tara, 30, had two children from a previous relationship, and at 28 I was in awe of how kind and affectionate she was as a mother. I shared with her that I’d lost my previous partner, Sophie, to cancer, just before my 20th birthday. “Our time battling that horrible disease has never left me,” I said through tears.…

Delanie Jayne, 26, Adelaide, SA. Looking up at the enormous castle, I was enchanted. At 11, I was visiting Disneyland with my family. From then on, I was obsessed with Disney. As a teenager, I’d watch every new Disney movie and learn all the songs. Whenever someone asked what I wanted to be after school, I’d smile and say, “A Disney princess.” In 2019, I enrolled in uni to study acting. “You’re great, Delanie,” my lecturer told me. “But you need a social media presence. Auditions alone won’t cut it anymore.” I knew she was right, but I was worried people might make fun of me. Then, in 2020, I pulled up in my driveway. Get out now! a voice inside me screamed. Seconds later, a driver lost control and…

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