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Kevin Costner’s wife files for divorce

<p dir="ltr">Kevin Costner’s wife, Christine Baumgartner, has filed for divorce after 18 years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences”, according to <em>TMZ</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The designer filed for divorce on Monday, however an inside source has revealed that Costner reportedly did not want to split from his wife.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was not anything that he wanted or sought, and if he could change the situation, he would," the insider told <em>People Magazine</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the divorce was filed, <em>The Bodyguard</em> actor’s rep shared a statement announcing the split.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action," the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We ask that his, Christine’s and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to<em> Page Six</em>, Baumgartner asked for joint custody of their three kids: Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 12, in her filing.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Dances with Wolves </em>actor filed his response on Tuesday, also asking for joint custody of their three children.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple began dating in 1999 and dated on and off in the early 2000’s before finally tying the knot in September 2004.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p dir="ltr"> </p>

Relationships

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Fleetwood Mac star’s cause of death revealed

<p>New details have emerged regarding the cause of death of Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie.</p> <p>McVie passed away at the age of 79 in November 2022, surrounded by her loved ones, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. </p> <p><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/there-are-no-words-fleetwood-mac-star-dies-aged-79" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As her family said at the time</a>, “it is with a heavy heart we are informing you of Christine’s death.</p> <p>“She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30, 2022, following a short illness. She was in the company of her family.”</p> <p>And now, <em>The Blast</em> have revealed that the singer’s death certificate confirms that the cause of her death was an ischaemic stroke, with her cancer listed as the secondary cause.</p> <p>McVie’s cancer was a “metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin”, meaning that the disease had spread throughout her body but the primary source or tumour could not be detected.</p> <p>According to the Stroke Foundation, an ischaemic stroke “is the most common type of stroke”, caused by “the blood supply being blocked” and restricted from reaching the brain.</p> <p>The death certificate - unveiled in court with documents filed to settle McVie’s estate - also noted that McVie suffered from “atrial fibrillation” (otherwise known as AFib), and is explained by the Heart Foundation as being “is a type of arrhythmia in which your heart beats irregularly and often fast.”</p> <p>The star had been open about her health journey in the months prior to her passing, even telling <em>Rolling Stone</em> that “I’m in quite bad health. I’ve got a chronic back problem that debilitates me. I stand up to play the piano, so I don’t know if I could actually physically do it. What’s that saying? ‘The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak’.”</p> <p>However, McVie’s friend and bandmate Stevie Nicks wrote - in the wake of McVie’s death - that she “didn’t even know she was ill”, sharing a handwritten statement on social media that read “a few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had passed away. </p> <p>“I didn't even know she was ill… until late Saturday night.</p> <p>“I wanted to be in London; I wanted to get to London - but we were told to wait. So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around in my head, over and over and over. I thought I might possibly get to sing it to her and so, I’m singing it to her now. I always knew I would need these words one day … it’s all I can do now.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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Christine Taylor on reigniting her romance

<p dir="ltr">After splitting from their 17-year marriage, Christine Taylor has shared how she and Ben Stiller reignited their flame.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taylor appeared on <em>The Drew Barrymore Show</em>, on Tuesday, and the actor discussed her relationship timeline with Stiller, revealing they were engaged after only six months of dating, and married within a year after that. </p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to explain how their relationship unfolded, “Family was always a priority but I think Ben and I both sort of started to grow in different directions,” Taylor said, adding that the decision to separate was not one the couple “took lightly.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“That time apart for each of us to sort of get to know who we are ... I think we have these growth spurts even as adults,” Taylor continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stiller and Taylor got married in 2000 and share two children, Ella, 20, and Quinlin, 17, with the couple first announcing their separation in 2017.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taylor shared that the pair, who had been living separately after their divorce, decided to move in together to their family with their children after the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">She revealed that living together was a “special” time for the couple and that they were able to reconnect without distractions.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3cf97636-7fff-f307-621d-9151ea4be8d7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Relationships

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“I love you! My King”: Christine Brown praises new boyfriend

<p dir="ltr">Christine Brown has taken to the internet to express just how much she loves her new boyfriend, David Woolley. </p> <p dir="ltr">Woolley shared on Instagram a snap of a mirror where the Sister Wives star, 50, had written, “I love you! My King.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"I love how thoughtful Christine is and all the little things she does for me ❤️#christinebrown #soulmate #myqueen #mylove," he captioned the image.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpvTG5pOqpx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpvTG5pOqpx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by David Woolley (@david__woolley)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">That same day Brown shared a sweet photo of the couple holding each other in a booth. </p> <p dir="ltr">Alongside the picture, Brown praised Woolley, captioning the post, "I can't express how amazing it's been to have David in my life," she wrote. "He's an incredible man and he treats me like his Queen.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CptKn9hvIsd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CptKn9hvIsd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Christine Brown (@christine_brownsw)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"> Brown went public with Woolley on Valentine’s Day 2023 and has shared several photos of the pair.</p> <p dir="ltr">I finally found the love of my life, David," she shared on Instagram. "The first time he held me close, it felt like my soul took its first breath."</p> <p dir="ltr">Brown, "He's wonderful and kind, incredible with my children and an adorable grandpa. I never dreamed I could find a love like this.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Brown’s relationship with Woolley is her first since her divorce from her husband of 25 years, Kody Brown. Christine said it had been “awkward” dating again more than a year after the split. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b0444289-7fff-5055-3ec7-8ff94c90bef0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Brown has certainly gotten past the awkwardness as she proudly praises her boyfriend online. It’s safe to say the pair are seriously smitten.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Fleetwood Mac's devastating news

<p>Mick Fleetwood has shared a sad update on the future of Fleetwood Mac.</p> <p>The founding member of the iconic group announced he thinks the band is "done" following the death of Christine McVie in late 2022. </p> <p>McVie was the songwriter, vocalist and keyboardist responsible for some of Fleetwood Mac’s most enduring hits, including <em>Little Lies</em>, <em>Everywhere</em> and <em>Don’t Stop</em>. </p> <p>She died at age 79 on November 30th 2022 after a battle with a short illness. </p> <p>Speaking on the Grammys red carpet this week, Fleetwood – who performed a musical tribute to his late bandmate alongside Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt during the ceremony – said McVie’s death had drawn “the line in the sand” for Fleetwood Mac. </p> <p>“I think right now, I truly think the line in the sand has been drawn with the loss of Chris,” he said.</p> <p>“I’d say we’re done, but then we’ve all said that before. It’s sort of unthinkable right now.”</p> <p>Christine McVie joined the band in 1970, three years after they were founded, before leaving the group in 1998. </p> <p>She rejoined the band in 2014 for what would be the final world tour of Fleetwood Mac’s most iconic line-up: Christine McVie, Fleetwood, Stevie Nick, Lindsey Buckingham and John McVie.</p> <p>Christine's death was <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/there-are-no-words-fleetwood-mac-star-dies-aged-79" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> by her family in an emotional statement, as they said she was surrounded by loved ones in her final moments. </p> <p dir="ltr">"On behalf of Christine McVie's family, it is with a heavy heart we are informing you of Christine's death. She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th 2022, following a short illness," the family said in a statement, according to Variety.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">"She was in the company of her family. We kindly ask that you respect the family's privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally. RIP Christine McVie."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Sharon Osbourne rushed to hospital

<p>Sharon Osbourne has been rushed to hospital for a "medical emergency". </p> <p>While filming a paranormal TV series in California, the 70-year-old allegedly fell ill for an "unknown" condition. </p> <p>Santa Paula Police Chief Don Aguilar confirmed on Saturday that an ambulance crew from Ventura County Fire Department were called to a tavern at around 6.30pm, before they transported Osbourne to Santa Paula Hospital.</p> <p>A spokeswoman for the Ventura County Health Care Agency told <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/celebrities/20787630/sharon-osbourne-rushed-to-hospital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the US Sun,</a> “We can confirm that she was transported to and treated at a local County hospital and is no longer at our hospital.”</p> <p>Osbourne has also recently been caring and tending to her husband, Ozzy, 74, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease.</p> <p>According to Variety, Sharon was on location at the Glen Tavern Inn in Santa Paula, California, where she was reportedly feeling fine before while shooting an unnamed paranormal-themed television series.</p> <p>The hotel – which was built in 1911 – is known for its alleged hauntings inside its rooms.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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"There are no words": Fleetwood Mac star dies aged 79

<p dir="ltr">Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Christine McVie has passed away aged 79 following a short bout of illness, according to the family.</p> <p dir="ltr">McVie died in hospital and surrounded by family.</p> <p dir="ltr">"On behalf of Christine McVie's family, it is with a heavy heart we are informing you of Christine's death. She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th 2022, following a short illness," the family said in a statement, per <em>Variety</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She was in the company of her family. We kindly ask that you respect the family's privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally. RIP Christine McVie."</p> <p dir="ltr">In the wake of the news, Fleetwood Mac shared a heartfelt tribute and paid their respects to McVie on social media.</p> <p dir="ltr">"There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie. She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure,” the <a href="https://twitter.com/fleetwoodmac/status/1598036525903941632" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet</a> read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed."</p> <p dir="ltr">McVie joined Fleetwood Mac as a permanent member in 1971, four years after the British-American rock band was founded in London.</p> <p dir="ltr">The singer was behind some of the band’s best hits, including <em>Little Lies</em>, <em>Everywhere</em>, <em>Don’t Stop</em>, <em>Say You Love Me</em> and <em>Songbird</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The band, consisting of Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, went on to sell more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the most successful bands of all time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nicks also took to Instagram with a tribute to her bandmate, sharing a handwritten message.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f7504e75-7fff-327e-e93a-29c23448ed57"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975 had passed away,” her message began.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ClmZfBjvhlx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ClmZfBjvhlx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Stevie Nicks (@stevienicks)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I didn’t even know she was ill… until late Saturday night. I wanted to be in London; I wanted to get to London - but we were told to wait. So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around in my head, over and over and over.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought I might possibly get to sing it to her, and so, I’m singing it to her now. I always knew I would need <span style="text-decoration: underline;">these words</span> one day,” she continued, followed by lyrics of <em>It’s All I Can Do</em> by The Cars.</p> <p dir="ltr">McVie’s passing comes two years after Peter Green, the band’s co-founder and guitarist, died aged 73.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-093bb7db-7fff-5ff2-4967-3b3793bbab44"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Woman lives on cruise ship six months each year

<p dir="ltr">An incredibly lucky woman who basically lives half a year on a cruise ship for free has given insight into a week in her life. </p> <p dir="ltr">Christine Kesteloo, a former cruise and travel director for 12 years, said some of the biggest decisions she’s faced with are whether she should lay in the sun, do a wine tasting or teatime. </p> <p dir="ltr">Her husband, Piet, who is a staff chief engineer, has been sailing on and off for 30 years but she was the only one affected when the pandemic hit.</p> <p dir="ltr">Christine then joined her husband as a “wife on board” also known as WOB which is a “privilege often reserved for high-ranking officers”. </p> <p dir="ltr">She revealed that at one point Piet was her “husband on board” when she was working 12-hour days.</p> <p dir="ltr">When they’re not cruising, the pair call Vlissingen, Netherlands, their home. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>A week in Christine’s life:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Internet</p> <p dir="ltr">To share her experiences with fans on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dutchworld_americangirl?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2F&amp;referer_video_id=7074268953295588651&amp;refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>, Christine pays $20 a week for unlimited internet. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tipping room service</p> <p dir="ltr">Christine already keeps her room clean, but when the room steward comes in, he changes the bed sheets and pillow covers.</p> <p dir="ltr">A $10 tip is given each week or up to $20 if he’s hopping off to enjoy lunch on land. </p> <p dir="ltr">Free laundry </p> <p dir="ltr">The room steward will pop into the room about 7.30 every morning to check if there is a washing bag ready to be taken. </p> <p dir="ltr">The items are written on a piece of paper before they’re returned at the end of the day. </p> <p dir="ltr">Free meals but pay for speciality restaurants and room service</p> <p dir="ltr">Christine revealed that anything you could dream of is available on board and that she is “well fed”. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, she and her husband go a step further and will pay for food when dining at a specialty restaurant which costs up to $20 and $50 a person. They also tip between $5 and $10.</p> <p dir="ltr">Room service is free to order but Christine and her husband tip between $2 and $5 each time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Overall, Christine and her husband are spending about $87 a week for living on board a cruise ship for free. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok and Instagram</em></p>

Cruising

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5 minutes with author Christine Sykes

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">5 minutes with author</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over60</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> asks book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next in the series is Christine Sykes, a novelist and memoir writer based on Sydney’s south coast. After working as a Public Servant for 30 years and volunteering at Dress for Success Sydney for four, Sykes is now enjoying life’s simple pleasures and is regularly involved in tap dancing, acting, painting, and playing the flute. Her debut novel, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Changing Room</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was inspired by the experiences of the women behind the charity Dress for Success. Her latest title, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gough and Me</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, is out now.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over60</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> talked with Sykes about writing routines, Jenny Hocking, and tough reads.</span></p> <p><strong>Over60:What book do you think more people should read?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aside from my two books! There are so many wonderful Australian writers to choose from.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The book I think people should read to get an understanding of the way history can be manipulated is </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Palace Letters</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by Jenny Hocking. It is a gripping account of the ground-breaking work undertaken to reveal the truth behind the sacking of the Whitlam government and the extraordinary steps to hide that truth.</span></p> <p><strong>How did you make the transition from the Public Service to writing?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While I was in the public service in Canberra, I undertook short creative writing courses at ANU. This resulted in me writing many short stories and rediscovering my love of children’s stories.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When I retired, I decided to treat it as a writing sabbatical and try writing longer works. The Year of Novel Writing course at Writing NSW, gave me a structure to my time and a great foundation for writing my first published book, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Changing Room</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. I continued to explore writing through other courses and writing groups which led to the publication of my memoir, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gough and Me</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><strong> What was the last book that made you laugh?</strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by Joanna Nell was hilarious, and a book I wish I’d written.</span> </p> <p><strong>What does your writing routine look like?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most of my writing is done in the morning, which is my most creative time. I usually begin writing in longhand in exercise books, and move to typing on the computer when the story has taken shape. The afternoons are good for walking and letting the story settle in the back of my brain where new connections are made. Some people call this composting and it’s an important part of my creative process.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When I edit, I tend to work into the afternoon and often find different places to read the manuscript, which gives me an alternative perspective.</span></p> <p><strong>What is your best writing tip?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Invest in your writing, through whatever means are available to you, such as doing a course, having a professional mentor or editor, being part of a writing group or having a writing friend. This really helped me when I didn’t feel like writing or was questioning my ability to write. I also give myself permission to write badly – it’s better to have something on the page which I can then edit and mould, than swirling thoughts in my head.</span> </p> <p><strong>Which author, deceased or living, would you most like to have dinner with?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My first choice would be Anais Nin – a prolific writer of journals, novels and essays. I adored her descriptions of the soirees she held in Paris with interesting people from the arts, politics and life. I hope she’d bring some with her and would love for her to include Gough and Margaret Whitlam.</span></p> <p>What do you do when you can’t seem to finish reading a book?</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Usually I push through, hoping the author will grip me again, and sometimes I skip sections which are less interesting. There have only been a few books which I have abandoned.</span></p>

Books

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Meghan Markle lookalike! Can you believe they’re not the same person?

<p>Christine Primrose Mathis has made a name for herself on social media for her incredibly unique trait – being a spitting image of American royal Meghan Markle.</p> <p>The 32-year-old, who works as an air hostess, claims she first started being compared to the Duchess of Sussex when Meghan was working as an actress in the hit show<span> </span>Suits.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_pENipWxf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_pENipWxf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Christine Primrose Mathis (@christineprimrose)</a> on Feb 25, 2020 at 7:10am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>However, Ms Mathis says she didn’t take much notice of the comparison until Meghan’s face was plastered on every blog, social media site and newspaper.</p> <p>The look-alike’s dark hair and tan complexion mixed with the wash of freckles the Duchess of Sussex has become known for, dazed many people as Ms Mathis roamed the streets of her hometown.</p> <p>So much so, she decided to join a look alike agency in 2019.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836297/meghan-markle-christine-6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/83256144f01b49578392f71c8a417531" /></p> <p>“Five years ago I was working in first-class as a flight attendant and passengers would say 'hey, you look like that girl from Suits' every so often,” Ms Mathis explained.</p> <p>“I could see the resemblance, but I just brushed it off but when Meghan and Harry got engaged, that's when I started hearing it a lot more often.</p> <p>“At first, I was confused but I definitely took it as a compliment because I thought she was so beautiful.”</p> <p>The lookalike went on to add: “Last year, I signed up with a lookalike agency because after they got married, it became a lot more frequent.</p> <p>“Hopefully, I can get some corporate work and TV work. I've been acting since I was very young and I'm working on getting an audition with my agent. That would be the absolute dream.</p> <p>“Social media can be cruel, I've had people comment that I'm trying to be her or that my hair and make-up is the same. I feel like I've always done my hair like that. I try to ignore the people who are being mean.”</p> <p>The royal twin admitted she even went on to post a video of her to the social media app TikTok where she dressed like Meghan Markle and claimed “people couldn’t believe the resemblance.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAGvgKmJ8Az/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAGvgKmJ8Az/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Christine Primrose Mathis (@christineprimrose)</a> on May 12, 2020 at 4:00pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“I have had a lot more opportunities from looking like her; she's so famous.</p> <p>“I think most of my following comes from people thinking I am Meghan Markle but at the same time I hope they also like my personality.</p> <p>“A lot of people look up to her and because they can't get in direct contact with her, I guess I'm the next best thing.”</p>

Beauty & Style

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Ozzy Osbourne pens emotional tribute after passing of bandmate

<p>Veteran hard rock guitarist Bernie Tormé has died at the age of 66 after suffering “pots-flu complications.”</p> <p>The Irish musician passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 17, a statement from the family has said.</p> <p>“He had been on life support for the past four weeks at a London hospital following post-flu complications.</p> <p>“Bernie will be remembered for dedicating his life to his music for five decades. He will be sorely missed.”</p> <p>Tormé played with Ozzy Osbourne, Deep Purple singer Ian Gillian as well as his own solo bands.</p> <p>The sudden death comes a little more than a month since the guitarist was admitted to hospital following a virulent pneumonia in both lungs.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824914/bernie-torme-1990.jpg" alt="Bernie Torme, 1990" data-udi="umb://media/2c570e626cd343bb9bfe1698e6f6a231" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Bernie Torme, 1990.</em></p> <p>Tormé worked for many years with Gillian and on his own solo projects, although he is most known for his brief stint in Osbourne’s band in 1982 immediately after Randy Rhoads died in a tragic plane crash.</p> <p>The musician completed a tour in support of the Shadowland album, The Final Fling in December before being admitted to hospital.</p> <p>Osbourne took to social media to publicly mourn the life of the former guitarist.</p> <p>“What a sad day. We’ve lost another great musician. Bernie was a gentle soul with a heart of gold. He will be dearly missed,” he tweeted this morning.</p> <p>“I send my sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans. Rest in Peace Bernie.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">What a sad day. We’ve lost another great musician. Bernie was a gentle soul with a heart of gold. He will be dearly missed. I send my sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans. Rest in Peace Bernie. <a href="https://t.co/Nx1bCiYbkO">pic.twitter.com/Nx1bCiYbkO</a></p> — Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) <a href="https://twitter.com/OzzyOsbourne/status/1107678965827665922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>His latest studio album Shadowland was released in November of last year, although his family posted to social media claiming late payments are due to the artist.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Bernie remains in intensive care and asked for the following statement to be released:<br /><br />“PledgeMusic owe Bernie Torme almost £16,000 which was due last December on completion of his recent ‘Shadowland’ Pledgemusic campaign."</p> — Bernie Tormé (@Bernie_Torme) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bernie_Torme/status/1096464431071023105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>“PledgeMusic owe Bernie Tormé almost £16,000 which was due last December on completion of his recent ‘Shadowland’ Pledgemusic campaign,” the statement read.</p> <p>Another tweet from Tormé’s account read: “Bernie has paid for all recordings, merchandise, CDs and all postage costs to honour his fans' pledges out of his own pocket.</p> <p>“He has as yet been unable to pay his musicians, drummer Mik Gaffney and bass player Simon Morton for their work on the album.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Bernie has paid for all recordings, merchandise, CDs and all postage costs to honour his fans' pledges out of his own pocket. He has as yet been unable to pay his musicians, drummer Mik Gaffney and bass player Simon Morton for their work on the album.</p> — Bernie Tormé (@Bernie_Torme) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bernie_Torme/status/1096464965043740672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Sharon Osbourne also took to social media to share her condolences.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">I cannot believe that Bernie Torme has passed. Bernie helped out Ozzy and I at a time of great need and we will never ever forget that. Love and condolences to his family.</p> — Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsSOsbourne/status/1107679701957373952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>“I cannot believe that Bernie Tormé has passed. Bernie helped out Ozzy and I at a time of great need and we will never ever forget that,” she wrote.</p> <p>“Love and condolences to his family.”</p>

Music

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Why none of the women in my family go by our birth names

<p><strong><em>Rose Osborne, 67, was a registered nurse for 45 years before retiring to become a personal historian, owner and creator of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.writemyjourney.com/" target="_blank">Write My Journey</a></span>, a life story writing service that turns memories into a beautiful hardcover book.</em></strong></p> <p>Family history is so fascinating. The ladies in my family have a habit of changing their name several times throughout their life, and I am no exception; however, I have learnt from the masters. It was only when my Nan died I realised her name was not Pearl at all – it was Evangeline Florence.</p> <p>My birth name is Rosemary. My mother always called me <em>Rosemary</em> but other family members called me <em>Rose</em> and occasionally <em>Rosie</em> which I truly dislike. My mother called me by my full title, <em>Rosemary Jane</em>, when I was in trouble, so I associated my birth name to mean I was up for some punishment.</p> <p>When I travelled to the city to commence my nursing journey, I became <em>Rosemary</em>. In the system of trainee nursing in that era, you mostly were in trouble if someone summoned you by name – so it seemed perfectly reasonable.</p> <p>However, in my retirement phase and my emerging career as a personal historian, I have changed to <em>Rose</em> – it seems right. It’s short, rolls off the tongue in a pleasant way and I notice people’s eyes sparkle as they look at me and I repeat my name at their request. Pleasant thoughts of fragrant rose gardens and joyous times spent running and giggling around the formal garden paths are delicious childhood memories that obviously come to their mind. So, I mustn’t be in trouble with them I think. No-one bothers to go near <em>Rosie</em> these days except my annoying youngest brother who still calls me that out of his sheer delight.</p> <p>My ageing mother can’t understand it. “Rosemary is such a beautiful name,” she says to me.</p> <p>“You changed your name,” I remind her. My mum was born Gloria May and throughout her childhood was known as <em>Maisie</em>, a name she totally despised.  Mum did come from a time when people were never called by their original name. Aunt Betty was Elizabeth, Aunt Millicent was Milley, Aunt Slim came from Wendy, Aunt Acqua came from Jan and Aunt Soos came from Suzanna.</p> <p>When Mum reached middle-age, she felt she had dealt with<em> Maisie</em> long enough, so she became <em>Gloria</em>. This didn’t go down well with the family and <em>Gloria</em> seemed so formal after <em>Maisie</em>. She suffered many miserable and embarrassing explanations as to where the <em>Gloria</em> came from. So she changed once more, only this time to the more acceptable name of<em> May.</em> It suits her as she sits in her old recliner, sipping on her milky tea in her favourite dainty china tea cup and saucer covered in pink roses, her floral hand-crocheted rug drapes gently around her knees.</p> <p>She browses the multiple family albums I have made for her with people’s names printed so large underneath each photo. She shakes her head when she sees a child with a name she has never heard of, but in a true great-grandmotherly way, she moves her lips as if practising the pronunciation in case they turn up at her aged care home.</p> <p>She reflects on times gone-by but also the lives of young family members. Her aging memory encouraged me to do an album with each family having a few pages of photos showcasing their lives, their favourite activity or celebrating some recent success. It helps tease Mum’s mind to focus on that family and raise memories of the energy and joy they brought her as they chatted about their daily lives on their last visit.</p> <p>My sister’s decision was difficult for Mum to understand. It is beyond her as to why my sister moved her husband and two children to Canada in a house swap arrangement for over a year. “Why move from your beautiful house near the beach to all that cold?” she would say. “I don’t like the cold,” she adds in her feeble thready voice. Mum has never seen snow and the Canadian snow and mountainous terrain are so foreign to her.</p> <p>To increase Mum’s agitation, my sister moved away with the lovely name of <em>Therese</em>, and came back with <em>Terri</em> – a man’s name in Mum’s view. It is some years now that my sister has been called Terri and her eyes still become wet and sorrowful when unthinkingly someone calls her Therese. “My name is Terri,” she cries with a shrill in her voice ‘and don’t EVER call me <em>Trees</em> again”.</p> <p>“Well, at least they spelt your name right,” a younger sister wimps. “I only found out on my 50th birthday when I got my birth certificate to register for my adult education degree that my name is not my name. I love <em>Vivianne</em>, the name my mother gave me at birth. Who is this Vivien my father registered at the local Court House of Births Death and Marriages – <em>Vivien</em> is a boy’s name?”</p> <p>Poor Dad took to his grave guilt for not knowing how to spell a name he had never heard of. “I did my best,” he sighed as he realised he had messed up again.</p> <p>“I’m happy,” the baby of the family sits back and gloats. “I got <em>Kittie</em> from a TV show and I quite like it.”</p>

Family & Pets

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Your family photos are key to telling your story

<p><em><strong>Rose Osborne, 67, was a registered nurse for 45 years before retiring to become a personal historian, owner and creator of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.writemyjourney.com/" target="_blank">Write My Journey</a></span>, a life story writing service that turns memories into a beautiful hardcover book.</strong></em></p> <p>The elephant in the room with every single family I visit to discuss family stories is always the overstuffed box of photos shoved under the bed in the backroom. When I ask “Have you any photos to go with this story?” the answer is always the same. “Oh probably – in the box under the bed – but I can’t get it out, it’s too much. There’s torn albums and photos so old, just everything in that box”.</p> <p>“What a tragedy,” my inner voice screams out, “what morsels of memories and treasures are you missing out on.”</p> <p>“I can get it sorted for you if you like,” my calmed voice pleads with the client. “It won’t cost that much and it will be digital; we can organise them into specific albums, add stories, and it will become a family heirloom for all to share.”</p> <p>“Perhaps later”, is always the reply – but when is ‘later’ when the box has already been there a lifetime and just continues to expand on the concept of ‘overstuffed.’ The skip bin on moving out day is the most likely destination for unwanted overstuffed boxes.</p> <p>I understand the reluctance to embark on doing the job yourself, after all, it took me three years to organise my lifetime photos. These days, however, there are professional services that make it a breeze and the opportunity to unpack all those memories with a life story professional, and document stories that will be forgotten is priceless.</p> <p>When it was time to pack my mother up for the big move into the Aged Care Services, the overstuffed box of photos was recovered from under the bed. Photos that had never been shared, never been discussed and had not seen daylight for decades were exposed.</p> <p>My mother was a storyteller and had told many stories in her long life so we were amazed when she came out with this response to a mystery dark and old photo. We could put names to the people but not the context.</p> <p>“Where was this taken Mum?”</p> <p>“Oh, that was when we lived in St. Mary’s on the farm?”</p> <p>“You lived in St. Mary’s on a farm?”  We had never heard this one before. </p> <p>“Oh yes, it was when I was about five. Mum’s brothers just put us all on a truck and took us to the vegetable farm. They were farmers, you know.”</p> <p>“Yes, I knew that, but you ALL went to St. Mary’s to live on a vegetable farm.”</p> <p>“Yes, and we lived in a beautiful big farm house. I can see it with its wrap-around verandah. There were about 12 of us you know; Grandma, her boyfriend, her children and Mum and us.”</p> <p>“Where was Great Grandfather?” I quickly asked as I knew he was a favourite of Mum’s.</p> <p>“Oh, he was there.”</p> <p>The stories flowed, things we had never heard before and much more, including how they came back to the country town where they started from and remained all their lives.</p> <p>“A man came with a truck and made us all get in the back and sit on top of our belongings which were piled high. He took us back home – over 200 miles over the mountains. He had a gun in his pocket, you know.”</p> <p>The window of information was gone as quickly as it had begun. The opportunity to gain insight into my ancestors’ life journey was no more. Luckily the story came in time to make it into the family tribute album along with the photo so all generations could reflect on many more questions about the strange and secretive relocation to an outer Sydney suburb of shrubbery and market gardens. The biggest question of all about the man with the gun looms heavily and we shall never know the full explanation.</p> <p>Photos and stories are so precious and deserve a place on the coffee tables and bookshelves of all the family members. It is a journey you will never regret and if it is lost, it can’t be regained.</p> <p>If you do one thing today, make it something that counts. Go into that room with the overstuffed box of photos, pull them out and don’t put them back until they digitalised, explained and gracing your home with their magic and fullness of lives lived – your family’s life journey.  You may even want to find a better storage system for those precious photos in case a future descendant wants to do more with them.</p> <p><em>OFFER: If you would like Write My Journey to organise your photos and family stories, contact us for a FREE 15-minute review on your life story. Rose Osborne also does guest speaking to small groups on Writing your Life. If you want more information, read your way through my website, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.writemyjourney.com/" target="_blank">www.writemyjourney.com</a></strong></span>.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Read Rose’s past columns on life writing <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/01/rose-osborne-guide-to-telling-life-story/" target="_blank">here</a></span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/02/rose-osborne-who-is-the-storyteller-in-your-family/" target="_blank">here</a></span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/03/rose-osborne-on-best-way-to-tell-your-family-history/" target="_blank">here</a></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/04/rose-osborne-on-creating-family-scrapbook/" target="_blank">here</a></span>.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image credit: Rose Osborne</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Cruising slowly up the Hooghly in pictures

<p><em><strong>Christine Osborne, 75, is a freelance travel writer and photojournalist. In 2013, she self-published <a href="http://www.travelswithmyhat.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Travels with My Hat</span></a>: a lifetime on the road, an account of working as a single woman in some of the world’s most off-beat destinations including Yemen, Iraq and Pakistan.</strong></em></p> <p>Cruise holidays are all the rage Down Under. One million Australians – a majority of them retirees – enjoyed a cruise last year. In 2017, 200 cruise liners are scheduled to visit Sydney.</p> <p>During the Golden Age of cruising (1947-60) the <em>Queen Mary</em> was literally queen of the seas, but competition for custom among shipping companies sees cruise ships getting bigger and ever more innovative.</p> <p>The current Big Daddy – <em>Harmony of the Seas</em> owned by Royal Caribbean – has capacity for more than 6000 passengers and gimmicks such as an ice-rink, climbing walls and a robotic bartender to mix your sundowners.  </p> <p>This number of passengers fills me with horror, my ideal cruise being a small ship plying a quiet inland waterway, mooring here and there to visit historic sites and observe rural life.</p> <p>Scouring the internet, I found cruises up the Irrawaddy, down the Mekong and along the River Kwai, but a seven-day cruise on the Hooghly River from Kolkata caught my eye.</p> <p>Operated by Assam Bengal Navigation, the <em>Rajmahal</em> carries only 40 passengers in 18 twin and</p> <p>4 single cabins. Built in Kolkata, the 50m long vessel was everything I was looking for.</p> <p>The bar served Schweppes for my G&amp;T, meals were a mix of English and (lightly spiced) Assam cuisine and my cabin overlooking the river, had a comfortable bed and ensuite. Laundry was cheap and a small spa centre offered various treatments.</p> <p>Each evening in the salon we learned of sightseeing arrangements for the following day. Visits to sites such as Barrackpore, centre of British administration in Bengal and Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950 and the Khushbagh, a serene Mughal-style garden.</p> <p>A highlight of stops along the Hooghly was Plassey, a rural village where in 1757 Clive’s victory over the Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah changed the course of Indian history.   </p> <p>But everywhere we stopped held interest. Especially Kalna and Baranagar known for small terracotta temples carved as intricately as hand embroidered lace. Visits to weaving and brassworking centres were also on our itinerary when we were welcomed back to the Rajmahal with cool towels and fresh fruit juices.</p> <p>The cruise whichdoes not operate during mid-summer in Bengal (July-August) is unsuitable for wheelchair users, but with no single supplement charge, it is ideal for solo travellers. $8 a day is suggested as a tip for the attentive crew members.</p> <p>You can make a booking through, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.activetravel.com.au/" target="_blank">www.activetravel.com.au</a></strong></span>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36109/1_500x245.jpg" alt="1 (180)"/></p> <p align="center">50 METRES LONG, THE  RV RAJMAHAL OPERATED BY ASSAM BENGAL NAVIGATION, BEGAN SERVICE ON THE HOOGHLY IN 2014.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36108/2_500x375.jpg" alt="2 (174)"/></p> <p align="center">HERE WE ARE LEAVING KOLKATA WITH THE ICONIC HOWRAH BRIDGE SPANNING THE HOOGHLY. 100,000 VEHICLES AND 150,000 PEDESTRIANS CROSS IT DAILY</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="365" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36110/3_500x365.jpg" alt="3 (146)"/></p> <p align="center">THE HOOGHLY IS SHALLOW NEAR THE RIVER BANK, SO WE TOWED A TENDER, HERE MOORED IN THE OLD BRITISH CANTONMENT OF BARRACKPORE.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36111/4_500x334.jpg" alt="4 (125)"/></p> <p align="center">OVER COCKTAILS EACH EVENING, WE HEARD OUR SIGHTSEEING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36112/added-image_500x375.jpg" alt="ADDED IMAGE"/></p> <p align="center">SEAT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS IN THE OLD BRITISH CANTONMENT OF BARRACKPORE, FIRST STOP ON THE HOOGHLY CRUISE.</p> <p align="center"><img width="499" height="360" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36114/5_499x360.jpg" alt="5 (116)"/> </p> <p align="center">A SCENE IN CHANDERNAGORE, A FORMER FRENCH POSSESSION WITH TRADITIONAL COLONIAL STYLE ARCHITECTURE AND AN 18TH CENTURY CATHOLIC CHURCH.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="354" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36115/6_500x354.jpg" alt="6 (108)"/></p> <p align="center">IN KALNA WE VISIT A UNIQUE SHIVA TEMPLE MADE UP OF 108 SHRINES. THE OUTER CIRCLE WHERE WE ARE SITTING HAS 74 AND THE INNER ONE A FURTHER 34.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="405" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36116/7_500x405.jpg" alt="7 (97)"/></p> <p align="center">VILLAGERS IN MATIARI HAVEN’T HEARD OF COAL OR WIND POWER. COW DUNG IS COLLECTED, DRIED THEN USED FOR COOKING AND WARMTH</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="500" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36117/8_500x500.jpg" alt="8 (90)"/></p> <p align="center">A  RURAL WOMAN ROLLING BIDIS, THE CHEAP CIGARETTE SMOKED BY THE POOR MADE FROM TOBACCO FLAKES WRAPPED IN LEAVES FROM THE INDIAN EBONY</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36118/9_500x375.jpg" alt="9 (75)"/></p> <p align="center">MINIATURE TERRACOTTA TEMPLE IN BARANAGAR CARVED WITH GODS FROM HINDU MYTHOLOGY AND SCENES OF LIFE IN THE MID-EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36119/10_500x375.jpg" alt="10 (60)"/></p> <p align="center">EITHER SIDE OFTHE HOOGHLY ISCULTIVATED WITH DATE PALMS, TURMERIC AND MUSTARD. HERE FISHERMAN LAY NETS NEAR FARAKKA WHERE I DISEMBARKED AND CAUGHT A TRAIN BACK TO KOLKATA: 560 KILOMETRES.</p> <p>Find more from Christine at her blog <a href="http://travelswithmyhat.com/travel/cruising-slowly-hooghly/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Travel with My Hat. </span></strong></a></p> <p><em>Image credit: Christine Osbourne </em></p>

Cruising

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Finding the best way to tell your family history

<p><em><strong>Rose Osborne, 67, was a registered nurse for 45 years before retiring to become a personal historian, owner and creator of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.writemyjourney.com/" target="_blank">Write My Journey</a></span>, a life story writing service that turns memories into a beautiful hardcover book.</strong></em></p> <p>I recently had a client who wanted his life story documented in a book. He started at the day he was born and did not stop talking until he got to the present date. It was like an avalanche of dates, events, people’s names and places all thrown into a casserole pot and it caused me to take a breath and exhale some information of my own.</p> <p>“Do you think your family and future generations will want to know the exact date you attended each and every event in your life?” “Do you think they would rather know how you felt through your experiences and what emotions they evoked in you?” I added. </p> <p>Everyone has a different perspective on how they want their life story remembered and perhaps I was a little harsh. A chronological list of life events and people that amble past us in life might seem an easy way to go, but I wonder if each of us has enjoyed a life that is more than that.</p> <p>People become daunted and overwhelmed with the thought of documenting their life story. It is a mind shift to thinking in terms of ‘memories’ or ‘anecdotes’ or even just ‘stories.' You can still add your dates and events, but the outcome will be far more interesting and real – the story of you.  Everyday joys and sorrows are the fertile ground connecting generations, and they become the gateway to the wider memory of the fullness of your life.</p> <p>Here are some ideas to get you going and keep yourself going. </p> <p><strong>Organise yourself</strong></p> <ul> <li>Find yourself a writing space – this is important. It is helpful if you can leave your materials in one place.</li> <li>Know how you will work – on computer or by hand. Think each tool through and how you will organise your work and information. If working by hand, you may find a ring binder easiest so you can add and delete information.</li> <li>Establish a writing ritual that gets your mind in the right space. Some find taking a coffee to their writing space and sitting quietly for fifteen minutes in reflection a cunning way to train their mind. Others enjoy a quiet walk in the garden to bring their mind into focus or perhaps fussing around in your work area suits you (as it does me). A ritual becomes very handy when you have those times you can’t write, sometimes called ‘writer's block’.</li> <li>Know that this is a pleasurable activity that might take a year or two or three – it can’t be rushed. Settle in and enjoy. Don’t think of it as a task as that is a negative mindset.</li> <li>Collect any materials you have available. These could include diaries, journals, letters, photos and any memorabilia and display them in your workspace.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Know some rules from the outset</strong></p> <ul> <li>Forget about the mechanics of writing. Grammar and formatting are usually last on the list – getting things on paper is the priority.</li> <li>Take time with the spelling of names and correct dates – it will be a big time saver.</li> <li>Know that your first draft is your first draft and your last draft is the final draft, and there is an ocean in between.</li> <li>Be yourself, be honest and truthful. Humour and sarcasm are best left to the experts as they can be misinterpreted if not done well.</li> <li>Know your motive. If its revenge, maybe think twice. If it's to benefit your reader by sharing your life story and life lessons, you are in a good place.</li> <li>Get a schedule for yourself. For some it will be a specific time either daily or weekly; for others, it may be a story a day or four stories a week. Make it achievable within your lifestyle.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Work in manageable bites</strong></p> <ul> <li>Some people prefer to sort their life into chapters’ right from the start – childhood, young adult, adult life, etc. Others prefer life events, houses or friends.  Others just like to amble along and sort later.</li> <li>Develop a mind map. Identify a single event, date or friend and draw a connecting line to another relationship or event. Mind maps are clever tools and can jog the memory deliciously. </li> <li>Some people like to start writing by stating their information. Clive James commenced his life story “I was born in 1939. The other big event of that year was the outbreak of the Second World War”. Linking an event or a fact to something of importance in your life is extremely effective. There are endless facts about you that could be used to begin the process of shaping your story. This is a great method to add context and interpretation throughout your story.</li> <li>Using anecdotes or stories about your family background or your life events provide great insight for readers. Perhaps a story your parents retold many times through your childhood will say far more about your life than you could describe or perhaps a short amusing story about a real incident or person will showcase difficult circumstances. Facts told from your child-self such as your seeing your father in hospital, or some other traumatic episode will be very compelling.</li> <li>Positioning a photo in front of you and allowing yourself the luxury of reflecting is extremely powerful. Allow sounds, images, smells or any other familiarity to become part of your conscience and then jot down first thoughts. Chat to someone who may have memories of this occasion to expand your memory or offer a different perspective. Different perspectives are interesting and slowly reveal rich details.</li> <li>Details are important and reflect searching in your mind. If you feel uncertain about something, didn’t enjoy something or perhaps did enjoy it, say why. It’s okay to say you are uncertain and allow your readers to reflect on your feelings.</li> <li>Don’t be afraid to use dialogue to highlight the interaction between yourself and another person. It will lift your story and provide light and shade in your text.</li> </ul> <p>Your book may have as many chapters as you like, but usually around twelve chapters is manageable. Remember, your first draft is your first draft and change will happen often.</p> <p><strong>If you get stuck</strong></p> <ul> <li> Go back to your writing ritual.</li> <li> Always sit down to write and have a ‘go’ even if you feel it is ‘not ‘good’.</li> <li>Reflect on your photos or read over your work thus far. You may be surprised.</li> <li>If you want a month off, set a date to return to your work – and keep to it. </li> </ul> <p>Allow your reader to discover the emotion and imagery of your life. Ask questions of yourself and embrace each memory as if it is the only one. Enjoy your life story and make the time.</p> <p><em>OFFER: If you would like Write My Journey to write your life story, contact us for a FREE 15-minute review on your life story. Rose Osborne also does guest speaking to small groups on Writing your Life.</em></p> <p><em>If you want more information, read your way through my website, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.writemyjourney.com/">www.writemyjourney.com</a></strong></span>.</em></p> <p>Read Rose’s past columns on life writing <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/01/rose-osborne-guide-to-telling-life-story/">here</a></strong></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/02/rose-osborne-who-is-the-storyteller-in-your-family/">here</a></strong></span>.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/raising-my-grandchild-is-tough-but-amazing/%20"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Taking over raising our grandchild was tough but the most amazing thing we’ve done</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/01/the-new-grandparenting-handbook/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The new grandparenting handbook</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/01/superstar-grandmas-picture-book-defying-old-stereotypes/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>“Superstar Grandmas” children’s book defying old stereotypes</strong></em></span></a></p>

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