06 Sep 2026 | Mindfulness

Jarrangbarni (Koolpin) Gorge

The music, from MaMuse is the back drop for just some of the photos of our immersion into Jarrangbarni Gorge in Kakadu National Park, N.T. I walked with a gorgeous bunch of wonderfully alive and wild women. It was hard, challenging, wonderful, beautiful and powerful. As the mindfulness facilitator, I…

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04 Sep 2026 | Uncategorised

Jacana the Band. A Proud Grandma Post

A proud grandma post! My lovely grandsons, Leo and Reuben, together with their dad, Joe, have formed a band: Jacana (the Band). They are mad birdies as well as guitarists, so they chose their name after the beautiful Jacana bird. At just 9 and 12, Leo and Reuben are enthusiastic…

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02 Sep 2026 | Funerals, Death and Dying, End of Life Planning

Leaving Footprints — Reading by Thich Nhat Hanh

My celebrant colleague, Bill Stubbs, shared this reading from a memorial service he officiated at last week. The excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh, where he shares the story of his  own mother’s death, was read by the daughter of the deceased. “The same thing happens when we lose any of…

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31 Aug 2026 | Funerals, Death and Dying, End of Life Planning

Farewell Sue!

Remembering Sue Siwinski I had met with Sue at the hospital to plan her farewell ceremonies. She wanted her family to have a small, private service at the crematorium and then later, a public ceremony where her colleagues from Bishop Druitt College and the wider community could gather to remember…

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04 Aug 2026 | Funerals, Death and Dying, End of Life Planning

For the Love of Doris Cooper

One of the things I have come to value most in creating funeral ceremonies is the importance of keeping them simple. As celebrants, we can sometimes feel that we need to fill the ceremony with our own words — to tell the person’s whole life story, explain who they were,…

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23 Jul 2026 | Funerals, Death and Dying, End of Life Planning

Bloomn… 98 years old!

Elsie Morrison lived a remarkable 98 years. Even though an elder may be expected to die, and even when a death comes at the end of a long and well-lived life, it can still come as a shock to family and close friends. We can know that someone is old,…

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26 Jun 2026 | Funerals, Death and Dying, End of Life Planning

We Remember Them

Words of Remembrance for Gordon Weick “Gordon loved his family and friends. He was a smart man, a successful man, and a man whose generosity and kindness will be remembered by many. He loved the simple pleasures of life, especially being outdoors on the farm, spending time with the cattle,…

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09 Jun 2026 | Funerals, Death and Dying, End of Life Planning

Home Sweet Home for Narelle

Sometimes, when preparing a funeral, a small detail opens up the whole ceremony. For Narelle Hoy, it was home. Narelle was a schoolteacher, a mother of four boys and a woman who was deeply involved in and loved by her community. There were many possible ways to begin telling the…

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06 Jun 2026 | Funerals, Death and Dying, End of Life Planning

Farewell Mitch Weeden

Some funerals are definitely harder than others to prepare for. Mitch’s death was sudden and unexpected. He was a young father of two beautiful little boys, and he died in an accident. The shock, disbelief, and the tragedy rippled not only through his beloved family but throughout the entire community….

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30 Apr 2026 | Funerals, Death and Dying, End of Life Planning

Sitting Quietly with Dad’s Body

Trigger warning: this is a personal story of death, shared with some detail. Please read with care. Dad died here at his home on Easter Sunday. It was a good death in that he wasn’t afraid of dying, and he was so ready to leave his tired 90 year old…

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