SECTIONS

Tales from the Powder Room

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The MixJuly 10

I swear

Swear words are a vital part of communication. We need them to properly express ourselves, writes Lisa Scott.
I swear
I swear
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The MixJune 19

Grannies are for gardens, not the streets

Granny pods are trending, those wee granny flats I mean and having a miniature home tucked down the back of your section has never been easier to do.
Grannies are for gardens, not the streets
Grannies are for gardens, not the streets
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The MixJune 7

Don’t push me cos I’m close to the edge

ARGH!!!!! How’s the ol’ nervous system?
Don’t push me cos I’m close to the edge
Don’t push me cos I’m close to the edge
The MixApril 3

Pushing back against constant comfort

Feel like you just can’t win? The world is a dumpster fire. Your flights got cancelled and the refund won’t cover new ones; petrol prices are scuppering your long-distance relationship. Some days there are so many bad things coming at you, and all of them out of your control.
Pushing back against constant comfort
Pushing back against constant comfort
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The MixMarch 6

Heading north to meet his mum

Reet enough, the Yorkshireman and I are off to the north, the far north and Scotland in a couple of months to meet his mum.
Heading north to meet his mum
Heading north to meet his mum
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The MixDecember 12

A few coins of gratitude in the Christmas pudding

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart ... and a voucher for tandem paragliding, but it was too windy on the day and you didn’t want to reschedule, so I got a refund and paid the rates instead.
A few coins of gratitude in the Christmas pudding
A few coins of gratitude in the Christmas pudding
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The MixNovember 21

The handiwoman’s other dream

The Yorkshireman and I recently did an insane thing.
The handiwoman’s other dream
The handiwoman’s other dream
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The MixOctober 17

Storage chambers of the heart

As our lives move closer together, the Yorkshireman and I make plans to cohabit.
Storage chambers of the heart
Storage chambers of the heart
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The MixSeptember 19

A too tight an embrace

Custody disputes are dreadful times. The heightened emotions make people act crazy, writes Lisa Scott.
A too tight an embrace
A too tight an embrace
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The MixAugust 22

Ghosts in the chorus

Grief is a journey - you never know when there will be a sudden bump in the road, when a memory will come rushing in the cracks between now and then.
Ghosts in the chorus
Ghosts in the chorus
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The MixJuly 25

The slippery slide into wisdom

The fear of getting hurt, traumatophobia (fear of physical injury) can be a massive head game to conquer, writes Lisa Scott.
The slippery slide into wisdom
The slippery slide into wisdom
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The MixJune 29

Becoming more flexible on questions of spirituality

I’m not religious.
Becoming more flexible on questions of spirituality
Becoming more flexible on questions of spirituality
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The MixMay 30

Rooting out the nastiness

We spent this weekend up a ladder cutting the hedges at Pūrākaunui. They had grown huge, lumbering, pushing over the smaller trees in front of them, forcing them to bow in subjugation.
Rooting out the nastiness
Rooting out the nastiness
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The MixMay 3

All that glisters is not always Gold

After you’ve seen a hundred rainbows you start to think maybe you’ve found your pot of gold.
All that glisters is not always Gold
All that glisters is not always Gold
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The MixApril 5

Feeling less than neighbourly

Is peace, quiet and privacy at your property too much to ask?
Feeling less than neighbourly
Feeling less than neighbourly
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The MixMarch 9

Coping in a shifting world

Why do mamas drink wine?
Coping in a shifting world
Coping in a shifting world
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The MixFebruary 8

Hope endures beyond the honeymoon

When the honeymoon phase is over, it may feel like a bubble pop.
Hope endures beyond the honeymoon
Hope endures beyond the honeymoon
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The MixJanuary 11

Setting a table for presence and absence

The widower who has a second chance at love is a romantic cultural trope.
Setting a table for presence and absence
Setting a table for presence and absence
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The MixDecember 7

Sisters - get set for wild times

Feeling the pinch this Christmas? Lisa Scott has a few alternative gift ideas.
Sisters - get set for wild times
Sisters - get set for wild times
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The MixNovember 15

Focus on love, health and happiness

Lisa Scott hopes for a banquet of love, health and happiness this Christmas.
Focus on love, health and happiness
Focus on love, health and happiness
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The MixOctober 19

Benefits of a handy man

I’ve always had to get a man in.
Benefits of a handy man
Benefits of a handy man
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The MixSeptember 20

Life in the fast lane

Yeah, I’ve done cage diving, met the shark with my name on it.
Life in the fast lane
Life in the fast lane
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The MixAugust 9

The way to their hearts

Your own children can be hard enough to get on with, and they know all your freaky ins and outs. Meeting your boyfriend’s children is bound to come with feelings of trepidation, writes Lisa Scott.
The way to their hearts
The way to their hearts
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The MixJuly 12

It’s time to be less welcoming

New Zealanders are very polite.The English are supposed to be the gold standard for polite, but I know one and he isn’t. Mind you, he’s from Yorkshire.
It’s time to be less welcoming
It’s time to be less welcoming
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The MixJune 21

Making memories on ice

There isn’t much strange and wonderful left in this world but if you do one thing this winter, then the Staveley Ice Rink should be that thing.
Making memories on ice
Making memories on ice