Table of contents for TAK2504 in Take 5

Diann Henry, 81, Napier, NZ. The James two-stroke motorbike gleamed in our driveway. “That’s beautiful,” I gasped. “Want to take it for a spin?” my brother Claude, 15, asked. “Yes, please!” I said. I was 13, and Claude had just bought his first motorbike. I loved riding it around our suburban block in Napier, the wind blowing through my hair. Helmets weren’t a legal requirement back in 1956. Claude often let me ride his bike after that. When I was 15, I was at the local milk bar when a boy walked in looking like James Dean. “Who’s that?” I asked Barbara, who worked behind the bar. “That’s my cousin Joe,” she said and introduced me. Joe, 17, was very cool. We started dating and discovered our shared love of…

Dating can feel daunting at the best of times, but imagine the difficulties faced by those with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The lifelong gastrointestinal disorders cause painful chronic diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fatigue. Data from Crohn’s & Colitis Australia reveals Australia has one of the highest rates of IBD in the world, with 100,000 people affected. Of those affected by Crohn’s disease, 80 per cent will eventually need of their bowel will be removed, and they may have to live with a stoma bag, which collects their faecal waste. While surgery can alleviate the pain, living with a stoma bag isn’t without its challenges, especially in the realm of dating, sex and intimacy. To surgery . For some, part symptoms, including eel symptoms,…

I traded alcohol for a toy boy! Dawn Gadsby, 53. Stumbling out of bed, I grabbed a bottle of vodka and chugged some back before washing it down with a mouthful of cola to take the taste away. The shakes will go soon, I assured myself. Once the alcohol had taken hold, I spent the rest of the morning in a drunken stupor. The only time I left my house was to buy more booze. It was 2009, and I’d been an alcoholic for 20 years. My family and friends all begged me to get help, and my doctor had warned me I was killing myself, but truthfully, I didn’t want to stop drinking. I didn’t think I could cope without it. My problems started at age 12 when I…

I watched as the giant balloon inflated. “Hop in, Ruth,” the man said. As the basket lifted into the sky, my inner voice spoke. This is your destiny, it said. You were born to fly. It was 1975, and my husband, Kevin, and I were living in New Zealand with our sons, Mark, eight, and Grant, five. I was 32, a freelance journalist, and was interviewing the potter James Greig, who was also a hot air balloonist. When I got home that evening, I wrote a letter to Kevin, who was working overseas. I want to be a hot air balloonist, I wrote. He supported me and shortly after, we moved to Sydney. One night, I went with him to a corporate dinner and chatted to a man from Tupperware…

Hi Take 5ers, I’ve recently stopped drinking to better my health, but it has left me feeling a bit isolated. I don’t want to go on nights out, as I’d rather avoid the temptation to drink, but at home, I just find myself feeling bored. I keep fit by going to the gym, but that only takes up an hour or so. I’m single and don’t have any family nearby. I want my physical health to improve but not at the risk of my mental health. What should I do? Ronnie, 51* Hobbies and team sports. Join a volleyball league or maybe learn a new craft. You’ll become addicted to one of those instead and spend all your spare time researching, practising and learning instead. Jana Ramage Are YOU in…

True love helped my relationship survive many hurdles Wenn Lawson, 72, Warrnambool, Vic. Standing in front of the toilet, I furrowed my brow in confusion as urine splashed all over the toilet seat and onto the floor. Why can I never get it in the bowl? I wondered. I was eight and was trying to stand and pee like all the other boys. Only, I wasn’t a boy. As I got older and things became more apparent, I considered myself a tomboy. I was interested in engines and motorbikes and much preferred male company to female. When I was 10 and my period started, I went into complete denial about it. I refused to acknowledge what was happening to me and wear pads. “You’ve got blood on your clothes,” a…

Diana Butler, 63, Launceston, Tas. I snapped on fresh gloves as I went to check on my next patient. Just then, I overheard my colleague Dr Saba*, 28, telling someone about her family in Tanzania. “We don’t have electricity there so I hold a candle so my father can operate,” she explained. It was 2005, I was 44 and worked as an emergency nurse at Launceston General Hospital. As a single mum to three boys, Benjamin, 19, Johno, 17, and Harry, 14, life felt hectic, but as Saba talked about the struggles in her homeland, I realised how fortunate we were. Her hospital in Tanzania had no running water, just 34 beds, and her patients were poverty-stricken. It was heartbreaking. “We should do something to help,” I suggested to my…

Jade May, 38, Redfern, NSW. Staring at my stoma bag, a lump formed in my throat. “How will I find a boyfriend with this thing?” I said to my mum, Josie, 46. “You will,” she replied, but seemed unsure. At 20, my self-esteem was at rock bottom. Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease seven years earlier, I’d been in and out of hospital ever since. Now, due to complications, I’d had part of my small intestine temporarily pulled out while my body recovered, and a stoma bag inserted. It was painful and I never got used to it. I read romance fiction to forget about it. They taught me about kink and bondage, and I could explore what I might like sexually – not that I’d had real-life experience. I’d never even…

Like glass skin, glass hair is just as amazing, and despite its fragile namesake, this look is, in fact, a bold beauty statement. WHAT IS GLASS HAIR? Think ultra-shiny strands with extremely sleek, blunt-cut ends. Whether it’s on the shorter or longer side, the look creates a halo-like effect around the face, thanks to its high-octane gloss finish. HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE THE GLASS HAIR LOOK? Despite its polished appearance, the glass hair style is actually much easier to achieve than you might think. “For the upcoming season, to maintain that mirror finish, start by asking your stylist to go easy on the layers and texture, and aim for a solid, blunt line on the ends,” says leading hairstylist Anthony Nader of Sydney’s Raw Salon. “This will help emphasise the…

Within easy reach from Sydney and Canberra, the NSW South Coast is the ultimate weekend destination. Though there aren’t many hotels in the area, there are plenty of farmstays and upscale motels offering unique ways to spend a night (or a few!). Here are some of our favourites… LINNAEUS FARM Taking a step back from the sea and sun, this stay is surrounded by rolling green hills. Sleeping 10-14 guests, Linnaeus Farm is ideal for girls’ weekends and family stays – but that certainly doesn’t make it any less intimate. The gated property offers Scandi charm on the inside (hello stone walls and herringbone timber flooring) and a farmstayesque lush garden and lakehouse on the outside. THE OAKS RANCH The Oaks Ranch in Mossy Point is luxurious and coastal, with…

EAT MORE PROTEIN Use hummus as a sandwich condiment instead of mustard or mayo. Want to be a healthier you, but have no idea where to begin? Follow these expert tips from week one of WeightWatchers’ 8-week plan to set you on your journey to sustainable weight loss. BE SMART Research proves that setting goals and going in pursuit of them is linked to increased happiness. Use the ‘SMART’ goal-setting guide. BE SPECIFIC When setting a goal, it needs to be specific rather than vague. So instead of ‘I’m going to do more exercise this week’, say ‘I’m going to walk for 30 minutes a day on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday’. MAKE IT MEASURABLE How else will you know if you’re hitting the target? So, make sure you can measure…

If you have trouble putting on rubber gloves, try sprinkling some talcum powder into them before use. When I buy chicken, I salt it before I freeze it so that it gets really tender when it defrosts. When you’re cooking, fill the sink with hot soapy water so you can clean as you go. You can ripen an avocado faster if you put it in a stubby holder. A few drops of tea-tree oil on toilet paper in your bin will help reduce odours. We always put newer foods at the back of the fridge shelves and the older stuff at the front, so it gets used first. Keep a squeegee in the shower and teach your family to wipe the water off the glass after every shower. I eat…

Scarecrows brought our community together Jessica Hicks, 42, Wherrol Flat, NSW. Sitting around the dining table, our family put our thinking caps on to come up with an idea for a scarecrow to enter for the 2024 Wherrol Flat and Caparra Spring Fair. “Are we sticking with the sports theme, or are we doing something different this year?” I asked my hubby, Shannon, 41, and our four children, Pearl, 10, Reuben, eight, Vincent, five, and Teddy, one. In previous years we’d made Kelly Slater the surfing crow, and the whole Australian cricket team, in scarecrow form. Our property had previously been the home ground for the Wherrol Flat Cricket Club, which is where the sporting theme had originally come from. “I think we should stick to sports, since it was…

1 Visit Jervis Bay Explore the crystal-clear waters of Jervis Bay, famous for its white sandy beaches like Hyams Beach. Enjoy activities such as snorkelling, kayaking, and dolphin-watching tours. 2 Hike in the Royal National Park Discover breathtaking coastal views and lush bushland on one of the many trails in the Royal National Park. The Coast Track is a must for stunning vistas and serene beaches. 3 Whale Watching in Eden From May to November, Eden is a prime spot to see humpback whales as they migrate along the coast. Visit the Eden Killer Whale Museum to learn more about the area’s long whaling history. 4 Explore Kiama and its Blowhole See the famous Kiama Blowhole in action, where waves create dramatic sprays of water. While there,…

Copycat My mum, June, looks after my daughter, Rubi, three, during the week while I’m at work. Rubi is turning into a little mini-me version of her nanna and repeating the funniest phrases. We were in the car and from the back seat I heard Rubi say, “Jeepers creepers, turn the air on. It’s a stinker today!” Belinda Elchert, Bulli, NSW. WE PAY $100 FOR EACH LETTER PRINTED Unexpected guests My husband, John, was preparing a barbecue for the children at the kids’ club where we’re leaders. He heard a strange noise and looked around to find a huge mother pig and her three babies in the kitchen! The pig grabbed the bag of bread rolls John was buttering, but he managed to win the game of tug-of-war. The only…