Table of contents for TAK2507 in Take 5

Some stories are just so unique and beautiful, they make us love our jobs even more. The story that’s had that effect on us this week is Jonny’s over the page. I won’t ruin it by giving anything away, but he’s the global postie on our cover, and there’s a really heartwarming reason behind why he started delivering mail around the world. If you’ve got a unique story you’d like to share, do get in touch with us. The other one that divided the office is Koraly’s on page 72. She’s mates with her ex, and they even holiday together with her daughter! Could you? Feature Editor Tash said she’s friends with her ex. “We’re actually meeting next week,” she said. “It’s not that weird.” It was a firm no…

A glorious celebration of Aussie drag artists Art Simone, 32, Geelong, Vic. I grew up as an outcast, a weirdo, someone who didn’t gel with what society was telling me to be or do. I didn’t like standing out for something that I couldn’t control, but I loved using drag to demand onlookers’ attention on my own terms. I could be the puppeteer of my own perception, empowered by a simple eyelash flutter. I don’t do drag; I am drag. But don’t be mistaken by the robust veneer: drag has a shadowed past. Peek behind the curtain and you will see a treacherous journey of torment where queens have had to stand tall as matriarchs for the queer community. It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to a collection…

Sweet potato & zucchini fritters SERVES 4 (MAKES 10) PREP 20 MINS COOK 15 MINS 350g sweet potato, peeled, grated 1 zucchini, grated 2 eggs ½ small red onion, finely sliced ¼ cup plain flour ¼ cup parmesan, grated 1 tbsp basil, finely chopped ½ cup light spreadable cream cheese 1 tomato, seeded, chopped 50g rocket lettuce 1 Squeeze excess moisture from grated sweet potato and zucchini. Transfer to a large bowl with eggs, onion, flour, parmesan and basil. Mix well and season to taste. 2 Lightly spray a large frying pan with olive oil. Heat on medium. Working in 2 batches, press ¼ cups of mixture into pan, flattening with a spatula. Cook 3-4mins, each side, until crisp and golden. 3 To serve, spread cream cheese on fritters and…

Cheers! My partner, Matt, and I are pictured here visiting the Great Aussie Beer Shed in Echuca, Vic, with friends and fellow beer lovers, Annelies and Jimmy. If you’re in the area, it’s a collector’s dream, with everything from beer cans to old farm equipment and all sorts of other memorabilia. Joslyn Erickson, Arundel, Qld. Treasure in the trash WE PAY $100 FOR EACH LETTER PRINTED Reading Anna Easton’s story in issue 49 about finding useful items in other people’s council pick-ups reminded me of when my mother passed away seven years ago. My sisters and I spent an emotional few days sorting through Mum’s house, placing special mementos in a dedicated box while the rest was set aside for donating or placed out the front for a council pick-up.…

My dad taught me not to take mobility and communication for granted Jonny Beardmore, 52, New Plymouth, NZ. My phone buzzed with a call and I smiled to see it was my father ringing from New Zealand. I’d been living in London for years, but my dad Eric, 73, and I chatted regularly. “I’ve got something to tell you,” he said. “I’ve been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.” “Right,” I said, shocked. He said the rare condition would progressively affect parts of his nervous system, causing muscle weakness. “They say I’ve got about two years,” he added. It was hard to believe. It was 2014 and I’d recently done an adventure driving from London to Malaysia and back again. Dad had met me in Kuala Lumpur and seemed totally fine.…

My fiancé’s proposal style was DIY Melanie Burwell, 55, Logan, Qld. T he man sitting opposite me raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really? You like using power tools?” he chuckled. “I’m hooked on DIY,” I grinned. “Bunnings is my favourite shop.” Jeff, 49, and I were on our first date after meeting on an online dating app. He was down-to-earth and funny, and we hit it off. At 9:15pm, I looked at my watch. “I lost track of time,” I cried. “The parking garage will be closed!” Jeff spent ages helping me find the security guard to let my car out and that’s when I knew he was the one for me. I work as a nurse and he’s in e-commerce. After that we met for dinners after work and…

Classic chocolate lamingtons MAKES 15 PREP 25 MINS (PLUS COOLING) COOK 35 MINS 125g butter, chopped, softened ¾ cup caster sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract  2 cups self-raising flour sifted  ½ cup milk  2 cups desiccated coconut Strawberry jam, whipped cream ICING  4 cups icing-sugar mixture  ½ cup cocoa powder  2⁄3 cup milk  20g butter, melted 1 Preheat oven to 180°C.  Lightly grease and line an  18 x 28cm lamington pan.  2 In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. 3 Lightly fold flour into creamed mixture, alternately with milk. 4 Spoon mixture into pan, smoothing top. Bake 30-35 mins until cooked when tested. Cool in pan 5 mins, before turning onto a wire rack…

After loss, I found hope in the unlikeliest of places Heather Peck, 78. The nurse beamed down at my husband, Mike. “Let’s see how you’re healing,” she said, examining his stitches. Mike had recently undergone surgery for stomach cancer. He’d always been fit and healthy, spending lots of time in the garden and taking our kids fishing, so the diagnosis had rocked us. I couldn’t face losing my husband, and our children Sarah and Neil would be lost without their dad. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, and Mike was soon back on his feet. But four years after getting the all-clear, Mike started getting stomach pains. Fearing the worst, he went for tests. “The cancer’s returned,” his oncologist said. “I’m so sorry.” This time, the prognosis wasn’t good. While Mike…

Margaret Mitchell, 76, East Perth, WA. Pulling up to my apartment building in my car one night, I was disturbed by three zombie-like figures in the driveway. All women, they were obviously on drugs. “I need to get through, please,” I called through my window. Slowly, they ambled off into the darkness. It was March 2018, I was 68 and had lived on the fourth floor of the building in East Perth for 12 years. It’d mostly felt safe but recently that had shifted. A bloke named Steve, who other residents suspected of dealing drugs, had moved in on the floor above me. Since then, shady characters were often lurking outside, waiting to follow a resident in. He was violent and agitated During a recent visit, my son had urged…

Staring out at the crowd of people waiting for us, I smiled. “This is for you,” one local told me, gesturing to a pig tied to a post. It was 2019, and as the managing director of PNG Power, I was visiting Tari, a town in Papua New Guinea (PNG) where we’d launched a new substation. The locals celebrated the occasion by dressing me in traditional clothing, performing a cultural dance and giving me their livestock as gifts. I’d moved to PNG a decade earlier to work as a banking consultant and quickly fell in love with the people’s warm, welcoming nature. I’d grown up on a cattle station in Far North Queensland without electricity, so I became an advocate for bringing power to the people of PNG once I…

Sweet & sour chicken SERVES 4 PREP 15 MINS COOK 20 MINS 1⁄3 cup plain flour 1 egg, lightly beaten ¼ cup water 500g chicken thighs, cut into 1.5cm strips Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying 1 red onion, roughly chopped 1 green capsicum, cut into 2cm chunks 2 celery stalks, trimmed, cut into 2cm chunks 1 carrot, halved, thickly sliced 1 tbsp cornflour 1 cup chicken stock ¼ cup white vinegar 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp soy sauce ½ pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into 2 cm chunks Coriander leaves, steamed rice, to serve 1 In a medium bowl, whisk flour, egg and water together to form a smooth batter. Add chicken and stir to coat well. 2 In a wok or large frying pan, heat oil on high. Working in two…

AQUARIUS Jan 21 –Feb 19 The February Full Moon is in your Love Zone so expect a turn-around regarding your most important one-on-one relationship. If things haven’t been good, this is when either the proverbial hits the fan, or you may find a way to move past all the dramas. ★Love, love, love! TAURUS Apr 21 –May 21 Once a year you’re reminded by the cosmos to find a balance between home life and working life – and this is that time of the year! Think about your responsibilities and work out how they fit into a happy personal life. ★ You’ve got this! LEO July 24 –Aug 23 The February Full Moon is in Leo, and Pluto is in your Love Zone, so be careful you don’t end up…

I stared at my date with my mouth gaping open. “What do you mean you live with your ex?” I asked, flabbergasted. We were three dates in, and everything had been going great until Jeff* dropped this bombshell. “We were flatmates before we got together,” he explained. “And then we just realised we were better off as friends.” The way he spoke made it sound so normal, but it wasn’t to me. I’d tried to be friends with my ex-husband after our divorce for the sake of our daughter. I wanted her to have time with both parents as a family. At first, it was fine, but when my ex got a new partner, it all changed. Eventually, he cut me off. Now, as the new partner myself, I couldn’t…

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