Table of contents for TAK2541 in Take 5

Remember being 14, when you’re awkward and clumsy and thinking you’re older than you are? You think you know everything and enter relationships you swear will last a lifetime? But then you grow older, get tugged in different directions and realise you were just a kid back then. So I was stunned reading Rhonda’s story on page 22. She met Keith in 1967, when she was 14 and he was 16 and even through all life’s ups and downs – and there were plenty – they’re still happily married and so in love! I’m impressed! How did they do it? They’re an exception to the rule, I reckon. Are you in a relationship that has lasted decades? Stories like that warm the heart. On another note… now, I’m not going…

I left my boyfriend’s house sore and deflated. Is that it? I wondered. Surely it gets better. It was 2011 and I was 18, having just lost my virginity. The experience had been brief, awkward and far from pleasurable. Coming from a religious school and a strict upbringing, I’d had little real knowledge about sex. Still, hearing the way my classmates spoke about it, I’d expected at least some enjoyment. Telling myself it was just inexperience, I hoped intimacy would feel different with time. But throughout my 20s, while working as a kindergarten teacher on the Gold Coast, Qld, every encounter only deepened my disappointment. I focused on pleasing the men rather than myself – going through the motions, faking satisfaction and smiling on the outside while feeling empty inside.…

Spring is typically when we ramp up our fitness plans, but there’s no need to wait. With the coldest part of winter behind us and the days getting longer, now’s the perfect time to kickstart your goals. The crisp air can even take some heat out of cardio workouts. Jono Castano from Acero gym, who trains celebs including Rebel Wilson and Rita Ora, says there’s no ‘right’ time to get started. In fact, that’s why he named his upcoming book It Starts Today. “If you decide tomorrow, ‘Hey, I want to kickstart my goals,’ then that’s the right time,” he says. SET REALISTIC TARGETS “One of the big mistakes I see is that people come in with unachievable goals,” says Jono, who advocates manageable wins. Instead of just focusing on…

My family piled into the car and made our way to church. It was 1971 and the first service under the new priest, Father George Parker, 33. Dad wasn’t taken by him, but Mum connected with him instantly. Within a couple of weeks, she invited him round to our home in Edgeworth, NSW. As he entered, I went to shake his hand. “Don’t be silly,” Father George said, pulling me in for a tight hug. Even at 10, this made me uncomfortable, but he was a respected adult, so I held my tongue. In time, my family got more involved in our parish, and I became an altar boy. “I need your help with a service in Minmi,” Father George said one day. During the half-hour drive, I felt his…

Chicken caesar pasta salad SERVES 6 PREP 15 MINS COOK 25 MINS 270g short pasta 1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper Zest and juice of 1 lemon 2-3 chicken breast fillets (about 600g) 6 thick day-old bread slices (about 250g), chopped into 2 cm cubes 2 baby cos lettuces, chopped 2 cups finely chopped broccoli (optional) 1 cup shaved or grated parmesan CAESAR DRESSING 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise 3⁄4 cup Greek yoghurt 1 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar Zest and juice of 1 large lemon 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water to stop cooking process, set aside. 2 ½ tsp…

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Jumping out of the car, I waved goodbye to my parents. “Meet us here afterwards,” Dad called out. “Okay!” I replied, grabbing my friend Isabel’s arm as we raced off towards the Sydney Stadium. It was 1964. I was 14, and about to see The Beatles perform live. We joined thousands of fans pouring into the venue. When John, Paul, George and Ringo walked onto the stage, I screamed. Swept up in the hysteria, I could hardly hear the music above the shouting. Afterwards, we found my parents and hopped into the back seat. “How was it?” Mum asked, but my voice was too hoarse to reply. That concert was a defining moment in my life. After that, Isabel and I often went to Channel 9 studios to dance on…

Butter beef skewers SERVES 6 PREP 15 MINS COOK 15 MINS 1kg rump steak, trimmed, cut into 3cm-thick slices 450g jar butter chicken simmer sauce 12 bamboo skewers, soaked Pappadums, Greek-style yoghurt, to serve SALAD 3 large carrots, shredded using a julienne peeler 1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced 1 bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked ¼ cup natural flaked almonds, lightly toasted ¼ cup currants 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 In a bowl, combine beef and half sauce. Marinate 30 mins. Preheat chargrill on high. 2 Thread beef evenly onto skewers. Grill 5-6 mins, turning on all sides, until cooked through. 3 SALAD In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together to combine. 4 Reserve 4 skewers and 2 cups salad for lunch. Serve skewers…

My big sister Kym was waiting outside the hospital when I was discharged. I’d been admitted with a fever the day before. “You didn’t have to collect me,” I said. “I wanted to,” she smiled. It was 3am, but that was Kym all over – if I needed her, she was there, and vice versa. As kids we fought like cats and dogs. Kym, two and a half years older, ruled the roost whenever Mum and Dad were out. “You’re a bossy cow,” I’d snap. Still, I adored her. She was a quiet homebody who loved craft, knitting and crochet. At 15 Kym was swept off her feet by a regular customer at the newsagency where she worked. His name was Andrew Cobby. At 21 he was much older and…

Buy salads in plastic bags that are flat. If the bags are puffed up it means the vegetables are starting to go bad. Denise Spencer, Sunshine, Vic. If you have a pet with a doggy door or a cat door, put a bath mat in front of it so he wipes his wet feet every time he comes in and doesn’t leave muddy footprints all over the house. The best part is when the bath mat gets grubby, just throw it straight in the washing machine! Marijana Ransley, Pelham, Tas. If you want to stop a sneeze when you feel it coming on, rub the back of your neck. It works pretty often. Nadine Thomas, Richmond, NSW. Hand sanitiser works for removing pen ink on fabrics. Kelly Leong, Indooroopilly, Qld.…

Watching my six-year-old son, Bodhi, wave his arms in the air to mimic our ostrich, Scott, my heart swelled with joy. “Dance, Mummy!” Bodhi called to me. “He only dances with you,” I laughed back. It was 2021, and we lived on an 80-acre farm with my husband, Tim, and our four other children – Charlie, 14, Billie, 12, Dusty, nine, and Tully, five. Together, we bred exotic birds and animals, and Bodhi loved spending time with them. He was obsessed with chickens. They slept beside his bed. But despite Bodhi’s sweet nature, he could also have a fiery temper and often threw tantrums Since the age of one we’d been taking him to the doctor after he failed to reach his milestones. He ws sent for genetic testing He…

Strawberry & peach crumble cake SERVES 10-12 PREP 15 MINS COOK 1 HOUR 10 MINS 200g butter, softened ¾ cup caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 cup self-raising flour 1 cup plain flour ¾ cup buttermilk 410g can sliced peaches in juice 250g punnet strawberries, hulled, halved CRUMBLE 75g butter, chopped, chilled ½ cup plain flour ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1⁄3 cup flaked almonds 1 Lightly grease and line base and side of a 22cm springform pan. 2 In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a metal spoon, fold in sifted combined flours, alternating with buttermilk until well combined. 3 Spoon…

Curled on the couch with a cuppa, I began to scroll through Facebook. It was May 2025 and I stopped on a photo of a huge model dinosaur, posted by my mate, Jack. Any ideas on how I move this idiotic purchase? his caption read. Apparently, he had just three days to pick up the eight-metre-long green Saltasaurus which he’d impulsively bought for $1500 in an online auction. It had belonged to an animatronics collector who displayed his creatures at shows and fairs around South Australia. The dino was stored near the South Eastern Freeway, a long way from Jack’s place in NSW but just a couple hours north of my property in Milang. Looking at the dinosaur’s beady eyes and cheeky grin, I burst into laughter. If you can’t…

OCT 16-22 LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 Your ruling planet Venus harmonises with the lucky planet Jupiter. It could translate as you moving from theatre love, (which sounds a bit airy fairy but actually can be a wonderful thing) or it could translate as good news at work. ★ This could be a great week – good luck! SCORPIO Oct 24 - Nov 22 Last week I mentioned that Mercury in your sign is great for communications. This week, it could also see you being upset with someone or just doing yourself in with negative thinking. You’ve got a lot on. ★ This could potentially be a healing crisis. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 22 There’s some good luck in the air this week as your ruler, the lucky…

Surrounded by sea creatures, I wriggled to readjust the tank on my back. It was 2019, and I was on a week-long diving trip at the Rowley Shoals, 300km off the West Australian coast. I loved getting close to marine life, but often found the scuba equipment heavy and jarring. One of the instructors on the trip, Jayden, was deep diving with no air tank. Wearing only fins, goggles, and a wetsuit, she glided majestically through the water, holding her breath for minutes at a time. I watched fish and sharks swim close to her, untroubled by bulky scuba gear or bubbles. “That was incredible,” I told her on deck. “Could you teach me?” “Of course,” she said, grinning. The next day, I was giddy with excitement as Jayden showed…