Table of contents for TAK2544 in Take 5

Being a kid in hospital can be scary. I remember getting my tonsils out and later having feet surgery, before age 10. My parents tried to be with me as much as possible, while juggling work and caring for my sisters. But driving to and from the busy hospital and finding parking was a nightmare, along with the emotional stress of it all. Thankfully, the kind hospital staff and clown doctors kept me comforted. Reading the stories on page 52 reminded me of this. Nick and Rebecca both faced the heartbreak of their child being diagnosed with a serious illness and then had to navigate the time spent in hospital. Luckily, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) provided spaces of respite and a place to stay nearby. Both found it invaluable…

In 1875, Mary Buchan, a 19-year-old churchgoing woman from Mount Gambier, SA, was ‘keeping company’ with William Page, also known as William Walker. He was a newcomer from Adelaide, working as a coachman and groom. Their courtship seemed serious and marriage appeared inevitable. On the evening of Sunday, July 11, 1875, Mary left church and met William at Hedley Park, a grand estate on the edge of town. The pair were seen talking quietly among the trees. Moments later, Mary’s terrified screams pierced the night as the man who had once courted her so tenderly savagely took her life. Shocked, she awoke with dread That night, Mr Moules, the local bank manager, was walking home from church around 8pm when he heard what he later described as an “unearthly scream”.…

If your shoes have lost their grip and become slippery, buy anti-slip tape from a hardware store and stick some to the bottom of your shoes. It works so well. Jill Santos, Revesby, NSW. If you have a store-bought margherita pizza and want it a bit more flavoursome, add some sliced fresh garlic and cutup deli ham then cook. Margaret Ryan, Ballajura, WA. You can save money on insurance for your car, house and health by increasing the excess to make the premiums cheaper. Joanne Holmes, Arana Hills, Qld. Put large indoor plants on a lazy Susan so you can rotate them easily for watering and to help them to get the best position for sunlight. Gloria Montgomery, Gosford, NSW. A little sesame oil added to fried rice tastes amazing.…

I watched proudly as my boy ran along the sand. It was November 2016, and my wife and I had taken our son, Thomas, two, to the beach to burn off some energy. “He’s a little pocket rocket,” I laughed. Suddenly, Thomas crashed face-first into the sand. Rushing over to brush the sand off him, I noticed an unusual lump on his stomach. My wife crouched down to feel it. “Let’s not take any chances,” she said. We headed to our GP, who sent us to the radiology clinic for an ultrasound. Next, we were advised to return to our GP for the results. “There’s a mass on one of Thomas’s internal organs,” she explained. “You need to go to emergency right away.” Suddenly, our world was turned upside down.…

Berry shortcake pavlova SERVES 8-10 PREP 25 MINS COOK 1 HOUR 45 MINS 6 egg whites, at room temperature 1½ cups caster sugar 250g punnet strawberries, sliced 125g punnet raspberries 2 tbsp icing sugar mixture 300ml tub thickened cream 2/3 cup sour cream 2 tsp vanilla extract 100g pure butter shortbread, crumbled 1 Trace a 20cm circle onto a sheet of baking paper. Place trace-side down on a greased, large oven tray. 2 Place egg whites and sugar in large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed for 10 mins until thick and glossy. Spoon into middle of circle on prepared tray. Gently spread to edge. 3 Cook in a 100°C preheated oven for about 1 hour and 45 mins, or until dry and crisp. Turn off oven.…

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Stepping through the front door, the rich aroma of incense filled my nostrils. At 14, I was visiting my friend’s place. I was always transfixed by his mum’s decor. Their eclectic house was filled with crystals and decks of tarot cards. For as long as I could remember, I was drawn to astrology and the mystical, and my friend’s mum had a witchy aura about her that I adored. She greeted me that day in a long, flowy skirt, with curly hair. We started talking, and she indulged me as I asked some of the big questions I had about life. Afterwards, she handed me a well-loved book. The cover was worn and the pages dog-eared. “I think you’ll love this,” she said with a smile. It was about witchcraft…

Tears stung my eyes as I held my little dog’s paw. “Rest easy, angel,” I whispered. Maxii, my beloved Shih Tzu–poodle cross, had been by my side for 15 years. But now she was going blind and struggling to wee. When the vet gently said the kindest thing was to put her down, my heart broke. Driving home that afternoon, on September 20, 2022, I felt hollow. I parked in the garage and just sat there for a moment, numb. As I opened the car door, I noticed my food dehydrator in the way. I’d picked it up at a garage sale and used it to dry mangoes for my kids – my daughter Sheree, 31, a graphic designer in Brisbane, and my son Michael, 26, an engineer in renewable…

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Hearing a gentle knock on my bedroom door, I looked up to see my Social Care Coordinator, Elisha, standing there with her usual bright smile. “Good morning, Joyce,” she said cheerfully. “What do you fancy doing today?” It was May 2025, and I’d been living at Respect’s age care home, Eliza Purton Home, for seven months, after a couple of nasty falls. My daughter Judy and I had decided it was for the best. Despite initial worries, I’d grown very fond of my new home. The staff were kind, the facilities lovely, and there was always someone to chat to. After losing my dear husband, Ronnie, in 2013, the loneliness at home had often been unbearable. But here, the days were filled with laughter and companionship. “I wouldn’t mind having…

CHEAT CAUGHT LIVE In a world of smart devices, secrets don’t stay hidden From the moment influencer Alexa Losey, 30, got home from a two-week business trip, she knew something was up. Things had been misplaced around her apartment. Her boyfriend had refused to join her on the trip, claiming flights were too pricey, and while she was away he’d dodged her FaceTime calls. She’d also tracked his movements on Find My Friends while she was away and had found him in unfamiliar locations on several occasions. Finding it odd, Alexa checked her doorbell camera upon her return – which her boyfriend claimed wasn’t set up – and found nightly visits by another woman who looked eerily like her. With a friend’s help in cybersecurity, she confirmed the woman’s identity:…

Emerging from the bathroom, I re-read the pregnancy test to make sure. Nervously, I approached my partner, Jon, 52. It was September 2024, and we’d been together for just over a year. We weren’t looking to have children as Jon had two grown-up daughters, so I wasn’t sure how he’d react. “I’m pregnant,” I blurted. Gently, he wrapped his arms around me. “Our baby will be so loved,” he said, smiling. It was a relief, but I still wondered what my mum, Josephine, 43, would say when I told her. She was younger than Jon, and even though she knew I was happy with him, she was protective of me. When they first met, she’d grilled him about why he would want to date someone so much younger. “Because I…

Pulling up the blinds, I closed my eyes and smiled as sunlight poured into my new flat, warming my skin. Home sweet home, I thought happily. It was 2020. I was 28, single, and had just moved in a week earlier. It was the first place I’d ever rented on my own, and I already loved it. After gulping down a quick coffee, I grabbed my handbag and headed out to work as a regional recruitment manager. “Morning,” I said, spotting a man loitering in the communal hallway. “Morning,” he replied with a crooked smile. Darren was my downstairs neighbour. He seemed friendly enough, but there was something unsettling about his intense stare and scruffy appearance. Still, I didn’t want to cause tension, so I stayed polite. Over the next…

If you’re the parent of a teenager, welcome to a landscape that feels very different to the primary school years. There are some mixed blessings: the highs are higher, and the lows are definitely a challenge. Sitting down to talk with parents, a word that often comes up is volatility. Why is it that teenagers blow up so quickly, and why don’t they listen to us? Things can get out of hand quickly on some occasions – family violence by teens is, unfortunately, becoming more common. In my experience as a clinical psychologist, conflict with teens can leave a parent feeling isolated and as if somehow, they’ve handled the situation wrongly. Some of the traps parents fall into when conflict breaks out include: ● Feeling disempowered and doing nothing ●…

My heart raced as the Fonterra CEO opened the envelope. “The winner is Belinda Price,” he announced. My jaw dropped. It was 2021 and I’d just won the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year. I’d been working as a dairy farmer with my husband, Ben, 40, in South Taranaki, NZ, for 15 years and had been nominated by my peers for my leadership and volunteer work. The award included a $20,000 scholarship to study or undertake professional development. Volunteering for the New Zealand Rural Support Trust, which supports farmers doing it tough, was a passion of mine. I wanted to do more, so later that year, I used my prize money to enrol in a Diploma in Positive Psychology. During a workshop, the tutor mentioned the term “death doula” –…

Green pea and haloumi fritters MAKES 12 PREP 25 MINS COOK 18 MINS 250g frozen peas 1 cup self-raising flour 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground turmeric 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp milk 250g haloumi, coarsely grated 2 cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage (wombok) (150g) ½ cup chopped fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish 320g punnet medley tomatoes 1 Cook peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 min. Drain. Return to saucepan. Lightly mash peas. 2 Combine flour and spices in large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add combined eggs and milk. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in peas, haloumi, cabbage and coriander.4 3 Line basket of a 7-litre air fryer with a piece of baking paper to fit base.…

SCORPIO Oct 24–Nov 22 It’s a very good week if you want to make some financial changes in your life. That said, there could also be unexpected twists and turns when it comes to money. Right now, your best bet is to assume there could be financial chaos. ★ Expect the best but plan for the worst! SAGITTARIUS Nov 23–Dec 22 This is your reminder not to expect people to behave rationally or normally at the moment. You’re entering a cycle where you’re going to meet some of the most amazing people, but along with that energy comes the chance of people who are acting cuckoo! ★ Enjoy! CAPRICORN Dec 23–Jan 20 Hopefully you have a dream, but are you actively chasing it or just sitting back hoping it magically…