Fake it ’til you MAKE IT
for Sam, one of the book club members. I’d seen them chatting a few times.
Maybe they’re friends on here, I thought, scrolling through his friends list. Bingo! There was a John May.
Clicking on the profile, I flicked through a few photos to confirm it was him. And his status said single!
It also looked like he was a huge fan of our town’s footy team.
I could pretend to be a fan, so we’d have more to talk about? I thought.
The next day, I ordered myself the team’s shirt.
I also made sure I knew the results from all the recent games.
For the next book club meeting, I pulled on my new footy top and spritzed myself with perfume.
John was already there when I arrived, but I sat next to Bec – I didn’t want to seem too keen!
After the book chat wound down, John made a beeline for me.
‘I didn’t know you’re a fan! I can’t believe how well we’re doing at the moment,’ he grinned.
‘Oh, I know, such a good start to the season,’ I replied.
The conversation flowed, and before we knew it, we were the last ones left!
‘I’ve got a spare ticket for Saturday’s game if you fancy coming along,’ he said. ‘My mate just pulled out.’
‘Really? That would be brilliant,’ I gushed.
After the first footy date, we quickly went from mates to a proper relationship.
Three years on, John recently proposed.
I’ve never told him that I pretended to like football to move things along!
But after a few months, I did become a proper fan. Now it’s a passion of mine. John and I still go to book club every fortnight too.
My small fib landed me my dream man and a new hobby – and that’s better than any footy score.
Former art teacher Lexie Abel has come up with an idea that involves minimal spending but assured fun while staying inside. The Brisbane mum created a challenge for her four children that involved going on a treasure hunt around the house to find a designated colour.
Once all the props have been found, a monochromatic family photo is taken.
While most of us are keeping the birthday parties simple this year, Abbey Furlong from Florida threw her one-year-old son a Corona themed party. The mum-of-two was unable to stick with her originally planned circus theme, so opted for something smaller but just as memorable.
Australia’s biggest morning tea
Get the kettles boiling and host a virtual morning tea from home with your colleagues. Every dollar raised will help fund Cancer Council’s life-saving research and support programs.
Banging my chair, I knew my teacher was getting annoyed. ‘Blake, stop that or you’ll have to leave the classroom,’ she warned.
But I didn’t care. Aged eight, I hated school. I would do anything to get kicked out of class.
The work didn’t make any sense. Words and numbers were a jumble and it was easier to mess about and get sent to the principal than face how hard it was.
Thankfully, back home on our farm I had a place to escape from it all.
‘I’m going to feed the chooks,’ I’d call to my mum, Joanne, now 41.
Sitting with them made me feel calm.
‘They have such different personalities,’ I laughed, trying to name them, but usually resorting to chook one, chook two, and so on!
Mum and my dad, Shane, 43, were pleased I’d found something I liked. They even let me get my first rooster.
It was then they saw how serious I really was!
I started hatching baby chicks, and as my brood went from 20 to 200 over the next few years, I had to knuckle down.
I got up early to feed and water them before school, then raced back to them when I got home to do it all again.
Every day, I collected and washed around 250 eggs.
‘There’s only so many omelettes we can make,’ Mum said one day. ‘You should start selling them.’
My label and Facebook page, Blake’s Chooks and Eggs, was born in 2018.
Then Mum and I started approaching local shops.
It turned out the area was crying out for eggs after a big egg farm had just shut down.
We even got chatting to the dairy manager at IGA and a week later we were providing boxes of my free-range eggs to them too!
Seeing boxes of my eggs in people’s carts was unreal.
Even though I’d been diagnosed with severe dyslexia, I now found myself a successful businessman!
My sisters, Jacinta,
18, and Cara, 16, pitched in too, stamping eggs and packing cartons.
I got a mentor who taught me about focusing on a few breeds and I trained my Maremma dogs, Bella, Snow, Millie and Sasha, to help keep the chickens safe.
While other kids played computer games, I fixed fences and cleaned coops!
‘You’ll be a millionaire by 18,’ my mates joke.
At this stage, all my earnings go straight back
• Chickens need quality feed, comfy straw, protection from the sun in summer and the cold in winter, regular worming and lice treatment and protection from predators. • When inside their coop, flocks of up to five chooks should have at least 10 metres squared to ensure they have ample space to move around. They should also have time to roam and explore outside – they should never be locked up all day.
• Most importantly, chickens are individuals with personalities and often love a cuddle with their owners.
Thinking about getting a backyard chook? Be ready to find a new best mate in your feathered friend. into chooks but I have grand plans. In the future, I want to buy the neighbouring farms.
Now I have around 800 chickens laying 700 eggs a day and even school is good.
Teachers buy my eggs and I’m doing something I love.
Life is egg-cellent!
Being safe and sun smart is always a priority for Roxy.
Who said cats and dogs can’t be friends? Molly and Charlie love playing chasey.
Dray is a 12-week-old groodle puppy.
Luna loves
her new flower crown