Author: Stephanie Hills

  • The good old days

    Granddad was reminiscing about the good old days… “When I were a lad, me mother would send me down to t’corner shop wi’ a shilling, and I’d come back wi’ five pounds o’ potatoes, two loaves o’ bread, three pints o’milk, a pound o’ cheese, a packet o’ tea, an’ ‘alf a dozen eggs.” Sadly […]

  • Lucky rabbit

    After buying her kids a pet rabbit, after they PROMISED they would take care of it, Mum, as usual, ended up with the responsibility. One evening, exasperated, she asked them, “How many times do you think that rabbit would have died if I hadn’t looked after it?” After a moment, her 5-year-old son replied quizzically, […]

  • A big chook

    When a woman requested a whole roaster at the market where I work, the butcher didn’t let on that the bird he presented her was the last one. “Do you have one that’s a little larger?” she asked. “Of course,” said the butcher. He took the roaster behind the counter, away from view, and made […]

  • The Spirit of Compromise

    My friend wanted a boat more than anything. His wife kept refusing, but he bought one anyway. “I’ll tell you what,” he told her. “In the spirit of compromise, why don’t you name the boat?” Being a good sport, she accepted. When her husband went to the dock for his maiden voyage, this is the […]

  • It’s official – pets make us happy

    Studies show that owning a pet can increase self esteem, develop social skills and help people make friends. Families with pets tend to feel closer and play together more often. A strong bond with a pet has all sorts of benefits to health and emotional wellbeing. Studies with elderly people showed that owning a cat […]

  • Financial relief in an emotional time

    Recently a student friend of mine was devastated when her partner, who lives in another town, was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The ensuing few weeks have necessitated a lot of travelling back and forth to be by his side, as well as many phone calls and texts to let people know of his progress. […]

  • Gut Feelings and Intuition

    When making a decision, do you go with your gut? Many people confuse gut feelings with ‘intuition’, when in fact they’re two different things. Gut feelings come easily and naturally – they’re your body’s pre-programmed response to stimuli that you’ve encountered before. Candace Pert’s book ‘Molecules of Emotion’ explains how our body chemistry works to […]

  • The Little Things

    Let’s not forget to notice the little things that people do for one another every day. Here are a few things I’ve witnessed people doing for each other recently: Buying lunch as a thank you Making coffees for workmates Baking a birthday cake Preparing a meal for friends Organising a farewell party Giving away fruit […]

  • Blonde kidnapper

    Needing money desperately, a blonde decided to kidnap a child and hold him for ransom. She went to the local playground, grabbed a kid randomly, took him behind a building, and told him, “I’ve kidnapped you.” Then she wrote a note saying, “I’ve kidnapped your kid. Tomorrow morning, put $10,000 in a paper bag and […]

  • Returning lost keys

    Walking through the car park at Chartwell last week, a friend came across a set of car keys. Although she was late for a meeting, she insisted on turning around and taking the keys back inside to the information desk. It turns out a relative of hers had lost a wallet at Chartwell some time […]