Author Archives: Pauline Small

About Pauline Small

After a long and varied career in teaching, I am now able to pursue my other love - writing as a form of exploring the depths of life's experiences. I live in South Australia, in an ordinary house in an ordinary suburban street, which is where the extraordinary happens every day.

Trying To Write When Too Weary.

Trying to write when too weary. Today I sat down to try and write a blog post. I try to get one written in the third week of the month. Life has been hectic this past couple of months and … Continue reading

Posted in beauty, change, culture, faith, family, grace, growth, hope, learning, life, seasons, spirit | 1 Comment

Grit, Garlic and Not At All What Was Expected.

The last post was titled ‘The Gritty Side of Love’. A friend responded wishing us grace and grit for the coming weeks. She could never have guessed how necessary those gifts were, that she wished for Mum and the rest … Continue reading

Posted in change, family, hope, life, outrage, sadness, spirit, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

The Gritty Side of Love.

It wasn’t hard to find the place to take off my shoes for this post. On Saturday our Mum was taken to hospital with a stroke. Mum lives alone, independent by choice, but through a wondrous chain of events one … Continue reading

Posted in faith, family, grace, hope, life, seasons, together | 3 Comments

The Third Good Fortune

The best good fortune is that which comes unsought and unexpected.
Continue reading

Posted in beauty, Catholic, change, community, culture, faith, family, fortune, grace, home, light, place, spirit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Two Ways of Seeing. Two Ways of Living.

There are terrible things afoot, it is true. War, destruction, loss, death everywhere across the globe it seems, and sometimes I wonder when it might be our turn. There have been times to be ashamed and times to be proud. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Allowing for Surprise.

Allowing for Surprise..

Posted in change, faith, growth, hope, learning, life, seeing, together | Leave a comment

Allowing for Surprise.

We are on holiday : a real holiday. One where you get on a plane and change climate zones and feel warm instead of frosted over. For a while I have stopped moaning about living in such a cold house … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Ordinary Power.

Sometimes it get a bit hard to be positive and enthusiastic if you are trying to influence change, especially change for the ‘little people’ in the face of giants. I’ve heard and shared in conversations to this effect lately, many … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

A Man Sings.

I have just been listening to a man sing to his friend and his people, at a funeral service. Such a gift is always something to move the hearers to tears, and I always marvel at the ability of the … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Dragging Monsters From Under the Bed.

Did you ever have a fear of the looming dark as a child? Did you ever think there were monsters lurking in the shadows on the wall, or hiding under the bed or in your wardrobe?  What did you do … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments