A Brief Overview

Since the purpose of my blog is for you to get to know me, I thought it might help if I start the ball rolling with a brief life history.

I was born in the Mater Mothers’ Hospital in South Brisbane, the second child of John and Helen Bullis when they were 20 and 18 respectively. By the time I was thirteen months, I had lost my father and my mother was a widow. She was only nineteen. I don’t remember my father at all.

Two years later, my mother married Glen. According to my Granny, I was excited to have a new daddy. As I was three, I have no recollection of my mother’s wedding, even though I know I was a flower girl. I don’t know what my expectations were, but I’m pretty sure I was disappointed.

Looking back, I can see that Glen was the way he was because of his own upbringing and although I acknowledge that a person who is neglected and abused as a child doesn’t necessarily become a neglectful and abusive adult. I understand that, without positive role models and in some cases, intense therapy, some people really can’t help how they are. I believe this was the case for Glen.

Whatever the cause of his troubles, the end result, however, is that both my older sister and I were subjected to physical and emotional abuse that we really shouldn’t have had to deal with. From the benefit of hindsight, I can see that some of his own children were treated the same way that we were so my original thoughts that it was all because we weren’t his biological children is probably not correct. I have long since forgiven him for the abuse, but it did shape my life.

I married young: we were both young and our short marriage was marred with violence and infidelity. In short, we were toxic to each other and divorced after four years or so. Our marriage did produce two lovely boys who are now wonderful grown men, so some good did come of it.

I was a single mother for a while and these were my wild years. I may elaborate one day – but not today!

A few years later, I remarried and had three more lovely children, who are also now wonderful adults. This second marriage didn’t last either, although we persevered on and off for nearly nineteen years. It’s a long story and perhaps I’ll also elaborate later. However, I eventually found myself as a single mother again, with three children as the older two had long since left home.

During this second marriage, we had uprooted the family and spent a few years with my family in New Zealand (we’d all moved there when I was thirteen, but I’d moved back to Australia prior to my first marriage). We returned back to Australia after about three years and then, after we’d been married thirteen years, we immigrated to the UK. We’d been here for six years when this marriage ended.

At this stage, I thought I’d had enough of marriage and was intent on just being single and enjoying myself with my remaining three children.

And then I met Ewen!

Now I’m happily married to my very own Yorkshireman. We only have my two daughters left at home now as my Number Three Son flew the nest, quite literally, as he returned to live in Australia about a year and a half after we married. With Ewen’s two dogs, Josie and Lucy, we’ve made a home for ourselves, for now, in West Yorkshire.

My story isn’t over, not by a long shot. This is just the bare bones. We’re planning our own journey to Australia in the not-too-distant future. We have great plans! If my second 50 or so years are as eventful as my first, I’ll have a lot to write about.

My short stories are all drawn from my past, but none of them are true. My novels are just pure fiction. From my writings, you may get a glimpse of my imagination, but from my reminiscences you’ll get to know the real me. I hope the journey is worth it.