The mad woman who lives in my garage wrote a book

And got it published.

By a proper publisher - Pan McMillan.

I still can't believe it. I'm flying up to Brissy tomorrow and I know when I go the airport there it will be at the book store with the new releases.

Do a google search under Robyn Catchlove. There is pages and pages of her there.

She's a wild spirit who bailed from Adelaide in the 70s and headed the FNQ. She built a fishing boat with a bloke and they spent ten years or so fishing mostly in the gulf. The book is about those time. Crazy times I imagine.

We had the book launch at our place on Saturday night. Funniest night I've had in ages. There were around 120 people - including a handful who came down from FNQ and who are in the book. One of them lives in a rainforest. I had to lend him a jumper.
 
Classic, I wouldn't mind reading the book. it reminds me of an old friend of mine. He lived in a tent in Byron Bay for a year. He would hang out with people who lived in the rainforest and occassionaly housesit for people he'd meet like members of the band "The Church".
 
My goodness - a Buddhist, a skipper, a real estate agent, nanny, published author and wandering gypsy. In your garage.

You have interesting tenants.
 
She's still choosing the path less travelled, Simon.

She worked for me maybe 12 years ago and always kept in touch. When I said we were moving to a place with a 60sqm garage I wasn't going to use, she asked whether she could live there. It already had a shower and there is an old outside dunny in the backyard. I had a spare kitchen so I bunged that in it.

My kids have known her since they were born. They spend loads of time with her and she often does the school pick-ups. She'd be the most significant adult in their lives apart from their parents (and they probably like her more than us because we're the disciplinarians). She's one of those adults who will sit on the floor with a little kid for an hour and just shoot the breeze. I went looking for the little girls once and found all three of them out there meditating. She drives me crazy sometimes - it's like having a third and very wilful child, but she'll be with us forever I'd say.
 
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She's been running round like a mad thing for a week or two. Disappeared for three days last week. When she got back I asked her where she had been and she said said her publicist had taken her to Brissy, The GC, Ballina and goodness knows where else doing stuff. She showed me the list of events. It was amazing. I really hope she cracks it. Her agent would be thinking movies, that's where the money is. I know there was someone at the party on Saturday night who works for Hugh Jackman's film company.
 
Wow, thanks so much for telling us about the book. I would not have looked at this otherwise, and to think she is a friend of a friend, lol. Will go out and buy this book in the next few days. The photo of her reminds me of the individual woman she obviously is to have bucked traditional roles.

I can imagine the wonder she must hold for your children, can just see little ones meditating, and how much enrichement she will have had to thier lifes.
 
Well, it happened. I walked into the airport in Sydney yesterday afternoon and there was the book front and centre on the 'recommended reading' stand. I had to buy a copy. Read about 100 pages by the time the plane had touched down in brissy. I read some chunks of the early drafts, but it's been a while. What a crazy, rollicking, fun read it is. I was amazed. When I get home this arvo I'll go out to the garage and get her to sign my copy. She'll be chuffed.
 
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