All Categories - Fresh Start Press
August 19, 2025
On Substack I recently read an essay, The Space Between Knowing and Knowing for Sure, by Patti...
January 6, 2025
Announcing a break from bi-weekly essays The first essay I published on www.freshstartpress...
December 23, 2024
Photo of a private beach on the North Island, New Zealand by Pat Butler Just another day in...
December 9, 2024
Her bubbly personality drew me in (fiction) “Thanks for coming to Pilates today,” Jenny says. ...
November 25, 2024
July is my favourite month because it overflows with early-summer pleasures: days are long and...
November 11, 2024
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October 28, 2024
Tuesday arrives with a clear blue sky, which highlights the brilliantly coloured leaves in my...
October 14, 2024
In early 1988, I knew nothing about trade unions. Nobody in my family had ever belonged to one....
September 30, 2024
Photo by Pat Butler The safe landing of thousands depended on the cool heads of just a few...
September 16, 2024
Novak Djokovic by Peter Menzel, edited by Petar Milo...
September 2, 2024
The gathering ended with the usual farewell hugs and “Thanks for having us!” comments. My mother...
May 6, 2024
As this fictional story is too long for a blog post, it is published in three instalments - this...
April 23, 2024
This is the conclusion of a three-part fictional story. Parts 1 and 2 are available on www...
April 23, 2024
As this fictional story is too long for a blog post, it is published in three instalments - this...
April 8, 2024
Photo by Kristine Wook on Unsplash How can a serious problem be a benefit? Stamping the snow...
March 25, 2024
Jon Batiste by Pat Butler A stranger's generosity transforms our experience. Having...
March 11, 2024
Travelling solo in a city of 16 million makes one vulnerable. Being a relatively tall woman...
February 26, 2024
This is NOT a picture of my own baby. I lift my eight-month-old baby out of his car seat and...
February 5, 2024
A surreal experience 88 years in the making. Our small yellow and green cog-wheel train chugs...
January 22, 2024
An exhilerating experience I'd like to repeat. Whenever anybody mentions having been called for...