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December 4, 2006

Holidaying with Mary

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by Glen Williams

I went down to Tassie aiming to report on Princess Mary’s Aussie homecoming. This was going to be a happy family reunion, as it was the first time most of Mary’s rellies had come face to face with her very cute baby boy, Prince Christian.

I was told we might not be able to get too close, as this wasn’t an official royal tour but a “very private family holiday.” As it turned out, Mary is very generous. And while she was relishing her time back home among the family that love her, she was willing to get out and about and pose for pictures and not hide away. The whole family was very generous.

Photo album: Princess Mary’s Australian holiday.

Day one in Hobart saw me catching up with Mary’s lookalike sisters, Jane and Patricia. They were launching the Crown Princess Mary rose to raise money for the Heart Foundation. For every rose bush sold, one dollar goes to research into heart disease.

It’s a cause close to the Donaldsons’ hearts — they lost their dear mum Henrietta to heart problems back in 1997. Her passing, Jane told me, had devastating effects on all the family.

I was thrilled when Jane handed me a rose. There’s not many people who can say, ‘I’ve been given a rose by Princess Mary’s sister.’

I caught up with Mary’s sister-in-law Leanne, who told me the family were having a ball. And it showed. Mary was playful in the Salamanca Market place, one of her favourite haunts. And Christian couldn’t have had more fun as he splashed and played in the fountain of Salamanca.

Mary’s dad Professor John Donaldson was back in town for the occasion and he too was up for a chat. That’s the great thing about Mary and her family. They’re all just warm, very down to earth people.

We’ve got some great photos from Mary’s holiday. I’m sure she’ll want to add them to her own album as a keepsake.

And in keeping with her down to earth nature, when she left Hobart bound for Melbourne and more catch-ups with old friends and family, she didn’t go in a private jet. No, she flew Jetstar!

For more about Princess Mary’s homecoming, see this week’s issue of Woman’s Day.

Photo album: Princess Mary’s Australian holiday.

Video: Princess Mary’s arrival in Australia.

More Princess Mary news.

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December 3, 2006

Cellulite secrets

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Five tips to shifting that orange-peel look — fast!

Get glugging

Start each day with a cup of hot water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Replace your coffee, soft drinks and cordials with water.

Veg out

Pile your plate with vegies and salads splashed with a low-fat dressing or a touch of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Eat lots of fruit, including vitamin C-packed citrus fruits, kiwifruit, mango and berries.

Spice it up

Ditch the salt — it makes your body retain water. Add flavour to your meals with herbs and spices like black pepper, chilli or garlic.

Eat fresh

Avoid processed and refined foods. Go for wholegrain cereals, breads, pastas and rice. Buy fresh vegies, meat and fruit and prepare your meals from scratch. It doesn’t have to take hours. There are plenty of recipe books around with quick, low-fat food ideas.

Keep on running

Running is one of the best forms of exercise for toning and firming your legs. If running isn’t for you, try cellulite-busting cycling or walking.

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December 3, 2006

Faith beats the odds

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By Dr Chris Brown

The courage of a two-legged dog stuns veterinary science and helps inspire people.

Meet Faith, a dog I came face-to-face with on a trip to the Midwest US state of Oklahoma. Faith is no ordinary dog. This Chow-Labrador cross has fascinated the world and become a celebrity.

E-mails, websites, television shows and an upcoming movie have all documented her incredible rise to become one of the most recognisable dogs in the world. Oprah Winfrey has even featured Faith on her show ? twice!

Faith was born with just two hind legs, which she uses to walk (and even run) like a human. That this beautiful two-legged dog is alive at all is nothing short of a miracle. It’s a feat that may even change what the veterinary world sees as being possible.

Faith was rescued by the Stringfellow family four years ago, after being abandoned. She was a malnourished puppy with days to live. However, Jude Stringfellow saw something in her eyes that inspired her ? and a partnership was born between the two-legged puppy and a woman determined to prove people around her wrong, including those who suggested Faith be put to sleep.

“I saw a look in her eyes that seemed to be a plea for help,” says Jude, who has written books about Faith called With A Little Faith and Faith Alone: Stories of an Amazing Dog (both available at Amazon.com). “She had pride and determination. I really wanted to give her a chance.”

As Faith grew, she learnt to move about as best she could by pushing herself along the floor. “The vet told me that if she continued to drag her body along like that, it would cause her to graze her chest and the wound would become infected,” Jude says.

The bottom line was that if Faith didn’t stand up, she would certainly not survive. Teaching her to raise herself up on her two legs was no easy feat, but one thing Faith had was a healthy appetite.

She loved peanut butter and would do anything for it. Jude began offering spoonfuls to her, keeping it just out of her reach, until Faith grew strong enough to stand up.

It took eight months, but the result is truly amazing.

Faith seems to relish every unbelievable step she takes, and that tail of hers never stays still. It almost propels her around through its fits of excitement-induced flapping!

Faith is a wonderful creature to meet, and the reactions of people really moved me, too.

Her triumph against the odds has bemused some and amused others, but many more people are inspired. They realise that if a dog with two legs and little chance of life can lift herself up, maybe they can, too.

Not a bad effort for a dog!

Faith’s story appears on Talk To The Animals: Believe It Or Not, which screens on the Nine Network on Saturday, December 9 at 7.30pm.

Watch video of Faith’s amazing ability.

Check out Faith’s website.

See this week’s issue of Woman’s Day for our amazing story about Tahi, the Kiwi with a prosthetic leg.

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December 3, 2006

I sabotaged my friend’s audition script!

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My best friend Alana had always been very artistic at school. She always got the lead roles in the school play and because of this she was very popular. Growing up, I felt very special to be counted worthy of being her best friend. When she stole my boyfriend in year 12, however, our relationship took an obvious turn for the worse and we coldly parted company. After graduation, I never expected to see her again.

So you can imagine my great surprise when, four years later, I advertised to sub-let my rented apartment and Alana showed up at my door. Always a big believer in fate, I decided it must be a sign. After all, four years had passed and I was ready to bury the hatchet. Alana was rapt to see me too and so she moved in.

At first, we had a fantastic time. By now an aspiring actress, Alana was always being invited to great parties where we met lots of up-and-coming talent. We never met anyone really famous — Alana was by no means a success yet — but we often bumped into people I recognised from guest spots on popular television shows. Alana rubbed shoulders with these people hoping they would lead to a meeting with someone who had the right connections. It never seemed to happen, though, and after a while, an unemployed Alana began to get really downhearted.

I, on the other hand, met the greatest guy in the world at one of the parties. Brian wasn’t an actor either; he was a caterer who worked on the set of a well known night time soap. And he was often invited as a guest of cast members, as I was by Alana. Neither of us had anything real in common with many of the actors we met and we began to socialise with each other at the parties. We quickly realised how much we enjoyed each other’s company, and started dating.

When Alana found out, she was determined that Brian was the ticket to getting an audition for the show he catered for. It didn’t seem to matter how many times Brian explained that his job was simply to make sandwiches, Alana was sure that he must have made some good connections. She began hounding him when he came around, even going so low as to get his mobile number from my phone, so she could call him too. Her calls were often very aggressive and Brian eventually told me he was going to have to stop seeing me until she was out of my life. I was heartbroken and I knew that I wasn’t just going to have to kick Alana out; I was going to need to teach her a lesson!

As it happened, at around this time Alana actually got an audition for another prime time TV show. She was so excited and demanded that I help her prepare her lines for the big day. I knew that this was my chance to get her back! The audition script for her call back was being delivered by courier the day before her audition. I pretended to be sick, and offered to collect the mail for her. She gratefully accepted, never dreaming what I was going to do.

When I got the script, I quickly typed up a new one — changing all the lines, and adding some quite raunchy material for her audition for a G-rated television show. We spent all afternoon rehearsing her fake lines; I could barely keep from laughing as I imagined what would happen when she delivered them for real the next day!

Needless to say, I didn’t hang around to find out. The other thing I had done that day was to pack up most of my stuff. I had also ended the lease, giving Alana only four weeks to find somewhere else to live. By the time she got back the night of her failed audition, I was gone. This time, I planned to never see her again for real.

Brian and I eventually got back together, and we are now happily married. I’ve never seen Alana on the small screen and I don’t expect to. I did hear that she really made a fool of herself at her audition and that it was over pretty quickly. But I don’t know if she ever figured out that I sabotaged her audition script!

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December 3, 2006

Princess Mary’s Aussie holiday (2006)

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November 30, 2006

Stitches

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Question:

My dog was attacked by my ex-boyfriend’s dog four months ago and needed stitches. He told me that he had taken the dog to the vet to have them removed, yet I just discovered that they are still in my little girl. Can they do any serious harm?

Amanda

Answer:

Those stitches, like the ex-boyfriend, have certainly passed their use-by date. There are two main problems with leaving stitches in the body. First of all, your little girl’s body is sure to react to this foreign material being in there for so long. The area might just be a little red and inflamed and some extra scarring might be the result. But don’t despair as chances are the hair will cover this up making it impossible to see once the stitches are removed. Secondly, the stitches can act a little like a wick and draw water, bacteria and whatever else from the outside of her body to underneath the skin where infection can then occur. The good news is however, that once the stitches are removed, so are your problems. Have them taken out straight away by your vet (this is free) and you should be fine.

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November 28, 2006

Best buddies

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This is a photo of Chad (pom-x) and Bing (old English sheepdog) relaxing after a big day!

— Renée

She may look adorable, but shes one Cheeky Pug

— Bree

Coco is my 6-year-old Lhasa Apso x Poodle and I think she is the just the cutest thing!

Regards, Jacqui

“Strike a Pose”

Our crazy little cat Soxy is so ugly, he’s cute! We picked him up from the pound and he is so entertaining, we don’t need TV anymore!

— Susanna

This is a photo of my puppy Wilson sitting in my dressing gown pocket.

— Kelley

These are pictures of my pet lorikeets. The female, Chi Chi, is now three years old and a few months ago I brought Alkira into her life and now they are literally “joined at the hip” as you can see.

— Anne

This is Ned the cheeky Kelpie. He is just so gorgeous. And we love him heaps.

— Pat

This is my little “Lily” – 4-year-old Chihuahua. She even has her own electric blanket.

— Dawn

Our Puppy Coco.

— Janie

Meg

This is 3 month old Meg, a working kelpie pup from Coffs Harbour. She thinks life is pretty good on the farm. She doesn’t mind her photo being taken either.

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November 27, 2006

Meeting Mary’s Look-alike Sisters.

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by Glen Williams

There’s something about Mary, and there’s certainly something about her beautiful look-alike sisters Jane Stephens and Patricia Bailey.

Warm, friendly, poised and with an overwhelming sense of the importance of family – its little wonder Princess Mary is so grounded.

When I first spotted Jane and Patricia I was convinced it was Mary. They all have the same mannerisms, and that amazing regal way of holding themselves.

I caught up with Jane and Patricia at the launch of the rose named after their famous sister. For every rose bush sold, one dollar will go to a cause close to the family – the Heart Foundation – for research into heart disease.

The Donaldson’s lost their mum Henrietta to heart disease, back in 1997.

They were there filling in for Mary as she’d been delayed in starting her Aussie family holiday.

Jayne and Patricia were very careful not to give away any of our Aussie Princess’ holiday plans.

“It’s very private time,” Jane said, “But we’re excited.”

Jane may have been guarded about Mary, but she was very forthcoming when talking of the impact their mother’s death from heart disease had on their young lives.

“There isn’t a moment that goes by that we don’t think about her, that we don’t wish she was still here.” she said.

Then Jane offered me a Princess Mary Rose. Wow! How many people can say they’ve just been given a Princess Mary from Princess Mary’s sister?

For the full story about Princess Mary’s homecoming, see this week’s issue of Woman’s Day.

Video: watch video of Princess Mary’s arrival in Australia.

More Princess Mary news.

Mary watch

As well as weekly coverage in Woman’s Day magazine, there will also be regular Mary updates on our website, so check back regularly for the latest on all things Mary!

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November 27, 2006

John Williamson’s tribute to Steve Irwin

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True blue singer John Williamson fought back tears when he sang to a worldwide audience of millions at his mate Steve Irwin’s memorial service.

Flying home after the service, the bush balladeer realised how easily his friend’s precious legacy could be lost … unless like-minded people stepped forward to help fulfil Steve’s conservation dream.

Within hours of the Crocodile Hunter’s emotion-filled farewell, John had penned ‘Wildlife Warriors: It’s Time’, perhaps the most passionate song of his four-decade career.

“[Steve] was a loud, proud Aussie who promoted the wonders of our ancient land with incredible enthusiasm,” says John. “So if my new CD [now available and also called Wildlife Warriors: It’s Time] helps raise more awareness for the Wildlife Warriors’ cause, that’s great!”

Listen to the song

Listen to a sample of ‘Wildlife Warriors: It’s Time’.

$1 from the sale of each Wildlife Warriors: It’s Time CD will go to Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, the charity founded by Steve and Terri Irwin.

For more information, visit www.wildlifewarriors.org.au

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November 26, 2006

Welcome Dr Chris

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The Nine Network’s resident vet joins Woman’s Day to help solve your pet problems.

What made you want to become a vet?

When I was growing up, a vet was the last thing I was going to be. My dad’s a vet and I didn’t want to be seen as following in his footsteps. But I saw the real side of nature and it’s become a part of who I am now.

What pets do you have?

I have two dogs, Rosie, nine, a kelpie cross, and Rusty, four, a kelpie. Rusty was abused as a puppy and was useless with the stock on the property next to our farm. He was going to be shot so we brought him to the city.

What animal would you like to have in your backyard?

A dairy cow. I’ve always loved cows. Growing up part of the time on a farm is a big part of that. I got a cow for my 12th birthday ? her name was Bridget. I used to milk her and make butter and cream. There’s something calm and amusing about cows. The next best thing is chickens and I’ve got two in my backyard in Bondi. They are very quiet and give me an egg a day.

Your funniest animal story …

Animals have a unique ability to embarrass you. I grew up with a dog called Claude, a tall poodle. I’d go running with him on the beach and one day he walked up to a nude sunbaker and put his cold nose between a woman’s legs. Actually he did that a few times.

Any hints on how to tame a wayward pet?

Try to get a sense of what the pet is looking for and what makes them tick. A lot of dogs that run away are looking for exercise or companionship. You have to find a compromise.

Have you adopted any new pets lately?

I’ve taken on three yabbies. A Current Affair’s Tracy Grimshaw hypnotises yabbies. We did a story with her and we had a few we didn’t want to return to the fish markets, so now they’re in a tank in my kitchen and stare at me with their beady eyes as I make dinner.

Do you have a secret talent?

I can hypnotise chickens, so whenever I have a party they know it’s time for them to play dead.

Any memorable stories from the vet clinic?

I live at Bondi, so I surf. We had a tortoise come into the vet clinic which had its shell broken. We couldn’t work out what to do with this tortoise and so I ended up using my surfboard repair kit and re-glassed his shell with fibreglass. The last I heard he was doing well and so, as soon as his own shell repairs itself, the fibreglass will drop off.

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