I guess a little introduction is in order. I’m Melissa. I live in Brighton, a beachside suburb of Melbourne, Australia. I have lived in Melbourne all my life and can’t imagine living anywhere else. I’m married to G, whom I met at university, and we have three adult children (H, our daughter, aged 25; S, our daughter, aged 23; and E, our son, who is about to turn 21). Our son still lives with us in our three bedroom apartment. We have a golden retriever called Riley. I have two sisters and a brother; G is also one of four. My parents live in a small coastal town about two hours’ drive from here, and we try to spend a decent chunk of time there each holiday.

I have an insatiable curiosity about all sorts of things (my daughter, when explaining all my studies, tells people I like to learn things). When I was a teenager, my dad had a National Geographic subscription, and my brother and I read them cover to cover. I can still picture the shelves lined with yellow-spined National Geographic Magazines. I still like to read non-fiction on a wide range of topics. I started a double science/engineering degree at university but dropped the engineering part after my second year to pursue honours and a PhD in Chemistry. My thesis title was “A study of N-(pyridyl)-2-thiophene carboxamides and related compounds.” When asked, I generally describe it as inorganic chemistry with screening as possible anti-cancer drugs.

When I finally submitted it, I was pregnant with our daughter and, for obvious reasons, was very happy not to have a rewrite or be sent back to the bench like the person from our department who submitted theirs just before me. With pregnancy and breastfeeding taking up a lot of the next five years, there was not really any opportunity to pursue further research in Chemistry. My husband travelled extensively pre-pandemic, and I stayed home with the kids.

Once the kids were in primary school, I felt I needed something more, so I began some theological studies. That first semester, I googled “how to write an essay” but soon got into the swing of things and was encouraged to pursue further studies, which I did. I eventually ended up completing a Masters of Divinity. My minor thesis title for that was “Sounding the Trumpets in the Anthropocene,” so it was not quite as much of mouthful as my chemistry thesis.

Work-wise, once the kids were at primary school, I took on some of the finance roles in my husband’s business. We now have a finance manager, but I still look after payroll and AP. A few years ago, I transferred our server-based accounting and inventory systems to a cloud-based system, so I also fix errors, work out processing procedures, and write any new reports that are needed. I also did a six-month role as a campus pastor at our old church to fill-in for someone on maternity leave.

Other than family and work, church and running take up much of the time left. I came to faith and running relatively late in life: in my 20s and 40s, respectively. Currently, we attend a small church that is less than a ten-minute walk from us. G and I lead a small group, sometimes take the Sunday evening service, and I lead a pre-school ministry called mainly music. For running, we are involved in a very social running group that is almost as much about the social aspect as the running, although both are taken very seriously. I haven’t yet done a marathon; my preparation for my first one was derailed early this year by a stress fracture, but I have plans for next year.

I’m generally a very optimistic person, and you’ll see that this blog is mainly about good things. Despite all the chaos in our world, its beauty still manages to take my breath away on a regular basis. I enjoy reading, eating good food and wine, nature, spending time with friends and family, and travelling. I try to pay attention and notice “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable” (Philippians 4:8). That doesn’t preclude the occasional whinge or a rant.

Other things I like: indoor plants, a bath before bed, clean sheets, jigsaw puzzles, complete every X challenges, lists, body surfing, mid-20C weather, tennis, a good laugh, early 90’s club music, line drying my washing, good coffee (on pause due to migraines), leftovers, gin and tonic, clean feet.

If you have any questions for me? Fill in the AMA form, and I’ll answer what I can.

Do you have any overlap with my likes?