Farewell February

February was a fun month providing plenty to do and temperatures not too hot to do them in. 

The frangipanis are in flower and this month I’ve picked pumpkins, capsicums, and passionfruit from the handkerchief vege patch. I’ve learned how to make tomato relish and pineapple marmalade, and picked up a few new projects. Here’s a hint :

Which takes me back many years to my mother-in-law, a delightful woman with a wicked sense of fun. However, she didn’t like my friend, Cherie, a beautiful creative lass whose babies were leaving the nest at the time when mine were just joining. Cherie was returning to the workforce as an Arts Teacher, was writing books of poetry, exhibiting art work and running workshops. Loved her to bits. 

MIL’s response to all this was that my friend was “scared of dying” and “trying to fill up with living”. I never gave this further thought until recently, as I admired my MIL for having various opinions despite being from a generation when women generally didn’t flaunt them.

Now older than my friend ever was I find myself always trying to learn new things and discover different places. Is this because I’m scared of dying?

No way, Jose. This is because I finally have the time. Time to focus on me – what fulfills me. I’ve played the good daughter, sister, wife, mother, and business partner. Now it’s my turn. 

Today I’m researching glow in the dark paint for fabric art so I can paint underpants to go with Part 3 and the conclusion of the story of Harry’s All Singing, All Dancing Underpants, listening to music from a shoe box of CDs I picked up mid week for $5, and booking accomodation for a short road trip. ( Let’s not mention the bag of books  I picked up yesterday for $4. Woops.)

See you next February, touch wood.

Little Ripples Project Month 2

1.After sharing information about the organisation Letters Of Hope last month I signed up as a volunteer. Here’s a refresher:

“Letters of Hope was founded in 2018, and aims to spread kindness, raise awareness and break the stigma around mental health through sending handwritten letters to those who are going through a tough time. Through sending these letters, Letters of Hope shares helpful coping strategies, words of empowerment and connects those who are struggling with the support that could turn things around.” Letters by volunteers are forwarded by the organisation to recipients in which they also include a card including information about maintaining mental health. No names or personal information is exchanged.

I laboured over my first attempt for weeks. What the hell do you write that sounds sincere and that provides some connection even though you are total strangers?

Music. Music has been my salve throughout the years. There are some great tunes out there with lyrics that provide comfort and encouragement.

SMILE , sung by *Harrick Connick Jnr, by Charlie Chaplin

Light up your face with gladness,

Hide every trace of sadness.

Although a tear may be ever so near,

That’s the time you must keep on trying,

Smile, what’s the use of crying?

You’ll find that life is still worthwhile,

If you just smile.

That’s the time you must keep on trying,

Smile, what’s the use of crying?

You’ll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile

I haven’t understood a bar of music in my life, but I have felt it.” – Igor Stravinsky

2.Weeks before Christmas a local organisation, STAR Community, organised a Secret Santa to provide gifts for the elderly. Originally created to provide a cheaper motor transport option for the aged and infirm, and powered by the generosity of volunteers, STAR arranged for collection boxes to be placed in libraries across the district and requested donations of grocery items and small gift lines for our elderly who are socially isolated.

I’ve just read that over 7000 items were donated during a three week period which were used to make up 800 gift baskets that were presented to older members of our community. Wonderful effort and you don’t feel an extra purchase or two when it ends up in the shopping trolley. 

3.A girlfriend is a keen supporter of Life’s Little Treasures Foundation (LLTF). This charity is dedicated to providing practical support, information and assistance to families of babies born prematurely or sick and was founded by parents who had lived this experience.

My friend is one of those girls who can’t sit in front of the television without doing something with her hands. Knitting, sewing, crafting – all those tasks which are foreign to me.

“These are pocket hearts and are lovingly made by our Handmade Heroes community to be included for our Precious Prem Pack. Pocket size, they’re made to be carried with you, or in your bag or pocket as a reminder that you’re not alone.

The organisation believes “that kindness can change the world. It is a place to learn about and practice self-compassion and random acts of kindness. If you believe in the power of love, you’re very welcome here”.

They make far more than pocket hearts too. Go here:

Pocket Hearts Sewing Pattern

*Note:

Harry Connick Jnr still makes an old girl swoon..

Ripples

Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects.” – Dalai Lama

In a recent post I shared how a girlfriend, along with many other volunteers, helped our wildlife after the 2020 bushfires by knitting and sewing temporary homes for our creatures until the shrubs and trees regrew to a state that enabled them to provide adequate shelter and food. See Tippy and Jellybean.

I failed Home Economics at High School and the antique Singer sewing machine, in fine working order, that was gifted to me by my mother was put to use as a garden ornament, though I did finance a couple of balls of bamboo wool for the cause.

Yesterday, I purchased a Date and Walnut Roll from a street corner stall run by volunteers from the local Cancer Council. Staffed by no-one under the age of 75 years (a conservative estimate) the cake cook admitted that she was “tired” having cooked some 300 cakes throughout the year to raise funds for Cancer patients with hands-on assistance programs. They also sew children’s clothing; another Christmas present for the Little Person. Yay!

A craft minded girlfriend sent information this week about a group she recently joined called Capes4Kids that sew super hero capes for kiddies undergoing major treatment in hospital. Yet another in downsizing mode gave me a bag of material which I passed on to a local group of retired women who sew new pyjamas for kiddies being removed from their homes for safety reasons by Community Services.

Lismore, in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales, gained international media attention earlier this year after it literally drowned under flood waters. A few months later  Lismore went under again and to this day there remains much speculation as to whether to rebuild or not. It remains a regional city fighting for its survival with many residents left with nothing. Whilst Governments organise financial assistance packages another friend with a creative bent shares that she joined a movement, Hearts For Lismore,  to remind Lismore residents that Australians across the nation had their backs by sending ” hearts of love and hope”. Many residences have painted hearts, fabric hearts, or even mosaic hearts courtesy of my friend, displayed proudly on what is left of their properties.

https://www.facebook.com/heartsforlismore/

” I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

With the Christmas Season hot on our heels I will be busy preparing meals to feed an army as well as reflecting on the little ripples that made up this year and pondering what mischief I can get myself into during the coming year. I wish you all a peaceful and safe holiday period, full of laughter and good books, and hope we all throw a pebble or two into the waters in 2023.

Love this! Sand bags put to good use after the recent floods on the Victorian border.

Small Projects and a Book Review.

I was recently introduced to a woman of around my vintage at an author talk at the local Library. Turns out that she is a writer and during the worst of Covid was asked to commit to a “small project”.

Shirley Chambers’ “small project” was indeed a misnomer as it involved the chronicling of the rich literary history of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, which are located to the west of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland.

Toowoomba, known as the capital city of the Darling Downs, has its colonial beginnings dating back to 1816. Much of its history has been preserved in its buildings and heritage-listed sites with the region also being renowned for its farmland and grazing. Shirley Chambers, who was born on a farm at Rocky Point on the Downs, has authored “Words From The Past”examining those who formed part of the literary landscape and how their time in the area may have inspired their life experiences.

Arthur Hoey Davis, born in 1868, is perhaps one of the better known authors from that region. Writing under the pseudonym of Steele Rudd (1868-1935) Davis wrote sketches of life which were based on his father’s experience as a selector, someone managing a free selection of land before it was surveyed. These sketches were combined and published as “On Our Selection“. The Rudd Park at Nobby stands as a reminder of his contribution.

Other writers were educators, some were country folk simply expressing their experiences in the bush, some became influences in the literary field, and Mary Hannay Foote, (1846-1918), was an absolute trailblazer becoming Queensland’s first professional female journalist. Several writers had their written work evolve into movies for the big screen, whilst the works of contemporary award winning children’s book illustrator-author, Narelle Oliver, (1960-2016), remain firm family favourites around the nation to this day.

“Words From The Past” spotlights nearly thirty wordsmiths with a connection to the Darling Downs. Some were born in the area, others built their lives around the Downs, and a few were simply travelling through. It is an interesting and easy read which would appeal to those who love reading and Australian history, and at $10 a book ( postage additional) is going to make a delightful Christmas stocking filler!

Note to Sharon at https://gumtreesandgalaxies.com/author/gumtreesandgalaxies/, :I believe Shirley has banners featuring these writers at The Lighthouse…..

Another Project Giving Life To History

Research undertaken by Australian historians John Gillam and Yvonne Fletcher for their book, Untraceables – The Mystery of the Forgotten Diggers has led to an interesting pilot project adopted earlier this year by sixteen Primary Schools across the nation.

The historians created The Find Them, Remember Them: Creating Citizen Historians pilot program to establish Living Memorials to the Fallen by creating Citizen Historians of school children.

According to the authors “during WWI, 60 000 Australian soldiers died.  The issuing of medals to fallen soldiers was governed by the Deceased Soldiers Act 1918.  The intent of the act as proposed by the Minister for Defence was to honour the wishes of the deceased soldier with all war medals to go to either their next of kin or will legatee.  However, an ascension list (not contained in the Act) was adopted when settling intestate estates.  The dogged application of this list denied many female next of kin and the deceased soldier’s nominated next of kin, the right to receive their loved one’s medals creating an archive of uncollected medals.”

There is some controversy that unissued medals from WWI veterans, soldiers who fought and died for this country,  and their individual military heritage,  were archived around 1998, and their location is unknown and denied by the Directorate of Defence Honours & Awards (DH&A). 

The intent of the program is to research the soldier, and have students educate the local community at an appropriate ceremony.  The school will commemorate the sacrifice by their researched soldiers on commemorative occasions such as ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day in an endeavour to keep their memory “alive”.

If eligible descendants are located from the pupil’s research they will be able to apply for custodianship of ( replacement) medals. If no descendants are located then the school can apply for the medals with the soldier thereby being “adopted” by that community.

A much better lesson in history than the old chalk-on-blackboard method, don’t you agree?

“It can well be said the Anzac’s are not dead, their deeds and fame will live for evermore.  Australia’s duty to her dead may be expressed in four words- ‘Don’t let them die’!  Their memory should never be allowed to die.” Parramatta Mayor, Ald.

A Parenting Mistake Of Sorts

When my youngest daughter was transitioning from Primary to High School I made a massive mistake in gifting her the book, 1001 Books To Read Before You Die.

Why was this a mistake? Because both our lives became book-centric involving visits to book sales and secondhand outlets in search of the books on The List. It became our” thing”. My child is the one you see lugging a suitcase on the train to enable her to bring purchases home from the Lifeline Bookfest. Her greatest joy comes from spreading her purchases on the floor all around her, similar to how we emptied the contents of our Easter Showbags all those years ago and sat enthralled as we surveyed all that was on offer.

She’s been home these last few days and is still chasing books from The List. Plus, thanks to the ABC television program of late last year we are now also chasing the books from The Books That Made Us.

Cat Balou’s time in Qld went all too quickly and we’ve cooked together, chatted non stop, laughed, and drank coffee ( as well as lots of bubbly things). Walking home from a Cafe one morning she spotted a table on someone’s front lawn with a sign advertising Free Books. Move over Cathy Freeman – I’ve never seen anyone move so fast! Another twenty books for the Little Community Library. Excellent work.

We walked up to the Little Community Library one afternoon where she of course insisted on alphabetising the contents. She also located another entry from The Books That Made Us compilation which she celebrated like a medal winner on the Olympic podium.

The local Op Shop was another adventure (because Mo, I need a book for the plane ) where said child, 34 years of age, located yet another read from The List. WOW, this is turning into an exciting holiday, she says. Only 300 more books to locate.

This is one happy daughter.

Until she spots a lone book on a display shelf.

Mo, have you been donating any books here, she asks. Yes, Cat Balou, sometimes I do that. Books are meant to go round.

Mo, she says, Mo, is that my book that I lent you and asked you to return before Christmas? And is that my copy of the Booker Prize winner you were supposed to send to my sister for Christmas?

An expensive little visit to the charity store as I was required to buy back many of the books I had donated in recent months.

My payback came when reminding her that a new edition of the 1001 Books had been recently published adding almost an extra 100 newer novels since her copy was released twenty years ago. More books to collect, kiddo, said with a smirk from mother.

The house is quiet once again and we are living on pots of tea, cheese and biscuits, and left over San Choy Bow. Cat Balou has returned to her 1 bedroom, 1 reading room unit in a trendy pocket in the nation’s capital and my Wizard Of Oz jigsaw puzzle which scares the bejesus out of her is back on display.

“Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be.”
– Clementine Paddleford

“Miss you heaps.”
– Mo

Women’s History Month

I’ll be participating in the April A-Z Blogging Challenge this year with the aim of promoting Australian women from the past to the present who have led the charge in their own way : the scientists, the inventors, the creatives and the dreamers.

I will be borrowing from the Trailblazing Women of Australia blog which a friend and I started as a Lockdown project in the throes of the pandemic. Months in we have only scratched the surface…….

March is Women’s History Month so it is appropriate to share my favourite tale about women from the past who were courageous and yet great fun.

The Peaches of the Beaches.

Many of you would know of Terrigal on the Central Coast of New South Wales with its beautiful beaches making it popular with locals and tourists alike. Back in the 1940’s it was a sleepy fishing village with a population of less than 500.

During World War 2 the Surf Lifesaving Association of Australia (SLSA) was stretched to provide rescue services along the beaches anywhere along the Australian Coast. From the Surf Club at Terrigal only four men were available to patrol the beaches when 72 men went off to war.

This led the female members of the club – mostly wives, sweethearts and sisters – to ask permission to become lifesavers. Their application to the controlling body failed though this did not deter them.

They were trained in surf lifesaving skills by chief instructor Harry Vickery and were assessed by Central Coast Life Saving’s inaugural president Dr E.A. Martin. In two exams some 30 women qualified for the equivalent of the bronze medallion, receiving certificates on Terrigal beach and going on to volunteer to patrol the area over the summer seasons.

These young women undertook their duties with enthusiasm and passion. They even made their own swimming costumes and uniforms out of sheets, curtains and the odd parachute­ despite not having been awarded their bronze medallions.

At wars end 70 men returned and resumed lifesaving duties with the women being relegated to their previous tasks.

It wasn’t until 75 years later in 2017 that the women who patrolled the beaches of Terrigal during World War 2 were finally recognised. They were awarded their Bronze Medallions, most posthumously to the families, as well as a special Terrigal Parliamentary Award to acknowledge their contribution to the community.

The Surf Life Saving Association finally admitted women as full members in 1980 and now benefit from more than 80,000 dedicated female members of all ages across Australia contributing in activities from active patrolling, to surf sports, education and everything in between.    

For a look back at these Terrigal surf lifesaving trailblazers I recommend the archives at The National Film and Sound Archive. Try not to laugh at the commentary though…….Go here : https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/australias-first-female-lifesavers

You can also listen to 92 year old Muriel Jones talk about her days as a surf lifesaver at Terrigal here: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/centralcoast/programs/breakfast/ww2-female-surf-lifesavers-finally-recognised/9178846

(Courtesy of M Green – Trailblazing Women of Australia)

Another Project or Who Said There Was Nothing To Do In Retirement ?

One of the projects I’ve undertaken recently came to mind during Lockdown. I’de been reading a lot, particularly on social media, about the wonderful deeds of women in the past, particularly women from overseas. The Americans and the English seem to honour and celebrate the achievements of both their men and women whereas we Australians tend to be a little too “laid back”.

My friend Bernadette studied History at University. I opted for Geography and mostly courtesy of those great movies and television series during the 1960’s. Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan was all I needed to pass exams about the Amazon and John Wayne movies filmed in Monument Valley also contributed greatly to my success in the subject.

Together we thought we should highlight our Aussie women, past and present, who have done so much to change our landscape. Today, after four days of continual rain I am thankful for Myra Juliet Farrell (1878 – 1957) who came up with the idea for an indoor folding clothesline.

We would love you to join us here:

Trailblazing Women Of Australia at

https://trailblazingwomenofaustralia.wordpress.com/blog/

No femminazi here’s a photo of the most important young men in my life.

Harry Kilom and Bentley

Another Project and Library Lovers Day

In January 2020 Inverell Library, in rural New South Wales, launched a project to provide all newborns in the shire with a handmade library bag of specially selected books to support early literacy. The project is a joint initiative between the library and the Friends of the Inverell Library.

Reading to babies is a great way to nurture skills including talking, understanding, imagination, listening, concentration and creativity.

The team at the library put the call out to the community to find crafty locals who would like to sew a book bag for newborns. Those who lack sewing skills happily donated suitable fabric for the bags and instructions including required dimensions were made available.

Harry Kilom at 4 months, located in rural and remote Nhulunbuy NT, has been reading a lot of books with his parents. Thankfully Father Christmas was extremely generous as I was getting concerned about his Army Dad continually reading books about military strikes to the child.

What is interesting about bub’s haul is that I can tell from whom the books were gifted as they each reflect a particular person’s interests and history. The kid is lucky to have so many *different people in his life.

Another great project from a smallish country Library.

*Yes, you may read as odd or eccentric.

Blind Date with a Book : Another Project

Valentine’s Day is an annual festival to celebrate  love held on February 14th.

I’m going all out with the feels this Valentines Day setting up Blind Dates for the occasion. Blind Dates with new and near new books that is, which I’ll be placing at the Little Community Library in the local parkland.

Blind Date with a Book gives readers a fun way to try something they never would have chosen to read otherwise as well as being a reminder that you’re never alone with a book.

Many thanks to my youngest, Catbalou, for her recent donation of books for the cause and my Gemini pal, Kayzee for the epicurean mags.

Okay. I’m done. That’s my quota of romance for the next 12 months. 

#blinddatewithabook