Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Kate's Birthday

My niece Kate turned 14 on Saturday, but Andrew had a work function that night so we celebrated on Sunday. Lynne's parents were also in Tasmania getting back Sunday morning so the delay suited everyone.
I gave Kate some new pink pyjamas and a book Water for Elephants, that she said interested her as she had seen about the film and knew it was about an Elephant as well!  She is a mature reader so should enjoy it.
It was a hot day, as it has been all week so I went down a bit earlier to have a swim, A friend of Andrew's Dave was there with his kids, Kate's friends so they were all playing in the pool, doing gymnastics on the beach or paddling the canoe.
I had a very lovely evening with a meal cooked on the new BBQ set up, Nick cooking the steak for us Very expertly!
The new BBQ area 
Meal on the deck on a balmy evening 

White Nights

I had been in Paris (on my birthday) when they had a White Night (Lumiere d'Etoile) and we travelled around with all the buildings illuminated
I had planned to go and see Melbourne's White Night effort but was too tired at the end of a full day at the Yacht Club,  but what did I miss??
A fabulous event!
 Everyone hopes it will be repeated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Lj93zI_Do







Friday, February 22, 2013

NORAH JONES

Last night was the quickly-come-around-since-I-booked-months-ago Norah Jones Concert. It was on at The Plenary.
"Where?' I can hear you ask, Well everyone I asked had never been either! 
It is part of the Melbourne Convention Centre and is a great venue and easy to access.
Comfy seats with leg room and a gently tier 
The stage not too far away 
The on-line map was not very helpful, but after long perusal I decided to try the car park entry off Normanby Road and drove in to an outdoor car park, with people wandering around looking lost as well. But it was $8 so I paid before since I had about 15minutes.
I followed the crowd to the lobby and then around further to my door 6. And there was the other entrance to where the car was 50mt away!
I made a quick exit after the show concert ended and I was on Normanby Road in 7 minutes!!
The show started at 8pm sharp with support act Cory Chisel and his keyboard player and singing partner Adriel Harris. They were from Nashville and had that sound, with great voices and guitar and key board sounds. Really enjoyed them.
Cory Chisel
This is all I saw of him as he had his hat on 
Then Norah, scheduled at 9pm started at 9.03 and was great. I had a DVD of her a few years ago and she was a quiet unassuming singer who thanked you, introduced the next song and sang or played, and that's what she was like last night, playing solidly for 2 hours 

She played stuff from her new album Little Broken Hearts as well as some of her old popular numbers finishing with Come away with me
A great concert and home by 1130.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

A boxed lunch

Bridie and Sean were out for an Anniversary lunch and movie on Sunday so I babysat for them.
When I arrived Dylan and Sean were still at swimming lesson but arrived home soon after.
I hadn't seen his haircut before but he still looks cute, and talking up a storm.
Calls me Mich or Shel depending on what has been said . I have also had the 'Mich peas Mich Peas" ! when the train track came undone.
At lunch he had had his ham sandwich, (minus the crusts, who needs curls anyway) a slice of my cheese, some more ham, and eaten a small tub of yoghurt in 4 spoonfuls.!! He dipped the spoon to the bottom of a firm yoghurt and had the spoon laden with half the tub. I didn't stop him as I was wondering how he would manage! He had to stop to seriously plan a swallow but ploughed on!!
The meal then finished with this.
Can you work out what he is doing???




That's right!
Eating his sultanas one at a time! Carefully covering them all after each snack.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Women's Skippers Regatta

(tossing up the grammar of the title )
It is correct but could also be Women Skipper's Regatta 
Last Sunday the Port Melbourne Yacht CLub held a regatta for women to take the helm on boats rather  than just as crew I did not sail but hosted it as Vice Commodore. It was a White Ribbon sponsored fund-raising event so $10 of the $40- entry feed went to the White Ribbon Campaign. 

Our Guests
 White Ribbon is an organisation that works to prevent male violence against women. It is a male-led campaign that believes that most men are good and that good men abhor such violence. White Ribbon also believes in the capacity of the individual to change and to encourage change in others.stop violence against women.






The weather  was not as great as it had been on the Saturday but not too bad to start head out. It was delayed as our guests White Ribbon Ambassador, and Yachting Victoria spoke for a lengthy period!City of Port Phillip Councillor was fine.














We had a range of Monohulls  boats Lasers JollyBoat Tasars and 125, and a bigger fleet of Catamarans  calledVipers.



Tasar, Viper, Laser, 5o5
The Viper in full flight!
The Event ad some good SPonsors Magic Marine Carmen's Meusli bars, and
The afternoon wind picked up and a lot of boats decided to to venture out All those but one that dod had came in under rescue boat observation One Viper sailed  by Olympic sailor was demasted and had to be drifted into the beach to be trailered back.
But we did get some winners!!

The Cat sailors
Alisanne and me. She was the one who organised the Regatta 
Cecile who usually sails a Laser sailed the 5o5 with Steve
Marie-Liesse back from maternity leave sailed their Tasar with husband and came 2nd 
The Only boat to finish the 3rd race, a Laser, Cathy won the Mono division, and on Yardstick was the best performance 


Thursday, February 7, 2013

Book of My Month January

While I have been lying around resting in December January I have read lots of books More than my usual 3 + a week.
My best book for January was Lola Bensky by Lily Brett 

This one is set in 1967, and young Lola Bensky is in London to interview a series of famous rock stars for Australian magazine Rock-Out. The book opens with Lola and a very gentle Jimi Hendrix chatting about weight and hair curlers. It continues through a series of interviews, everyone from Mick Jagger to Cher, the Who, Cat Stevens, the Kinks, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.

She confronts her subjects as equals, candidly confiding details of her parents' Nazi-plagued past.

Lola is overweight and on a constant search or starting a new diet. Her concern about diet is reflected in her mother's hatred of fat as a symbol of someone who has been assisting the Nazis, getting food, in the death camps. 
There are constant diversions back to her childhood days and her parents opinions or perceptions of things, based on their wartime experiences and losses. There is a lot about the effect on the children of 
Holocaust survivors, and the trauma of being survivors of their parents' traumatic lives.
''I once said to my mother, 'When I close my eyes I can hear crying', and she said, 'That's because when you were born everyone was crying, either out of joy at your birth or terrible anguish at loved ones who had died'.'' Lily Bensky


The book moves from Lily's past to the present and back, her marriage to "A Former Rock Star" to her current one to "Mr Someone else" as in. I'm in love with someone else"
It was funny poignant and fascinating urging me to check up some life facts about some stars.
  Sounds all grim but it is extremely entertaining, laugh out loud funny in parts, both Lola's philosophy and the interviews and relevant snatches of Pop history. 
Cher says. “The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing - and then marry him”.
It was not surprising to me to find that not having read Lily Brett's other books, but in researching her work I gather the heroines of her novels are funny, feisty, neurotic Jewish women with Holocaust survivor parents and writing careers. 
In an Interview with Tim Elliott Interview : Lillian Brett.

ILola Bensky, Brett again borrows from her past, revisiting the days she spent as a rock journalist working overseas for Australia's first music magazine, called Go-Set. Save for the occasional tweak, Lola Bensky is as Lily Brett was, right down to the puppy fat and false eyelashes. ''[Hendrix] was amazing in real life,'' Brett says. ''I had seen him moments before I interviewed him - I was in the second row of his concert - and I had never seen a man move like that before in my life; I felt terrified, just the way he moved his lips and his tongue. I practically had to look away. And then I had to go into his dressing room, little Lily Brett from Melbourne, Australia. But then he was so polite, and talked to me in the most natural way.''



There s a sad litany near the end of the deaths of so many of them not long after. 
Well recommended !


Monday, February 4, 2013

Bushland

While I was down at Aireys I drove to Lorne to a good shoe shop to check out their sales, and found a replacement for my very sad Merrick shoes.
The long and winding road..

Burnt areas recovered
The views at every turn.
It was a lovely sunny day and the light in the trees and on the aqua water was enticing. I drove slowly around the winding Great Ocean Road with the window down, enjoying the smell of eucalyptus and the sea breeze.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Ethnic Dinner

We are fast running out of ethnicities but Elaine was on the ball when she found Pure South in the City at Southgate. She called it ethnic Tasmania!
All the food is sourced from Tasmania, King Island and Flinders Island
We had a lovely entree of scallops but chose not to have deserts use go again and have main and dessert they looked great!
Salmon on bed of quinoa and macadamia 
The others all had Rabbit and said it was lovely 
The food was not cheap but excellent value and the restaurant was beautiful, ....and food was delicious!!

India and after

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