A big change

It seems hard to believe that the family home that dad built when I was about two, and we have called home for almost 60years has been sold. Many friends have moved house several times but we have always had Beaumaris. The friends at lunch on Sunday also only sold when their parents died.
The neighbourhood was settled in the late 40's and considered by some to be too far away. There was little public transport, some might say it's no better now! with just the train to Sandringham. We didn't have a car till the mid 60's so we had the school bus or shanks pony. Walking to Black rock was a normal event, but as in the previous blog we didn't need to go anywhere ,we just played in the local streets and the beach, 10minutes walk away.
Beaumaris is now a very expensive suburb, close to the beach, and reasonable distance to the city. Once renowned for its treed and leafy landscape, blocks have been bought, old houses torn down and trees cleared and edge to edge buildings erected, even 2 to the block. It seems someone else has to keep their trees for the view.
Ours will be torn down as well, and I don't think I will go back to see the change.

Lunch with childhood friends

It has been a busy weekend and one of the great times was the lunch we had with old neighbourhood children. We had met up after Maddy's funeral , not having seen many for over 10-15 years. We all met at the local pub initially and Cheryl (Chezz) form next door started doing a map of the neighbourhood , who lived where the names as well as those of the family dogs! Alan then printed this and sent it around.
We all met again on Sunday at Maggie Fooke's house (she has bought an old house in Fitzroy and established a bed and breakfast.) It was a fun filled 4 hours as we talked about what we all did then, in the meantime and now. Two of our friends had died young (21 and 45) and we talked of the freedom of that times and the worry placed on parents for their children now. At our peak there must have been at least 27 kids roaming the streets and park and the tea-tree scrub.
We all just hung out together and came home for dinner! usually to the sound of the Meehan bell or the Fooke whistle.
The highlight of the stories was Kate telling us how she was mad on horses (no one had one then!) and she had strapped horse shoes to her feet and galloped over the local oval, leaving ergonomically correct prints, created water jumps and had a full jumping course in her back yard!
We plan to meet again (with more contacted) in about 3 months.

Bennetts Lane

Once we have found the Bennett's Lane Jazz club we have been there again and I have seen Yvette Johansson for the third time. We had a great time on Friday night with some other friends of Celia from new York. Yvette was as great as usual including singing another Blossom Dearie song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPzt3A4Se_U

Blossom Dearie (previously unknown to me!) died this year February 7, 2009 at 85, was an American Jazz singer and pianist often performing in the bebop genre and known for her distinctive girlish voice. The songs Yvette chose to sing were very funny with rapid short line lyrics. The program for the coming months looks interestign , with suggestiosn form Sue (New York) on good artists, means I will be there again.

It is cheap ($20) and there is no compulsion to buy drinks, though they make their money from that so one glass can set you back $11.

I now have three regular music venues. Albert Park Yacht Club, Sorelli at Czech Club in North Melbourne, and Bennett's Lane, a whole new interest for me in my later years!!!

Mellow yellow

One thing about the Australian wattle is that there is always one variety blooming all year long. This one was in all its glory on my walk to work ands is still looking good 2 weeks later. It is in the middle of a reserve between 2 streets. I think they must have knocked down a street of houses years ago but the opposite side had this view while the other is the side of houses that front the adjacent streets.

I have a large wattle tree in the back yard that I planted in front of the bungalow It said it was 6 feet..... .what a misleading description, it towers over the building and drops litter all the time. Maybe it's just in a great spot.

As well, a family of Wattle birds (no relation !) have perched there and poop in too close proximity to the clothes line!! Wattles have a limited life span so I have decided to cut it down and place a screen fencing, and grow some creeping plant and smaller things in front.

Aireys Retreat

After several weeks recovering from a really painful and stiff back, I have a week off to spend with Celia at Aireys Inlet. We love the quiet and slow pace of our stay there. The trip down is a bit shorter with the Geelong Freeway now open to Waurn Ponds and no travel through the city of Geelong. Our trip down may have been shorter but on the road to Anglesea we were behind someone who was not aware of the speed limit and only picked up speed once we left Sweetwater Creek.
This time we didn't stop to shop at Anglesea, and I had grabbed some soup from the freezer; so with the fire lit we were sitting down to lunch 15 minutes after arriving!
The weather has been mild, sunny and light breeze so we went or a walk along the cliff to the beach and the dogs enjoyed the freedom. I got caught out by a wave at the last bit of cliff and ended up wet to my ankles, but not cold so OK on the walk back.
So far we have been reading, playing scrabble, gardening, watching and laughing at Doc Martin, and eating the variety of soups I make each day for lunch; last one was Lamb shank and vegetable, Very good!

Books

The last two years I have missed out on the Aireys Festival of Words, but all the stars have aligned and I have it planned for this year. On browsing the brochure I knew and had read a few authors, but decided I will go through the authors and read the indicated work. Shane Moloney is the star attraction, with his latest book 'Sucked In' He has a neat turn of phrase that I love and his hapless but successful character Murray Whelan has come far in the political arena.
The other book I had read was The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham. After twenty years away, Myrtle Dunnage returns to Dungatar, a small country town, where the towns people's eccentricities are many and varied. Peopled with exotic characters, this is a story of love, hate and haute couture, set in a country town that's disconcerting to visit but a bitingly comedic and heart-breaking place to live. A warm and nasty book, The Dressmaker evokes Drysdale's 'Drover's Wife' dressed in Chanel.
An author unknown to me is Nick Gadd, but I found the book mentioned Ghostlines at the local library and really enjoyed it. Set in local Yarraville Philip Trudeau, a once-respected investigative journalist, has stepped on the wrong toes. With his personal life and health deteriorating around him, he is consigned to a suburban newspaper where he writes 'filler' local news articles to be slotted in among the real-estate and restaurant advertisements. Sent to cover what appears to be a tragic-yet-routine death at a level crossing, Philip is drawn into a multi layered mystery that involves art theft, political intrigue and business corruption...not to mention murder. I have also read Dissection by Jacinta Halloran, but will get The Virtuoso by Sonia Orchard. and What happened at Number 26 by Comedian Denise Scott, and try Bird by Sophie Cunningham.
I have plenty of time to read them by August.

Recent acivity

A month has gone by. Celia is home for a visit and a to renew her US Visa (despite their seeming lack of warming to Visa Applicants; see her blog, seemeinny.blogspot.com) I have had a week off prostrated by back spasms, the worst for ~5 years. It flared to full dysfunction when we were going to Maddy’s to organise the contents of the house. (Significant?) Have been back at work a week and am a bit stiff and weary again today.
Other events over the weeks have been a FABULOUS night to see Simon & Garfunkel at the Rod Laver Arena. We had great seats (they ought to be at the price!) but S & G performed the whole show and sang all the favourites.
Old Friends/Bookends, Hazy Shade of Winter, I Am A Rock, America ,Kathy’s Song, Hey Schoolgirl, BeBop A Lula, Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound
Some great video clips of them and the world events the, Mrs Robinson/Not Fade Away, Slip Slidin’ Away, El Condor Pasa
Art solo:Bright Eyes, A Heart In New York, Perfect Moment/Now I Lay Me Down
Paul solo:
Me and Julio Down By The School Yard, Boy In The Bubble, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, Only Living Boy In New York, My Little Town, Bridge Over Troubled Water
Encore 1 The Sounds of Silence, The Boxer
Encore 2: Leaves That Are Green, Cecilia
Garfunkel’s voice is still lovely and they harmonise so well. What a songwriter is Paul Simon!
We also saw Collingwood defeat Essendon at the MCG. Their 5th win in a row, had a members’ area seat and dinner in the Members’ dining room so very comfortable! While Collingwood is the best, I am also following St Kilda’s trip to the Flag, to support Andrew.

Nick celebrated his 12th birthday with the favourite Chocolate Ripple birthday cake!
Celia and I had a long weekend down at Aireys, spent most of it holed up around the fire (great wood that burned hot!) reading (The Elegance of the Hedgehog, The coroners Lunch,) watching DVDs (I’ve loved you so long, Lars and the Real Girl, and Miss Pettigrew lives for a day). All fabulous! We also read played endless games of scrabble and wined and dined. The dogs were happy to be with us whatever we were doing.
Friday we are off to Bennets Lane Jazz club to hear Yvette Johansen who I heard at the Chech Club a few weeks ago. We are having dinner before and Celia booked us in to a new Bar called …Trunk, which turns out to be a change of owner from Chinese one that was the Ethel Nilsen Day Care Centre where I was Director 1980-1984.

It was originally built in 1859 by architects Knight and Kerr (Parliament House) as the Mickveh Yisrael Synagogue and Hebrew School, run by the Rev.Moses Rintel. It was used as such until 1877, it then became State School No 2030 until 1892, and subsequently had a number of educational, social welfare and child care uses including the City Free Kindergarten .
The history of the former Synagogue is thus intimately bound up with the provision of social welfare, particularly catering to the needs of impoverished women and children and the unemployed in the formerly deprived north-eastern quarter of the city. As such, it is also a reminder of the character of this part of the city in the late 19th century and early 20th century: the area around Lonsdale, Little Lonsdale and Stephen Street (as Exhibition Street was originally known) was thought of as a slum area, inhabited by the poor and vice-prone. Now much of the small-scale fabric of this area has disappeared, giving the former Synagogue added significance.

Bennett's Lane was a great success everyone loving Yvette's performance. She is such a versatile singer, doing some great Blossom Dearie numbers. The venue was great so I feel comfortable about going there again, even if alone.

Off to see the John Brack's exhibition today then to Williamstown Little Theatre.