the foothills magazine
The Rhythm of the Body | page 8 Kenny Pittock: Contemporary artist of curiosity | page 4 Portrait of a Sculptor | page 24
FREE EDITION 25 ART & CULTURE Foothills | 1
The foothills magazine December | January | February
Guest Editor
Contributors
Leanne FitzGerald – CCH Team Leader
Bernadette Dimitrov, Lisa Ford, Denis Cody, Coral Kennedy, Jacqui D Sylva, Sandi Wallace, Ingrid Ward, Terry Barca, Marina Cook, Leanne FitzGerald, Kim Hubber, Andrea McKay, Lizzie Baking Bird
Editorial Committee Leanne FitzGerald Marina Cook
Printer
Design Team
Hornet Press
Graphic Designer Jessica Hardy
Publisher
Proofreader Lisa Hearn
Coonara Community House 22 Willow Rd, Upper Ferntree Gully VIC 3156 03 9758 7081
Views and comments expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of any member of The Foothills magazine or Coonara Community House unless acknowledged as such. Products and services listed or advertised in the newspaper should not be considered as endorsments. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of editorial content, The Foothills magazine takes no responsibility for errors. The Foothills is distributed in Tecoma, Upwey and Upper Ferntree Gully. Total distribution of 6,000.
If you would like to contribute please email your ideas to thefoothills@coonarahouse.org.au
From Editor Leanne FitzGerald We have reached the end of another busy and successful year for the Foothills. It has been our first with the new magazine format and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I’d like to take the time to acknowledge and thank the small but dedicated team of volunteers that put the magazine together each quarter. Three months between issues may seem like a long team to the reader but I can assure you that it rolls around very quickly for the team who have to research, write, edit and layout the magazine. You will find the names of our volunteer team on the editorial page and in acknowledgements for articles and
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photos. Please take the time to follow up on their websites where mentioned and see what other talents they have. With rising costs and statistics that show that less than 10% of letterboxed materials are viewed, we have decided to distribute this edition and future ones through local community venues, businesses and schools. We are also happy to post or drop a regular copy of The Foothills into your letterbox if you email us and ask to go on the mailing list (thefoothills@coonarahouse.org.au). You can also view the paper online (http:// www.thefoothills.org.au/) Some of the places where you can collect your Foothills magazine include: The
Upper Gully newsagency, The Council offices in Upwey, Upwey IGA, Bon Ton Tecoma and every shop in Upper Gully, Upwey and Tecoma that agree to put copies on their counters. If you would like a delivery to your place of work or would be happy to letterbox your neighbours who accept local papers then we’d like to hear from you. We hope you enjoy reading this “arts” edition of The Foothills. We certainly have some very talented people in our community and it’s great to be able to showcase some little-known local artists. Leanne FitzGerald CCH Team Leader
The other It all started with a surprising email to The Foothills… Hi there, My name is Sheonagh and I am the editor of the Upwey Society magazine for the Dorset Upwey. I’m in Melbourne (about to go and volunteer at the MotoGP in Philip Island) and think it would be fun to make contact with you guys and/or an equivalent community group to the Upwey Society. I attach our latest mag, hot off the press and have brought a hard copy to give you if we get the opportunity to meet and I would be interested in doing an article on Upwey in our next edition. Cheers Sheonagh After a bit of negotiation Leanne and Marina managed to catch up with Sheonagh, and Pat who was travelling with her. We had a very talkative lunch in Upwey and went for a walk around the town. Our Upwey has quite a few more shops than the one in Dorset so there was a bit of excitement about so many establishments with “Upwey” on their signage! In Dorset Upwey village lies midway between the towns of Dorchester and Weymouth, just below the South Dorset Ridgeway and about three miles from the world-heritage Jurassic Coast. The village has a Society which publishes their community newspaper and has many features in common with Victorian Neighbourhood Houses. We will be keeping in touch with our new friends in Dorset and have regular articles about life in the “other” Upwey in future editions of The Foothills.
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KENNY PITTOCK Contemporary Artist of Curiosity Kenny Pittock is a character out of his own contemporary artwork. Part genius, part goofy and 110% creative – he epitomises what it means to be an artist and to respect the work he creates.
further by visiting all the galleries which featured a famous artist’s painting and proceeded to photograph each famous turtle with the famous painting by the famous painter.
Living in Upper Ferntree Gully and going to Upwey High School gave him the opportunity to explore his artistic talents.
Calling him an artist doesn’t do him justice. He paints, sculpts, draws, writes songs and blogs.
“I always thought I would be a journalist… but then started to create through other mediums and then it evolved…” Kenny states. Calling him an artist doesn’t do him justice. He paints, sculpts, draws, writes songs and blogs. Kenny’s philosophy of ‘drawing without a destination’ has opened up a whole world of new experiences. Kenny was creating way before money entered the equation. One year, he sketched passengers on the Belgrave train,while travelling to work in the city.With nearly 500 drawings kept in his bottom drawer, he was then approached by Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) to display these sketches in their NEW14 exhibition. This venture was simply born out of wanting to pass the time and developing a unique idea. This, in turn, has created new opportunities for Kenny.
He now has pictures of Michelangelo with David (at the Accademia, in Florence), Donatello with his David (at the Bargello in Florence), Raphael with Madonna and Child (at the Uffizi in Florence) and Leonardo with The Last Supper (at the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan). Playing around with ideas and dedication in seeing a project through is his specialty. Take the petrol station next door to Woolworths, for example. In 2011 Kenny had a brilliant idea to photograph the Caltex petrol station every day. Easy? Well, you might think so. According to Kenny it was an amazing, stressful but rewarding feat.
Last year, Kenny was asked to exhibit his own sculptures/ pictures as part of the ‘Italian Culture from an Australian perspective’ exhibition, held in Rome – Italy (of course!). And since Kenny is Australian born and bred, the exhibition naturally had cheeky undertones of famous, flawed Italian-Australian pop culture. References to the red Ferrari cap, Godfather novel and, of course, ceramic sculptures of Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo (from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series) were all part of his Romantic Romeantics.
“Firstly, I missed out on going away with friends because I wouldn’t be here to take photographs every day.
Through this adventure, Kenny took his experience one step
...continued on next page
In November, I thought I had appendicitis. I spent the night at the Angliss Hospital and all I could think of was that if I needed surgery, I’d miss my photo opportunity. Another time, I was so sick that I only left the house to take one photo of the petrol station. I had to.” This shows a man of honour – a person dedicated to his craft.
“Grown men who wear two or more rings are almost always a bit scary” Kenny Pittock, 2013 4 | Foothills
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“Famous Turtles meeting their namesake” Kenny Pittock, 2014
Continued from previous page... Kenny was then asked to showcase The Petrol Station Everyday of 2011 in a show called ‘Anything, Everything and One Other Thing’, at Sydney Gallery – Alaska Projects. His words of wisdom are to create first and opportunities will come later. Kenny is becoming well known for his contemporary Australiana outlook in life. He has been commissioned work from the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), he’s being noticed by some big names (we won’t mention the photograph with Paul
McCartney - yes, the Beatles’ Paul McCartney). And like that song by D:REAM states… Things can only get better… for this Upper Ferntree Gully-ian. Kenny’s contemporary creative curiosity allows us to view the world on a different level… and the world is much better for it.
Marina Cook Writer
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Minimising Christmas Stress Christmas is nearly upon us again, and along with fun and festivities, can sometimes come stress and anxiety. Social gatherings, the pressure of Christmas shopping and purchasing gifts, coupled with the expectations of family and friends, can all combine to create “Christmas stress”.
In the lead up to Christmas, we encourage you to put the credit card away and celebrate without dragging home a sack load of debt disguised as presents.
Remember - massive credit cards can take months to clear.
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Buy presents only for the kids
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Set limits on spend per present per person
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Make a list of what you want to buy before you shop and stick to it
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Lay-buy goods now to spread the cost
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Plan an activity with the people that you love…sharing time is the most valuable gift of all.
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Give gifts that reinforce those special relationships among your family and friends – they don’t have to cost much.
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If you’re hosting Christmas lunch/dinner – ask your guests to bring something – helps reduce costs and stress in preparation
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Do your shopping early – don’t leave it to the last minuteyou’ll spend more and are likely to feel more under pressure
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Plan for ‘hidden’ expenses such as higher food bills and higher phone bills
This can be a challenge in the ‘buy now, pay later’ society that we live in, however, taking on the challenge by planning ahead, spending within your means, setting a realistic Christmas budget and implementing it, doesn’t mean you’ll have less fun.
These are just a few ways to enjoy the festive season without accumulating debts that may result in the family struggling well into the New Year.
Tips for reducing Christmas stress and keeping the Christmas budget on track:
If you are having difficulty in paying your bills or managing your financial situation and require further support, an EACH financial counsellor can assist you:- 03 9871 1817 or 1300 003 224
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Decide on a spending limit and stick to it.
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Discuss the idea of a Kris Kringle with family/friends -that way everyone gets a gift and spends less.
Kim Hubber EACH Financial Counsellor
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The Rhythm of the Body Having been inspired by events in the “Happiest Place in the World”, it is not surprising to hear this medical maestro and master of dance remark, “People I treat have a real interest in what I do at the weekends. Lots of people have an interest in dance, so it becomes a good connection with them.” Ernie Soh is typical of scores of people we see going about their daily ‘9-5’ totally unaware of special creative talents they may be hiding as closely as Walter Mitty did his Secret Life. In Ernie’s case, it is a talent that melds logically with his work as a physiotherapist at the Angliss Hospital’s Community Rehabilitation Centre. As Ernie explains, “Dance helps you understand the subtlety of body movement,” an awareness that helps him in dealing with his patients, many whom have restricted body flexibility, often after surgery that has placed demands on chest, arms and legs. Ernie began his journey into health and dance when, at six years of age, he emigrated with his family from Singapore where his maternal grandfather was a Champion Ballroom Dancer. Growing up in Vermont South he engaged in all types of physical sports including squash and cricket, but with a grandfather and an aunt both ballroom dancers it was not surprising that his creative juices percolated just below the surface even as a youngster.
Dance helps you understand the subtlety of body movement, an awareness that helps him in dealing with his patients. Exploring his artistic heritage saw him playing the guitar and ukulele and, as an afterthought, Ernie adds, “Oh, and the piano as well, but not very well.” Ernie graduated in Physiotherapy from Melbourne University in 1997, spending the next two and a half years travelling and exploring foreign shores. On his return, Ernie was employed at the Peter James Centre and, in 2004, reluctantly discovered his love of dance when at the urging of friends he took up Latin Dance. Ernie moved to his current employment at the Angliss Hospital in 2008, most recently in cardio rehabilitation maintaining a close eye on the rhythm of his patients’ bodies as he breezes around the gym as if gliding across a crowded dance floor. In 2011, Ernie was introduced to Swing Dancing, accepting the obligatory ‘swinger on the weekends’ jibe from work colleagues with his customary good-natured smile, and has since managed to build a lifestyle in which his creativity and medical training have found harmonious coexistence. Apart from his full time 8 | Foothills
employment at the Angliss, Ernie somehow manages to fit into his busy after hours, some private physiotherapy clients, Swing dance teaching on Monday nights and performing in paid and unpaid dance performances and competitions on week nights and weekends. Dance has taken Ernie not only all over Australia, from Brisbane to Hobart and Melbourne to Perth, but also to Sweden for the Herräng Dance Camp, a 4 to 5 week celebration of Jazz Dance in the small village of Herräng, referred to as ‘the Happiest Place in the World.” Performing all types of Swing dance, much of which stems from the ‘swing era’ of the 1930s and 1940s, Ernie participates regularly with dance troupes such as the Brat Pack and Harlem Shout at events such as the Blues Before Sunrise in March this year, and the Melbourne Lindy Exchange held in November for which Ernie was on the organising committee. Ernie’s dedication to both his artistry and professionalism can he attested to by the value his patients place on his guidance and medical advice and the many awards he as received for his dancing. His first award came in 2011, just 6 months after he started Swing dance, when he placed in the ‘Up and Comers’ category. He has since taken titles in Australian Jitterbug Championships; Open Jack and Jill Social Dance (steps improvised as music is revealed); and the Collegiate Shag (moves made popular by college students in the 1930s) and referred in a 1935 text as ‘a daring little hop and kick with sudden lunges and shuffling turns’. The Swing Dance groups that Ernie supports generally have a commitment to ‘furthering wider community enjoyment of Swing Dance’, so if you would like to participate and find your slice of the ‘Happiest Place in the World’, view clips on www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zy3JwUvT0M for one of the videos in which Ernie and his fellow Swing troupe feature, or Swing Patrol on www.swingpatrol.com.au for more details on lessons and joining a Swing Dance group in your area. Denis Cody Foothills contributor
Ernie Soh is typical of scores of people we see going about their daily ‘9-5’ totally unaware of special creative talents they may be hiding... Foothills | 9
Write With Or Without
Aussie Flavour?
A friend asked me for some advice on writing his first crime novel. Struck by how “Australian” his dialogue sounded, he wondered if that was a good or bad thing, whether Aussie books sell overseas, and if some writers globalise their English to appeal to an international audience. These questions would cross most novelists’ minds, at some stage. There’s a lot of soul-searching to do when writing a novel. And writers are over-thinkers – we have to be. We are constantly creating, storing observations or ideas, working through plot issues, and juggling a multitude of other things. A cartoon meme goes around social media every so often, with a thought bubble coming from this person’s head as if ideas are spewing out or going off like firecrackers. That image pretty much sums up why sleeping can be hard for us writers; we can’t turn off our brains, even when we need to. My Rural Crime Files series is unapologetically Australian, set in contemporary times and largely in the Daylesford area (Victoria’s spa region). I aim to write setting-rich, character-driven rural crime stories that feel authentic, give a true sense of place, people and the times, which are backdropped to our state’s contemporary history, although all my stories and characters are fictional. So I answered my mate’s questions based on how my books, and me as a writer, have evolved. •
Focus less on selling, more on writing the best book you’re capable of, at that time.
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Write the book you burn to write.
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Write the book you want to read.
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Know why you are the best person to write that particular story.
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Write both what you know and what you don’t.
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You have gifts, expertise, skills and experiences that come from your unique journey, so tap into them, but don’t make it autobiographical, as you’re writing fiction. Research is great stuff and so is imagination. Combine all these elements together, like an exquisite cake.
Before I go further, it’s important to mention a few reality checks. Most Australian writers can’t earn a living from their writing alone. The recent research paper The Australian book industry: Authors, publishers and readers in a time of change, states: “Despite working long hours in a variety of jobs to make ends meet, when all sources of income are taken into account not quite half of all authors (43%) earn the average annual income for the Australian workforce in 2013-14 FY or higher ($61,485).” It also says, “The average income derived from practising as an author is $12,900.” Most of us need to work at least one other job to make a basic living, only one-fifth write full-time, very few will crack “bestseller” status, and “bestseller” means quite a different thing in the Australian market versus, say, the US. It really is a very demanding “love job” for many authors. I told my mate about what Rachael Johns, an Australian romance author, had to say on the topic of world markets. Her first rural romance novel came out in late 2011. Her books have won awards. She has a strong local fan base, and is an author in demand for events. In her article entitled, Can you have your cake and eat it too? (September 2015 issue of the Romance Writers of Australia newsletter), she says, “While a number of Aussie authors are bestsellers overseas, I’ve noticed that the majority of these authors write books that are not set Down Under.” While Rachael “makes a good living in Australia”, her books haven’t
fared well overseas. She also notes, “There are exceptions to my experience, Aussie authors who set their books Down Under and are bestsellers in Australia and overseas…But my belief is that for the majority of us, it is an either OR situation – do well in your own backyard OR do well overseas.” That is powerful information coming from an established author. Although the examples I give below are both Australian crime authors who’ve made it locally and internationally, and thus differ from Rachael’s experience, her viewpoint grounded me. It made me think, which market is better to focus on right now? Maybe it’s possible to make it in one first, then grow into a broader audience.
of other jobs. While Kerry is most famous for her Phryne Fisher series – detective novels featuring a wealthy aristocrat from Richmond, Victoria – she also written historical books, essays, non-fiction books, and the contemporary Corinna Chapman series. So again, she has worked long and hard to get where she is now. The Phryne Fisher series is set in Melbourne and kicks off in 1928. After building broad local and international appeal, the books were adapted into the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries on ABC. So while Kerry and Michael have both cracked the international and local markets, their books are set in different eras and places, with and without Australian flavour.
So, how much should you invest into being published overseas? That raises more questions.
Did I mention that there are no easy answers to my mate’s questions?
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Personally, I love a book that takes me on a journey of a particular place, at a particular time that incorporates a good crime story. Whether I’ve physically been there or not, whether it’s in Australia or overseas, I want to feel I am there in the story and getting a realistic picture of the place. So, for me, being true to setting and the people of that place – including how they speak and mannerisms, albeit not done to a farcical or clichéd degree – is what I love to read and write.
How are your books going to get taken up overseas? By the way, I don’t have the answer to that, except find the best agent for your proposed market. I am with a small publisher, but even those with larger publishing houses must shoulder/find their way through much of their own marketing, particularly those of us coming out now, into today’s tough publishing market. Many authors, myself inclusive, are finding that the personal touch is paramount in reaching our audience. Personal connection is like a wonderful tree – you never know how far those roots and tips of branches may reach, but if you don’t connect with, and nurture, the seedling in the first place, it’ll never grow. (And yes, it needs to be genuine; people see through fakes.)
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If you’re focusing on overseas audiences, how will you reach, and connect with, those readers?
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There are millions of books out there, how will they discover yours?
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Do you have the funds to do a circuit overseas with your book?
I wrapped up my advice to my mate with these thoughts: •
A generic feel or globalised approach to the setting and characters may suit the type of book you’re writing.
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Sit back and think. Who will read and enjoy your book?
If you’re writing a novel, I hope this helps, even just a little. And good luck!
Sandi Wallace Crime Writer www.sandiwallace.com
So going back to my mate’s specific dilemma – do Aussie books sell overseas and should he globalise his English for international appeal – I gave him two conflicting examples to ponder because there is no easy answer. It has to come from the heart. In my opinion, Michael Robotham is one of Australia’s most successful and talented male crime writers of today. He hasn’t been an overnight success. Michael started as a journalist, turned to ghost writing (12 of those titles being bestsellers), and has since written 11 psychological thrillers that have been translated into 22 languages and published in more than 50 countries. He won the CWA Gold Dagger this year for Life or Death. Michael has set his novels in the UK, except for the US-set Life or Death. His books are not Australian in flavour and they are contemporary. On the flipside, Kerry Greenwood is the Queen of Crime in Australia, thanks largely to the success of her Phryne Fisher series and Kerry’s strong input into women’s crime writing in this country. She is a duty solicitor, who has performed a range
Sandi Wallace is an award-winning crime writer. Her debut novel Tell Me Why won the 2015 Davitt Award Readers’ Choice and was shortlisted for the 2015 Davitt Award Best Debut. The second instalment in her Rural Crime Files series, Black Saturday, will be out soon.
Foothills | 11
The Art of Being
Santa!
Anyone can put on a red suit. However, becoming a real embodiment of Santa ie developing your inner happiness, joy and a full expansive overflowing loving heart, is an art that for many they have either not developed or simply don’t know how to. Like any art form it requires specialized training and mentoring. There is great wisdom to be discovered, practiced and supported. It’s a transformational journey you have to take. A mystical journey nourishing your inner world. Male, female, adults and children can become the spirit of Santa. It’s a gift you give to yourself or to your children to learn, that has many positive overflowing effects such as on your personal relationships, as well as the relationship you have with yourself, our global family and mother earth. An added benefit, you get a glow, vitality and inner beauty that no outer beauty can ever match.
Santa’s Road to Happiness! For many there are stresses, unhappiness, emptiness or unfulfillment. An inner world that is yearning to be transformed. I know this is where I was before the mystical world of Santa entered my life. With all the technology and discoveries that have been made to make our lives easier and happier on some level eg washing machines, so you don’t have to spend your day off washing by hand in a trough, like my mother did, we’re now even more unhappy than the generations before us. One would think it would be the reverse. The stats on growing stress related illnesses and unhappiness for
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both young and old is unprecedented in our time. We know that happiness has been steadily decreasing since 1900’s. It has a deep cost affecting our personal, family and professional lives. It’s even costing business and governments big bucks too. Not to mention the greater cost to our global world. But that’s a story for another day. We know that happy adults and students are less stressed, more motivated, productive, optimistic, and generally healthier and have better quality relationships and lives. They’re showing up each day as a better version of themselves. Imagine if more of us did this. Not just us but everyone around us would benefit on some level too. While we have more choices and freedoms today, there is more unfulfillment, stress, illness, broken relationships, feelings of unworthiness or not being enough and conflict present in our lives. Plus depression is on the increase for both young and old, male and female. We’re in the middle of a global epidemic and it’s been predicted that by 2020 depression will be the largest illness in the world. We know that life stresses/negativity are one of the many branches that can lead to depression. Ok so why are things so much worse today? I whole-heartedly believe we need to find new ways of de-stressing, loving, living and being. We’ve lost the art of nurturing our connections, our hearts and our inner world. Where unconditional love, happiness and joy is waiting to be awakened. It’s wisdom that’s been lost for many. Over shadowed by focus on superficial hedonistic desires, greed
and commercialism that keeps you in a state of separation, competition, fearful, judgmental, unhealthy, in debt, stressed and unhappy. I believe most hearts on our planet are yearning for this nurturing attention to our inner world. A place to move from being contracted (living from your head/ ego) to expansive (living from your heart/ love). You also become a much needed secret agent of ‘love in action’ when you take on the qualities of Santa: the resonant energy of love! Developing a Santa’s heart offers you the opportunity to amp up your inner world to a higher resonance and vibrancy while discovering the best version of you. What I love about Santa and why I teach his mystical enlightenment, is that Santa embraces all, he has no ‘one’ religion, but if he did you could call it ‘Universal Unconditional Love’. “All around the world, the heart is yearning for the same thing, we just have different ways of believing and expressing it.” Maya Angelou You can literally transform your inner world through the power of love and create expansive ripple effects. What a great life you can live & legacy you can leave by developing a Santa heart. It’s the H’Art of being Santa! More love, happiness & peace to you xx Bernadette Dimitrov aka Mrs Claus Peace & Happiness Ambassador www.TheSantaSchool.com & www.HowCaniBeHappy.co
We are open extended hours and with a wide variety of experienced Male and Female GPs can usually offer ‘on the day’ appointments.
Our highly experienced GPs offer a complete range of Family Care and Urgent Care including: Baby and Child care Occupational Health Preventative Health Family planning
Men’s and Women’s health Skin Cancer Clinics Travel and Sports medicine Minor surgery
To arrange an appointment please call:
9780 8900 Suite 1, 1101 Wellington Rd, Rowville
All your health care needs can be managed in a single location with a large variety of Allied Health providers on site including: Audiology, Dietetics, Diabetes Educator, Podiatry, Massage Therapy, Psychology, Speech pathology and Occupational Therapy as well as Medical Specialists that consult from our premises on a sessional basis.
Learn to Dance Club Latina at Kenlaurel Dance Studio
Salsa Waltz Street Latin
Rock N Roll Cha Cha Ballroom
Private and group lessons available Bridal dances specially choreographed 6 Janesleigh Rd, Upper Ferntree Gully Opposite National Park Entrance
9758 1376
Foothills Classifieds - Services Mobile Animal Husbandry Service John & Peggy Spink 9754 6993 0435 907 633 Need takeaway menus? Fast & affordable design, print & delivery contact design@emilyfitzgerald.com.au
Discover how to feel Happier! Like Santa...you can feel good, do good & make a difference!
The H’Art of Santa... Mrs Claus will teach you how! For fun classes for 2016 visit: www.howcanibehappy.co
Foothills | 13
In recent reading an article began with the question: what type of garden for you? The formal landscape design with pedestals, garden urns and symmetrical beds, or a free-and-easy one where the lie of the land dictates the garden contours. My thoughts are the latter would be the only choice for most of The Foothills readers. In the days of early settlement these people bought their familiar ideas with them. Open flat land was readily available even in urban areas. Those who ventured further afield as sheep and cattle farmers chose open flat sites for their homesteads, and were able to construct their familiar, symmetrical beds set in brick edged paths with flowers out the front, vegetables and fruit trees around the back. A smaller version of the same was the norm in town areas. This trend continued. Through the gold rush days, flat land was available even for the many market gardeners around the city areas. Those early settlers who successfully amassed a fortune, built grand houses with gardens to match. Several of these still survive and are available for the public to visit. It wasn’t until after the Second World War, when the population began to grow quickly and cities began to expand, that flat 14 | Foothills
land started to become scarce. Heavy machinery was now available for excavation and the days of manual labour with pick and shovel were over. Settlement in the Hills now became more popular, not left to the more artistic and reclusive of the population. To my thinking, this was an exciting change in garden design. Many nursery men found the Hills a productive area to grow their plants and many of these have now become popular visiting areas for garden enthusiasts. While gardening on a slope can be quite challenging, it can also be the inspiration for many beautiful garden designs. Though the Hills is a beautiful area to live, it also has its dangers. The weather bureau’s newly amended 3 month forecast is quite alarming. Now is the time to check your watering systems, maybe add some new ones, and make sure you have a good layer of mulch to preserve that precious moisture. Stay safe this summer and enjoy your garden.
Coral Kennedy Gardening Guru
Junior Observers attend Bank meetings Two students, Matthew Kinsella and Dillon Handyside, attended Company Board and Committee meetings. Senior Business Management teacher, Rachel Pickersgill, said that she saw potential for the experience of attending meetings being of great benefit to the students and that this would also be useful to have noted on their CV as a point of difference and potentially giving them further connections. Community Bank Chair, Peter Marke, said “it was great that these two students were able to attend some meetings of our Board which gave them an insight into the operation, challenges and complexity of running a company, especially one that is community driven.” Left to right: Peter Marke, Matthew Kinsella, Dillon Handyside and Rachel Pickersgill Dandenong Ranges Community Bank® Group invited the Upwey High School to nominate students studying Business Management to be given the opportunity to learn first-hand how a community owned company operated.
Dillon “liked the concept and the environment of the meetings and liked being there”. Matthew said he enjoyed talking to Directors which gave him a better understanding of how the company operated. The Company will work with the high school next year with the view to extending the opportunity to other students.
Foothills | 15
Taking Good Legal Care of Yourself ‘Taking Good Legal Care of Yourself’ is a regular contribution by Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) to raise awareness of legal needs in the community, and encourage people to seek legal advice early. ECLC is a notfor-profit community service that provides free legal advice to Melbourne’s outer-eastern communities, including Tecoma, Upwey and Upper Ferntree Gully.
Scammers don’t discriminate. Stay informed. Be scam savvy. This month we are promoting the Scam Awareness Campaign by Consumer Affairs Victoria and Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand. The information below was provided by Consumer Affairs Victoria during their campaign launch. The campaign will run until March 2016. The ‘Scammers don’t discriminate’ campaign aims to raise awareness of: •
how anyone can fall for a scam;
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how to identify and avoid scams;
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the importance of reporting scams to warn others about their tactics; and
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the mental health support services available to assist anyone who may be experiencing anxiety or depression as a result of being scammed.
No one expects to be scammed, but anyone can fall for one, especially as scams become more sophisticated. If you’ve been scammed, you’re not alone. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, over 19,000 Victorians reported a scam last year, although the actual number of people who have been scammed is likely to be higher as many scams go unreported.
There are also educational videos about romance, lottery, online selling, investment, rebates, rental and business scams. Visit www.consumer.vic.gov.au/ scamsavvyfor more information, or to share your story. If you’ve been scammed, it can help to talk about how you’re feeling with someone you trust. If you need professional support, help is available. The campaign is being supported by beyondblue, SANE Australia, headspace and the Victorian Men’s Shed Association. Helpful contacts: •
Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 55 81 81 to report a scam
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Eastern Community Legal Centre on 9762 6235 for information about your legal rights
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Moneyhelp on 1800 007 007 if you are suffering financial stress due to a scam
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beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 if you are suffering depression and anxiety
Visit the Consumer Affairs Victoria website for:
16 | Foothills
•
tips on how to be scam savvy;
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a handy quiz to test whether you can spot a scam;
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videos of real stories from Victorians who have been scammed; and
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Suite B, 6 Floriston Road (PO Box 747) Boronia VIC 3155 Phone: (03) 9762 6235 Email: outereast@eclc.org.au www.eclc.org.au
Lens & Lines How blessed are we Who have eyes to see The beauty Of a sunset! To sit in awe And take in deep The shades and form Of a changing scene. Colours, vibrant for a time, Descend to calm and gentler hues, Those of us with troubled heart and mind
Waterfalls
Cannot help but feel a little soothed -
Some majestically cascading
And perchance will find
Others gush hurrying
We’ve gained a lasting peacefulness
All endlessly on the move
And many a hope renewed.
But never arriving.
Ingrid Ward Writer
Foothills | 17
Benefits of the Arts for Healthy Ageing The value of The Arts in society is far reaching for both young and old alike. Exposure to visual art, theatrical performances, music, historical artefacts, literature or any form of artistic expression can evoke a range of positive reactions and emotions for the individual. As we age it is vital to our health, on every level, to be able to maintain a connection to the arts and to continue to enjoy experiences such as visiting art galleries or theatre productions (including community theatre), Museums, Concerts and community Arts programs.
Studies have shown a link between receptive (spectator) participation in the arts and positive health and wellbeing outcomes. The arts have been shown to be particularly effective in maintaining brain health, improving cognition for patients with dementia and confusion, and supporting ‘active ageing’ in many ways. According to Suzanne McLoughlin of Home Instead Senior Care, “Being able to continue to access the artistic pursuits we enjoy as we age is vital to maintaining personal wellbeing.” Home Instead Senior Care Outer East is committed to assisting seniors in
the community to continue to access the arts through providing transport, personal assistance and companionship services. According to Suzanne, “We have numerous CAREGivers who provide relief to family Carers by assisting with preparing clients for an outing transport and accompanying our clients to events and Community Day Programs.”
For more information you can contact Home Instead Senior Care on 9754 4861
Live independently at home, instead. We are specialist, national providers of high quality in-home care and companionship for older Australians.
Our CAREGivers provide professional quality home care and companionship services, including: • Light housekeeping • Companionship • Medication reminders • Personal care • Errands & transport • Meal preparation • Respite care • Dementia care Choose the services you want from 1 to 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Call for your complimentary care consultation:
9754 4861 MELBOURNE OUTER EAST
H O M E I N S T E A D. C O M . A U
Each Home Instead Senior Care Franchise Office is independently owned and operated. © M&S Warner Pty Ltd 2014.
18 | Foothills
at Upper Ferntree Gully Primary School When most of us think of primary school art projects we think of wonky looking clay bowls, houses made of icy pole sticks and macaroni pasta stuck on cardboard. However one primary school art teacher in the Foothills has other ideas. Nikki Ashman, who teaches art at Upper Ferntree Gully Primary School, believes strongly in the ability of young children to be extended artistically. So in place of the traditional craft based arts program, Nikki teaches an adapted version of the secondary curriculum to children from prep to grade six at the school. “My background is in secondary school art,” says Nikki. “When I came to Upper Ferntree Gully Primary I was keen to try something different with the younger kids. I teach them the same principals as I taught at secondary school and just adapt it to suit their learning needs.” Alongside the technical elements of line, tone, shape and colour, one approach Nikki uses is to teach the students about famous artists in history and their unique style. She then gives them the opportunity to honour those artists by creating their own piece of work in that style. “I find the kids are much more engaged with their artwork this way,” says Nikki. “The pieces they produce are of a surprisingly high standard – I am constantly amazed.” Previously a working artist, Nikki has a personal appreciation for the benefits that self- expression through art can provide. “Art can be a fantastic outlet,” says Nikki. “Also, working hard on a project over a period of time and being able to produce something beautiful is great for building self-esteem.” The children’s artwork is exhibited throughout the school, in frames and on display tables, as well as at local festivals and events throughout the year – and it goes without saying, there is not an icy pole stick or piece of macaroni in sight. Andrea McKay Foothills contributor
Foothills | 19
Coonara Community House Pathway courses Fit for Work This short course will assist you to increase your personal fitness for attempting entry into occupations such as emergency services and armed forces. Thursdays 6.00pm – 8.00pm Feb 11th – Mar 24th $70 Green Business Incubator Weekend conducted by very edible gardens. Coming in May 2016 From backyard to nursery Pathways from hobby gardening to employment. Computer courses Intro to Androids This class will get you started with your new Android tablet.Wednesdays 9.30am– 12.30pm Feb 10th – Mar 23rd $70 - This class will be held at the Community Space at Westfield Knox City Shopping Centre. Social Media - Life & Work Learn about Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Blogging, Instagram and more. Thursdays 9.30am – 12.30pm Feb 11th – Mar 24th $70 Intro to iPads Learn how to use your new iPad to communicate, take and share photos and more. Tuesdays 9.30am – 12.30pm Feb 9th - Mar 22nd $70 Mobile device photography Learn how to take and share great photos on your mobile phone, iPad or tablet. Tuesdays 9.30am–12.30pm Feb 9th - Mar 22nd $70 - This class will be held at the Community Space at Westfield Knox City Shopping Centre.
20 | Foothills
Fee for service short courses Prana meditation Suzie Szabo is a professional energy healer and mediation facilitator with over 12 years of experience conducting classes. Suzie will share with you many forms of mediation as she gently guides you on a deep healing journey within. Participants will be sitting on chairs. Not recommended for people under 17. Please bring cushions and blanket for extra comfort. Tuesdays 6.30 – 7.30pm Feb 2nd – Mar 22nd $18 per session. How to create sacred space with Suzi Szabo For your homes and work place. Energy impacts on our health, our finances and relationships. This workshop includes information on dowsing for energy to find out if our spaces are energetically positive or negative. Saturday 5th March 10.00am – 4.00pm $100 Three D printing This introductory session will enable you to see what 3D printing at the hobby level is all about. March 18th 1.00pm - 3.00pm $20 First aid
Community programs and events Cross cultures/cross borders World harmony day at Coonara – celebration & training Mar 21st, 10am – 4pm $20 (lunch included) Indigenous culture celebration day at Coonara Friday May 27th, 10am – 3pm Workshops, guest speakers and lunch included. $20 Beekeeping for families An introduction to backyard beekeeping Saturday March 19th, 10am – 12pm FREE Pancake day breakfast Tuesday Feb 9th, 9.00am – 10.30am Gold coin donation International Women’s Day Celebrating 40 years of women learning at Coonara Tuesday March 8th Lunch 1.00pm – 2.30pm $5 Colouring and a cuppa Wednesday afternoons 1.30pm – 3.00pm, $2 The Lab project After school technology centre with children with Aspergers. Wednesdays 4.00 – 6..00pm $200 per term. For more information go to www.thelab.org.au Gully gardeners First Thursday of the month – A group of people interested in gardening meet at Coonara on the first Thursday of each month from 2.00pm – 3.30pm to plan and organize guest speakers and outings. If you are interested in participating please contact Coonara. Gold coin donation for afternoon tea
22 Willow Rd Upper Ferntree Gully VIC 3156 www.coonarahouse.org.au (03) 9758 7081
Community programs and events Beekeeping club 2nd Thursday of the month (except January) 7.30 – 9.30pm $35 per year Grassroots market March 19th 2pm - 7pm April 30th 10am - 3pm Volunteer reporter training for The Foothills This short course will include the process of writing up a newspaper story and conducting local research. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to learn professional creative writing skills as well. Tuesdays 9.30am - 12.00pm Feb 16th - Mar 22 FREE Community connectors program. Are you interested in taking a leadership role in the community? This new program is aimed at people who want to develop the skills to make a difference in the Knox community. Feb 10th – Mar 23rd, 1.15pm – 3.45pm Wednesdays at the Community space FREE Knox Community Space hosts Would you like to volunteer to train as a host for the community space at Knox City Shopping Centre? Volunteer hosts will assist members of the public visiting the space with information enquiries as well as community groups conducting activities in the space. Training Mondays 9.30am - 12.00pm Feb 15th - Apr 18th FREE Open House 50s – 70s singalong with supper Friday March 4th 6.30 – 8.30pm $2 per person (Sponsored by the Bendigo Bank Ferntree Gully & Rowville)
Accredited courses Coonara Community House is a Registered Training Organisation approved to deliver training in the following Nationally Recognised Qualifications, in 2016. Cert III in Early Childhood Education and Care February 2016 – October 2016 Thursdays 6.30 – 9.00pm plus one Saturday per month and some online sessions OR Wednesdays 9.30am – 3.00pm March 2016 – November 2016 Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care March 2016 – July 2017 Wednesdays 9.30am – 3.00pm OR Thursdays 6.30 – 9.00pm plus one Saturday per month and some online sessions. Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care for those with existing Certificate III February 2016 – June 2017 Fridays 9.30am – 3.00pm Other services and programs Kidzfun waiting list for 2016 and taking enrolment applications for 2017 Occasional care – waiting list for 2016 Work for the dole projects with Salvation Army Employment Plus Volunteer for Knox Volunteer resource centre www.volunteerforknox.com.au Singularity Choir
Pete the Permie Winter vs Summer pruning of fruit trees (Base core class) Why do commercial operations prune in summer & how can you reduce the workload by up to 90% and improve disease and pest management at same time. Sunday 17th January, 10am - 4pm All about Espaliers (Base core class) Selecting the right trees to make an espalier, what shapes to use for which species, a practical session in creating and maintaining them, look at our examples. Sunday 21st February, 10am - 4pm Organic & Biodynamic fruit tree management for orchards & backyards How do we manage our fruit trees with no chemicals, how to make a BD Hot compost to feed your all your veggies and trees, discuss which trees need which compost method, Organic/ Bd pest control methods. Sunday 20th March, 10am - 4pm Bring your lunch, Cost $95 each Includes a walk around the collection of over 1000 vars, to look at the relevant aspects of that class. There are 3 base- core classes that can be done before going onto more advanced ones offered throughout the year. Full day courses in Cheese making Learn how these cheeses can be made with cow, goat of sheep’s milk. If you wish to bring your own this will need to be pasteurized on the day. Otherwise all materials are supplied. You will take home your own 3 products with you. We will make and eat Ricotta on the day as well. These courses are held at Telopea Mountain Permaculture Farm, Monbulk. Please bring lunch to share. Cheese making at home level 2 Camembert, Gourmet Fetta, Sour Cream & Ricotta Sunday 28th February, 9am - 4pm Cost $100
Foothills | 21
Mulled Apple Juice I served this at the Open Day this year & so many people asked about the recipe that I thought I’d share it with you. You can substitute the apple juice with sweet cider if you want a boozy version but you may need to adjust the sweetness. It’s a great a winter warmer that doesn’t need to be saved for an occasion …. Ingredients This will serve 6 good size glasses or 8 more modest 1 litre of apple juice (I like a good quality cloudy juice) 1 orange 1 cinnamon stick
Method 1. Tip the carton of apple juice in a large saucepan. Cut an orange in slices & add to the pan. 2. Snap a cinnamon stick in half & pop in the pan with the cloves (you can add less or more depending on your preference). Slice a vanilla pod in half & add to the pan. 3. Put the pan on the heat & bring to a gentle boil & turn heat down to a slow simmer. Leave it to simmer for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour) so the flavours have time to develop. 4. Strain to remove the spices & serve with the cooked orange slices in a glass. Serve warm.
6 cloves 1 vanilla pod
Lizzie Baking Bird Upwey, Dorset, England
High quality training in the foothills With so many media stories about low quality training organisations at present it is positive to see that a local, community-based training organization is providing high quality education for locals. In a recent performance indicator survey by the Victorian state government, Coonara Community House performed well above average for delivery of accredited training in early childhood education and care. Coonara has been a registered training provider for 20 years and has had a consistently high level of compliance and performance when audited by regulators. In the latest survey 87.1% of students were satisfied with their learning
22 | Foothills
experience at Coonara compared with a state average of 53.8%. 96.77% of Coonara students said that they would recommend their RTO compared to 78.4% as a state average. 77.42% of Coonara students said that their training improved their employment status compared to a state average of 61.7%
96.77% of Coonara students said that they would recommend their RTO
The Diploma and Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care provides entry into childcare work in long day care centres, preschools and out of school aged care. The Diploma, which is now available to students without having to first complete a Certificate III, is a pathway to a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education Care for those wanting to teach in preschools and lower levels of primary school. The next intake of students to these courses is in February 2016 with applications for enrolment currently open. Contact Coonara on 97587081 or enquiries@coonarahouse.org.au or check out the information pack on the website www.coonarahouse.org.au
FREE
Events & Activities
What’s coming soon to the Community Space? Wednesday 2 December, 10.00am - 3.00pm Hands up for gender equality 16 days of activism looking at issues such as domestic violence.
The Basin Community House
Thursday 3 December, 12.30pm - 3.30pm
Volunteering & Learning in Knox
Volunteer for Knox & Knox Learning Alliance
Saturday 5 December, 1.00pm - 4.00pm
Learn more about Gridiron!
Croydon Ranges Gridiron Club
Sunday 6 December, 1.00pm - 4.00pm
Learn more about Gridiron!
Croydon Ranges Gridiron Club
Monday 7 December, 11.00am - 12.30pm
Community Corner
Health Champions
Thursday 10 December, 10.00am - 3.00pm
Hands up for gender equality 16 days of activism looking at issues such as domestic violence.
The Basin Community House
Friday 11 December, 6.30pm - 7.30pm
Christmas Carols
Singularity Community Choir
Saturday 12 December, 1.00pm - 4.00pm
Learn more about Gridiron!
Croydon Ranges Gridiron Club
Sunday 13 December, 1.00pm - 4.00pm
Learn more about Gridiron!
Croydon Ranges Gridiron Club
Monday 14 December Saturday 19 December
Christmas Carols Come and listen to christmas carols performed by local school students and community groups.
Schools and Community Groups
Friday 18 December, 6.00pm - 7.00pm
Celtic Harp Performance Cath Connelly is considered one of Australia’s leading Celtic harpers, producing five albums over several years. Come and listen to her play!
Cath Connelly
The Community Space is located near the Market Place, Level 1, Westfield Knox. Facebook.com.au/CommunitySpaceKnox Limited spaces available. Please book through Volunteer for Knox on 0429 968 822 or at enquiries@coonarahouse.org.au
Hear Cath Connelly, world famous celtic harp player
Join in on some Christmas carols!
Learn how to make Christmas decorations!
Foothills | 23
Dancing in the
Dark I could hear the dance band in the distance and it slowly got louder. Coloured light began to fill the room as the orchestra hit its stride. Michael died suddenly while on a business trip.
She had my attention.
I didn’t get to say goodbye.
“Michael comes to you in your dreams. Am I right?”
I took it for as long as I could, but then I couldn’t take it anymore. I knew that people would be sad and that some of them would say ‘I took the easy way out’. Screw them! What do they know? I doubt they have ever felt this bad.
“Yes, he does,” I said.
My despair must have been showing because my best friend Julie decided to talk to me. Up until this time she had tried to be a good and supportive friend by being around when I needed her, but unlike almost everyone else she had refrained from giving advice.
“Because it happens to me as well,” she said. Julie’s husband died more than ten years ago.
I suppose she felt I was slipping away. She was right. I’d made up my mind. I was going to go and be with Michael. I had it all planned. I was going to say goodbye as subtly as possible to all the people who had meant something to me. I had chosen the coming Monday to “shuffle off this mortal coil.” Monday seemed like the perfect day for such a deed. No one drops in unexpectedly on a Monday, but Julie did. “You know that I don’t interfere,”(it’s true, she doesn’t),”but I’m really worried about you. I have this horrible feeling that you are about to do something that cannot be undone.” Julie had knocked on my door at the ungodly hour of 9:30 am. For a change, I was up and dressed in preparation for my ‘departure’. If she had not banged on the door I would have been gone within the hour. “It’s time for me to go Julie. I did my best, but I can’t do it anymore. I’m going to miss you most of all.” She didn’t show any signs of surprise when I said this, she just looked at me as if she was deciding whether or not to tell me something. “I’m glad you told me that because it makes it much easier for me to tell you this.”
“Usually at about 2:30 am?” she said. “Yes. How did you know?”
“I’m not telling you what to do, but I am suggesting that you put off your departure for twenty-four hours. Do you have a room that can be completely blacked out? A room that is big enough to move around in and not bump into the furniture?” “As it happens, yes I do, but what has that got to do with anything?” She ignored my question. “I want you to be in that room at exactly 2:30 am dressed in your prettiest party dress. Move all of the furniture out of the way and make sure that it is dark. Turn off the lights and remain standing. I know this sounds crazy, but what have you got to lose?” She had a point. One more day couldn’t hurt. I must admit that, just for a moment, I thought she might be stalling me so that the police could drag me off to the funny farm, but that wasn’t the case. My alarm went off at 2:00 am and I got out of bed and put on the dress that Michael had bought for me for our anniversary. I fixed my makeup and brushed my hair. I felt like an idiot, but I stood in the middle of the darkened room and waited for 2:30 am to roll around. I could hear the dance band in the distance and it slowly got louder. Coloured light began to fill the room as the orchestra hit its stride. Michael tapped me on the shoulder and I spun around. “Dancing in the dark is no fun on your own, can I cut in?”
24 | Foothills
DANCE IN THE DARK ...because nobody’s watching Join us for an hour of dance in the dark. Choose your space, dance within it for an hour of freedom, fun and accidental fitness where no one can see you. Great music from all genres and eras, guaranteed to have every body moving.
I didn’t speak because I was afraid that all this might go away as quickly as it came, so I smiled demurely and took his hand. We danced until the orchestra leader looked pleadingly at Michael. “I’ve got a wife and kids at home mate. Any chance we could pack it in for the night?” he said. I looked around and saw that all the other couples had gone home. It was only Michael and I left on the dance floor.
For all ages above 18 Every Thursday 7:30pm at St Joseph’s Parish Hall 212 Boronia Road, Boronia $10 per person No drugs or alcohol allowed Wear clothes that you’re comfortable to sweat in and bring a water bottle. Find out more and let us know you’re coming at: www.facebook.com/ danceinthedarkbecausenobodyswatching
“Fair enough mate.” said Michael. We hadn’t spoken a word for the entire evening. We didn’t need to. “Thank you for dancing with me, fair lady,” said Michael. He bowed to me and walked off into the darkness. The room went dark and I was suddenly very tired. I slept until early in the afternoon when I was awoken by a knock on the door. I ushered Julie in and made us both a coffee. “How did you go last night?” she said. “How often does that happen?” I heard myself ask. “As often as you want it to happen,” she said. We sat and drank our coffees and gazed out of the window. Friends who will sit silently with you are excellent friends. “What are you going to wear tonight?” Julie asked. “I haven’t decided yet. Probably the blue, but maybe the green. Michael always liked the green” I said. “No more thoughts of leaving us?” Julie asked. “No, I don’t think so. I love dancing in the dark. Maybe I’ll stay around awhile.”
Terry R Barca Contributor to The Foothills araneus1.wordpress.com Foothills | 25
Portrait of a Sculptor
Jenny Rowe
It is a sunny Spring day when I visit Tecoma sculptor Jenny Rowe. But on my descent into the cool, leafy gully where her studio is nestled, shadows loom and spider webs barricade the winding path. The remnants of last autumn’s withered leaves are trapped in a slippery trench down the centre of the path. Jenny is waiting at the bottom, greeting me with a half smile. I recognise her from the Dandenong Ranges Open Studio Weekends I have attended in past years, where I have purchased 3 of her wonderful clay sculptures – a peaceful kneeling nude cradling a white dove, a calm Buddha-like bust and a sweet, yet slightly malevolent fox-masked wicker doll. A fourth statue 26 | Foothills
– a winged white sheep – was a gift from Jenny which my son adores. But perhaps on those occasions I was more focused on Jenny’s works than on their maker. I now take in her large brown eyes, framed by tumbling brown curls flecked with grey. She is wearing comfortable old jeans and a red t-shirt depicting an Aboriginal creation spirit. I follow her lean figure into her home, where I am alternately warned and welcomed by her two pet Chihuahuas. Jenny’s works seem to spill out from every room we pass, on shelves, on furniture, on walls and the floor. We make our way to an old leather Chesterfield lounge suite in the quirky living room, jasmine tea in hand, where Jenny settles
comfortably into what I am assured is her favourite place on the floor. When I place a voice recorder on the coffee table in front of her, she gently nudges it away. I gently push it back. A reverse tug of war ensues until I break into laughter about this resolutely reticent interviewee. Small talk over, we begin discussing what really matters. Jenny describes growing up in an intuitive family, where her father was a fitter and turner who could make anything, as long as it was practical, her mother was a writer, and all of their children were creative in various ways. Jenny spent her childhood in Glen Waverley back when it was still semirural, where she could raid the nearby dam for clay to make her first self-taught
sculptures. She did not yet have the expertise or facilities for firing her early works, most of which have subsequently crumbled. However it was the igniting of a lifelong passion for the medium of clay, which she refined during a Fine Arts degree in Ceramics at RMIT. It took Jenny some time to claim her artistic identity. She originally tried teaching, but found it wasn’t for her. It wasn’t until her daughter told her show and tell class that her mum was an artist, that Jenny really started to see herself that way too. She now conceives the life of an artist as a way of being and seeing, not what you earn. When I ask ‘Why clay?’, Jenny gushes, unleashing a flow of ideas through a stream of words spilling out faster than I can write. She loves the malleability of clay, its endless three dimensional possibilities, and the feeling of freedom it evokes. Jenny is inspired to sculpt by shapes and shadows, and by fragments that can be crafted into something entirely different. She experiences clay sculpting not as a cerebral process but as a response to, and a way of communicating emotions: sculpting is a feeling experience, her hands the tools through which she senses and expresses form and shape.
studio coaxing lumps of clay into life. By now, bad cop Chihuahua has settled into Jenny’s lap and is snoring contentedly, while good cop Chihuahua has snuggled peacefully into mine. Jenny offers me some delicious pistachios, shyly admitting that she and her husband have recently become pistachio farmers in central Victoria. They have planted and cultivated 2000 trees on an old family property, working 16 hours a day at times. They are now making plans to sell the crops through farmers’ markets. However, while she admits to being much busier these days, due to farming and grandmother duties, she always makes time for her art. Despite realising that teaching was not for her, Jenny enjoys working with students as a sometime artist-inresidence at various schools. She recalls working with innocent and respectful Muslim students in Upfield with a special fondness, as well as tutoring at Coonara Community House where art created a bridge between people of different abilities, providing a unique way of communicating.
She now conceives the life of an artist as a way of being and seeing, not what you earn.
As she talks, she gestures with long white sinewy arms. They look strong, and I can imagine them hard at work in the
While enjoying the freedom to sculpt as the mood takes her, Jenny also takes the occasional commission, some of the more memorable of which have been to honour the ritual of death. She recounts creating a headstone for a departed Maori elder in the shape of a mountain and weighing 50 kg. His family performed
a ceremony by the creek on Jenny’s property, to prepare the headstone for its journey over the sea to its final resting place in a Maori cemetery. At the other end of the life spectrum, another special commission was when she created memorial statues for lost babies. If you ask Jenny to sculpt something for you, however, be patient. She likes to have her works around her for a while, so she can absorb them and experience them from different points of view. Some two hours have passed, and I reluctantly rise to go. But before I leave, Jenny shows me some of her treasures. In a corner are 2 dishes filled with tiny naked porcelain dolls hailing from the Thuringia doll factory in Germany. She recounts a story about the imperfect and broken dolls being discarded in the grounds around the factory 100 years ago or more. Their burial grounds have recently been dug up and the dolls have found their way to new homes with various collectors around the world. Jenny loves them not despite, but because of, their imperfections and brokenness. She impulsively presses one into my hand, which I gratefully accept. On our way out, we look into her studio, crammed with many of her artworks among tins of pigments, glazes, iron and cobalt oxides. Found objects such as animal horns and metal also lie around, waiting to be transformed by Jenny into a message for us all.
Lisa Ford Contributor to The Foothills
Ingrid Ward's Books of Verse, Bookmarks & Thoughtcards are now available from Belgrave Book Barn, 1630 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave
Foothills | 27
The Money Clip “I’ve never met another man I’d rather be. And even if that’s a delusion, it’s a lucky one.” Charles Bukowski
“Never chase a pretty girl or a tram, there will be another one along in a few minutes.” My mum was trying to make me feel better, and it worked, up to a point. She would not be the last girl who broke my heart, but she was the prettiest. My mum had a saying for most situations. Her ancestors were Irish and the Irish have an interesting slant on most human endeavours.
We had a bit of ‘spare money’ and it felt good. We were a long way from ‘well off’ but we were certainly not living ‘paycheque to paycheque’ like we had been for so many years. I read somewhere that money attracts money, and in order to feel successful you needed to carry more money in your pocket. More than would normally make you feel comfortable.
I’m no philosopher, but it seems to me that we do most things for love; trying to get some, trying to buy some, or trying to forget.
A hundred dollars seemed like a lot of money to me at the time, and I was sure that there was a neon sign on my back that said, “This bloke is carrying a serious amount of cash. Hit him on the head and take it. He’s a wuss, he won’t put up much of a fight.”
You cannot have love without money.
Screw that neon sign.
I know that about now, some of you are howling: ‘You don’t need to be rich to be happy’. Bollocks! “If you are poor and you are happy you are deluded.” My mum didn’t say that one. She was one of those people who believed that money didn’t bring happiness, and therein lies a story.
I grew up in a household where the belief was that people with real money probably did something bad to get it. Therefore, people with real wealth were probably very bad people. Can you see how my logic flowed? I was just a kid, but I swallowed this thought pattern hook, line and sinker. None of my friends were rich. No, that’s not true; there was this one kid. His dad drove a Jaguar, but his wife had died and that seemed to even things out for me, at least it did in my young mind. I grew up thinking that money had a soul and it was as dark as night. Naturally, with the passage of time, I worked out that this is a load of old cobblers. It’s the line that poor people feed themselves to make their failure seem noble. After many years of struggle, we finally had a good year.
28 | Foothills
I stood in line at the bank and when it became my turn I asked for two hundred dollars, “all in twenties, please”. My voice sounded funny, but I don’t think that the girl behind the counter noticed. She was cute and I had seen her around, but I doubt that she ever noticed me; my ‘attractive single male’ neon had been turned off for some time. “There you go Mr. Rainbow. I hope you enjoy your day. Is there anything else I can help you with today.” “As a matter of fact there is.” I smiled at her, partly because she was smiling at me and partly because I did not want her to see how nervous I was. “Is there a jewellery store nearby?” This is something that I should have known, but my brain had gone into neutral, and she did ask. “Yes, Mr. Rainbow, just across the road. The White Box has beautiful things. Are you going to use all that money to buy your wife something nice? Birthday? Anniversary? She’s a lucky lady.” “Probably, but firstly I need a money clip to hold all these notes. I didn’t realise how bulky it would be.” The pretty young woman smiled at me, but I know that she was thinking that I must be a bit dim. Had I not held this much money before? Didn’t I know what two hundred dollars felt like? She handled large sums of money all the time. It was nothing to her. It might have been other people’s money, but it was money just the same, and if her plan worked out there would be a large pile of money in the shoe box under her bed, very soon. All she had to
do was not get too greedy. “Have an excellent day, Mr. Rainbow, and please say hello to Mrs. Rainbow for me.” I looked at her name badge. “I will Joyce. You enjoy your day also.” I jammed the money into my pocket and walked unsteadily out of the bank. I waited for the lights to change so I could cross the street. Normally, I would have run across the street, dodging cars and enjoying my strength and speed, but today I had visions of being hit by some bozo in a van.
She was well dressed and had a sparkle in her eye that had nothing to do with the lighting. “You look like a man who has a great deal of money in his pocket,” I thought she said. “Pardon?” I said for the second time that day. “How can I help you, sir?” The smile that came with the question seemed real. I liked that. “I need a money clip. Something nice. Something that says I’m not a wanker.” I wasn’t sure whether I had said that out loud, but the woman didn’t blink. She brought out a small tray.
The people would gather around in horror, “He’s badly hurt”, one woman would say.
“We don’t get a lot of call for these. Our customers don’t seem to appreciate such things.”
“He’s carrying a lot of money,” someone else would say.
That sounded vaguely like a compliment to me.
“Don’t get too close, he must be a bad man to be carrying all that cash,” a small child would say.
The limited selection was predictable and a bit garish with the single exception of the brushed steel clip with a shiny leaping jaguar. I’d always wanted to own a Jaguar, ever since my mate’s dad had driven us to football practice, all those years ago.
The lights changed. I noticed that a few other people had joined me in my quest to cross over in safety. The old bloke with the walking stick was trying to stop the medium sized dog from sniffing his leg. The dog seemed to like the old bloke, either that or the old timer had stepped into something interesting. We all made it across safely and the dog was very disappointed when its owner went the opposite way to the old man. The old bloke looked back at the dog and the dog looked longingly at the old bloke. Maybe they knew each other in a previous life.
As I reached the Jewellery store I was nearly run down by three small children who were escaping from a frazzled mother. “Quite a herd you have there,” I said as I deftly avoided being trampled. “Give me that wad of cash you have in your pocket and you can have them,” I thought she said. “Pardon?” “I said, you can have them. I’m fed up.” I smiled, but I suspect that I looked like I had swallowed a lemon. The shop was exactly what you would expect a jewellery store to look like; all twelve-volt lighting and satin cloth. The lady behind the counter was about twice the age of the girl in the bank. It occurred to me that the shop owner had employed her because she gave the premises an air of maturity. He was right, she did.
“I’ll take that one, please.” “Do you have the car to go with it?” “Not yet, but it’s on the list.” I removed the wad of twenties from my pocket and the woman behind the counter reacted as though people did that every day. I peeled off a couple and handed them over. I took my change and slid the notes into the clip and put it into my pocket. I imagined some rich bloke in a good suit, with Martini stains on his tie from the three-hour lunch he just had with the bloke from Mad Men. The book said that you should treat money like a tool. It has no magic powers, it’s just a tool. As I walked back to my car I noticed a slightly scruffy looking bloke selling The Big Issue. He was standing near the pedestrian lights. I reached into my pocket and got out my money clip. I peeled off a twenty and gave it to him. He gave me a magazine and fumbled for the change. “Keep the change mate, it’s been a good day for me.” He looked at me and grunted, but I know that he thought I was a wanker. Only wankers have a money clip. I didn’t care. When I got home that night, the kids were in the backyard playing. Our dogs met me at the door and they sniffed me all over. There was something different about me and they were determined to sniff it out. They followed me around for ages, trying to work out what had changed. I told my wife what I had done, and although she looked a little bit concerned, she was aware of what I was trying to do, and she had always been very supportive of my hare-brained schemes. Continued on next page... Foothills | 29
Continued from previous page...
“Did you include ‘the twenty’ that’s on the floor?”
“Can I see the money clip?”
“No, I didn’t.”
I’m pretty sure that it was the wad of money that she really wanted to see, so I handed over the clip and the money.
It must have fallen off the bed when Betty was counting it the first time.
I tried to look nonchalant as I took it out of my pocket.
I pulled out two twenties and threw them on the floor.
She held it for a moment, then removed the money and proceeded to count it.
I slid the clip over the remaining notes. I took the clip off and counted again.
“Two hundred dollars is a lot of money to be carrying around Brett Rainbow. Weren’t you scared?”
Two hundred dollars.
“A bit, but I felt better after I spent a bit of it. I know it sounds funny, but it seemed lighter and that made me less concerned.”
The two ‘twenties’ lay at my feet. The book was right.
“How much did you draw out?”
Money attracts money.
“Two hundred dollars. All in twenties. Just like the book said.”
I looked at my amazing wife who had stuck with me through all the bad times.
“You said that you spent some?”
She had that sparkle in her eyes.
“Yep. Bought the money clip and gave this scruffy bloke a twenty for a Big Issue.” “I’ve counted it twice, and there are exactly two hundred dollars here. Did you have other money in your pocket?” “No. Just the money I drew out.”
I was pretty sure that there was a neon sign on my back, but it did not say “this bloke is a loser.” Whatever it said and wherever this was leading us, I was pretty sure that it was not going to be boring.
She handed me the clip and I counted it. Two hundred dollars. Terry R Barca Contributor to The Foothills araneus1.wordpress.com
NE FOW L R AR HI G RE E R – OO EN M Q A UI V RE AI NO LAB W LE !
It didn’t make sense.
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Ferntree Gully and Rowville Community Bank® Branches
Back to Basics How To Make Wood Butter What You Need
2. Heat water: Heat a quart of water in a small (2-quart) saucepan over medium heat.
Ingredients 900 ml water 60 grams natural beeswax 225 mls cold-pressed sunflower oil (or other neutral vegetable oil) Equipment Large saucepan Pint mason jar (or other thick glass jar) Pair of wooden or bamboo chopsticks
Instructions 1. Combine the beeswax and oil: Place the bars of beeswax in the mason jar, and pour in the sunflower oil.
3. Submerge the mason jar into the water: When the water begins to simmer, turn the heat down to low. Gently lower the mason jar into the water, taking care not to splash any water into the jar. 4. Let the wax melt: After ten minutes, turn off the heat but leave the pot on the stove. Let the jar sit in the water for ten more minutes. As the wax melts, use the chopsticks to break up the large pieces, helping them to melt more quickly. 5. Remove the jar: Remove the jar from the water. All of the wax should have melted into the oil, combining
into a golden, translucent liquid. If there are still pieces of solid wax, give the mixture a good stir with the chopsticks until thoroughly melted. 6. Let the mixture sit, then stir: Let the jar sit for 20 minutes. The liquid will have begun to cloud over a bit. Give it a stir, let sit for another 20 minutes, then stir a final time to ensure an evenly mixed, creamy spoon butter. 7. Cool at room temperature: Leave to cool to room temperature, then cover and store for up to 6 months. Additional Notes In place of sunflower seed oil, you may use soybean, safflower, flaxseed, or another neutral vegetable oil.
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