Isn't this photo of a small part of our beautiful state just stunning? I love it.
As I am writing this we have had some rain! I actually nearly had to look it up to find out what the wet stuff was and how to spell the word rain! So welcome, but it is now clear sky again......
I find myself worrying about all sorts of things! This week is no exception.
How to do everything I want to do for you all? Our lovely Vice President/Social Secretary, Ann, has found herself unable to continue in these roles. Ann has a lot happening in her "not U3A" life and she needs to devote her energies to those matters. It is a shame for us, we are the losers, but I do understand and I hope Ann will get support from her U3A friends. I want to thank her for the work she has already done in arranging the Government House tours and such, as well as the contributions she had made to Committee.
Others on the Committee will assist in continuing to ensure the tours continue. I will also rely on all of you to help with arranging things like our Christmas Lunch. I'll put out the call closer to the time.
I mentioned last week about the need to have your say about U3A and whether or not it meets your needs. The suggestion box is the place for this at present. Someone has been working on developing an actual survey. Once that has been fine tuned and approved by Committee we will distribute it by one means or another. Please think seriously about completing it and returning it.
I am still putting calls out for potential Presidents! I cannot believe that we have a membership of around 350 people and not one of them is willing and able to do the job. Not one?? Come on, who do you think you are fooling?
On our notice board is a poster regarding an upcoming Shared Space performance at Rosny College. I also emailed the information to those I have addresses for. Please think about supporting this venture.
Cheers all, Jane
here I am again. This week I have chosen wild life! Is it or isn't it? Extinct I mean. What do you think?
Last week I mentioned the need for assistance with the setting up of the rooms we use each morning. Well, on Monday a few extras turned up and it was great. We got the setting up done in no time and our "seniors" were able to show the ropes and finish up not looking like they'd exercised for two hours. These same people will be regulars on Mondays from now on.
Then came Wednesday! Nobody "new" arrived, not a soul! Come on Wednesday people....come along and help. It is really not a huge job when spread over a few people and you will be most welcome.
We are making our way through the term and all seems generally smooth. I am pleased with the way our whole flows so well and people make their way from class to class easily. This week we even had a Grandchild or two coming along, that was good to see and I hope they had a good time in classes and at morning tea.
One thing that has been brought to my attention is the fact that some people "fiddle" with the air conditioning in the rooms when they really don't know what does what. One instance I was told about was an attempt to increase the heat in the room, in fact the complaint I had at the end of the session was that the opposite had been achieved and the complainants were cold.
It makes sense to me to ask the Tutor to adjust it, and if they don't know how they can get someone who does. That way we know that at least it is being adjusted in the correct direction.
This year we have begun posting the minutes of committee meetings for anyone interested. They are to be found on the notice board. Believe me, they don't make for riveting reading.....and, you are always welcome to come and observe - again, not a stimulating hour's entertainment. We really do cover mundane matters regarding the day to day running of U3A.
Now, without getting too excited I'd like to ask you for any suggestions/opinions you may have regarding U3A. Examples would be what do you enjoy most? What is your least favourite aspect? What sort of direction do you think U3A should be headed in? What are our strengths and weaknesses?
Any responses can go into the suggestion box.......I look forward to some light reading.
Cheers
Jane
Here I am again, I love Tasmania so much. Anyone who has ever travelled must agree that Tassie has a lot to offer in terms of scenery, wilderness, exploring, fine cuisine, wild life and man made attractions.
I plan to try and offer a photograph depicting some aspect of this state each week, that way we can all get to know our home together.
I know I won't always know where the photo was taken but I don't think that detracts from the picture itself, do you?
Today's is titled Highland Storm.........maybe by publishing this picture we may stimulate interest in the powers that be and they may decide to bless us with the storm(s) we so desperately need. Worth hoping for anyway.
I have so many things going through my mind at present - in relation to U3A I mean. I cannot possibly convey all my messages in one week so I think I'll try to touch on one important theme at a time.
Every Monday and Wednesday in Term times a small group of U3A members gather outside the Rosny LINC at about 8.30am.
At around 8.40am the doors are opened to admit those few people. They are rapidly closed and locked again.
These people then transform the rooms U3A use ready for the classes to begin and for morning tea to be served.
Chairs are put out, computers set up, any other equipment required by a tutor is put out. Lecterns are placed in the rooms.
All is checked to ensure it is working and ready for the Tutors.
Tables and chairs are put out in room 6 (the "morning tea" room). cups, spoons, tea, coffee, sugar and milk are readied on the tables. The urns are filled and put out, plugged in and boiled ready.
Notice boards are updated and hung up. Administration type stuff is laid out (name tags, folders, information for new members, newsletters..........
This small group of people make up the "set-up crew" and without them you would be having to get the rooms organised yourself.
Our set-up crew is shrinking due to ill health, holidays and such like. We need more people to come along on a regular basis and provide assistance. Maybe you can only do one of the two days - DO IT. We can make a full crew up from people who can only do one day, not two but who are willing to commit to that day regularly. (Bearing in mind that allowance is always made for a holiday!!). Coupled with that is the need for three people to help with getting the washing up done after morning tea on Wednesdays, again on a regular basis.
We pride ourselves on being a co-operative group which functions well thanks to our volunteers. All our Tutors are volunteers as are the Committee of Management. Even our Auditor operates on a bottle of wine as payment for his expertise every year.
I understand that not everyone can offer their services as a Tutor but surely everyone is capable of helping with setting up, after all it is for you.
Cheers all, may I be able to report a surplus of people waiting outside the library doors next week.
Here we are, enjoying a week's break for Easter. I continue thinking about everyone and everything though and I write and rewrite my message to you in my head until I think it is ready to post.
Yesterday a few of us attended Rod Downie's Memorial service. It was interesting to hear from one of his daughters and one of his sons-in-law, gaining a perspective on their family life. Rod had given instructions about his memorial service, had chosen the readings and the music and had ensured his offspring knew exactly how things were to be presented. "Very Rod" I thought to myself!
I was excited to discover a way to keep emailing you all and the way it has been set up means that the next President can just take it over - always assuming that he or she will want to keep the mass communication going. Please remember that there is an unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email. I entered all addresses I have been sending to, along with the new members who have given their email address just on the off chance that you would want to keep getting the messages. I note that a couple of people have taken their names off and a few have their security settings configured so that my emails don't get past their server. I presume because they can be interpreted as spam because of the program sending them.
Rest assured that your addresses are safe with me and that they will not be passed on to anyone else not associated with U3A - ever.
If it hasn't already happened I know our web site developer was planning to add a "button" in this web site for you to opt into my mass email list. Ultimately, as people join/register they will be asked if they want to receive the weekly email (along with the question already asked about getting the newsletter in electronic form).
There is not a lot going on at the moment to write about...however I will endeavour to give you a brief rundown of the result of our Committee meeting last week.
We did pass a motion that our minutes would be published to the notice board - that leaves it open for me to give a little bit of a taster for you.
Mind you, there is absolutely nothing earth shattering in there and I am sure you won't be watching keenly for each report in the future.
We did allocate areas of responsibility to each committee member. This happens at the beginning of each year. Every member has a responsibility or "job" and this way the work of the Committee is spread. I like to leave the members to do the "job" as they see fit. There is a report back at each meeting so that we all know what is happening. Occasionally there is discussion on things and the advice of the committee is given if sought.
Our committee is made up of the following people, with the accompanying responsibilities. If you have queries relating to something you should approach the appropriate member.
Ann Frith - Vice President, "Social Secretary"
Sue Storr = Secretary
Terry Mahoney - Treasurer and Equipment Manager
Fran Hall - Follows up on members who are ill or undergoing surgery. Sends a condolence message to families of members who have passed away. Ensures Tutors get a "thank you" at the end of a course.
Chris Bishop - assist with arranging social events. Will assist other members if needed.
Carol Rossendell - program planning, assist with web site menagement
Pat Jeffery - enrolments and web site management
Joan Carr - compilation of the newsletter every term. Manage morning tea (assisted by Esma Woolley), including set up, managing supplies, serving of morning tea and clean-up.
Patricia Corby - maintaining our contact and sharing with Statewide U3A's (including Launceston School for Seniors which operates more like a U3A). Assist with Program planning.
And then there is me! Don't ask..........I just paddle furiously under the water. I am still working out what it is I actually do. I mean, everyone is so good at what they do. I'll have this job sussed by the end of November this year, I think. I do enjoy it, I just find it is time consuming, whatever it is.
Cheers all....see you next week
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Hello everyone
Quote of the week: "Instant gratification takes too long" - Carrie Fisher
So true, just look around and you’ll see people who are in a perpetual hurry and who can’t bear not being the first In line.
They rush past you on the road – during morning “peak” hour I often marvel at how many people are in a hurry to get to work!
This is a short bulletin. It is week 2 so no real hiccups have occurred as yet.
I must remind you that there will be no classes NEXT week (28th March – 3rd April) due to Easter.
Good Friday falls at the end of this week. Easter is very early this year....only one or two “U3A days” before we are already taking a short holiday!
Please remember to support Chris and Helen Watts who are participating in the big shave (of heads) to raise money for Leukaemia research.
All contributions will be accepted most gratefully.
We have a committee meeting on Monday, if ever I tell you about an upcoming meeting of the C.O.M. and you have an issue, please let me know. If necessary it can be added to our agenda.
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The following was sent to me by Patricia Corby and contains links to various articles of interest.
Cognitive Fitness GEMs
Exercise GEMs
Diet GEMs
Republished Peer-reviewed GEMs
Information GEMs
Fun GEMs
Technical GEMs
Your choices: Your quality-of-life. Links to brief, readable research summaries, published in the last 30 days, that may help to improve your quality-of-life (NB If you read only the first and last paragraphs of each research report you'll normally get the key take-away message.)
** Paleo diet is dangerous, increases weight gain, diabetes expert warns
** Popular diet myths debunked
* The seven heart disease risk factors you can control, including one nearly all of us struggle with
**Cognitive Fitness GEMs
o This is your brain on exercise
o Physical activity reduces risk of serious falls in older men
o Moving around more linked to longer life
o ** Paleo diet is dangerous, increases weight gain, diabetes expert warns
o Little diet pain, big health gain
o Cholesterol levels improve with weight loss, healthy fat-rich diet
o Compound in green tea found to block rheumatoid arthritis
o Sugar tax could prevent 3.7 million cases of obesity over next decade
o ** Paleo diet is dangerous, increases weight gain, diabetes expert warns
o ** Popular diet myths debunked
o * The seven heart disease risk factors you can control, including one nearly all of us struggle with
o Explainer: what is the gut microbiota and how does it affect mind and body? (Thanks Phil McBride Australia)
o What are tracking cookies and should they concern me? (Includes "Cookies 101" and Advertising 101). (Thanks Ask Leo)
o Bet The Eagles wish they could perform Hotel California like this Cuban a cappella group (Thanks Viv Atkins, New Zealand)
Sigh! What's a poor talentless busker gotta do to attract the attention of bystanders waiting at a London train station? (Thanks Viv Atkins, New Zealand)
Er! I don't like to complain but there's a waiter in my soup (Thanks Maggie Magafakis, Australia)
Dicing with death: Gibbon taunts tigers (Thanks Eileen Snead, Australia)
Ah! The gentle thrust of the rapier versus the broad axe (Thanks Dawn Baker, Australia)
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The three of us moved cautiously past the ruins of the house and into the overgrown back garden. We were moving carefully as the long grass hid ankle-turning bricks, toe-stubbing baulks of timber and shin-barking pipes. We had learned of these obstacles the hard way in other similar sites, there being quite a few of them in our area. We knew the garden contained apple trees and we were checking on the ripeness of this season's crop. The garden was comparatively large which was unusual. Few were in this part of the country where land was at a premium. The house had been a single storey dwelling, commonly known as a bungalow, another rarity. This was in a street in an up-market part of town where the houses were all single storey and all of different design. We three lived in two storey, semi-detached structures differing only in internal decorations and colour schemes. Less affluent but at least they were still standing.
There along the remains of the back fence were the trees. The apples must have been ripe because they had all gone. Some other bunch of scrumpers had beaten up to the prize. We stared at the fruitless branches for a few moments and then turned to retreat. One of our group spotted something over in the corner beside the blackened remains of the burnt garden shed. "Spuds" he exclaimed. Carefully we moved towards the yellowed, grub eaten leafy tops of the tubers. There was a lone plant among the weeds. Scrapping away the top soil with bare hands we rapidly uncovered a handful of egg sized, thin skinned potatoes. Further digging with a piece of fence paling uncovered a couple more. Sorting them out fairly required a bit of bargaining, but all of us were quickly satisfied with our share. Then our leader spotted a pile of dried prunings. "Let's make a fire and roast them" he suggested. "I'll go home and get some matches while you two break up some of those sticks and get the fire ready". He was off and back in quick time. He must have run. We soon had a small fire crackling away and after the initial blaze had died down, tossed the salvaged vegetables onto the embers along with some more twigs. The potatoes were carefully watched and turned over periodically using two sticks. A smell of charred murphy's mixed with the odour of the burning apple wood and we sniffed appreciatively. A single blackened sphere was rolled out of the fire and a sliver of wood driven in to determine if it was cooked. The judgement was that sufficient heat had been absorbed and the rest were rolled out. Gingerly they were hefted onto the piece of paling previously used for excavating. With fingers and twigs the exterior carbonised shell was removed revealing steaming white, charcoal-spotted delicacies. Within minutes they were no more.
We weren't starving. On the contrary, it could be argued that we were the best fed generation of our century, meaning we received a balanced diet with adequate nutrition for growing boys. Yes, we were boys; six year old boys, living on the outskirts of London during World War Two. None of us were abnormally skinny but there was only one fat boy in our school and he was the local doctor's son. Doctors got well paid, often in kind by grateful patients who grew vegetables on allotments and reared rabbits in hutches, but had little cash. I said we were not starving, but we were always hungry, particularly for anything sweet. Many years later in my early twenties, I went on a camping holiday with three other lads. We had challenged ourselves to live off the land as much as possible. We had rifles, spear guns, fishing rods and our wits. We feasted on wallaby, native hen, abalone, crayfish, stingray, parrotfish and leather jacket. We fared well on this high protein diet and I periodically relive that most enjoyable week. But those potatoes and their contribution to my diet have been a particularly fond memory.
I suppose our neighbourhood is like most others really. The only happenings from year to year are the changes of season which, unfortunately, seem to affect everyone. For some it is in a small way but for others, well, their whole lives are torn apart and they are uprooted from everything with which they are familiar and comfortable.
My dearest friend and next door neighbour is Daphne. Her family has lived on the same patch for generations. Two things about Daphne's family which I find really heart-warming are that the eldest girl is always named Daphne, and that the current generations wear the same beautiful fragrance that their mothers before them have worn. They are very traditional.
On my South side is old Mr Hydrangea. A fairly harmless old man most of the time but he can be moody. One is never quite sure which side of his personality one is going to be exposed to. Sometimes he can pop out all pink and rosy and be happy and positive and other times he can be dark and blue and quite depressing to be around.
Next to Daphne on the Northern side is Iris. Her family is certainly interesting. She has a Dutch uncle on her mother's side, a Spanish cousin, her father, a very nice man has a Japanese mother and his sister-in-law is bearded, poor thing, but she is one of the best dressers in our neighbourhood. The range of colours in her wardrobe is absolutely astounding and the way she mixes and matches colours is eye catching at the very least, one could even say traffic stopping. Iris even has a dwarf on her father's side, though what he lacks in height he makes up for, like the bearded sister-in-law, in style and colour.
Across the path is the daffodil family. They are such a bright, sunny bunch. Their faces are always happy and smiling and no-one in that family ever has a bad word to say about anyone. The littlest ones though are little show offs. They do love twirling their little hooped skirts in front of anyone who passes by.
Next to the daffodils is a garage and Ivy and her friend Virginia live around the corner on the Northern side. Ivy was a very friendly, outgoing person when she was little but these days she and Virginia tend to stick together preferring their own company. Ivy in particular has become quite withdrawn and terribly clingy. Another of their friends who is also rather dependent and often looking to friends around her for support, is Jasmine. She, however, is not quite as needy as Ivy and Virginia, sometimes making her way alone, but one cannot help but wonder what happened in their early lives to make them so lacking in independence. Perhaps they were never encouraged to be brave or to try new things? Who knows. Generally we just live and let live around here.
On the South side of the neighbourhood is one person who isn't a positive force and that is Mrs Weeping Willow. She is morose and very negative. She just sits all day next to the pond, staring into the water as if it holds all the answers to her problems, whatever they might be, and seems incapable of raising a smile for anyone. I don't know her background but it has certainly had a debilitating effect on her, leaving her constantly sad. We tend to let her be, but whether that is a good thing or not, I'm not sure.
Where Mrs weeping Willow is constantly sad, like all neighbourhoods we have our hot head who is permanently angry. Good old Red Hot Poker never disappoints. One expects him to be angry and he always is. It's sad really. Anger wastes so much energy and it must be exhausting, to say nothing of the damage to his health. But the entire family is the same. They stand all day in big groups and whinge about the state of the world and get into such a lather that their blood pressure rockets and before you know it their heads are bright red from all that anger with no release button. We give them a wide berth.
Another good friend is Violet who also lives on our Southern side. Violet is very shy and self-conscious and always overdresses, in green, her favourite colour, no matter what the weather, sadly covering her beautiful lilac and mauve dresses that she usually wears. Like Daphne she smells beautiful, though her fragrance is more subtle and she is such a winsome little thing. We don't see much of her but when she does emerge she is chatty and personable.
We have a couple of I-want-to-be-noticed types in our neighbourhood too. Tall Poppy stands head and shoulders over most of his neighbours and has a true lust for life. As he is no slouch, I think that anyone who holds himself up so straight and erect, no mean feat in Spring or Summer in the wind, deserves to be noticed and acknowledged. I just love his bright post-box-red hats. Cousins of his have beautiful colours but aren't as tall as him. The other I-want-to-be-noticed type and frightful flirt is little Miss Show Peony. Life is all about her. She doesn't like the wind. Who does? She complains because she doesn't have protection from it in Spring to prevent the wind doing permanent damage to her face. Then, she craves and demands rain in Summer. Can you believe it? Who doesn't want rain in Summer? But do we get it? No. Only our neighbours in the vegetable patch get that. But Showpeony goes on and on about it. She must have water or her beautiful face will be withered next Spring. She is terribly vain. But when we do have Summer rain, well she is something to behold. Her magnificent face glows.
I suppose after talking about everyone else in my neighbourhood I should introduce myself. I have been here for years. Most around here call me Banksia. I've invested a lot of energy over the years establishing and securing a seed bank. I've created a stronghold for my seeds that no-one, and I mean no-one can get hold of. The only thing that can access my seeds is a fire. Not much chance of that happening. See you around the patch.
Winter has arrived, folks,
And with it comes the flu.
As I'm its latest victim
I'm perplexed at what to do.
The doctors think they have the answer
With a needle in the arm
But I am here to tell you
There is still cause for alarm!
My head is splitting fit to crack
My nose is dripping like a tap
And I'm just about ready for the grave!
But I'll settle for a 'Toddy'
Made with whisky if you please:
To ease the pain and suffering within.
But the sufferings without
Make you want to scream and shout
Has no one found a cure yet for this bane?
Now the answer to this problem,
In my opinion anyway,
ls to buy yourself some tissues
They helped me save the day.
I have tissues in the bedroom
And in the bathroom, too,
I have tissues in the lounge-room
And even in the Loo!
I put them up my nostrils
To help them stem the flow
But that didn't work; I should have known
The sneeze had nowhere else to go!
I paid a visit to the Doctor
And he was not impressed.
"My dear, your bronchial tubes are rattling
And there's whistling in your chest,
So I'll give you this 'ere mixture,
Some tablets and a spray.
I'm sure that they will help you
Live to fight another day."
I was shunned and isolated
When the virus took its toll.
No-one came to visit
Not a blooming soul.
So I tucked my box of tissues
Underneath my arm
Took the mixture and the tablets
Couldn't do me any harm? (Could they?)
My hottie' and my teddy
Were the only friends I had,
So with their help and comfort
I didn't feel so bad.
So now that I have warned you
At your peril take the risk,
Avoid those crowded places
Where those germs and bugs exist.
Unless you have your tissues
To cover up yow nose
I'm afraid the germs will get you
That's just the way life goes.
"Mum, Mum, wait till you see this!"
The girl was hard to see in the darkness: a vague silhouette, slithering over piles of rotting rubbish, fruit, vegetables and other unsold and out-of-date foodstuff. Behind the shopping centre a yard was enclosed by a brick wall, high, but not high enough to stop determined scavengers bunking up and over to look for anything which might fill an empty belly.
Lily was always hungry. There never seemed to be enough money for food. What did Mum do with it, she wondered. Smokes? Drink? Pokies? She could not be sure but they both did this nightly round of the grocery chuck-outs.
Her hands slipped over more rotten fruit: bananas oozing from split skins; apples, some still firm, most slimy and not worth a second touch, oranges covered in films of mould; mushy plums, apricots, grapes getting pongy, squashed tomatoes: a jumble of stale bread rolls, cream buns, tacky glazed icing, crumpets, doughy muffins, smashed cream cakes. Lily's fingers dipped in and out of her mouth: the taste was good but it was too dark to see what she was eating.
A rat scurried away.
Her hand fingered inside a fibre carton: packets of something unopened, several of them. She pulled one out in front of her face. "Hey Mum, come over," a loud but muffled whisper, "wait till you see what I got."
Her mother, a formless shadow slid around the jumbled garbage. "What is it then? What yer got?"
"Doughnuts, packets of 'em. They're in boxes like this. I seen 'em in the shop. Cor. I love doughnuts."
"OK, put 'em in the bag. We'd better be orf 'fore security comes round."
"I got a few rolls as well."
"OK, that'll do us dinner. Come on."
"Mum, how come all this food don't get sold in the shops?"
"Dunno luv. Waste, ain't it.
In 2003, I did a flight around the world. When I was in Beunos Aires I phoned my niece to let her know I would be arriving home on the following Friday. She asked what time and I said it would be about 8 pm. She then said, "Oh, that's bad luck. I'm flying out on Friday morning bound for Europe. I won't see you for a couple of months."
My flight was via Santiago, in Chile, where I was to have a 24 hour stop-over. When I arrived at Santiago airport, I made a sudden change of plans. Instead of staying overnight in Santiago, I changed my flight arrangements and was able to fly out that same day after a 10-hr wait at the airport. Everything went ok and I got into Hobart about 8 pm Thursday.
I immediately went to my niece's home. When I got to her front door I didn't knock but instead used my cellphone to call her. We chatted for a few minutes about missing each other and when we were likely to see each other again. Then I knocked on the door.
"Oh! There's a knock at the door," she said. "What a nuisance calling at this time of night."
"That's ok," I said, "I don't mind waiting. Go and see who's there. You never can tell who it might be. You might get a big surprise."
She opened the door and she got a big surprise.
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