Category Archives: Family, Friends and Home

#31 Photograph the Whimsical (and the Wonderful) in your Neighbourhood

It began as the Humans of New York project and has now been taken up by many around the world. An intrepid photographer chooses random people in their city and takes a shot or two.

In this context, even though the idea came from the US, a ‘shot’ means a photographic one, not the other sort. The photos are then posted online, together with a short autobiographical quote from the subject. They’ve become wildly popular websites.

While the idea of approaching a stranger in this way has its appeal, I sheepishly decided that in a small city where you frequently run into friends and acquaintances, it’s a bit too confronting to attempt.

So instead, I’ve been taking my own snapshots around home but with a slightly different slant.

My latest project is called:

#31 Photograph the Whimsical (and the Wonderful) in your Neighbourhood

Once you begin doing this, you’ll never look at your surroundings in the same way again.

For example, does anyone have any idea why someone would toss two pairs of their discarded running shoes over electricity wires in a busy lane, as I photographed recently?

Urban myth has it that it may signify a place where you can purchase drugs, but wouldn’t that be too obvious? Or is it a way of recycling old shoes by turning them into “street art”, albeit not highly original?

Following this discovery, I noticed that the electronic news headlines which roll around the window of our local newspaper office each day can be inadvertently humourous.

This is either due to a misprint which changes the meaning altogether…

…or because it lacks the gravitas one normally expects from news headlines…

…this is why I love living in a regional area

A further wander around town has highlighted some of the whimsical projects our local council is fostering. In an effort to reduce graffiti, they’re covering the small electricity boxes on various street corners in the CBD with specially-protected anti-graffiti photographic facsimiles of our more iconic buildings.

So not only do we have an attractive post office…

but now we have a ‘mini-me’ post office as well (plus a whippet to help with perspective):

Or if you prefer, you can play ‘spot the imposter’:

versus

While doing some roof repairs to my home recently, workmen found this little gem tucked under the eaves. It will be the envy of politicians everywhere, taking the idea of ‘feathering your nest’ to new, literal heights as the local sparrows collect the feathers of my moulting chickens to weave their plush homes:

Can you imagine how good this would look cradling the starling’s eggs shown in an earlier blog?

Fit for a Disney Princess

And if you walk a dog often enough around Gateway Island, then one day, when the light and the weather conditions are perfect, you may capture a memorable image of Big Ears silhouetted against the lake…

…or the local wildlife might decide to put on a show for you at Noreuil Park:

“Seven Aussie Cockatoos
Each sitting on a post
Having so much fun to find
Who can SCREE…ECH the most”

The real benefit of this retirement activity is that it need never end.
Have smart phone … will shoot!

#29 Discover an Affinity with the Ancestors

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Genetic throwbacks in families can be out-of-the-blue events, and I’m told there was some initial surprise when I was born. In an extended family where everyone was generally dark haired and olive skinned, this new baby with red hair and pale skin, while not unwelcome, was a little unexpected. It seems my mother had forgotten that her late, grey-haired grandmother had once been a redhead.

This has finally led to my investigating my antecedents and in particular, looking to:

#29 Discover an Affinity with the Ancestors

Some years ago, I heard a family rumour that a paternal great-grandfather, despite being of southern Italian stock, was a redhead. Alas, the only photograph I have of him is in sepia hues:

Were you really a Ginger?
(and it’s okay for me to ask – as Tim Minchin says, only a Ginger can call another Ginger, Ginger)

So it seems that great-grandpapa’s genes combined with my Scottish great-grandmama’s genes to produce the unexpected colouring in a wee bairn a few generations later.

But while I have no doubts about my affinity for so many things Italian (think home-grown tomatoes, opera and anything to do with the preparation of, cooking of and eating of food) an affinity for things Scottish has been singularly missing in my life.

Until recently.

Did you know that every April, Bundanoon, a delightful town in the Southern Highlands of NSW turns into Brigadoon?

…to the extent that the sign into town is changed…

…and even the Bundanoon railway platform has a makeover…

And this year, by sheer accident, I happened to be in Bundanoon/Brigadoon on April 9th for the 39th Bundanoon Highland Gathering with my sister who, although not a redhead, has the same Scottish blood and a strange affinity for the bagpipes.

And what can bring a lump to the throat more than hearing a Scottish Pipe Band play Waltzing Matilda? [click on picture]

How quickly one can develop a warmth for one’s ancestors. The moment I spotted the Highland Gathering mascot with his ginger hair and ginger moustache, I felt truly at home.

Some participants took the suggestion to dress for the occasion quite literally…

And who ever said they’re not influenced by advertising…

…has never taken real, buttery, Scottish shortbread home and found it doesn’t last long …

But the best thing about discovering an affinity with Scotland is the news that the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is coming to Melbourne next year.

Bagpipes and Gingers? I’ve booked the tickets already…

#27 Find Clever Designs (that Really Work)

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I’m a sucker for clever designs, and finding an item based on a brilliant idea that also functions perfectly is very satisfying.

Many’s the time I’ve acquired some gadget that looked terribly clever in the shop but let me down badly at home. (I’m looking at you, glorious, streamlined, minimalist garlic press that’s hard to use and gives me much-too-big chunks of garlic)

…looks will only get you so far in life

So despite the occasional disappointment, finding perfect designs is worth the search and deserves an entry in the ‘101 Fun and Frivolous Activities in Retirement’ hall of fame:

#27 Find Clever Designs (that Really Work)

But while the garlic ‘press’ (garlic ‘thump’ more like) may have been a little disappointing, my Le Creuset® Butter Crock for keeping butter cool yet spreadable in summer has been a great hit:

Just pack the cup-shaped container with softened butter and invert it into the corresponding jar which stores a small amount of cool salted water in its base. Insect-proof, attractive enough for the table and the butter stays perfectly spreadable when stored on the bench. I give it five stars for design and function.

In an earlier blog – #3 Cook a New Recipe Weekly – I mentioned finding a cushion that unzipped to become a quilt (known as a quillow). Three years have passed since this discovery and my quillows are just as clever and useful as ever, so they deserve another plug:

<—- from this, to this —->

In a similar vein, I have a small, flat very lightweight bag that I carry tucked away in my handbag

that unfurls into a generous-sized silk carry-bag when needed:

…and for the nerds among us, folding these two designs back into their original state is as good as doing a jigsaw puzzle

Ever had the frustration of finding that a necklace you want to wear is not quite the right length for the outfit? Well, take a look at this:

Necklace hangs low, or…

with a slight adjustment, necklace hangs high…

and all because of this devious little ball with firmly fitting cords that lets you adjust to any length. Very clever!

Wandering through the Reject Shop® recently I came across a set of 6 small wire squares that could be quickly linked together with vertical wire posts. It looked too clever to be left in the store, although I wondered if this impulse buy would ultimately be a disappointment. Not a bit of it. I went back for two more sets.

Here’s what can be done with light, simple fencing around the garden:

…or…

And that’s just the beginning. With the eighteen panels I now have, it’s like my very own Meccano set!

Larger items that fold away discreetly are another design delight. I’m thinking of the fold up Robinhood Deluxe Ironing Board® a friend has just bought that disappears so effortlessly onto a wall:

Or the Ulisse Fold Away bed I’m working on my sister to choose when she eventually does her renovations:

So much more subtle than a fold out-couch

But the ultimate in a Clever Design that Really Works has to be my Moha Crack-it Egg Cracker, which, with a lift and sharp drop of its vertical bar gives the cleanest beheading of the shell of a soft-boiled egg you could imagine.

Let the pictures tell the story:

Frivolous?

Possibly, but you’ve got to marvel at the design!

#26 Explore Your City like a Newcomer

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A young friend of mine has recently moved to Milan for love – and possibly work – so is blogging about her experiences at The Impoverished Hedonist.

She’s finding the experience challenging, because the Italian city’s not the easiest place in the world to be seriously impecunious while seeking out pleasure and barely speaking the language. In addition, if the population of a city doesn’t appear to put a premium on civic pride it can be difficult for the newcomer to see beyond the superficial squalor.

But my friend’s adjusting well to the challenge by seeking out the very best, sometimes hidden, gems of Milan and its surrounds rather than dwelling on any downsides.

So thank you, D (you know who you are) for inspiring this blog entry:

#26 Explore Your City Like a Newcomer

There can be so much to like about your own city, if you just remember to look.

My place is Albury on the New South Wales/Victorian border, which has a mighty river only a minute from the centre of town:

Thanks to the wonderful River Deck Cafe at Noreuil Park for this image

And I was particularly interested to explore our newest addition, a walking/bike-riding trail that meanders along the Murray River and is dotted with the most amazing Indigenous sculptures along its length called the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk.

The sculptures speak for themselves, nestled in the superb bushland beside the lagoons and the river:

Reconciliation Shield by Tamara Murray

***

Creature Seats: Goanna: Liam Campbell, Turtle: Sara Jackson-Edwards, Snake: Raymond Jackson–Edwards and Goanna: Jaidyn Hampton

***

‘Googar’ Goanna Sculpture by Darren Wighton

***

Wiradjuri Woman by Leonie McIntosh

***

The views between sculptures…

***

Vertical Message Sticks by Girralang (Carmel Taylor)

***

Bogong Moth Migration by Ruth Davys

***

‘Maya’ Fish Trap Sculpture by Uncle Ken (Tunny) Murray, Darren Wighton and Andom Rendell

***

It must be somewhere! How can I not find it?

***

The Bigger Picture by Katrina Weston

or for a completely different perspective:

The Bigger Picture by Katrina Weston

***

by The Wagirra Crew – working on the trail

***

Teaming Life of Milawa Billa (Murray River) by Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk Steering Committee

***

Goanna by Kianna Edwards

Despite my missing sculpture (somewhere between the ‘Maya’ Fish Trap and The Bigger Picture) the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk is such a delight that even this not-very-fit novice bushwalker was entranced along its length. And of course, it’s a smorgasbord for keen bird watchers.

The whippet and I even had a close encounter with a snake, who slithered away in horror faster than we did.

We would loved to have glimpsed a mammal but you can’t have it all. And we did spot something moving past us so fast it seemed to be fleeing for its life. Just a whir and a blur and a flash of colour. Possibly a mamil…

Massive accolades to Albury City Council and the Indigenous artists and community for creating this hidden gem.

The trail deserves to be hugely popular.

***

STOP PRESS

The mystery of the ‘missing’ sculpture has been solved. Although there are twelve red dots on the map marking the site of each sculpture, I could only find eleven.

But here’s an excerpt from the Council’s newsletter:

Eleven, not twelve sculptures…

#24 ‘Stand Up and Cheer’ at a Book Launch

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Writers penning opinion pieces for highly reputable sites – like The Times or The Conversation – will often have a disclaimer after their by-line. Something along the lines of: ‘Thomas Fotherington-Smythe does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.’

So in the spirit of full disclosure, I must declare an interest in my next fun and frivolous activity:

#24 ‘Stand Up and Cheer’ at a Book Launch

The truth is, I have familial ties to the author of the book in question. I even did a spot of editing during the early drafts. So,

I did work for –

I did consult with –

And I do have affiliations with –

the author, so am duty-bound to declare my interest, even though the cheque must still be in the mail…

Naturally, it was exciting to help organise its special regional launch recently at the Albury LibraryMuseum, and as you can see, I even made matching bookmarks to accompany the gorgeous art-deco design of the book.

Did I mention that the book’s title is Stand Up and Cheer?

And I’m proud to declare, with a possible hint of bias, that it’s a thrilling children’s novel based on a true gem of Australian history that we should all celebrate, namely the rescue, by the people of Albury, of the Dutch DC-2 plane, the Uiver lost in a fierce thunderstorm over the Riverina during the Great Centenary Air Race from London to Melbourne on the night of 23rd October 1934.

A Douglas DC-2, at the Albury Aerodrome during the Open Day in October 2014. Although not the original Uiver, it’s one of only a handful of surviving DC-2 planes in the world.

Written for 8 to 12-year-olds, and enjoyed by everyone who loves an exciting and true aviation story*, Stand Up and Cheer is set in Albury at the height of the Great Depression and tells the story of the Uiver’s rescue through the eyes of the 10-year-old hero, Jack, the son of the local ABC radio announcer who plays a pivotal role in organising the townsfolk help the plane find a safe place to land.

Of course, helping organise a book launch isn’t the only fun and frivolous entertainment to be had around books.

A friend of mine was visiting her family recently in the Northumberland region of the UK when she noticed that Tim Winton, Australia’s highly decorated author, was reading from his latest book, Eyrie, at a small pub nearby. Not knowing how these events work, and concerned that she may be asked questions if she attended, she dutifully read the novel beforehand.

Now apparently, Tim Winton isn’t quite as well known in the north of England as he is here, so only a small group of people turned up to listen to him read in a cosy, intimate setting. And my friend was the only one to have read his latest book and have thoughtful, relevant questions in mind.

So that’s how she came to spend a marvellous evening chatting one-on-one with the charming Tim Winton on a cold night in the north of England.

See how fun and frivolous activities can often lead to so much more?

* The Australian adventurer, Dick Smith wrote: ‘I stated reading Stand Up and Cheer and couldn’t put it down – it’s such an exciting aviation and adventure tale. I think everyone will want to read it.’

#23 Plan the Perfect Celebration

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Although it’s some years until my next major birthday, a recent spate of friends celebrating birthdays-that-end-in-a-zero set me thinking: what’s the best way to organise festivities so that everyone has a marvellous time?

And so to my next activity:

#23 Plan the Perfect Celebration

Many years ago, when it was fashionable, I threw a fancy dress party for a ‘zero-ending’ birthday (honestly, it was fashionable once) and although it seemed to go well and everyone followed the brief, arriving dressed as their alter egos –

and yes, there was a healthy smattering of bikers, good time girls and men in drag – I was aware that the fancy dress theme didn’t appeal to everyone.

This is completely understandable.

Take regular parties. Some people don’t find standing for hours, holding a drink all that …comfortable.

Image: Wikimedia commons

It took the Romans to understand the importance of relaxed, stylish seating

And studies of the frisky little octodon degus, a small rodent who lives a life spookily like humans, and whose circadian activities have therefore been closely followed, tell us that we can be divided into 3 activity groups: morning ‘larks’, the 10% who are up early and ready to roll, but fade quickly; the night ‘owls’, the 20% who like to sleep late and party late; and of course, the ever popular ‘hummingbirds’ as they’re called, that lucky 70% who can rise early if necessary and party late.

Image: Wikimedia commons

Fear not. Fewer than 90% of these little critters will keep you up with their late night shenanigans…

So my question is: how do you accommodate lark-like friends for whom the idea of an evening celebration is enough to force them to concoct a really bad excuse, even if their spirit is willing to celebrate?

And what about other personality types like introverts, for whom the mention of the word ‘party’ with its spectre of a room full of strangers all carousing happily and noisily, is as appealing as the idea of being water boarded?

Could not all these problems and more be solved by providing a mixture of variety and choice when planning celebrations? I’m surprised no one’s done this before.

So when my next big event comes around, I’ve decided to celebrate it in a number of ways, just to accommodate all the personality types of my friends.

I’ll send a list of options to everyone, and let each person decide how they’d best like to celebrate with me. And if this involves three or four separate fun-filled events, well, so be it.

So far, I’ve come up with a number of possibilities that I hope will cover most tastes:

A sumptuous breakfast … with a view:

Of course, I mean a view of the top not from the top of somewhere like Mt Taranaki

A leisurely YumCha in Chinatown:

Image:: Wikimedia commons

A lunch degustation at a very fine city restaurant:

…and they don’t come much finer than Tetsuya’s

Champagne and canapés in the late afternoon followed by a fabulous film:

Or perhaps a Gatsby-style party, where the hostess mysteriously disappears at 8pm… but nobody notices.

I can’t wait…

#20 Have an Outback Experience

#18 Make New Friends

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One of the ironies of retirement is that while you have all the time in the world to meet and bond with new friends, your ability to find them seems to shrink somewhat precipitously. The big wide world of exciting new people that employment casts in your direction suddenly disappears and you realise you need to act.

Yes, it’s time to

#18 Make New Friends

The sad truth is, life-long friends who’ve also retired begin to move away, to seek out warmer places, be nearer grandchildren, or follow some other dream. Before you know it, your wide circle of friends has become a small ring of friends and without care, may end up as a mere dot of friends. And you certainly don’t want to be the last one standing, friendless. So while it’s vital to keep and nurture long standing friends, making new ones also becomes pretty important.

The question is, how do you meet new people in a setting that may help form lasting bonds? What worked in past years doesn’t go down so well when you’re older. I’ve noticed that if you’re not in primary school, blurting out ‘do you want to be my friend?’ has shades of stalking.

My three BFFs in 1965, no questions asked.

They say that volunteering is a great way to meet people. But of course, it all depends on where you volunteer and for whom.

Why I would have thought that reading excerpts from a newspaper on air while cooped up in a tiny studio would increase my circle of friends is a mystery to this day.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

A really conducive setting for meeting others and building friendships…or perhaps not

Then one day, out of the blue, an old friend came up with a very clever idea. Why not build up a group of eight or ten people, meet regularly and immerse ourselves in new and interesting activities? Any activity that appeals to us. It would be a way to meet new folk, broaden our horizons and perhaps try something we’d never done before.

And here’s the clever bit. To help the group expand, each new member invites one other person – importantly, someone not well known to the existing group – until we reach the size that works for us.

The beauty of this plan is that you only have to know one other person to ask, yet before long, there are eight or ten of you all meeting regularly, having fun and becoming great friends. It works whether you’ve lived in the same place for years, or have just moved and begin by knowing only one other.

We call ourselves ‘Discovery Group’ and the person who hosts the fortnightly session chooses the topic du jour. We’ve had a magnificent array of experiences since we began. There was the ‘Learn How to Tweet’ day, the discussion about what we’d done for our ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ fortnight, the ‘Solving cryptic crosswords’ session – with a guest teacher no less – through to more traditional activities like discussing our ‘Favourite book’ or ‘Learning to make Pasta’.

But recently, we hit the jackpot when one of our inspired members suggested we hold ‘The Great Clerihew Challenge of 2014.’ Who’d have thought nine such mild mannered people would have such wicked senses of humour, and such disrespect for our politicians? Of course, it helps enormously to have a leader whose first name rhymes with ‘phoney’.

But among a slew of hilarious Clerihews, this one really took my fancy:

Vladimir Putin

Lootin’ and Shootin’

Is at it again

Invading Ukraine

#15 Compile a list of “Wake me from a Coma” items

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Imagine you were in an accident and, perish the thought, ended up in a coma. Would your closest family and friends know what could rouse you from your unplanned slumber? Would they have a clear idea of what’s so important to you that it could trump unconsciousness?

With this in mind, I’ve decided on my next fun (though hardly frivolous) activity:

#15 Compile a list of “Wake Me From a Coma” items

It’s a big ask, I know. Would it be a voice? A perfume? Music? Or something else?

It turns out to be all these things.

There were times during my search when my heart began to race, and times when it slowed to a glacial pace. There were the unexpected moments where I felt something inside me was melting. That’s when I knew I’d found what I was looking for.

There’s probably a name for the moment when an experience literally stops you in your tracks. Whatever it is, I suspect that, paradoxically, it may be the very thing that could wake you from a coma.

So in no particular order:

1. Schubert Impromptu in G Flat Op 90 No 3

I first heard this when it featured in the Australian film “The Getting of Wisdom” in the seventies, and was so entranced that I learnt to play it. For a short, glorious period in my youth I could perform it in its entirety. It still gives me goose bumps.

*****

2. A gentle scalp massage.

You’ve seen kittens purr. Now watch someone wake from a coma.

*****

3. “Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix” from Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Sans

Sung by Marilyn Horne

If there’s no blip on my heart monitor at the 1’44” point, then I’m in serious trouble.

*****

4. Harry Nilsson’s “Can’t live without you.”

It turns out that I could, but it makes me feel young and in love again, so it’s in. For that matter, Starry, Starry Night – the Don McLean version – is another heart starter.

*****

5. A whiff of Diorissimo® Perfume

It was my mother’s choice throughout her life. Say no more.

*****

6. Mozart’s Laudate Dominum sung by Dame Kiri te Kanawa.

How did Mozart get it so right? I melt.

*****

7. Jesse by Janis Ian

And why has this been lost in the mists of time? At least Tina Fey, in her film “Mean Girls”, paid sly homage to the fabulously talented Janis.

*****

8. Schubert’s An die Musik

A glorious Schubert song that celebrates the beauty of music. I wish I spoke German.

*****

9. A live reading by James Mason. Or Gregory Peck.

Who wouldn’t wake for the mellifluous voices of these two? Alas it will never happen again, so I may have to settle for George Clooney by my bedside…

*****

10. A 1940s rendition of “You are my Sunshine.”

My father taught us this on the drive to school many years ago and we’d belt it out when we were all in a happy mood. It makes me smile every time I hear it.

So there’s my very personal list. It’s by no means exhaustive, but it’s a start – and the search has been such fun.

#12 Play a Game You’ve Never Tried Before

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When I mentioned my retirement in the “About” section of this Blog, it wasn’t the complete story. While I retired from my substantive position some time ago, I still work about half a day a week from home for a Tribunal where I interact with lawyers. This explains why I sometimes use odd words like “substantive” in an otherwise normal sentence.

The job involves regular telephone link-ups with other Tribunal members around Australia, but once a year we have a conference at some gorgeous location where we spend two days, among work duties, catching up with each other in person.

And it was at this year’s conference where I had a chance to find another fun and frivolous activity:

#12 Play a Game You’ve Never Tried Before

The conference was held at Lancemore Hill set in the Macedon Ranges, an hour north of Melbourne with…

breathtaking views.

And during our downtime, we had the choice of an invigorating walk up to the aforementioned breathtaking views, an invigorating round of golf, or a game of Petanque.

Now I had no idea what Petanque was, but as it didn’t have the word ‘invigorating’ before it, it sounded like the activity for me.

Alas, I had a hard time convincing anyone else to join me in a mystery game. I hadn’t realised that persuading others – especially those who are not retired – to find fun and frivolous things to do might take some effort on my part.

But bless Lancemore Hill. It turned out that the activity was actually called Pinot and Petanque and as they delivered the Petanque equipment to me, it was accompanied by a bottle of Pinot and four glasses.

Suddenly, I had too many playmates for Petanque.

So what is Petanque, you ask? Well, it’s Boules, the popular French game in which you throw heavy metal balls down a strip of ground or lawn trying to finish closest to a jack, which is also known as a cochonnet or “piglet”.

Apparently, it’s the heavy balls that are called boules, while the game itself is Petanque. Pronounced something like Pe-tonk.

So … French!

Image courtesy of Viernest

May I say that an afternoon spent playing Petanque with colleagues while drinking a glass of Pinot is a delightful way to bond? And the sound of clinking glasses and laughter from the lawn led to more and more players joining – and more and more bottles of pinot disappearing. Suddenly, it was one of the more popular pursuits of the afternoon.

It so happened that I was idly looking through eBay on my return home when what should I find but a set of boules for sale not a suburb away from where I was about to visit.

A set of boules for a starting price of $5.00. Yes, $5.00.

I just had to have them, even though they ended up costing me …all of $7.52

My very own set of boules with their little piglet

However, as I started practising in earnest, one slight drawback to this new activity emerged.

While everyone’s heard of tennis elbow, I think there just might be a condition called Petanque shoulder…

outsidethesquare101

101 fun and frivolous things to try in retirement: a single's guide

Category Archives: Family, Friends and Home

#31 Photograph the Whimsical (and the Wonderful) in your Neighbourhood

#29 Discover an Affinity with the Ancestors

#27 Find Clever Designs (that Really Work)

#26 Explore Your City like a Newcomer

#24 ‘Stand Up and Cheer’ at a Book Launch

#23 Plan the Perfect Celebration

#20 Have an Outback Experience

#18 Make New Friends

#15 Compile a list of “Wake me from a Coma” items

#12 Play a Game You’ve Never Tried Before