Dear Everyone, I
left you last Sunday feeling a bit sorry for myself and staying in bed to try
to get over bronchial asthma. Wes did the Sunday Market and Breakfast with
Bilbo and then drove to Gisborne to collect Fawlty
Towers. He has to dig a big hole for the post and add some cement to
solidify it, so here is the photo again for all of you anxious to see it, as it
may be a little while before our one is up and running. We have decided not to
paint it, but just let it look natural in the garden.
Poor Wes had been
fighting off a cold as well; trying to tidy up all the loose ends for the
Asylum Seekers Forum and keep me fed and watered, as well as look after Bilbo.
I decided to cancel my week’s activities and spent Monday in bed. On Tuesday,
Wes took the Mazda 2 to Ballarat for a service (something I should have been
doing) and I decided to wash the bedding (very doggy) and see how I felt being
up. About an hour was all I could manage and gratefully fell back into a clean
bed with a pot of jasmine tea.
On Wednesday I was
still feeling unwell and with the very cold mornings decided I would stay in
bed yet again. Wes spent some hours over at Barbara’s place doing gardening,
handyman jobs and giving computer advice.
On Thursday I got
up and dressed, went to the Post Office and visited Tonna’s early before anyone
else was out shopping to replenish muesli, Arborio rice and pasta, where our
stocks were running perilously low. That was enough I must confess and I spent
the rest of the day doing crosswords & Logic Problems. Wes was tired as he
had been burning the candle at both ends in preparation for the Forum, so he
took advantage of my being up to get an afternoon sleep, during which time the
Ballarat Courier must have rung his mobile 5 times, even though he had asked
that questions be directed to Cr Kate Redwood.
We were both sorry
to read that Sr Genevieve Jeffrey had died peacefully the day before at the
good age of 93. She was an interesting and involved person in Daylesford during
her posting here and we had kept in touch via Christmas cards and when she
occasionally returned. I met her through U3A and Wes met her when she visited
him in the Mayoral Chamber on his first day of office, when she presented him
with a wooden duck. Wes hopes to get to her funeral on Tuesday.
After good nights’
sleeps, Wes and I were both better on Friday but I found a short trip out in
the car was enough and decided to conserve my energy for the Forum, where I was
rostered to be on the door, giving out the consultation sheets and name tags. Wes
spent yet another day getting prepared for the Forum and trying to make sure
everything had been done to make it successful.
Yesterday was a
sunny, but cold day here. Wes set off at 10am to help with setting up the Town
Hall and collected 4 beautiful roses from Ken Rae at Spring Park Nursery as thank
you gifts for the Speakers. The rose is called Bright Spirit and sales from this rose help single mothers in South
Australia.
Bright Spirit – it has a
beautiful fragrance and is glorious in colour as you can see.
I rested during the
morning then walked up to the Town Hall to be there by 12.45 ready to hand out
Consultation Sheets to the attendees. There was a wonderful silver longboat in
position outside the door and one of the Branch Members had found an old
suitcase and a paper sunshade to sit alongside it. It was very evocative!
People started to
arrive from 1pm and by 2pm there were close to 300 in the Town Hall, which was
almost as many as we could fit in it. There were friends from Melbourne – Ian &
Robyn Robinson, David Castles & Tom Tyrrell (as well as Peter Russo, who
welcomed the group with his own songs and sent them on their way when it was
all over). There were lots of local friends and supporters, as well as
representatives of many community groups, and Ross Fairhurst (former Liberal), now
the Greens Candidate for the State seat of Bass, was there with his wife,
Barbara. All the organisers were thrilled with the turn-up and participation
and we can only hope that the local press highlights it next week. The speakers
were Anna Burke MHR (ALP Public Speaker for Asylum Speakers), David Manne (Lawyer
& Advocate for Asylum Seekers) and Julian Burnside QC (Public Advocate for
Asylum Seekers).
After it was over
and everywhere had been cleaned up, Wes & Peter Russo came back here and we
were joined by David & Penny Reilly, Ross & Barbara Fairhurst, and a
woman named Bronwyn. There was a healthy discussion on how the Forum had been
received. We discovered that over $500 had been donated - money that will be
given to the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre.
Around 34 people
then had dinner at the Savoia Hotel in Hepburn Springs last night, where Wes
was able to introduce them all to an Iranian boat refugee, Mohammed, who has
been living here for about 2 years. Peter played his guitar and sang as well,
which was very good of him.
This morning after
the Sunday Market, we took Peter to The
Food Gallery for breakfast before he headed back to Melbourne, guitar under
his arm. Thanks to him and everyone else who helped make yesterday such a
success.
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