Storytime

Recently I, along with a friend and her grandchild, travelled to the wondrous wilds of Warragul. Not especially wild of course but I liked the alliteration. Why, you may ask, did we travel forth? For 'a night of outstanding entertainment' or so the flyer promised. A new venture  (although she has ran other ventures) run by the incorrigible Yvette Stubbs and the subdued and demure Dollsy G. Yvette is an artist / poet / entertainer and we looked forward to a night of fun. Fun it was.  Featured performers were Wendy Sellings, clad in pink tutu,  playing her ukelele to her original songs (especially loved Blood, Blood, Blood)  Anthea Williams, and her interpretative poetry and out there costumes.  Gerard Lewis-Fitzgerald and his poetry, which made us run an emotional gamut from laughter to sadness, contemplation to sorrow.  And of course there was Yvette... Not only hosting and encouraging, but performing ...

Another year older, another year wiser? Well perhaps not the wise part, but the older part definitely. And the older you get, the more you enjoy the fact that you do wake up each morning. Even if there are aches and pains and niggles, at least you are physically getting around and it's exciting to see what each new day brings. Check out the cake..made by my very talented and amazing daughter. It has flowers (love my garden) and it has snails. Long story but, yes snails. When you are no longer under 20, each birthday is a bit scary. You can't avoid thinking back to then... To when you were a mum to two young kids. Back to when you lived in the cottage and was a full time mum. Then you realise that growing older is a privilege.  Not everyone gets that chance...so you have to make the most of it. Birthdays these days, have changed for me. Don't get me wrong I love the presents as much as the next person ... so if anyone wants to surprise me next yea...

My friend, and fellow writer / artist, Jenni Ivins  recently launched her book Mind Drawing Children's Stories. I went along to the pre-launch...the launch you have during the day before the official launch that night. Jenni has been focusing on her art these last few years and this book is a collection of her pieces from the mind drawing children's stories project. Mind drawings, Jenni explains, began one day as quirky doodlings as she waited to be inspired.  Since then she has made them her own. Telling stories in her markings. This book features children's stories, and even though none of her pictures have a title, I have discovered Mary Poppins, Anne of Green Gables, Alice in Wonderland and The Very Hungry Caterpillar just to name a few. Jenni's work has been exhibited in numerous locations and galleries, and it was great to see a collection of her work now published in book format. There is no right or wrong way to see a Mind Drawing - just the ...

Another year rolls on and another year of poetry in the Dandenongs. Last Sunday we had the first Poetry in the Hills for 2017. Held in the Belgrave Library, it is a great place to share your work. Sing a song...recite your poem....read a piece of memoir...play the ukelele.  Yes we have it all. As usual it was a great mix of work. Some memoir, the majority poetry, even a performance as a poet had memorised her poem. Always a winner in my book. The poetry was wide ranging. From political to observations of every day. One poet wrote a piece for his wife to celebrate 30 years together...she heard it first at the gig. There were pieces on mental illness, on trying to find peace in the chaos of the world. There were pieces on personal development, on the struggle with relationships, on finding relationships and on keeping relationships. Not only is the work so varied but the readers as well. Some were nervous, others full of confidence, some bristling with indecision....