Christos here just turned 80.
Back when he was growing up in Greece, not only did everyone smoke, but the guys had a few secret tricks on how to get their hair to quiff upwards like James Dean. I asked if it involved rollers, but he wouldn’t tell me.
Christos, Χρόνια πολλά.
I first found out about Sylvia when I rang the Apollo Bay Hotel looking for a charge point for my Outlander PHEV (they only had a Tesla outlet, but that’s another story).
They mentioned this Queensland woman who was travelling around Australia in Tesla S and, after some time following her Instagram page and a few messages cajoling her to speak to me, we got her story out on the new EV online mag The Driven.
It’s since been picked up by some of the major channels, Top Gear mag in the UK and also by Tesla God himself, Elon Musk. So, a big one to break.
Full story here. And go and buy an EV.
It was a long time in the making, but Nellie’s story is complete.
Sadly, the lady herself is not well, but apparently enjoyed seeing her book in print and signing a few copies for her seven kids and numerous grandkids. It was also great to capture all the old family photos in one spot, as some of the originals had been lost and only digital copies remained (until something virusy happens to the computer!).
I really loved the cover that Andrew Watson at Mixing Bowl Design created and the body of the book came up extremely well.
In Nellie’s own words “I’ve had a happy life. Full of laughter, full of fights sometimes, but it’s been a happy life. A really happy life.” That’s all we can ask for really.
Had the pleasure of spending the day with a climate activist friend and his wife last week, the very talented Gavin and Kim Webber, for One Step Off The Grid.
The couple not only grow lots of their own food, but make soap, candles and amazing cheese
– and also give lessons on how to do it – with Gavin’s cheese making followers known as ‘curd nerds’.
Loved spending some time with them and helping to eat the beautiful lunch Kim had made…might have to find another excuse to interview them!
You can find out more about them at Greening of Gavin or Little Green Workshops.
I recently had the pleasure of heading out the picturesque Dean’s Marsh in the Otway Ranges to meet the leader of the Greens, Senator Richard Di Natale. Turns out he has as many farm toys as my hubby.
Dean’s Marsh is a beautiful spot and snapper Arlene Sachon and I had a great morning topped off with a fabulous lunch at The Store. Highly recommend it.
All in a day’s work in my new role as Contributing Editor of the newest awesome online magazine One Step Off The Grid. Full story here.
Almost a year ago, a community I’m connected with lost a young, beautiful family of 5 on a plane over Ukraine in the most horrific circumstances.
So many words have been written, spoken and exchanged about this incident; by the smallest child of the Eynesbury community right through to politically leading idiots who threaten to shirt-front or start a new cold war.
I wrote the following piece at the time, after having helped organise a candlelit vigil conducted in the glare of the world’s media.
And I’ll be thinking of this community and thinking of them as they approach the anniversary of this event.
Grief for MH17 losses unites a community
The cliche of a close-knit community typifies the suburb of Eynesbury, in Melbourne’s west.
Only 1500 people live here and if you don’t know someone’s name, you’ll know their face.
Which was why the loss of the local van den Hende family on MH17 – Hans, Shaliza and their children Piers, Marnix and Margaux – hit the place like a bushfire, leaving a trail of horrified disbelief and sad confusion.
As an employee of Eynesbury Homestead, the heritage former-home-turned-golf-club, I worked with colleagues and residents to organise a community vigil.
Over 700 people came with only a day’s notice; neighbours, friends, schoolmates – all supporting each other in their intense sorrow for a beautiful family lost.
Before the world’s media, the children articulated what the adults couldn’t; stories of swim meets, school-bus shenanigans, birthday parties and how very deeply they felt the loss of their young friends.
They bravely laid bare their grief, revealing a new uncertainty about a world which they’d previously assumed was safe.
In the following days, I found there comes an emotional tipping point when you’re close to a tragedy like this.
For a colleague who knew the family and is an avid cat lover, it was like seeing someone’s family pet lying on the road, having been hit by a car.
She described the moment as a sudden hysterical madness; she pulled over, sobbing uncontrollably, to see if the cat was still alive.
Seeing her distress, a complete stranger stopped and together they moved its lifeless body to where it couldn’t be further damaged by passing cars.
The fact the people of MH17 haven’t been treated with this same kind of compassion is a source of profound distress to many at Eynesbury.
They watch in horror and frustration as gruesome images of aircraft wreckage, personal belongings and even victims themselves are published online, while the complications of recovery efforts delay victim identification and repatriation to those who love them.
Like the children at the vigil, the friends of the van den Hende’s have lost faith – in the authorities who should be bringing them home and the media who betray their happy memories.
But in the midst of this emotional hollowness, they’ve rediscovered a faith in community and the way it swiftly gathers to protect it’s own.
Unheeding of that which can’t be controlled, they focus instead on acts of celebration and remembrance, like planting five flowering gums and installing a memorial plaque.
I didn’t ever meet the van den Hendes and felt myself sympathetic but removed from the MH17 tragedy.
My own emotional tipping point came when reading condolence cards from the vigil.
Written in a child’s hand were the words “Life is very fragile and can be broken easily. Make the most of life.”
I didn’t get a driving licence until I was 23 and a young mother. After failing the first test (hit the curb reverse parking), I did a heap of lessons until I was absolutely sure I’d get a little plastic card, featuring a picture of me looking like a hungover hobbit, in the letter box.
I’ve been driving for a while now and while I in no way consider myself to be brilliant at it, I can’t believe how many people out there have no idea of what they’re doing on our roads. Cue amusing video of bad parking at a local shopping centre.
This is an issue that will probably never be resolved, but slow middle and right hand lane drivers really annoy me. Along with people who slurp soup. But that’s a topic for another day.
My piece in the Sunday Age about bad drivers. Stay in the left lane people.
…my online home. Or, to put it another way, a blog-based capability statement.
While I think of content, here’s a gratuitous picture of an ancient monument.
emmasword.com 