Yandina Community Gardens

If you have a community garden in your area and have never visited it, I would urge you to do so. If you ever needed inspiration or advice to start your own garden, then these are the best places to go. You can see what grows well in your area and there are volunteers more than happy to answer your questions. I love the Yandina Community gardens even though they are a 40 minute drive away, because they are open on a Saturday morning, unlike my local gardens which are only open when I am at work. They also utilise permaculture principles which is always good to see in action.

This is an insect hotel full of different habitats to encourage beneficial insects into the garden.

An aquaponics garden using an old bath tub.

Raised beds with a variety of herbs and edible plants.

Banana circles are a central feature....

...as are the chickens.

I love the myriad of pathways linking up the various permaculture zones.

This is a hand made cobb oven...

...in the shape of a bullfrog.

This is a habitat to attract native bees.

A creative mosaic table.

Everywhere you look there is produce, citrus with underplantings of nasturtium.

And the homestead where you can swap produce, stop for a yarn or attend a workshop every now and then.

I will certainly be visiting again at the end of August because they have very cheap plants for sale - from $2, and I picked up some bargains last time I was here....and Costas from Gardening Australia is there for an open day and doing some presentations which I don't want to miss. Plus, on a Saturday Yandina has a great farmers market, so I am looking forward to that!

Do you have a community garden where you are?

Angel Gowns Australia - Donate Your Wedding Dress!

I am home this week on leave from work, and have just unpacked my wedding dress to get it ready to donate to an amazing organisation called Angel Gowns Australia. I thought I would create this post and share what they are all about in case you have not heard of them, and in the hope that you think about donating your dress, or just spread the word around to others that such a beautiful non-profit organisation exists.

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In their own words Angel Gowns Australia are:

...a community organisation of volunteers who hope to touch the hearts of everyone in Australia especially those who suffer the tragic loss of their baby.

From donated wedding gowns we lovingly hand craft Angel Gowns which are then gifted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units, and Hospitals all around Australia for babies who are born sleeping and grow their wings far too soon.

With your help we will be able to gift our Angel Gowns to all Australian families when the most unimaginable loss happens.

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So, in a nutshell, what these beautiful women do is transform donated wedding gowns into stunning creations for babies who 'grow their wings too soon.' The dresses are sometimes donated by those who have lost a child, and some gowns are especially ordered and made from mother's wedding dresses for their own child.

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For me, I have not lost a child but know of many who have miscarried and would like to think that a little magic from my most special day would be passed on to a grieving family - courtesy of some amazing seamstress volunteers.

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When I mentioned to my husband that I was doing this he thought it was rather morbid, my wedding gown being remade to go into a coffin or to be cremated...but I see it differently, and so do many, many others. I will never wear it again, and chances are it will get donated to the salvo's or remain in it's memory box, but I think the scalloped design will make for beautiful angel gowns...and bring a smile to the faces of families who are grieving. Who could want more than that?

If you want to know more about Angel Gowns Australia or want to volunteer to be a seamstress (heaven knows I cannot sew at all), or even want to donate much needed funds for cards and angel pins, please checkout their Facebook Page and give them a like...you will be inspired by the daily posts, I guarantee it.

Wordless Wednesday - Fun Novelty Garden Art

Just for a bit of fun I thought I would share these novelty garden art works which formed part of our recent Garden Show. Some very clever people out there...with way too much time on their hands :)

I hope you are having a great week! Have you ever entered into a competition like this?

Flood-Proof Friday - Cars and Floods

Car Safety Emergency Hammer Red Beacon Flashlight Light

Do you have one of these in your glovebox? Or are you like me and never knew one of these existed. This is just one example of an emergency hammer, designed to be kept in your car and used in...well...an emergency of course. This particular one can smash a window, display a red emergency beacon, be used as a flashlight or a light....it can even cut a seatbelt if required. I can think of a myriad of occasions where I could have used this tool, and this story below is just one of those situations that I want to share with you.

Last week I was asked what we do with our cars during a flood. Usually we are aware that a flood is coming, so we move them up to high ground on a neighbour's property. However, last year there were no warnings and we woke at 2am to find water downstairs. We park our cars close to the house and by the time we got to them the water was up to the bottom of the door. While the kids and I got as much stuff out of the house as we could, Paul got into his car in an attempt to move it before it went under. My little Daewoo was a lost cause, parked on the other side of the house and nearly completely underwater by then.

Paul couldn't get the car started and with the water coming inside, he shut the door...big mistake. Something went haywire with the car's electronics and the doors locked. He tried the windows and they wouldn't wind up or down. The kids and I were oblivious to his situation, busily trudging through floodwater, in the rain, to take stuff upstairs. Paul frantically kept trying the ignition, and moving his feet on the clutch and brake, with the water rising up to his waist. The horn didn't work when he pressed it...somehow, finally the car lurched forward slightly, and in that momentary second he was able to wind down the window half way, and push himself out of the car.

He didn't tell us this story straight away. It was only when we decided we had done all we could do that he told me what had happened. It was a sobering moment, realising what could have happened and what we were both oblivious to - the dangers of electronic windows and doors in a flood situation. He said the really frustrating thing was that there was nothing in the car he could smash the window with...hence my promotion of the above type of tool, and the suggestion that everyone should keep one in their glovebox...just in case. I just have an ordinary hammer in mine, but will be getting an all-in-one tool. I like the idea of the beacon.

This was one of our few scary flood situations and surprisingly, in my research for this post, I could not find any really useful information or safety tips from an authority on what they suggest should be done if you are trapped in your vehicle in floodwaters. Maybe that's an area that should be covered on a disaster website or in a get-ready-for-flood checklist. Paul actually rang in on a talkback radio program about this problem and many people rang in surprised that they did not know about this danger also. If you locate any information I would love to know about it so I can share the link.

This week, I also want to update you on the tasks I have been completing under the Queensland Get Ready program. I have registered online and they send me a task every week to complete. This is what I have been sent to do so far:

1. Like the State Emergency Service (SES) on Facebook - done
2. Restock or purchase a first aid kit - done
3. Purchase a battery operated radio and spare batteries - done

These are my latest two tasks:

     4. Save 000 Triple Zero in my phone - all of our phones
     5. Have three days supply of water - we always make sure our filter is full and we have an emergency
         supply of bottled water

In 48 weeks (one task a week), I should be more than prepared for any disaster!

Do you keep a hammer or flashlight in your glovebox?

Flood-Proof Friday - One Step at a Time

Well if it doesn't rain it pours (pun intentional). I actually received two actions this week from the "Get Ready Queensland One Step at a Time" program that I registered for. The first step was to 'like' the SES Queensland Facebook page which I did. It's a good idea to find your local or state emergency service and like their page. I already have several Regional SES and local government pages on my Facebook feed because social media is a phenomenal way to get up to date information during a flood or bushfire. Residents can tell you what roads are closed in areas the police and SES cannot get to - and you find out instantaneously. I will do a further post on Social Media in a disaster at a later date. We have many stories of how it has helped us.

The second email I received said to make sure my first aid kit is up to date or to get one if I don't have one. Major confession...we don't have one. I don't even think we have a box of band-aids in the house. So, guess I will be looking at stocking a first aid kit this week. There is a handy link to the Queensland Ambulance site who have a full list of the items you should have in your kit. I think I will just buy one of theirs so I know that I have everything. If you already have a first aid kit make sure you check it every year as bandages and saline etc have an expiry date.

Gympie hosted a Get Ready Queensland event on Saturday which was really interesting. I met so many amazing people and learnt so many things. I am so glad my journey is taking me out into the community...it certainly is an eye-opener to see what I have been missing.

As you can see, the event was designed to cover preparing for a storm, flood or fires. We are at extreme risk of all of these at the moment. Our floods earlier the year have caused dry conditions and extreme fire danger now. We are also expecting heavy rainfall (hopefully not flooding) due to increasing ocean temperatures. Your area could be facing similar risks, wherever you are in the world.

This is an example of a stocked emergency kit. I don't have one prepared and ready to go but am working on it.

I learnt that there are nifty alternatives to sandbags. The inside is similar to a disposable nappy and holds water to inflate them and provide a barrier.

I learnt about 'Seeds of Hope', a community group encouraging everyone to plant sunflowers in their garden to show support for those fighting depression. Why Sunflowers? Because they are cheerful.

A beautiful lady dressed in yellow gave me some sunflower seeds to plant - three varieties.

I learnt about life straws. You can drink contaminated water through them and it filters it clean. One of these will last an average person for three years at a cost of $30. They are donated to many third world countries.

I was encouraged to think about donating my organs...just in case something should happen.

The fire service office a free safehome visit for those living in metropolitan areas. The Rural Fire Brigade will assess our fire risk here.

Our council has won many awards for its resilience program, and the toolkit they designed has been adopted by many councils in Australia and overseas.

The toolkit is where you record everything (phone numbers, bank details etc) and store all of your documents. It is also available electronically and I think many of you would find it useful Gympie Resilience Toolkit. You can record everything and save it in cyberspace. The council even have waterproof wristbands with a USB built into them so that you can take your information with you if you have to leave in a hurry...and its more portable than the folder if you have to get a helicopter for example.

I also spoke to one of our councillors regarding the proposed flood levee and my concerns about our area not being included in the study - especially considering we have flooded for the past six years. I was advised to put my concerns in writing and given her email address...I don't think my questions can be answered easily, but it is a start.

So, it was a very interesting week for this floodproof mum. Have you been to an event like this before?

Fundraising for Cancer

October has been a busy month for cancer fundraising at our local Curves gym. Last week our trainers hosted a Girls Night In which raised over $300 towards breast cancer research. Approximately fifty ladies attended, bringing plates of food and drink to share. There was a fashion parade modelling Curves workout clothing and featuring members who had lost weight. I never strive to be the centre of attention so when I was asked to model some clothing I freaked out a little but it was all for a good cause and we generated a lot of laughs. We raised money by raffling donated items and by paying $5 each for a neck and shoulder or foot massage. Bargain. My daughter Lauren came with me (purely for the giggles) and thankfully did not take any photos. If you have not already done so, I would urge you to organise a Girls Night In. It does not have to be in October and is a good excuse to get together and raise money for an important cause.

One thing I discovered at this get together is that there is a kit to assist women with their breast self examination. It is called a Liv Aid and was designed with the assistance of cancer survivor, Olivia Newton John, hence its name. These have been around for a few years now and I wonder why I had never heard of nor seen them before. So, just in case you have not come across one, this is what it looks like:

At the Girls Night In the Liv Aid was placed over a few grains of sugar on a plate to demonstrate how you can detect the smallest lump. Amazing that you can detect a lump that small under your skin.

I purchased mine for $10 at Curves and you can buy them from the Liv Aid website. The best thing is...the money goes to breast cancer research.

The second cancer fundraiser event I attended this month was Relay for Life. If you ever get an opportunity to put together or join a team of 10-15 people for this event, I guarantee it will change your life. Basically it is an 18 hour relay where teams walk or jog from 3pm in the afternoon until 9am. We had various shifts based on when people could attend, and three teams participating. I am not sure yet how much we raised (close to $3000) through our raffles and sponsors but whatever the amount is, we have contributed towards the $15million raised for cancer research through this event since its inception.

I was really impressed with the thousands of people attending. Our venue was the One Mile sports ground and our task was to complete laps of the oval continuously for the 18 hours. The event started off with a lap reserved for cancer survivors and their carers, with everyone gathering around to cheer them on. Right from the start I had tears in my eyes. This event was not just a fundraiser, it was also a ceremony or tribute to those who were fighting or who had lost their battles with cancer.

It was a great opportunity to get to know the Curves girls better. The capes were our batons and all three had to be out on the oval at all times. One of the members made them for the occasion.

We all bought a length of Ribbon for $3 each and every time you did a lap you added a bead. In four hours I walked 27 laps of roughly 400m each. That's 10,800 metres or 10.8km! Wow, now wonder my legs are sore.

The highlight of the night for me was the lantern ceremony. We all gathered to light paper lanterns which were a paper bag with some soil in the bottom and a tea light candle. The bags had HOPE printed on them and you could write the name of a loved one you had lost.

It was the most moving experience, a beautiful ceremony with a choir singing and slide show of cancer victims in the background.

We then did a lap holding our candles and placed them around the oval. The end result was spectacular and many people were in tears, including me who chose to honour my beautiful step-mother Robyn who died of bowel cancer.

I am so glad that my journey is leading me out into the community. This event has been going on for several years and I have been missing out on something truly magical and very special. Thank you Gympie for being such a beautiful community and not only raising money for a worthy cause, but stopping to take the time to appreciate the battles being fought, survived and lost.

I feel truly blessed to have been a part of it and will for many years to come.

Have you ever attended an event like this?