tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84892104122574060982012-02-12T16:10:03.000+10:00writing - fiction - short stories - images - art - food - environment - movies - news - events - politics - seniors - history - culture - thoughts for the day - life’s little problems - blog from AustraliaJune Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.comBlogger871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-57212930258746964742010-02-07T08:31:00.004+10:002010-02-07T08:35:27.299+10:00

A peaceful space and supportive thoughts.  It's an entire year since the devastating bushfires in Victoria, Australia - when so many families lost their lives and hundreds watched as their precious lifestyles and property were dessimated by roaring red flames.    Today I'm thinking of the people of those areas - the little communities of Marysville, Flowerdale and King Lake among them -

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-76113136124384311612009-11-21T12:59:00.009+10:002009-11-21T17:13:12.553+10:00

From now on I’ll have piping hot showers courtesy of the bright Australian sunshine, and I’ll rarely need to pay a cent for it. There will always be enough for me and a herd of visitors, except occasionally in the depths of winter.  The water was hot enough for a greasy washing up in a few hours after installation, and I’m told that I will need to boost my hot water with

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com61Australia-29.84064389983441 152.578125-66.0623938998344 92.8125 6.381106100165589 -147.65625tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-45107971905709210412009-09-26T11:53:00.008+10:002009-10-11T06:58:37.430+10:00

What did the kookaburras think of this lot? While the world's leaders were ducking and weaving about climate change solutions in New York this week, Australia saw a real live demonstration of what our future could be if we don't act with speed on this front. My brother lives just outside Sydney and woke up at dawn on Wednesday to see that the sky was what he described as 'fire engine red'.  

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com67tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-26686752320270075852009-09-18T14:37:00.007+10:002009-09-18T17:20:39.043+10:00

The pelicans and seagulls think they sell just the best     fish n chips around, and so do I! This small boat harbour restaurant has tables set out on a wharf at Tweed Heads near my home in Australia. Dress code is the ultimate in casual. Fingers are definitely de rigeur. Food is served in polystyrene boxes to keep in the heat, and the taste is scrumptious!  I dropped in yesterday on

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-87506690684878234462009-09-10T17:52:00.107+10:002009-09-17T10:11:20.256+10:00

Bloggy mates, I promise to post something bright and cheery soon - but this won't be it! However, I suggest that this will be an experience you won't forget.   Unless you, your family or your friends are among the one in four of those who have had a bout of mental illness in their lives, you won't know much about it.  Or, at least you won't be able to fully empathise with a

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-38111335871595585292009-08-30T16:42:00.031+10:002009-09-02T23:00:52.575+10:00

It’s about time the media took seriously their responsibilities towards people with mental illness. A badly worded story can do far reaching damage to sufferers and their families, and yet some newspapers and television journalists are insensitive beyond belief. One of the newspapers that circulates in our local area disgraced itself last week be printing large

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-10208281646564129112009-08-21T16:01:00.010+10:002009-08-23T08:18:11.731+10:00

Choices are a big deal in my life. Until one learns to recognise that we almost always do have them, choices can slip by unnoticed and are wasted. Once understood, I reckon they can introduce us to a path towards happiness or helplessness, productivity or inactivity, self realisation or mediocrity, the ordinary or the extraordinary. For many people, the matter of having choices can be a big

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-90335793421751216872009-08-10T07:10:00.013+10:002009-08-13T09:27:47.407+10:00

I get cranky when I buy household appliances that have features built in to fail.It does seem that manufacturers do this so that we must replace items in the short term, thus adding to their profits. And to the frustration of buyers!In my book, household appliance manufacturers could be seen as being in the same box as the banks and financiers who created the global recession. I mean this in

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-91572699843949545922009-08-01T15:10:00.015+10:002009-08-16T11:34:10.542+10:00

GINGER MEGGS, Jimmy Bancks’ brilliant Australian comic strip character, was my hero when I was a little girl.The more I think about it the more I’m convinced that my love of reading and writing began when I followed Ginger Meggs from a very early age.Ginger was a raggle taggle schoolboy who led his pack of mates and pets into all sorts of adventures. They stole fruit from the neighbourhood

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-80584100097868636102009-07-23T13:15:00.025+10:002009-07-26T06:53:22.676+10:00

I'LL BE 73 NEXT MONTH AND I'M PROUD OF EVERY WRINKLE. There’s been a lot of energy expended getting me here, and a lot learned on the way.Those who visit 70 Plus regularly will have heard me say more than once that I believe oldies shouldn’t hide themselves under the nearest bush. Surely it’s best for them to share the wisdom they’ve gained on their treks through life – for the sake of

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-83156442389158909342009-07-13T09:00:00.017+10:002009-07-30T16:44:20.199+10:00

A RAGING STORM about health systems has burst on Living on the Other Side of the Hill a blog run by mate Judy in Kentucky, US of A.I'm sure that some of you have noticed that Americans are calling for big changes in their health system and hope President Obhama can do something about it. I for one have looked over the Pacific and seen that many poor Americans die because they can't afford health

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-87906913731035428242009-07-04T18:51:00.042+10:002009-07-05T18:44:01.206+10:00

So much is wondrous to little children ...This is my friend Pippi.What could she be looking at? Bubbles ...that's what!Pippi and her big brother Toby had great fun playing with hundreds of bubbles after their Mummy bought them an AUTOMATIC BUBBLE MACHINE.There were bubbles everywhere!Toby is a very athletic little boy and he recently began karate lessons. You can see some action here as he

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-40019528566168008512009-06-20T10:16:00.008+10:002009-06-20T11:00:33.187+10:00

Sometimes a plant means more to us than simple beauty. This lovely zygo cactus has been with me for probably eighteen years now, since my son asked me to look after it while he was tripping overseas. But I've followed its life for much longer. I remember when it belonged to my favourite Aunt Edith, a wonderfully artistic woman who made hats and the most exquisite clothing. She trained as a

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-28950164537213764552009-06-15T17:28:00.008+10:002009-06-15T18:17:42.243+10:00

I wrote this story for my daughter and son-in-law who have a garden centre, feel passionately about the environment, and have a policy of encouraging clients to think wisely when planning their gardens. They'll use it in marketing and I thought my bloggy mates would enjoy it too ...Life seems to go through cycles, but whatever age we may be we all have similar desires for our gardens: we want

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-5396400958596180592009-06-08T17:11:00.011+10:002009-06-08T18:04:51.033+10:00

Just what ARE these men doing? It's obviously very serious business.Look closely and we discover that they are actually tending model yachts.These boys play with their toys each Monday afternoon on a lake close to my home. They are members of the Twin Towns Remote Control Yacht Club, one of a string of similar clubs throughout the world. There are even State, National and World titles in this

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-13114478704322534672009-05-31T17:24:00.010+10:002009-05-31T18:31:20.489+10:00

MURWILLUMBAH is a smallish town in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, not far from where I live. Sugar cane, paddocks dotted with dairy and beef cattle, banana farms and orchards, occasional rainforest: all create a kaleidoscope surrounding the town.For me, though, much of its charm rests with the old houses which have been preserved or simply left alone to survive in the area, creating a

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-16053780990610026932009-05-23T10:44:00.076+10:002009-05-25T08:26:14.160+10:00

May I announce the opening of the virtual 70 Plus Art Exhibition, featuring works inspired by friendship, fun, curiosity and the desire for new experiences!This all began with a little tinkering with the old computer programme MSPaint - and it has grown. As Lilly, one of our artists, has said: she hasn't been to a hoity toity art opening for ages.Well Lilly and all of our blogging mates, here

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-53637431478146733812009-05-16T09:45:00.029+10:002009-05-23T19:38:01.644+10:00

I would lay a small bet that a good half of my bloggy mates have never bothered to explore the simplest program in the Windows zoo - the little drawing programme called Paint. It can be great fun for all ages and, if treated seriously, might become a great tool to extend once's artistic imagination and talent. I drew this small pattern very quickly in the Paint programme which can be found under

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-28812195331424151392009-05-10T17:18:00.006+10:002009-05-11T08:36:15.640+10:00

I really really like the new bicycle I bought just before Christmas.I paid for it with part of the $A1,200 payment the Australian Government issued to pensioners as part of a package to stimulate the economy. The rest of it is covering most of the cost of rejuvenating my old lounge suite - so you see I've done my bit for the country by pumping the money back into the economy. But my bicycle

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-52725184124487563792009-05-07T11:23:00.015+10:002009-05-09T07:38:07.531+10:00

Dreamtime Beach Fingal todayWe've visited Fingal a lot on 70 Plus, and chatted about the flora of the place and admired the deep torquoise sea, the creamy beaches and the unusual rocks that dot the shores. But so far I haven't said a lot about the original inhabitants of this magical place - the Minjungbul people of the Bunjalung nation of Australian Aborigines. The Minjungbal tribe roamed the

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-24781957929234757842009-04-30T14:26:00.013+10:002009-04-30T19:57:11.280+10:00

Source: Mollie Gillen's The Founders of AustraliaThe white settlement of Australia began in the late 18th century because the English wanted to be rid of thousands of people clogging up their gaols and spilling into old ships hulks where they led an indescribable existence of squalor and degradation. In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip led the First Fleet of ships bearing 1,400 people sent to found

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-91230245696283675492009-04-25T12:59:00.014+10:002009-04-26T11:08:51.272+10:00

We continue a look at nature's designs today, as promised before thoughts of the boat people got me onto another track.This time human beings are in the act alongside nature in some of the following photographs.There might be imitation of the natural world going on, or humans there alongside nature to make their own imprint on the situation.This is really where we left off last time. Remember

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-24531961979998797842009-04-17T08:31:00.023+10:002009-04-19T07:39:50.365+10:00

Thirty-one boat people have been injured in an explosion on board a 20m wooden vessel detained off the Australian coast, the latest event in the continuing tragic story of refugees seeking asylum from world trouble spots. Three people were killed and two others are missing. Cartels of profit seeking people smugglers are taking advantage of thousands displaced by war and other disasters.

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-53167156312104904682009-04-15T10:50:00.010+10:002009-04-16T08:19:28.124+10:00

We human beings think we're red hot when it comes to design, but nature will beat us to the post every time. I'm not even talking about the grand design that preoccupied Darwin, but aesthetic design - the wonderful patterns and shapes that will stop us in our tracks daily - if we're prepared to look around, observe and appreciate. These pictures feature some of the designs that caught my eye on

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-3773340361591632802009-04-10T09:48:00.023+10:002009-04-11T12:07:14.839+10:00

Surfing is such a huge culture among young people in Australia. It's a lifestyle, an economic phenomenon, and mostly good clean fun.This week my photography walk took in the points at Snapper Rocks and Greenmount - two of the Meccas of surfing on the Queensland/New South Wales border. It was a beautiful sunny day after weeks of wild weather and waves. It was pumping!For generations. because our

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-66424929169914570672009-04-07T11:04:00.012+10:002009-04-07T15:38:27.923+10:00

There’s something majestic yet mysterious about the lighthouses that still play a major role in keeping safe shipping that plies the Australian coastline. And given that the length of this sprawling coastline is 34,218 km, it’s a big job. Fingal Head lighthouse, the most northerly of New South Wales lighthouses, is situated on a headland that’s becoming familiar to people who visit this blog.

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-76240798340216343542009-04-01T15:27:00.014+10:002009-04-01T16:55:56.242+10:00

Last post I promised to continue our walk on Fingal Heads, a stunning peninsular near my home on the North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. This part of the path leads further into an area of bush being regenerated by a volunteer land care group. Tweed Shire Council has co-operated by providing such infrastructure as this lovely board walk. The path and the boardwalk wind and twist,

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-3051896693494584022009-03-28T05:52:00.022+10:002009-03-28T11:27:52.765+10:00

The Australian bush is filled with excitement, weird shapes and ugly beauty.Today I wish to share a recent walk in a seaside area which is being regenerated by a bush care group.These enthusiastic, energetic people are hoping to rid this small section of our land from invasive foreign weeds, and to preserve natural balance for the plants and animals which live here.This is the 'flower' of an

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-82264171505825517552009-03-17T19:07:00.015+10:002009-03-28T06:35:00.938+10:00

These are mummies of people who were embalmed in Italy in the 1500s. Bodies were preserved after being dried, covered with vinegar and kept in cool surroundings. They’re now a tourist attraction, and scientists are looking at them anew to discover secrets which might come to light given the latest technological advances.I HAVE JUST REMOVED THIS PICTURE AS SOMEONE HAS FLAGGED 70 PLUS AND STILL

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-13310138491174855482009-03-13T08:13:00.019+10:002009-03-13T10:43:30.405+10:00

A disastrous spill, likely to involve 100,000 litres of oil, is covering more than 60km of beaches north of Brisbane today. This is five times the amount of oil first reported, according to the Australian Broadcasting Commission.Many beaches from Moreton and Bribie Islands and the Sunshine Coast tourist strip are affected by the sludge, described as two inches thick in places, and smelling of

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-59112919396867890422009-03-10T12:32:00.016+10:002009-03-13T09:28:49.898+10:00

Strong winds began blowing yesterday on Point Danger, the headland that is shared by two Australian States - New South Wales and Queensland. Would it be followed by a cyclone as strong as Katrina? We had feared for days that it could be, even though this would have been a very rare event indeed.These girls had big trouble keeping hold of their belongings as they stood on the viewing platform

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-44835291263837056122009-03-03T16:31:00.016+10:002009-03-03T19:19:50.908+10:00

Today was idyllic. I spent most of the morning on the cliff at Fingal Head near the village I featured in my most recent post. It was a time of teal coloured water, blue skies, porpoises and magic waves and rocks.I took a knapsack holding my camera, a bottle of water and a very large slice of chocolate cake. Bliss.Fingal Headland is but five minutes drive from where I live on the North Coast

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-17519455790442627512009-02-25T09:26:00.013+10:002009-02-25T11:55:07.431+10:00

What a great place to enjoy a cool drink late in the afternoon of a hot day.This little watering hole is on the bank of the Tweed River at Fingal, one of my favourite little villages on our North Coast.Fingal is on a peninsular between the river and the sea and is named after the famous Fingal of Scotland and its ancient rocks. Next time I visit I'll get a picture of the rocks at the Australian

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-14067766159595496822009-02-22T14:41:00.027+10:002009-02-23T07:58:47.334+10:00

photo Sydney Morning HeraldAustralians of all shapes colours and creeds stood together shoulder to shoulder in today’s National Day of Mourning service for the Victorian Bush Fires in Melbourne.The diversity of our Australian nation, and unity in the face of diversity were an over arching presence.Both qualities were palpable throughout the ninety minutes, telecast live in every State, city and

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-38546309291087597762009-02-20T08:09:00.010+10:002009-02-22T12:51:54.926+10:00

Sometimes tranquility seems elusive. Especially so of course when everything around seems slightly mad and surreal.No wonder I needed a walk by a quiet river ...This post is one of contrasts, parallel in ways to the nature of our sprawling nation, Australia. The wide brown land that is now in places black and charred and in others a sea of stinking water and dead native animals and cattle. And

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-63908396443378994602009-02-15T21:15:00.007+10:002009-02-15T22:36:32.066+10:00

Do you remember the story I told back in October about a banana farmer who grew his own symphony orchestra over a period of 16 years?Barry Singh is the conductor and founder of the Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra in New South Wales, Australia. The orchestra exists solely on ticket sales at mainly local concerts in Tweed Heads, and it's always a tight squeeze to pay the musicians.For sixteen

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-60855622240613576782009-02-10T09:31:00.028+10:002009-02-12T07:10:26.478+10:00

Daily details of deaths and other losses are contained in the next post below. The Google Gadget map of Victoria (above) indicates in red fires that are still burning in southern Australia. The map uses information from the Victorian Country Fires Authority. You will also note a link to 'How you can help' - click to go to the Australian Red Cross Society web site and make a donation to help

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-76307216659188215782009-02-08T18:43:00.065+10:002009-03-08T07:12:28.584+10:00

Since the beginning of the bush fires in Victoria I've been doing a sort of diary of events in the catastrophic bushfires in Victoria, Australia, where the death toll is rising hourly in a national emergency. I am doing little updates as news comes in ... June8am AEDT Sunday 8th March 2009It seems as though, after five terrible weeks, the Victorian fires are all but stifled. They've left in

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-2389276699665755282009-02-07T07:37:00.033+10:002009-02-24T07:09:17.718+10:00

Many parts of Australia are in the grip of an unusually severe heat wave. Thankfully, not where I live, at the moment anyway, although we do get 30C to 33C regularly, with what's likely to be 95 per cent humidity.This week-end is regarded as likely to bring much more extreme temperatures and fire danger to many parts of southern Australia even though in North Queensland this week a cyclone and a

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-83525857032830716062009-01-27T13:48:00.024+10:002009-01-28T08:03:05.872+10:00

Photo ANUAboriginal activist, lawyer and academic Professor Mick Dodson (above) has been named Australian of the Year 2009. The appointment has been widely acclaimed. Professor Dodson is of the Yawuru people of the isolated Southern Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. He has previously held the position of Social Justice and Equal Opportunity Commissioner, and is on the staff of

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-83621796498346527432009-01-20T16:33:00.023+10:002009-01-22T07:07:11.005+10:00

My tribute to Aussie land leading up to Australia Day January 26, continues on the New South Wales side of the border in the Tweed Valley. This is an area very different from the high rises of Coolangatta and Surfers Paradise of the famous Queensland Gold Coast.The Tweed is much greener and more open, with farms and hills in between splashes of suburbia, although most of the former majestic

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-57875638050039642902009-01-16T19:49:00.017+10:002009-01-17T09:09:56.730+10:00

Most Australians live on the edge of their sprawling nation, as close to beaches as they can get. If they live in the outback or in country areas they overwhelmingly aspire to beach holidays.I thought I'd chat about Aussie beaches as part of a series of posts leading up to Australia's National Day on January 26. I'm lucky enough to live not far from the Queensland/New South Wales border where we

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-40996731475977391152009-01-08T09:06:00.020+10:002009-01-12T10:20:44.277+10:00

For years I lived next door to a giant fig in a park. It was a lot of tree to love.That tree spread its branches across an area as large as two large suburban lots. Its roots meandered across the space to my garden where it clogged up the sewage pipe. But I had no ill feelings. I really loved that tree.Officially it was a Moreton Bay fig or, if it had lived closer to Sydney, a Port Jackson fig.

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-70728230588689790402009-01-07T13:58:00.014+10:002009-01-08T10:51:53.944+10:00

Portrait of Pip by Vikki NorthDo you know this woman? I've had such a fun time in the last couple of days since blogger mate and professional artist Vikki North of The Red Chair Gallery in California painted a concept portrait of the main character in my original mystery novel 'Paternity'. She did an amazing job, with our views of this mythical character coinciding remarkably.The character Pip

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-318708596735889172009-01-03T17:19:00.005+10:002009-01-05T21:38:32.465+10:00

I don’t know what possessed me, but I actually gave my computer a fond pat when the technician placed it on my desk this morning.Surprised, he grinned across at me and said ‘you aren’t one of those types who has a name their machine are you?’I hotly denied that – except to say that the closest to a regular moniker my computer had would be something like ‘you bloody thing’.He’d had it at his

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-27653203396823117452008-12-28T06:37:00.008+10:002008-12-28T15:22:37.405+10:00

Anyone can face homelessness ...Whacko! Australia’s one year-old Rudd Government has said it will halve homelessness in Australia and offer supported accommodation to all rough sleepers who need it. It has set targets to do this by 2020. The government committed $400 million in the next two years for additional social housing for homeless people and $800 million in four years, being a ‘down

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-13339761622058371222008-12-18T16:30:00.031+10:002008-12-20T10:11:45.784+10:00

I remember the feeling in my tummy when I was a kid when our family sang 'Jingle Bells' just before we went to bed on Christmas Eve. It was like having a ball of excitement there just underneath my rib cage.We didn't have the gadgets the children have today but I do recall one particularly exciting year that seemed to soar above all others as The Best Christmas for gifts. We were bundled off to

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-40723864948504004632008-12-13T15:30:00.015+10:002008-12-13T19:12:27.712+10:00

Have you ever put yourselves in the shoes of a homeless person?A homeless person at Christmas?And in saying the above, I'm assuming that this person has shoes that you can put your feet into ...You may never have thought about it, but there are thousands of people out there, just on the edge of our suburbs of plenty, who live on the streets or even in bushland, with never a roof over their

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-73642909976437655352008-12-06T14:41:00.015+10:002008-12-13T09:56:14.616+10:00

This is me and my new bike - a gift to myself that I bought with part of our new government's extra payment to pensioners, scheduled to arrive in our bank accounts this week, in time for Christmas. I couldn't wait!New Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the payment several weeks ago, just after the world's economy hit the fan. He acted early on several fronts in an effort to cushion Australia

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-25926179512533539422008-12-03T16:21:00.022+10:002008-12-04T18:31:13.218+10:00

I don't want 70 Plus to turn into a tourist trap but so many of my bloggy mates have been interested in my Sydney pix, I'll give it one more turn ...The Rocks (above) is regarded as the most historic part of Sydney unless you are of the view held by the Australian Aboriginal - a race that had been here already for thousands of years.Governor Arthur Phillip, his soldiers and the convicts they

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-54070202867412453192008-11-29T10:08:00.026+10:002008-12-01T07:36:09.002+10:00

The Sydney Opera House can be mistaken for just any boat - depending on the angle of your view. Many types of craft move around her, adding to the impression.In fact this beautiful building is situated on a small peninsular jutting into the harbour. The land is called Bennelong Point after one of the first Aborigines to become acquainted with the First Fleeters from Britain.The point was

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-66870362973179680222008-11-22T12:17:00.011+10:002008-11-23T19:44:34.937+10:00

I love to visit Sydney where I was born, and taking pictures is always part of the scene. I thought you may like to see some that I took on recent jaunts ... They are not iconic Sydney, but more unusual angles and happenings. These particular shots are mostly in the bustling CBD with its shops and offices. Enticing window displays are everywhere ...As are flowers, captured in troughs and pots

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-54079145031286427792008-11-21T13:16:00.006+10:002008-11-21T21:51:48.564+10:00

How about this barbecue cook top arrangement as a pointer to an orderly mind?I spied a brawny Aussie bloke cooking his snags and eggs on a barbecue down at my closest beach a few weeks ago ...Fair dinkum, no prompting and no joke. This was his modus operandi!There he was, out in public view alongside sun-drenched families enjoying themselves, creating an art form.No egg rings for him - sausages

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-45615552816583229842008-11-17T18:52:00.008+10:002008-11-18T10:27:13.081+10:00

You can't beat a backyard veggie garden when it comes to providing nutritious food for the family and saving money at the same time.I have a tiny traditional height garden but I'm still able to produce sufficient veggies to save myself dollars every week.One of my favourite parts of the day is when I wander into the garden in the evening to pluck beans, salad or herbs to add zing to my evening

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-29057999903709689192008-11-12T10:42:00.042+10:002008-11-15T08:06:16.378+10:00

My great uncle joined the 4th Battalion of the Australian Infantry Force in 1916 at the age of 18 years 10 months.He signed up for an adventure and died on the Western Front battlefields of the Somme, in France, on July 9 1918, just four months before the guns of World War I fell silent. His body was never found.Here he is pictured just before embarking for Europe. The boy is my father James.It

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-81398853672303229572008-11-09T07:26:00.023+10:002008-11-09T15:42:54.550+10:00

It's amazing how a space can feel tranquil even though traffic roars on an artierial road only metres over the fence.That's the experience many customers speak about at my daughter and son-in-law's business, Endless Summer Garden Centre at Tweed Heads on the North Coast of New South Wales in Australia.Many come to the small garden centre simply to 'chill out' or wander around gathering ideas for

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-36212016134988152252008-11-05T14:07:00.001+10:002008-11-05T14:09:13.726+10:00

Whacko! Well done America!Here's hoping for a just and humane future.

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-39678409585161122812008-10-29T16:36:00.004+10:002008-10-30T05:21:55.717+10:00

Obama: One Voice

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-28690682001063042712008-10-27T08:18:00.019+10:002008-10-27T19:37:37.493+10:00

Last night's concert at Tweed HeadsThis is the story of Barry Singh, a banana farmer who became the conductor and artistic director of his own 70 piece symphony orchestra.And of the threat that a dud cheque for $18,000 is posing to his dream.Barry Singh - Source NRSOThe Northern Rivers Symphony began with just eighteen musicians fifteen years ago and is now renowned on the North Coast of New

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-65911746313490478302008-10-24T07:34:00.009+10:002008-10-24T13:48:44.599+10:00

In Australia we have had universal health care since the 1970s.I still remember queuing with my first doctor's receipt in the new shiny medicare office and leaving with a FULL CASH REBATE there and then!It was a wonderful relief. There is nothing worse than not being able to afford treatment for something that is nagging away at you and your children.During the regime of the Howard Government,

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-11590851729847260712008-10-22T11:44:00.009+10:002008-10-23T07:53:34.144+10:00

Everything seems fine, then things begin to spiral ...It's nine days since I posted to 70 Plus, but I must say I have a pretty good excuse for the unusual pause in communication. On Monday I began preparing for a story about family history and went to bed happy and feeling well. At 1.15 am a sharp pain in my chest dragged me back from my dreams. It wasn't the worst pain I'd ever experienced

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-20573242227035480672008-10-13T07:05:00.016+10:002008-10-13T17:09:40.457+10:00

The condition of the global economy is no longer the elephant in the room. Not when your own Australian Prime Minister says the situation has entered a new and damaging phase and takes an unprecedented step to help fix it here.Yesterday Kevin Rudd made the astonishing announcement that his government would guarantee for the next three years ALL deposits, every cent, in banks, building societies

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-46929151934722302222008-10-06T08:22:00.027+10:002008-10-06T11:29:18.207+10:00

On my walk this week I came upon a small shrine which remembered a little boy called Travis. It must help his family come to terms with something that remains terrible. I paused, thinking I must not intrude on a private moment.But I came to believe that Travis' family wanted to make a statement. To declare to all who passed that way their love for the little boy, and to share a grief.And so I

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-6213351247799024862008-09-29T11:31:00.014+10:002008-09-29T14:36:26.740+10:00

I have received an award from Suranga of Gappa who writes a mean blog post. Hers is a particularly fine gesture because she says the award is for blogs whose content and/or design are brilliant as well as creative(!). She called it 'a rocking blog of a rocking creative-writing senior'. I am thrilled.I set to work to complete her task of selecting seven other blogs of quality to pass on the award.

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-4417152966399755172008-09-26T15:02:00.014+10:002008-09-26T17:36:34.500+10:00

Believe it or not, these shoes are a giant sculpture exhibited last week by Australian artist Gregory Roy Cope as part of the Swell Sculpture Festival at Currumbin Beach on the southern Gold Coast, Queensland.The event is held each year over ten days and draws thousands of families who meander from art work to art work - all set up along the beach. It's great fun and a serious contribution to

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-89547157884707459652008-09-21T12:58:00.009+10:002008-09-21T18:14:57.123+10:00

Spring has really sprung in Australia in the past week with nature declaring that it's time to move into a new cycle.We're expecting 26 degrees celsius today - by far the warmest day for many months, and unusually hot for this time of year.One tree that's saying welcome to spring is my mandarin which is laden with blossom, pursued vigilantly by dozens of buzzing bees.Bees were everywhere in my

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-91536916106134502272008-09-16T15:13:00.018+10:002008-09-18T12:35:14.544+10:00

Almost one in four Australians suffer a mental illness at some time in their lives. This figure is increasing rapidly, and the problem is typical in many nations in the world.It's wise to think about all of the loved ones affected by this dilemma. Think about the families, the friends, the employers, employees, the neighbours, the spouses, the siblings, the tax payers whose lives are directly

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-48494840966099834652008-09-14T20:53:00.038+10:002008-09-26T07:45:01.227+10:00

Brisbane has certainly come of age since I first came north from Sydney early in the 1980s. The capital of Queensland was a big country town then, in the grip of Joh Bjelke-Pedersen, the controversial long time Premier of that state.I still live in New South Wales - and at the time I was only half serious when I said that I wouldn't ever live in Queensland.Truth was I lived in a house right on

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-41594015865511134532008-09-07T08:25:00.014+10:002008-09-07T12:27:34.168+10:00

Kangaroos hop past the kitchen windows of Currumbin Ecovillage that was named World's Best Environmental Development in June.The village on Queensland's Gold Coast in Australia received the award from the prestigious International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) in Amsterdam.It's an exciting time for the far sighted developers and residents of the village who are working to help show the way

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-17364824671454277642008-09-02T18:33:00.018+10:002008-09-02T23:36:35.447+10:00

A couple of months ago I promised to post pictures of my Michelias when they came into full bloom. Well I was in the garden this morning and saw heaps of petals falling around my six lovely small trees and thought I'd better get moving or I'd miss out this year. So, out with the camera and these shots are the results. This pic shows just one tree of five that make an informal hedge at

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-39952197185474785432008-08-21T17:40:00.026+10:002008-08-21T19:41:56.228+10:00

There's nothing like crunchy Pink Lady apples and crisp lettuce and beans sold at week-ends at our local market, and straight from the farm.I live on the North Coast of New South Wales in Australia and our markets are legendary. The best seem to be around Mullumbimby and Brunswick Heads but our own small version can't be sneezed at.Twice a month the locals get up early on a Sunday morning to get

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-3879780298608298282008-08-16T15:29:00.015+10:002008-08-16T17:01:57.080+10:00

My short fiction story 'Labyrinth' on my blog Journeys in Creative Writing was set in the year 1900 in Sydney - a time when rats on board ships coming from overseas brought the Black or Bubonic Plague and spread it throughout the town.It was also a period when single women living alone (such as my heroine Miriam) still had few options of earning a livelihood other than in household service or

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-77663858174253273892008-08-16T10:25:00.013+10:002008-08-16T11:34:57.288+10:00

There's a most beautiful play gym, all colours and climbs and slippery slides and ropes, platforms and hidey holes, alongside Coolangatta Beach, not far from the Pandanus Palms.It's populated by excited youngsters every day of the year. This little magic wonderland is in Queensland, just across the border from my home state, New South Wales. I pass it on one of my favourite walks. But this is

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-9192085710751682922008-08-08T12:39:00.014+10:002008-08-09T13:00:07.714+10:00

This morning I received a post from Judy of Kentucky who is one of my loyal blogger friends.Inspired to know more about Oz, Judy is reading American author Bill Bryon's travel book In a Wide Brown Land and this in turn got me thinking about the source of his title - Dorothea McKellar's iconic poem My Country, ironically written when Dorothea was homesick for England, but already under the spell

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-84029036383107984782008-08-07T14:05:00.005+10:002008-08-07T14:38:55.456+10:00

Beaches and cliffs of the North Coast of New South Wales, Australia (where I live) just wouldn’t be the same without these amazing trees and yet it wasn’t long ago that they all seemed to be endangered. Pandanus or Screw Palms stand like so many ugly/beautiful sentries along miles of our coast, punctuating the landscape with their sculptural silhouettes.Their football-size fruit can stay on the

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-57998630043429138362008-08-02T16:03:00.012+10:002008-08-02T16:44:05.308+10:00

Stop Press!This blog, not yet five weeks young, has just won a sort of runner-up award given by a lively and generous blogger called Judy in Kentucky of Living on the Other Side of the Hill. Judy runs a great blog about her family life sprinkled with many references to the history of her country, illustrated with fine pix. Her blog is a satisfying way to glimpse the lifestyle in a land far away .

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-34906505430750176612008-07-29T18:50:00.035+10:002008-07-30T22:00:09.260+10:00

One of the food marquees at this year's festivalMost years for the past ten I have visited the Byron Bay Writers Festival, clutching a three day pass to join thousands of other book lovers for a stimulating fix.The festival is always great fun and inevitably gets creative juices going again.The programme draws book lovers writers publishers performers journalists and celebrities from many parts

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-78784305189479312192008-07-20T15:42:00.038+10:002008-07-21T07:53:58.289+10:00

A man made lake near my home was formed because real estate developers wanted to turn priceless wetlands into a housing estate. This area had been declared as never to be built upon. It teemed with native plants and animals and was a valuable breeding ground for birds. The developers dug deep and used the soil to build up the surrounding land by two metres. The hole that remained became the lake.

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-47634150884371062032008-07-14T15:12:00.012+10:002008-07-22T09:19:47.227+10:00

I've begun reading a wonderful book of short stories and want to share it with you.Nam Le is one of the Vietnamese boat people now making such a mark on Australian society with skills, determination and sheer hard work.Still a baby in 1979, Nam Le journeyed with his family to make a new life in an unfamiliar land. He became a lawyer but, always a creature of his imagination, turned to writing in

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-20338682323443150982008-07-11T11:54:00.007+10:002008-07-14T15:31:56.885+10:00

Learning to surf on Coolangatta Beach It's a hard life! Checking out the scene at Snapper Rocks These pictures from last summer make me feel a bit warmer, now that winter has arrived.

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-9195346667056799022008-07-11T10:33:00.009+10:002008-07-20T20:37:49.486+10:00

It's winter in Australia and that can mean a range of climates in this big land - snow and freezing winds to warmth and sunshine where swimming isn't out of the question.I live in Northern New South Wales, not far from the Queensland border and the Gold Coast, our famous tourist trap and somewhere in the middle, weather wise. In a week here we can still feel very warm indeed, basking in the

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-16889651049296512512008-07-07T15:25:00.002+10:002008-07-07T23:19:16.271+10:00

70 Plus and Still Kicking: SHORT STORY 'HOPPING MAD' - about a gentle soul who breeds rabbits to save the world.

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-26930705846886544422008-07-06T17:47:00.008+10:002008-07-10T11:38:14.393+10:00

Women seem to share secrets more readily than men do, but any Australian will probably recognise the characters in my fun yarn about two oldie mates. Other cultures will probably still share the laugh. There was something wrong. Something different. And Velma was sniffing the breeze.Theirs was a long term ritual. Every week day Monica and Velma watched Days of Our Lives while curled up on Monica’

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-53810188053346292362008-07-06T15:25:00.003+10:002008-07-06T15:46:22.617+10:00

Dear BlogmatesI've decided to come out and put my own name on my blogs, instead of feeling safer behind the 'Evegreen' pseudonym. Damn this hiding yourself under a bushel eh?So here I am: 'June Saville'. Less romantic I reckon, but there it is. A different photograph as well, you'll notice.I have also taken steps to divide my posts into two different blogs: 70 Plus and Still Kicking for

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-62502324991591148112008-07-02T14:53:00.016+10:002008-07-06T18:00:15.214+10:00

There were ten of us oldies at the Salon de Refuses exhibition at the Murwillumbah Art Gallery at the weekend - and not a case of dimentia between us. They say 'if you don't use it you lose it' and, so far as I am concerned, that's absolutely relevant to grey matter as well as muscles et al.Everyone of these friends drips interests and skills, they all have a great sense of humour and a full

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-84025258603918553752008-06-28T08:07:00.009+10:002008-07-06T18:00:42.319+10:00

Hopping Mad is a small taste of my creative fiction. (Posted yesterday - just follow the link in the blog archive.) Did you like Ralph? I hope the story produced a range of emotions for you ... Please post a comment.My stuff covers a range of styles and subjects, so if you didn't like this story, don't give up on me! Blogging and this programme are new so far as I'm concerned, and I intend

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489210412257406098.post-34094049986229694122008-06-27T18:30:00.016+10:002008-07-07T23:21:05.746+10:00

ME WIFE'S AN ANGEL. TROUBLE IS SHE DON'T LIKE HERSELF AS MUCH AS OTHER PEOPLE DO.She gets angry with herself because she’s is really terrified of crowds. In a shopping centre or on a bus she begins to sweat and tremble. I tell er don’t worry so much, but it don’t seem to make any difference. The other day we were near the butcher’s in the mall when she had a panic attack. It had er crumbled up in

June Savillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194576632686640776noreply@blogger.com0