It’s party time! Celebration cake special
Welcome!
As I write, the horror of the floods in NSW and Queensland is still unfolding. And once again the amazing resilience of so many communities is on show. Not to mention the bravery and commitment of the selfless men and women who volunteer for the State Emergency Service, or SES. Last night, tears came to my eyes as I watched the
TV news and saw the devastation the floods had caused to everyday people, many of whom had lost everything. But I was also incredibly touched at the sight of so many people showing extraordinary courage and kindness. There was one man I saw, who had lost so much as his home sunk below the waterline, but of course his first thoughts were for an elderly neighbour, who was stranded on her verandah surrounded by the rising floodwaters. There were women and men holding babies and bewildered toddlers clutching soft toys. And there were lots of pets, clearly adored, who were carried by their owners, or put on boats and taken to safety by neighbours or the SES. Everyone pitched in. Friends of mine, in Murwillumbah, were woken at 1am and evacuated by the SES. They spent the night at the local TAFE, shaken and frightened, but so relieved to be safe. Australians have been through a lot these last two and a bit years, starting with the awful and tragic bushfires of the summer of 2019-2020. The pandemic followed straight after, and life hasn’t been the same since, even though restrictions have eased and our borders are open. But the human spirit always shines through. If you would like to make a donation to help victims of the floods, you can go to redcross.org.au. Our hearts go out to everyone affected.
I won the Stanley Rogers casserole and stock pot. Wonderful!
While holidaying in the Margaret River region, we came across this vibrant tree. Not sure what species it is!