Next semester, John who has been running our fantastic men’s breakfast will be beginning a new early morning program here at ACC focussing on heart-centred breathwork. Here is some further information, and if you are interested you can book in at this link…

Hi everyone,

Ooops, I wrote this message last week but forgot to press publish … so our newsletter last week looked a bit different from usual, but I am more organised and on the job this week (hopefully).

Our big news is that Kalimna has resigned. After 9 plus years she is hanging up her neighbourhood house hat. I am sad. She is happy to have more time to dedicate to her family and her photography. This is her last week and she’ll be in Tuesday and Wednesday, so please pop past to say goodbye if you’d like to, and you can sign this ecard.

Onto more mundane things …

The Sewing Machine Maintenance workshop on last Saturday was full once again! Always popular. We love Gordon. Thanks Darebin Repair Cafe friends for roping us in to share this event - great to be working together on great things like this. Don’t forget the Overlocker Maintenance version is still the come in July (if you have one). You can book in at this link - it is on at 9.30am on Saturday 11 July.

Last week we had Preserves Group on Tuesday and Alphington Arts in the evening - both very productive. At preserves we made lime marmalade with limes from Megan’s garden, feijoa chutney with fruit from Kevin’s friend and greengage plum jam (I think perhaps using fruit from Fiona’s garden … but this could be incorrect as I wasn’t there right at the start as things were being discussed). Anyway … we have loads of preserves on offer if you need a little gift for someone or a little treat to pick yourself up! Only $7. Beautifully decorated with a fun little label written by Rose this time.

And we made some cute little weavings in Alphington Arts which was excellent - thanks Corrin from Work Play House for running this mini workshop for us! If you are interested in learning to weave Corrin runs courses - for kids and adults (visit the link to find out more).

And, we are coming up to the end of Term 2 and looking ahead to next semester. Our new brochures will be available soon and in particular we’re looking forward to running a new 4 week course nest term for people who might be interested in writing a novel … or already have one on the go and need some inspiration to keep on going! Fran Cusworth is a local author who has approached us to share her skills at the community level, and it should be terrific - she has previously taught writing at RMIT and LaTrobe university and has lots of expertise to share and is generally a super nice person! I’ll publish a post next week with all the details.

In the meantime, we hope to see you at our upcoming Ukulele Singalong!!! at 3pm this Sunday 28 June (should be fun - with afternoon tea included). Suggested and run by the talented members of our uke group The Flukes. Book in here and see the post from last week for further details.

And … this Friday, if you are into the World Cup (soccer) you will know that Australia is playing Paraguay at 12pm smack bang at Community Lunch time … soooooo … we’ll be having a suitable community lunch and a screen to watch the big game! Come along if you want to share in the excitement (and wear your green and gold!).

And then it’s holidays for two weeks … And then semester two starts. Yikes time flies.

Cheers Leanne

Budgets, grants applications and acquittals, Council submissions … last week was flat out behind the scenes … and busy in person as well.

Lots of people attended the Embracing Life and Death discussions on Thursday afternoon. Crunch was a small group this time (but lovely - we did still life painting with gouache paint), we got a delivery of a couple of cubic metres of compost to keep us busy in the garden on Friday (thanks Nat at Darebin Council for organising this again!) … and two birthday parties were held at ACC 🥳 on Sunday.

This week CWA is meeting at the Gleeson Centre on Monday night, Garden to Plate is on Thursday at 11.30am … and it’s the long weekend … so we’ll see you back on deck next Tuesday.

Hope you make the most of it. I am planning to go to Rutherglen (to check out the wineries) with some of my oldest friends from university. Should be fun!

Cheers Leanne

Keen to join a daytime book club?

We are hoping to get a couple more people interested so we can start a Tuesday morning book club from July.

The group will meet monthly with books supplied by Darebin Libraries.

Click this link here to book your spot.

Choko, choko, choko.

We had a week overflowing with choko this week … on Tuesday we used it to make a Choko Chutney in Preserves Group, and on Thursday we used it in a Thai Green Curry AND also as an ingredient in vegetarian spring rolls at Garden to Plate (yes my plans to cook from our own garden were waylaid temporarily - but next time for sure!).

Everyone loved them -.flavour absorbing and little bit crunchy … only Monika had some complaints as the sticky resin got stuck all over her hands when she peeled them (by Thursday we’d learnt our lesson and used gloves …).

Also this week we had a wonderful time celebrating all the people who volunteer at neighbourhood houses across Yarra at our shared afternoon tea event on Wednesday. Thanks to those who came along to the new Fitzroy Neighbourhood House! See the post below for some great photos taken my colleague Tony.

Councillors, council staff, neighbourhood house staff and volunteers all attended - and it was heart-warming to soak up all the goodwill from the lovely community minded people in the room!

This week I am pretty boring and in budget mode in the office (we’re getting our $$ plan together for the next financial year), whilst in other office news poor Kalimna has broken her finger! She’s all splinted up … and waiting to hear if she needs an operation. In the meantime she is soldiering on. Say an extra kind hello to her if you see her …

This week we have CRUNCH on Thursday at 12.30pm. Come along for some yummy food and an arty experience. Book in online. In the evening Keiko is back from Japan and running Sound Healing at 7pm. Book in with her directly.

And then there are all the usual things happening … Playgroup, Line Dancing, AAA Art, AAA Bowls, Community Lunch etc.

Hope to see you soon! Can’t believe we’re nearly at June (yikes).

Cheers Leanne