Hi. Leanne here.

You know, neighbourhood houses are places in the community that try very hard to ensure that everyone feels welcome. Kindness is at the heart of what we do. And acceptance. We try to take people as they are and provide the opportunities to help everyone feel good about themselves … and connect with others. We focus on assisting people to find their tribe through their interests, and in doing so we also hope to build a stronger neighbourhood.

And what do we mean by a strong neighbourhood? A neighbourhood is a group of odd people (cos we’re all a bit odd right?) who rub along together not because they’re family or because they share the same background or the same goals … but just because they all live in the same general location. Neighbourhoods are strong when they recognise this interdependence and embrace and value both the connectedness and the diversity in their community.

In this context I thought I’d mention the Canadian TV series Schitts Creek, that won so many Emmy Awards this year and has become such a thing.

If you haven’t watched it already, I just thought I’d mention that

1. You really should!

2. You will come to love each character - even though you might think it’s all a bit cringy and hard to watch at first.

This show is made by Daniel Levy (who plays the son) and Eugene Levy who wrote wacky but ultimately endearing and very memorable movies such as ‘Best in Show’ (and plays the dad). Daniel’s sister plays Twyla, the cafe owner … so the cast is a family affair.

It runs for 6 seasons. And over this time the stories, characters and connections really unfold and develop. The storyline is quirky, modern, pointed, funny, kind, gentle and edgy … and I think pretty important viewing for those of us that hope that we are choosing acceptance and kindness in the 21st century.

I took ages to get into it. Then binge watched it. And now I can’t recommend it enough! And … the documentary at the end just caps it off.

You’ll find Schitts Creek on Netflix. I hope you enjoy it too!

As you know we have been very excited to present our fun street activation project, Blind Date with a Book, on Station Street. Now in its 5th week (I think it is), this project has been a collaboration between ourselves, Darebin Libraries and Fairfield Books … with Three Locals helping us out by storing the stand, stocking it and putting it out on the street a couple of days a week.

Many of the books that have been wrapped up so far have come from the weeded stock at Darebin Libraries, and we thank the lovely Jody who manages the Darebin Book Clubs for finding us some super stories. Other books have been donated to us by locals. Thanks friends!

And this week we went and picked up the new books we purchased as part of the project, from Fairfield Books. This project is not just about street activation and place making, but also about economic recovery … and what better way to help businesses recover after this super tough year, than to spend some money with them right?

So … keep an eye out for Blind Date with a Book out the front of Three Locals … you might just get the latest Margaret Atwood … or another new title in the coming week or two.

Once again we thank Darebin Council for funding this project through their Business Recovery Grants program.

Not everyone is into highbrow literature right? Some of us like a good dose of crime or a thriller or a trashy romance.

Which is all good and well until you start to search Borrowbox, the main library app. And all that trashy stuff isn’t there.

Hello … cloudLibrary.

Perhaps you are more on the ball that me, but I just discovered this app this week - when my sister told me that some of my favourite authors (that are just too uncool to share publicly) are on there. Like Borrowbox this is another app you can download and use with your Darebin or Yarra library card. With a range of books and audio books that include some that are a bit more ... lowbrow.

Since downloading it I have been delving into the escapism of ‘historical romance’. Check it out for whatever floats your boat!

We’re hoping to have ‘Blind date with a Book’ back out on the street today (Friday).

On Station Street the lovely folks at Three Locals have volunteered to house the stand for us, so it will be out the front of their cafe once a week.

And … Lee has also made a second stand for ACC.

We’ve been super keen to get ‘Blind date with a Book’ back up and running as it only had one week of glory before we went into lockdown … and there was lots of public interest in it.

This project has come about through a grant from Darebin Council and is a partnership with Darebin Libraries. The broader goal is to help activate our streets and public places and make them feel neighbourhoodly and friendly, arty and interesting. If you are out and about, keep an eye out!

I know we are all getting out and about now … and telly isn’t necessarily the crutch it was a couple of weeks ago. On the other hand you might be just waking from hibernation (like my family) and taking it slow and easy. In which case good telly may still be on your radar.

So I thought I might mention Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories to you. You’ll find it on Netflix. Here’s how ‘the master’ (the chef and owner of the diner) introduces each episode.

When people finish their day and hurry home, my day starts. My diner is open from midnight to seven in the morning. They call it "Midnight Diner”. Do I even have customers? More than you would expect,

The diner has a very limited menu, but the chef will make whatever the customers request if he has the ingredients. As you can imagine, the people out on the streets of Tokyo from midnight to 7am are an interesting bunch and the stories are about the convergence of food and the other important things in life - friendships, loves, betrayal, families, death etc. It is very quirky and endearing. For foodies, it often ends with the characters coming back after the credits to explain to the viewer how to make the dish that was the feature of the episode. It is quite an unusual show and is based on a manga comic.

Whilst each episode stands alone, there are some characters that reappear over time. You look forward to seeing them all again. There hasn’t been a character yet that I haven’t enjoyed. I saw a review that compared the vibe of Midnight Diner to Cheers, and I agree that it has a similar intimate real life feel to it … without the corniness.

My partner Clive started watching it after visiting Japan last year, and can take all the credit for spreading the love. I pop in and out a bit on this one … but whenever it is on and I walk past I can’t help but sit down and become enthralled in the short and snappy 23 minute episodes.

I hope you enjoy it too.

A lot happens in what has to be one of tiniest diners ever!