DECEMBER ROUND UP

December is always busy, and this year was no exception, except I was juggling a heavier work load and some mental health issues on top of it all. But you know what, I survived, cause sometimes you just need to amp up your super woman quantities!!! This is not to say, I didn't have dark moments, because I did. Oh boy, there were days I would have rather stayed in bed to sleep or cry all day, cause the mean reds will do that to you. But I had to get up and get moving, because I had no alternative. Sure I came home and usually fell into a heap but I got by and am starting to feel like me again. I am by no means back to normal (whatever the hell that is), but I am close. And for that I am grateful.

 

Each time I 'fall over', and this time I fell further than I have in a long, long time, possibly ever, I wonder if it's the last hit, and will I have the strength to pull myself back up again, but bizarrely I seem to. This, of course, is with the supreme support of key people; family and friends and you know who you are. You listen, and are kind and sweet, and honest and to the point when I need it. I know how lucky I am, cause without these beautiful people I know I wouldn't have half the strength I have. This time of the year has always been a struggle for me, cause as a single person navigating the festive period can be difficult, add a birthday in there too (I was 44 on Boxing Day...yep, I am really, really old!), and it really can be traumatic. And the way I was feeling this year, I admit I was worried...and I think others were too...

 

But I am pleased to report I had the best Christmas and Birthday that I have had in a long time. Possibly as I had no expectations and thought I would cry the whole way through it, lol! And not a tear was shed, to be honest I doubt I have any left in me. And with each day I gain more and more of myself back. It's not easy, but I am determined to have a good start to 2015, because I really fucking deserve it!!! And as always I share this stuff because I believe in being real and maybe just maybe I can help someone. And you know what, I already have. My musings on SM, my ups and downs these past few months have helped some people. I know cause they told me. We are all the same people, deep down anyway. Be kind and careful with your your actions and words and you might find that kindness coming back to you. Of course, I will be musing about this and more in my 2014 wrap up and my 2015 hopes...stay tuned for them very soon.

 

I could write about politics, sieges, death, the ABC, and news in general, but I think we all feel the same. Enough and here's to good news in 2015.

 

So events, and fun were heightened in December, I guess that's the truth for most of us.

 

The lovely J cooked me dinner and it was divine, because it's just me and I am not the best cook, I always adore someone cooking for me.

 

The first weekend in Dec was huge, it was like I packed all my festivities into it! C and I collected my new dining table. After 18 months of looking I finally found something suitable! it came in 5 flat packs to put together, but with the help from my parents, mostly my Dad (who was champing at the bit!) it was put together with no trouble and looks amazing.

C and I then did a final Olive Tree run for the year, it's always a great excuse to chat, and laugh, and have Gozleme!

 

That night our wonderful Bibliotweeps Book Group had our Christmas party as the superb Una Volta followed by some seedy drinking at Coal and Ceder - both two new faves you must go to if not already.

The following day I met A and B for a sublime afternoon of High Tea and conversation at The Novotel. Afterwards I got to see J's new digs, then we had a night of fun, driving in a storm, dinner at our fave Saigon Feast, hot chocs at Coco Mondo, and a movie at The Towers, Men, Women and Children - it was very good, in particular Adam Sandler and the two main kids. Wonderful themes of technology and space and trouble and growing up.

 

Just to keep things rolling I had Monday off, and A and I met for brunch at III Bean, and then headed into ABC Studios for our dear friend, Carol, and her last show. It was bittersweet afternoon for everyone there, most especially Carol. Yes, I may have physically pushed people out of the way when I thought JPY was in the studio, but you know, my feelings were all over the place! Not a dry eye in the place when Carol signed off for the final time. Our love and appreciation is still with you Carol.

That night we met at our usual family dinner haunt, The Royale Inn, to celebrate Dad's birthday.

 

The following weekend was our Twitter Christmas bash at my favourite building in Newcastle, The Great Northern Hotel, and their 80s night. We danced all night and had a blast, great tunes and I won a bottle of bubbly for knowing Groove is in the heart is not an 80s song (d'uh). Funniest moment of the night (and there were many) was a group of younger gals yelling at the DJ to turn the music up when Blister in the Sun does that low part. 'We're not old you know' they yelled. No fucking kidding you idiots, it's meant to be like that. Oh the hilarity!

 

Work was very busy as I was till working on a major project and it was complex and time consuming, but I also had time for fun. Events, local kids decorating the library, and our final film of the year, Muriel's Wedding. And a team get together at Verde Luna to celebrate being freaking amazing at what we do!! Proud of my team, they are superb.

 

A, L, & I helped J christen her beautiful new place with a Christmas celebration of fun, love, and friends...and charades...best leave that alone. (My mind sometimes is not fit for company!).

 

We also moved the big family get together from Christmas Eve to the Sunday before Christmas and hit Speers Point Park. What a great move and hopefully a new tradition.

I caught up with V, N, & C for our Christmas get together, drinks, then a meal at Heng Leong, our new fave Chinese in the old Wallsend Library.

 

Just as I was doing well, I fell over very badly the Monday before Christmas, but my good friend C rescued me and made me go into Merewether Baths for a cleansing night swim. And it worked, I cannot speak highly enough of a night swim or my beautiful friend C!!

I spent Christmas Eve at my sister's property, eating seafood, drinking cocktails, and enjoying the serenity, in the belly on my family. Who has time for the sads?

Christmas day was a full day of family, friends, food, laughter, excitement, napping, and presents.

My birthday was an overwhelming display of love from all the important people in my life. C and I took my nephew to see The Hobbit. Big movie releases are a birthday tradition. We loved the movie, sure there were added bits and it was a little too long, but you know it's the end of an era. Cate Blanchett was outstanding. Then family dinner with my predictable fare of Pork Belly followed by cheesecake. You gotta have your faves on your birthday.

Since then I have been relaxing, feeling great, and just enjoying my little break from work.

M took me out for a belated birthday dinner, I had another birthday morning tea with S, caught up with L in the park, enjoyed the sunshine out and about in Newcastle, and headed off to Wangi for a little spirituality, massage, and soul cleansing...as you do!

I feel ready to head out to an event for NYE, my first NYE out and about in many years. I usually stay at home by myself, feast on seafood, watch movies and think about the NY. I am headed to a lovely event at The Landing with J and L, I will be drinking (I am usually the driver) and I will be dressed up....so look out!!!!!

 

Tomorrow I will work on my thoughts about 2014 (that will be interesting, it's been a crazy mixed up year...good and bad!) and my hopes for 2015. 

In the meantime.... Happy New Year!!!

Finally, here is the link to all I read, listened to and watched in December.

And as always, a few extra photos:

NOVEMBER ROUND UP

As always November begins with my bil, M's birthday. We celebrated with a lunch at Raymond Terrace Bowling Club this year, and we all had a good club lunch with laughter and love.

 

I also had the extreme pleasure of seeing Julia Gillard on her book tour, with A, B, J, & L, and we indulged in an awesome meal after at Saigon Feast.

 

The charismatic C helped me begin my holidays in style at Caves Beach Hotel with the usual laughter and world solving.

 

And then I flew to Melbourne for a week of brilliantness.

The second week of my break was a bit more laid back, lunching with J at Bella Beans, and D at Hippo Express, attending the ABC Rally, shopping in the mall, seeing the Anne Frank exhibit, finally attending the Wed night markets, last book club of the year, and buying a new dining setting after 18 months of looking.

C & I also had a wonderful night out for her birthday at Casa de Loco and Grain Store. And I caught up with R & R for our usual Christmas lunch at Murray's Beach Cafe.

My last holiday 'job' was to decorate my place for Christmas.

Newcastle was in for a treat the night of the 28th, with the fantabulous Skywhale in town for one night only. A and I were also heading to see William McInnes at Newcastle Library, and he had the audience in the palm of his hands with his wonderful, witty, and poignant stories of holidaying as a kid. What a performer, what an entertainer, and what a comedian. We laughed till we cried and umm snorted (that would be me). I was also lucky enough to meet the man himself prior to the talk, he was funny and lovely and very swoon worthy. Thanks to the lovely J for making that happen. And so we joined our friends and their families to see if the magnificent beast would rise, she sort of did, but not for long. But it didn't dampen the spirit of the night, one of the most remarkable nights I have seen in Newcastle for a long time.

After such a rough month in October, I felt like I was on the mend (as it were) in November and I slowly started to feel better only to have a few things punch me in the guts late in the month. Thankfully I was mending and I wasn't knocked down for long, but the journey with the mean reds still continues. Which is a concern at this time of the year.

 

But as always I remain hopeful, cause what else is there if not hope.

 

Here are my reviews for November, being on holidays meant I got through a lot more than usual.

 

And some photography...

 

LOVE YOUR AUNTY

The ABC - what can be written that hasn't been written before!?!

I guess I can only give my personal experience, which started when I was very young.

I grew up on ABC comedy - Norman Gunston, Fawlty Towers, The Young Ones, The Big Gig, Ab Fab, The Late Show, Frontline, Blackadder, The Chaser just to name a small handful. Homegrown and from overseas. ABC knew what was quality.

ABC also produced my beloved Andrew Denton, national treasure and hero to all Australian geeks.

And great drama and documentaries. Hello Colin Firth in THAT shirt in THAT pond in Pride and Prejudice. Early classical yearnings with Derek Jacobi in I Claudius. Attenborough documentaries. Doctor Who. Redfern Now. Again, too much to even begin listing.

And then there was music: Rage, Rock Arena, and my beloved Countdown.

There is a line in Seinfeld where Elaine says to Jerry, "All your knowledge of high culture comes from Bugs Bunny cartoons." Well, all MY knowledge of any culture comes from ABC.

As I got older I tuned more into news and current affairs programs, ever since news interested me I have ONLY EVER retrieved it from ABC. To me their commitment to truth and transparency is not only the singular way one should receive news but the gold standard.

And in the last decade or so, I have tuned into ABC radio. Local ABC radio and learnt more from the fabulous commentaries by fabulous commentators. People who seemed like my friends, and certainly felt like family, and some even became my friends.

1233 Newcastle is more than valuable to our region, they ARE Newcastle (and The Hunter). They inform and entertain us - in good times and in bad.

I really do not think anyone can mention the horrific Pasha Bulker Storm weekend without simultaneously thinking of 1233 ABC. Stunning work around the clock by dedicated professionals.

Everyone that works there, the names and faces we know well, the ones we hear about, and those that tirelessly work behind the scenes ensuring we the listeners get our radio delivered in that professional way...they are all superb, considerate human beings.

And so these cuts to ABC in general and specifically to Newcastle are beyond devastating. There's nothing I can say about that, that others have not said before me. I'm gutted and cranky!

But let me add my own extra personal spin on it.

Over the past few years I have had the absolute pleasure to work with some 1233 ABC staff and their kindness and knowledge and generosity and supreme professionalism have consistently blown my mind. I want to thank them here, and pay homage to their skills and assistance.

I guess this means I am going to single out a few people, which I am loathe to do, when really 1233 ABC are a team of people who work beautifully together.

Sophie Elinor has written a superb piece about those who did loose their jobs, please read it here.

My first experience with 1233 ABC was roving reporter, Anthony Scully, heading out to my library to do an interview and report on a youth art collaboration my team had completed with the local high school. I was nervous, this was my first experience with being interviewed, but Anthony was so laid back and cool about the whole thing I soon forgot what we were doing would even go on the radio. It was great exposure for my library and for my team and the community. I will always be eternally grateful. This is the kind of thing 1233 ABC does ALL the time.

Years later I got to know Anthony through Twitter and his new project ABC Open. He came out to do a workshop on the 500 Words Project. This project gives a voice to anyone in the community and allows them to publish online autobiographical pieces on a particular subject. I gathered a group of locals I thought would be interested in the workshop and joined in myself. What a blast, so much so I have continued with the project monthly for the past two years. During this time Anthony has been an awesome mentor and a friend, helping promote the project and assisting me with the group.

The project also produced a superstar in my beloved borrower, James 'Doug' Cunningham (a few months off 98 at present), and Anthony championed him as I knew he would. This is what 1233 ABC does!

This is the short film Anthony shot in Swansea Library with the group and Doug a few years back.

Some of our group also were selected to read a story each at last years Newcastle Writer's Festival, what a thrill and a privilege. And all due to 1233 ABC. So to Anthony and to Bronwyn Purvis (who filled in for Anthony some months back) I consider you friends and colleagues, and I am eternally grateful for your assistance and kindness.

I have also had the pleasure of 'working' briefly with Jenny Marchant and Sophie Elinor on the most wonderful Treasure Hunter...a right of passage for all Novocastrians. If you don't know Treasure Hunter, shame on you!! It's an entertaining program produced every Saturday between 10am and 12noon, where two people in the studio try to solve cryptic clues (along with the valuable 1233 ABC listeners and staff in the ABC car) that take you all over the Hunter looking for 'treasure'. And so some months back I got 'hoodwinked' into joining my friend Robert LIVE on air. I was so nervous but ended up having a blast due to the professionalism and friendliness of Jenny and Sophie, and of course the knowledge of Robert and the wonderful 1233 ABC listeners.

And finally I don't even have words that describe how I feel for the beautiful, intelligent, and talented Carol Duncan. Carol is an engaging and charismatic announcer I have had the pleasure of listening to for many years. When I joined Twitter she was someone I followed, and I never thought for a minute we would become friends, but life is funny and strange and wonderful like that sometimes. I followed her because she had an excellent grasp on social media and I felt I could learn something. In my own vocation it was obvious social media was the place to be and who to learn from but people who really knew their stuff. And Carol Duncan really knew her stuff!!!

And so one afternoon, Carol tweeted and I replied and she replied back! Gobsmacked, that golden voice took time to type something to ME! I shouldn't have been so surprised, this is what Carol does best.

Sidebar: As I am typing this, Carol is making friends online with someone who is a friend of a friend of mine in Melbourne, and saying well Michael is a friend of Cathy's and she's my friend!!! This is why we love you Carol (and Twitter!!!)

And so the conversations continued, and through Carol (and another lovely Tweep, Sarah) I made some of the very best friends I have ever had in my life. And of course got to meet her in person, and she is even lovelier than she is on air. The first time I met Carol, she gave me a present of her amazing honey...who does that!?! Through Carol and other tweeps I was introduced to Anita Heiss and managed an author tour with her earlier this year and Carol jumped at the chance to assist me and officially launch Anita's book.  Carol has even interviewed me on air about the Bruce Springsteen concert. And she has always been an avid supporter of public libraries, for that I am eternally grateful.

But mostly she has been a friend, and one I cherish and adore. And she is always there to listen and offer advice or a hug - she gives the most amazing hugs, even when she is going through crap herself she will always put others first. We have all seen that this week, when going through such a dark period in her life, when others would run for the covers, she spends her days being interviewed by the masses and becomes, unintentionally, the face of ABC cuts. I know her family, her husband and her two remarkable boys, and they are hurting for her as we all are. But she is a strong, independent woman and she will go far.

And yet she starts this up, a project, Love Your Aunty, for the 'fallen' 400 to place their names and skills on a database and hopefully gain employment. Bloody hell, if that is not Saintliness I don't know what is!

I think what I will miss the most about my friend Carol on air is her Friday afternoon music show. All her interviews and insights are divine, but her knowledge and love of music is superb. She champions local musicians of all types and allows them to share her airwaves and showcase their talent. This is almost unheard of elsewhere and now will be gone, shameful and upsetting. But her legacy will live on in those she assisted. She should be so proud of all she has achieved at 1233 ABC, because I was proud to listen to her way before I knew her personally, and like everyone else this week my heart was breaking for her loss.

I could go on but this post is already much longer than I intended. I also know there are a zillion television programs I have omitted above, trust me, I've seen anything seminal or important or indie or cult that ABC has ever produced, I just didn't want this to be a list of TV.

So what can we learn from this or do to help?

Vote with caution and consideration (thank god I always have, but sometimes even that is not enough), praise your local ABC wherever you are and complain long and hard!

I attended the Newcastle rally a few weeks back but was unable to attend the Sydney one or the one at 1233 ABC studios last week. If any more of these are organised, I feel it is our civic duty to attend them if possible.

You can write to your local member or email: 
Radio.feedback@abc.net.au

And you can lodge a complaint here: http://www.abc.net.au/contact/complain.htm  

And most of all, as Carol Duncan says, Love Your Aunty!!!!!!!