2020 - THE YEAR IN REVIEW

My first Post for 2020

Faith is not Knowing what the Future Holds

But Knowing Who Holds the Future

Little did we know what was about to Happen!

January

Bushfires that Started last September joined in a Maelstrom

Dust Storms and Massive Hail Stones in One Day

The World watched Us in horror - 

and the Word "Unprecedented" made it's first appearance.

February

Keeping Busy I started a New Quilt 

and got a lesson in Colour Theory from DS#2 in the process

March

"All Hell Broke Loose"

We learnt new words and Terms

COVID-19, Isolation, WFH (Work From Home), Quarantine, PPE

We cleaned and Sanitised and Stayed at Home

and Games Like This were not Funny anymore!

April

Lock-down, New Normal and Social/Spatial Distancing 

became the Catch Phrases this month

as we came to terms with an Enemy we couldn't see.

Shopping Centres became Ghost Towns and Bears appeared in Windows 

and we found a way to "Be Together But Still Apart"

And while this was all going on around us - Life at Home continued

DS#2 Became the Proud owner of his First Home.

May

A Little respite from those that were Working & Studying from Home 

came with the opportunity to paint DS#2's Townhouse.  

We could "Socially Isolate" and get something done at the same time.

June

With the Cruel and Illegal Actions of One Man, The World had had Enough

Black Lives Matter Rallies erupted across the Planet.

And here?

DS#2 & DIL2B moved out of Home - 

Leaving it a feeling Little Empty.

July

Back in Lock-down? 

We rode the wave, had a brief reprieve but then got complacent.

Tougher measures were needed to Get Through This.

All of Greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire are into Stage 3 restrictions.

And when we were "ALMOST OUT" of the month - 

Melbourne Spiked and we were placed in even stricter Lock-down STAGE 4.

Life at Home got Interesting with a Fire next Door to Our DD

There was a point where all Pets and Important Stuff 

were packed and ready to evacuate.

August

Leaving the Problems of the World aside for a few minutes

We Celebrated - August for Us has SIX Birthdays

DS#1 & #2 Had a Socially Isolated 30th on the 8th

and the night before...

 a 7th Birthday was added to the Calendar 

Welcome (at last) Our First Grandchild

Ada Ashlyn

(Taking very much after her Dad!)

September

September saw us not being able to travel anywhere further than 

5 km from home 

so it was the perfect time to finish a 12 year old UFO.

Scrapbooking my way through memories of Our Great SA Adventure.

October

October was a time to quietly Celebrate - 

Lockdown was successful and Cafe's Re-opened.

And we recorded our First "Donut Day" of Zero infections.

At home we were still trying to plan a Wedding 

when No Weddings were permitted!

I spent the month making Texas Bluebonnets and Yellow Roses for their Cake.

November

Too much happened in November for just one Photo

We Reached the wonderful milestone of  28 Days "Covid Free" status.

DS#2 and his Bride Tied the Knot in an intimate (Livestreamed) Ceremony

at the Botanic Gardens with a backdrop of our Beautiful City.

Granddaughter Number 2 (Hazel Mae)

decided to arrive 

3 weeks early just hours after the Wedding.

December

Saw us returning to a new Normal.

We Celebrated Christmas with our next Generation.

And looked forward to a brighter New Year.

* * *

And on the last Day of the Year

 Our Covid-Free run lasted 61 Days before an infected traveller returned home 

from NSW without going into Quarantine. 

Spreading the Virus to others 

and sending us back into restrictions.

We knew it was not gone. 

How we deal with it will define us as a Community.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing my part of the World this year.

I Pray you all Keep Safe and I will 'see you again' in 2021

'tis the Season

Christmas this year has been different for many.

For us - we are fortunate to not be separated from our Immediate Family and this year marked many Firsts as we Celebrated the Birth of Our Lord.

First as Grandparents - to watch Our Children now enjoy their First Christmas as Parents

First time to host Christmas 

and "Play Santa" in his new Home.

and for us - 

Our First Christmas as 

"Empty Nesters"

Just us and the Cat

(who we suspect may have something to do with the Tree ending up on the floor....)

This Christmas will certainly be one to Remember!

"Merry Christmas Everyone".

So along came a Mystery

A bit of background to the story.

Way back in September, when Lockdown 4 was a thing... I decided I needed a distraction from all things COVID and Wedding and Babies.

And what should land in my inbox but "Jemima's Quilt Mystery".  I like Mysteries - they take me out of my comfort zone and challenge me to do new things.

I have pondered about and dabbled with EPP/Hexies for a bit over the years and never settled on something "Serious".   

So here I go, dive in and commit to "Not quite your Grandmother's Flower Garden" project.

First hurdle that I stumbled at was that None of my fabrics met the brief! 

I could not find any fabric that looked good together in 'Colour' and also met the Light, Med-Light, Med-Dark, Dark values when looked at in Grey scale.

I even refolded and colour sorted the ENTIRE fabric stash.

 
DH helping with some extra shelves in the cupboards to "Make look Good". 

It all looks lovely but no joy on the brief.

I sent out an SOS to an online Quilt shop for help and unfortunately the fabric still hasn't turned up. 

So when lockdown ended I went shopping at a (B&M) Quilt Shop where we spent 2 hours choosing the right Value fabrics.

Here I am, 

Starting 5 Clues behind 

and questioning my sanity once again.

HM Prison Pentridge - A New Chapter

 I have lived in the shadows of it's walls all my life.

I remember, as a Child seeing Armed Guards keeping watch from these very turrets.

Built 1858, Its stood here for 100 years before I was born.

It never worried me

I remember when Razor Wire was atop every Bluestone Wall.

I remember hearing the sound of Rocks being broken as Men served "Hard Labour"

I remember hearing the Bell Toll in 1967 for Ronald Ryan. 
The last person to be executed in Australia.

As a Young Law Student, My DH visited here while it was a working Prison.

He said it was oppressive and was very glad to leave.

Her Majesties Prison Pentridge, affectionately known by the Locals as the "Bluestone College" closed on 1 May 1997.

In the intervening years, there has been Archaeological work carried out - removing the Buried remains of Infamous Bushranger Ned Kelly as well as Ronald Ryan.  

Uncovering Historically significant exercise yards called Panopticons.

The Heritage Walls and Significant buildings remain - as do many of the Roses. 

Planted and tended by Prisoners long ago.

Today the Imposing Gates of the Main Entrance are Open.

All may pass through under the Clock tower.

I was told recently that "It Looks like No Prison I have ever seen - I am from Spain, This is a Castle, and I feel Safe here"

I am sure the inmates would not have shared her sentiments!

Today there stands Restored buildings and beautiful Open spaces.

This is the Prison Warders Residence with Wall capping making up the retaining wall for the lawn.

Today there is the sound of Children enjoying a Playground just meters from the infamous Panopticon exercise yard.

People now freely call Pentridge Home.

Today, they acknowledge the Traditional Wurundjeri Woi wurrung  People as well as Prison's history.

While welcoming us into Melbourne's newest Shopping and Cinema Precinct.

It is not a big Shopping Centre - more like a Boutique Arcade.

There are still shops to open and we are eager to see what else will come.

But in the meantime -

For me, It has ALL the necessities.

Coffee and a Black Forest Éclair from the French Patisserie anyone?

I wonder what the Prisoners of 1858 would think of it?

Marvellous Melbourne.

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show in collaboration with Melbourne Polytechnic is proud to partner with the City of Melbourne to bring 'URBAN BLOOMS' to life.

Yesterday was the last day to see the Floral installations which dotted the City Landmarks, Laneways and Boulevards.

 

I started at the Old Treasury Building.

  
Where we were invited to take a "Walk down the Garden Path".  

As a temporary Art Installation it was well done - As an Idea for a small Garden, it was Brilliant!

Further down Collins Street entitled "Lights, Camera, Action", was the Red Carpet of thousands of Roses at the Regent Theatre. 

Moulin Rouge is set to Open here in the New Year.

I stopped by the Town Hall. 

Although not on the List of installations - It has it's own gorgeous permanent display of Delphiniums, Salvias and Foxgloves.

Next on my List - 

Our Iconic Flinders Street Station.

This one is called "The Arch of Resilience"

I wish I could have seen it when it was fresh, today it looked rather sad in the 35℃ heat.

Across Princes Bridge to the Art Centre where the Garden filled with Gerberas Called "Checked Reflection" sits under the shadow of the Art Centre Spire.

The artist stated that the installation which will change and grow over the Week, works to highlight the growth that Melbourne needs to do as a Community post Lockdown to come back stronger than before.

'Bringing Colour to Life' celebrated the Journey of Flowers from Farm to Florist.  

A kaleidoscope of Colour had the Evan Walker Bridge blooming into a field of Chrysanthemums. Representing the pathway back to the Colourful and Cultural Events for which Melbourne is renowned.

Overhead in Degraves Street hung an Ominous Cloud.

"Perfect Storm" represents Melbourne's temperamental Weather through a Cumulous of Floral Clouds.

I left this display and headed off to the GPO in Bourke Street.  I didn't quite get there, along with many more on my list. Just one morning was not enough time to see them all.

I was distracted by...

The Myer Christmas Windows.

I am anticipating another trip to Town on Christmas Eve when I hope to get a better look at the Windows entitled "Christmas Uncancelled".

28 Days and Counting.

 We Did It!

Well Done Melbourne, Well done Victoria!

We have watched the Graphs - We have been obsessed with Statistics.
Never before have People been so enthusiastic about Zeros

Never before have Donuts been so popular!

0 - New Infections

0 - Active Cases

0 - Deaths

0 - Rolling 14 Day Average

And Today we marked 28 Days of no new cases, 
making Victoria now "Covid-Free"

It has been hard.  It has been inconvenient, 

but We as a Community have pulled together to achieve this.  

From 725 Daily Active Cases on July 30 to "Elimination" in just 4 months! 

Personally - I am SO over Hand Sanitizer and Facemasks but I will do whatever has to be done to keep my Family and my Community Safe.

We are not so Naïve as to think this has gone for good.  It hasn't, and until we have an effective Vaccine, there will be outbreaks that will need to be contained.

But for now, we can start to take tentative steps to a Covid-Normal.