A Christmas reveal

At the beginning of this month I teased you with photos of Team Di’s latest collaborative project, and now that Advent has officially arrived I can tell you exactly what it is - a Christmas quilt to decorate the table at the entrance to St Mark’s throughout the festive season.

This is the table where we keep the hymn books ready to give out to folk as they arrive for our Christmas church services, so we hope it makes them smile.

We’re pretty pleased with the way it turned out (but things could get a little ugly if anyone dares to rest a coffee mug on our special quilt!)

Shhhh!! Our quilt has a little secret, but don’t tell anybody - it’s made from a cheater cloth

Di

The Holy Land beckons

Back in May I posted here about the exciting 3 week tour that my husband is leading to Jordan and Israel in February 2012 – “In the Footsteps of Jesus”

It seemed so far away at the time, but with less than 3 months till we fly out our bookings are being finalised in the next couple of weeks.

Tonight we hosted a dinner and information evening for our currently signed-up participants and I must say they are a great bunch, eager to embark on a wonderful adventure together.

This will be the third time I’ve visited Israel and Jordan, and I never tire of it.

If you’d like to come too, just leave a comment below with your email, or email me at dianne.jobbins@gmail.com and I’ll send you the detailed itinerary and costs, as well as a booking form.

Once you’ve walked “in the footsteps of Jesus” you’ll never read the Bible’s stories in the same way again.

 

Di

Ten things I loved about Melbourne (No 9 and 10 … finally!)

9. Chocolate shops! There seemed to be one on every corner.

Lindt

Haigh’s

And Ganache

It was here that, on my final morning in Melbourne, I unashamedly spent all my walking “credits”  - on one wickedly indulgent breakfast.

Couldn’t help myself.  

10. Getting locked up in the City Watch House.

What????!!!????

I was “arrested” for violent and threatening behaviour, and made to stand against a wall while my charge was read out to me.

After dutifully answering every question during my interrogation with “Yes, sergeant” or “No, sergeant” as instructed,  I was put into a small cell fitted with wooden benches, along with five other women. We were left to look at each other in bewilderment as our arresting officer turned the key in the door and walked away.

Nervous giggling for thirty seconds. Then she came back, told us we were being punished for making too much noise, and flicked the light off. Total darkness for another twenty seconds, before our sergeant returned and let us out.

Don’t worry, it was all in fun.

This interactive experience is an optional part of a visit to the Old Melbourne Gaol. Great for those with an adventurous spirit, and very informative too. “Sergeant” Finch played her role as arresting officer superbly, with plenty of ad-libbing and a talent for choosing the best stooges to bounce off.

She told us the history of the now-closed Melbourne Watch House where miscreants were held immediately after being charged, but before being tried. This grim space was the men’s exercise area.

Then there was the padded cell (Do you ever have days like this?).

And finally, the mug shot.

It’s OK, I was grinning on the inside.

Di

Ten things I loved about Melbourne (No 6, 7 and 8)

6. Trees flourishing in the middle of many city streets, making a cool canopy on a warm day.

7. Quaint little pedestrian-only city lanes lined with coffee shops and exclusive boutiques. They’ve come a long way from their humble beginnings as the thoroughfares for garbage and night soil carts, haven’t they   (Too much information?)

8. Gracious and elegant city arcades. 

The most beautiful of all being The Block.

 

One of my most favourite shops was even having a sale – never a bad thing!

I decided against joining the very long queue of hopeful diners outside the Hopetoun Tea Rooms.  No doubt they were enticed by these delicacies that we could only view with our noses pressed to the window.

 

This popular little eatery started its life as a small tea room which was set-up for the Victorian Ladies Work Association in 1891 and named after its founder, Lady Hopetoun, wife of the Governor. You can read its history here.

More soon

Di

Ten things I loved about Melbourne (No 3, 4 and 5)

3. The free City Circle tram. When I was weary and footsore after a day exploring and crisscrossing Melbourne's city lanes and streets (ok there were shops too) this little tram gave me a welcome rest from walking, and showed me some of the (few) places I'd missed :-)

4. Something that's made this novice walker very happy indeed - very few big hills!

5. Patchwork on Central Park at Malvern - 5.72km from South Yarra. How do I know? I walked the whole way there, though I took the lazy way out and caught two trams back. Effie made me feel welcome and I bought a few very pretty Liberty pieces for my stash - as you do :-))

Ten things I loved about Melbourne (1 and 2)

1. The cute rubber ducky theme of The Como, (the hotel where we stayed) right down to the toilet paper!

2. Chapel Street, the shops, the fashions, the cafes and bars, the great buzz, and the elegant facades of the old buildings.

Morning Glory

It was the kind of morning when even that pesky weed, the Convolvulus (aka Morning Glory) looked good enough to photograph.

I was in a pretty relaxed frame of mind too because I was in Melbourne for a couple of days, happily amusing myself while my DH was occupied in meetings.

The sun was getting uncomfortably warm, so I kept to the shaded pathways on my walk into the city through the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. Later in the day the clouds would roll in and a gentle shower of rain would cool things down again.

That's Melbourne, they tell me - four seasons in one day.

Nevertheless, on this sunny morning with my Runkeeper recording my walk and camera in hand I was in my own happy place.

The gardens were looking their very best.

I had a glorious morning! In fact the rest of the day was a winner too, but that can wait till another post.

Di