The Good Life: 10 Feb 2020

Hello Good Lifers,

A busy program this week with four guests but for me a most enjoyable one! There are so many interesting events happening up here in our region at present that I can’t keep up with them all or with all the interviews I would like to have!

My first guest was Victoria Lynn, Senior Curator of the brilliant Tarrawarra Gallery & Winery.  One of my favourite venues, there is always so much to see in addition to the always interesting and sometimes challenging, art exhibitions they offer.

Victoria spoke of the final days of their Robert Klippel exhibition, an exhibition of creative works using junk!

She also spoke of the Yalingwa Festival,

The Good Life: 3 Feb 2020

Hello Good Lifers,

It was an easy program for me last week with an hour of music provided by studio guest musicians, followed by an hour of chat with Clare Calvet, book reviewer for The Good Life.

Ruth da Silva and Bernd Markworth have been making music together for another 9 years, although before that Bernd had already been performing in popular venues for many years.

Ruth is very much a “local” and is probably as well known for her delicious range of gourmet preserves & fudges as for her music.  (Keep an eye out for her Enchanted Cottage range in speciality stores and no doubt you have enjoyed her products in some of our popular local restaurants which she supplies.)

They describe their music as Country Rock and

The Good Life: 27 Jan 2020

Hello Good Lifers,

After a week of trying to organise interviews, a challenge at this time of year, especially for a holiday Monday…. I was pleased to have two guests lined up,  – Victoria Lynn from Tarrawarra Art Gallery in Healesville and our own ‘local hero’, Gavin Smith AKA Mr Soupee!

However, as we know ‘the best laid plans of men & men ….’can prevail and despite making numerous attempts to contact Victoria I was unsuccessful and had to give up. (I will he speaking to her in a couple of weeks.)

Fortunately, Gavin arrived early and, as well as his other worthy attributes, he is a great talker and we had no trouble in filling the whole time with a discussion about his activities in our own community and elsewhere, with John contributing to the conversation.

For the past 8 years he has spent virtually every Friday afternoon serving hot soup and snacks to those locals in need of sustenance.  He is generously supported by a number of local food businesses and he expressed his gratitude for their contributions.

Last year,

The Good Life: 20 Jan 2019

Hello Good Lifers,

How are you coping with this wild mad weather?  Melbourne is exceeding its reputation for weird weather over these past couple of weeks! I drove to and from the radio station through dense smog last week and this week through torrential rain.  Coming home the roads were awash and there was gravel and bark and leaves and small branches littered over the roads!

Lost a tree over my own driveway on Sunday but Max (my Knight in Shining Armour!) braved the storm and came to clear it so I could drive my car out to the studio on Monday Thank you, Max!

It is a bit tricky organising interviews at this time of year.. People are away, busy, and living their own ‘good lives’ but I was very pleased to be able to speak with an old friend, John Pinniger, founder of The Heritage Fruits Society and now CEO.  I was an early member and enjoyed my time on the Committee and I do encourage anyone interested

The Good Life: 13 Jan 2020

HELLO GOOD LIFERS,

What a tragic start for a new year and a new decade but it is really heart-warming to read of so many people .. celebrities and everyday folk … who are working so hard to make life better for those who have been affected by these terrible fires.

There are numerous local events being staged to raise funds and if you can assist in any way, please do!  Our talented musicians are contributing so much support at every level and they are all to be congratulated.  I had hoped to speak with the organisers of one of these events on the program this week, but I had not been given a contact number and was unable to Follow through.

I did speak with two women who are extremely active in the community in different but most effective ways!

The first guest was Jeni Nathanielz, a long-term resident of Montrose who is involved in so many projects

GIVE SO THEY CAN LIVE, WORDS & MUSIC BY RAY SMITH

This is the new song Ray has created, inspired by the desperate need of so many just now during our terrible fire season.  Thank you, Ray!

GIVE SO THEY CAN LIVE   WORDS & MUSIC BY RAY SMITH

We saw the red & angry sky
The distant smoke so grey
And every farmer asking why
His world is suffering today
We saw the pictures on the tele
Helplessness and tears
We saw the politicians daily
Never calmed our fears

The Good Life: 6 Jan 2020

Hello Good Lifers,

A sad week to start this year’s programs, but I feel books and music did offer as close to a respite as we could manage!  Recriminations are flying but this is the time for us to get together and help in any way we can and to leave the ‘blame game’ until after the crisis eases.

As always, I have been delving into my books for comfort and it was a great pleasure to be able to chat yesterday with our book reviewer, Clare Calvet. She always has an interesting range of books to suggest and yesterday was no exception.  She has left me with a list of “Must reads” for my own pleasure!

Food styling ice cream

My culinary past is catching up with me….

A friend of a friend on FB was oraising his new icecream machine and wonderful creations he was able to make.  Several people asked if he could recommend a recipe book & to my  amazement he suggested Ann Creber’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Recipes was the best he had ever found and still uses all the time!!!

I think it was the very  first cookbook I ever did and was embarrassed to come across my copy a while ago and see how hideously over-propped it was!

 

The Good Life: 31 Dec 2018

Hello Good Lifers,

It is a sad note on which to start a new year and a new decade, but I feel that as well as wishing you all the best for 2020 we must also acknowledge the sadness and regret we must all be feeling as we hear and read of the terrible fires and the heartbreak and hardship they are causing so many people. The tragic loss of animal wildlife is horrifying and I am sure it makes all we who live in a dangerous fire zone be extra vigilant and careful about everything we do.

The program this week was very relaxed with only one interview, lots of music and some chat!

My guest was the well-known and very fondly regarded Melbourne singer we knew as Debbie Byrne

HOLIDAY READING

As many of you know a regular guest on my program is Clare Calvet. Clare has a book shop in Sydney and is an ABC book reviewer. Here is her list of recommendations for Summer reading.

………………………

Short Stories

Classics such as The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor
Raymond Carver
Nine Stories by J.D.Salinger
Modern 2018 / 2019
Zebra and Other Stories by Debra Adelaide – Pan Macmillan Australia. Exquisite language Perhaps, try Adelaide’s new release “ The Innocent Reader – Reflections in Reading and Writing” ( non – fiction) Picador
Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin
The Memory Pool by Therese Spruhan( Aust)
Anton Chekhov short stories
A Constant Hum by Alice Bishop (Aust)
Also Alice Munro and Ottessa Moshfegh  Chris Womersley – (Aust)