Last week we had a packed house for Garden the Plate, where we cooked vegetarian Indian dishes - they were really yummy. We had a pea raita, eggplant in coconut and a dry cauliflower curry, with basmati rice. It was excellent.

This week we are making okonomyaki (Japanese vegetable pancakes) - shining a light on cabbage. And we will make some teriyaki prawns and rice as well. Yum. Cooking starts at 11.30am. It usually takes about an hour for the cooking and then we sit down together to eat our creations … and finish up at 1pm. Book in on our website if you are coming along so we can judge numbers.

On Tuesday we have our Op Shop Adventure - you’ll find the details and the booking link the post below. We’d love you to come along. Last time was lots of fun - it was great to see what others were looking for and to compare bargains!

On Wednesday we have our 1st Wednesday Book Club here at night …and the two book clubs on Thursday (day and night). It is now the time of the year for book clubs to choose their reads for next year which is always a bit exciting! Darebin Libraries purchase new sets of books each year to try to ensure that book groups get variety year in and year out.

Speaking of Darebin Libraries, we have a little interactive community thing called Due Back up at Fairfield Library for Adult Learners Week. If you pass the library or an in the library please take a minute or two to fill in a card - a recommendation from you of a ‘book that stayed with you’ and a quick note about something you learnt from it There are some photos in the post below.

Corrin in starting up her Learn to Weave course in the Community Shed from this coming Saturday - if you are interested there are still spots available. It runs from 10am-1pm for 6 weeks and you will learn to weave and make something beautiful in the process - a scarf or the like. Here is he link to find out more and book in.

We also have Maylei back teaching a Spoon Making (whittling) for a one day workshop on Saturday 13 September from 9am-3pm. You can find out more in the post below.

Of course we have our Community Morning on Friday - a great chance for a chat inside or out (Clare will be busy in the garden with Jenny and Corrado and our garden is looking super with all their love and care) followed by lunch at 12pm.

We’d love to see you.

Cheers Leanne

I think we’re back on recovery mode again after the weekend.

I know I definitely need to mop the floors! So that’ll be my first job I think ….

Such a great weekend - lovely to see so many people from the neighbourhood on Friday evening. It seems 5-7pm Friday is a great time to catch people! A good excuse to leave work early perhaps?

Art works (purchased or unsold) can be collected this week anytime we are open (eg. 9am-3.30pm).

This week on the radar we have:

• Garden to Plate on Monday at 11.30am

• Men’s Group on Tuesday at 7pm

• Playgroup and Line Dancing at 10am and Armchair Theatre (1.15pm) on Wednesday and Sound Healing at 7.15pm.

• Crunch on Thursday at 12.30pm and Talking about Life and Death at 1pm

• Community Morning on Friday (gardening, craft etc.) followed by Community Lunch at 12pm.

We also have our next Op Shop Adventure coming up on Tuesday 2 September. Please let us know if you can make it!

Also, check out the post below for photos from the Winter Arts Salon exhibition.

Also also … thanks to everyone who dropped off citrus this week - we have made marmalade, preserved lemons and dried grapefruit slices so far. And lots was sold this weekend so maybe we’ll get another batch going this week?

We look forward to seeing you at ACC soon.

Cheers Leanne

Wow, I think we had over 100 people along on Friday night for the opening of the Winter Arts Salon exhibition - which was just super. We had over 50 artists exhibiting, and hung around 150 works - it was LOTS of work to hang, but the whole place looked amazing.

Thanks to all the artists who person-ed the gallery over the weekend, and everyone who came along. It all felt very neighbourhoodly!

I have included some snaps I took but will make a post with Kalimna’s photos next week!

Lovely to see everyone last week with the resumption of Crunch, Garden to Plate etc.

I (we) hope to see more of you this week!

Please note that Kalimna will be out of the office on Tuesday this week - and I have an exciting afternoon - attending a ceremony on behalf of Friends of Baucau - 26 friendship groups will be awarded the Order of Timor-Leste by President Jose Ramos-Horta. You may remember that Darebin Neighbourhood Houses had the opportunity to travel to Timor-Leste in 2019 with Friends of Baucau - and I have been on the committee ever since providing neighbourhood house input.

So … our office will be unattended but please email if you need anything and I will check in.

Our Men’s Breakfast on Saturday had 13 attendees planning to come along which was super for our first one … and I am looking forward to catching up with John this week to see how it went.

A reminder that 2nd Monday Book Club is on tonight, and that Line Dancing and Sound Healing are on Wednesday.

Also that Community Lunch is on Friday.

Finally … lock in Friday 22 August from 5-7pm and join us for the opening of our Winter Arts Salon Exhibition. Drinks and nibbles … and lots of local art! Always fun.

Have a great week.

Cheers Leanne

Hi everyone

Sorry I missed the newsletter last week! I was on an overnight flight from Penang home and after 4.5 weeks of holidays I was a bit vague and forgot to check if we’d put something together or not.

But … I am back now and it has been lovely to catch up with so many of you in the last few days.

And … we’ve got lots starting up this week.

• Monday (today) - Table to Plate. It’s free! Join me from 11.30am-1pm and we’ll cook up seasonal produce (and catch up on life, school holidays etc.) and then sit down and eat together. We’re going to be cooking with lime today - fresh from my (and Julie’s) garden! And using some of the leafy greens that are flourishing in the garden beds at ACC, along with potatoes that we harvested just before the holidays.

• Clare’s Artful Paining and Drawing is starting this week, and Corrin’s Learn to Weave course is also starting up. Look at the bottom our this email, or on our website for their contact details to book in. It’s not too late!

• On Thursday we have Crunch. $15. I will cook lunch, and make you a coffee with a little sweet treat. Lee will lead a fabulous art activity. There is a regular crew of people who are coming now - but new faces are very very welcome. It is friendly, yummy, creative and fun. We hope to see you.

• Friday - Community Morning and Community Lunch. Free. Join us for craft and chats inside and/or join Clare in the garden and community shed for more practical activities (along with chats of course) outside from 10am. Followed by lunch at 12pm.

• Saturday - a new addition! John is running our new Men’s Breakfast. $10. Join him from 8am and cook up a storm together, before sitting down to eat and get to know each other. Suitable for men of all ages - brothers, sons, fathers, uncles, grandpas … You can contact our office to book in or get in touch with John (his details are in the brochure below).

Also, our Winter Salon is coming up very soon - on 22-24 August. We are seeking local artists to be part of the show, so please encourage anyone you know to get in contact with us if they might be keen. There is a form to fill out on our website. It is free to enter. Please not that works need to be for sale. It is always a lovely event - one of the highlights of the year. On the Friday night we’ll have our opening night, with drinks and nibbles from 5-7pm. And then the show will be open on the weekend from 10am-3pm for anyone to drop in. This year local artist Joe will be using The Kiosk for a poetry and movie installation - Lee and I spent last Thursday setting up the space and giving it a trial run - it is going to be super fun!

Okay, so that’s about it I think. Hope all is well with you and look forward to seeing you at ACC soon!

x Leanne