From little things big things grow …

So … with our new ramp came some new plants.

They arrived last week and they’ve now been planted. We chose to plant herbs, so that they become a community resource once they’re established. When they’ve grown you’re most welcome to pop past and cut some for your pasta sauce or roast! There’s lots of thyme and oregano across the front. Mint behind the ramp at the back. A patch of sage and tarragon under the blackboard sign. And some rosemary under the windows.

And then some nice smelly things like lavender and lemony geraniums - to cheer us up as we walk into work each day!

A little patch of Vietnamese mint near the book library!

We were recently the recipient of a placemaking grant from Darebin Council and I am personally pretty excited about this because it brings together my first professional job (urban planning) with my current role (community development).

Placemaking is both a process and a philosophy of urban design that capitalises on a local community's assets and potential. Placemaking involves deliberate interventions that enhance the urban experience at the pedestrian scale - to create public spaces that promote health, happiness, and well-being.

Exactly the sorts of lofty things we’re all seeking in these unsettling times right?

To understand what placemaking means in reality you could think about some of the physical changes we’ve made around ACC in the last few years … and how those changes impact on your perception of the space, your sense of belonging to it, and by extension to the organisation itself.

This new Council funded placemaking project that we’re embarking upon is a small scale portable venture - but not a solo undertaking. It is a collaboration with Darebin Libraries and also with Fairfield Bookshop.

And this week we (read Lee) got stuck into turning our idea into reality. By the end of next week phase one should be complete, and we hope to be ready to launch ‘it’ on the street … that street being Station Street in the first instance.

So keep your eyes peeled! We’ll keep you updated on the progress and we’ll provide more details soon.

Plywood, books and sticky notes … what will it all become?

Selling masks, wearing masks … giving away our posters! Practising smiling with my eyes.

Good morning. Leanne here.

What a week! I have been living and breathing all things masks, organising people to make more of them, selling them, testing different styles and whether I can ACTUALLY TALK in them without them falling down… trying to buy elastic!!*

It’s a whole new world isn’t it … the first day I wore one I felt quite claustrophobic, but each day I have been building up my tolerance and by Wednesday I wore one for quite a few hours without noticing too much - and walked the kilometre too and from work with one on without worrying about it.

And … at one point I actually forgot that I was wearing a mask … and I attempted to drink my coffee through it. Luckily I remembered at the last minute. Because it would have been a classic ‘Funniest Home Videos’ moment.

At ACC we have made (with the help of Alphington CWA and members of our Community Craft group) and distributed over 180 masks in the last few days. There are still some people who have contacted us whose orders we haven’t yet been able to fill - but rest assured we are attempting to help everyone out! We’ll be in contact as soon as we have stock available.

If you are having trouble accessing a mask at this stage don’t worry too much, remember you can wear a scarf over your face.

My husband, who is very sad not to be going skiing this year, has got out his synthetic skiing neckwarmer-tube-scarf-thing, and is pulling that up over his mouth and nose (I think he’s imagining that he’s on the lifts in the icy wind and snow at Falls instead of in the IGA on Station Street!)

So just be creative!

Or … there’s the no sew option using a sock that’s popped up in various forms in my Facebook feed. I tried it with one of the kids old socks - it was super easy to make. Only one layer, so probably not a great long term option, but an adequate and simple gap filler. I showed my gorgeous children what I had done and they were horrified that I was wearing one of their old school socks on my face. My middle child told me to ‘take a look in the mirror Mum and rethink your decision’ - I laughed and laughed! It was pretty gross. Perhaps I need to get out the Napisan more often …

* If you have any spare elastic lurking in the back of your cupboard that you don’t need please let us know … we can put it to good good use!

Jill modelling the CWA masks - thanks Jill!

Our Community Shed has not just had an external makeover, but it has also had an internal makeover in the last couple of weeks. Getting things away so that surfaces can be cleaned down after use has been motivation to find a home for every last nut, bolt and screw.

We’re super pleased with the outcome. We look forward to resuming our Women in the Shed program on Tuesdays (with 2 sessions, one running from 9.30am-12.30pm and the second running from 1-4pm) and our Men in the Shed program, running from 12-3pm on Thursdays when we can.

Hi Leanne here.

It’s a bit of a tough gig isn’t it? Going back into hibernation.

But … for anyone who doesn’t know

1. People in our immediate neighbourhood have COVID19 (despite being super careful)

2. It’s super catchy (see above).

So don’t be in any doubt that community transmission is now happening right here - and take extra care.

I know it is a bit daunting, but in the end I think helpful to honestly acknowledge our reality and to also recognise that this is not something someone else will or can fix for us.

It really is going to need our individual and collective goodwill and action (or inaction as it may be), along with our kindness, understanding, good humour, resilience, flexibility, patience and love to get through this - in terms of our own (and our community’s) physical and mental health.

So I am trying to remember to take it easy on myself and others, to not react, to trust that everyone is likely as worried and antsy as I am, and to have faith that like me, everyone is doing their best in unchartered waters.

Obviously ACC will not be physically open in the next few weeks, but we will be here sharing these crazy times, thinking about and actioning ways we can keep connected - together but apart. And we’ll be posting daily on Instagram and Facebook (trying to ensure our posts are generally a bit more upbeat than this one). You can also sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via your email inbox if you haven’t already.

If you need support please know we are only a phone call or email away. Just like last time you can contact us if you need practical things like meals or connections into other services, or if you need a one-off chat, a regular phone call … or anything else.

Think of us as your neighbourhood family!

Finally I thought I would leave you with this quote from stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, which someone else shared on the interwebs recently. Because I agree that stoicism could well be where we’re at.

xx