GOING....................going.........................................gone............................

Make sure you don't miss out!  Subscribe to the new News Feed at:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=AldingaArtsEcoVillageNewsFeed&loc=en_US

Also see the ATTACHED print-out instruction sheet for how to subscribe to both the Village Forum and the new Feed.

110207 Instruction for new News Feed

You thought you’d got rid of me didn’t you! :-) Well, I thought so too! Collectively, however, the Comms team thought one more reminder might be needed from the old Feed about the new service, and so long as this extra Feed is happening, I might as well use it for another important reminder - Elizabeth H:

We really need all the SECOND ROUND votes we can get to determine what is to be done with the Village Savings Fund!
 
Here’s the short list of 6 items for the final round of voting:

1. Combustion heater / wood oven for the future Community House [to be installed in the meantime (together with ceiling insulation) in Sharing Shed]  
2. Commissioned artwork / signage for Village entrance  
3. Two new (reliable, safer) barbeques for the Pizza Oven area 
4. A mulcher for use of all Neighbourhood Groups and villagers
5. Shade for some of the play areas, e.g., the sandpit and one seating area for the parents
6. Keep saving to equip / furnish the Community House

Please send me your votes by email or phone (8556 6892) by 8 pm THIS Saturday 12 February giving:

• Your lot number
• Your first choice (its number in the new list and brief description)
• Your second choice (its number in the new list and brief description)

Please make sure you send in a vote. We’d like the decision to be as representative as possible.

AAEV Library: Get key from Coralie at 15 Yacca or Trevor at 14 Clematis. Library enquiries, or to join Library ‘Key Club’, talk to Coralie on 8556 6751

New News Feed and Community discussion Forum: http://forum.aaev.org.au/

Property Sales and Rentals: http://www.aaev.net/about/sales/index.html
Village Calendar: http://www.aaev.net/calendar/index.html 
Village Magazine: http://www.aaev.net/magazine/index.html 

This is the last News Feed of the current service. After this, the replacement service from the Village Forum “goes live” and to receive it, you need to subscribe.
________________________________

As the service closes, I just want to say how much I have enjoyed being your news editor for the last few years. It has been a great job for getting to know everyone, what’s going on, and lots of interesting information about sustainability, arts, etc. I’m sure there will be times when I will suffer “withdrawal”.

Jane O’Connell is now in harness (??!!) as Comms Coordinator and head of the News moderators team. I will still be maintaining our AAEV.net website for a while yet, while we transition fully to a new website format. So if you have problems with the old site, please let me know by email.

In the meantime, please get subscribed to the new Feed - see Jane’s instructions below and print-out sheet ATTACHED.

And a final thankyou to all those kind and lovely people who have sent us messages of thanks and solidarity. They are appreciated more than you will every know!

Goodbye from your news editor - Elizabeth H
________________________________

Now - TO RECEIVE THE NEW FEED you will need to (re)subscribe:

Go to http://forum.aaev.org.au/  This is an area which we hope will become increasingly important to the Village.  What you see on this page are the areas which are visible to all comers.  The feed will then arrive twice a week as usual.

To subscribe to the feed:  Click on News Feed which will take you the next level down which is How to sign up to Village News via Email.  Follow the instructions you find there.

To post items on the News Feed or to explore those areas of the forum which are only open to members, you will need to register.  Go to: http://forum.aaev.org.au/

Two thirds down the page, you will find a Register button.  After this you will find a standard Agreement for forums such as these.  Having clicked I agree to these terms, you will be taken to a form to complete your preferred login details.  We ask that you use your usual name rather than a nickname.  At the bottom of the page is a code you will need to enter.  This is considered to be only legible by humans rather than computer robots and sometimes humans have problems.  Having entered it correctly, you will be taken to a page which will explain that an activation key will be sent to the email address provided.

The email you receive will give you a record of your login details and a link you need to click on to activate your account.  This will take you back to the forum, where you login.  The Moderators and Administrators will frequently check for new members.  Once they see that you are a Villager (either owner or renter), you will be given access to that part of the forum which is intended for our use only.

We understand that this all seems rather arduous, but we are trying to exclude cyber vandals (whether they be robots or people).

The production of the current News Feed has become increasingly arduous over time, requiring two afternoons per week for its production.  The Comms team has decided that a more self-sufficient approach is required.

To place an item in the Feed: Login to http://forum.aaev.org.au Click on News Feed.  Just under the Moderators names, you will see NEWTOPIC.  Enter the subject of your topic and the text of your post in the box below.  If you are familiar with BBCode and smilies and URLs - feel free.  If that is all gobbledegook - ignore it.

Having composed your message, you can preview the message to see how it will look in the feed. When you are satisfied with it, press submit.  The moderator will then approve the message (unless it doesn't comply with the agreement you made at registration).

There are many other features of the site, so stay and have a look around.

If you are having difficulties please request help (we speak both and Mac and PC) from:
Jane , Lucy or Kevin

Instruction for new News Feed

Don’t forget our regular 2nd-Friday Social and shared meal THIS Friday 11 February, from 6 pm at the Sharing Shed.

BYO drinks, and nibbles, finger foods, and other foods to share.

Just a reminder that our Village Playgroup kicks off for the new term THIS Friday 11 February, 9:30-11:30am at the Sharing Shed

All pre-school kids from 0-4 and grandparents, dads, mums, tea makers and loud nursery rhyme singers are all welcome.

Any questions email Christy Spier or call on 0402 677 502

Just a reminder about the Community Hub Design Workshop THIS Sunday 13 February, 10 am in the Sharing Shed:

All potential community hub designers or design groups are encouraged to attend this first session.

The next step will be to inform potential designers of the expected requirements . All relevant background information will also be provided to anyone interested in championing a particular design.

Enquiries to Kevin Chan - email or 0403 158 231

Hi everyone,
 
Thanks for sending in your first-round votes for use of the Village Savings Fund. We now have a short list of 6 items for the final round of voting. The list is:

1. Combustion heater / wood oven for the future Community House [to be installed in the meantime (together with ceiling insulation) in Sharing Shed]  
2. Commissioned artwork / signage for Village entrance  
3. Two new (reliable, safer) barbeques for the Pizza Oven area 
4. A mulcher for use of all Neighbourhood Groups and villagers
5. Shade for some of the play areas, e.g., the sandpit and one seating area for the parents
6. Keep saving to equip / furnish the Community House

Now, for the final round of voting:  Please send me your votes by email or phone (8556 6892) by 8 pm THIS Saturday 12 February giving:

• Your lot number
• Your first choice (its number in the new list and brief description)
• Your second choice (its number in the new list and brief description)

[If you are interested in how the short list was arrived at, I allocated 2 points for a first choice and 1 point for a second choice. Using the old first-round list the scoring against the list numbers was: (1) 11, (2) 18, (3) 10, (4) 2, (5) 12, (6) 0, (7) 12, (8) 4, (9) 15, (10) 1, (11) 2, (12) 0, (13) 0. There was a clear gap between the six short-listed items and the remainder.]
 
Elizabeth H

Looking for one adult's bike and two children's bikes for an 8 year old and 6 year old - second hand to buy. Contact Liana on 0488 999 614

QS Sealy Posturepedic mattress; good condition.

Phone Ann C on 0419 849 394

A pair of shoes were left on my doorstep recently but they are not mine. Whose are they? :-) Size 40 women's El Natura Lista; dark maroon ankle boots with a heel. Contact Anita P on 7220 5664 or come to 8 Tetragonia Walk.

Just a reminder for those of you wanting to attend THIS Saturday’s 12 February fundraising event at Penney’s Hill for cancer treatment for AAEV resident Kym Pilkington (see ATTACHMENTS):

You can still obtain tickets from Leonie Hick at AAH clinic for only $20. It will be a lot of fun with live music, food, wine and auctions. A lot of our villagers are attending so let’s get along, have some fun and get behind a good cause.
 
There have been amazing donations listed for the live and silent auction including rare releases of original local and International artwork e.g (Dryden, Bridget Olson, Christian Lock, Dale Bromley….),holidays on Kangaroo Island, special reserve local and imported wines, entertainment and catering packages for functions (perfect for this year’s Xmas or corporate events) to name a few.
 
For those of you that aren’t able to attend email Leonie lkh@internode.on.net to have a catalogue of items sent to you and arrange an absentee bid.
 
If anyone has a surplus of fresh home grown vegetables or pickles to put toward catering platters for the night, contact Leonie on 85566226 or email.

110120 KymboChinaJourney

Hi everyone,
Georgia and some of her performance chums have won a grant at Westminster to produce a theatre piece for the Fringe....take a look below and would love it if you could forward to your friends, come along and support them!

Leonie H

*********************************

Hi all,
We're trying to rustle up as many theatre enthusiasts as possible to come out and see our fantastic show 'The Sacred Few' starring Jack Atherton, Daniel Brown, Fiona Chen, Stephanie Cogno, Monica Guilhaus, Georgia Hick, Liam Klenner, Joe Meldrum, Yen Yen Stender, Lara Sveinsson and Jenna Warren in the Adelaide Fringe this year. So save the dates: 28 February to 6 March - 6th March (excl. 2 Mar)

See ATTACHED flyer.
Sacred Few

It's guaranteed to be a great show, and we would love to have you all out to support us. Hope to see you in the crowd!!!

More Information about the show and tickets:
See Fringe guide, tickets at FringeTix,
http://tix.adelaidefringe.com.au/ticketing/EventDetails.aspx?EventGuid=19c79999-4c90-46a7-96b0-a68c4d3f97a6

On Facebook;
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1853165088094&set=a.1853158647933.110003.1209808339&ref=nf#!/event.php?eid=158013914248311

Please help us out and do your friends a favour by spreading the word and sending this on!!

Georgia Hick

Summer is here and what better time to be active in the City of Adelaide and enjoy
all the benefits that physical activity can bring.

The Adelaide City Council, with the support of the Office for Recreation and Sport, is providing an opportunity for city workers to be active with FREE Zumba and FREE group personal training after work in the heart of the City.

See the ATTACHED notice for details:

Active in the City

Sensational news from Leonie H: A croc found in the river Murray - see below:

Thanks to our regular humourists, Malcolm Dispain and John H for the following two “smiles” (ATTACHED):

You just gotta love the Irish!
Gotta love the Irish

Grumpies of the world unite!
Grumpies Unite

Great video of Christie Walk - Must See! Change Media worked with members of the Christie Walk eco-housing project and Urban Ecology Australia to document alternatives about sustainable inner-city living and produce this educational resource about Christie Walk as an example of sustainable urban development. See:
http://vimeo.com/17753806

Thou Shalt Not Breed: Anglicans: The Anglican Church wants Australians to have fewer children and has urged the federal government to scrap the baby bonus and cut immigration. The church has warned that current rates of population growth are unsustainable and potentially out of step with church doctrine - including the eighth commandment, ''Thou shall not steal''. Concerned Christians have been warned that remaining silent ''is little different from supporting further overpopulation and ecological degradation. Read more at:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/thou-shalt-not-breed-anglicans-20100508-ul2f.html

The Art of Rapid Transition - New FREE e-book: We are living in “interesting times”: a debt-fuelled economic crisis, the looming peak and decline of global oil production, and the potential loss of a climate system conducive to stable, flourishing societies. The event behind the book was inspired by the admission by the former Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan that: “I discovered a flaw in the model that I perceived as the critical functioning structure that defines how the world works”. However, there are a range of positive examples, both past and present, which provide a rich source of inspiration for the Great Transition to a new economy. See:
http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/the-art-of-rapid-transition

Has our society become too complex to sustain? What happens if a solar eruption trashes all our global communications? It could happen, says Monbiot. Read more at:
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2010/04/20/an-eruption-of-reality/

Living well on a low footprint - in Tuscany: This is not the 100-Mile diet, it’s the 100-metre diet. It’s lifestyle plus very low impact. Read more at:
http://www.zerofootprintfoundation.org/press/single/living-well-on-a-low-footprint

Living without money: Former teacher Heidemarie Schwermer has lived without money in Germany for 13 years. How does she do it. Read more at:
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article6928744.ece

Express free market principles - Phone in sick: Phoning in sick is the responsible way to participate in a market economy which is unable to register demand for leisure in any other way. To describe it as “fraud” is stretching legal definitions to absurdity. What an interesting idea! Check it out at:
http://www.anxietyculture.com/sick.htm

Green Spaces On City Rooftops - Growing trend: An aerial view of most major Australian cities shows only the occasional green patch, stark against the grey concrete roofs, paths, car parks and bitumen roads. Now gardeners are joining forces with architects to restore greenery to our cities by taking advantage of rooftops. One of the most significant benefits of green roofs is their immediate cooling effect. Read more and see pics at:
http://www.gmagazine.com.au/node/2100/full

“Better than Growth” report launched by ACF: The Australian Conservation Foundation has launched its new report, Better than Growth: The New Economics of Genuine Progress and Quality of Life, a primer for policy innovation. It sets out a path for Australia to transform our economy into one that is truly sustainable. Read more and read the report at:
http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=3040

How Goldman Sachs gambled on starving the world's poor - and won: By now, you probably think your opinion of Goldman Sachs and its swarm of Wall Street allies has rock-bottomed. However, there’s more! It turns out the most destructive of all their recent acts has barely been discussed at all. Mass murder by food speculation is a sad indictment on the moral bankruptcy of these large traders in futures and derivatives. See:
http://johannhari.com/2010/07/02/how-goldman-sachs-gambling-on-starving-the-worlds-poor-and-won

Food Costs At Record High As U.N. Warns Of Volatile Era: Record high global food prices showed no sign of relenting following a rash of catastrophic weather, highlighted by a major U.S. snowstorm and a cyclone in Australia, which could put yet more pressure on prices and spark further unrest around the world. Rough road ahead! Read more at:
http://planetark.org/wen/61100

Herbal weight loss pill warning: People are being warned to stop using a weight loss pill sold over the internet and in Chinese medicine shops. The MHRA has issued a warning about Herbal Flos Lonicerae (Herbal Xenicol). Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12348178

The invisible man: Some great pictures featuring a camouflaged man (or men) standing in each one. They’re pretty hard to see in spite of standing right in front of the camera. Check it out at the following link. Click “vorige” to go forward to the next pic and “volgende” to return to the previous one (it’s Dutch):
http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/2825/nieuws/photoalbum/detail/566087/80417/9/Ziehier-de-onzichtbare-man.dhtml

Chernobyl birds now smaller brained: Birds living around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear accident have 5% smaller brains, an effect directly linked to lingering background radiation. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9387000/9387395.stm

Diabetes and virus link confirmed: Children with Type 1 diabetes are nearly 10 times as likely to also have a viral infection than healthy children, Australian research suggests.
Childhood diabetes has been linked to enteroviruses, which can lead to cold, flu and even meningitis. However the review of 26 existing studies by a group in Australia, published in the BMJ, does not prove that the virus causes diabetes. Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12354032

[Thanks to John H, Cruxcatalyst, ACF & Zero Carbon Futures for the links.]

After this News Feed, there will only be ONE more before this service ceases and the replacement service “goes live.”

To ensure you continue (or start) to receive the Feed via email after next Tuesday, you will need to (re)subscribe:

Go to http://forum.aaev.org.au/  This is an area which we hope will become increasingly important to the Village.  What you see on this page are the areas which are visible to all comers.  The feed will then arrive twice a week as usual.

To subscribe to the feed:  Click on News Feed which will take you the next level down which is How to sign up to Village News via Email.  Follow the instructions you find there.

To post items on the News Feed or to explore those areas of the forum which are only open to members, you will need to register.  Go to: http://forum.aaev.org.au/

Two thirds down the page, you will find a Register button.  After this you will find a standard Agreement for forums such as these.  Having clicked I agree to these terms, you will be taken to a form to complete your preferred login details.  We ask that you use your usual name rather than a nickname.  At the bottom of the page is a code you will need to enter.  This is considered to be only legible by humans rather than computer robots and sometimes humans have problems.  Having entered it correctly, you will be taken to a page which will explain that an activation key will be sent to the email address provided.

The email you receive will give you a record of your login details and a link you need to click on to activate your account.  This will take you back to the forum, where you login.  The Moderators and Administrators will frequently check for new members.  Once they see that you are a Villager (either owner or renter), you will be given access to that part of the forum which is intended for our use only.

We understand that this all seems rather arduous, but we are trying to exclude cyber vandals (whether they be robots or people).

The production of the current News Feed has become increasingly arduous over time, requiring two afternoons per week for its production.  The Comms team has decided that a more self-sufficient approach is required.

To place an item in the Feed: Login to http://forum.aaev.org.au Click on News Feed.  Just under the Moderators names, you will see NEWTOPIC.  Enter the subject of your topic and the text of your post in the box below.  If you are familiar with BBCode and smilies and URLs - feel free.  If that is all gobbledegook - ignore it.

Having composed your message, you can preview the message to see how it will look in the feed. When you are satisfied with it, press submit.  The moderator will then approve the message (unless it doesn't comply with the agreement you made at registration).

There are many other features of the site, so stay and have a look around.

If you are having difficulties please request help (we speak both and Mac and PC) from:
Jane , Lucy, Kevin or Elizabeth

Hi everyone,
 
Votes are coming in well for the first round of voting on use of the Village Savings Fund - but we still need more!

If you haven’t sent me your first and second choices, please do it now and make sure your selections reach me by 8 pm THIS Saturday 5 February so I can get the short list out for final voting in the next News Feed.

Take a look at the following list and email me your first and second choices, giving both a brief description of the item and its number in the list. Also include your lot number (one vote per lot, please). Alternatively, you could phone your selections through on 8556 6892.

Reminder: Bear in mind that this particular savings pot was set up for the following purpose:
 
“The Village Savings Fund is to assist in equipping our community facilities with items which, while not part of the basic built infrastructure, will benefit the greatest possible range of villagers and Village activities.” 

1. Combustion heater / wood oven for the future Community House (to be installed in the meantime, together with ceiling insulation, in the Sharing Shed)
2. Commissioned artwork / signage for Village entrance
3. Two new (reliable, safer) barbeques for the Pizza Oven area
4. Two metal braziers for the Pizza oven patio
5. A mulcher for use of all Neighbourhood Groups and villagers
6. Timber to build a “boat humpy” for Village kids.
7. Shade for some of the play areas, e.g., the sandpit and one seating area for the parents
8. Patio Chess set plus appropriately paved area in central facilities area
9. Keep saving to equip / furnish the Community House
10. Commercial kitchen equipment (e.g., cooker, refrigerator) [Could be supplied by Jacqui G if appropriate space made available.]
11. Patio gas heater for Pizza oven area [One has now been donated by Andy Coe]
12. Contribution to the CFS [Worthy cause but not a good fit to the purpose for which funds have been given by donors]
13. Employing the services of CACET Global to host a seminar ($500) in the village on child protection e.g. identifying sexual predators, online safety, methods for educating children [Worthy cause but not a good fit to the purpose for which funds have been given by donors]

Elizabeth H - 8556 6892

Our Village Playgroup kicks off next Friday

Friday 11 February (and every Friday for the school term)
SHARING SHED - 9:30-11:30am

All pre-school kids from 0-4 are welcome, we will be keeping to the lovely rhythms that Jane Sanderco set in motion last year. A big THANKYOU to her and Amy Vale for setting such a lovely foundation...

Grandparents, dads, mums, tea makers and loud nursery rhyme singers are all welcome.

Any questions email Christy Spier or call on 0402 677 502

A reminder: Cleanup Australia Day - Sunday 6 March - AAEV Willunga Creek Project

We’d like a good Village turnout on the day but volunteers need to register:

To register as a volunteer go to http://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/willunga+creek and follow the prompts. This will ensure you are covered for insurance purposes.

For further information contact Paul Rosser of the NEC - 8557 7483

There were 9 un-named / communal? bins left on Port Road at 5.30pm tonight (Wed 2 Feb) so we stopped and brought them off the road and have left them on one of the commercial lots next to the cottages.

Possibly some members of the 'Trash Team' may have forgotten it was their turn on Monday?

Can we suggest / ask that if other members of the Trash Team or other users of the communal bins see 'their' bins on the road after Monday night, that they please move them back off the road, preferably back into the recycling compound. If any other villager sees these bins, perhaps just bring them off the road to help to keep our village looking beautiful. (Please don't assume that someone else will do it!)

Maybe the 'Bin Boys' might like to help with this occasional service as community work?

Thanks - Jacqui and Toby Good

Does anyone have a 3/4 classical guitar they no longer need? We're looking to buy one before lessons start on Tuesday 8 February.

Chris Worsman  - 0414 900 399

Hello there all Villagers,

Thought I'd take the moment to say that Jay, Jespa, their Dad Darren and I have returned from our 4 week holiday in Europe and had a wonderful time. The children got to visit Euro Disney with their Grandparents (Walter and Nola Van Dam) caught up with all their wonderful cousins, travelled to France in a campervan and went up the Eiffle tower. But after all those experiences there is no place like home. We have now settled  back to work and school, oh, and of course the beach!! See you there no doubt.

Pressure Cooker - I am in need of a pressure cooker; would anyone have one they would like to sell to me? Please call Billie-Joe on 8556 5620

North facing, 3-Bedroom home, large private garden, solar power, rain water, undercover parking & more. Available furnished or unfurnished; no cats or dogs. Aldinga Beach - situated between the Aldinga Community Centre and the Aldinga Medical Centre. Available from mid March 2011

Contact owner - Steve - on (08) 8556 6379

From the past few gatherings there are some good glasses and dishes left in the Shed, including a rectangular blue platter.  Please check to see if you are missing something from your kitchen.

Gillian C

SA Country Arts has assembled a great showcase night of varied entertainment to aid flood victims. Please help fill the theatre and raise as much money as possible:

WHEN: Saturday 19 February, 7:30 pm
WHERE: Hopgood Theatre, Ramsay Place, Noarlunga

Tickets are $15. More information at: http://www.hopgoodtheatre.com.au

Playback Willunga will be holding Auditions on Saturday the 12 February from 2-4pm in St. Lukes hall on St Georges Terrace, Willunga.

We are a professional company that enjoy's performing peoples stories back to them using improvisation, music, voice and fun. We meet every Monday night in the school term to rehearse. So if you're the kind of person who loves to tell a story, this may very well meet your need for keeping the tradition alive!

Please contact Billie-Joe on 8556 5620

The following Term 1 programs at Onkaparinga Youth Services Aldinga, Pridham Boulevard, may be of interest to some of our families - see ATTACHED flyers:

Fun Fresh Fit (FFF) - Active fun for 8-14 year-olds
Thursdays 3:30-5:30 pm starting 10 February

FFF Flyer

Homework Hive - A quiet work space with intensive support for 8-15 year-olds
Tuesdays 3:30-5:30 pm starting 15 February

Homework Hive Term 1

Food Safari - Free 6-week cooking program for 8-12 year-olds; learn to cook meals from other countries.
Mondays from 21 February to 11 April

Food Safari Flyer

Social Enterprise Development and Investment Fund Grants
Applications close 18 February 2011.

This new government program is calling for grant applications. If you would like to check its possibilities, see the ATTACHED guidelines and following link for more info:
http://www.deewr.gov.au/Pages/SEDIF.aspx

SEDIFGuidelines

In a recent News Release entitled “SOUTH AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS NATIONAL FOOD LABELLING REVIEW”, Health Minister John Hill has welcomed the release of the independent Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy final report.

The review was commissioned by the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council and includes 61 recommendations including:
 - The recognition of food labelling has a role to play in preventative health outcomes
 - That mandatory declaration of all trans fatty acids above an agreed threshold be
introduced in the Nutrition Information Panel
 - Energy labelling on the menu/menu boards or in close at vast food outlets and vending machines
 - The introduction of colour-coded traffic light labelling on the front of food packages and at fast food outlets.

See the ATTACHED release for more information:

Food labels

Sandy McCathie, one of our EcoVillage “Friends” group, sent in the ATTACHED beautiful story of the birth of her son Callum. In her message Sandy says:

“Finally, I’ve gotten around to finishing our story of Callum’s birth. Callum is going really well and its lovely having a baby in the house again, I’d forgotten how yummy they are to cuddle, smell, nuzzle etc.
 
So if you’d like to read our birth story and see some pictures see the pdf ATTACHED. I am sending it because I think it’s really important to share the powerful, positive no regrets birth stories that can happen as too often (for so many reasons) it’s not what Australian women / families get to experience. Feel free to circulate to friends  / family you feel would like/benefit from reading it.
 
For those pregnant or knowing people who are, I found that reading books by American midwife Ina May Gaskin (her first book, plus Spiritual Midwifery) were really useful in understanding how important our mind is in labour, how to activate our love hormones and also the importance of relaxing the lower body and welcoming the labour contractions.
 
Xxx - Sandy”
 
Sandy McCathie, Sustainability Consultant - email
ecoSAVVY - Tropical design and sustainability for people living in North Queensland

Birth Story for Callum

If you thought seniors were silly enough to be conned, think again. Thanks to the following little gem contributed by Richard C we now know they’re not so silly at all!

Seniors breakfast special

And how about some funny word games courtesy of the Washington Post and contributed by Sue Wiseman:

Word games

Walking 'boosts memory power’: Walking for 40 minutes a few times a week is enough to preserve memory and keep ageing brains on top form, research shows. Moderate exercise increased the size of the hippocampus, an area of the brain that makes memories, in 120 volunteers. Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12325285

Fifty people who could save the world: Who would you list? See:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/05/activists.ethicalliving

Eco Voice Eco News issue 82 February  2011 now posted at:
http://www.ecovoice.com.au/ 

Making stairs more fun than the escalator? How about a little creative music. See:
http://www.boozemonkey.com/blog.php?user=Matt&blogentry_id=1051 

Best wishes for Lughnasad, Lammas, or Thing-tide on 2 February: Never heard of these terms? How about ‘harvest festival’? Read more at:
http://www.users.on.net/~arachne/Lammas-Brigid2011.html 

[Thanks to Steve P, John H, Kymbo P, Malcolm Dispain and Eco Voice for the links.]