Who flew over the Yarra River in a turquoise Elvis Presley suit?

Ciao Team Dusty!

Here we are in autumn, the season that brings a kaleidoscope of colourful reds, oranges and golden yellow to Melbourne. At the last Friday Writers’ meeting I attended, we had a charming view of a tree-lined street. By our next meeting, the vibrant green leaves on those trees will have changed to the spectacular golden hues of autumn.

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Have you ever gone bandicooting?

Ciao Team Dusty!

Summer arrived in Melbourne on a cold wet day and little changed weatherwise until  mid November. Melbourne weather is famous for its unpredictability. We often complain that we have four seasons in one day. But this summer, the weather has been particularly topsy-turvy. We have had short bursts of hot summer days but the weather, for the most part, goes from one extreme to the other. We have just had dangerously hot weather that caused several bushfires.
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Our summer season might arrive in autumn!

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Do crocodiles really like to eat Irishmen?

Ciao Team Dusty!

The spring racing carnival (including the Melbourne Cup) has come and gone; now here in Victoria (and most other states) we are heading into summer. It seems odd because the last couple of months in Melbourne have been more wintry than springlike. Sometimes I think Melbourne almost has a ‘wet’ season like The Top End and Tropical North Queensland. Those places don’t have four seasons. They have to make do with only two: the ‘wet’ (November to April) and the ‘dry’ (May to October). 

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Why is September special for Aussies?

Ciao Team Dusty!

Here in Melbourne, spring has arrived. Blossoms are out. Wattle trees are blooming. The sun is shining and the rain is falling. Our magnificent gardens and parks look their best at this time of year.

The historical romance novella that I told you about in my last email is set in Melbourne in spring, but in 1864. I have just finished writing it after working on it all year. I found it hard going as it was an entirely new genre for me. However, I put my best pen forward to make it a quality story. It has not been officially launched yet but it is available for purchase on Amazon. Here are the details: Lola Chatterley’s Lover by Dame Florence.

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What is Australia's most venomous plant?

Ciao Team Dusty!

Here in Melbourne, we are enduring freezing winter weather, with the occasional sunny day to brighten our outlook. I welcome those sunny days with open arms, yet seeing Melbourne wet with rain, people with umbrellas and water splashing around the trams, gives me a feeling all is well with the world (even when it’s not). I don’t know why that is. Is it because Melbourne in the rain is an iconic image? Or is it nostalgia? (When I first moved to Melbourne as a teenager, the city was cold and wet.)

Are strawberries really strawberries? Or is strawberry simply a ‘barry’?

Ciao Team Dusty!

Here in Melbourne, we are in the last days of autumn which is turning on some beautiful sunny days - albeit after chilly mornings. I am taking advantage of the weather to do lots of walking as well as all the usual exercises I do regularly: yoga postures, yoga breathing, balance and concentration exercises and (occasionally) Zumba for seniors. It was also a glorious autumn day (in March) when, after a great many years, I caught up with my good friend Graeme over lunch by the Yarra River. Melbourne was at her best that day.

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What do Cyclone Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh & Prime Minister Albanese all have in common? 

Find out in the March edition of Team Dusty Gazette. Click on the link below.

                                                         Ciao Team Dusty!

This morning I woke up to 16 degrees. Finally the weather is starting to warm up. The forecasters got it right when they predicted September 2024 would be the coldest in years. In fact, here in Orbost we suffered the coldest spring day in 41 years with a (so-called) high of 9.6° Celsius.

Today, being the first Tuesday in November, is Melbourne Cup Day.  The Cup is a handicap horserace which means each horse is allocated a different weight depending on its age and previous form. This adds a frisson of excitement because  the punters need to try guess which horse will overcome its handicap.  Read More

If someone outside family and friends dares to patronise you by addressing you with an inappropriate term of endearment like 'love', don't let them get away with it. At best it is disrespectful; at worst it is bullying.

People who attempt to belittle others in this way are usually insecure. They want to get a feeling of power and reassure themselves they are worthier than others by deflecting their feelings of inferiority.

This offensive use of endearments is done with the aim, subconscious or otherwise, of diminishing the person being addressed.

Make no mistake about it, speaking to people in this way is a put down. The underlying message is: You are less than I am. We ought not allow these acts of microaggression to go unchallenged.

Often, the perpetrators do not realise they are belittling the person being addressed. THAT is no excuse. The message is the same whether it is at the subconscious level, or the conscious level. If you call it out, you’ll do them a service by raising their self-awareness.

Reject the ‘endearment’ – politely and respectfully — but firmly. For example, you could say in a courteous tone: Please don’t call me love. (Being firm is important. The offender won’t take you seriously otherwise.)

If you find doing this confronting, practise saying it in your head and out loud in the privacy of your home. That way, it will slip off your tongue more easily when the occasion arises.
Be brave!

There may be times when something about the circumstances or the offender may send you a ‘let it go’ vibe. At such times you may choose to exercise your power to be lenient and allow the discourtesy to pass without comment.

Here is a link to my whimsical ditty called Don’t Call Me Love.