Good news - but I'm having a whinge also...........................

Australia is blessed with a really good climate.

• The only areas where snow is likely to happen out in regional areas and contribute to a great tourism destination - for local and international tourists.
• Cyclones in tropical zones happen a lot less often than in other parts of the world
• Droughts and floods are hazards, of course, but they are balanced by the benefits of living in productive farming areas or beautiful scenery for 95% of the time without these extreme weather conditions.

We also have a LOT of sunshine. Today, in Sydney, in mid-winter, it was about 20 degrees (even warmer yesterday) and there was hardly a cloud in the sky all day. 

So, Australia is perfect country, I'd have thought, to have thought, to have a significant proportion of our energy needs provided by solar power.

Yet, we seem to be so far behind, when compared to other counties.

 OK , less have a break from my whinge to read some GOOD news from the USA.

California USA is often compared to Australia in a number of ways. 

• San Francisco/Sydney as large coastal cities with beautiful harbours and other features
• A dryer/desert inland away from the coast, with beautiful natural features
• LOTS of sunshine

So, when I read today that, earlier this month, solar power plants (that's not including private solar cells on homes and office building, by the way) contributed over half of the power demand in San Francisco during a recent heat wave, I was really impressed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/california-powered-6-million-homes-solar-energy-beats-state-record_us_578f94b3e4b07c722ebd24ec?utm_hp_ref=good-news

Which, i'm afraid, brings me back to my whinge.......................................

WHY NOT HERE???

Villar SIPAG - take a look at what this great organisation can do in a community.

I've been following this organisation for a while now on Facebook and I'm continually impressed by their "Teach a Man to Fish"attitude to supporting their community.

The following is from the 'About Us' page on their website:

Social responsibility is the guiding principle of the Villar Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit organization established in 1995.

Since its inception, Villar Foundation has initiated, implemented, and supported various projects aimed at improving the quality of life of the people in the communities where we live and maintain a business presence.

One of Villar Foundation's earliest programs was 'Pagtatanim Para Sa Kinabukasan', a tree-planting program, to create urban forests in open spaces of subdivisions, residential communities, and schools.

Over the years, its advocacies and beneficiaries have expanded and diversified in order to reach more people and sectors of the society. These include the poor and underprivileged; overseas Filipino workers and their families; the youth; women; the church; the environment among others.

Villar Foundation's programs and projects include (but are not limited to) nutrition caravan (regular feeding programs for schoolchildren); medical and dental missions; river rehabilitation program; religious projects such as building of churches; repatriation of distressed overseas Filipino workers; livelihood and entrepreneurship.

By sharing our resources with the Filipino people who have made possible the success of our endeavors, we shall strive to provide opportunities to the underprivileged and the economically disadvantaged, for them to rise beyond their limitation and pursue meaningful lives as productive members of society.

Ultimately, we envision a healthy, peaceful, decent, and productive life for all Filipinos.

One of their ongoing projects has been to recycle waste plastics and turn them into school chairs - the one with the small attachment that folds up/down to make a desk space. There's a video here about a recent batch of these chairs. https://www.facebook.com/VillarSIPAG/videos/1036223909793440/

75 of them were given to an elementary school on Iloilo. 

And last Friday, another batch were handed over to a school in Las Pinas.

I'm looking forward to reading about more of their good work. The website gives a history etc and is worth a look, if I've piqued your interest :)

http://www.villarsipag.org/

It's been a while, but let's see if we can can get this fired up again :)

Been about 2 years since the last Post and I think I'm ready to start this up again.

The reasons for starting the Blog in the first place haven't changed and I actually find it rather therapeutic and de-stressing to source things and create the posts.

So...........................................................

This young lady deserves a BIG pat on the back.

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/3985846/ali-celebrates-20-years-of-helping-others/?cs=1003

Ali Leate has been working for 20 years in a retirement community in Sylvania. Ali has Downs Syndrome, which, I guess, makes her story even sweeter.

Frankly, I think she deserves to be recognised for 20 years working in an environment where she makes a real difference in the lives of others, many of whom would probably be aged on infirm. Her Downs Sydnrome is worth noting, I guess - but goodonya Ali and all the best for another 20 years :)

Hastings shopping centre - a snapshot of the way the world SHOULD work.

Mum and dad moved (finally!) from their house Dromana to a retirement community in Hastings in early 2012. They agreed very soon after the move that they should have done it about 5 years earlier - but better late than never.

There's no doubt that they couldn't have lived in the old house had they both been as ill as they became, so the move was timely. Mum is there on her own now and I can visit a couple of times a week, comfortable in the knowledge that she has a secure and safe home, surrounded by caring - but not interfering - neighbours. My cousin Elaine lives 10 minutes away - an extra safety-net.

Hasting could well be described as "God's Waiting Room". Go for a walk any weekday through the shopping centre and you won;t have to look our for Hoons On Skateboards - it's Seniors On Scooters you'll see weaving in and out of the pedestrians on Main Street.

Every shop or business we visit recognises this demographic bias in the area and makes sure that they are alert and empathetic to their customer base.

Cafe staff hold the door when they see mum coming (she's an a 4 wheel walker, not an electric scooter) and make sure they find her a table where she has access. They escort her through the back doorway to the WC and make sure she's OK getting back inside on her own.

Banks staff, post office personnel, the wonderful staff at the local pharmacy - all of them go out of their way to help the aging members of the local community. The average age of those in Mum's doctor's waiting room would be 70+ - and that's allowing for kids with their parents all bringing the mean average down.

It stands out to me because I see the opposite when I go to busy shopping areas, whether it be Chadstone or Prahran or the Melbourne CBD. That's why I think Hastings is, sadly, the exception and other locations, where older people receive little or no special consideration are the norm.

So hats off to Hastings!

Back (again!)

Over a year ago, back on May 2013, my last post was an "I'm back" post, recounting how 2012 and early 2013 had gone very pear-shaped for me. I then went on to post a 'Thank God for the Salvos' message.

Then the tap turned off.

From late May, Dad got very sick very quickly and passed away in August. Johnny and I accelerated our plans to move to Melbourne (back to Melbourne for me) and I left me job with Fairfax, after 34 years in the industry.

We moved in early October 2013 and Johnny found work within 2 weeks of beginning his search (after we had a short break after the move, etc).

I set up Trevor Weeding Media sales, got me an ABN and set about building my own business.

Then mum had a fall and was in hospital for 2 weeks, then rehab from November until early February. Each round trip to her home (for clean clothing, mail, check security etc) and the rehab was nearly 200klm and it was happening up to 4 days a week.  So, the business took a back-seat and that's where it's stayed, pretty much.

What's GOOD about all of this, you ask??

In the past 14 months I've had to cope with:

• the illness and death of my dad
• the stress of an interstate move
• the uncertainty of leaving a GREAT job and having no secure income at all (my total earning for the past 12 months are about 1/5th of my old salary)
• dragging my partner away from his job and family in Sydney (Thankfully, he LOVES Melbourne. Phew!)
• had to dip into my retirement savings to get by finacially
• my mum getting sicker and having a serious health issue and recovery - 

all of this plus the usual day-to-day issues everyone gets in their lives..................... and my blood pressure has come down and my medication has been reduced.

Go figure!  Just goes to shows that even a job I loved was clearly not doing my health much good, huh?

So - Post #1 for the renewed "Stuff that's good in the world" ends with the story of my hypertension:)

It's been a long time between drinks (posts) - hope it's worth the wait :)

A few weeks ago, Johnny and I did our small bit to help raise some funds at the Sutherland Relay for Life. Numbers aren't finalised yet, but they'll raise over $500K for sure. This is Year 8 for me with this Relay event, being directly involved, and 11 years with RFL overall. I'm pleased and proud to have had a significant and real impact on the $$ raised in that time.

This weekend is the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal. In the past, I've happily gone out door knocking for them.Not much raised and negligible influence.

Why am I so supporting of this event?

It's not because of the good works they do with the money raised. It's not necessarily because I agree with the Salvos religious convictions ( I did the doorknock about 10 times and I'm still an agnostic).

One recent anecdote sums up what  makes me feel good and supportive about this appeal.

While I've been to regional launches, especially Western Sydney, in the past, this year was the first time I was invited to the NSW Appeal launch event. Held at the Westin Sydney, with Andrew and Nicola Forrest as 'special guests'. Andrew and Nicola pledged $1M at the event and I believe that the 1,000 or so people in the room matched that.

At the event,  I saw a Salvo officer who looked familiar. I couldn't remember where I knew him from.

2 days later, I went to my local, inner suburban pub for a quiet drink after work, followed by dinner with Johnny. As always on a Friday evening, the Salvos came in to rattle the tin and collect some money. The Salvo officer was the same man I seen at the Westin event. We had a chat, I gave more money from my pocket and I wished him well.

I saw him AGAIN a week later when I attended a breakfast to launch the Red Shield Appeal in Rockdale & Kogarah.

Think about this - Wednesday lunchtime; organise an event for 1,000 attendees and raise $2,000,000. 48 hours later, do what you do every Friday night and maybe raise $50 at the local pub. 7 days later, help organise a business breakfast where a few thousand dollars are raised.

It's a single minded philosophy - NO amount is too small and the cumulative sum of many small amounts of money raised is what matters.

 Thank your God for the Salvos.

So, what happened to my Blog and self discipline etc???

Long story short - 2012 was my own annus horibilius. Carried across into 2013 to some extent as well.

Self pity etc now done with and normal posting should resume shortly.

There IS stuff that's good in the world and I've experienced some of it first hand recently, so looking forward to sharing.