The family that tables together.......

Throughout history, humans have tabled together to break bread.

The simple ritual of the shared meal reunites us with our families and brings balance to our lives.

These words are taken from the review of Art Smith's book, Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family. Art is Oprah's personal chef.

Counterbalance this with the views of Australian educationists that more children than ever are present at school with language difficulties. And what do they think is to blame:

"Families aren't sitting around the dinner table any more every night talking about what's happened during the day and engaging with the children," Ms Trimper said.
"Children are sitting in front of televisions more and computers playing computer games. It's dinner in front of the television, video games after dinner, or parents both working and time poor — all those issues have to impact on children."

Back in 2005, Miss Eagle recalls hearing or reading that Kathy Letts, that well-known expatriate Australian, had rid her London house of the dining room table so that the room could become a home theatre. Miss E was horrified. Letts was reported as saying that, if the family wanted to eat together, they went out to eat. More horror!

What about privacy - what if something unforeseen invaded mealtime: argument and debate, outrageous laughter and hysteria, practical jokes. All of these Miss E knows can arise at family meal time and a good thing too. But what happens in a restaurant or some public eating place: a child’s terror of having to behave?

The failure to table together as a family shows no respect: no respect for the food, where it came from, the person who prepared it. It shows no respect for ourselves and what connects us to life and to each other. And now the kids are paying the price at that most basic form of human connection, language.

In Britain, there is now a movement called Back to the Table - because Mealtime is Realtime they say. There are some big names swinging behind the campaign - including celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay.

Miss Eagle would love to hear from you, dear Reader, on this subject: your projects involving food and kids; kids recipes; fun meal time stories etc. If you want to email me to include your contributions as a post complete with pictures, all the better. If you really have something to say about families, food, and connection you might also like to guest on Food from Oz. Please email me.

Lets put fun, families, and people into meals. Let's get rid of the pit stop mentality where food is just a refuelling of whatever is handy. Let's take time to think about our food, how it is produced, where it comes from. Then let's take time with its preparation. And above all, let's take time for one another.

Something there is that loves a wall (apologies to Robert Frost)

What goes on the walls of a bedroom?

Miss Eagle's bedroom is a simple affair and quite eclectic. A Venetian style mirror over a shabby chest of drawers

Miss Eagle's love of calligraphy and illumination are in this piece acquired by Herself.

A framed photograph from that excellent Southern Highlands photographer,

Denis Wilson from The Nature of Robertson, was his Christmas present to Miss Eagle.

Miss Eagle's book addiction

Over at Photo Friday the subject this week is addiction. So Miss Eagle had tidied up the bedside table just last week so the site of her addiction is fit to be on view. Miss Eagle is a reader: of jam tin labels, histories, novels, blogs, websites, email. She has this premonition that she will found dead and buried - buried under a pile of books and papers.
The pile of books has decreased. It gets much higher than this. The pens and yellow marker are there for taking notes, underlining, asterisking. That's the one thing wrong with library books. Ya just can't do that! The scented candles are a Chrissy present that is getting put to use and the picture at the back is of Miss Eagle's dear departed Dearly Beloved and Miss E herself in better years two and a half decades ago. The lamp is a combination of a stand which was part of a job lot at an auction and the shade from a second hand shop, The Lion Bazaar, in Townsville's West End.


Miss E would never be caught turning down corners of books, so she has bookmarks. The book marks come in great variety from sterling silver to the Leunig ones advertising Readings (Miss E loves that Carlton shop!). But this bookmark is special. It is a work of art and it is from Miss E's Tennant Creek days. In those days, Judith Church was TC's artist in permanent residence. Judith would do these wonderfully colourful bookmarks (signed in gold) in the shape of gumleaves with a piece chomped out of it by a koala or a possum. You will note, dear Reader the prominence of the Sturt's Desert Pea and, of course, no bookmark is really complete without a tassel.

And just in case you are wondering what the books are - they are precious little books. Miss Eagle loves this size book - just feels so right in the hand. The dark red one on the bottom is the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. The blue one is The Little Flowers of St Francis: stories about Il Povero, that beautiful man who was so kind, loving, and generous to people and to animals.

Cat napping

The subject for Photo Friday this week is Texture. This is Rose the SpartaCat snoozing in a basketful of fabric.

Guess who appreciates texture with a capital T.

Vale, Elizabeth Jolley.

A giant of Australian literature has left us: the gifted, fey, observant, and compassionate Elizabeth Jolley. Miss Eagle sheds a tear. She remembers the pleasure, the smiles, the laughter her work has wrought in her life. Love goes out to her as she continues her journey in another place and to the family and friends she has left behind.

For many Australians, she will be best known for The Newspaper of Claremont Street. For many of us, it was our introduction to Elizabeth's work when it was a featured bookreading on the ABC.

For more about Elizabeth and a bibliography, go here. For a wonderful piece by Australian writer, Helen Garner, go here.

The fabric of our nostalgia

This morning's A2 in The Age carried an advertisement for The Nature of Things: Relics and Time. Unfortunately, Miss Eagle won't be going. She is hoping and praying to go to WA in May for the launch of ARIDS (as posted below) so will have to minimise expenditure. But Miss E thinks The Nature of Things must be a real experience.

She was particularly enchanted by the photograph (above) on the website of a tablecloth and serviette which have been taken as a theme for this theatrical presentation. Enchanted - because back in the late 60s to mid 70s when Miss Eagle owned a house at 682 Ruthven Streen, Toowoomba (I believe a motel is there now) she decorated with some soft furnishings.

What did she use? This very colour and this very fabric - a hopsack. A circular table was covered with a huge circular cloth. She remembers being down on hands and knees with a pencil tied to a length of string marking the fabric - folded in quarters - with an arc and cutting along the pencilled line to cut a large circle which was hemmed with same colour bias binding. Then there were the serviettes whose edges she frayed. The cloth was worn and went the way of all things long ago. The serviettes lingered on. There may still be the odd one lurking somewhere.

Now to see someone else's tablecloth and serviette in a house long ago in Italy becoming the focus and starting point for a theatrical production in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, which in turn connects nostalgically with a long ago house in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia is remarkable.

Life in my hands : Rings around my heart

PhotoFriday: Self-Portrait 2007

This is one of a pair of hands of a 62 year old woman. Miss Eagle is no glamour puss. The atavar on the sidebar is a wish - somewhere between Suzy Parker and Mame.

Over the years, the hands have been busy. See the profile. These hands have changed the nappies of three children, stamped thousands of library books, handed out thousands of leaflets and how-to-vote cards. They have helped to keep food and fluids up to a dying husband and they held the sobs when he left to continue his journey seventeen years ago.


But it is not the hands that Miss Eagle wishes to talk about: it is the rings. The ring on the ring finger is a sapphire and diamond cluster. This ring is a combination of Miss E's engagement and wedding rings. While her husband was dying, the engagement ring band wore through from years of rubbing up against the wedding ring. They were not a matched pair and the engagement ring was always a little larger. A long time passed before Miss E did anything about the worn through ring. Then she decided. As a symbol of life to that point, Miss Eagle would combine the two rings and mounted the setting on the wedding ring. So there is now a unified ring.

The ring on the middle finger is of great sentimental value. A large part of Miss Eagle's life has been lived on the Barkly Tableland - Queensland side and Northern Territory side. Miss Eagle purchased this at a Tennant Creek Show. It is of plaited silver strands and is the work of Carmel Wagstaff. Carmel and her husband used to manage the legendary Brunette Downs Station in the Northern Territory. So it is with great fondness that Miss Eagle thinks of the creative talent of Carmel and the wonderful people and places of The Barkly.

So - the hands hold experience; the rings carry emotion.

Cloud on cloud

Miss Eagle does not take many photos of a thing called The Sky or things called Clouds. But this afternoon, coming home from work, a huge cloud (don't know what they call this in Melbourne - but in the tropics it would be called a Thunderhead) with a small cloud in front of it. It was striking - so Miss Eagle pulled up the car and out came the camera. What a co-incidence! This week the Photo Friday theme has been Sky. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Australian Research Institute for Desert Spirituality - ARIDS

From Ian Robinson:

May 17-20 VOICE IN THE DESERT .

A national retreat on desert spirituality is to be held actually on the edge of the Australian desert 70km east of Southern Cross, Western Australia.

The official launch of the Australian Research Institute for Desert Spirituality (ARIDS) will be held in the Koora Retreat Centre, hosted by Rev Anna Killigrew and Rev Peter Harrison. Costs are still being finalised, but they will be modest! They include good food, campfire, desert plains, salmon gums, toilets, showers are beds.


We will keep silence. Trisha Watts is our keynote prayer leader. Out of our times of silence will come the sounds of a ‘still small voice’ that she will help us to share and to welcome. Many of you know Trish’s outstanding music and gracious workshop leadership, and you others are in for a treat.


There will also be time for words. Papers on some aspect of Desert Spirituality are hereby called for, and if necessary will be selected by the working group composed of Rev Dr Anna Killigrew, Rev Ian Robinson, and Rev Tracy Spencer. Only a smallish number of papers will be offered.


Access to Koora is via Perth or Kalgoorlie by air, train car or bus. Contact Ian Robinson, at idtr@westnet.com.au, and Ian will help you find share transport.

Picture: Rabbit Proof Fence 25nm to the East of Southern Cross

The Lady has left...

On Thursday 8 February 2007, the light and life of Trixie went out -

after a twenty-four hour illness.

Princess Trixie Wigglebottom of that long line of Wigglebottoms mentioned in Debrett's.
Trixie on her cushion with Rose the SpartaCat
Trixie in her Christmas jewels.
Trixie lying in her basket.
Trixie playing one of her games - Beyond the Fringe
Herself with FootFoot on the left and Trixie on the right.

Trixie was an indulgent woman. Think the Queen Mother without the G&T. She was a not-quite-fourteen-year-old Miniature Fox Terrier. She loved the good things of life: sitting on the couch beside Herself and drinking tea from her cup; checking out everyone's food. And Trixie and bones: never such demolition since the world began.

Miss Eagle and Trixie had their own special game, Trixie Tipping, in which Herself would frequently join as well. This meant tipping the rotund Trixie over on her back, head resting on a cushion, and tickling her tummy, under her arms, under her chin. She loved it and would beg for more. Our last game was the night before she became ill.

Trixie, with FootFoot, have been part of Herself's life for nearly fourteen years and part of Miss Eagle's for the last two and a half years. FootFoot has lost a lot of his bounce since Trixie has left this world and Herself and Miss Eagle are finding out the changes in life that no Trixie brings.

To remember Trixie and remind everyone who and what a canine friend can be, the piece below seems fitting.

Tribute To The Dog
George Graham Vest (1830-1904) served as U.S. Senator from Missouri from 1879 to 1903 and became one of the leading orators and debaters of his time. This delightful speech is from an earlier period in his life when he practiced law in a small Missouri town. It was given in court while representing a man who sued another for the killing of his dog. During the trial, Vest ignored the testimony, but when his turn came to present a summation to the jury, he made the following speech and won the case.

Gentlemen of the Jury:

The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads. The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.

George Graham Vest - c. 1855

Photo Friday

The Photo Friday challenge this week is Sky

Yes I know this picture does have quite a bit of land in it -

but it is a sunrise.

This was taken last August (late winter in Australia) when I was at a retreat at The Nine Mile, a sheep station just outside Broken Hill, in western New South Wales.

This scene is of sunrise looking across the homestead dam (known as a tank in The Western Division) through the trees - notice large eucalypt on the left - to the sunrise.

Of acorns and consumerism

The finishing touches applied to the mega store which hopes to build mega consumerism.

From acorns mighty oak trees grow is the famous old saying.

Miss Eagle, on her way to work, walks past the latest addition to the Mega Mile in Whitehorse Road, Nunawading, Melbourne.

It is with mixed feelings that Miss Eagle sees one more mighty temple to the worship of consumerism erected.

Between the car park and the footpath, Miss Eagle found the acorns dropped from these oaks above.
One day - notwithstanding climate change and combustion engine fuels and chemicals - they might become mighty.

Dropping in at The Bentley on Hume Cafe - 2

Now here's a job that isn't seen too often in the 21st Century.

Not a speck of dust will be allowed to dim the lights at The Bentley.
A traditional window setting at The Bentley

Dropping in at The Bentley on Hume Cafe - 1

Driving down the Hume Highway (NSW) on Boxing Day Miss Eagle decided to renew acquaintance with The Bentley.

One has to deviate off the Hume and into Gunning.
The Bentley sits beside the hospitable Do Duck Inn B & B

It makes a nice break after a couple of hours on the road from Sydney.

Boxing Day Brunch - a welcome reviver

Christmas in Melbourne

Miss Eagle has been exploring Christmas in the city. Find a little more on the topic at Food from Oz. These scenes were taken in Swanston Street, Melbourne.

The Angel on this billboard is trumpeting the good news of Christmas.

Behind the billboard angel is metal text - with the biblical story from the Gospel of Luke telling of the Birth of Christ.

A side panel on the billoard (see below) explains all.

And the green tree of hope has been raised up for all to see.

And, if you haven't been in touch -

Santa is waiting to hear from you.

Dandenong Show - Community

A sense of community through shared activities is something that can be lost in the busy-ness of daily life. It was, therefore, wonderful to see the community involved in the Dandenong Show. The photos below put the community message forward loud and clear.

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Dandenong Show - and the Smithy

In a long ago schoolgirlhood, Miss Eagle loved the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, The Village Blacksmith. She can't resist an opportunity to share it here:

"The Village Blacksmith"

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Under a spreading chestnut-tree

The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

With large and sinewy hands;

And the muscles of his brawny arms

Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,

His face is like the tan;

His brow is wet with honest sweat,

He earns whate'er he can,

And looks the whole world in the face,

For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,

You can hear his bellows blow;

You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,

With measured beat and slow,

Like a sexton ringing the village bell,

When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school

Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,

And hear the bellows roar,

And catch the burning sparks that fly

Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,

And sits among his boys;

He hears the parson pray and preach,

He hears his daughter's voice,

Singing in the village choir,

And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice.

Singing in Paradise!

He needs must think of her once more,

How in the grave she lies;

And with his haul, rough hand he wipes

A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling,--rejoicing,--sorrowing,

Onward through life he goes;

Each morning sees some task begin,

Each evening sees it close.

Something attempted, something done,

Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,

For the lesson thou hast taught!

Thus at the flaming forge of life

Our fortunes must be wrought;

Thus on its sounding anvil shaped

Each burning deed and thought.

Longfellow's smith is a worthy example. But this is Australia and THE iconic figure in Oz is Ned Kelly: he who, with the rest of the Kelly Gang, beat ploughshares into armour. Miss Eagle is a great admirer of the craft of the blacksmith so it was with great joy she came across Salty and his Ned Kelly Armour stand at the Dandenong Show.

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Dandenog Show - Horses and Carts

The horse is one of humankind's favourite companions. One of the joys of the Dandenong Show was the wonderful and diverse collection of horses. Miss Eagle shares this joy below.

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Dandenong Show - Animal Nursery

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On Saturday 11 November, Miss Eagle spent the afternoon at the Dandenong Show. The suburb of Dandenong is in south-east Melbourne, Australia. Dandenong is an industrial area trying to avoid becoming a rust belt. But at the Dandenong Show you would never have thought you were anywhere else but the Australian countryside. It was a traditional country show. This was nowhere more evident than in the animal nursery: with alpacas, goats, sheep, ducks, geese, roosters, an itinerant turkey, horses, and donkeys.

Lifestyle - environmentally

Miss Eagle discovered an interesting and useful book in the newsagent's the other day. It's the green pages - lifestyle 2007. You can find out more here. It has articles by Peter Garrett, Kylie Kwong, Helen Razer and Tim Flannery. The green pages are a sort of yellow pages with responsibility. There is a wide range of listing in a variety of categories. So, if there is a copy in the house, you can try the green pages before you reach for the yellow ones.

A genius: no sweat?

Miss Eagle couldn't resist doing the IQ test mentioned by Lazy Cow. Lazy Cow, Miss Eagle pipped you by One Point. The testers tell me that Miss Eagle's Intellectual Type is Insightful Linguist. This means she is highly intelligent and has the natural fluency of a writer and the visual and spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to Miss Eagle's creative and expressive mind. And, they say, that's just some of what the testers know about Miss Eagle from her test results. But, Miss Eagle would have to pay them to get the full report. Well, she won't be paying.

And so what if Miss Eagle is a bona fide genius on a bona fide IQ test. As Miss Eagle's mum used to say: If you're so smart why aren't you rich. Smart, in fact, only takes one so far. As science has found. There is no substitute for hard work.

The Gardens of Upper Gully 2

The pink rose of the previous post lives in this garden. Miss Eagle is very fond of this garden and its house. In recent years, Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic has achieved prominence. Miss Eagle thinks this garden and its house qualify as Shabby Chic. There is wisteria over the garage and white fluffy curtains at the windows.

The Gardens of Upper Gully 1

The gardens of Upper Gully are responding well to spring.

These are a few beauties showing off as Miss Eagle walked home

from the Railway Station yesterday.

One enthusiastic citizen has a marvellous garden on the King's Park side of his fence.

This year it has really matured and is a standout.

And below are the roses of Mount View Road

My favourite type of rose. Deep Red. Heavily scented. Going to dark velvet at the edges.

This one is gorgeous. It might be perfect if only it had a scent.

Rodney comes to The Trad Pad

There is a new addition to family life at The Trad Pad.

He is Rodney (remember the Eddie Murphy Dr Doolittle) the Guinea Pig.

Rodney joins FootFoot and Trixie, the miniature Fox Terriers, and Rose the Spartacat. Miss Eagle thinks this is dangerous territory for a Rodney but Herself, full of optimism re the animal kingdom, thinks all will be well. All Miss Eagle can say is just as well Rodney resides in a a wonderful black nylon mesh cage.



Rodney came to The Trad Pad from next door neighbours, D & M. D is a snake fancier and has purchased Rodney to feed to his pet python. However, this didn't happen and Rodney and the python became friends. Now D has gone off the whole idea of fresh meet for the python and will resort to frozen mice. They asked Herself if she wanted the Pinny-gig - well Miss Eagle thinks that D knew whom he was asking.



FootFoot, Trixie and Rose are adjusting - we think, we hope. The Guinea Pig entry from Wikipedia has been downloaded as a guide to Rodney's care. And here are some pictures of Rodney and FootFoot. What is on FootFoot's canine mind? Is he just trying to make a new friend? Possible. FootFoot is a social animal. He loves cats and Rose came to The Trad Pad as a pet for FootFoot. A pet for a pet. But is the memory of his breed uppermost? Is the Fox Terrier thinking that this is the sort of beastie he has been bred over generations to chase and deal with?



Herself thinks love, goodness and kindness will bring about a good relationship on all sides. Miss Eagle? She will wait and she will see.