November 2014 - Kingston City Council

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Edition 14 November 2014
Welcome to the festive season edition!
A Russian Orthodox Christmas
Pet Therapy at its Best
Whilst we already have a number of animals at
our Embracia On The Park home, with 2
rabbits, 2 bird cages with canaries, an outside
aviary and not to forget our fish ... the recent
visits from a staff member’s 8 week old toy
poodle puppy has shown how beneficial pet
therapy is for young and old alike.
Photo from Wikipedia
Not everyone celebrates Xmas on the 25 December
in Australia. Some people belong to the Russian
Orthodox Church & celebrate both the birth of
Christ & the winter pagan God Kalyada. Their Xmas
will fall on January 7 according to the Old Gregorian
Calendar.
It starts 40 days earlier at the end of November with
a simple fasting period. On Christmas Eve no food is
eaten or liquid drunk until the first star appears in the
evening. The table has a white tablecloth with a tall
white candle in the middle.
The meal consists of 12 traditional non meat dishes
such as Kutia which is boiled wheat with raisons,
nuts, poppy seeds & honey. Also served is fish such
as herring, cabbage as sauerkraut or in borscht soup
and pirozhki (delicious pastries filled with
mushrooms or cabbage- that my mother made for
our family).
People go to church late at night and celebrate with
music & prayer until midnight. Then they come
back home to sit around the table to talk and share
presents. This celebration continues for another 12
days with holidays, fun, laughter and now including
meat in their dishes.
Joanne
Rupert has been bringing joy
to all residents, families and
staff! He has no qualms about
walking over sensor mats to
allow residents to pat him and
give him the adoration that he
deserves or to falling asleep on
staff members laps.
Making people smile seems to
be his main goal in life.
Angela
Did you know?
Hanukkah is a Festival of Lights celebrated in
December by the Jewish community. Candles are
lit every night for eight nights to commemorate the
reclaiming of the Holy temple in Jerusalem more
than two thousand years ago.
Other traditions include cooking and eating latkes
(potato pancakes) and playing with a dreidel
(spinning top).
White Christmas Recipe
500g white chocolate buttons
1.5cup rice bubbles
120g red glace cherries, cut in half
50g dried craisins
1 cup roasted almonds, cut in half
2 cups desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt chocolate carefully over a double boiler, then
remove from heat and fold in other ingredients.
Line a tray approximately 10 by 15 inches with
baking paper and using the back of a large metal
spoon, press mixture into the tray. Refrigerate
overnight, then carefully turn out on to a cutting
board. Using a hot knife, cut into small squares.
In the Garden
I hope you have plenty of
flowers to cut. Cut them
with a long stem the night
before you need them and
soak them in a bucket of
water.
Now is a good time to give
your roses 1/2 a cup of
dynamic lifter for the
coming months.
And don’t believe
everything you read - it’s
still too early to mulch.
Wait until the ground warms up. Do it too early
and you'll lock in the cold. When you do mulch,
it’s a good idea to scatter a handful of dynamic
lifter before mulching. Not after, as it will only
break down your mulch.
Happy Festive Season!
‘G’ from Chelsea
Did you know?
Christmas bells, Christmas bush
and the Christmas orchid are all
Australian native plants that
flower over the festive season.
When Europeans first arrived in
Australia they were delighted that
they could pick wildflowers to use as Christmas
decorations.
PUSSCATS CORNER (for now!)
Help!
Pusscat has decided to
retire and has left me
alone in the corner!
So, unless I hear from
another pet with lots to
say, this could become
my corner - Jonesy’s
Corner.
Let Yvonne know if your pet would like to be part
of Pusscat’s corner. Or if you‘d like to help in any
way with putting the newsletter together.
And, please fill in the Your Voice survey - I’m sure
you all have lots of great ideas for our newsletter.
I’m saying an early Happy Christmas to everyone.
And Happy Hanukkah, too.
But remember - don’t feed us pets too much rich
food or leave edible
presents under the
Christmas tree - way too
much temptation! As
you can see, I’m already
in the holiday spirit after
picking a winner at the
Seymour races recently!
Jonesey
Vale Carla Bowen
It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of
our friend Carla Bowen
who passed away recently.
Carla was an inspiration to
her friends and fellow
Positive Ageing
Volunteers with her zest
for life, sharp mind and
quick wit. She will be
greatly missed as a friend
and editor of Your Voice.
Contributions
Email
yvonne.honey@kingston.vic.gov.au
Write PO Box 1000 Mentone 3194
Phone Yvonne on 9581 4646
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In the Garden
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