12 Tables

While the restaurant upstairs
is only able to serve takeaway food
for now,
this is a good opportunity for me
to do some work up there.

And, the latest project
has been to paint and varnish
the restaurant tables.

Here you can see
the finished result.

They came up rather well,
I think    :)




(c) Katherine Stuart 2020
Dochas Books Film

Masked

Here is an easy way of making a mask
to cope with the COVID - 19 virus.

I used a chux cloth (a cloth for cleaning)
which I bought from Woolworths (Australia).

Fold into three, length-wise,
then fold into three width-wise.

Put an elastic band around and through
each width-wise fold.
These are to go around each ear,
to hold the cloth in place.

This was an idea from a video link
that a friend sent to me.

I believe that the virus is predominately
an airborne disease,
so this is my main line of defence..

                                                                          Just putting it out there,
                                                                          in case it helps somebody else.

(c) Katherine Stuart 2020
Dochas Books Film

Thai Take Away - Coogee

Thai Banyan Tree Restaurant,
Coogee, Sydney, Australia,
is still open for business
during this very testing and trying
of times.

Providing good, clean,
healthy and nutritious food,
is of paramount importance
to Gigi and staff.
And they are doing their utmost
to achieve this objective,
caring about and for the community              in this most basic and essential of ways.

At present,
this is what is on offer.

Order by phone or on-line.

Take Away only.
Pick Up in person,
or,
Delivery to Coogee,
South Coogee, Randwick and Clovelly.



Stay Safe Everyone. 





photos (c) Jirapron Sangsriphen 2020
text (c) Katherine Stuart 2020

Film - "Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears"

On Sat 22 Feb 2020,
I went to the film premiere of
"Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears",
at the Ritz Cinemas, Randwick, Sydney,
Australia.

There was a big line up around the corner,
to get into the cinema,
as you can see here.

We were served morning tea,
and could take it in with us,
which I did !!
Very enjoyable  :0

Then we were treated to a Q & A,
with Essie Davis and Nathan Page.
How good was that  :)

And the film did not disappoint.
It had an intriguing story-line,
and some spectacular wide shots,
including one in the Sahara desert.

I thoroughly enjoyed it  :)














(c) Katherine Stuart 2020
Dochas Books Film

Wild Weather at Coogee Beach

There was some wild weather

at Coogee Beach, Sydney, Australia,

last Sun 9 Feb !

Waves were up, 

but the wind and rain was so strong,

no-one was having a go !

My landlady's restaurant kitchen,

and the holiday units nearby,

sustained broken windows,

and some trees were uprooted.

On Mon 10 Feb,
the red buoy that usually sits

just the other side of

Wedding Cake Rock,

a kilometre out,

washed ashore,

while I was watching it.

I think it was a lifeguard

who picked it up

and took it to the lifeguard's office.

You can see him in the photo above.

You can also see 

the damaged shade-cloths
there to the left,

along the Lower Promenade.

Then on Fri 14 Feb, I saw

a great many small pieces of driftwood,

plus one wooden plank,

washed up on the beach.

This is unusual for Coogee.

But,

two to three days of wild weather

                                                                          is a common occurance here every year.


(c) Katherine Stuart 2020
Dochas Books Film

2 Xylophones

Today, I finished 2 xylophones
that I've been making.

I did this because,
I wanted to get accurate
musical notes,
according to particular measurements
that I was thinking of.

So, here are the resulting
musical instruments.

The first one,
is made from lengths
of  1 inch / 2.54 cm  diameter dowel,
pine wood.
Cut into 12 lengths
of  1 inch / 2.54 cm  increments,
the first is  1 inch / 2.54 cm  long,
and the last is
                                                                                                12 inches / 30.48 cm  long.

                      The second,
                      is made from lengths
                      of  0.95 cm  diameter dowel,
                      Tasmanian Oak wood.
                      Cut into 12 lengths
                      of  0.95 cm  increments,
                      the first is  12.35 cm  long,
                      (0.95 cm  +  11.40 cm)
                      and the last is
                      22.80 cm  long.
                 

                      The hammers are made from
                      a  2.5 cm  diameter wooden craft bead,
                      with a  5 mm  hole drilled through,
                      and,
                      a  5 mm  diameter wooden craft dowel,
                      15 cm long.

                                                                                                 I have them sitting on some felt,
                                                                                                 which helps to dampen any sound
                                                                                                 from the table surface.

                                                                                                 I've tried them out,
                                                                                                 and they don't work too badly  :)
                                                         
                                                                                                 Now, to play a few tunes .............  :)

    (c) Katherine Stuart 2020

Thai Temple

Last week I was invited by my friend, Gigi,
to attend Morning Prayer at
Wat Buddharangsee,
the Thai Buddhist Temple,
in Annandale, Sydney, Australia.

It was a very meaningful experience,
and as well as this being a peaceful place,
there was also lunch,
brought, prepared and served,
by all those attending,
in true community spirit.

And they do this every day !!






    text (c) Katherine Stuart 2020