I’ve been practically living at the Tea Tree Gully library the last few days and I’ll be going back there again today! It’s a lovely place with great air conditioning!!!, free wireless Internet (they’ve put WAPs throughout the building so there is great coverage), a cafe in the library itself, and a very good family and local history section! 43C forecast for today and tommorrow.

I took Jessica shopping last night for some foods she didn’t have to cook as she doesn’t have air con either and her little flat is very hot. I picked up a few simple things too – more salad veggies, cold meat, and a few apricots yummy!

As the library doesn’t open until 1pm today I thought I might go and see the movie Avatar first. I haven’t seen a movie in 3D before so this will be interesting. I wonder if the funny glasses will fit over my glasses?

Ezri and the cats are surviving the heat. Ezri doesn’t like me to sponge her down or wet her outside but I noticed she did roll in the wet grass when I was watering this morning which is good!

I’ve also frozen some small bottles of water and have been using them as ‘cold water bottles’ to help keep me cool. Because I got heat stroke last year I’m being extra careful and drinking heaps of water too.

Wow what a day! I’ve found two properties which used to be owned by members of my family. The first one was known as Willison Stud and was owned by my cousin Bruce Willison. Lot 50 Golden Grove Rd, Modbury Heights (Adelaide). This property is now owned by the Tea Tree Gully council and it’s possible it will be demolished. The Tea Tree Gully Historical Society have written to the council asking that it be preserved as a community space. I’ll be contacting the Historical Society on Monday to find out some more details.

The other property I found was Bruce’s family home, I’m assuming where he grew up. It’s called Drumminor and was built by Robert Milne. It was owned by Bruce’s parents Andrew and Olva Willison from 1937 to 1962. It is situated on Jack High Lane off Golden Grove Rd (it’s now Harrison’s Funeral Chapel)

I did my research at the Tea Tree Gully library. They are very helpful and have a great local and family history section and unlike some other libraries their resources are in the main part of the library for all to see and access. Some libraries you have to be supervised at all times which is a bit of a pain if there isn’t a family history worker on duty that day.

10 Minute Microwave Risotto

This is a delicious risotto style dish that is quick and easy to prepare. It’s an easy dinner and very economical. Not for the risotto purists!

Ingredients

* 450g rice (long or short grain)
* 200ml chicken stock
* 50g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Preparation method

1. Place the rice and chicken stock in a large bowl and microwave for long enough to make the rice cooked to your taste – about 5 minutes.
2. When cooked, mix in the cheese and parsley and serve piping hot.

I’ve put some diced bacon with this but it can also be a vegetarian dish using vege stock instead of chicken.

Tonight I’m having this risotto with a grilled steak and some salad!

This morning I found my great uncle John Reid Willison’s birth certificate. On that was the date of my great grandparents marriage as well as my great grandfather’s occupation! I found the certificate at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

William Willison and Elizabeth Reid lived in Galston, Ayr, Scotland, were married in 1873 and William’s occupation was a Coal Pit Bottomer.

A pit bottomer worked at the bottom of the mine shaft and was responsible for loading and unloading the coal hutches into the lift.
http://www.ayrshirehistory.org.uk/Bibliography/pdfs/an24.pdf

I’m going to look some more at this Ayrshire History website now 🙂

I saw this today at Klemzig Obahn stop, it was hard to read all that was on it as the weather has faded all the notes. It really warmed my heart, I found it very touching!

I’d like to do a variation of this and make a prayer tree and people can write their prayers and tie them to the tree.

Had a nice time in Adelaide’s city centre today. I haven’t been to the CBD for ages. It was nice to have the time to wander, listen to buskers and watch a magician too.

I bought this flute book from Allens Music-
Movie Favorites – Flute
Series: Essential Elements Band Folios
Format: Softcover
Arranger : Michael Sweeney
Composer : Various

A collection of popular movie songs arranged to be played by either full band or by individual soloists with optional accompaniment CD. Each arrangement is correlated with a specific page in the Essential Elements Band Method Books. Includes: Forrest Gump – Main Title • The John Dunbar Theme • Theme from Jurassic Park • Raiders March • Chariots of Fire • Apollo 13 • Somewhere Out There • Man from Snowy River • Star Trek – The Motion Picture • Theme from E.T. •

Amazon.com: Selections from Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (Instrumental Solos), Vol 2: Flute (Book & CD) (9780739054765): Staff, Alfred Publishing: Books
Some of these books were at Allens Music too. It looks like an interesting format and idea having the CD and the book. I may buy some of these books from either Amazon or Allens.

Spotlight is still having its sale so I got some more lovely glass beads at reduced prices!

Met up with Adelaide Hackers group at Cibo for food and chat. A lot of the talk I can’t follow as it’s very advanced hardware focused but it was good to see everyone again as we hadn’t had a get together since early last year. I did have a good chat with David Rowe about writing lesson plans for teachers using the XO in classrooms so I may be able to contribute some ideas and lessons I’ve used with the students I tutor (using my xo) as well as from my years of teaching computing and working for Teen Challenge. David’s part of the Seaton OLPC group who are working on a roll out of XO’s in Timor Leste.