It’s a difficult time for many of us - and not just in Australia. Best of times - worst of times stuff. Some of us are torn between wanting to keep up with news that affects us - even if it’s the chaos in another country - and needing to look after our mental health. Our federal elections are looming and for me the choice is clear, but for some the waters are so muddy, they are not sure what is right and what is wrong. Our options for trusted news sources seem to be more limited than ever, but there are still a few journalists of integrity who understand the difference between reporting the news, giving solid opinion pieces based on facts, and checking sources.
I read an interesting piece on how to define a cult recently, and the cult of the Orange Baby currently cutting a swathe through independent oversight in the US seems to behave true to form. When I was younger, we read about some of these things in history lessons, and now we are living through them. We never thought the horrible atrocities that occurred during the World Wars could happen again, but here we are, and now the stakes are higher and the weapons bigger. Edmund Burke’s quote “all that is needed for evil to flourish, is that good meant do nothing” doesn’t seem to be making much headway when there are so many speaking out about the wrongs being done, but those with power are ignoring them and ramping up the rhetoric. The latest debacle from the Oval Office is almost too appalling to comprehend. Even thought the US seems determined to wreck long held allegiances, most of the leaders of European countries have leaped to the defence of Vlodymyr Zlenskyy and Ukraine. So there is still hope.
Meanwhile, in sleepy little Mount Pleasant, the weather has been pretty good, except for the lack of rain. The Red Cross Garden party has come and gone, with Sophie entertaining us again with personal insights and practical gardening advice. Sophie will be moving soon, and has bought a ‘fixer upper’ near Sedan, so her segments on Gardening Australia will certainly be different from those at Mt Barker! Sophie’s talks are always entertaining and educational, and this year she touched on re-wilding, and her visit to Cadell Training Centre, which she found eye opening. She also spoke about the benefits of green spaces near large blocks of flats and the resulting reduction in crime statistics. Kangaroo Island and their experiences with with increased self-sufficiency also rated a mention. We are hoping to have Sophie as our Guest Speaker again next February - so please look out for the event booking (around December) as tickets are limited and sell out fast.
The Community Association held a morning tea to welcome new residents to our town, and although we didn’t present Community Awards this year, we met some really nice and enthusiastic newcomers. We had some great conversations, and I hope they left feeling that the town had a lot to offer, and that they wanted to contribute. Last year when we held our first ‘Meet Your Neighbours’ event, we made up some goody bags, which included leaflets from various groups around the town, information about upcoming events, brochures from the Market, a Mt Pleasant History Walk brochure, Lavender Trail brochure and a re-usable grocery bag gifted from Recreate, amongst them. We gave them to our new friends and we will keep them at the History Room so that any newcomers can be given up to date information about what they can expect to find in the district.
The annual Mt Pleasant Show will be on again next month. Our biggest event, the Show is a must-see, and attracts stallholders and exhibitors from all over Australia, so in the immortal words of Molly Meldrum - “Do yourselves a favour” and pop along to the show on the 15th March.
The effervescent Sophie Thomson.
