Building Connection and Belonging Through Creativity 

Every week, a group of senior citizens gather in a circle, drums in hand and smiles on their faces. What started as a simple idea has become a highlight of their week…a time to connect, share, laugh and create something beautiful together. 

Each beat brings energy to the room, blending rhythms into a joyful harmony. Missed beats spark laughter, while shared moments create memories. It’s not just about making music, it’s about the joy of being part of something bigger…a rhythm that unites them all. 

A wide variety of Roses make up my collection. I love to collect several different varieties. I see them as a library, where everyone is represented by a different variety of scents. Therese are sweet fragrances of roses all over the garden. Some of the roses I have are carpet roses and these are over thirty years old and are still growing well. 

Roses are my Heavenly gift and peace of mind. 

This is a small sample from a hand painted dinner set produced by Mayott, Son & Co (England). This company was a leading ceramics/dinner ware manufacturer in England from the 1890’s to the 1950’s. 

This particular dinner set was purchased, on ‘lay by’, by my mother in 1931 at the beginning of her marriage to my father. This coincided with the beginning of the great depression of the 1930’s decade. Money was almost non-existent, however after one year of scrimping and saving mt mother made her final payment and became the proud own of her much loved and precious dinner set. It was only used on special occasions and when my sister and I were old enough to wash and wipe it, we were warned to be careful not to break anything. 

I grew up playing tennis in the country and continued to play throughout my life. It was a great physical workout suitable for all ages and skill levels and a great way to meet friends. 

As a non-impact sport it was helpful at reducing stress, was good for the brain and making decisions under pressure. 

I could enjoy it socially or competitively and I could play day or night under the lights. It was also an enjoyable spectator sport that I still love watching, especially the Australian Open and Wimbledon. 

On 6th October 2022 I lost almost everything with the death of my loving and supportive husband of almost 61 years. I fell into that awful black hole known only too well to everyone who has lost a partner. 

In December 2024 I treated myself to a train journey. I have always loved trains and chose the Indian-Pacific, leaving Sydney for Perth on Christmas Day. 

The clickety-clack of the wheels on the track was almost hypnotic, relaxing and conducive to peace. My fellow travellers were great fun, the scenery absorbing, the food excellent- in fact the whole experience was utterly enjoyable and totally cathartic. 

Halfway through the trip I realised that for the first time since before Bill died, I was actually happy. 

I had experienced a quiet epiphany! I emerged from my fog definitely changed but feeling surprisingly eager to start building my new life as the new me. Without knowing it the lovely ladies in my drumming group have helped me so much on this journey and for that I will always be grateful. 

This is my favourite piece of artwork I produced at the CRCS art program. I have enjoyed the opportunity to attend many different activities and trips over the years with many wonderful Facilitators/ volunteers and have met many lovely people. I still currently attend CRCS where I enjoy the BEST club and drumming group. 

I’m the little girl in front, about six years old, all dressed up for a big family outing to the zoo. Back then, even a simple day out meant dressing your best. Coats, gloves, hats and for the ladies, those fur stoles draped around their shoulders. It was a different time, when outings were rare and special. Now at 90, I look at this photo and smile at how much has changed and how much those memories still mean. 

I once ran Ambassador Florist in Civic, Canberra, with my ex-husband — we had the shop for seven years. He was a singer in a band and hardly ever home, so the flowers became my company and my joy. 

We sourced blooms from Sydney and Melbourne, and even as far as Mauritius and Holland. The shop was filled with the scent of roses, carnations, echium, violets, gladioli, statice… I loved them all. Each flower had its own story, and together they made the days brighter. 

Even now, I always keep a vase of fresh flowers at home. Their beauty lifts the room, just like they lifted me back then. 

I chose to try and craft my patchwork square as a view of the coast because of the relaxing effect it has on me. 

From the time I was a child growing up in Sydney I’ve loved spending time at the beach or around Sydney Harbor. To me the sounds of the ocean are calming, no matter the weather. 

I find being on the coast and soaking up the views very relaxing. I enjoy walking along the sand with waves rolling in and washing my feet. Plus, I also enjoy collecting unusual shells along the beach. It’s very interesting while wandering around the headlands. 

Memories of water sports like swimming, boating and snorkelling are special to me, even though I don’t get to do them often now. 

I hope sharing my connection to the coast and how I enjoy it explains why it has a relaxing effect on me, that is why I chose to try and capture it in this little piece of patchwork. 

In 2016 my husband and I toured parts of Scotland, Ireland and England and also visited areas of family heritage interest. I wanted to see the area in Ayrshire where my Scottish grandmother, also named Barbara, was born (at Crosshouse in 1886) and lived until her teens when her family emigrated to New Zealand. 

I found the grave and headstone of my great great Grandfather (William Owens) in the churchyard of the St Maurs Church in the village of Kilmaurs, five miles from Kilmarnock. 

While standing at his grave I glanced across the road and saw a white horse standing in a field of yellow flowering canola. It was quite a sight. The horse stood still and was looking directly at me and we locked eyes for quite a long time. A feeling of I wonder if this horse could be a generation of a horse present in my great great grandfather’s time and here, I am a descendant of William Owens. It was a very powerful moment; a type I hadn’t experienced before and has stayed with me. 

Hello, my name is Marianne Bormann. I was born in 1942 in Germany and migrated to Australia in1960 on the Italian ocean liner, Aurelia. 

I was fortunate enough to be christened by King Neptune while crossing the equator. After the christening, they asked if I could swim and threw me into the pool fully dressed in my large petticoats. As I emerged from the pool, my petticoats hung down to my ankles. Although I felt like crying, the sound of everyone clapping and cheering lifted my spirits. I dried off, changed in the change room, and returned to the celebrations. It was an unforgettable experience that I cherish to this day. 

My square is celebrating the beginning of becoming fully retired and letting go of a deep and crippling fear of stopping work (as well as past traumatic experiences!). 

It is about letting go of the past and embracing the new beginning of the final chapter of my life… 

Sewing, sharing stories and laughter was a wonderful gift to begin the process.  

I then accepted a friend’s offer of a house-sitting opportunity which allowed me long days of walking on the beach letting go of much grief and loss. And seeing – for the first time in my life – whales migrating to give birth to their young – stunning! 

Immersing myself in the ocean past my knees for the first time and trying to boogie board, also for the first time ever, (approaching 70), knee replacement and all! 

Being embraced by a group of retired women called the ‘Wimbie Beach Mermaids’ and doing gentle ocean aerobics with them daily has been a godsend. I am lucky enough to have recently found love after 16 years alone just because I had the courage to do a beginner’s dance class! I feel deeply blessed and grateful to have entered my retirement years this way. I am looking forward to looking for, and experiencing, more positives whilst looking for the ‘half full glass’ one day at a time.

For our 40th wedding anniversary, 19th September 2009. Richard and I decided to do something as a one-off celebration. 

We hired this 10m yacht called “Nooks” and sailed it for 10 wonderful days in the Whitsundays. It made for a truly special way of celebrating and we enjoyed it immensely. 

So much so that we repeated the experience for the next three years, always with the same yacht. 

Sadly, age and illness and the boat being sold had made it impossible for us to repeat such a unique experience. We will always remember that one-off adventure. 

Can I tell you this part about being poor and not having whatever you want. Well, we had no money, my husband worked by himself and I wasn’t working. 

When my parents died, they left me a legacy. So, the first thing I did was book a trip to Ireland through a travel agent because we would have gotten there otherwise. My husband was overwhelmed by the gesture. My husband came from a place called Larne just outside of Belfast.  We went away for three months and spent time with his family. While we were there, we visited family in Scotland, Ireland and England. We did the whole rounds visiting them all and had a wonderful time together. 

This experience wouldn’t have happened if my parents hadn’t left me that legacy. 

My life is stitched together by observations and memories. The simple pictures of everyday scenes evoke my past, sparking memories of joy when my three sons were young. Their innocence and purity painting the world in brighter colours. Life can be grand or simple, but it is in the quiet solitary moments that my spirit turns inwards, reflecting deeply on the beauty that surrounds me. These reflections are my anchor, a reminder that even in the smallest details, life holds wonder, awe and thanksgiving. 

I have 2 happy childhood memories of ducks that still bring a smile to my face today.  The first being Ernie, from Sesame Street singing “Rubber Duckie”.  The second being my pet baby duck called Tonsils who I loved to watch paddle around the wading pool in my back yard 

Flash forward 40ish years and I now work with the most amazing team of people whose motto has somehow ended up being “We help you get your ducks in a row”.  

I’m honoured to work with these incredible ladies who each bring their unique knowledge, skills and talents to our little flock and all striving each day to make things just a little bit better than the day they were before.  Lyne, who is an incredible font of knowledge of work health and safety and risk; and is always considering all points of view and trying to understand the root cause of any challenges so the best solutions can be identified and implemented.  Ally who looks after our compliance and quality audits and will happily tackle anything else thrown at her over the years spending time in the Community Centre, in the education and care space and so much more.  Melinda who is the backbone of our facilities and maintenance support area bringing with her incredible knowledge in WHS, contractor management and who always strives to keep the quality high but the price low.  Our newest team member Dongbo who is making measured and informed improvements in our venue hire and facilities maintenance space as she learns the ropes.   And me, the lucky duck who gets to work with these incredible people, I’m a duck of many trades from a bit of Sharepoint, a little ICT, an enduring love of policy and procedure and process improvement. Our little team is part of a much bigger flock at CRCS, and beneath the calm waters there are dozens of flippers paddling away as we work together, striving each day to provide the very best outcomes we can for each and every person who accesses our programs and services. 

And if you see little rubber ducks in your travels around CRCS, they are likely (not always) but likely to have been placed there by someone in my team for you to enjoy and we hope they bring a smile to your face. 

Lesley Piko’s haiku reflects her origins and her lifelong interest in her ancestors. The Moreton Bay fig tree is a large evergreen banyan tree which grows in the Wide bay-Burnett region of Queensland. Five generations of Lesley’s paternal and maternal ancestors have lived in that region, which explains her strong connection to this large and impressive tree. Like Lesley’s family tree, Morton Bay fig can reach a tremendous size, with a massive trunk, a broad canopy of branches and an imposing network of buttress roots. Lesley has researched many aspects of her family tree and to date she has written seven books about her ancestors and their lives, capturing their “Moments in Time”.

When I was a teenager my father bought an acre of orchard in Kent, England. He bought chickens, rabbits and ducks. He was given a goose that we called Gertie. We also brought a lamb up on a bottle and called him Larry. 

My mum used to make jams and pickles. Bottles of fruit and made wine. She was a fantastic cook and made lovely meals and cakes. 

My brother used to put the ducks and goose to bed at night. Gertie turned out to be a gander and became quite vicious. One night we spotted my eldest brother up an apple    tree, waving, so we waved back. Then suddenly we realized that Gertie was holding his leg and shaking it. We all ran down the garden and chased Gertie so that my brother could get down. Gertie lived to a very old age. 

Christmas eve 1974 was wet and windy, with cyclone Tracy moving past to the west of Darwin and expected to continue west. However later in the even it changed course and came straight in over the city. As the wind grew in strength, my husband persuaded a friend who was living in a caravan in our yard to come into the house. As the wind grew even stronger from the east, we could hear glass smashing and things blowing around. The eye of the storm passed over in the early hours of the morning and there was a brief lull. But back it came even stronger from the west. The sound of roofs torn off and being blown along roads and the roar of the massive force of the wind was horrific. 

Towards dawn the wind dropped, and we took a look outside. We were shocked to see most of the houses around us were completely destroyed. The roads pile with debris and the caravan from our yard plastered like foil onto the wall of the college over the road from us. Our brick was damaged and without most of its roof, but thankfully our family was unharmed. Sadly, many people died or were badly injured during Tracy and mt husband undoubtedly saved our friends life by making him come into the house.  

The storm damaged the weather recording devices there was no reading of the wind strength available. Darwin was rebuilt and is now a thriving city, albeit with a long history of both war and cyclone damage. 

One is never too old to learn something new. 

I was 90 years old when I learned to crochet. Four years on I am still learning new stitches. When I saw this wild rose pattern it brought back a childhood memory of summer Sunday afternoon family walks. My favourite was down Old Lane where the hedgerows were covered in sweet smelling wild rambling roses and other wildflowers. Then over the fields we came to the Old Norman Castle ruins, where we played for a while then walked back home the same way. 

Sadly, these walks ended when the War started. Fortunately, happy memories never end. 

This square represents a quiet joy shared over many years. Small knitted animals, lovingly made and gifted to children in hospital wards. Each koala, panda, teddy or piggy caries a little bit of comfort, hope and care, crafted. Stitch by stitch by hands that seek recognition, only to bring a smile.

Though the maker prefers to remain unnamed, her kindness has touched hundreds of lives. Soft reminder that even the smallest gifts, made with love, can bring warmth in the hardest moments.

Reflections on a Spiritual Journey: A Memorable Encounter on the Sea of Galilee Some years ago, on a holiday in Israel, I was on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. It was the most amazing experience. I found myself reflecting on my Sunday school days and the stories of Jesus and the disciples fishing on this sea. Onboard, there was a pastor accompanied by some of his parishioners. They led prayers and sang hymns, creating an atmosphere that felt truly special. This magical experience gave me goosebumps, and that memory has stayed with me until this day.

Reflections on a Life of Rural Roots, Family Traditions, and Creative Passions Lynette Nagy, My Story. My early years and school holidays were spent on a sheep property in Western New South Wales. I can remember riding in the back of the Jeep with the dogs and a tired sheep when mustering. Helping to carry the smoko to the shed when my mum was shearer’s cook was a cherished memory. I also recall jumping on the wool to compact it in the bale, which provided an energy release for children. The poddy lambs hold a special place in my heart; teaching them to drink from a bowl brought joy, but there was also sadness when they eventually joined a mob as grown sheep. Horse riding with neighbouring kids six miles away added excitement to my childhood. The native animals I encountered included emus and kangaroos. My first encounter with a possum occurred when my mum and I settled in Leeton, where we found one living in our roof. Leeton had a cannery known for its Leeton brand; my mum worked there over Christmas, packing apricots and peaches into cans. It must have been a happy time for her since she didn’t have to wear her hearing aid; amidst the noisy background, she could still hear conversations. The paintbrush and fish symbolize my husband—a house painter and artist who loved fishing, especially with our son or daughter. The clarinet represents my elder daughter who teaches clarinet and saxophone, while the tuba is for my son who occasionally plays with his school band where he works as a teacher. My younger daughter plays trumpet and tenor horn in several local bands. Sewing machines have always been an integral part of my life. I’ve made clothes for babies, children, teens, and adults alike. Some standout projects include creating green skirts, white blouses, and dress trousers for my elder children during their youth orchestra trip to Japan. Additionally, I crafted colourful Australian birds appliqué on calico cushion covers as well as quilts that were used for fundraising during the Paralympics held in Sydney in 2000. To top it off, I made satin-and-lace dresses for bridesmaids along with flower girl dresses that were purple—complementing vests designed for the groom, best man, and ring bearer. I even ventured into making trousers like first zipper pants along with outfits such as skirts paired with tops or jackets suitable for mothers of brides—though after that period of sewing came an extended hiatus from crafting garments altogether. Music has always filled our home—whether pop or opera—and has been ever-present throughout our lives together as family members pursued their musical interests passionately. For me personally, trees symbolize both beauty and resilience within what has become known as our bush capital home throughout adulthood; they remind me of nature’s steadfastness amid life’s ups-and-downs alongside books that offer escapism whenever needed.