a quirky mix of graffiti and food in melbourne

A sign makes claims about the quality of the coffee within. After an appropriate sampling, I am happy to report that the coffee was, in fact, 'bloody good'.

Breakfasts in the Centre Way laneway are squeezed into tiny cafes with barely enough room to stir coffee. The atmosphere buzzes as a hoard of hungry patrons find their breakfast specials.



Centre Way laneway at breakfast time. The pipe-smoking accordian player (left) adds his musical lilt for the diners' pleasure.



I now consider myself 'educated' when it comes to ordering lattes in coffee shops. Especially in Italian coffee shops. Lucky I don't drink lattes.



Hosier St Laneway is a cobbled-stone street which has been colourfully decorated by graffiti artists. Access to the MoVida spanish tapas restaurant is from this lane.




This graffiti wall hosts helpful messages which are a refreshingly positive type of graffiti.



The graffiti itself has become a tourist attraction.

Tourists click cameras as they view the graffiti. Much more interesting that the otherwise gray old walls of the inner city.

Mountains of gelato in Lygon Street tempt the passer-by.

Various types of pasta are displayed in a shop window in Lygon Street.



Italian food is the rage in Lygon Street with 'Godfather' movie thoughts mixed with the scene.



This busy Italian eatery hosted a long bar where patrons would sit and eat. Each was served a bowl of spaghetti, a chunk of buttered bread and a glass of watermelon granita.

on being well hung

Why can't men some people ever hang clothes on the line the right way? I mean, it's obvious isn't it - you put the big stuff at the back so it doesn't cast shade over everything else. 

not like this

Granted, there are exceptions to the rules, depending on weather, article of clothing and minimising ironing. But apart from the exceptions, here are the rules, once and for all, on how to hang clothes on the line. For men some people:

how to hang clothes on the freaking line
1.  Big stuff like sheets, goes at the back, not the front. If you put them in the front, everything else will be in shade and take longer to dry. Everything must be done decently and in order.

pegs on seams

2.  Put small things at the front - but not my undies. (Some might argue they're big things but we won't go there!) We want to avoid showing off undies to anybody. However my nice nightie with the lace and strappy numbers, doesn't fit that category. They are OK to hang at the front, along with any of my lacy black bras.

3.  About socks. Try to put all the socks together. In fact, they can hide my undies on the row behind quite effectively. 

4.  Use the line space wisely. Don't leave huge gaps at the end of a row which doesn't leave enough space to hang anything else on that bit of line.


5.  Try not to put pegs in places where you will notice 'peg-marks' when wearing that thing. This cuts down on ironing which is extremely important. Avoid shoulders and use underarms or the upside-down theme where appropriate. If you must hang by the shoulders, try to put the peg on a seam, so the mark is less obvious. 

If in doubt about what's appropriate, just ask. You can be sure I will tell you the right way to do it!

So. Follow the rules, people, and you will always be...

well hung!

The author reserves the right to change the rules at any time without consultation or explanation.

50 Shades of Green

Ok, Cynthia said that I should do another blog about the vegies I am growing.  She said to call it 50 shades of green for some reason.  Apparently it is guaranteed to arouse interest.  So here goes.

First cab off the rank is Broccoli.  We harvested 8 heads like this one 3 weeks ago.  Because it was so fresh, it lasted in the fridge for over 2 weeks.  As a bonus, it was bug free!  The next batch will be harvested this week and it looks even better.

These are crunchy green Sugar Snap Peas.  Today we picked a couple of kg.  These are great cooked or raw in a salad.  I am picking Snow Peas as well.  I will sow about 6-7 times in a season and eat them for almost 6 months in a year.

These green plants are Rocket.  They have a peppery taste and are easy to grow.  You can also eat the flowers.  They taste peppery as you would expect but give you a burst of honey on the tongue.

English Spinach is a winter favourite.  I harvest this for 6 months from about 4 sowings.  Great in omelettes, salads, pies, or whatever takes your fancy.   It's the same stuff as you get in the bags in the supermarket called 'baby spinach'.  This is what it looks like if it matures. 

This is Silverbeet.  Some people call it spinach but it's not.  This stuff is best cooked.  Just boil it, add butter salt and a bit of lemon juice.  The flavour can get a bit strong over the hotter months so eat the leaves young and plant more often. 








A favourite in our house is Coriander.  The trick with this little baby is to sow it every couple of weeks and pick it young.  If you get a hot day or 2 or let it dry out it will start to flower and it will not be as good.

Basil.  Make a pesto for goodness sake!  We also make a mean basil salad of fresh leaves, spring onions, tomatoes, avocado, olives, feta and toasted walnuts.  Use a oil and balsamic dressing.  Oh yes!  I planted seedlings last weekend.

Lebanese Cucumbers have been sown and will be ready in about 6-8 weeks just in time for the warmer weather.  

I also have Lettuce growing in the Hydroponics.  I have an endless supply of salad greens all year round.  

Parsley is a herb that we cook with all the time.  Chop it and chuck it into your scrambled eggs.  There is also Dill,  Asparagus, Chives, Oregano, and Spring Onions.  All shades of green that will tittilate the taste-buds and give you energy.

confessions of a helper

Last night I had a discussion with others that made me think about my time as a ‘lay pastor’ (volunteer pastor).  I’ve never exactly spelt this out for people, but my blog-name of ‘Cardinal Cyn’ is also a reference to a time in my life when I studied ministry and did lay pastor-y things.  As a result I have some experience with pastoral care.  

Part of me loved to help others in a sort of pastoral care type of way.

Sounds all warm and fuzzy, but I can tell you it is not.  Among other things, I can remember the awkwardness of visiting someone in hospital after a failed suicide attempt; there seemed to be a plague of depression everywhere I turned; and I once faced a person exhibiting behaviour which was just freaky and weird (screaming, pointing and rocking in church…ffs!) (while sitting on the floor). What would you do?


I kept a journal on pastoral care for a while in order to learn from my own reflections.  Here’s a quote from it:

…There are others however, who don’t seem to grow or who are playing games.  I am concerned with how a person is travelling spiritually and like to encourage them.  But I don’t like being manipulated or played with by people who are excessively needy.  I don’t have a need to be needed, in that sense, and I’m glad about that.

I discovered during this time how much I needed help, myself, from time to time.  It’s hard to hear and see some of the stuff you do, in its raw intensity.  I needed to ‘debrief’ or find a ‘relief valve’, particularly after a tough session.

I found that when in the role of ‘helping’ others  I MUST do stuff in order to look after myself.  Stuff like self-care. Knowing my own limits and boundaries.  Dealing with my own issues so they were not projected inappropriately. It was really important for me to know who I was and be comfortable in my own skin – otherwise I’d get creamed. 

The risk of NOT doing this – of NOT knowing who I am, and NOT dealing with my own stuff - is that all the crap that gets dumped on me from other people goes into me and builds up, to a point of pressure-cooker-meltdown level. If I didn’t have a healthy release valve in place, the crap comes out in unhealthy ways – usually in ways which damage relationships. This is not a long-term recipe for wellness, happiness and health, people. No it is not. Not for me. Not for anyone.

I had to learn how to be well. And not just physically well – but emotionally, mentally, socially, spiritually well.  Prevention is better than cure.  This is what works for me:

• Practice acceptance.  Breathing in the realisation that I can’t change some things or people, and there are probably elements of a situation that I will need to learn to accept. 
• Support.  Allow someone else to stand alongside me to provide “psychological splinting”.
• Time out.  Escape by taking days off, pursuing recreational activities, having a regular diversion, taking part in social activities.  Have some fun.
• Self development. Learning skills and gaining more understanding.  Always reflecting on my own attitudes and behaviours and what I can learn for next time.
• Attending to physical factors such as exercise, rest and diet.
• Plan Strategically.  I always like to have a plan in order to build.

Even so, it takes a special kind of person to survive long-term in such a role. 

Just saying.

3 Garden problems fixed by Marigolds!

Ok then, its Meyles here.   Cynthia has finally convinced me that it’s time to write a blog.  So here goes………..


People have asked me why I grow Marigold plants in amongst my vegetable patch.  Well, the short answer is that they stop bugs dead in their  tracks.  The long answer is that I need them to kill nematodes.  Nematodes are microscopic white worms that have infested the soil that I grow all of my vegies in.   The mongrel nematodes attack the root system of tomatoes, capsicum and a whole heap of my vegies. 


This is what the nematodes do, they cause:
Nodules on the roots
Stunted root systems and plants and
Deformed root vegetables.

For those who are attempting to minimise the amount of crap that you spray onto your vegies, Marigolds are brilliant.  The way it works is that the root of the Marigold produces a chemical that kills nematodes in the soil.   The nematodes are attracted to the marigolds rather than the other veggies and latch onto the roots and that is the end of them.  They do not reproduce because they are rendered sterile and the cycle is broken and your soil becomes healthier.   As a bonus, Marigolds also deter  aphids, squash bugs, thrips, tomato hornworms, and whiteflies.

If a whole area is infested I plant the whole bed out and dig them in as a manure crop when they are mature, or if the garden bed is not infested, I plant as a precautionary measure a couple throughout crops as they grow.   Frogs also love them.

life explained by graphs

my tortured life

Well, I'm still here.
I have grown my coat for the cold winter like a Tsar's robe. 

It requires a certain delicate maintenance.

I am free to go.  Yet I remain.

The 15 hours a day I sleep have no effect.
I wake to the same tedium.

Forgotton on the floor.  I alone feel this rejection.

I am surrounded by morons...

...who torment me mercilessly.

Still, I've learned a few things.

While my caretakers ignore my attempts to participate...

My life is in the toilet.