This is my 50th Gleeful post. Hurrah! The glee-spotting and recording has been rewarding and fun - it has helped me to see and appreciate my world with fresh eyes and encouraged me to look for bright spots on gloomy days. So yay for that!
Of course, having people read it and take the time to comment makes it extra-special. I especially like it when someone says I put a smile on their face - that is surely one of the best simple pleasures in life - or shares their gleeful experiences with me. So, a heartfelt thank you to all of you. You make me gleeful.
Anyhoo, enough navel gazing.
Sunny Sunday
I've had a great day today. I enjoyed a delicious hot chocolate at a cafe on Spring Street in the city with my friend Anthony before we visited The Impermanent City exhibition at the City Museum in the beautiful Old Treasury building. The exhibition, subtitled "The rise and fall of Melbourne's skyline" features photographs and models of 11 notable buildings that have long been demolished, and their "ghosts" which can still be seen today.
My favourite was the Australian Building (above), which was the tallest building in the country when it was built in the late 1800s, and held the title of Melbourne's tallest building until 1957. Although described as 'the epitome of the architecture of Marvellous Melbourne', it was modernised in the 1940s and knocked down in the early 1980s. Parts of the side walls are still visible on the buildings that flanked it.
In the museum's gift shop, I picked up a copy of Walking Melbourne, a National Trust guide to the CBD's historic and architectural landmarks. I looked up one of my favourite buildings at 333 Collins Street and discovered it was narrowly saved from demolition in the 70s. What the????!
In the museum's gift shop, I picked up a copy of Walking Melbourne, a National Trust guide to the CBD's historic and architectural landmarks. I looked up one of my favourite buildings at 333 Collins Street and discovered it was narrowly saved from demolition in the 70s. What the????!
It's a comparatively unassuming building from the outside, but inside the ceiling is a jaw-droppingly stupendous ornate dome (below). The thought that it was slated for demolition almost hurts.
I'm looking forward to wandering the city with the guide (and camera) in hand. I might do that on my month off work at Christmas.
After that, Anthony and I walked to Little Collins Street to check out the remnant brick wall of workers' cottages that were featured in the above exhibition. The cottages were home to the city's poorest inhabitants but were knocked down in the 1890s. The wall fronting the street was spared and now forms the back wall of the garden of the exclusive Melbourne Club (the snooty men-only hang out of business bigwigs and politicians). You can still see on the wall where the windows were bricked in. We lamented that we'll never get into the garden to appreciate the full splendour of the massive elm trees whose lush canopies soar above the high brick perimeter walls.
List writers' delights
Then we visited Metropolis Books, which I'd never been to before. You won't find the latest Dan Brown best seller there - it's a collection of books on art, graphic design, architecture, photography, fashion, popular culture, film, music and the performing arts, plus a nice sprinkling of quirky reads. As an inveterate list writer, I was very tempted to buy Listography Journal - our Life in Lists. It's an illustrated "guided journal" for creating "a unique autobiography entirely in list form". You can compile lists on topics including greatest accomplishments, best friends, favorite food, guiltiest pleasures and greatest acts of kindness. Maybe next payday...
Oooh! I just discovered the author, New Yorker Lisa Nola, has a website at http://www.listography.com/ which enables you to create a database of lists on anything your listaholic heart desires! I can put my ever-expanding list of books to read on there! Cool bananas!
Then we went to JB Hi-Fi so I could buy the Dead Letter Chorus' debut album The August Magnificent. (I got too impatient waiting for it to hit iTunes.) I've only listened to it a couple of times, but it is indeed magnificent. One of the lead singers, Gabrielle Huber, has a gorgeous voice.
And all this under beautiful sunny skies....Aaaaaah.
How was your weekend?
9 comments:
You do put a smile on my face every time I visit, Jayne! I find much happiness in visiting you and reading your words - continue to be a light onto the world...
And congratulations on reaching your 50th post - just think how many times you've put a smile on people's faces, people you don't even know - what a wonderful gift to share with the world!
Congratulations on reaching your 50th post. I have a long way to go to catch up (by which time you will be far ahead and likely over the next hill).
I'm delighted to find a blogger from Australia. I have a cousin who lives just outside Sydney and my daughter's husband lived in Melbourne for a year when his father was on a teaching exchange.
And here we have the Yale Glee Club, http://gleeclub.research.yale.edu/
Hi Jayne: What a great way to spend a Sunday. I'm going to go check out that list website you mentioned. It's still noon on Sunday here and tomorrow's a holiday in Panama :-)
Oh, yeah: 50 posts, that's awesome!
Congrats on the half century ;)
i LOVE Metropolis...THE coolest bookstore!!! It was super-awesome when it used to be at it's old home...(don't ask me which street - i am geographically challenged!)
sounds like you had a great weekend :)
((hugs))
Well done, I have been following since the first week. Consider yourself awarded a little gold "mouse" for 50 gleeful glimpses of girly gladness.
I looked at the link you gave for the Walking in Melbourne book. Now I have something I want to splurge on next payday. It will cost close to $23.00 to ship out here to California.
Hi Lance. I'm happy to know that. Thank you. I feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Hello Barry and welcome! The 50 posts seemed to come about very quickly, though I suppose that happens when you're posting most days and you enjoy what you're doing. Have had a quick peek at your blog (I really should be in bed now). Very nice writing. I'm happy to have a Canadian reader!
Hi Anon. Thanks - I've heard of Glee Clubs before but never knew what they were (and never occurred to me to Google it).
Hello Marelisa. Thank you. Hope you enjoyed the list site and your holiday. Panama just sounds so exotic!
I've joined listography but haven't had time to create any lists yet. New ideas for lists keep popping into my head though (I need to write a list of them....)
Hi Victoria. I wasn't aware Metropolis used to be somewhere else. I only heard of it earlier this year. (I love that I am still discovering great things about my town). It's great where it is now too - it's hidden away from the throngs on the street, and the space is large, roomy, open and well lit.
Hello Abbeys mum. Thank you for my gold mouse and for being a loyal reader. I'm very pleased you have stuck with me. And thank you for the alliteration too. I'm very fond of alliteration.
Hello Mrs BB. Would it be cheaper if I bought you a copy and sent it over? My brain is too tired now to work through the exchange rate implications. I paid AU$20 for it. Let me know.
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