August 2024

When August pulled up people started throwing projects my way. Wow. I am willing to try and manage as much as I can. All the while I need to devote my energy and voice to this month's event, the Family History Month. The projects range from food event ideas, crafting event ideas, reviewing policy documents, discuss accessible workspace ideas with no budget available. Oddly enough not many hands want to pitch in. Off the topic, I enjoy having my matcha latte throughout the week though. It is very nice to have a hot cuppa during these really cold days, totally warms the guts. When I'm outside of work that's when I get inspiration.

I’m learning when there are native birds there are no feral cats around. When there are cats there are no native birds around. It seems you cannot have the best of both worlds. 

August was Family History month at work. We had some interesting enquiries. A few patron wanted to find their ancestors in the 1500s. We do not hold any in Australia. They best try England I suggested to them. I explained that Australia was discovered in 1788 and that civil registration only came into existence around 1850s during gold rush period. I went on a quest to research into the books we hold and where medieval records and parish records could be located. Only nobles, dukes, viscount, marquee, and royalty were mentioned in published books from 1100 to 1500. The Domesday book had daily accounts of some peasants. 1538 is when parish registers became a thing in England.

1100 domesday book

1100 to 1538 maybe church records?

1538 parish records (NA UK)

1837 civil registration in UK (GRO)

1850 civil registration in Australia per state (PROV)

1924 civil registration in Federated Australia (NAA)

Quite the discovery I must say. I learnt something this month myself.

Wisdom offering:

People always tell me that they deserve a sexy partner. I tell them there are 23 million people in Australia and 8 billion in the world. Is that enough? 

Then you hear them complain about individuals they have rejected in the past. This was coming from men telling me stories of women they have rejected on the first day I met them. Geez. What part of my face says, “psychologist”. 

The usual complaints were:_

• Short hair/height
• Spoilt (nail painting/brand wearing)
• A single mom with children
• Lives with/cares for their ageing parents
• Has too many friends/goes out a lot
• Not into doing extreme sports daily/every weekends
• Works on weekends

Uh. These are females who have a life of their own life and priorities. What’s wrong with that? Really. I don’t see a problem. What I see is someone who is unwilling to compromise and not keen to meet their partner half way.