Things to Do in Lockdown

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In the latest edition of our village newsletter I came up with some ideas of things to do in lockdown, and so I thought it would be fun to share them here too:

  • Spend time outside. Just to get outside and breathe the fresh sea air, walk along the front, or even walk to the shops, makes such a difference to a day of otherwise being stuck at home. You are allowed to exercise outside with one other person, so long as you keep your distance. If it's your sort of thing, take advantage of the sun on warmer days and go for a swim. Take some time whenever you go out for a walk to go down a street you haven't been down before. Just to keep things interesting!

  • Read a book or a magazine, or listen to an audiobook. I personally love my subscription to Audible, which gives me one audiobook a month and also access to lots of free listens (www.audible.com.au)

  • Grow something - how about sowing some seeds, or tending to some herbs? I am currently trying to keep some basil alive at home, with mixed success!

  • Buy or make a present for, or write a letter/email to, someone and send it, to let them know you are thinking of them.

  • Take new photos or organise your existing photos. Take photos on your phone when you are out and about, or of interesting things you see at home. Make sure you look at them afterwards and smile, and maybe play with the editing features on your phone if you're in the mood. Organise your physical photos in albums/frames or your digital photos on your computer. I have thousands of photos that I've been meaning to organise better on my computer...

  • Spend a short time each day spring cleaning or tidying your house - and if you find anything of value that you don't need anymore, why not sell it on Gumtree?

  • Make something

    • Food

    • Craft (I've just re-acquainted myself with my sewing machine and started sewing a quilt!)

    • DIY - fix up something in the house that you've been meaning to get to

  • Share book or TV suggestions with friends. And if you like to chat online, organise for a video chat with your family or friends.

  • Plan a holiday or something to look forward to when restrictions ease. This may seem counterintuitive, but I think it can be a positive thing to plan and have a goal to look forward to.

I’m sure there are many more things out there that you can think of to do in your lockdown. The important thing is to have something to keep you occupied if you are struggling, and that you continue to be as physically active as you are normally. Set yourself goals, but make sure they are realistic, and definitely don’t beat yourself up if you don’t achieve them all. And most importantly, have fun, stay safe and take care.

The Senior Article: Retirement Communities are a Healthy Choice

/ Bondi Beach Astra/

According to an article in The Senior, “Research conducted by consulting company Grant Thornton in 2014, shows that [retirement] village residents visit their GP less often and spend fewer days in hospital than their peers in the general community. They also enter aged care five years later on average.”

If that wasn’t enough to encourage you to think about a move to a retirement village, “The DCM Longitudinal National Resident Survey conducted in 2020 found that 43% of residents experienced improved mental, physical and financial wellbeing since moving into a village or resort. Additionally, 50% experienced improved happiness and life satisfaction three years after moving in, 83% felt safer in a village, and 90% would not move back to their previous home even if home care were provided.” You can read the full article here.

Wow! That’s a pretty strong case for retirement village living. We always say that the best people to talk to when thinking about moving into a village are the residents. They know what it’s actually like to live in a place, what the social environment is like, and how easy it is to do all the things that they want to.

We would love to show you around and introduce you to some of our friendly residents when lockdown has ended and restrictions have been eased. Please contact us to book a tour now.

Gin Tasting

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Well we waited a year to have our gin tasting event, and thankfully this year managed to get it in just before there were any locally acquired cases in Sydney. And you know what? I think it was worth waiting for! We had four beautiful craft gins to taste, all Australian made, along with a wide variety of mixers and garnishes. Cheers to our wonderful gins: Ink Gin, Antipodes Pink Gin, Manly Spirits Coastal Citrus Gin and Four Pillars Shiraz Gin.

I turned the lounge into a pop up bar and put on my bartender hat for the afternoon, making cocktails as well as helping residents to pick things to go with their chosen gin. There were elderflower cocktails, lime cocktails, ginger cocktails and warm mulled apple cocktails to taste – so good! Plus a veritable feast of cured meats, veggies, cheese, flat breads and sweets to compliment the drinks. Even a gin and tonic cheese, which was universally enjoyed! We had tasting score cards for the different gins with space for comments - “refreshing”, “delicious”, “couldn’t resist” and “want more” were just some of the things people wrote! The Four Pillars Shiraz came out on top with the most positive comments of all.

We had a really great turn out and it was lovely to catch up with friends for a couple of hours. Thanks to everyone who helped us make this such a fabulous event - it will go down in Astra history as a great success and give us a happy memory to hold on to while we are all stuck at home for the next few weeks.

Sax Appeal Jazz Lunch

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

On a rainy miserable Thursday in early June we had the best pick me up in the form of local jazz band Sax Appeal coming to play for us over lunch. What a fun time was had by all! After the food was eaten a few of us got up to dance, while everyone else enjoyed the wonderful music, had a wine or two and chatted with friends.

Thanks so much to the beautiful band for putting on a great show for us – it was uplifting and joyous and always great to hear live music in the lounge. All the residents who came loved it. Hopefully we can put on more live music events in future, when the COVID situation improves. We feel very lucky to have enjoyed this event before we had any new cases in Sydney. Thanks Sax Appeal!

To find out more about the band, visit their website, or Facebook page.

Cancer Council Biggest Afternoon Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Our second big formal afternoon tea was a great success, as we gathered together for food and drinks in support of the Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser. We had such a great turn out for the event, and everyone enjoyed eating our beautiful goodies and having a glass or two of bubbly to get into the party spirit. As well as refreshments, we had a raffle with prizes totaling over $400, and a lucky door prize. After we had eaten we were treated to some live music and a singsong with Cess playing on the piano. Thanks so much to Darryl for masterminding the event, and to Eva for baking some fabulous treats for us. Thanks too to Lore and Elena who helped on the day. Last, but definitely not least, massive thanks to the Bondi Tratt, Chapter One and to Sam and Bondi Beach Astra for providing some amazing raffle prizes. Congratulations to our three raffle winners – we hope you enjoy your prizes. Thanks to everyone who bought raffle tickets and who donated to the cause.

So far we have raised over $600, which is such an amazing result. Congratulations everyone!

Strawberries and Cream and Biscuits at Morning Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Last month was both Strawberries and Cream Day and Bake a Biscuit Day, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate both in a delicious end of the month morning tea extravaganza!! There were strawberries galore, with lashings of cream for those who wanted it. And I baked a range of biscuits for tasting – shortbread, ANZAC biscuits, chocolate chip cookies and ginger biscuits.

Thanks to everyone who came, and also to the rest of the residents who helped to finish of the biscuits throughout the course of the day!

Meditation Morning

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We had a beautiful relaxing meditation morning a few weeks ago, run by resident expert Noni. She has been teaching meditation techniques for many years, and it was lovely to hear all about her experiences in different communities and cultures. She spoke initially about her life and work, and her relationship with these techniques. We then asked questions of her, as well as sharing our own stories. After this Noni took us through a short guided meditation. What a nice, positive and refreshing way to start the day.

High Tea Afternoon Tea

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What a fabulous afternoon tea we had this month! This was the first of our monthly bigger afternoon teas, where we hold a special event with a nice range of nibbles and some drinks and have the opportunity for a great catch up with friends in the village. This month we had a high tea theme; sandwiches, petits fours, fruit sticks, veg with dips, and a glass of bubbly to top it all off. The food looked absolutely beautiful (as well as being delicious to eat), and the atmosphere was vibrant and fun. It also happened to be Mary's 94th birthday, so we sang to her and made her feel special. It truly was an afternoon to remember. Huge thanks to Darryl and Eva for organising and preparing on the day, to Cess for providing some impromptu musical entertainment at the piano, and to everyone who came for supporting our new tea initiative. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon at the Astra – fun, food and drink, friends, a singsong and plenty of laughter.

Morning Tea Author Talk - Cleo Lynch

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Thanks so much to resident Cleo for giving us a fascinating insight into her life and career in the NSW Department of Corrective Services, where she worked in a variety of roles including correctional officer, probation and parole officer and a trainer at the academy, over morning tea and cake last week. The talk was both interesting and inspirational, and it was lovely to hear some more life stories from members of our Bondi Beach Astra community. Many of our residents will know Cleo from her role as Residents’ Committee Chairperson for a number of years, but this event was a great opportunity for some of us to get to know a different aspect of her life and work. She was involved in so many different roles with different people, and many that were pioneering employment opportunities and social help for women. Thanks to Cleo for spending time to share her story with us, and to all those who came to take part in the event. I had baked some cake for morning tea, and we all had lots of opportunity to chat and ask questions over a cuppa and a cake after the talk. Several of us bought remainder books, with all proceeds being given to charity. What an extraordinary experience for us and an extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman.

Hearing Loss Talk

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It was World Health Day at the beginning of the month, and in keeping with this theme we had a representative from The Shepherd Centre, Sam, come to talk to us about the effects of hearing loss and the work that her organisation does with young children. Sam was a great presenter and a lovely warm person and it was good to have her with us. She showed us lots of photos and gave an interesting presentation on hearing loss, the Shepherd Centre and Cochlear. She touched on the effects of ageing, and the links between hearing loss and dementia. We rounded off the presentation with a cuppa and a biscuit, and an opportunity for questions. Thanks to Sam for coming along, and to those residents who came down to hear what she had to say.

For more information on The Shepherd Centre, go to www.shepherdcentre.org.au

Storytelling with Helene Gonski

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It was an absolute pleasure to have Helene Gonski come to Bondi Beach Astra yesterday to tell us about her life. She is from South Africa originally, but has been in Australia for over 60 years and raised her four children here. She has a degree in psychology and has worked as a relationship counsellor among other things. Since retiring she has been busy with many different activities in the community; knitting blankets to donate to the Wayside Chapel, singing in a local choir, writing up life stories for residents of Montefiore, running relationship courses, writing several books on grandparenting, and continuing to play tennis into her 90s! What an inspiration. Thank you to her for coming by and sharing with us, to resident Noni for introducing her and facilitating the event, and to everyone who came and asked questions and chatted together afterwards over a cuppa and a biscuit. Especially to those who braved the storms to come and visit – it was great to see you.

St Patrick's Day Lunch 2021

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It was a bright green day at Bondi Beach Astra on 17th, as we celebrated St Patrick’s Day. Decorations covered the lounge and it was lovely to see lots of residents come down to enjoy the décor, food and ambiance (we had Irish tunes playing in the background). Food was organised and cooked by Paul and I and was an Irish take on the Ploughman’s lunch. The soda bread was fresh from the oven and the wide range of salads, pickles, British cheeses, sliced meats and fruit were much appreciated by all. At least there was very little left over, which is always a good sign! 😉 And we washed it all down with some Guinness and Irish cider. It was great to see so many dressed in a variety of shades of green, and there were even a few silly wigs, glasses and hats on display. All in all it was a fabulous event, well-attended and enjoyed, and some even stayed behind after food to work off the calories with a few games of table tennis...

Storytelling with Resident Noni and Helene Gonski

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It's World Storytelling Day on Saturday and we are planning a fabulous storytelling event at Bondi Beach Astra next Monday, 22nd March. Resident Noni will be interviewing special guest Helene Gonski (psychologist, relationship counsellor and author of several books) about her life. We will begin at 3pm in the lounge, and all are welcome to attend. If you would like to come please send us a message in advance to sales@bondiastra.com.au so we don't exceed our capacity allowance on the day. Can't wait!!

Astra Book Club

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Want to expand your literary horizons? With a cuppa and a biscuit in hand? Our Astra Book Club (ABC) takes place on the first Monday of each month at 10:30am in the lounge. Each month we pick a book to read, and at our next meeting we discuss it – good, bad or indifferent! Themes, characters, literary style, biases and emotions are just some of the topics we tackle…and of course we are a group with different backgrounds and opinions which makes for interesting and varied debate. We are always open to visitors, to suggestions for books to add to the list of future reading material, and to trying out new mid-morning snacks!

Why Sam Loves Being a Village Operator

/ Bondi Beach Astra/

Sam’s family company runs the Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village. Here, in his words, are the best bits about running a retirement village:

"Running a retirement village is not something that I envisaged doing when I was at school or university. It just kind of landed in my lap but it’s a good fit because I’m all about enjoying life and having fun with friends. And that’s simply what a retirement village is all about. It’s kind of like a university college for over 55s. Plenty of parties, socialising, chatting, smiling and laughing.

No work, all play!!

Since I’ve been managing the village, my main goal has been to support the residents wherever possible because I had elderly parents and I could see firsthand that things we take for granted, for them get harder or take longer or sometimes just change, which can be confusing. Once this aspect is covered, I’ve enjoyed building up the social side of the village to build a bond between the residents themselves, then widened it to include us (the village operator), the Owners' Corporation and the building itself which we all are immensely proud of. We have managed to connect also with the Bondi Beach community and now I’m trying to reach further. Who knows where this will stop!

I worked out pretty early that the emotional and social connections that are forged in the village are so important for a successful retirement. And let's face it, there’s no second chance at retirement. Once it’s over, you can’t have another go at it, so you have to get it right.

Most people readily acknowledge that as we age, our bodies break down if we don’t use them, but because it’s not as visible people forget that so do our minds. And there’s no point living without a sound mind… The village comradery forms an important basis for both good mental health and good physical health. So much better than living alone in the family house (struggling to maintain it) or an impersonal strata unit block (with strangers for neighbours that you never see).

The health benefits from the laughs and cheers around a ping pong table can’t be underestimated and it’s obvious why so many residents say to me “This move was the best move I made. I wish I’d done it sooner. I am so happy”. I admit I am biased but I have to agree with them: It probably is the best move they made!!!

Actually, that is probably the best part of my job; hearing that…"

Shrove Tuesday Pancakes

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It’s Pancake Day today, the day when it is traditional to make and eat as many pancakes as you can (well ok maybe that’s just my tradition, but I’m sticking with it)!! And we certainly took up the challenge here at the Astra! I made a yummy batter mix and spent an hour making pancakes, while Paul was host, waiter and manager who generally made sure everything ran smoothly. We had oodles of toppings on offer, from lemon and sugar, to fruit, to cream, to maple syrup and more… The residents were enthusiastic in their praise for the pancakes, and everyone had a great chance to catch up and have a natter. What a lovely way to start the day and thanks to all who came – as always, it wouldn’t have been the same without you.

Australia Day BBQ

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Outside, Bondi Beach buzzed and bustled on this hot Australia Day. But inside, refreshed from a dip in the surf, Bondi Beach Astra residents gathered together in the community lounge for a pleasant, COVID-safe social gathering. Anna had decked the lounge with flags and Australian memorabilia, while Jim, barbeque chef supremo, sizzled the sausages out in the courtyard. Over sausages, salads, ice cream, fruit and cheese, we chatted amiably in groups, while imbibing Barbara’s French champagne and other generous BYO donations. Katerina’s photographs have captured snapshots of residents enjoying this communal get together. Thanks to all who helped in the preparations and the packing up for 2021 Australia Day at Bondi Beach Astra.

Written by resident Cleo - thanks Cleo!

New Year's Eve Bring and Share Dinner

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

A Covid-safe gathering

Laced with Astra good cheer

A sumptuous banquet

Its platters of shared food

Lavish enhancements to a celebratory mood.

Mary brought fish, Adele’s salad delish,

With Ann’s icecream always a popular dish.

Noni’s proffered selection of classy hors-d’oerves.

Darryl the DJ and photographer superb.

Photos of Eva, Maureen, Gillian and Jo,

Barbara and Margaret, along with Cleo.

Then the piece de resistance, Kirsty’s liqueurs

To spirit us into a

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Poem written by Cleo

Gingerbread House Day

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

For those of you that didn’t know, it was Gingerbread House Day on 12th December! We thought it would be a fun and festive activity to spend a morning constructing and decorating our own Bondi Beach Astra gingerbread houses. I made the gingerbread to my own house pattern and was very excited to see what we could do with it. Little did I know that the humidity of the morning would make the construction extremely challenging! Nonetheless, we had a lovely enjoyable few hours of getting icing all over ourselves, eating lollies and frustratingly watching our houses fall down again and again!! Eventually, the icing started to set and most of us managed a stable enough construction to be able to do some decorating. The lollies and chocolates were brightly coloured and very tempting – from jellies and snakes to sour strips and Smarties – and we braved collapse by covering roofs and walls in a variety of creative ways.

Even the houses that didn’t stand the test of time looked delicious and inviting once covered in icing and sweet goodness. We had a selection of gingerbread men to decorate as well, and that prompted even more creativity in decoration. What a brilliant way to spend a morning this close to Christmas. Thanks to everyone who participated – it was a lovely event and made all of the preparation worthwhile. Happy eating!

Christmas

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Christmas is just around the corner and we enjoyed an absolutely fabulous party a couple of weeks ago (thankfully before the latest COVID news), with plenty of food and drink and Christmas decorations galore, full of that wonderful Bondi Beach Astra spirit. We gathered at 5pm for a pre-dinner drink in the lounge – the bubbly was in full flow! Then from 5:30pm we went round to the Bondi Tratt for a beautiful Christmas meal with all the trimmings. Alasdair and Joe and their team did an amazing job as usual, and it was a delicious roast with prawns or salad to start. Yum!

Back to the Astra lounge for dessert and live music from Keff McCullough, feeling satisfied and full of food. While we re-gathered we enjoyed some Christmas tunes, chatting and a drinks top up. When everyone had settled Sam and Cleo said a few words of thanks for the year, and we drew the lucky door prize. This Christmas we didn’t have a big hamper, but this meant that more people won smaller hampers and other prizes. A dessert of homemade cookies, fruit, ice cream and cheese and biscuits was laid on the table for people to pick at for the rest of the evening. After the break, the dancing tunes started in earnest and those of us who were feeling energetic took to the floor. Keff played a great set of tunes, and we had plenty of requests throughout the night. We rocked out to an eclectic mix of rock n roll, pop, movie themes and jazzy numbers.

What a brilliant night, and a great opportunity for us to let our hair down a little after the shocker of a year this year. We were very grateful to everyone who helped make it a success and to the residents who came along for the ride – we had the biggest group in years (though still COVID compliant) and got the opportunity to get to know our neighbours and friends better. Loved it!