Having recently joined, and met some of the THB members at a couple of events, and read a few posts on the groupsite and worked together to create the Altona Food Swap, I approached the Pot Luck dinner with curiosity and some nervousness - I don't get out much, and after all, these people are mostly strangers! Anyway, as with each THB event that I have attended, I am always so well reassured that the THBers are very much ‘friends of the earth' who want to work with others to make a strong community, and lighten our footprints, and who are a pretty friendly old bunch!
The food... ahh the food... was delicious. The pot luck offerings included an array of dishes fitting into one or more of the following categories; organic, locally grown, vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, locally sourced, home-made, fermented - what a feast!
The presence of leafy green salads, root vegies and locally grown avocado signalled the transition between the colder months to the warmer ones. The seasonal transition was also observed first hand, as we were able to sit outside late into the evening.
Sitting by a fire was a rare treat for us, sub-urban dwellers, but one that all who were present felt could become a standard part of community celebrations - and a fitting way to spend the spring equinox.
The day after the pot luck dinner I noticed some dragonflies and a ladybug in the garden - a signal that True Spring is here, or the time of the insects, as the Boonwurrung sometimes refer to it.
A big Thank You to Kate and Jason and all for a lovely evening.
Written by Julia Muniandy