Art and a Big Heart (Day 157)
Who what have thought that a quick trip in Frankston, we'd find wonderful Art and a Big Heart.
On 7th November 2016 Grandfather Terry Saxon received a phone call from his son to say that his little granddaughter Layla was being taken into Surgery. Overcome with emotions, he went to his local trade paint shop and requested the colours of the “Donate Life” and “Liver Kids Australia”, went home and started to paint on a piece of window blind he found in his shed. He did this to express his gratitude to everyone involved in saving his granddaughter’s life, for all the people at the hospital, her parents, and the people who selflessly registered their organs and tissues to be used at @DonateLifeAustralia.
We haven’t met Terry, however we have seen his wonderful artwork, painted with love at @OriginalOzArt Gallery in Frankston. My favourite is a huge colour abstract which is hung at the front of the gallery. Here we met owner Christina who shared Terry and Layla’s story. We had such a lovely conversation with her about donating organs, which both Tim and I have registered in the UK @nhsorgandonor. When Tim’s Dad died in 2016, he gave his body to research so that medical students could use his body to learn. Education and continuous learning was so important to him, a great role model.
We’d found the Art Gallery by chance after catching the train to Frankston and walking along the Kananook Creek. We could have walked all the way back to Seaford via the Creek but unfortunately I’d somehow pulled a muscle in my hip so was hobbling a bit. All ok now – very strange.
Christina’s lovely Gallery is situated in the Boathouse with three rooms and hallway covered in Paintings showcasing some of Australia’s best artists’ work with landscapes, cityscapes and seascapes, traditional and contemporary, oils, watercolour and mix media including a couple of old saws that have been beautifully painted.
We are going back next Sunday as Christina has organised an art demo with Angelo Quabba demonstrating in oil. I hope that doesn’t mean we get interested in using oils. We haven’t used our watercolour paints yet…perhaps today.
We said our goodbyes and walked next door to the @OnePearTree Café for lunch. During our time away, Tim has lost weight (probably muscle loss due to not visiting his mate Gym) and I’ve put on weight (probably fat due to too many flat white coffees with cake!). So I am back on the 5/2 food regime, where 2 days I only have approx. 500 calories. At the café, whilst Tim was tucking into his squid salad, I had a small bowl of salad. I had a chat with the waiter, a very nice young man, who was very concerned that I was only eating 500 calories. How sweet that he was bothered about my diet. He’s obviously interested in health and fitness and shared about his own health regime. I am sure we will return next Sunday and I’ll make sure it’s a “5” day. They did have very nice food…and cake!
We walked back to the station, well, me hobbling, and back home to Murphy. We’d bought him a new ball as the ones here are like tennis balls and he rips off the felt. Tim did have fun training him to retrieve and drop the ball, he managed it after about 10 minutes. Hurrah!
