Happy wanderer with B&B experience

More information about this house sitter

I am retired from the work-force and after fifteen years in Faraday and Castlemaine, I moved to Seaford in June 2021. I am an occasional writer. I love walking beside the sea and occasionally ride short distances on my bike, to keep myself fit.

Prior to my recent move to Seaford, Victoria, I lived in Castlemaine, Faraday, North Melbourne and Port Melbourne. My adult family members live in commuting distance to Melbourne - and East Gippsland.

My interests include writing, which I usually do most days. I am a member of two writing groups: a local book club convened by Frankston Council - and a separate small group of friends, who converse back and forth, each of us writing long stories which we email to each other. Writing is the stimulating and enriching way we keep in touch.

Prior to moving to Seaford, I was an active member of the Castlemaine Peace Choir. The choir has been running for about fifteen years and for most of that period, I organised the typing and coordinating of the choir song books. The choir, before CV-19 had one hundred and twenty members. Fortunately, lock down did not result in the choir's demise. Since my move to Seaford, I now sing on occasions with a friend who loves singing as much as I do..

I love swimming - in the sea or in a pool - anywhere really, where there is water.

I am an avid reader, a member of a number of Victoria local council libraries, which means I always have a ready supply of books to read, no matter where I am in Victoria.

Almost every fortnight, I play Scrabble or 500 with two very old friends. We usually meet to share dinner and then settle down to one or other game. We have been meeting for years when we are all available for this purpose. We're 'average' players of both games, but we all like to win!

I have a love of great buildings, building design and architecture and for twelve years, owned a historic stone building in Faraday, which I converted from its original use as a school to a rather unusual home. It was a labour of love, but the transformation from two almost ruined stone buildings with a fairly unkempt garden, was something which I enjoyed throughout the years I lived there. If you care to look up my name on the web, there are photos of the beautiful renovated Faraday School House.

As a keen gardener. I enjoy planning and designing garden upgrades and am happy to help re-design (or fix up) a tired looking garden. As a house sitter, I enjoyed renovating a rather sad-looking strawberry patch at a home I minded in East Gippsland. The family's beautiful dog loved to sit in the strawberry patch on sunny days, but the consequence of all this sitting, was the ruin of the strawberry patch so with a bit of work and care, the strawberry patch was rejuvenated with a 'roof' of chicken wire. It was a lovely place, once again, for the strawberries to grow.

At my present home in Seaford when I first moved in, I took on the role of gardener and renovated part of the common gardens owned by all the unit owners. I subsequently planted eight citrus trees, which in the future, will provide a canopy of shade over the concrete driveway.

A lot of my spare time is spent reading - books, newspapers and magazines. I appreciate seeing a brilliant film and am continually amazed at great cinematography.

I am a grand-mother with three adult children (completely independent), the oldest of whom is fifty-four years. I have four grand children aged 11, 15, 18 and 20 years.

As often as possible, I spend time with my daughters and their families. My son's family lives in East Gippsland and I travel there about twice a year, to catch up with them.

I have minded homes and pets in seaside and suburban locations, inner city Melbourne and East Gippsland. As I now live in a seaside home near to Melbourne, I am able to mind homes all over Victoria.

I'm have friends in Castlemaine, Geelong, East Gippsland, Port Fairy and throughout Melbourne.

During 2020 and 2021, the various legal prohibitions made it difficult or impossible from the point of view of health and safety for people to go away on holidays - and conversely, for house sitters to mind other people’s houses and pets.

Please contact me if you are looking for a reliable, tidy person to mind your home and/or pets.

Further information:

My favourite country, outside of Australia, is Greece, where my sister lives.

In Victoria, my favourite walking places are beside the sea (early in the morning) and in winter, in ferny forests.

I am a social being, enjoying the company of friends and my family. My hobbies and interests include cooking, seeing a film, bush-walking, playing scrabble, sharing dinner.... any, and all of the above!

It is many years since I had pets of my own because I do spend a lot of time away from home. However I enjoy walking the various dogs of hone owners and watching the antics of cats particularly during their 'witching hours' in their own homes.

Until mid 2017, I ran a small B&B business in my unusual stone house in Faraday, which had previously been a school. That background gave me the know-how to be able to run a small B&B business. I would be pleased to look after a small B&B, should a mindahome home owner need to take a break away from home for a short time.

I am a non-smoker.

I have minded homes belonging to family and friends in and around Melbourne and in Warrnambool, and have also minded many homes through mindahome. Specific house sitting experience includes homes and pets located in Frankston, Frankston South, Coburg, Coburg South, Langwarren, Parkdale, Sale (East Gippsland), South Yarra and Port Fairy.

Where possible, I like to go back to mind homes and pets for families whose homes and pets I have minded previously.

I love travel and have travelled extensively throughout Australia, Europe and Asia.

Your home and garden will be very well cared for in your absence. If as a home owner, you would like me to 'really tidy up the place' or a specific room, or do some gardening work, I am happy to do so.

I can provide references, a police check and a working with children certificate.

Thank you. I hope to meet you in the future!

Jill
Seaford Victoria Read more...