AUTHOR and therapist Bernadette Hoey celebrated her 80th birthday last week by taking a dip at Mt Martha in a seagrass palanquin, the Eastern version of a sedan chair. It was made for her by peninsula puppeteer Ian Cuming who, with Mornington author and world renowned shakuhatchi flute player Anne Norman, joined Ms Hoey for her birthday. “Anne and I wanted to do something special for Bernadette so we arranged a beach picnic. She’s a very dear friend and mentor,” Mr Cuming said. “We can so easily forget the wisdom carried by our elders,” said Ms Norman, whose busy schedule…