Dear Friends, I decided to send this today as tomorrow and Monday are packed full from dawn to dusk. Firstly the news on Viva is good. She is home and being looked after well by Leanne. She was allowed home on Wednesday as planned and is starting to feel better now that she is back to her own bed, chair, cat and especially, her carer, Leanne.
On Tuesday, Wes went to Castlemaine with Jim Swatman to see how their Rotary Club handles an Art Show. Fortunately we are light years ahead as we are on computer, but Wes came back with a few good ideas. I spent the day designing and sending out the Invitation & Entry Form for this year’s Show. During the morning Leon Anderson rang to say he was taking Denise to the Convent Gallery for lunch for her birthday and wanted us to join them. We had a lovely lunch together, full of laughter and stories. We were lucky enough to be waited on by Tennille, who has been there for years, and she produced a candle which she put on Denise’s Florentine and we all sang to her.
It has been a week of adapting to changed circumstances – Monday night Gillie and I met Irene at the Curve Bar at the Arts Centre prior to seeing “Albert Herring” an opera by Benjamin Britten. The harpsichordist arrived 10 minutes late, which meant that we were in danger of missing the last train home after the performance. The usherettes were wonderful, moved us into aisle seats near the back, allowed us to leave by torchlight before the end and took us to the lift to get us to St Kilda Road as quickly as possible. Gillie and I just missed a train to Southern Cross, but the next one got us there in plenty of time for our train home. Wes had driven us to Ballan and collected us at 11pm which was wonderful of him. He & John Smith had been busy with an interview with Frank Page and an evening meeting of the Oral History Group both at our place.
Kathy, Ben & David Lazzaro Christmas 1979 @ Maloney Manor
Wes and I both felt so excited when the invitations to the Art Show finally went out and we have had some very positive responses. This year we have introduced a prize for the best 9” x 5” landscape, as well as Best in Show, Best Modern, Best Traditional and Peoples’ Prize. We hope to attract 250 entries this year, about 60 up from last year. If I remember I will attach email copies with this Dispatch, so you can send them on to anyone you think may be interested.
I spent Wednesday in Melbourne, firstly at the hospital with Viva waiting for her to be discharged. Sadly that was badly handled, as I arrived at 11am to find someone on a stretcher in the corridor outside her room, waiting for her to move out. Viva was just out of the shower and sitting in great confusion as a bevy of nurses cleaned out her cupboards into a big bag, sprayed and cleaned everywhere and hurried her out of the room so the new patient could be accommodated. We ended up spending 2 hours sitting in a corridor before a nurse came along and asked us to sign discharge papers. We refused as Viva had not been seen by the doctor, so that brought action and finally at 1.10pm she was put into an ambulance and taken home. The ambulance got lost and took 30 minutes to do a 15 minute trip, so I was there with Leanne when they finally arrived.
Instead of being pleased to be home, Viva was quite distressed and disoriented and we discovered after a while that the nurses had forgotten to send home Webster packs of medication that she needed. After giving us yummy homemade soup for lunch, Leanne went to the pharmacy to get it organised there and the hospital rang while she was out to say that we could collect some packs from them. I did that trip, so that Leanne could put Viva into bed. By the time I got back home it was too late to go to Rotary and I missed a good talk by Carmel Thannhauser, who is a current Rotary member and also President of St Vincent de Paul Society locally. She and her husband, Paul, organise a local food bank, and try to help 50 homeless people in our shire every night.
The next day Wes and Barbara went to Coles to do a big supermarket shop and later had lunch at Café 3460. Judi and I had arranged to meet at ‘Wombat Hill House’, the new café in the Botanical Gardens. We were very impressed with what Alla has done to the old house and kiosk. We were able to sit outside, protected by glass and warmed by outdoor heaters. There is lots of indoor seating and the back garden is full of raised vegetable beds with tables dotted in and around them. It seemed like ages since we had spent time together and we had lots to talk about.
Mike Jordan, Gerard Lazzaro, David Castles, Barb Jordan (Coish), Tom Tyrrell – Christmas 78
Yesterday Wes & I had planned to drive to Melbourne in the afternoon to see Carlton and North play at Docklands; however Viva rang early in the morning to say they needed some help, so we dropped everything and drove there. We were able to give Leanne a break, as well as share some funny stories and talk seriously about how things were going. We were too tired afterwards to go to the footy so drove home here instead and had a quiet night watching and then listening to the Blues overcome the Kangaroos in the second half.
This morning Viva rang to say things were much better and there was no need for us to come back today. However, I will drop in for a visit tomorrow between breakfast and the Collingwood & Essendon game, which will give Leanne another break. I’ve spoken to both Peter and Paun so they are aware of the situation. We are sure that everything is going to be fine, but can only hope that Viva and Leanne will ask for help if it is needed.
Tonight Judi is coming to dinner – we are having a whole trevally cooked Greek-style with breadcrumbs and cherry tomatoes. Judi is on her own for a week or so while Michael is in Sydney and we thought she would enjoy a meal with us, even if she is a guinea-pig with this particular dish.
I forgot to tell you in the last Dispatch that Woody has finally been put to sleep. He was 13 ½ years old, which is fantastic for an Irish Water Spaniel. Annie has been very upset of course, but is going to see a 4 year old IWS on Monday morning and if they both like each other, she will bring him home. I have an invitation to pop in on Monday afternoon to meet him or give her some support if she has come home without him.
As part of my little historical pieces, I thought I should talk about our fruit shop “Tonnas” with no apostrophe of course; they are for plural fruit and vegetables! When we first moved here, Tonnas was in a tiny shop in the main street, where you tripped over boxes and other customers while trying to make your selections to take to Mary Tonna at the cash register. The rent was put up at that shop so Mary moved her family business out and while they waited for the perfect new site, they set up shop in the vacant block of land next to the Library. This was a cold, windy spot, but those of us who wanted them to survive made sure we continued to support them until they were able to move in the large building next to the BP Service Station. This factory sized block had been a depot for bulk pet food, straw bales and stock feed.
Woody 2003
Tonnas took over and slowly but surely have turned their little fruit shop into a much bigger business, encompassing fruit, vegetables, dairy products, herbs & spices, Asian & Indian foods, fresh & dried pasta, legume, nuts & nibbles, as well as local breads, mineral waters & flowers. Mary is very rarely seen as David & Danielle and their siblings and other employees keep it ticking over. They will try to get anything you ask for and it becomes your first port of call when planning a dinner party. It’s not quite the “Mediterranean Wholesalers” in Brunswick, but it isn’t bad. Aren’t we lucky?
Mate & Wes popping corks at Maloney Manor Christmas 78
Thanks again to everyone who has been so supportive of me during Viva’s time in hospital – it is much appreciated – all the text messages, Skype messages and emails to me have been wonderful. As well, Viva appreciated the cards she was sent and we both are very grateful to Loud Gayle, who rang Leanne three times during the five weeks to give her support and comfort. I’ll be in touch again with you all next weekend, hopefully on Sunday! Enjoy your week.
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