Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 20th August 2017

Once again there was no breakfast last Sunday, but Bilbo was given lots of shredded cabbage & pats at the Sunday Market, as well as celery offcuts, when we arrived home. I made a big bowl of very spicy minestrone, which we have been enjoying, mostly at night, as we usually eat our main meal at 1pm & catch up with something we have taped. At present, we are still working our way through old Silent Witness episodes & have arrived at the series when Sam Ryan left & Nikki Alexander joined unexpectedly.

After gym on Monday, Nick Massaro arrived with a treat for Bilbo, plum jam for us, heaps of conversation & a massage for me. We enjoyed our catch-up & I was pleased to have him work on my very stiff neck & try to free it up. Wes was able to work in the garden as it was such a beautiful sunny day & he filled our bin with his prunings & weedings.

Thanks to everyone who has asked after Jessie. She is undergoing radiotherapy at The Alfred & last weekend, had a couple of day leave passes, which must have been wonderful for her & her family.

Wes was showing the film, ‘Kedi’, which is about cats in Istanbul, so I took the opportunity to spend some time on my computer in the study, while Wes was away. At present, he is in writing mode, and I don’t like to interrupt his train of thought, even though he says I don’t. I am very conscious that he is in another world – at present he is writing more Maloney stories, as well as finishing off the tales that accompany Brian’s paintings.

I am proof-reading these tales & find myself having to read them again & again, as they are so evocative. I am caught up in the past lives of the Villages of the Hepburn Shire. Brian & Wes seem to be the perfect marriage of word & picture & I hope that their Exhibition in October & accompanying book will do justice to their partnership. I envy Wes his ability with words – I get away with writing a diary & occasionally sparking interest in my readers, but Wes has the knack of producing prose for posterity & I couldn’t be prouder of him.

On Monday, we were very sad to hear from our friend, Andrew Mengyel, that his partner of 32 years, Syd Walton, had died. This photo was taken 3 years ago when Andrew & Syd joined us for breakfast before the ChillOut Parade. We last saw Syd in March, when Andrew brought him up to Daylesford for a farewell breakfast with Barbara & us & the Sunday Breakfast regulars.

Andrew, Syd, Danny, Judi & Russell & John (friends of our next-door neighbours, Dene & Rob)

Syd’s funeral was held at Fawkner Cemetery on Friday morning. Wes, Barbara & I drove there & were very pleased we could support Andrew. The funeral was a good celebration of Syd’s life, with the highlight being a home video of Syd singing along with Eartha Kitt’s rendition of ‘C’est Si Bon’.

Wes & I had driven to Melbourne the day before to have lunch with Karen & Malcolm Stevenson at an old favourite, Jimmy Watson’s in Lygon Street, Carlton. It was a wonderful, long lunch – great conversations, excellent food & lovely wine.

Bilbo all rugged up at night for a good sleep!

Yesterday I set off for Melbourne yet again, this time by train to the MCG to see Collingwood play Geelong with Danny Millman as my guest. We were both excited to be seeing the debut game of Josh Daicos, son of the legend, Peter, who thrilled from 1979 to 1993 with his freakish goal-kicking, which was the exception rather than the norm in those days.

Danny & I had a lovely time together, and were very thrilled when the Magpies started well with 6 goals in the 1^st Quarter. However, we were gradually overhauled by a better team. Josh looked at home on the big stage, which was very exciting to watch.

Last night, we were too tired to watch the second half of the Carlton vs Hawthorn match & were absolutely delighted to find this morning that the Blues had continued their first half form & won the game by 7 points. It is such a long time since Carlton has beaten Hawthorn & Wes has an extra spring in his step this morning. He hasn’t been sold on Brendan Bolton, the coach, but I suspect Brendan would be asking Wes ‘what more can I do to persuade you?’ after that win.

It is a very cold & frosty morning – I chickened out of the early walk & had a pot of tea with the Age instead. Bilbo & I are shortly going to the Sunday Market, followed by Breakfast (much to his delight) & the rest of my day will be a very quiet one – washing & ironing & watching footy beckons after a very busy week.

  

As I look out onto our back garden, the birds are happily foraging in amongst the frosty grass & our first bulbs have come to light – little bunches of tête-à-têtes, which I love. Soon the daffodils, jonquils, tulips & hyacinths will join them & perhaps then the camellias will burst into flower as well.