Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday. 29th April 2018

We’ve had a very busy week, which started with a fun breakfast at Larder, where we were joined by our neighbour, Rob, and the conversations were many & varied. Judi’s mother, Mavis, isn’t well, so she flew to Caloundra on Thursday to help by staying with Mavis until a bed in a nursing home becomes available.

The next day I went back to gym, which was great, and followed that up by a trip to Ballarat to visit the dentist, who wanted to build up one of my eye teeth where enthusiastic brushing has taken a toll! My only complaint afterwards was that half my mouth & all of my nose remained numb for 4 hours, which meant no pot of tea until 3.30pm!

On Tuesday morning we drove to Narre Warren to visit Jessie at home. My brother, Terry, and his other daughter, Michelle, were also there & we enjoyed a fun hour with them. Jessie taught us how to play Uno before she became too tired & needed a sleep.

On our way home, we met up with my younger sister, Paun, her husband, Brian, & their youngest son, Rohan, at South Melbourne Market. They had driven down from Sydney primarily to visit Jessie but were catching up with their other family members as well. I had asked Paun if she would like a Collingwood scarf, as she lost all her stuff in the fire, and she said yes, which was wonderful. We gave them a bag with two black & white scarves, two caps & a knee rug – Brian was looking anxiously on & was delighted when I pulled out a Richmond beanie & scarf. He said he planned on wearing them proudly for the rest of his time in Melbourne.

Paun & Ro enjoying the sight of Brian in his black & yellow Tiger                                                   colours

                                                                             

On ANZAC Day, we went to the delightful service at Eganstown rather than the Dawn Service. Our next-door neighbour, Rob, came with us & enjoyed the experience. Sallie Harvey completed proceedings with an unaccompanied version of We’ll Meet Again, followed by our national anthem.

I headed off to the MCG via Danny Millman’s place in Northcote, where I caught up with some of his guests who were attending his traditional ANZAC afternoon party to watch the footy. I had not met Lauren & Travis’s youngest child, Pippa, who is as happy & smiling as Myles & Rosie. I chatted with two of Danny’s brothers Mick & Peter, who were shocked about the Tathra fires as they had visited Paun & Brian’s café late last year.

The packed train got me to the MCG in time to buy Gayle Gibson a glass of bubbles as a thank you for the reserved seat she gave me! We had a wonderful chat over our drinks before I left to find my seat on Level 4. The atmosphere was magic with more than 91,000 fans in attendance. This is the 24^th meeting of these two teams & I haven’t missed a game since the first one in 1995, which attracted nearly 95,000 & resulted in a draw. David Lazzaro was there as well with his daughter, Jessica, and it was great to see them both. The Pies played great footy & I was proud of our efforts.

Our friends, Nick & Lindsay, were married at Craig’s Hotel, Ballarat, on Sunday, 22^nd April, with their families around them.

They have been together 48 years & we are so delighted they have finally been able to marry.

After the game, I went back to Danny’s place, where he was tidying up after his busy afternoon with family & friends. He opened a bottle of Veuve Clicquot & we enjoyed a chat, while watching highlights of great Collingwood games. The next morning, we had breakfast at a local café, Barry, where we enjoyed chilli scrambled eggs & an omelette, before I drove to Strathmore to spend time with my sister, Leanne.

I got back home in the early afternoon, absolutely exhausted after all the socialising, to find Wes & Bilbo also taking it easily. Bilbo had been sick during the night & neither of them had enjoyed a good sleep. Bilbo is now much better & his wound is healing nicely, however the operation has taken a lot out of him & he sleeps most of the day.

Bilbo resting his sore paw

Friday morning after shopping, Dot & I played Mah Jong, and we are quite enjoying our Friday games after 18 years of playing on Wednesdays only! I even won more games than she did, for a change.

Yesterday morning was perfect for mulching the vegetable patch. Wes had bought plenty of soil, manure & Lucerne for me to work with & we had lots of newspapers & cardboard to keep it all warm during Winter. I even found a small brown frog amongst the newspapers & enjoyed putting him back in the pond.

This morning, Bilbo & I are off to the Sunday Market, before Wes & I join other friends at Larder for breakfast. I am off to the MCG again for the big game against Richmond & hope the Magpies bring their A game with them again.

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 22nd April 2018

The rain continued through last Sunday, which played havoc with the Market & local footy, but it did thrill most of us, who have been despairing of ever seeing heavy rain again!

We had a good turn up at breakfast at Larder, where Sandy was signing copies of the local paper, The Advocate, where she featured on the inside front page. David was quoted on the front page, but there was no photo of him!

             Barbara, Sandy, David, Janine, Judi & Wes all deep in conversation

                                 

                               

 Jessie’s husband, Anthony, surprised her with a tattoo, which she thought was OK!

I’ve been quite asthmatic with the sudden cold weather, so cancelled early morning walks & gym & hope to be back to normal again this week. Dot was unable to play Mah Jong on Wednesday, so instead I visited Alanna Quinn, who has left EKO & opened her own salon (Spa+Beauty) in Hepburn Springs. She has been giving me pedicures for some years & I preferred to continue with her, which Emma, the owner of EKO, fully understood.

That night, we received the very welcome news that Jessie was back home again & we are off to visit her on Tuesday morning, which is perfect for us both. Bilbo gets his stitches out tomorrow, so we will be comfortable about leaving him alone for some hours. Afterwards, we will be catching up with Paun & Brian, who are in South Yarra for a few days, so they can see Jessie & other family members. The crowd funding for the Fells has reached over $24,000, which is astonishing. Thanks to everyone who has asked after them, donated or offered help – much appreciated by them & us.

Wes decided to go & see the Blues play West Coast at the MCG when Ben & Jack Lazzaro (right) invited him to join them. He caught the train & was rapt when the Blues got the first goal. They lost by only 10 points, which gives their fans some hope for a win soon.

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 15th April 2018

Dear Friends, another week has flown by. We’ve enjoyed some cool nights, with warm days; overdosed on the Commonwealth Games; and spent time with friends & family.

We had a drama on Monday morning when a small growth on Bilbo’s front leg suddenly burst & covered the floor with blood. Wes took him to Andrew the vet who bandaged him up & made a time to operate later. Bilbo returned with two bandaged legs & an Elizabethan collar to stop him worrying at the bandages. He behaved very well with this undignified addition to his body & responded well to loud cried of “No!!!” when the collar was off.

 

On Tuesday, I went to Strathmore to visit Leanne, and Wes stayed put minding the patient. Later that day, we put the collar on him & went to visit Cathy & Peter, two of our oldest Daylesford friends, who we don’t see often enough. Cathy showed us around the garden & we came home with 2kg of tomatoes & a large pumpkin. As always happens, we weren’t finished catching up when it was time to go home, although we had demolished lots of yummy snacks & a couple of bottles of wine.

Wes & Barbara had swimming planned for Wednesday morning, so I cancelled Mah Jong with Dot & came straight home after gym to do a shift looking after Bilbo. We have been able to let him lie around without the collar because he immediately stops licking his bandage if asked to.

No roses this week – Asiatic lilies instead – beautiful & so fragrant

Once the bandage came off it was very hard to stop him from licking his wound, which Andrew wanted exposed to the air to dry. Mean Mummy wanted Bilbo to wear his collar all the time, but Soft Daddy was much kinder & prepared to keep an eye on him instead.

We had a lovely catch up with our God-daughter, Greta Millman, & her daughter, Penny, at Castlemaine Botanical Gardens on Thursday. It was a perfect day for a picnic lunch & we took a vegetarian quiche & a sticky bun, as well as a chocolate Peter Rabbit for Penny to enjoy. The Gardens have plenty of picnic tables with seats & rubbish bins close by, the toilets are clean & the playground is great for kids. Bilbo enjoyed being there as well.

Penny having fun & Wes with Greta with the old tearooms in the background

The next morning, I took Bilbo out for a cuppa at The Food Gallery, and we were joined by Sandra, an animal lover we have met before, who wanted to have a chat & cuddle with Bilbo. Wes stayed at home cleaning up the front garden before taking Barbara’s cat, Bobby, to the vet for her.

Bilbo protecting his sore paw!

On Friday night, I was delighted when Collingwood beat Adelaide by 8 goals at the Adelaide Oval (a difficult place for visiting teams to win). We stayed up late watching the game, much to Bilbo’s chagrin & eventually Wes took pity on him & they left me to watch the last quarter alone.

I was even more thrilled yesterday morning when I discovered that Jessie, in hospital, had been well enough to watch the match & was equally happy with the result.

Jessie after a good sleep & a good win!

Finally, we have had the rain we so desperately needed. It poured yesterday & is still going today, although it isn’t as heavy as it was. We were able to walk early & listen to the water coursing along the creeks & into the Lake.

It’s been a while since I gave you a Snoopy cartoon – hope you enjoy this latest series, which have been making me smile.

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch 8th April 2018

Dear Friends, we’ve had a busy week after Easter. Sunday Breakfast was delightful with Sandy chuffed to have won the Dee Waterhouse 1^st Prize at the Glenlyon Easter Art Show. Wes took a photo which he put up on Facebook & that prompted Jackie Chen from Jackie’s on Vincent to contact me to see if Sandy would be interested in hanging her paintings on the walls of his restaurant. I passed on the message & she was most excited at the invitation.

Sandy, David, Janine & Karen at breakfast & Sandy with her winning painting on Good Friday evening

We visited the Exhibition in the newly refurbished Glenlyon Hall & were impressed with the standard of paintings. Most were reasonably priced & quite a few had sold. Apart from Sandy’s work, we liked Brian Nash & Peter Holthouse’s entries.

Wes has been able to spend plenty of time in the garden – spraying, feeding, pruning & weeding with some watering as well. Our tanks filled in the last downpour, which really helps with the watering. I declared the tomatoes finished & picked some green ones that are now ripening in the sun in our lounge. Our chillies continue to be profuse & we have more parsley, Thai basil & chives than we can use. The current favourite herb is Winter Savoury & we are really enjoying tasting it in our cooking again after an absence of many years.

We received a long email from our old friend & my employer in the early to mid-80s, Lawrie Townsend, physio extraordinaire! Lawrie has been based in Brisbane for many years & tells me he has just retired, albeit reluctantly. He enclosed a photo of his three daughters & one of his grandsons. His son, Nic, lives Gothenburg, Sweden, with his partner, Ankie, & their two children.

L-R Cara, Alison with Lucas, Lawrie & Grace

On Wednesday, we headed to the MCC Committee Room for a long overdue lunch with old friends. We drove Judi, as Michael was unable to join us. It was fun to dress up & we enjoyed a wonderful 3½ hour lunch & those friends who had never been into the MCC, let alone the MCG, really seemed to appreciate the ambience of the place & understand our passion for it.

L-R – Fraser, Gayle, Ian, Robyn, Kathy, Ged, Karen (AKA Lovely), Malcolm, Judi, me & Wes.

We had decided to stay overnight in Melbourne, which meant Bilbo spent a couple of days at Eureka Kennels. The next morning, after a walk, Wes & I found ourselves at Square & Compass, where Matt greeted us warmly & we enjoyed a very yummy breakfast before heading back home.

Wes looking good in Navy Blue!

We’ve been enjoying the Commonwealth Games, especially the swimming & cycling & the World Records on the first night, which were most unexpected & exhilarating.

Bilbo happy to sit while I have a pot of Jasmine tea at Muffins & More

                                                                                       

 

Jessie back in hospital

Yesterday we received a phone call from my brother, Terry, to let us know that his daughter, Jessie, is back in Monash Hospital, where the doctors are pumping steroids into her to reduce the swelling in her brain from the tumour (which has grown again) & give her mobility enough to allow her to go back home, probably next week. We hope to be able to visit once Jessie is back home. 

Daylesford Easter Dispatch - Sunday, 1st April 2018

Dear Friends, once again, I can’t thank you all enough for the support you have given us & Paun & Brian during the past two weeks since we learnt that their home & business had burnt down in Tathra. I have been inundated with requests for the website to donate, so here it is - https://uk.gofundme.com/support-the-fells

Like most Australians, we were shocked & embarrassed to wake up on Sunday morning & discover our team had been cheating by tampering with the ball. This is such a dishonest & stupid thing to do, which has undone years of sportsmanlike behaviour under much better captains than Steve Smith. I am pleased that Cricket Australia has taken swift action & hope that the three players involved can begin the process of healing, which is always easier when you apologise and accept responsibility.

Stunning photo of Lake Daylesford taken at dawn by Robyn Lawrence

It’s been a busy week for us both leading up to Easter. I seem to have had heaps of appointments to keep, as well as visiting Leanne in Strathmore after gym on Monday.

Wes took Barbara shopping, but has mostly been offering TLC as she has been unwell with a cold, no doubt caused by the changes in weather. These cold nights & warm days can play havoc with our bodies!

On Thursday he drove his sister, Denise, and her partner, Barry, to Sunbury, where they had an appointment & enjoying spending time with them both & catching up on their news & activities.

We spent Good Friday the way we like to – a sleep-in, Hot Cross buns, a drive to Macedon to see the Honour Avenue trees in their Autumn glory, followed by a drive up Mount Macedon & a walk with Bilbo to the Cross at the top. We came home via Castlemaine, but their trees weren’t a patch on those in Macedon. Rob & Dene delivered more home-made buns for afternoon tea & we finished our day with seafood stir-fry & rice, while watching Day 1 of the final Test in South Africa.

Macedon trees in Autumn

   

Bilbo keeping an eye on everything

During the week, Wes heard from the Daylesford Cinema committee that they are optimistically planning for the new Cinema to be open for business on the first weekend in August. We do miss the convenience of being able to walk there to see a film, as Ballarat is a 40 minute drive.

Yesterday we headed to Melbourne for the footy. We had planned to meet up at Docklands with Ben Lazzaro & his son, Jack, to watch Carlton play the Gold Coast Suns, but just as we parked our car in Flinders Street, Wes received a message to say that Jack was unwell & wouldn’t be going to the footy.

As we were early, Wes suggested a quick yum cha, so we headed across to Little Bourke Street & my favourite Chinese café, 369, previously Yum Cha Café. We walked in to discover my brother, Peter, his wife, Anka, & their friend, Gary, seated there enjoying yum cha. We were so delighted to see them & to discover that Peter & Gary were off to see Collingwood play Greater Western Sydney at the MCG later that day (as were we). We joined them & were able to catch up on the latest news of Paun & Brian & Rohan, as they had stayed with Peter & Anka overnight in Canberra last week on their way to Bryon Bay, where they had work over the Easter weekend.

Eventually we left them & caught the tram to Docklands, where Carlton were 3 goals behind in the first quarter. It didn’t get any better & at three-quarter time, we left, along with many other Carlton fans, to catch the train to the MCG, where we arrived just as the teams were running out through their banners.

Apart from an horrific injury to Tim Broomhead, who broke his leg when he collided with a goal post, the Pies enjoyed a good first half of footy & kept in touch with the highly-fancied Giants. Tom Scully of the Giants fractured his ankle & was also stretchered off & taken to hospital.

At half-time, I met up with David Lazzaro, who was sitting on the other side of the ground & we both agreed, that while we didn’t think Collingwood would win, we were proud of their performance. The lead seesawed in the last quarter, but the Giants were too good & won by 16 points in the end.

We are looking forward to breakfast this morning & wishing everyone a Happy Easter. Daylight saving finished today & the extra hour’s sleep came in handy after our big day out!