Before I update you on our doings
for the past 10 days, I need to let you know about three deaths which impacted
on us & occurred within a few hours of each other. We found out (via an email
to Wes) that our friend, Jon Stephens, had died peacefully on Boxing Day. We
had no idea that he was close to death & were shocked. He was a talented,
entertaining man, who was appointed by Wes, (when he was Mayor), as the Hepburn
Shire Arts Officer. We have many happy memories of him over 17 or 18 years.
A typical photo of
Jon at a party with Danny Millman a couple of years ago
Next day, I received a text
message from our dear Daylesford & Mah Jong friend, Dot Smith, to say that
her elder daughter, Annette, had died that morning & was out of pain after
fighting cancer for some years. I was able to chat briefly to Dot & give
her our condolences. She & her husband, John, had temporarily moved to
Geelong before Christmas to spend as much time as possible with Annette &
her family.
Annette & her husband, David, a month ago
When I reached the MCG, Wes rang
me to say that my uncle, Kev Hoolihan, had died in his sleep & was also now
out of pain & discomfort. He has not enjoyed good health for some years
& had moved into care just before Christmas. We have known Kev for over 50
years & I was one of two bridesmaids at their wedding in 1969. I am hoping
to have a Skype chat with my cousin, Leigh, and her mother, Jeff, once Leigh
arrives in Lincolnshire from Thailand, where she was when her father died.
Fortunately her brother, Michael, was able to be with Jeff almost immediately
which was a big comfort to everyone.
One of my favourite
photos of the Hoolihans at Leigh & Simon’s wedding in 2013
L-R Kev, Jeff,
Simon, Leigh, Michael & Kelly
RIP Kev, Jon &
Annette
On the Sunday before Christmas, we
had great fun exchanging gifts for pets – the dogs tended to get treats &
the cats, toys. It was quiet at the Food Gallery for a change, a
chance for Pasquale & Toni & staff to catch their collective breaths
before the post-Christmas onslaught of visitors.
We spent the days leading up to
Christmas getting the garden up to scratch, walking the boys, cuddling the
boys, feeding the boys & catching up with friends in person or by phone.
This frightened
young black wallaby was on the path around Lake Daylesford early last Monday
morning – not sure who was more alarmed, him or Lewis & Morse
I had a good time walking Maisie
with Annie & having lovely catch-up cuppas at Larder & Splinters,
the new café on Lake Daylesford, which replaces the Book Barn. Wes joined us on
Tuesday and we were pleased to see that dogs are still welcome on the balcony
and even have their own pathway.
On Christmas Day we headed off to
Strathmore for a wonderful family lunch at Leanne’s place. Paun & Brian
were there from Canberra, both looking well & happy. We continue to be
amazed at their resilience after the terrible bushfire in Tathra which took
their home & livelihood in March 2018. Peter & Anka had also travelled
from Canberra and Anka had very kindly arrived a couple of days earlier so she
could buy out David Jones’ Food Hall & give us a wonderful lunch. We
enjoyed the present-giving, where the pets also did well, before sitting down
to a fun meal together. We provided the Christmas pudding & lashings of
brandy butter & there was more than enough for doggy bags!
When we got into our car for Wes
to drop me in Little Bourke Street at my hotel, the temperature was 38º, and it
didn’t drop much below that. I was staying at a small apartment-style
inexpensive hotel, which was very comfortable & well-positioned near the
corner of Spring Street, about 20 minutes walk from the MCG. Wes drove back
home to Daylesford, where he found two hot, but replete labradors after the
giant dried marrow bones we gave them for Christmas.
I went for a stroll to find
somewhere open where I could get orange juice & found myself in my
favourite Asian supermarket in Heffernan Lane, where I replenished my Jasmine
tea stocks & bought a large $3 bottle of Chinese orange juice! On the walk back,
I noticed that a special carpark we had used in Lt Bourke St for many years,
was no longer there & had been replaced by this.
For everyone who
used “Lady” carpark, it is sad to see it has finally gone. We had the best &
funniest parking spot in town for years.
The cricket was entertaining over
4 days & I was lucky enough to get a seat in the back row of the Balcony
every morning, except for Boxing Day, when Peter & Anka were my guests
& we sat downstairs in a good position. That Boxing Day was made even more
special by Paun & Brian’s attendance & we caught up with them at
lunchtime, where Paun was busy doling out leftovers from the day before’s
lunch!
Each morning I had breakfast with
family or friends – Boxing Day & 29th were Peter & Anka,
once at their hotel bar, the Grand Hyatt, which was lovely & the second
time at The European, which took us all by surprise by being closed on Boxing
Day. On 27th Karen & Malcolm Stevenson caught the tram in &
joined me & Kathy & Gerard Lazzaro for a most enjoyable breakfast, and
on 28th Danny Millman came by train for another great catch-up.
Thank you all for making the effort.
While I was at the cricket, I had
chats with David & Daniel Lazzaro & David’s best friend, Matt, who was
over from Tassie; Josephine Ward & her husband, Tony, attending his first
ever cricket game; Gayle Gibson, affectionately known as Loud Gayle (& we demolished
a couple of sparkling wines); Brendan from Shepparton, a chap I have come to
know over the years because we often sit together (we didn’t get seats together
this year, but had a sauv blanc in the Long Room instead); Laurie Wordsworth,
who went to school with Wes, and, finally, John Schibli from Premier Tours, who
has hosted the overseas cricket tours we have been on.
My last night in Melbourne was
made memorable by a very welcome invitation from Peter & Anka to have pizzas
with them at their favourite spot in Carlton. I met them at their hotel after
the Aussies had won the Test, and Peter drove us to Doc’s, where we were seated
upstairs. I can’t fault this restaurant -beautiful pizzas, smiling staff, a
very happy atmosphere & extremely yummy dessert offerings. Here we all are
tucking into sweet things after Anka & I shared a chili prawn pizza &
Peter had the vegetarian option.
Peter is looking at double chocolate & single lemon
gelato; Anka has a mini-panettone, and I’ve got lemon cannoli. Yum!
Wes picked me up very kindly
yesterday mid-morning. I had been for an early walk around the Fitzroy
Gardens, an area that I love, and had missed, because Square
& Compass café, at one end, was closed between Christmas & New Year.
Each day on my way
home from the MCG, I stopped to thank John Cain, former Premier of Victoria,
for giving women equal rights in Sporting Clubs, among many other great
innovations. This statue is in Premiers’ Walk, which celebrates those who spent
10 years or more in the job. There were flowers there each morning &
yesterday, someone had left a hat like the one John wore.
We arrived back here and I was
given a rapturous greeting by Lewis & Morse. Wes had been wonderful looking
after them; visiting Barbara across the road, who has been bed-ridden since
accidentally burning her foot a week ago; doing the washing; watering;
shopping, and making phone calls & sending messages letting friends know
about Kev & Jon. He had also been visiting our old friend, Bill Longley,
who we have known for 20 years. Bill is in Daylesford Hospital and Wes took in
our laptop & some DVDs for him to watch. I went with Wes yesterday
afternoon & we had a good chat, before leaving Bill to watch the Churchill
film The Gathering Storm. When we reached our car, after
30 minutes with Bill, the temperature was 50º!
It is always lovely to come back
home & Wes cooked a special spaghetti meal with smoked salmon, red
capsicum, spring onions, chillis, olives, celery & parmesan cheese. It was
very yummy and we sat around watching the ABC News to keep an eye on the fires,
before going to bed when lightning & rain stopped play between the
Melbourne Stars & the Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston.
This morning we walked the boys
around Lake Daylesford & it was delightful to feel cold again, with the
temperature plummeting overnight from the low 40s of yesterday. Wes has been
weeding & mowing & is now out visiting his sister, Denise, to see if
she would like her garden mowed. He will also visit Barbara with some vegetables
I bought when I went to Tonna’s this morning.
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