Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 28th January 2024

 
Dear Woodstock!

Our week started well with a great visit to the Daylesford Market. We were there quite early so Morse wasn't bothered by other dogs or people he didn't know, and he trotted off to see Jeff, the dog treat man, very happily. Yvonne had produced a leek for us, something she hadn't been able to get for a while, and was quite pleased with her efforts three weeks in a row to suprise us.

Afterwards we went to Leitches Creek to pump mineral water, and were delighted that the pump was back in action, as it is hard work bending down to fill the bottles from the pipe that is the second choice when the pump is unable to be used. We had hoped to visit Daylesford Cemetery, but the grave-digger was there, probably preparing a fresh grave for Nic van Dalen, a local artist we got to know when we ran the Daylesford Art Show from 2010-2012. So we drove to the Franklinford-Yandoit Cemetery instead where at least 17 of Wes's forbears are buried, including Catherine & John Wayman who came out from Scotland as convicts, met & married here and lived in Shepherds Flat.

This wonderful gravestone was paid for by another descendant of Catherine - amazing amount of information here

On Monday, after shopping, we had a good School session, where we discussed passwords, and decided to up the security on our Banking & Paypal logins. When we finished chatting, we headed next door, where we had been invited for morning tea to meet Yoko's parents and sister, who were on a short trip to Victoria to see the new homes in Southbank & Daylesford. We really enjoyed meeting them and sharing some stories.

I had an excellent chat with my aunt, Jeff, in Torksey Lock, early on Tuesday morning, followed by a good catch up with my sister, Leanne. Afterwards I spent some time in town, saying goodbye to Rob & Annie, who run the local pet shop, and are closing down on 2nd February. We are going to miss them, but after 18 years in business, we don't blame them for wanting a rest, especially as they are on their feet all day. It was a beautiful morning, so Wes did heaps in the back garden. I had asked him to do some work on the rhubarb and parsley patches, which he did, as well as staking, pruning, weeding, cleaning up & watering.

I picked this lovely arrangement after he had finished - neither of us can remember the name of the beautiful, fragrant pink roses, but the others are Red Riding Hood, Mother's Love & Kindred Spirits

On Wednesday, we had a visit from Zac Grant, of Fells' Electricals. We had been waiting a month for this to happen and were very pleased to see him. We had 4 dud light areas, and we wanted him to update the rest of the house to the better LED lights. He had to come back in the afternoon, when it was very hot and the air-conditioning went off when the light switch in the fuse box was shut. Zac was able to fix most of the upstairs lights, but not the stairwell or downstairs ones and is coming back this week to finish the job. 

Also in the afternoon we watched the funeral service for Murray Godso online. We would love to have attended in person, but it would have been 4 hours of driving there & back, and we were able to enjoy all the stories told by the various speakers, including a wonderful eulogy by the Celebrant. 

Stunning red hydrangea at the front door - in its second year & going well

We both had Zooms on Thursday morning - Wes enjoyed an interesting presentation with the Jackson Group, on Global Economics; and I chatted with Kathy, Lib & Karen catching up on little picture news and discovering we were united in hoping someone could beat Novak Djokovic in the 2024 Australian Open, and Jannik Sinner did! Afterwards we had a late breakfast at Pancho Café, where we debriefed on our respective Zooms, before heading home where the temperature had dropped and gentle rain was cooling everywhere down. 

That afternoon, I settled down to see if the West Indies could make a better fist of the Second Test, and after an awful start, they did, and managed to be 8/266 at stumps. 

We had a good early walk on Friday morning, before Wes got stuck into seriously weeding a large garden bed, that is going to house more roses and some ground cover. I'm in charge of the latter. Meanwhile I finished refreshing our pots on the decking and am pleased with how healthy they are all looking. At the end of Day 2 of the Test, the West Indies were ahead by 35 runs, which means we have a very competitive game.

The cricket must be on - Morse is sound asleep with his friend

My new project, which I started in earnest yesterday, is to rehouse all the items that currently are so high in the pantry I need a ladder to reach them. Some of them have gone into a spot above the fridge, as we have seriously cut back on our cookery books, and there is room. The rest are finding places in the glass-fronted cupboards that face onto the lounge. The Salvos have been the beneficiaries of all the items we've decided we no longer need, and they were very grateful for them. 

As I worked, I kept an eye on the Australian Women's Cricket team which won its first T20 against South Africa at Manuka Oval in Canberra. They are back playing there again this morning. In the afternoon the Aussies had trouble removing the West Indian batsmen, until they went out in a flurry and were all out for 192, giving us a target of 216 to win. We have already lost 2 wickets in the chase and need a further 156, which should make for an entertaining Day 4 later today. 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 21st January 2024

Snoopy's not a candidate for Ancestry.com I assume!

We started our week with a good visit to the Daylesford Market, where Yvonne had snuck a salad onion in with our goodies, and had pears on hand for Morse. After chatting with her, Ken & Steve, we went home to wash & put everything away before driving to Strathmore to visit Leanne for the first time in 2024.

We had an excellent visit, with leftover Christmas pudding & brandy butter to fortify us before we drove back home. Wes watered the garden, dead-headed the roses, and weeded a few beds, as well as planting 4 more salvias, which we had picked up for $5. Leanne & I spent time on her desktop, doing back-ups, and attempting to get her a better outcome with Zoom, as she has only been seeing a very small screen. 

On our way back, we went via the Maltese Pastizzi restaurant in Bulla Road to get 2 dozen of these yummy treats. The owner took one look at Wes's Carlton top & declared he didn't have any left - when Wes produced the Collingwood carry bag, magically a dozen each of cheese & peas appeared!

That afternoon, I had a lovely encounter with a juvenile kookaburra. He announced himself with lots of laughing and perched on the decking looking for food. You can see the things I lined up for him, but nothing was tempting - meat would have done the trick, but it was all frozen. 

Eventually he flew away - but it was fun to chat with him while he was around

The next morning, we walked Lake Daylesford early, before I did the supermarket shopping at Coles. I had asked Wes to help me with deciding which of my Documents didn't need to be kept, and we went through them all, making some sensible decisions, and cutting down the number of items under that heading. Then I headed off for my first massage of the year with Sarah, and Wes put fishing rods & Morse in the car and headed to Newlyn Reservoir. He came home without any fish, but as he & Morse were the only ones there, Morse could have a swim or three.

On Tuesday morning, I had a very good chat with Leanne, who is really doing well this year, followed by an overdue catch-up with Jan Pengilley in Maleny, where the rain has been overwhelming and constant. After that Wes & I went to Springs Medical Centre to get our second Shingles vaccinations, and were pleasantly surprised as we had no immediate ill effects at all. I continued that way, but Wes ended up with headaches & soreness, just like the first vax and spent much of Wednesday in bed.

Judi had invited me to breakfast at Muffins & More on Wednesday morning, which was most enjoyable, in spite of the heavy rain. We had 20mls, which is nothing compared to some parts of Australia, but it made keeping dry almost impossible. I returned home to watch Day 1 of the Adelaide Test against the West Indies, where I fell in love with their number 11 batsman, Shamar Joseph, who hit fours & sixes where others hadn't dared, and then got Steve Smith out, caught, with his first ever ball in Test cricket. He also took Marnus Labuschagne's wicket and declared at the end of the day that he would like to play Test Cricket every day of his life, and say goodbye to being a security guard!

Sadly, the West Indies were no match for the Aussies and the game was over early on Day 3. But they can regroup & give a better account of themselves this week at the Gabba in a day/night pink ball Test.

On Thursday morning I had a great catch up with Terry Borg, as it had been more than a month since we had last spoken. Then it was time to chat with Old Friends - both Lib and Karen were available and the time flew by as usual. My next activity was a manicure with Juls, who is very chatty, but I managed to get her down to 60 minutes, as I wanted to get back home to watch Day 2 of the Test.

We were very sad to learn on Friday morning that our old friend, Murray Godso had died during the week. I had spoken to him in the past fortnight, where he told me he was turning 90 this year and planning a quiet celebration. We met him through Sherryn & Paul Danaher, probably 40 years ago, and loved spending time with him. He did a beautiful job of redesigning parts of our 1880s terrace in Brunswick Road, Brunswick, and then designed some lovely wall units for Viva in her unit in Strathmore, which Leanne enjoys today. 

After my early Zoom with Leanne, who had seen Murray's Death notice and let us know, I visited Glen, who was celebrating one year and one day since her catastrophic walk around Lake Daylesford that left her with a shattered leg. We enjoyed a good chat before I headed to Springs Medical centre for my quarterly podiatrist appointment. 

Early that afternoon, we received an unexpected and very welcome phone call from Shar O'Reilly, who I met in August 1982, when we both turned up at Victoria Park interested in forming the first women's committee there. Shar was a natural for President, and we were a wonderful team. She has been living in Heathcote for many years and I had lost contact. We have promised each other to catch up again this year, sooner rather than later!

This lovely photo was taken in 1998 - Karen, Shar & Gayle

We had noticed that the film, One Life, was on at 10am at Ballarat, so headed off there yesterday to see it, and are so pleased we did. What a stunning film - a true story, beautifully acted and photographed. Thanks to everyone who suggested we don't miss it, particularly Rod & Joan McDonald, who seem to be on our wavelength with films. Anthony Hopkins & Helena Bonham Carter nail their roles, and the rest of the cast isn't very far behind. 

Finally, another piece of happy news - my hairdresser, Lyndal Conroy, gave birth to her daughter, Brynlee, this week. The baby was 10 days early, but looks perfectly cooked and has already been introduced to the world of horses, which is the passion of Lyndal's family, who breed, train & race trotters.

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 14th January 2024

 
I love Snoopy's optimism

We enjoyed last Sunday in spite of the rain. Had a fun trip to the Market, followed by a run in Daylesford Cemetery, which Morse really enjoyed. As we were expecting a wet Monday, giving him two good outings was the right thing. Wes decided to clear up his study in-tray, and I cleaned the silver, washed & ironed, and cleaned the freezer. 

On Monday, after my usual early shopping, we had a good School session. We had planned to check our Wills, but as they were fairly recent, that didn't take long, and we moved onto sharing Calendars, and then devising a sticky address label that we have each put on the inside of our mobile phone covers. We are very aware that if either or both of us is involved in an accident, or become unwell away from home, our phones, with all our information are password-protected. Now we have the details of our next of kin (each other), plus our solicitor, as well as mentioning Morse. 

Speaking of Morse - love this photo!

After we read of the actor, Tom Wilkinson's death last week, we revisited one of his wonderful films - This Beautiful Fantastic, 2016. It is a rather lovely story full of eccentric characters, but with a message of friendship and love that is available to everyone. 

We both got back in the swing of Zooms this week - Wes spoke to Barbara twice and had an excellent session on "Feminism" with the Paul Jackson Group. This was led by our friend, Hacy Tobias, whose husband, Jim, has recently joined the group. As well, I spoke with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire; caught up with Leanne, and had a lovely time chatting with Old Friends, and hearing their news.

We had been impressed with the owner of local eatery, Ruben's, where Glen's granddaughter & grandson work. He was very generous to them with bonuses at Christmas, not just for their work in his restaurant, but for being Dux of their classes. As a result we decided to have lunch there on Wednesday on the spur of the moment, and enjoyed it very much. Wes had chili mussels, which were up to Boathouse standard, with a glass of Holgate Brewery chocolate porter. I enjoyed the smoked salmon fettucine with a Kangaroo Hills' pinot grigio. The pannacotto and chocolate mousse were perfect to follow. As we paid, we told the owner why we had come to lunch, and he seemed very pleased indeed.

I finally got back to my pots on Thursday morning. We drove to Mitre 10 to collect bags of potting mix, took a detour to Eganstown Cemetery (my preferred resting place), and came back here to make a start before the morning got too hot. I am giving our large planter boxes a rest for a while & using some of the many empty pots that we have to house tomatoes, parsley & cucumbers on our decking. 

On Friday, I had an early dental appointment in Ballarat for my annual clean. Wes drove me, and we went to see the latest Ken Loach film, The Old Oak, afterwards. We had hoped to see One Life with Anthony Hopkins, but it wasn't on until the afternoon, so we'll try and catch it another time. However, we are so pleased that we saw The Old Oak - Wes described it thus & I can't improve on his words - "Set in Durham at the very beginning of the Brexit hysteria of the UK (2016), it beautifully and brutally tells how a Community can be destroyed by the Thatcher-type economic decisions; then in its spiral downwards eat on its hatred of others, particularly refugees; then the spiral down continues as it tries to persist in its economic hopelessness; and then how refugees can and do bring community, heritage, and hope together as that is what they understand best!"

Glen & I have been trying to catch up with each other and did so twice this week. The first time was to find out the very good news that her specialist is thrilled with her leg, which he declared to be very strong. She has now started gym rehab three times a week, and is so busy with other social activities, I had to make a date to see her. She also joined us yesterday for morning tea, when we had a visit from Rob & Dene. Dene wanted jars, and I can usually oblige. We are always thrilled to see them and glad of any excuse to spend time together.

Rob & Dene inspecting my herb pots

I managed to take this photo at the one moment that neither Glen nor Dene was smiling!

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 7th January 2024

 
Poor Snoopy having to fit in with Sally's plans

Our last day of 2023 was a lovely one. We had a good visit to the Market, where Yvonne had organised a bag of pears for me, as well as all the other goodies she has ready. Morse enjoyed greeting her & Ken, and ate every bit of his pear breakfast. After I had washed all our produce, we got back in the car and went to the Daylesford Cemetery, where Morse chased rabbits to his heart's content. He spent most of the rest of the day snoring his head off.

Wes bought oysters and prawns for our dinner, which was lovely, and we enjoyed the lights of the Christmas Tree for the last time. It was bought on 1st December, and did well to get through to 1st January. 

Lovely corner of the Fitzroy Gardens that I passed on my way to the MCG

Last roses for 2023 - 4th of July, Glorious, Hot Cocoa & Red Riding Hood, plus Reindogs

On New Year's morning, we walked early, then I did the supermarket shopping at Coles, before we tackled some housework. The first Monday of each month is dedicated to serious cleaning and our bedroom was the receipient of our attention. We shifted everything, vacuumed everywhere, I polished furniture while Wes washed windows & then the floor. Then I took down the Christmas decorations and we removed the tree, which necessitated a bit more vacuuming where it had been. 

As it was going to rain heavily on Wednesday morning, we decided to take Morse for a good run at the Daylesford Cemetery on Tuesday instead of walking around Lake Daylesford. He was delighted with the change of plan, and enjoyed racing around the perimeter, chasing rabbits, and picking up the scent of foxes. 

We were treated to this beautiful pink sky

We continued our cleaning up activities afterwards - Wes got stuck into a few garden chores, and I cleaned out the fridge. In the three years or so since Sandra lost the top of her finger, we have really missed her cleaning skills, and are always a little bit behind. By late afternoon, I was starting to feel unwell, and went to bed early, which was disappointing, as I had managed dinner with Wes at the table for a few nights running.

On Wednesday morning, I did a RAT, and tested negative to COVID, so started a course of prednisolone instead, and went back to bed. It was Day 1 of the 3rd Test, and watching it kept me occupied as the Pakistan team, after a disastrous start, made over 300 runs. I had planned a visit with Glen, our neighbour, which Wes did instead.

By Thursday, I was still coughing, but feeling much better, so got up and dressed, and watched the cricket in the lounge. The Aussies batted well, but rain stopped play early. On Friday, I was further improved, and did the usual household chores, as well as watched a most fascinating day at the SCG. On the traditional Jane McGrath Day, where the ground is a sea of pink, the Australians lost their last 5 wickets for 10 runs, making 299. The Pakistan batsmen came out full of confidence, but were 7/68 at stumps - a lead of 82 runs.

One result of watching the cricket all day!

Meanwhile, Wes went to Ron Brown's funeral service at Verey's here, which was well attended, and full of good stories. His family had tried many times to get him to move closer to them, but he preferred to live in "the best place in the world", where he had lots of friends and was well-known. 

Day 4 of the Test saw Australia finish off the Pakistan 2nd innings & win the Test with the loss of two wickets, including the retiring David Warner, who enjoyed a number of lives with dropped catches & LBW umpire's calls. 

Yesterday was 10 years since my mother, Viva, died, peacefully, after nearly 92 years on earth. My sister, Leanne, made sure that she lived at home until almost the very end, by looking after her 24/7 with great love & care. It was also 5 years to the day that we brought Lewis & Morse home from their unhappy puppyhood.

One of my favourite photos of Viva & Leanne, dressed up & enjoying each other's company in 2005

Lewis & Morse feeling right at home after two weeks with us