Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 28th September 2025

 
As if!

We had a very quiet Sunday after the Preliminary Final - Wes & Morse went early to the Daylesford Market, where there were no other dogs, so Morse felt very safe & happy to wander down to Jeff for eggs & Wombat Hill bakery for croissants. I spent the day in bed, recovering from my trip to the MCG, and we decided after a long discussion that I would cancel my plans to go to Melbourne for yesterday's Grand Final. I love going, but my health is such that it seemed sensible to continue getting better and look forward to the Boxing Day Ashes Test instead.

On Monday, I was able to do the supermarket shopping, visit Tonna's & the pharmacy, and my reward was a remedial massage with Sarah Hunt, which is always beneficial. Wes had planned time in the garden, but the weather had other ideas, and we had a day of short, sharp bursts of rain. That night, we had our fingers crossed for Nick Daicos to win the Brownlow Medal, but for the second year in a row he was the runner-up, this time to the very exciting Gold Coast Suns player, Matt Rowell, who is a very worthy winner. 

Karen Maloney + Ian Robinson at the 1996 Brownlow Medal - so lucky to have been invited by Robbo to join him that night!

The next morning, I Zoomed with Leanne, who was in good spirits and had a busy week ahead of her, before being unable to chat with Jan Pengilley in Maleny, as there was static on her line, which disrupted any chance of a conversation. We were both most disappointed and hope we can reschedule soon. After that I headed to Springs Medical for a couple of biopsies on my face. I thought it was going to be one, but Dr James didn't like the look of another spot, so he took a scraping of it as well. I find out the results next Tuesday, when Wes & I have our 6-monthly COVID boosters.

On Wednesday, Judi & I played Mah Jong in a very noisy Muffins & More café, understandable as it is School Holidays. We both tried some different games & enjoyed doing them. Meanwhile, Wes did his usual excellent vacuum & washing of the floors. It is always lovely to come home to a house briefly devoid of Labrador hair!

More hellebores loving where they have been planted

On Thursday, we had planned a trip to Ballarat after I chatted with Terry Borg, and then Old Friends via Zoom. However, I woke with no voice, had to cancel everything & spent the day in bed, resting. Wes & Morse drove to Ballarat, where they stocked up on Hendrik's gin, Atlantic salmon, prawns, flake, smoked salmon pieces, and collected my bracelet which Judi had dropped in for me for repair at Gems & Jewels. As an afternoon tea treat, Wes also brought home vanilla slices, which were a very welcome surprise. 

I woke with some voice on Friday, and was able to have a short Zoom with Leanne, who was trying to get someone to come & fix her ducted heating, which wasn't working. Naturally these things happen on a Public Holiday (a Victorian celebration of AFL Grand Final Eve). Wes got busy in the back garden, whipper-snipping & mowing, while I finally picked some camellias to float and enjoy in the lounge.

Wes served a beautiful meal of King prawns with steamed asparagus, crustacean spicy sauce & cucumber sandwiches, accompanied by French champagne - the perfect Grand Final Eve dinner.

It felt very strange not being in Melbourne yesterday for the Grand Final, but I was able to watch the North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast, which I haven't seen in years, and enjoy the build up with all the chat & memories of past games. Once again, Wes excelled himself with a beautiful baked trout for lunch, accompanied by broccolini, sweet potato, leek, lemons and oranges.

The Grand Final entertainment by Snoop Dogg left us underwhelmed, but the first half of the game was a real arm wrestle with scores tied at the main break. Then the Lions broke it open and scored 13 goals to 6 to win easily in an unexpected win for them against the more fancied Cats. Congratulations to Brisbane and all their fans.