Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 26th May 2013

Dear Friends, where does the time go? I can’t believe it is Sunday again. We’ve enjoyed an interesting & rather social week – just for a change. On Monday, Nicole, my hairdresser, cut my hair for the last time – she has retired from hairdressing to concentrate on working more in Daylesford Clothing with Rodney Peacock. I can find another hairdresser, but no-one within cooee will apply henna. Just as I was beginning to get worried, Wes offered to learn how to do it & Nicole was happy to show him. He thinks it looks easy, and it is a great solution for me! I have made an appointment for a fringe trim with Adam at Spice, where I have my nails done. Wes is having his hair cut by Adam & we both think he does an excellent job.

Lovely & Malcolm are sailing in Moscow – looks like fun

After that, we headed to Gracenotes Café, where we met up with our dear friend, Hanna Laundl, who was back in Daylesford for a few days with her daughter, Rebecca. Rebecca had flown home that morning, but Hanna stayed another 24 hours, which gave us time to see each other. She looks very well & was really enjoying being back here again – she knew at least five other faces in the café, something you miss when you live in the Big Smoke of Sydney.

On Tuesday, I was pleased to start a new programme at gym and Barry was very patient teaching me. It has been too wet to play golf this past couple of weeks, so I can’t tell how much stronger I am getting – I work it out by the distance I can hit the golf ball. Rhonda & I had lunch together at Gracenotes Café, a very yummy pumpkin & apple soup, which is one of Chris’s specialties. We hadn’t seen each other since Melbourne airport last month when we were setting off on our respective trips.

Mah Jong was fun, especially as Dot turned up unexpectedly – Valerie & I were quite sure she had said she would miss 2 Wednesdays, and it was good to hear about the trip to Lakes Entrance, enjoy each other’s company & occasionally play Mah Jong!

 

On Thursday morning after gym, I had breakfast with Gillie, again at Gracenotes Café; where there was a fire burning and we were able to have a comfortable chat over scrambled eggs. Gillie goes into Cabrini tomorrow to have her other knee replacement operation and we had lots to discuss before she headed off. Meanwhile Wes spent the morning in Ballarat with his sister, Denise, as she needed some help, and I think they both enjoyed their time together.

We have been busy in the garden – I’ve finally finished all the vegetable beds – removed dead soil, used our own mulch, soil, manure & newspaper, before covering each bed with a thick layer of tea-tree mulch, which retains moisture and aids with watering. We don’t trust Bilbo & Frodo not to play on the new beds, so I have pieces of wood lying on top of everything to dissuade them, and so far it works. Wes has been planting, mowing & pruning & everywhere looks good. We can’t keep on top of the weeds, but every now & again we have a concerted effort.

Hard on the heels of Roz Moynihan’s sudden death, came the news that David Innes, of Benjamin Bandicoot, had suffered a stroke while on holiday with seven other Daylesfordites in Bali. Unluckily for him it occurred two days after Dr Jon Barrell, who was part of the crew, left with his wife for Amsterdam. Rodney Peacock, David’s partner, came home as planned on Wednesday, and hopefully David will be home today. Annie Baird, another of the group, was able to stay with him & will fly back with him.

Our friends, John & Jan, left yesterday for two months in the sunshine far north – we will miss them both, but they have had to postpone this trip a few times, so they are pleased that their health allows them both to run away in their Motorhome.

 

 

We spent Friday morning shopping & cleaning & shifting Wes out of the guest bathroom to make room for our friend, Jane Knox, who is staying until tomorrow. We were originally going to the Collingwood vs Swans game that night, but I can’t cope with getting back here at 1.30am, so she very kindly agreed to forgo the footy live & enjoy it in the warmth of our lounge.  
            

I collected her at Ballan Station and we went straight to Daylesford’s latest day spa, EKO, where we had booked facials. We discovered we were being treated to a foot massage beforehand & that we would be lying side by side having our facials. It was a wonderfully relaxing experience and I can’t wait to go through it all over again with Emma & Angie.

We arrived here to a glass of wine, a warm house and risotto cooking. The Swans were all over the Magpies after the first five minutes and Jane was her usual gracious self in victory. The match was soured by the thoughtless sledging of Adam Goodes by a 13-year old girl in the front row. He reported her and has since accepted her apology, but it was a very disappointing start to AFL Indigenous Round.

Yesterday we had a leisurely breakfast together, I made Jane listen to the Coodabeen Champions and then we walked into town, bought her a coffee, went into a couple of shops & Wes picked us up and drove us to Lavandula Swiss Italian Lavender Farm, where we were going to a surprise lunch for Josephine Ward’s partner, Tony d’Aloi. We had wanted to see the inaugural sculpture show at the farm and were very impressed with the range & number of items on display.

 

Lunch was perfect – Tony’s daughters had brought him to Daylesford as a treat, they stayed at Innishfree which is run by our Irish friends, Jim & June Swatman. The night before they had taken him to the dining room at the recently refurbished Daylesford Hotel. He wasn’t expecting to see us and thought it was a coincidence, until Josephine arrived as an extra surprise.

We left them to wander around the farm, while we came home, relaxed, fed the boys, lit the fire and watched footy for the rest of the afternoon & night. Fortunately Carlton was able to stay a little ahead of Brisbane and won a tight game.

This morning Jane joined me at the Sunday Market, and then we headed to the Food Gallery for breakfast. Also joining us were Peter, Paul & John Russo, three brothers from Brunswick. Peter is our solicitor and long-time friend, and they were all here unexpectedly staying the weekend at Mooltan Guest House.

It has been a very social weekend indeed. Wes is now collecting for the Salvos as I write to you, Jane is wandering around town and we are planning to take her to Ballarat shortly as she hasn’t been there for years.

 
Bilbo & Frodo waiting for cabbage leaves at the Sunday Market

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 19th May 2013

Dear Friends, we have been plunged into Winter this week and it has been quite a rude shock. The good thing has been the rain; we have 30mls and counting…just what our gardens needed.

Last week we read the exciting news that Callum Preston & his partner Maureen (Mo) Wyse are engaged. It was a Facebook affair with a photo of the proposal itself. We are so very thrilled for them both & their families – Marilyn & Robert Preston were in Dubai at the time at the start of a 5-week trip. Timing is everything!

 

Last Sunday, Wes & I went to Gold Class at Ballarat Cinemas, to see the film Performance, my request because I don’t want to miss a film that Philip Seymour Hoffman is in. He is such a good actor and he doesn’t do rubbishy films or not yet anyway. We loved it and we were transported into the world of music through the eyes of a successful Quartet, as they approach their 25^th Anniversary. None of the main actors is a musician so they all had to learn how to hold their instruments, look as though they could read music and persuade their audience they were really playing. Not only was the film good, but we were greeted with smiles from very busy young staff, and I was given a long-stemmed fragrant white carnation and a voucher to see another film free to celebrate Mothers’ Day.

On Monday we decided to have a very quiet day and mostly spent our time reading and listening to classical music. Wes and Barbara had planned to drive to Melbourne to see Carlton play St Kilda, but the weather was atrocious and when it started hailing, Wes called it off. Neither of them wanted to be the one to spoil the outing for the other, but it would have been madness to have driven in that weather. So Wes went over with footy franks and they watched it on TV. Carlton were so awful in the first three quarters it was a good thing they weren’t at the ground, but the Blues redeemed themselves in the final quarter and nearly stole the game in spite of being behind & suffering three injuries.

Our lovely latest rose, Dioressence

Tuesday was also cold and I think that is the pattern from now on. Wes walked the boys in the mist & I later drove to gym in mist and we were both very pleased to get back home. Barbara cancelled hydro, so we both spent time on our computers, catching up on emails and tidying up bills and queries.

Valerie, Gail & I played Mah Jong on Wednesday morning, where Valerie trumped us all, and Carol came in to say hello after her group had finished playing. It was lovely to see her again. That evening Wes went in the rain to Ken & Linda Gillies’ home for Aperitifs, and then onto Rotary at The Old Hepburn Hotel. I find myself quite tired after a morning of Mah Jong, so took it easy, which was helped by the pouring rain.

I woke to find myself quite asthmatic and without energy on Thursday, so cancelled gym and catching up with Gillie, both of which I was sorry to do, but it seemed that a very quiet day was in order – fortunately we have lots of books to read and Logic Puzzles to solve, as well as the daily crosswords in The Age.

We drove to Melbourne on Friday through pouring rain – Wes dropped me off at Strathmore, where I had offered to sit with Viva & let Leanne go out for as long as she liked; and he drove onto to Malvern to visit Joan Testro. That morning a truck had come to grief just at the start of the Bolte Bridge, so getting across town took forever, but Wes was able to spend a most enjoyable time with Joan, looking at photos & scrapbooks and talking about the family tree.

Our other maple – just for Joan!

Meanwhile I was able to help Leanne by dusting & polishing the lounge & dining room; Viva & I sorted out some paperwork, and I kept up fresh, hot coffees, which help ease her throat. She is still coughing a lot but feels a little better each day, and certainly she is a good colour.

We left Strathmore around 3.15pm & had a good run home, but Wes then had to go to Brian & Roberta as he had promised to help Brian with a computer issue. That night Wes took Barbara to the Hepburn Springs Golf Club, where they joined John & Jan, Gail & Terry, Jan & Warren, Di & Jeff on a Trivia Night table. I don’t know where he found the energy, but he did and their table was leading until the last round when they fell behind on the cryptic Victorian town names.

Yesterday I went shopping early, and later Wes took Barbara for a big shop, followed by coffee at The London Café in The Rex Arcade. They were joined by David Reilly, who is recovering well from two knee replacements. Then Wes went back to help Brian & Roberta some more, before coming home for a rest. I had invited Michael Ivanchenko to the Collingwood vs Geelong game at the MCG last night, but I wasn’t up to the late night & the cold weather, and he very kindly accepted dinner at our place in return! Wes cooked Tuki steaks for them both, fish for me, and made oodles of his famous roast vegetables, including baby beetroot courtesy of Leanne.

We were pleasantly surprised when the Pies started well, but the Cats came back in the third quarter and it looked as though they would run all over us, but somehow we rallied in the last quarter and won by a goal in a most exciting game.

This is what we saw when we opened our litre bottle of Hendricks Gin last night – 2 coasters, six recipes and loads of nonsense – what fun!

Wes & Barbara have driven to Docklands to see Carlton vs Port Adelaide, which is at the early time of 1.10pm. With a bit of luck they’ll see a good win & be home before it gets pitch black. The boys are snoring their heads off, and I’m going to take advantage of some rare sunshine today to finish the vegetable & herb beds in the back garden.             

Daylesford Mothers' Day Dispatch - Sunday, 12th May 2013

 

Dear Friends, I do hope you are enjoying this special day. I’ve put a call into Viva, but the phone was busy so I’ll have to try again. We’ve just returned from a lovely breakfast yet again at Food Gallery, where the only hassle was paying them enough. The boys are snoring after their hectic schedule of eating, and we are planning to see the film, Performance, this afternoon in Ballarat as my treat.

Last Sunday we had a very good visit with Viva who was in hospital for a few days in a successful attempt to stop her bronchitis turning into pneumonia. She was in good spirits in a single room with a lovely view towards the Melbourne CBD. We decided not to stay on for the footy, so drove back home and arrived in time to watch the game on TV. Carlton won easily, but the standard was so poor initially that we were both pleased not to be at the game.

The whole of Daylesford has been plunged into sadness over the past 2 weeks with the sudden death of Roz Moynihan (ex-postmistress & wife of Rotarian, Danny) after a massive stroke. Roz was a wonderful character who never stopped volunteering, taking risks, smiling & talking…usually all at once. She didn’t recover from the stroke and died peacefully

Her funeral was on Friday morning & it was huge. There were 700+ of us present and it was held in the ARC in Smith Street. The ARC is a community recreation centre built entirely by donations and was probably the only place other than the Town Hall big enough to hold us all. As her red coffin was driven away we all released brightly-coloured balloons – it was a beautiful sight & she would have been delighted. Quite a few local shops closed for the duration, which was a sign of the esteem in which she was held. Without Roz & Danny selling raffle tickets each year for the Art Show, we would not have made our profit goals as she was the best, most persistent raffle ticket seller anyone has ever met!

I finally managed to catch up with Sheila Hollingworth this week and discovered she & Vaughan have sold their home and will be homeless from July. They are looking forward to doing lots of travel and won’t be back in Daylesford again until January 2014. I am so pleased to have spent some time together before she left for London & the US next weekend.

I also had a massage with Ann Holden and found that she is feeling so much better since her mother has died and is no longer in pain. It was lovely to have a relaxing hour in her company after having to cancel the past 3 massages for various reasons

We were a foursome on Wednesday at Mah Jong which is always good, and enjoyed a fun morning. Dot & John have now gone on holidays for a fortnight to Lakes Entrance. After lunch I spent some time in the garden and now have all the vegetable beds in the front looking good again, with spinach & beetroot planted.

Meanwhile Wes has been very busy on the computer with sorting out the details of our Ashes trip – we are spending three weeks in Scotland beforehand & five days in Iceland afterwards. I’ve booked four shows which we will see with our friend, Terry McDonald, and we will have lunch with Jeff & Kev and at least one meal with Leigh & Simon. I’m expecting the cricket to be relaxing so I can cope with all these extra-curricular activities!

On Tuesday, Wes joined Barbara at Ballarat for hydro, which he said went well. The next afternoon he played golf at Hepburn Springs with John Smith & Jeff Bain and to his great delight hit a birdie on the first hole. He was thrilled with his game, especially as it had been too cold for us to play on Monday morning as usual.

We drove to Melbourne on Thursday morning straight after my gym class, as Viva was back home and Leanne had a number of chores to do and didn’t want to leave Viva for the length of time they would take. So we spent three hours there and were pleased to see that Viva was improving and that the bronchitis, although not completely gone, was under control. We gave her & Leanne the gifts we had brought back from London, and those from Jeff & Kev. In return Leanne had bought dog sausage rolls & made some chutney for us as a thank you.

That afternoon we went to the Members’ Opening of the latest Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria – Monet’s Garden. It is a very well curated and designed exhibition & we really recommend it.

 

Yesterday was a big day for Wes, Barbara, John, Jenny & Eddie, as they had been invited to be part of the 150^th birthday celebrations of the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens. They interviewed people about the gardens as part of their project, Hepburn Voices. Wes & Barbara stayed on for the official ceremony with the Governor of Victoria, Alex Chernov, but eventually had to leave before it was over as everything was running an hour late and Wes & I were due at Glenn’s place at 3pm. We spent a lovely couple of hours sitting over cheese & red wine with Glenn & Denise.

Wes was exhausted when we got home, but while I fed the boys, he made us pizzas and was in bed well before the footy began. I had offered to help at the Gardens, but wasn’t needed, so I had shopped, started work on the back vegetable beds, cleaned windows, washed & ironed & listened to the radio. By the time the first quarter of the Freo-Collingwood game was over & we had only kicked 8 points, I was ready for bed and watched the second quarter there. Fortunately the TV was disturbing Wes, so I turned it off altogether and found out the result this morning. EEK! How will we beat the Ladder Leaders, Geelong next week after that performance?

 

              Our newest rose, a pink Iceberg – isn’t it pretty?

 

Daylesford Dispatch - Saturday, 4th May 2013

 

Dear Friends, when I left you last Sunday, Wes was off to the Williamstown Little Theatre with Barbara doing the driving. After I had finished making minestrone& pumpkin soup, I went outside and realised it was a perfect afternoon. The boys needed no persuading so we set off to Jubilee Lake and back. We met a spiny anteater and a black wallaby on the way but nothing and nobody else. This photo above was our view as we emerged from our walk to re-join Duke Street & home.

Our weeping Japanese Maple looking at its best

 

We three were quite tired after our long walk and very happy to spend a quiet night watching footy & then Rebus repeats on TV. I was well asleep by the time Wes walked in the door around 10.20pm.

That afternoon I walked to Verey Funeral Parlour in support of our friend, Ann Holden, whose mother, Lorna, died last week aged 93. Judi & Barbara were there as well, and we were so pleased we went as it was a very small funeral. Ann is an only child and has few relatives, apart from a couple of cousins and her own daughters.

The next day I was back at gym after 4 weeks’ break and really felt it after my work out! Wes spent most of the day in Ballarat as the Mazda 6 needed the brakes looked at and was overdue for a general service. He had hoped to take Barbara to hydro in the afternoon but the car wasn’t ready in time and she was delayed with her morning appointments, so he spent time at the old Ballarat Cemetery and the Library.

 

Lovely & Wes admiring Penny Ellsmore at lunch last Friday.

On Wednesday Wes and I went to Daylesford Mind Your Pet to choose a new waterproof mat for Bilbo & Frodo to use outside and when they are in kennels. While I was organising the order of a new canvas mat, Wes spotted an extremely comfy futon and decided it was just what the boys needed in the lounge. Our friend, David Castles, objected when I put this lovely photo up on Facebook with the line that the boys were luxuriating on their new bed. He explained that a verb is a "doing" word and these beasts don't look like they are doing anything except rolling around in indulgent luxury provided by the humans they have conned by their overall cuteness! I wonder if you agree.

 

It was lovely to play Mah Jong with Dot, Gail & Valerie again at Harvest Café, although we were in a draught much of the time and will have to reposition our chairs next week to make sure we are warm and cosy while playing. Afterwards I had a manicure with Michelle, then spent the afternoon and evening resting quietly. Wes went to Aperitifs and then onto Rotary& enjoyed both activities.

The next morning after gym I walked to Annie Smith’s place in Duke Street to meet her lovely dog, Rosie. Rosie is so sweet & gentle and the perfect companion. She is 9 years old and a rescue golden retriever and has fitted seamlessly into Annie’s life. Our boys will be 9 in November, so I imagine they will all get on very well when they meet.

Then we were visited by Jan Pengilley & Annemarie Borsboom from Rotary to collect our big plastic container on wheels which holds all the Rotary Show paraphernalia and two USB ports, which hold all the files necessary to run the Show this year & in the future. It is quite a relief to finally hand all this over, although we are, of course, available with advice, explanations, suggestions and any other help that the new committee requires.

Yesterday after a busy morning, we drove to Kyneton to Annie Smithers Bistrot where we had a lovely, long lunch with Ian & Robyn Robinson. Initially we spent the time toasting & then reminiscing Oscar the labradoodle, and eventually shared travel stories, swapped film plots and had the odd political discussion over a yummy meal. Every time we get together, we promise ourselves it won’t be so long before we meet again as we always enjoy our time together.

 

Daisy, our best…

This morning I did some early morning shopping and discovered that I was very asthmatic in the cold, so cancelled plans to help Wes at the Farmers’ Market & on the gate at Victoria Park for the Daylesford vs Illabarook games today. I feel bad leaving him on his own, but therre were plenty of Rotarians at the Market & hopefully plenty of Daylesford members to help at Vic Park.

Tomorrow after breakfast we are driving to Melbourne to visit Viva and then hope to go on to the MCG to see Carlton play Melbourne mid-afternoon. If my asthma hasn’t improved we may just come straight back home after seeing Viva.