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.