Dear Friends, we had a most enjoyable trip to Melbourne on
Sunday afternoon for the Richmond vs Collingwood game. We weren’t able to catch
up with Paun, Brian, Liam, Warwick & Rohan, except by FB, where we also
discovered that Matt & Genevieve Spiteri were there, as well as Daylesford
friend, Lyndall Jenkin, her partner AJ & their daughter, Brontë, now
suddenly decked out in yellow & black. The atmosphere was magic, there were
nearly 60,000 supporters in attendance, and it was a perfect Autumnal Melbourne
day. Although the Pies were beaten, the game was always in doubt, and the final
margin of 5 points reflected the closeness of the two teams, with 10 lead
changes during the match. Wes drove there and back which was very kind of him,
and we arrived home to a hungry Bilbo looking for a feed, even though he had
been spoilt rotten at the Sunday Market, at Breakfast, and at home when we
left.
Matt & Genna
above & the Fells & friends shown after the match – free entry for kids
& kick-to-kick after the game are real winners, plus Richmond’s match day
experience was slanted very squarely at all the kids and they loved it.
Monday was another lovely day so Wes washed Bilbo after
their early walk and I started the first of seven loads of washing. There are
only 2 of us plus Bilbo, but it is amazing how dirty we seem to get – it took
13 hours to get the 7 loads washed & dried and everything replaced where it
should be. The ironing had to wait for Tuesday afternoon.
Wes made a beetroot frittata, which tasted better than it
looked, but wasn’t the most memorable of dishes. He was very disappointed and
still quite hungry after we had demolished it!
Most of Tuesday was spent shrouded in fog (see photo), which
was rather wonderful. Wes went off to show the silly film ‘The Age of Adeline’
at the Daylesford Community Cinema, and absolutely no one turned up to see it.
The weather may have affected the attendance – the two other volunteers watched
it and one wants back the 90 minutes or so she spent in the cinema, the other
loved it. Meanwhile I made a yummy tomato pasta sauce for lunch using the last
kg of our tomatoes before having my nails done by Alanna at EKO.
We woke to drizzling rain, but sprang into action to get the
house ready to be cleaned by Sandra, who arrives at 7.30am. Bilbo missed out on
a walk, but wasn’t really interested. I went to gym before spending our usual
fun morning with Dot and Valerie playing Mah Jong at a very busy ‘Muffins &
More’. While Wes spent time with Barbara, and later drove to Newlyn to
interview Faye Hungerford, I went to Springs Medical Centre to catch up with
friends and see Greg Stewart for the results of my ultrasound. All was well on
both fronts and when that was done; I was very pleased to go to ‘Gracenotes
Café’ for a long, slow, very overdue catch up over lunch with Gail White. We
sat in front of the open fire, enjoyed a very yummy meal, and talked books.
That night I made special fried rice, which we ate sitting
in front of our own open fire, which is always a treat. The eggs came from
Gillie’s new chooks – Whitey & Blackie, which seemed very appropriate. Wes
has started playing Scrabble via Facebook and is finding it a great relaxation
after hours spent on the computer doing Ancestry or preparing for his Family
History classes or Hepburn Hub meetings.
Bilbo enjoying his
new pink bed cover
We had planned to discuss finances on Thursday morning while
Fells Electrical Service came and replaced all our old down lights in the
kitchen and lounge areas. Colin, from Fells, did a wonderful job and cleaned up
after himself. He even cleaned our ceiling fan, which is too high for us to
reach and installed dimmer switches as the light is so very bright now. Wes and
I were going along fine until suddenly we lost our internet connection and
after fiddling around with turning everything on and off a few times, ended up
reinstalling the modem and then my printer before we were back to where we
started. And then it was lunchtime – where did that morning go to I wonder?
That night was a Volunteers Meeting of the Daylesford Cinema
and Wes went along with his usual raft of suggestions, some of which were
accepted and others of which were not considered. There are a very few people
doing quite a lot and, as happens with busy people, the busier they get, the
harder they find it to delegate. Fortunately, many of the volunteers are keen
to take on extra tasks, so perhaps if they persevere the job load will be
spread more evenly.
On Friday, Wes finally got back out into the garden again.
It was quite cold but dry and he was able to do a few jobs that had been
building up, including putting out rat poison under the house to see if we can
get rid of the ones that have found their way inside our walls. Later that
morning he took Barbara to Springs Medical Centre for a procedure. Meanwhile
Bilbo and I drove Malcolm & Judi to Trentham where we did an exciting new
walk there – it was about 9 kms and combined streets and forest, including a
circuit of the old Trentham Racecourse, which existed from 1890 for 27 years.
I had gotten up early and made a big pot of minestrone soup
before I left; as Wes wasn’t sure when he would get home and I thought it would
make an easy lunch, which it did. I also did the Coles shopping and got a load
of washing done before we went walking. Bilbo loved the walk, as did the three
of us with him, and he spent the rest of the day in a very deep sleep. I lit a
fire in the afternoon, spent an hour or so ironing and then reading before the
footy that night.
Sadly Carlton played terribly again and lost by far too
much. We lasted until half time before going to bed and missing out on the
worst of the carnage.
Yesterday was cold early but turned into a beautiful day so
I walked Bilbo to the Wombat Botanic Gardens where we had a cuppa and catch-up
with Rhonda. Wes took his final Ancestry class at the Neighbourhood Centre and
Barbara joined him to show his class the book she wrote about her father and
gave to him before he died. It has been an interesting experience for Wes – he has
enjoyed sharing his knowledge and passion for Family History, but has found it
very frustrating that not everyone has the same application and thirst for
information. I am sure that those who completed his course will have been
inspired and will complete their projects on at least one person in their
families.
In the afternoon we watched Collingwood celebrate Scott
Pendlebury’s 200th game in style with a good win over a depleted
Gold Coast side. Wes made a very yummy and colourful pasta dish with lots of homegrown
ingredients such as dill, chillies, basil mint & flat leaf parsley. That
night we settled down to watch the eagerly awaited Grand Final rematch between
Hawthorn & Sydney at the MCG. Originally Jane & David Knox were coming
down to see this game and then spending some time with us here in Daylesford, but
Emily’s wedding plans changed all that and they are off to London & Bute in
July instead.
It was a very exciting game and the Swans managed to turn
the tables on the Hawks at the very end of the game and come away with a
4-point win. We were barracking for the Swans – I fell out of love with
Hawthorn supporters back in 1990 when Collingwood finally won a premiership
after 32 years – we were living and working at 246 Brunswick Road, Brunswick
and had decorated the office in black & white for the fortnight before the
Grand Final. On the Monday after we won, one of our clients, who was also doing
some cabinet-work for us, sneered at all the balloons, streamers & pansies
and said ‘you didn’t beat Hawthorn this year’. This was true, but most
ungenerous, and not something I would or have ever said to any opposition
supporter. Over the years Jeff Kennett’s foot-in-mouth support of the Hawks has
added to our reluctance to cheer for them, with the exception of 2007 when they
were very brave in unexpectedly winning that Grand Final.
Joan Testro with
Warren at our 4th Murder Weekend, Woodend, 1989 – we are missing her
being part of our lives
Today it is quite frosty early, which means it should be
another beautiful day. Wes and Bilbo have walked, although Wes assures me that
Bilbo was very keen to get back home and off the cold, wet track around the
Lake. Shortly we will head to the Sunday Market, then off to Breakfast and a
quiet day for me for the rest of it. Wes is heading to Ballarat this afternoon
to meet with Bill Shorten, who is visiting today.
1987 – my brother
Peter and me in his salubrious wheels in the Seychelles – what a wonderful spot
on earth that is!
No comments:
Post a Comment