Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 30th July 2017

I had wanted to go to the footy last Sunday, but couldn’t summon up the energy and missed a wonderful & unexpected Collingwood victory. Wes’s disappointment at Carlton’s poor showing against Brisbane, was hopefully tempered by the beautiful tea rose I brought home from the Sunday Market. It is called ‘Oklahoma’ & is very similar to ‘Mr Lincoln’ that we both love.

We have both spent some time in the garden this week. I finally put some coriander & baby spinach seedlings into pots in the greenhouse. They will come out when Winter is over & they can survive in the planter boxes on our decking. Wes has been mowing, pruning & checking everything & is rather thrilled with the way all the plants are going.

There has been some excavating work happening on the other side of our next-door neighbours (where no 82 would be if the street wasn’t a dead end). This is a vacant block of land that is finally being built on after many years. We are just hoping that the 3-storeys of flats we all objected to have been replaced by 2-storey units which won’t impact so much on all the surrounding homes.

The other work going on at present is the roundabout, which is being constructed after years of requests & without a couple of fatalities to turn it into a Black Spot. Getting out of Daylesford can take an extra 10 minutes, but we will all benefit from this traffic management. Everyone who lives here has stories of seeing drivers lose patience & take their lives in their hands as they turn right in front of cars heading straight.

For some reason, I had to spend a couple of days in bed during the week – woke with a headache on Tuesday & it took until Thursday before I felt well again. Judi & I had planned a day in Ballarat on Wednesday, but we can do it next month instead. I did miss out on the film, ‘Churchill’, which I had hoped to see. Wes fortunately was able to watch it & enjoyed it very much.

Thanks to everyone who has asked after Jessie. She is progressing slowly & very appreciative of all the love & support of family & friends.

On Friday, I visited Leanne & we had our usual good visit, and achieved a few things. Meanwhile Wes & Brian went to the little-known area of Dunach (below), which is between Clunes & Talbot.

Wes at Trentham Falls a week ago – a beautiful setting for a Brian Nash painting!

Yesterday we were lucky to miss out on the strong winds that lashed parts of Melbourne & Victoria & even enjoyed sunshine in the afternoon.

After an early walk this morning with Wes, Bilbo & I are off to the Sunday Market, followed by breakfast. Then Wes & I are heading to the MCG to see if the Pies can take it up to the ladder leaders, Adelaide.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 23rd July 2017

This week has certainly been a better one for sleep, now that Jessie is out of the woods. Last week I spent my nights remembering all the phases of Jessie’s life that we had shared. This started in the early 70s, when my brother, Terry, was working at an import record shop & introduced us to the music of Jesse Winchester, a Canadian draft-dodger, who made at least two tours to Australia. We first saw him upstairs at ‘The Troubadour’ in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. He later returned to the Melbourne Town Hall & we attended that as well. Terry & Mary were very taken with him & Jessie was named after him when she was born in October 1975.

When Jessie & Michelle were old enough to go, we occasionally took them to the footy with us, especially the MCG & Waverley & on one occasion to Princes Park, Carlton’s home ground.  Wes’s father, Ray, was moved to tears at the sight of them in their black & white, with ribbons in their hair & flags in their hands & uttered the memorable line ‘I hope you win’ – Ray hated Collingwood with a passion, even though both his children married Collingwood supporters & even his oldest grandson jumped sides when he was old enough to choose!

Jessie aged three at our home in Brunswick Road with Samuel Snugglepot

Jessie & Michelle did lots of modelling – both live at places like Myer Melbourne & in advertisements in the print media. Whenever we could, we would turn up to see them & support them. Eventually they got too grown-up for us & were more interested in their friends & in Michelle’s case, her boyfriend, (now husband), George. The last time we took them out was to the famous Ashcombe Maze in Shoreham.

They each married very happily & each has two beautiful children. Terry & Mary are very affectionate & loving grandparents & spend as much time with Chiara, Dante, Mikaela & Michael as they can. It has been wonderful to see how loving & supportive Michelle has been to Jessie during this time. Especially as her husband, George, & his cousin, Alex, opened their Greek restaurant, ‘Secret Souv’ in Ashwood on the Monday that Jessie’s tumour was diagnosed & they have had to manage without Michelle’s help.

Wes has been able to get into the garden again this week & all the roses have pruned. We have a couple of new hellebores (colours unknown) & I have been putting seedlings into pots in the greenhouse until the weather is warm enough for them to be planted out.

Bilbo loves getting into spots in the sun & in this photo, he was completely hidden from me. I thought he had gone missing until I found him behind the couch.

On Tuesday, Wes had a catch-up lunch with his sister, Denise, at ‘Glenlyon General Store’, while I went to ‘Jackie’s on Vincent’ with Michael Ivanchenko. We each enjoyed our time very much indeed. Michael & I were very warm in front of the open fire at ‘Jackie’s’ and we ranged over quite a few topics. I was pleased to be able to shout him lunch as a thank you for the wonderful authors he has introduced me to & if I am interested & get more books in the series, he always gives me his book that got us started.

Denise’s birthday is next Wednesday, which is her Mah Jong morning & Tuesday films are back at Daylesford Cinema for the next 5-6 weeks, so Wes & Malcolm will be in harness again showing ‘Churchill’ at 10am.

I made progress on Wednesday at gym, when Barry added 2.2kg in weight to my chest press. Including the bar, I am now pressing 20kg, which sounds incredibly puny, but is such an improvement for me, I am quite thrilled. My breathing has improved heaps since I started gym work & although, I still suffer from asthma attacks, they are more manageable & less frightening these days.

We headed out to Werribee on Thursday for one of our days out, with plans to visit the Open Zoo there. Sadly, the weather was even worse than Daylesford & most unsuitable for wandering around in the open. The famous rose garden is in hibernation & Shadowfax Winery, in the same road, is closed for repairs following a fire. We decided to drive back home & have lunch at ‘Boathouse Daylesford’, which was warm & friendly & very welcoming.

We both indulged in their famous mussels’ dish, demolished a bottle of Merlot & shared a very yummy sweets. Our neighbours in front, David & Steve, were there & came over to tell us they have decided to stop renting their home out & live here permanently as they miss their friends & neighbours too much. Other friends, Kyle & Donna, who produce our fortnightly paper, ‘The Local’, had just flown in from a short stay at the Gold Coast & came straight there for a late lunch. ‘The Local’ is supporting Wes & Brian’s ‘Villages of Hepburn Shire’ project, so it was good to see Kyle & Donna to thank them in person.

                     

On Friday, Wes & Brian went to visit waterfalls at Lodden & Trentham. Apart from getting bogged at Lodden & needing the help of a Glenlyon couple who have recently moved into the area, it was a most successful morning yet again.

That night we were shocked to hear from Jane Knox that David’s brother, Richard, had died suddenly of a massive heart attack that day, aged 68. We are certainly appreciating the fragility of our hold on life at present & trying to live every moment as best we can, because you don’t know what is around the corner.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 16th July 2017

This week has been all about our dear niece, Jessie. My brother, Terry, and his wife, Mary, as well as their daughter, Michelle, and Jessie’s husband, Anthony, have been spending all their time at the hospital & each night Terry has been sending us an email update.

As you can imagine, we are like everyone else in Jessie’s family – numb with shock & riding the roller-coaster that tumours bring. It was very hard to concentrate on anything much & we certainly didn’t want to make any long or short-term plans. Fingers crossed the worst is over & Jessie can start her long, slow recovery back to health. She will need chemo as soon as she is strong enough in case there are any odd cells that the surgeon missed.

On Friday, Jessie was moved from intensive care to high dependency & has had a visit from her children, Chiara & Dante. She should be well enough to start rehab in a week or so.

I found this lovely photo from 1989 at the MCG – Michelle, Jessie, Danny Millman & his oldest daughter, Lauren

I keep forgetting to talk about the books I am reading & have been enjoying lately, in case you might have some suggestions or are looking for something new. Michael Ivanchenko set me on the path of Rennie Airth, an 82-year old South African novelist, who lives in Italy and writes about a retired Detective Inspector, John Madden. This was originally to be a trilogy, but there are 5 stories in total & we have all read the first two. The third has just arrived in our PO Box & I am getting into it. The stories are set post World War I & into World War II. Wes is also loving this writing & most impressed by Rennie’s grasp of characters & plot.

Michael also loaned me ‘The Dry’ a debut crime novel by Jane Harper, who was born in Manchester, moved to Boronia when she was 8, went back to Hampshire as a teenager, & finally came back here 9 years ago. I loved her book (set in country Victoria) – the language is very Australian & her plot is excellent & believable. At the same time, I have been reading Samuel Butler’s semi-autobiographical brilliant classic ‘The Way of All Flesh’, which I somehow missed out on reading at school or uni.  And to round my eclectic selection off, I have been greatly touched by Elizabeth Jolley’s book, ‘Lovesong’, which deals with one man’s memories, relationships & yearnings.

Last Sunday, we were joined at breakfast by Gail White, who regaled us with tales from her & Terry’s 7 weeks in America – a lot of it driving, which she would never do again. They had some unforgettable experiences & met up with friends they had made some 40 years previously. David Castles was also there, but Bam Bam opted for the warmth of the ute, which suited Bilbo just fine as he didn’t have to share any breakfast ‘leftovers’.

Setting the table upstairs at the Food Gallery with Bilbo just visible through the fog behind me!

We kept our open fire going that day & settled down to watch the footy in the afternoon. All three games were excellent, & Carlton very nearly was able to upset Melbourne – being restricted to 20 men by half-time probably made the difference, as the players fatigued noticeably in the last quarter. I had made minestrone soup, which is the perfect meal on your lap in front of the fire.

We were both able to get back to routine the next day with me going to gym, followed by a massage & then car washing. Meanwhile Wes got into the garden & enjoyed himself very much, although he found the more he did, the more there was to do!

We had lunch at ‘Muffins & More’ on Wednesday after Mah Jong to farewell Dot & John Smith, who are off in their caravan, today or tomorrow for 8 weeks holiday. They plan to get to Darwin to visit their grandson & two great-grand-daughters.

On Thursday, I drove to Melbourne to spend time with Leanne. This went well as we had received better news about Jessie. Meanwhile, Wes had a lovely long catch-up lunch at ‘Boathouse Daylesford’ with Jeff Bain. The restaurant was full, mostly with visitors enjoying the great location & beautiful food & wine.

Friday was wet & foggy, so we cancelled the early morning walk & Bilbo had a bath instead. Wes & Brian headed to Smeaton & Glendonald, where the weather was drier & warmer.

Yesterday Collingwood finally posted a win in the wet on the Gold Coast & it is Carlton’s turn this afternoon to see if they can beat the Bulldogs.

This morning when we walked it was -1˚ and we had to be careful of frost on the bridges. There was a stunning pink sunrise and we hope it brings a beautiful sunny day. Bilbo & I are about to head off to the Sunday Market, where all the stall-holders will be stamping their feet & blowing on their hands while they wait for customers & the warmth of being busy. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 9th July 2017

Last Sunday, we shared an interesting chat or two around the breakfast table & Bilbo was given probably the most leftovers he has ever had in his life! If you had seen the very sad face he put on while waiting, you would not have been surprised at this.

We had planned on driving to Melbourne for the footy that afternoon, but after our very social week, I was just too tired. Fortunately, David Lazzaro was able to use the reserved seat we had for Wes & we exchanged texts during the game, where Hawthorn overcame Collingwood (as usual) in the last quarter after some spirited play.

Late that afternoon we received word that our niece, Jessie, was being discharged from hospital & could go home, returning tomorrow to find out the results of all her scans & pathology. Wow!

Meanwhile, I cancelled all my Monday activities & spent the day in bed, which did me the world of good. I read, did Logic Problems & cryptic crosswords & was fed regularly by the resident chef & his offsider.

Tuesday was Barbara’s birthday, so Wes took her to lunch at ‘Boathouse Daylesford’, which is his usual gift to her. They enjoyed the time out & saw plenty of locals, which is always fun. Meanwhile I drove to Ballarat to collect my reshaped orthotics & pick up some new Dunlopillo pillows, which were on special at Myer. In the afternoon, I had spent a lovely  time having a facial with Emma at EKO, where we caught up on each other’s news & chatted non-stop as usual.

Wes had hoped to spend time in the garden, but the most mornings of the week were wet & foggy & not at all suitable for anyone but Irish gardeners! Bilbo went on his walks reluctantly & then stayed put inside, only going out when it was dinner time.

After gym & Mah Jong on Wednesday, I retreated to bed again & stayed there until Friday morning, when I was able to get up again. I think I was probably fighting off a head cold as well as being tired, and a week with little socialisation was exactly what was needed.

Wes & Brian Nash went to Newbury on Friday morning, where they spent some quality time with Glenn Testro on his property there, as well as meeting Lindsay, the honey man.

Later that day, Wes visited Rob & Marg McDonald at Sailors Falls Estate Winery. Rob & Marg are heading to Hong Kong next week, so we gave them our Octopus cards & $AU100 in HK currency.

Yesterday we decided to have breakfast at ‘Larder’, where we enjoyed quinoa potato cakes with poached egg, ocean trout & rocket salad. We both loved our meals & sat in the window looking out on the passing parade. 

                     

Wes then headed to Daylesford Cinema to learn how to show Blu-ray DVDs, in preparation for the St Kilda Film Festival showings last night & next Saturday evening. Sadly, Collingwood couldn’t play well enough to beat Essendon yesterday afternoon & suffered their worst loss of the year – 37 points. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 2nd July 2017

 

Before we went to Hong Kong, Wes’s phone decided not to connect with our internet. This was a fairly major problem, so he went off to our Telstra outlet at Bi-Rite in the Mitre 10 store & spoke to Tim & Keith. They couldn’t solve the problem & suggested a new phone was the answer. This was duly ordered, but didn’t arrive before we left, so Wes took his phone with him, in case we needed to ring each other, as he could still make phone calls.

Tim rang after we returned home to let Wes know that his new phone had arrived. Over all the years & mobile phones we have had, I have usually done all the paperwork, but Wes was keen to do it this time & now wants that hour of his life back! This was on the Friday afternoon – it took until the Monday of this week for the phone to be able to make calls or receive texts. The sad news is that Telstra is closing down our Telstra outlet, as it prefers to service dedicated Telstra shops, so we decided I should upgrade my phone as well, before we have to travel to Ballarat & make new relationships with the Telstra people there.

Wes testing the heater upstairs at The Food Gallery last Sunday before friends arrived for breakfast. It was very chilly indeed outside & lovely & warm inside.

After breakfast on Sunday, and some stimulating conversations with Barbara, Janine & Margot, we drove to Glenn Mack’s garage sale in Raglan Street, where Judi & Ken were helping him in the drizzle. We were able to purchase one of Glenn’s beautiful glass bowls & were delighted to see lots of Sold stickers & to be assured that lots of stuff had already been taken.

Apart from gym & Mah Jong, I have had a busy social week. On Monday, I caught up with Judi over two pots of tea at ‘Muffins & More’; I visited my doctor, Greg Stewart, on Tuesday to show him how well my feet were progressing, as well as get some prescriptions & have him check out a couple of moles (totally harmless).

On Tuesday morning, Wes & Malcolm officiated at the last 10am film showing at the Daylesford Cinema. We hope that time slot will return when the new cinema is built. In the meantime, Wes has volunteered for the 8pm Saturday night screenings, which will be a very different audience indeed. We both loved the film ‘The Sense of an Ending’ with the wonderful Jim Broadbent acting his socks off & great performances by Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walter & Michelle Dockery.

On Wednesday afternoon, it was my turn to visit Tim at the Telstra Shop to collect my new LG G6 Android phone, with no complications at all. I am very happy with it especially as it was easy to move everything, even my Collingwood black & white striped wallpaper straight across to the new phone.

Thursday was cold & foggy, so I waited until 8am before driving to Melbourne to visit Leanne. The fog had lifted here, but when I reached Tylden, it was simultaneously deeply foggy & highly sunny – I felt as though I was driving through clouds & was very pleased that I knew the road so well as visibility was very limited. The scariest thing when you are driving in these conditions is the cars with no lights on at all – you can find yourself behind one without seeing it & overtaking is perilous in case an unlit car is driving towards you.

This sad, sleepy face greeted me when I arrived back home that afternoon. Wes had gone to a Boys’ Film Afternoon at Warren (Secundus) Pengilley’s place, where they were joined by Jeff Bain & Brian Nash. I suspect Wes might have been BOG, as he arrived back after 7pm & headed straight to bed.

On Friday, we all had a sleep-in as it was very cold & frosty, before I went shopping at Coles & Wes met up with Brian Nash for a coffee at The Food Gallery to discuss where & when they will hold their Exhibition of the Villages of Hepburn Shire. (The photos that greet the start of each Dispatch are Brian Nash paintings in this series).

We spent most of the day on tenterhooks, waiting to hear how Jessie had gone with her operation. During lunch, I received two messages from her sister, Michelle, to let us know that Jessie had come out of theatre & although groggy, was able to answer all questions.

Lunch was much more enjoyable once Wes & I had heard the good news & we relaxed into a fun time with Wes’s old schoolmate, Phil Tagell, & his wife, Fay. Phil had a very bad experience where he was king-hit by an umpire at the end of a AFLQ game & he has fought non-stop & so far unsuccessfully, to get some recognition from the AFL. He has finally published a book ‘Footy Tragic’, which had a great write-up by Greg Baum in ‘The Age’. At the end of lunch, Sandy Breen came over to say hello & Wes encouraged her to tell her story of being a St Kilda tragic, a serious love interest of Molly Meldrum, and of marrying Donny Breen, which brought her into the famous Breen family (Donny’s cousin, Barry, kicked a famous point at the end of the 1966 Grand Final to give St Kilda their first ever Premiership. Sandy, Molly, Phil & I were all at that game, where Molly famously fainted & missed it all)

Wes & Phil celebrating his book at Boathouse Daylesford

Yesterday it was -5˚ when we walked around Lake Daylesford. Bilbo had plenty of energy so we did both Lakes & were very thrilled to get back home & into the warmth again. I visited the Farmers’ Market & brought home a beautiful bare-rooted rose, Fragrant Plum, which Wes planted in the front garden.

Wes invited our lovely neighbours, Rob & Dene, to share our seafood risotto lunch & we enjoyed a couple of hours of their company over a very yummy meal before Wes sent them home so he could watch Carlton play very well against Adelaide & lose by a mere 2 goals at the end.

Last night he showed the film ‘Wonder Woman’ to an appreciative audience of 10 – obviously not Geelong or Richmond supporters, who would have been glued to their TV sets.