Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 24th September 2017

 

Last Sunday morning Danny Millman sent us a message to say his eldest daughter, Lauren, had given birth to a second daughter, Pippa Veronica, & all was well. He was very touched that her middle name was his mother’s name.

Breakfast was fun – Margot was back complaining of the cold after 6 weeks on the Gold Coast; Gail & Terry joined us for a very rare visit; Janine & I were wearing the same colour possum jumpers (-3˚ when we woke), and we happily covered all sorts of topics. Later that day, Wes discovered he had Pasquale’s keys in his pocket, so we had to go back to the Food Gallery, where they were closing up for the day. Pasquale was very relieved.

Wes had volunteered to show the film, The Time of Their Lives, starring Pauline Collins & Joan Collins at 1.30pm that afternoon. I decided to join him & was very pleased I did. It is a romantic comedy with some serious life lessons along the way. I don’t know much about Joan Collins, but I have loved watching Pauline Collins ever since Shirley Valentine.

Our Mazda 2 was due for its 80,000 service, as well as a new passenger air-bag, so I drove to Ballarat on Tuesday morning to get this done. It was my first big drive in over a month, so I left in plenty of time as I tend to get lost finding Mazda now that it has moved to Wendouree. The car was needed for 6 hours & I managed to fill them in without tiring myself out. I started with breakfast at Café Lekker, a favourite spot; bought some knitting needles as I have worn my 4.00mm sets out; picked up a bottle of Edradour whisky for Wes to say thank you for looking after me, and booked a ticket for the 11.15am session of Hampstead, starring Diane Keaton. I loved the film & was so pleased I had seen it.

Gym has been good – I have been taking it easily with Barry’s guidance, and feel much better for the exercise, as well as some walking. I’ve caught up on all the paperwork & computer stuff that needed doing & am feeling back on top of things at last.

The latest crop of beanies & berets for Keeping Daylesford Warm

Dot & I played Mah Jong again this week, which was most enjoyable. We are so lucky that the new owners of Muffins & More are just as obliging as Ann-Maree & are happy for us to occupy a table for a couple of hours.

On Thursday, I had a very relaxing & enjoyable facial with Emma at EKO, as my skin had suffered through my being sick & inside for a month or so. Afterwards, (the wrong way round), I finally had a fringe trim with Lyndal after 6 weeks. I was definitely looking like Cousin Itt by the time I got to her.

Our niece, Jessie, was allowed to come home from Monash Hospital after 33 radiotherapy sessions & her rehab will be done from home. Jessie & her family have been amazing & everyone is so thrilled for them all. However, our friend, Fraser Gibson, had a fall in his backyard & broke his hip, which has him in Epworth recovering. Also, Malcolm Stevenson’s mother, Maureen, did the same, but at age 96, she was very fortunate that the doctors could operate successfully. Malcolm flew to Caloundra to be with her.

Yesterday we drove to Melbourne, where Wes dropped me off at Leanne’s place as it was 6 weeks since I had visited her. We spent a couple of very happy hours together, before Wes arrived back. He had hoped to see Fraser, but couldn’t. However, they had a good chat on the phone.

The chef about to serve one of his beautiful quiches

Along with most of Victoria, we had our fingers & toes crossed that Richmond would beat Greater Western Sydney & progress to their first Grand Final since 1982. They duly did in fine style in front of 94,000+ at the MCG – approximately 3,000 of those were GWS supporters, so it was a wonderful, if one-sided, atmosphere. We were at the MCG when the Tigers last won a flag in 1980 – they beat Collingwood by the then record margin of 81 points, in a most disappointing game if you were a Magpie supporter. I’ll certainly be barracking for the Tigers next Saturday against the Adelaide Crows, who easily accounted for Geelong on Friday night.

On Friday, Wes helped Brian set up the Wood Shed Gallery for their Villages of Hepburn Shire Exhibition, which opens on Thursday night. We are very excited about it, especially after all the work both of them have done to produce a lasting written & pictorial history of the area.

This week’s new rose is called Shirley’s Rose

Bilbo & I are about to set out to the Sunday Market to fill up with fruit & vegetables, dog treats, eggs, wool & perhaps another rose. Then we will join the others for breakfast at The Food Gallery, where our friend, Glenn Mack, will be a welcome guest as he is house-sitting in Daylesford this week. 

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 17th September 2017

Last Sunday was most enjoyable with a trip to the Sunday Market, followed by breakfast with friends. When we arrived back home, I made a batch of minestrone & amazingly, by 3pm I was back in bed, exhausted! There was no gym this week, which meant I was able to get back into gear slowly & had a most enjoyable massage with Nick Massaro on Monday morning, after doing a bit of shopping at Tonna’s, our local fruit & vegetables & deli shop, run by the Maltese Tonna family.

Kathy Lazzaro’s friend, Maree, had sent me two more parcels of wool that she obtained from her sister & it has been very welcome indeed, as I am back creating beanies for blokes, both young & old.

I’ve also started rereading my Michael Innes collection of mostly old green Penguins, which sadly are starting to fall apart. He was a most prolific writer & produced 37 John Appleby crime novels over 50 years, as well as 30+ works under his real name, J I M Stewart (Scottish of course). He was a celebrated academic who spent a few years at the University of South Australia in the late 30s.

It was a red-letter day on Wednesday – I played Mah Jong with Dot after a couple of months missed while she was away & I was unwell; Wes took Barbara to hydrotherapy at the Kyneton pool, and Wayne from Barclays finally repaired our dishwasher. A tiny piece of plastic had broken in the door & it took him 40 minutes to replace the piece, which wasn’t in stock & had to be ordered specially! We immediately filled the dishwasher with all the items we had been handwashing over the last month.

Lovely recent photo of Tom Tyrrell & Cheryl Metcalfe – old friends enjoying a rare catch up.

Tuesday’s film was The Big Sick, which is a dreadful title for an uplifting & thoughtful true-life story. Wes was able to watch it & we both enjoyed it very much. It was lovely to see Bronwen Scarffe there & I only wished I could have spent time with her afterwards, but I was desperate to have a coughing fit the minute the film ended!

Brian Nash’s Exhibition of paintings of the Villages of Hepburn Shire, is opening on Thursday, 28^th September. We have been delighted to receive acceptances from friends, Karen & Malcolm Stevenson, who are driving from Beacon Cove; from Wendy Owen & Roberto Antonini, who are coming from Wallington, and numerous locals, who won’t have too far to travel. It is going to be a busy few days, as I am heading to Melbourne sometime the next day in preparation for the AFL Grand Final, where I have a reserved seat, which arrived in Friday’s mail. I will be staying in Northcote with Danny Millman & will be barracking for the Tigers if they win their Preliminary Final & make it.

        

Bilbo sleeping in the sun’s rays during this week – this is for all his admirers to enjoy!

We had lunch on Thursday at Boathouse Daylesford to catch up with our dear friend, Glenn Mack. Glenn had been camping near Mount Franklin & came into Daylesford to see friends. He had dinner the night before with Gillie, Judi & Michael, and we were pleased to be able to give him lunch. Boathouse has introduced mulled wine & a most enjoyable drop it is – perfect for these cold days.

On Friday, I had a manicure & pedicure with Alanna at EKO Skin Care Spa & took this photo of their pretty Spring garden. I have had to postpone so many appointments over the last month & am getting back on top of things gradually. I did suggest to Alanna that if she could give me a fringe trim, it would round off a lovely couple of hours!

We were glued to the TV on Friday night watching Geelong easily account for Sydney in their semi-final. The Swans players looked tired & were no match for Geelong’s ferocity at the ball. Last night we were barracking for West Coast to beat GWS, but they were completely overwhelmed by the Giants, who now face Richmond for a place in the Grand Final.

We’ve woken this morning to -3˚ & a frost, so the early walk was cancelled & everyone had a sleep in until 6.30am. Bilbo is now waiting anxiously at my feet for me to finish typing, put his coat on & take him to the Market.

Pretty Wedding Day rose, which has joined the drift of roses along the side fence

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 10th September 2017

Thank you everyone for your wishes for my improved health – I think they worked as I have certainly been much better this week, although I still had to postpone the week’s activities.

We were thrilled to be snowed on a few times although it is hard to capture it properly on camera. This great photo was in Wheatsheaf, thanks to Jodie Duckworth.

Our daffodils are finally out & giving us joy. I am a traditionalist & much prefer King Alfred & Golden Trumpet to all the more exotic blooms. However, this year, we bought some Camelot bulbs at the Flower Show & they are rather lovely as well.

Gillie arrived on Sunday morning bearing bunches of frilly yellow daffodils & oodles of her lemons, which was perfect timing as we had just finished the ones Judi had given us.

Our pink camellias are just starting to bloom; the tulips aren’t far off, & Wes has been able to mow the lawns in between sleet & snow storms.

This morning’s trip to breakfast is my first outing since 23^rd August & I am quite excited about it. Towards the end of the week I started being able to stay up long enough to feed Bilbo, and he is quite pleased to have some normality back, even though Wes has been keeping him very happy in the food department.

While I sat around knitting squares & watching old episodes of ‘Silent Witness’ & ‘Midsummer Murders’, Wes showed the film ‘Dunkirk’ on Tuesday morning to an appreciative audience, and followed up by volunteering to help out on Friday night by showing ‘Atomic Blonde’ at 8pm. Nobody turned up to see it, as they were all probably glued to the TV watching Richmond win their first final in years against Geelong, in front of 95,000+ at the MCG. Sydney & Adelaide had comprehensive wins & we fell asleep at half-time last night, which meant we missed the exciting win in extra time by West Coast against Port Adelaide. Meanwhile, locally, Hepburn won the Central Highlands Football League Premiership, defeating Beaufort at Ballarat’s Eureka Stadium.

Yesterday morning Wes very kindly delivered my 49 squares to Jodie in Wheatsheaf & she was planning to sew them together while watching the various games of footy on this weekend. He also gave both cars a much-needed serious wash. I baked a fruit cake as his reward – my first serious domestic activity in quite a while!

Our friends, Dot & John, have arrived back from their big caravan trip to Darwin, so Dot & I will be playing Mah Jong on Wednesday, which is the 1^st Anniversary of Valerie Lefel’s death. It doesn’t seem possible that we have been without her for that long & we both miss her very much.

Red Illusion, our latest rose

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 3rd September 2017

Happy Fathers’ Day to all of you celebrating today. Wes & Bilbo have gone off to Sunday breakfast after pumping water at Leitches Creek & buying up on fruit & vegetables at the Sunday Market.

I’ve spent the week in bed trying to shake off this germ, which turned into bronchitis & is proving very obstinate indeed. However, yesterday when I woke, I felt as though I had my brain back again, and that is usually a reliable sign that the worst is over. I’ve managed a few hours up most days & am hoping that continues.

Wes has been wonderful, as usual, and managed to provide interesting & tempting meals, as well as lots of treats. He has had to do the dog-walking, shopping, cooking & cleaning, as well as gardening & keeping in touch with friends & family. Our dishwasher managed to lock itself the other day, and, as it is under warranty, we are waiting for Asco to contact our local Mr Fixit, Kiyo, and authorise him to come out & fix it.

Yesterday I missed out on a special breakfast with Louisa Mitchell & her fiancé, Dean, at Boathouse Daylesford. We have known Louisa since she was quite small & used to come to Blairgowrie on holidays with her parents, Pam & Pete. Wes affectionately named her ‘Pirate’ and we both think of her still as that bold sea adventurer.

In the afternoon, we had been invited to attend a ‘Guide Dog Graduation Ceremony’ at Guide Dogs Victoria & we were both very sorry to have to miss that event. You can never have too many Labradors to love!