Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 26th September 2021

We enjoyed our trip to the Sunday Market last week & are about to head off there again. Yvonne had lots of goodies ready for us, probably to say thank you that we travelled to her place & spent $50 the previous Sunday when the Market was cancelled with only 24 hours notice. We came home with enough food to feed an army & enjoyed sharing with Glen, Rob & Dene. 

One of the last vases of daffodils - Golden Ducat & Erlicheer. I have always preferred King Alfred & Golden Trumpet daffs, but Wes bought these beautiful double blooms & their only fault lies in their heads being too heavy for the stalks, so I just have to pick them & bring them inside, where they last at least a week. What's not to like?

That afternoon, Rob & Dene delivered the making of lemon curd & rhubarb tarts - 2 small ones for afternoon tea & 2 larger ones for sweets. We very greedily managed to eat both our tarts at the appropriate time & enjoyed them very much. We will miss these wonderful friends & cooks next door when they leave Daylesford. 

Monday was freezing with hailstones at least twice during the day. All plans to be outside were cancelled and we settled down to School, where we looked at all the advantages of our new phones together. We're finding Your Phone Companion a big help as well & using it to download our photos, answer texts & keep up to date with COVID news easily. As well, I'm loving being able to have Favourites on the Service Victoria QR code reader & finally being able to add another person, rather than duplicate the work when we are both visiting a site. 

It was cold on Tuesday as well, and after I enjoyed lovely long chats with my sister, Leanne, & our friend, Terry, we settled down to watch the film "Stiff" starring David Wenham on ABC i-view. Author, Shane Maloney wrote a series of 6 books with his hero, Murray Whelan, originally an assistant to the local Labor MP, set in the late 80s & 90s. They are based in Brunswick & two were made into films by the late John Clarke in 2004. We loved watching the film & felt very nostalgic as we both spent most of our first 50 years on earth in that inner-city suburb. 

Lewis & Morse enjoying the film with us

We have been going for a drive on Wednesday mornings with the boys - as there is no Mah Jong for me, and because we can explore our Shire, we have been enjoying these family trips. This week we headed to Clunes, but had to detour twice as workmen were busy felling unsafe trees or grubbing up roots of trees that had fallen over in the June storms. We ended up taking the boys for a walk on a track just outside of Talbot. The highlight was the sight of canola fields, shimmering like gold in the distance. 

Me with Lewis & Morse - they lost interest in posing for the camera - wanted to get into the car with their mattress & pillows!

We seem to have spent a good part of this week solving problems - trying to open Service Victoria accounts; returning orthotics that were posted out to me & look as though they would fit clown shoes; changing my ticket to the Linda McCartney exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat to next month, (when I hope I will feel more like visiting that city), and making new facial appointments now that masked beauty therapists in regional Victoria can treat their customers unmasked. 

Beautiful early tulips in Albert Street, Daylesford

We missed out on the earthquake that impacted on much of Victoria, as well as parts of Canberra, South Australia & New South Wales. We were pleased that no-one died, and that damage seemed much less than it might have been.

On Friday, it was 6 months since our dear friend, Joe Rozen, died, so we visited Glenda with flowers & love. We are really missing Sunday breakfasts & catching up with everyone's news. Hopefully they will recommence again someday soon. 

Yesterday was spent getting into the swing of the AFL Grand Final, even though it was played in Perth, after last year being in Brisbane. The Coodabeen Champions excelled themselves with an entertaining two hours in the morning and Fox Footy had lots to watch during the afternoon. Finally it was time for the match to start & we found ourselves drinking Cofield Sparkling Shiraz & sharing a cheeseboard - Dees supporters would approve. The game see-sawed until midway in the third quarter when Melbourne decided to take control & kicked goal after unanswered goal to record a stunning win. The Western Bulldogs had no answers and the only consolation for their supporters was that they had plenty of time to get used to the idea that they were going to lose the match. 

Dees celebrating after breaking a 57-year Premiership drought

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 19th September 2021

 

        We're a bit like Snoopy  - haven't really embraced selfies!

When I left you last Sunday, we were heading out to visit Yvonne on her property at Wheat Sheaf to pick up our usual fruit & vegetable order as the Sunday Market had been cancelled. This was a sensible move as everyone was busy getting tested, isolating or avoiding crowds. As we drove past the Daylesford Station it was deserted & none of the shops nearby was open. We heard later that all the staff at Cliffy's had tested negative for their first test, which was very encouraging. 

I was feeling more energetic than I had in a fortnight and decided to stay up for drinks & dinner. We sat & chatted and just as Wes was deciding to cook we had a power outage. Instead of a hot meal, we ate cheese & Vegemite sourdough sandwiches with a glass of shiraz & of course, the power returned while we were eating! 

Wes took this impromptu photo of me with his new phone & liked it so much he made it his phone wallpaper

The COVID news has been very inspiring here and all hotspots have been reclassified as Tier 2. No-one we know has tested positive and there have been plenty of tests taken. Our Shire's vaccine take up rates are higher than average, which is very pleasing indeed.

On Monday we finished our School session on the poet & preacher, John Donne. We introduced a new element by finding the You Tube film on our TV and moved upstairs to watch it in the Auditorium. There were three more speakers, more poetry & prose was read out & a baritone sang some of the works that had been put to music. 

Once again, it's been a busy week for Zooming - me with Jeff in Lincolnshire, Leanne in Strathmore & Jan in Maleny - all on Tuesday morning, and old friends, Kathy in Burwood & Karen in Port Melbourne on Thursday. Wes chatted with Barbara in New Zealand twice and had a long Skype call with Paul in the Cotswolds.

On Wednesday morning, we got out of Sandra's way, by putting the boys in the car & heading off. First stop was a delivery of jars & magazines at Porcupine Ridge, followed by a drive to Trentham via Spring Hill. We set off to see how far we could walk along the Wombat Trail there, but there is still a lot of storm damage & trees down, so we were only able to walk about 10 minutes before heading back into town and enjoying all the daffodils & grape hyacinths in bloom as we strolled the streets. We finished up at Chaplin's for tea & toast & were joined by old friend, Bob White, for a lovely catch up. After that we drove home via Leitches Creek where we pumped mineral water. 

Another photo of me - this time pumping water - the storm destroyed most of the railings around this pump when a huge tree was uprooted. It will eventually be fixed, but isn't a priority because the mineral water hasn't been effected. This is a beautiful picnic spot & when I first retired I used to come here to eat my lunch - I brought Viva here a few times & she loved it too

Wes has been planting punnets of pleasure, washing the cars, mowing, staking, weeding and watering this week. I do my bit with handfuls of weeds, pot watering & purchasing of punnets. We planted some nasturtiums, statice & pansies & are in the market for cucumbers & zucchini. 

I've had plenty of down time again this week & have spent much of it playing with my new phone. I made the big decision to try Google Pay and I love it - not needing to carry credit & debit cards & loyalty cards is a great relief & so far I've managed with only a few early hiccups. I haven't been asking for receipts for small items for quite a while, but love the record that Google Pay makes of my transactions. School tomorrow is going to involve me teaching Wes how to do this, as well as some of the many enhancements I have found in Settings. Our old phones were 2017, and it is astounding how technology has improved since then, and just about all of the new settings I've found are excellent. 

One of the best photos of Lewis & Morse entertwined in sleep

Somehow we've survived this week without footy & without the usual Grand Final build up, which is happening in Perth. We've got our fingers crossed that no COVID cases come to light before next Saturday, as it would be a shame to play the match without a crowd. 

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 12th September 2021

 

I can fully understand Snoopy's response, although we do enjoy listening to the magpies early as they wait impatiently to be fed

We started our week with a lovely visit to the Sunday Market and tried to support as many of the few stalls that were set up. Afterwards, Wes made scrambled eggs on crumpets, which more than carried us through until dinnertime. We watched the second half of the Doggies win over the Lions & thought it was one of the best matches this year, although our Western Bulldogs fans assure us they were too busy riding every bump to know how good the game was!

Sprigs of wattle greeted us when we arrived at the Sunday Market - you can see me & Yvonne under her umbrella

I'm still not restored to full energy (chronic fatigue levels) and have been coping well with mornings, but wearing out by late afternoon. Wes has been very understanding, although he must wish someone would wait on him for a change. 

He's been busier with Zoom this week - chatting with Barbara twice (including a guest appearance by Gail & Terry White); hosting a get-together of old school friends, and participating in the regular 2-hour session of the Jackson 8. Meanwhile I had to cancel my Tuesday chat with Leanne & reschedule Terry Borg to Wednesday as I was able to keep my appointment with my podiatrist in Ballarat. I was very sorry to hear from Victoria Armstrong that she is retiring next month - selfishly sorry, as she has been a most impressive & helpful professional person since I first met her 13 years ago. I also had a most enjoyable chat with Kathy & Karen on Thursday morning. 

This stunning photo of the Blowhole comes courtesy of Glen Tandberg, who visited it for the first time this week

We were both impressed that Qantas decided to reward its Frequent Flyers with 1,000 points if they could prove they had received both jabs, and promptly applied for & received the points. Our health insurance is with Qantas Assure and we received a rebate from them as well. At present, with no easing of restrictions for the fully vaccinated, we are delighted with any little rewards we are given. 

We were thrilled to be given some freedoms on Friday - regional Victorians can now travel anywhere in the state except Shepparton & Greater Melbourne, and shops, services & cafes can re-open, although quite a few are choosing not to as the density numbers are so sparse it would be hard to make a profit. By that night we received the dreadful news that we had our first positive COVID case - we have nothing but admiration for how well it has been handled by the Springs Medical Centre, by Cliffy's and by the COVID testers who set up yesterday & today at Victoria Park. (Thanks to everyone who rang, texted or emailed to check that we were OK.) 

From a health point of view, I am getting better slowly - finally managed to get out with my boys for the early morning walk on Friday & have joined them again yesterday & today. I'm still in bed before dinner, but am getting more done each day & hope to be back to normal very soon. However, exciting games of footy by both Melbourne & the Western Bulldogs meant late nights for us on Friday & last night. Both Geelong & Port Adelaide had no answers to the stunning game plans that unfolded in front of their eyes. It augurs well for a good Grand Final at the Perth Stadium.

Finally, we were able to pick up our new phones on Friday when the shops re-opened & I spent 90 minutes with Tim moving data from our old LG G6 handsets to the LG K61 versions we have bought - bigger, brighter & better & lots to learn of course.  

First photo with the new phone - Lewis & Morse zedding

Daylesford Spring Fathers' Day Dispatch - Sunday, 5th September 2021

 

Once again - thanks to FB - I think Labs in particular learn this lesson very well

We were very grateful to be able to visit the Sunday Market last week & even Jeff was there with his dog treats, so we stocked up on dried bones & treats & could now probably all survive until Christmas! Yvonne had everything ready for us, as usual, which makes shopping so much quicker & easier - it used to be just the stuff for Lewis & Morse, but now it includes celery & fennel, which is much appreciated. Wes visited the Peros Wines stall to get a dozen of their eggs & a jar of their chilli olives, which don't last long once they are opened. Interestingly, we've never tried their wines - not something one feels like tasting at 8am!

Lewis & Morse making the most of a ray of sunshine in the lounge

That afternoon, we watched the Doggies & Bombers play a close match until half-time, and then it was all one way. The Bombers just ran out of steam and hopefully their supporters can be proud that they made the 8, which was not expected. They certainly did better than our teams. 

On Monday, we had a poetry session for School - Wes had found a wonderful You Tube episode filmed in St Paul's Cathedral celebrating the life & works of John Donne. We listened to an illuminating talk on his life, followed by reading of selected poems by two beautiful readers, one herself a poet, who put real meaning & understanding into Donne's work. Part II awaits us for another time. 

Daffodils smiling in our front garden - they pop up in the most unlikely spots as well

It's been much less hectic this week than last, but even so, I ended up spending Wednesday in bed in an effort to conserve energy. I certainly felt better for the rest, although I haven't managed to stay up for dinner any night, even though it makes life a lot easier for the cook/cleaner/slave. I've been accused of consuming the Hendricks gin too quickly, but I am sure only a small bottle of it made its way into our place, unlike the Jamieson, which was a very large bottle & therefore isn't finished yet. We did run out of cucumber, which was a shame as Hendricks just doesn't taste the same with lemon or lime. 

I managed to keep all our Zoom appointments - a great foursome chat with Ian & Robyn Robinson on Sunday, followed by a similar foursome with Mike & Linda Kirby on Monday; two catch ups with Leanne, and a good discussion with Kathy Lazzaro & Karen Stevenson. Kathy has been an amazing help with my knitting - always sharing great ideas she finds with me - the latest are Fair Isle beanies that are more of a square shape than the ones I have been making. Can't wait to try them out & they are perfect when you have small quantities of wool. 

Wes had an appointment with our doctor, Greg Stewart, and had a blood test & ECG as well. Greg was happy with the results, but not so happy to hear that I had been rung by a nurse from the practice telling me I had osteo-something (which I knew nothing about) and suggesting I have a bone density scan as a matter of urgency. She made an appointment with Greg for me, which I have cancelled, as I didn't need it, (and was getting very grumpy) especially after she asked me if my teeth were crumbling 😣.

Wes with his best friends when he decided to sit down with a cuppa & a very good book

Wes had a most enjoyable chat with cousins, which has become a monthly event & is introducing new members & new stories each time they Zoom. As well, he has continued to feed me new & interesting meals each night, although we indulged in fish & chips & were amused to watch Lewis & Morse tackling the leftovers the next morning. They attacked them with the same gusto we had, even throwing their vegetables around to get at the chips first. 

On Friday, when it poured with rain, we decided to have another Film Morning. When I emerged from my chat with Leanne, Wes had been out & bought a walnut bun for morning tea, chosen a film & the first episode of a new series & had the water boiling to make our tea & coffee. The film was Flawless, made in 2007 starring Michael Caine & Demi Moore with just about every good English actor around playing smaller roles. We had not seen it before & enjoyed it thoroughly. After a short break to discuss it, we watched London Spy with the very talented Ben Wishaw, as well as Jim Broadbent & Charlotte Rampling. It was quite an emotional & disturbing first hour, but we look forward to the rest of it soon. 

We're not the only ones who love our dogs - here is Myles Kennedy in Maroochydore with Crash

We watched both footy games and couldn't believe the change in Geelong on Friday night when they disposed of the Giants. This mean the Cats play Melbourne in Perth next Friday. Last night, the Doggies beat the Lions by a point in a stunning game at the Gabba - it was good enough to have been the Grand Final. Now they face Port at the Adelaide Oval next Saturday. 

Finally, we decided to go ahead with Pension Boost, that we looked at seriously last year. The procedure was smooth, and although we were told it could take some weeks, we received our first payment last Friday, approximately two months after we set things in train. We are most impressed & feel very happy with our decision, which enables us to stay here for as long as we can.