I thought a photo of Viva would be appropriate today - she was aged 83 on this happy Mothers' Day spent at "Sails on the Bay" with Leanne, us & the Stevensons
We started our week with another lovely trip to the Sunday Market with Lewis & Morse in tow - anxious for their shredded cabbage with sliced pear. When this started, back in 2000, Yvonne's partner, John, used to tear off cabbage leaves for David & Ann Smith's dog, Woody. Casper started wanting them, and after he died, Bilbo & Frodo continued the tradition. After John died, Yvonne started shredding the cabbage & John's son, Corey, used to put it out on a piece of cardboard. Because Yvonne just loves Lewis & Morse, she has taken it even more upmarket & they do appreciate it. I'm not sure they would be happy with whole cabbage leaves flung at them!
Before & After
Afterwards I drove to Danny's place in Northcote & we caught the train to the MCG to see Collingwood play Gold Coast. We had great seats & caught up with Loud Gayle for bubbles & beer at half-time. Collingwood was able to win in an exciting, skilful match. Later we walked to High Street Northcote for dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, where the hot main courses were served before the cold entrees!
The next morning, we went to Bicycle Thieves, a lovely cafe in Northcote, where Squiz joined us, before I drove to Strathmore to spend some time with Leanne, and Squiz & Danny prepared for their trip to Echuca with Tom & two other golfing friends. When I got home from all this I was exhausted, but very happy with what I had achieved, not least of which was collecting a wonderful framed collage of Nick Maxwell & other Collingwood players, which was a gift of Robert Preston a year ago. Danny has been looking after the collage for me & it was lovely to bring it home & put it on the wall at the bottom of the stairs.
From the top - Karen & Danny at the footy; Danny at breakfast, & the Nick Maxwell collage
The next morning, I had cancelled my Zoom chats as I knew I would be tired and not at my best. I went shopping & did the washing & ironing, as well as answered emails, but then just rested, reading the Age, doing crosswords, Logic Problems & watching TV. Meanwhile, Wes worked hard in the garden, mowed & delivered quite a few cardboard boxes to Dene next door, so they can start packing.
On Wednesday, Dot & I played Mah Jong at Muffins & More & enjoyed a good chat together, while Wes washed all the floors & decided, in view of the rain, to give fishing a miss that afternoon.
Thursday morning was busy with a good Zoom chat with Kathy, Lovely & Lib, before I went to Springs Medical Centre for a fitness assessment with a view to joining their fitness programme. I passed & will start in June at St Michael's Primary School Hall.
Wes was enjoying a Zoom with cousins & I was in bed watching a footy replay, when there was a terrible sound from Morse in the backyard & Wes discovered that Lewis had died suddenly, but peacefully, as the two dogs played games after their dinner. We were devastated, as is Morse, and still find it hard to believe that a lovely, healthy, happy 3.5 year-old Labrador could die so unexpectedly. Dene from next door helped Wes put Lewis in a wheelbarrow & cover him with a warm rug until he could be buried. We put a bed in our bedroom so Morse could spend the night with us, and he alternated between there & his usual spot in the laundry.
At 5am the next morning, Wes buried Lewis in his own special garden out the front, under the dog decking, where the ground was soft & it was easy to dig. It was so hard to say goodbye. We decided to take Morse to Anderson's Mill at Smeaton later in the morning, where he paddled in the creek & enjoyed some different smells & sights. When our neighbour, Rob, arrived home from work, he came in straight away with a big bunch of flowers & lots of love for Morse. Like us, he had been smitten with Lewis & was very upset at his death.
Karen & Morse at the beautiful Anderson's Mill
Lovely flowers from Rob & Dene
We all walked early yesterday morning to set up the new rituals with Morse. He walked very well on a single lead & we both had a go at looking after him. We gave him directions & encouraged him when he got them right - perhaps, he was just lazy in the past & let Lewis do all the worrying on walks. We've washed all the bedding to make it easier for Morse to settle & he has learnt to be the only dog in the back seat of the car. Wes took him with us when he dropped me off at Ballan Station to catch the train to the MCG for the footy.
Collingwood was no match for Richmond and when the rain came down, I headed to Jolimont Station to catch an earlier train home, only to discover at Southern Cross Station that there had been a fatality at Sunshine and the Ballarat & Geelong trains were affected. Eventually I caught the 5.14, which arrived in Ballan about 10 minutes later than usual. Wes & Morse were there to greet me & we went home to a glass of red wine & a lovely meal.
This morning we are off to the Sunday Market & then Wes & I are having breakfast at Cliffy's to celebrate Mothers' Day. This will be the first time Morse is on his own and Rob will drop in with treats & make a fuss of him. Of all the nine Labradors we have been lucky enough to share our lives with, Lewis is number one for the combination of intelligence, affection & good looks - he had the most beautiful brown eyes & such a trusting expression. How lucky we are to have known & loved him.
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