Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 28th May 2023

We had differing experiences last Sunday. After the Daylesford Market, and when I was packed, Wes & Morse drove me to Woodend Station, (the Ballarat line was coaches instead of trains), where I obtained a free ticket and caught a couple of trains to the MCG. When I got there, I was able to get a reserved seat on Level 2, on the wing, undercover, which was perfect, especially as over 80,000 attended the match. I spent a lovely time with Gayle Gibson and a couple of flutes of bubbles, with which we toasted her late husband, Fraser. 

Welcome to Country celebrations before the footy

Much to Wes's chagrin, the game was over & done with by quarter time, although the Blues slightly outscored us in the remaining three quarters. I felt so sorry for all the Carlton supporters, adults & kids around me, as they had come to the footy with high hopes, and Carlton couldn't buy a goal, but kicked points instead. Wes & Morse met me at Woodend Station at 8pm & presented me with the Maloney Cup on the spot. 

We were both tired on Monday, after my very long day, and all Wes's driving, and decided not to have School, but catch up with the paper over our hot drinks & scrolls. I visited Glen, who was planning a drive in the sunshine, and agreed to pick up a tub of O'Toole's honey for us while she was out.

Our beautiful maple after the wind swept through!

The rest of the week seems to have flown by. Mostly I have been able to stay up at night for dinner, which is wonderful. What is even better is the news from my doctor, Ellie, when I saw her on Thursday. She has given me a prescription for very small doses of Naltrexone, which has given patients with conditions like mine, added energy & lessened anxiety. The cost is $105 for 3 months, which is very reasonable. It is used in larger doses for patients wanting to withdraw from drug or alcohol abuse. We had to get it made up from a compounding pharmacy in Ballarat (Crawford's), which needed a couple of days to produce the correct size capsules and picked them up yesterday morning.

Wes & I both enjoyed Zooms this week - he had a big chat with his Mostly Overseas Friends on Thursday morning, as well as catching up with Barbara in New Zealand. Meanwhile, I had two excellent chats with Leanne, who is doing well; an early call with Jeff in Lincolnshire, where the 45 minutes we allotted flew by again, and a delightful catch up with Old Friends, where we welcomed Karen Stevenson, (AKA Lovely), home from a 5-week overseas holiday. 

Another stunning sunset from our decking - you can see Lake Daylesford & the Wombat State Forest in the distance

As well, I had a wonderful long lunch at Pancho, with Emma Ford, owner of EKO Skin Care Spa. Emma has retired from treatments and is concentrating on managing her business. We both enjoy each other's company & 90 minutes flew by. 

Judi & I played Mah Jong at Muffins, and won three games each, which is an ideal outcome. We caught up on each other's news, drank Jasmine tea, and said hello to other locals in the café. 

Wes has been resting his knee, except for walking Morse in the mornings, and it has been perfect weather to stay inside, rather than work in the garden. I've been knitting beanies, changing passwords on the computer, rereading Brian McGilloway books (crime set in Northern Ireland), and watching old episodes of Dalziel & Pascoe when I need to take it easy.

We've woken to pouring rain this morning & everywhere is covered in mist. The birds are feeding happily, in spite of the weather, & Morse is waiting impatiently for us to put him in the car & head to the Daylesford Market. Later this morning we are driving to Coburg for a lunchtime catch up with Old Friends. Fingers crossed the rain has eased by the time we are on the road. 

Morse enjoying a dog's life!

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 21st May 2023

I am sure Wes is in total agreement as he sits at his desk each afternoon creating wonderful stories

We had a wonderful Sunday on Mother's Day. After the Market, we drove to Leanne in Strathmore, where we enjoyed a good chat over tea, coffee & toast. Then Wes spent 90 minutes in the garden, weeding, pruning & watering. The various areas we have replanted are all looking excellent & Leanne is especially pleased with her lemon tree flanked by rosemary. The tree has quite a few flowers on it and we're all praying that some of them turn into fruit. We had brought her a couple of surprises and she was delighted with them. She & I spent time in the kitchen and bedroom, and she was thrilled with all we achieved together.

When we arrived back home, both Glen next door, and James & Yoko on the other side, said that Morse had been quiet and not barked at all. James & Yoko came in for a visit before they went back to Southbank, and Morse sooked up to Yoko the entire time, much to her delight. They had celebrated Mother's Day with their daughter, Miki, at Beppe's, a lovely Italian restaurant owned by Liam Thorneycroft, who also has the very popular Cliffy's. 

More Autumnal beauty - our weeping Japanese maple at its best

We settled down to watch Collingwood play Greater Western Sydney and they had an easy win by 1 1goals. Our coach, Craig McCrae, had invited all the players' mothers into the Team Meeting and even asked one of them (Julie McCreery) to give the motivational speech. It certainly seemed to work.

On Monday, after supermarket shopping and putting out the bins for the street, I joined Wes for School, which was planning our Melbourne & Canberra week away, starting on Sunday, 11th June. We have tickets for the footy - Wes is off to see Carlton play Essendon that night, and I will go to the Collingwood/Melbourne game on King's Birthday Monday holiday. We are staying within walking distance of the MCG, which will be fun & convenient. 

On the Tuesday, 13th June, we drive to Canberra and stay there until the Saturday, when we drive back home. Morse will be in Eureka Kennels for the duration, where we have booked walks for him every day. While we are in the ACT, we plan to catch up with my sister, Paun, and her husband, Brian, as well as visit the War Museum, the Portrait Gallery, the Arboretum and perhaps a winery or two. 

Stunning night sky over Daylesford

We've had a quiet week for Zooms - Wes has chatted twice with Barbara, and I did the same with Leanne. As well I had a good catch up with Terry Borg in Balwyn, and spoke with old friends - Kathy & Lib. We've had appointments with our doctors, debriefed over brunch at Pancho, enjoyed lunch with Judi & Michael at Bad Habits, and helped keep Glen going with chai lattes and other more mundane provisions. 

We were sorry to hear of the death of another long-time Daylesford friend, Mary Ellis. She & her husband, Geoffrey, ran Liberty House, a quirky place in Hepburn Springs where we both spent many an interesting night - wine tastings, dinners, Swiss Italian Festa activities etc. Mary stayed active in the area for many years and will be sadly missed.

Wes has been hampered this week by a knee injury, which he thought might have been serious. His doctor, James, assured him it was a soft-tissue injury and that what he was doing was the perfect way to fix it. However, on Friday, it really flared up & getting up & down stairs required the help of a walking stick. Meanwhile, I saw my doctor, Ellie, at the same time, and she told me about a medication that is having success in giving people more energy. She is going to investigate the cost and I have another appointment with her this week to see if it is viable. Fingers crossed.

Wes about to tuck into Eggs Reuben at Pancho, and I'm about to demolish my omelette, when old friend & client, Hacy Tobias, walks into Pancho with her husband, Jim, and says hello - we haven't seen her for over 20 years

Yesterday I spent much of the day watching footy - the Sir Douglas Nichols round is always extra special, when Indigenous players share the limelight. Last night's Dreamtime at the G between Richmond & Essendon was a beauty, with the Bombers winning by 1 point with seconds to go. 

Today is wet & cold, but we have a busy schedule. We're off to the Daylesford Market as soon as Morse can round us both up & persuade us to join him in the car. Then I am going to the Carlton vs Collingwood game at the MCG this afternoon, which will be well-attended and exciting. Both teams love to beat each other, and it is usually a good game, no matter where our teams are sitting on the ladder. Wes & Morse will drive me to Woodend Station in late morning and we'll watch the game separately, each hoping to win the coveted Maloney Cup.

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 14th May 2023

Poor Charlie Brown

When I left you last Sunday, I was excited by the prospect of going to see my first Collingwood game live for the year. Wes & Morse drove me to Ballan Station, and in spite of all my preparations, I managed to leave my mobile in the car. Fortunately, local friend, Liz Smith, was in the Waiting Room, and gave me her phone so I could ring Wes and get him to return with my phone. After that, I went to the front of the train and sat in the Quiet Carriage until my heart stopped thumping! Meanwhile Wes & Morse delivered seaside daisies to Rob & Dene's home in Ballan and were both very sorry not to see them in person. 

Everything else went smoothly - my mate, Danny Millman, was waiting outside the MCC entrance, chatting to dear friend, David Lazzaro and all three of us enjoyed a catch up, before Danny & I went into the ground in search of a late lunch. We queued up outside the Hugh Trumble Café, and quickly got a table for 2, where we enjoyed the biggest plates of chips (with fish) you could wish to see. 

Lovely photo of Mate about to tuck in

We were joined by Gayle Gibson after a few minutes - the first time either of us had seen her since her husband, Fraser, died, back in March. She had Fraser's tartan bowtie as a gift for Wes and he was very touched when I gave it to him that night.

The footy was incredible in front of the highest crowd (71,000+) to see Collingwood & Sydney play at the MCG since the 1936 Grand Final, when the Swans were South Melbourne. Both teams were inaccurate with the pressure, but we managed to play our best footy in the last quarter & win by 5 goals. Wes picked me up from Woodend Station and we watched game highlights over a glass of red before heading to bed. 

I had suggested that School on Monday could be watching the last quarter, but Wes came up with a better solution. One of his American Zoom friends, Barry Hansen, had responded to my mention of the playwright, Alan Bennett, in last week's Dispatch, and told of seeing him, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore & Jonathan Miller in Beyond the Fringe at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival in the 60s. Wes found a YouTube clip of their last performance of that satirical revue in London's West End and we watched that instead. If you are interested, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPCm6pRCSmQ (or Google 'Beyond the Fringe' and choose your version). 

Afterwards, I had a lovely massage with Sarah, who had to work hard to remove all the stress from my neck after the great mobile phone disaster of the day before! I rested in the afternoon while Wes had Zoom chats with Barbara Simpson & old Daylesford friend, James Walker, and left a message for Gayle expressing his delight at being given Fraser's tartan bowtie.

It was my time to chat on Tuesday and I started early at 6.15am, spending an hour listening to my aunt, Jeff, tell me everything about her recent indulgent & wonderful trip to London courtesy of my brother, Peter, and his wife, Anka. I think she could have chatted for another hour and perhaps we'll do that next fortnight. I then caught up with Leanne, who was keen to debrief on the footy and pleased I had been there in person. Finally, I enjoyed a great catch up with Jan Pengilley, who is about to head off overseas with her family for a special holiday. We ran out of time sharing our news & stories. 

This beautiful maple at our front door is usually the last tree to turn in Autumn - thanks again to Denise Robinson for the gift

By the time I had visited Glen next door with a chai latte and shown her how to sew up knitting from the front of the seam instead of the back, I was ready to come home and relax. It was raining gently and that was a good excuse to sit inside with a pot of tea and The Age. 

On Wednesday, I took Morse out with me to do deliveries and we had quite an exciting time - we came across a grey kangaroo & joey on the Old Ballarat Road; had to avoid a huge delivery truck in the driveway of Spring Park Nursery; got in the way of two graders in Woolnough's Road, Porcupine Ridge, and just as we thought it was safe to drive home, found ourselves held up by a red light for 3 minutes while work was being done outside Daylesford Cemetery. 

While Wes vacuumed and washed all the floors, I enjoyed a fun morning with Judi playing Mah Jong at Muffins & More. I won the first game very quickly, but she was triumphant in the next three. I came home to a clean house and had another quiet afternoon, still recovering from my big trip to the MCG.

Some of my recent crop of beanies that went to the Daylesford Op Shop & are hopefully keeping heads warm now

Early on Thursday, Wes chatted with his Overseas Friends, although they were disappointed not to be able to include Bala in India as the line wasn't available. Wes then spent a very busy morning in the garden, as it was a perfect Autumnal day.

After a fun chat with Old Friends, Kathy & Joyce, on Thursday morning, I headed to Hepburn for a manicure with Juls. We enjoyed a good hour or so, chatting all the time and talking about her sister's upcoming wedding in Perth this week, where Juls will be the witness. She has never been to WA and was very excited about the trip.  

On Friday, I had a good catch up with my sister, Leanne, before visiting Glen with roses and a chai latte. There were workmen everywhere as her ramp is being completed and her bathroom fixed so that she can use it more easily. I did some shopping for Leanne and for Glen and came home to rest for the remainder of the day. 

Opening night of the Cloc production of "Catch Me if You Can" at the National Theatre, St Kilda - beautiful photo of Louisa Mitchell (daughter of old friends, Pam & Pete) & Rob Griffin (friend & ex-neighbour)

Yesterday was yet another gorgeous Autumnal day with oodles of sunshine, which meant that Morse dried quickly after his bath & bone burial. I washed all his bedding, but he wasn't happy until everything was back in place & he could choose where to snooze. We had hoped to get to the local footy, but I was devoid of energy and with a visit to Leanne happening this morning, we decided a day of rest was the best preparation.

Last night the Blues played a close match with the Doggies, but were unable to hold them off in the final quarter and lost by 20 points. Wes was very disappointed with his team. Late this afternoon Collingwood plays Greater Western Sydney at the MCG and I have my fingers crossed that we can record another win, but it won't be easy.

Morse taking possession of Wes's recliner

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 7th May 2023

My problem exactly Snoopy!

After the Daylesford Market last Sunday, I paid Glen a quick visit with produce, before driving to Ballarat to see the British film, Allelujah, based on the play by Alan Bennett, starring Jennifer Saunders, Judi Dench and Derek Jacobi with lots of cameo roles by other good actors. I was blown away by it, as we usually are by anything written by Alan Bennett and was happy to arrive back home in time for lunch & a debrief with Wes who had seen it two days before.

Once again, that afternoon, Collingwood staged a last quarter revival to scrape home against the Adelaide Crows by a point, kicked in the last 20 seconds of the match. If the Crows had been more accurate, they would have beaten us soundly, but kicking 7 goals, 16 behinds was very wasteful and allowed us to get back into the game after an indifferent first three quarters.

Autumn colours in our garden

We've enjoyed a busy week with Zoom chats - Wes has caught up with his Godson, Danny, in Queensland & Barbara in New Zealand, as well as had phone calls with recently widowed friend, Carole Hardwick; his sister, Denise Anderson, and old school friend, John Atkinson. I've chatted with my sister, Leanne; with old friend, Terry Borg, and 50 year + friends - Kathy Lazzaro, Libby Edgoose & Joyce Spiteri. It still seems like magic that we can remain close & chat while seeing each other, even though there are many kms between us all. I also had phone calls with Gayle Gibson and Dot Smith. 

One of the highlights was a sleep-in on Wednesday morning. It poured with rain all night, then we lost power for an hour, and at 5.20am the two-legged people in our bedroom made a decision to go back to sleep, which was accepted by Morse, who obediently climbed back into his bed and waited patiently for us to emerge. Wes cancelled washing the floors, but did the vacuuming, while I did some chores for Glen, had a fringe trim, and spent most of the morning playing Mah Jong with Judi at Muffins & More.

School was giving our bedroom a thorough clean, and when we moved the bed, as well as finding dog hair, Kleenex, dust etc, we also found a brass castor. On Friday morning, when I stripped the bed to wash everything, we unscrewed the bases to discover where the castor belonged and replaced it. 

Friday was the first Anniversary of Lewis's sudden death and we decided to have breakfast at Pancho's to chat about him, as we miss him still. He combined intelligence with good looks and a lovely nature and his death at 3.5 years was very hard to take. He is buried in the front garden & we think about him every time we go in and out. 

Yesterday was Spudfest at Trentham, a wonderful annual event of many years, and the place we first discovered Dutch Cream potatoes. We had hoped to go, but Wes was invited to John Hungerford's 80th birthday party in Castlemaine (the opposite direction) and I am planning to get to my first Collingwood footy game this afternoon, and didn't want to get too tired and scupper my chances.

Lovely photo of Wes, Alan Barnes & John Hungerford

I visited Glen with what could be her last bunch of roses from our garden - it's wonderful that they have lasted so long & now that Glen has been given the green light to get up and about more, she won't be needing them in the same way. 

My brother, Peter, and his wife, Anka, arranged a great family get-together in London last week and I am looking forward to chatting with my aunt, Jeff, to hear all about it. They all stayed at the grand Hotel Kimpton Fitzroy, saw the Agatha Christie play Witness for the Prosecution, and had lunch at The Ivy, Covent Garden, with Jeff's son, Mike, his wife, Kelly, and their kids, Archie & Amelia. Jeff's daughter, Leigh, and husband, Simon, drove Jeff to London and were part of all the celebrations.

Mike Hoolihan, Anka Saundry, Jeff Hoolihan, Peter Saundry & Leigh Murrin in London