Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 27th August 2023

 
I'm sure I can relate to this!

We started our Sunday with a long walk for Morse, made a delivery to Judi and stole some of Sue's lemons on our way to the Daylesford Market. Our neighbour, Glen, was arriving home from Epworth Hospital around lunchtime, so we picked up a few items for her, put fresh flowers on her table, moved her car & put the lights & heater on to welcome her back. 

We spent the rest of the morning preparing for our lunch guests. It's been quite a while since we entertained on any scale and there was so much to be done - the lounge needed to be re-organised; the table set; flowers picked; food prepared; the outside decking made comfortable so we could start there with bubbles, and clothes changed after all that was done. 

Lovely nest of lemon-coloured daffodils & jonquils in our back garden

Tom, Deb & Danny arrived on time and were happy to sit outside breathing the country air for a while, until Wes produced his wonderful lunch, and we came back inside. He had made a big pot of spaghetti with smoked salmon and umpteen colourful and yummy vegetables. Afterwards, he served a cheese platter, followed by oranges steeped in brandy, and finished up with tea, coffee & egg custard tarts. We all enjoyed catching up, especially over such a feast, and waved goodbye to our guests about 4 hours after they arrived. Morse was well-behaved after his initial excitement, and loved having friends in the house to sidle up to. 

The next morning, after I had done early supermarket shopping, and visited Glen, we sat down to talk about our Fire Plan for the coming season. The power was off from 9.30am to 1.30pm, so this was a good activity we could manage without the use of our computers.

On Tuesday, I had an early Zoom with Terry Borg, who is heading for holidays in Italy & Malta soon - I will miss our regular chats, but the time will go too quickly, and we'll be back catching up again before we know it. I then visited Glen, before heading to Springs Medical for my final appointment this year with my doctor, Ellie, who is going on Maternity Leave until March next year. We are both disappointed that Naltrexone hasn't worked yet, and decided I would double the dose from now on, to see if that brings about any improvement. 

The next morning, we drove to Kyneton to Springs Medical Centre there, for me to have a pre-cancerous growth removed from my left upper underarm. Dr James, and his nurse, Lee-Ann, were excellent in relaxing me, and the procedure was done within 30 minutes, although I was surprised at the amount of blood and the size of the wound. I have a few stitches which come out on Thursday week. When we got home, I sat around for a while until the pain kicked in, and then went to bed, which was much more comfortable. 

Early morning light on our favourite pink camellia

I hadn't expected to be in pain & discomfort the next day, but I was, so stayed in bed, and missed out on catching up with old friend, Hacy Tobias, and her husband, Jim Brown. During the late 80s & most of the 90s, I belonged to a group of women in Insurance, called Adsum, which means We have Arrived. Hacy was one of many wonderful women I met through this group, of which I was Treasurer for about 10 years. We had last seen Hacy & Jim when they were in Daylesford earlier this year and we made plans to catch up on their next visit. Wes took them to Bad Habits Café at The Convent, which they loved, and had never visited before. 

Hacy, Jim & Wes

On Friday, I got up and dressed and visited Glen - we are both devouring Maeve Binchy books, as she is exactly right for making you forget about pain and involve yourself in the lives of all her Irish characters. It was a sunny day and Wes spent the morning in the garden, mulching, weeding & mowing, and everywhere looks wonderful. He has also been on hand to collect things from the pharmacy, as both Glen & I have needed extras, such as dressings, tape, Panadol etc. 

That night we had fish & chips, which is very easy to eat in bed, and tried to stay awake for the final round of footy, starting with Collingwood & Essendon at the MCG. The Pies got the jump on the Bombers, and it was hard for them to catch up. Wes went to sleep at half-time, and I lasted another quarter, finding out the final margin when I woke yesterday morning. 

It was a busy morning - once again I got up & dressed & visited Glen. She needed new flowers from her garden, so I filled a small jug with lovely daffs, wallflowers and snowdrops. Patrick, her gardener, was busy weeding & clearing up, and her friend, Jackie, was there making her breakfast etc. Wes & Morse headed to Ballan to check on Rob & Dene's place, and came back with more parsley. 

Rob Griffin sent us this stunning photo of the Edinburgh Tattoo, where he & Dene obviously had brilliant seats

I was back in bed by lunch-time, and spent the afternoon & evening watching games of footy. It was particularly wonderful to see North Melbourne break their drought of 20 consecutive losses with a 5-goal win over the Gold Coast in Tassie. We both fell asleep before the night games finished and discovered this morning that the Doggies had beaten Geelong at Kardinia Park, a very difficult assignment, and they are now relying on Carlton beating Greater Western Sydney this afternoon to stay in the Top Eight. 

Morse is talking frantically to us as I write this - he can't wait to head off to the Daylesford Market, where he will be spoilt with a pear, cuddles and chats. He doesn't know we have to pump mineral water at Leitches Creek, steal some more lemons & deliver weekend papers to Judi beforehand!

Just say the word - I'm ready to go!

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 20th August 2023

 

We started last Sunday with a trip to pump water at Leitches Creek before going to the Sunday Market, where Yvonne & Ken made a fuss of Morse, who gobbled up his pear in record time! Afterwards, Wes took Morse with him to visit Rob & Dene's home in Ballan to check everything was OK, empty the letterbox and do any watering that was needed. 

On Monday, Wes decided we would have a relaxing School, and chose three You Tube clips of Dame Judi Dench. The first was a 30-minute interview made about 8 years ago, which discussed her career from the beginning and included some very funny stories. Next was a short clip of some of her finest speeches in films, and last we watched her singing "Send in the Clowns" at the Proms. She is not a singer, but her diction and phrasing are so good, she really delivers on that most difficult of songs. 

We were both very impressed with her performance as Lady Catherine de Bourgh attempting to intimidate a brilliant Keira Knightley, aged 20, as Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 version of "Pride and Prejudice". I was so taken with the excerpts we saw, that I did something I have never done before and attempted to find the film on Foxtel. I was successful and watched it that afternoon, spellbound by the wonderful cast & direction. Other actors included Brenda Blethyn and Donald Sutherland as Mrs & Mr Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy. 

Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet

My aunt, Jeff, in Torksey Lock, has been unwell with a rotten virus that has attacked her twice now and left her feeling awful. We haven't been able to chat for a month as she is too tired at night to stay up, which is very understandable. However, I did catch up with Leanne on Tuesday, with a good Zoom, and she was looking forward to meeting her new support worker, Nicole, that morning. 

Judi came to visit to help me clean our oven as she is quite an expert. So, while I took the door off and got it sparkling again, she treated the non-self-cleaning elements of the oven, as well as the racks & baking dishes. Morse was delighted with her visit, and she could barely get in the door for his excitement. Wes cleaned the cars while we were doing the oven, and the beautiful sunshine dried them quickly. 

Our first vase of daffodils and jonquils this season

On Wednesday morning it was -3° and the roads were icy, so I postponed my fortnightly trips to Spring Park Nursery with newspapers, and Nick & Robyn with The Local & Epicures. Morse was disappointed as he does enjoy the drive, but perked up the next day, when the temperature was 5° early and the roads were free from black ice. Nick had left a bone for Morse and a jar of nectarines in syrup for us - both items much appreciated. 

Judi & I played Mah Jong happily in Muffins & More Café, where once again the place was full of locals reading newspapers, chatting with friends or sitting quietly over brunch & a cuppa. We do enjoy the atmosphere there and Kelly, the owner, is very generous, allowing us to sit for close to two hours. In the afternoon, Judi returned to finish the oven cleaning - joy for Morse again, and for us, as it is almost like new again. 

Morse sound asleep after all the excitement of Judi's visit

Wes and I both enjoyed our Thursday morning Zooms - he chatting with his mostly Overseas Friends on the topic of retirement, and me catching up with Old Friends - Kathy, Lovely, Lib & Joyce. Our neighbour, Glen, has been back in hospital having another operation on her leg, so we've been keeping an eye on her home, collecting mail & letting friends know how she is going, which is very well, and she is expecting to come back home today.

Latest collection of beanies, a beret & a scarf for the Salvos op-shop

On Friday morning we enjoyed a wonderful catch up with dear friends, Ian & Robyn Robinson. We booked the Parlour at The Convent, which meant we were isolated from other diners, and could chat away to our heart's content. Afterwards, we took them for a tour of The Convent as they had not visited it before. 

Enjoying the catch-up after some time since we had last met - Wes, Karen, Ian & Robyn

That night Collingwood were easily outplayed by Brisbane, a team we don't seem to be able to beat, at the Docklands. The margin was only 4 goals at the end, but it felt as though there was a much bigger gap between the two sides. 

Yesterday Wes and Morse drove to Ballan to check on Rob & Dene's home again, where all was well & they picked a bunch of parsley. They also drove on to Ballarat to collect whisky, brandy & gin, before coming back here to do some supermarket & bakery shopping in preparation for today's lunch with old friends - Tom Tyrrell, Deb Fowler & Danny Millman, who are making the drive to Daylesford to catch up with us. Meanwhile, I made a pot of minestrone soup for our dinner, stewed some pears and set the table ready for today. 

In the afternoon, the Blues made hard work of beating the Gold Coast Suns, who came out of the blocks fast & had them on the back foot early on. Carlton eventually won by 4 points, but the result was in doubt until the siren rang. Later on, the Matildas lost to Sweden in the Soccer World Cup playoff for 3rd place. We watched bits of the match, but the Aussie Rules footy was more engaging with goals galore from St Kilda in the first quarter against Geelong. They eventually won by 33 points, which means the reigning Premiers will miss the Finals this year. We also enjoyed the wonderful send-off that Richmond gave their Premiership heroes, Trent Cochin & Jack Riewoldt, as they played their last game for the Tigers. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 13th August 2023

 
Thanks to Carol Bruce for this delightful Snoopy cartoon!

Last Sunday, while I rested, Wes drove to Strathmore and did everything that Leanne needed, as well as planting one maple, six camellias and eight veronicas. Leanne was thrilled with the improved garden bed and very grateful to Denise & Judi for their contributions. He arrived back home in time to get changed and settle down to watch Carlton play St Kilda at the Docklands. The Saints were supreme in the first half and things were looking glum until the Blues came out a different side after half-time and won by 19 points.

Wide view of the garden bed with maple in the corner, camellias along the side & veronicas underneath

Close up of camellias & veronicas

Meanwhile, I was inspired by Glen Tandberg, to float some of our hellebores in a beautiful white bowl given to me by Ian & Robyn Robinson many years ago

Monday School was cleaning the lounge and kitchen areas. I got off lightly, being required to polish the furniture, wipe down surfaces, clean the cooktop and get out of the way. Wes took down and washed all the flywire screens; cleaned the windows; vacuumed and washed the floors, and put everything back again when the floors were dry. 

Breakfast at Pancho

It was another beautiful day on Tuesday, and after an early Zoom with Terry Borg, Wes and I went to Pancho for breakfast and a catch-up chat. Our meals were yummy as usual - I had the sardines and he tried the omelette. There were plenty of locals there. Wes suggested we drive to Spring Park Nursery when we had finished, and we picked up three more roses - two standard and one bush to fill spots that were needing colour.

Top to bottom - Golden Beauty, Tangles & Red Riding Hood, which took Morse's attention

On Wednesday, Les & Fiona brought their young rescue dog, Brodie, to meet Morse, and it was a big success. I was out at the time and missed the encounter, but I am assured there was no barking, some chasing and lots of toy sharing. We are all thrilled to bits with this, as both dogs need to make friends. I am sure that Les bonding with Morse so well has been a major component in the success of the first meeting. 

Wes with Morse and Brodie when they first met, and then on the decking together

The rest of the week has been quiet for me - this happens every now and then - chronic fatigue takes over and I can't achieve much beyond lunchtime. Meanwhile Wes takes over the lion's share of the chores and we get through the down period. 

On Friday night we were glued to the TV as Collingwood played Geelong in an important match at the MCG. The Cats started and ended well, but we managed to win the 2nd & 3rd quarters by enough to carve out an 8-point win. Thanks to everyone who got in touch before, during and after the game - it was so exciting and even though it finished well after my bedtime, I stayed awake until the end.

Yesterday was another sport-filled day with the Matildas making the semi-finals for the first time, where they will meet England. I must confess I found the 100 minutes or so of soccer hard to watch with no scoring, but really enjoyed the tension and excitement of the penalty shoot-out against the French women. Afterwards Carlton & Melbourne played a tough, close encounter with the Blues winning by 4 points in their eighth straight win. They really have hit their straps at the pointy end of the season, much to Wes's delight. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 6th August 2023

 
Poor Sally can't take a trick!

We started our week with our usual trip to the Daylesford Market and when we arrived Ken had cut up Morse's pear to form goal & behind posts with the ball going through the big sticks. Sadly, Morse doesn't appreciate these niceties and gobbles up his pear quickly. 

On Monday, we drove to St Peter's Catholic Church in East Bentleigh, for the funeral of Kathy Lazzaro's mother, Iris. Fr Kevin Dillon was the celebrant, which was wonderful, as he knew Iris and her husband, Alan, as well as their five daughters, and he made the ceremony very personal. Kathy spoke well about her mother's life, and her eldest son, David, gave a eulogy on behalf of the grandkids & great grandkids. We were so pleased we were there, as we had always liked Iris, who was warm & welcoming whenever we saw her. We enjoyed catching up with Kathy & Ged's families too. It was a big day, with four hours of driving in total, and we stopped for vanilla slices in Woodend on our way home. They were very yummy with our hot drinks. Morse had been fine, but was pleased to see us. 

This sight greeted us the next morning - Morse had dragged his warm blanket from the lounge into the laundry, but failed in his attempts to wrap it around himself! A hint perhaps?

I had a very busy morning planned for Tuesday, but my aunt, Jeff, wasn't well enough for us to have our early morning Zoom. I did speak with my sister, Leanne, and then with dear friend, Jan Pengilley in Maleny, who was back home after 8 weeks overseas having the trip of a lifetime, mostly with her daughter, Tara. They were joined by Tara's husband, Diederich, and son, Renier, when they cruised to Alaska, which left them all speechless with its size and beauty. I was due to have a manicure with Juls after that, but she was also unwell, so I was able to spend time with our neighbour, Glen, and did a few chores in town for her instead. 

Next morning, I took Morse with me to deliver The Local & Epicure editions that I save for Robyn Massaro. She & her husband, Nick, had been on holidays - firstly a week in Geelong, followed by 11 days in Darwin. I'm looking forward to hearing about both trips, as they are planning to move from Porcupine Ridge, where their property is getting too big for them to manage. We saw cows, alpacas & kangaroos on our drive, none of which bothered Morse as he was safe & secure in the car. 

Afterwards, Judi & I met for breakfast, followed by Mah Jong, before I visited Juls for my manicure. I arrived back home to find Les had been working on more of the issues at our place, which is so good!

Thursday was a most important day for me, and it didn't disappoint. Wes decided to drive me to the MCG and back, rather than make me cope with the vagaries of trainlines, which are not reliable at present with all the work being done on the new underground tunnels. I was most grateful as I arrived early, with no nerves, and feeling excited to be at the first MCC 50-year members' lunch that included women. I met up with Gayle Gibson, with whom I have been friends for 40 years, and we shared a glass of bubbles sitting on a couch in the Long Room before we went into the Members' Dining Room for lunch with 448 others, only 60 of whom were men. 

Lunch was wonderful, we had our rights & privileges explained to us very clearly, and Gayle and I were on a table of lovely women, who would have been even nicer, if they had barracked for a team other than Melbourne! We each received a pin and a scarf and have been promised more events especially for us. I left lunch before dessert as it was 2.45pm and we wanted to get out of Melbourne before the traffic got too heavy. 

Above is my box of goodies and below the beautiful flowers that Wes gave me to celebrate this special honour

Needless to say, it was an early night, and we even slept in on Friday morning, as we were both tired from the long day. Wes had spent the time exploring Melbourne General Cemetery and visiting Brunswick Shopping Centre, one of his favourite places, as he opened it in 1984 when he was Mayor of Brunswick. Thanks to everyone who rang, commented on Facebook, or left messages of congratulations to me - I appreciate all your wishes. 

My paternal grandparents, Percy & Sarah Saundry are buried in the Melbourne Cemetery, where the grave looks in good condition, considering they have been dead since 1964 & 1972 respectively

On Friday afternoon, we had a lovely long visit from our good friends and much-missed former neighbours, Rob & Dene. It was wonderful to catch up with them both and Morse was in seventh heaven to see them again. They also visited Glen while they were here, and she enjoyed seeing them also. The main purpose of the visit was to give us a set of keys to their home in Ballan, as they are going overseas for 7 weeks and we had offered to check the house & do watering if needed. We also asked them to sign our new Wills, which they were happy to do. 

Yesterday was bathing Morse morning and I spent most of the day washing all his bedding. He has more than the average dog because originally there were two Labs, but now he gets to swan around in comfy beds in three rooms. While everything was drying, I watched footy games, including Collingwood's worst performance this year against Hawthorn, who outran and out-positioned us throughout the match. They thoroughly deserved their 32-point victory, and we have injury worries to boot!

We are off to the Daylesford Market again shortly and then Wes is driving to Strathmore to see Leanne & plant Denise's camellias and Judi's veronicas. We are grateful to them both for their donations of plants, which will greatly enhance her front garden beds. I had hoped to go as well, but ran into a brick wall physically yesterday afternoon, and am feeling completely depleted of energy today. Hopefully, a quiet day at home will do the trick & I'll be back on track tomorrow. 

Our first Golden Trumpet has flowered in the back yard