Daylesford New Year's Eve Dispatch - Sunday, 31st December 2023

 

What a lovely Christmas Eve we had - the Daylesford Market was busy and everyone was full of cheer as the rain had held off. Afterwards we took Morse back to Daylesford cemetery for a big run, while we looked unsuccessfully for the Burman graves again. That night we enjoyed a wonderful dinner - oysters, followed by crayfish on rice with baby potatoes & Eton mess to finish up. We drank a bottle of Peter Rumball Sparkling Shiraz, that was a gift from our neighbour, Glen, and watched the storm outside from the warmth and comfort of our lounge. 

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Day after the drama of driving to Melbourne in pouring rain, which held us up, especially after there was an accident on the Freeway. We couldn't believe the number of cars driving without their lights on, or with parking lights only, especially those dark coloured cars which are so hard to see when visibility is poor. Leanne was excited to see us and had decorated the table beautifully. We had a simple, but yummy lunch of fresh prawns with salad, followed by Christmas Pudding & brandy butter, which was more than enough. Leanne had been very thoughtful with her gifts, and liked what she received in return. 

Leanne in Christmas mode

Wes dropped me off at the Hotel Windsor, before he drove back home, in better weather, and to a very appreciative Morse. Meanwhile, I checked in, changed my room (a first for me) and settled down for a very quiet night. The Windsor has finally got Foxtel, which was a lovely surprise, and I listened to ABC Classic until I fell asleep. 

The next morning I was having breakfast when my brother, Peter, and his wife, Anka, joined me. We met up later at the MCG for Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test, where I had seats for the three of us in the 50-year member bay. It wasn't scintillating cricket, but the atmosphere is always special and it was good to see old friend, Gayle Gibson, and catch up briefly with Brendan Wilkinson, who lives in Morwell and travels down for the Test each year. We've become friends by sitting next to each other and enjoying the company. Most of the crowd left when heavy rain interrupted play in the afternoon, including me. 

I walked back to the Windsor, got changed and went to Chine on Paramount in Little Bourke Street for an early meal. By the time I got back to my room, I was so tired I fell asleep and slept for 10 hours, which was a blessing, as I woke feeling refreshed and energised. Meanwhile, Wes had been busy in Daylesford - walking Morse, visiting James & Yoko for afternoon tea & meeting their son, Hamish, and watching the cricket in between chores. 

Yummy coconut prawns

The next morning I had an early breakfast and walked back to the G to queue up for a seat, which I easily got in my favourite watching spot - N47 on Level 2. Brendan & I had hoped to sit together, but he was a little later than me and we were a few seats apart, but chatted during lunch and tea breaks. There was no rain interruption, so play went until 6pm. I had a quick dinner at Shark Fin Inn and came home to crash again. 

Salt & pepper squid

Each day of the Test had its highlights and I felt very fortunate to be there seeing it all, especially on Friday evening when the Aussies requested an extra half hour's play and took the remaining wickets to win a Test that had been evenly poised most of the time. 

While I was staying at Hotel Windsor, I invited Kathy, Ged, Karen, Malcolm & Danny to join me for breakfast on Day 3. This has become an annual event and we all look forward to catching up. The concierge was very helpful and took Ged in his wheelchair through a door in the Cricketers' Bar to enable him to get into the dining room. We all enjoyed hearing about our respective Christmas Days and I was sorry when it was time for me to leave for the G to get a good seat undercover in case it rained. 

from the top - Danny & Malcolm, Karen & Ged, Ged & Kathy

Yesterday was my last morning at the Windsor, so I celebrated with baked eggs, which were beautiful and reminded me of the lovely dish Toni used to serve us at The Food Gallery, Daylesford, when the breakfast group got together every Sunday. My usual breakfast is toasted granola with fresh fruit & coconut yoghurt.

After breakfast yesterday, I walked down Bourke Street to see the Myer Christmas windows as they featured the characters from the wonderful ABC Children's Show, Bluey. I wasn't disappointed - the windows were very special and the messages being given were in keeping with the show's blueprint of education by gentle example. Here are two windows:

Then it was time to come back here, pack, and be collected and driven home by Wes and Morse. Not sure which of us was most excited. I was very grateful to have been able to enjoy this time in Melbourne, and most appreciative that Wes was prepared to drive down & back, rather than have to catch the train with a suitcase, small bag & a pillow!

I spent yesterday afternoon changing sheets & towels and doing four big loads of washing, which I got dry before dinner time. Wes cooked a lovely meal of Atlantic salmon for me and pork chop for him with steamed pumpkin, peas & spring onions. It was great to sleep in our bed last night, and this morning I joined Wes and Morse on their early walk for the first time in months. 

Daylesford Christmas Eve Dispatch - Sunday, 24th December 2023

 
I'd love to see inside Snoopy's kennel!

We had a wonderful time at the Daylesford Market last Sunday - gave gifts to Yvonne, Ken & Jeff - all of which were well received. Yvonne & Ken had gone to a lot of trouble with Morse's pear as you can see from the photo below. Our neighbour, Glen, made it to the Market for the first time since mid-January, and loved being able to walk around the stalls and chat with the owners & other locals there. As well, a couple of locals, Wendy, and Jan, both made a fuss of Morse, so he was in 7th heaven by the time we headed home.

After we had washed all our produce and put it away, we took Morse with us to Daylesford Cemetery to see if we could find my Burman relatives that are buried there. We didn't have any luck, but as there was no-one else at the Cemetery, and as it is fully fenced, we let Morse run free, which he loved. So many smells to sniff and places to explore - he didn't want to leave.

The 1st Test finished with an easy win to Australia on a scary pitch, with players from both teams being hit on the head & body. Thank God for helmets! It was wonderful to see Nathan Lyon take his 500th wicket and join an elite group of Aussie bowlers comprising Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath & him.

Morse asleep after his perfect Sunday

I have had quite a week of pampering, which started with an excellent massage from Sarah on Monday morning & finished with a facial with Julie on Friday morning. It's been a week for last Zooms for the year - wishing Jeff a Happy Christmas on Tuesday early, and the same to Old Friends on Thursday morning. I've had two chats with Leanne, and we have tomorrow very well organised between the three of us. 

We visited Kathy & Gerard Lazzaro in Burwood on Wednesday, leaving here around 9.15am & returning at 4.45pm. Ged broke his ankle a couple of weeks ago, and we were very keen to visit and see how he was going. Ged is managing his wheelchair well, now has a moonboot, and has accepted he will be somewhat out of action until next March. Kathy gave us a lovely lunch - I had ordered lettuce & tomato sandwiches, but we had quite a few more ingredients added to the help yourself array! It was so good to sit around chatting for 3.5 hours and we covered quite a few topics before it was time to go.

Sorry the quality of my photo is so poor - Ged & Wes chatting at the table & Kathy bringing more food from the kitchen

Kathy gave us this fuchsia to take home, which is a cutting from a cutting that Kathy took when we had a holiday house in Blairgowrie with Paul & Sherryn Danaher, back in the late 80s, early 90s

On Friday, our neighbour, Glen, left a bag of goodies at our front door, and amongst them was Manny the Mammoth, a new friend for Morse. He was quite thrilled with Manny and inspected him from every angle, before settling down for a serious snooze.

Yesterday was busy - Morse had a pre-Christmas bath, and I washed all his bedding - about 4 loads of washing in all. Wes also washed both cars and we are feeling very clean & virtuous. It was a perfect morning for all these activities, but we were all exhausted by lunch-time and happy to sit quietly with the Saturday Age newspaper. 

We were both very sad to read of the death of Ron Brown this week, as he was a friend here for many years. We met him when we joined Daylesford Rotary, where he was always contributing, and even this year, when he was quite frail, he turned up at the Farmers Market, helping with signage & greeting everyone as they turned up. He will be missed.

Ron at "Clean Up Daylesford Cemetery Day"

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 17th December 2023

 

Snoopy can't help being a dog!

We had a most successful visit with Leanne last Sunday. We had bought her a magnolia to put in the lawn in her front garden, and had our fingers & toes crossed that she would love it, which she did. Wes worked hard digging down into the couch grass, successfully planted it and surrounded it with deep purple lobelia. Let's hope Strathmore gets lots of rain and the magnolia settles in happily. We had fish & chips for lunch to celebrate Leanne's birthday, with bon bons & poppers for extra colour!

The next day we had School, after I had done the weekly shop at Coles Supermarket. We watched a YouTube lesson on Windows 11, which is on our laptop, but not able to be updated onto our desktops. We particularly liked the ability to hover over icons to alter the screen size, and reverse clicking offers a lot more options than Windows 10. After that we saw another YouTube lesson, this time a webinar from Dottotech, all about the changes to Google Calendar. This was mostly related to Reminders & Tasks, which Wes uses, but I don't, preferring Keep Lists instead. However, we both enjoyed learning all the new tricks and especially the ability to move email details into your Calendar.

Then it was time to sit staring at our screens while we tried to get through to Ticketek to book reserved seats for the AFL Gather Round in April 2024. It took an hour before I successfully had seats for us both, for our games on the Saturday & Sunday. It was especially infuriating as the first time I got into the booking site, I kept being told there were no available tickets, which led to mild panic on my part!

It's been a busy week for Zooms for us both - Wes has had two chats with Barbara in New Zealand; an enjoyable catch up with Cousins, as well as a fun pre-Christmas session with the Jackson crew from overseas and Australia, which involved a lot of preparation work on his part. Meanwhile I caught up with Leanne twice, still excited by the magnolia; had a lovely chat with Old Friends, and my last Zoom for the year with Terry Borg in Burwood. 

We solved this at our place by putting in a couple of extra power points!

I've had fun giving thank you gifts to various people and places this week - Luke & Steve at the Post Office; the crew at Pancho; everyone at The Convent; the Muffins mob; my hairdresser, Lyndal; our garbos, and Tim, Kelly & Romy Streat, who are all wonderful in their different lines of work. There are seven more to go, which will be delivered today & during the week - Yvonne, Ken & Jeff at the Sunday Market; Sarah who gives me excellent massages; Juls who does manicures, and Julie & Emma at EKO, where I have facials. 

The 1st Test against Pakistan started on Thursday in Perth and I have been glued to the action. Warner certainly made a statement with his 164 on Day 1, and the Aussies capitalised on his good play with an excellent total. On Day 2, Pakistan defended stoutly and were 2/132 at stumps. Last night, Australia were 2/84 with a lead of 300, which they will hope to increase today.

Yesterday morning, we met Les & Fiona Groundwater for breakfast at Pancho café. They had been back to WA to spend time with their daughter, Chloe, and we had lots of news to catch up on. As usual, we were looked after beautifully there, with very yummy meals and lovely service.

Glimpses from our back garden from the top - rose & petunia patch; fernery; standard Glorious, and standard Red Riding Hood

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 10th December 2023

 
This is for Wes, who loves Peppermint Patty!

We've managed a less busy week than the previous one - both of us were quite tired at the end of it. The big highlight last Sunday was the AFLW Grand Final at Princes Park, which had a great atmosphere, good entertainment and a nail-biting game to go with it. North Melbourne led at every change, but the Brisbane Lions were too good in the last quarter and scored 4 goals to post a deserved win.

On Monday, we spent School cleaning the study, which is quite a big job - dusting, polishing, vacuuming, cleaning the floors, windows & flywire screens, which necessitates moving just about everything in it. Wes did all the heavy stuff, while I managed the dusting & polishing. Morse avoided helping and slept in the lounge with his friends instead. 

The hot weather really knocks me out, so I try to get everything I need to do, finished in the morning, so I can stay inside with the air-conditioning in the afternoon. This suits Morse, who also finds the heat too much for him. Wes is able to cope better, but limits his time out in the sun. That night, Wes had a Zoom with his Godson, Danny, in Fortitude Valley, Queensland. 

On Tuesday, I was finally able to have a good catch up with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire. She has an ancient i-pad and the quality of our Messenger chats is sporadic at best. It had been snowing in Torksey Lock over the weekend, and she had been snowed in, but was warm & had plenty of provisions. Afterwards, I Zoomed with my sister, Leanne, in Strathmore, and we made plans for her birthday lunch this Sunday. That afternoon, Wes had a phone call with Helen Hanrahan, in Lower Plenty, something they both enjoy. 

We were busy on Wednesday morning - while Wes had an early Zoom with Paul Jackson in England, I took Morse in the car to deliver newspapers to Spring Park Nursery, and Epicures to Nick & Robyn Massaro in Porcupine Ridge. Morse travels well in the car and loves looking out the window or resting his chin on the back seat & watching the cars behind him. 

We arrived back home in time for me to go to Mah Jong with Judi, leaving Wes to vacuum and wash the floors, visit the electrician, collect new glasses at the optometrist, and come home with a bottle of Hendricks gin for me!

Our dining room table is looking very Christmassy!

Our neighbour, Glen, has had a fall & sprained ligaments in her foot - the same leg that shattered in January and has kept her confined to quarters most of this year. She is coping remarkably well, as this is an unexpected set-back. Her doctor is optimistic that she will recover quickly. We've both been available to help with whatever she needs, most needs being met by her daughter, Sarah, who iced & strapped her foot when it happened. 

On Thursday, I had my weekly Zoom catch up with Old Friends, where everyone had a story to tell about a friend or family member not in good health. We chatted about our Christmas plans, which all sounded perfect, and we'll enjoy debriefing in the New Year about how they all went.

Ashram roses & reindogs at our front door

On Friday, Glen hosted, from her divan, the postponed get-together of us, Rob & Dene. We had hoped to be sitting under her beautiful plum tree, but the weather wasn't conducive, nor was Glen's foot, so we enjoyed sitting in a circle in her lounge looking out at her lovely garden and sharing stories. I opened a bottle of 2008 Vintage Veuve Cliquot that Gayle Gibson gave me 5 years ago, and we toasted Collingwood's Premiership, as well as being together. Before they drove back home, Rob & Dene came to our place to spend a few minutes with Morse, who was very excited to see them.

Glen, Karen, Rob & Dene

During this week, Wes has been in touch with an artist, Ryan Brearley, who he met through Ancestry, because Ryan has been researching Edward Kimpton, an Australian artist, for his art history. Wes has also been researching Ted, because we have four of his paintings, which were a wedding present to us from his brother, Les. We were thrilled to discover that Ted was twice an Archibald finalist, and that he has works in Albury, Ballarat, Castlemaine & Langwarrin galleries. 

My favourite Ted Kimpton painting

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 3rd December 2023

 

So cute!

We started our Sunday with our usual excursion to the Daylesford Market. It had been raining earlier, but held off to allow us to take Morse and give him the excitement he craves each week. Both Yvonne & Ken make a big fuss of him before he tucks into his pear, and then accompanies Wes through the Market to Jeff's stall, where they buy eggs & dog treats. 

Later that morning, our neighbours, James & Yoko, dropped in for a chat. I had left a bag of lemons at their front door, and they wanted to thank us for them, as well as talk about the various things happening in their lives, which includes a short visit next month from Yoko's parents and older sister, who live in Japan. Morse hasn't made up his mind about James, but he loves Yoko, and was happy to be patted for as long as she was willing to do it.

On Monday, we spent a couple of hours doing Christmas card & email School. Afterwards we met up with old friends, Robert & Marilyn Preston, at Bad Habits Café in The Convent. We had a great table, lovely service and ran out of time before we had exhausted all the conversational topics we wanted to cover. The Prestons were staying at the RACV Club in Creswick, which made it a very easy catch-up. Wes was able to give them the history of the complex, as well as point them in the direction of a few must see places in the area. 

Thanks to our waitress, Duma, for taking this photo of Robert, Wes, Karen & Marilyn

Later that night, Wes joined a Zoom hosted by Labor Academy - he fed me early, and had his own meal afterwards. Although I had been able to stay up for dinner twice over the weekend, I was very tired after our interesting day and had to retreat to bed. 

The next morning, I had an early Zoom with Leanne, who was worried about one of her support workers, who had been unable to visit her for a week, because her partner was unwell. We talked about Nicole, Leanne's garden, and the exciting visit to her last Friday by our younger sister, Paun, and her husband, Brian, who were on a whirlwind visit to Victoria to see Brian's mum, Una, who is going well in her early 90s.

On Wednesday, Wes headed off to Melbourne for lunch with a few of his old schoolmates. Sadly, there are fewer each time they meet, and everyone is struggling with health issues of some description or caring for someone with issues. He was gone for hours, and Morse was delighted when he finally arrived home, having battled with traffic and heavy rain. 

Mick Curran, Gary Blake, Alan Trigg, Tom Tyrrell & Chris Meehan enjoying catching up

Chris Meehan, George Traczyk & David Carey

Meanwhile I had a haircut with Lyndal, my last for some time, as she is expecting a baby in mid-January. We had a great chat and I was nearly home again when I realised I hadn't paid her! We had a good laugh about it when I returned to remedy the situation. Afterwards, Judi & I played Mah Jong at Muffins & More, where life continues as normal under the new owner.

The rain encouraged our latest standard rose, Tangles, to finally flower & it has been worth the wait - mauve blooms with a delicate fragrance

We both had Zooms on Thursday morning - Wes caught up with his mostly Overseas Friends, where Jim Brown chaired the discussion on Leaders. Meanwhile I had an early chat with Terry Borg in Burwood, where we talked about the Bluey episodes we had seen, among other more serious topics. Then a catch up with Old Friends - Kathy, Lib, Karen & Joyce - where we were all horrified to discover Karen had never seen Harry Potter, and in her words "wings it" in discussions. We also debriefed on Lib's residential area Christmas Tree decoration, which included grand-kids & great-grand-kids and a visit from Santa. Kathy talked about teaching her 8-year-old grand-daughter, Olivia, to knit, and asked for suggestions, and I put pressure on Joyce to present her framed embroidered Nativity scene for Show & Tell before Christmas. 

Then, Wes was on the road again - this time to Geelong, via Trentham, where he picked up Bob White, and drove to Grovedale to have lunch with Ken & Geraldine Wilson. Ken was the Town Clerk for the City of Brunswick when Wes and then Bob were Mayor, and we've all kept up the good relationship since the 80s.

Wes heading out for lunch - navy blue seems to be the colour of choice these days

Lovely photo of Ken & Geraldine enjoying lunch with Wes & Bob

On Friday, we had hoped to catch up with Rob & Dene at Glen's place for our Christmas get-together, but Glen woke feeling very unwell, so that has been postponed until a later date. We decided to collect a tree from our local Christmas Tree Farm, and Wes was able to fit a 1.6m tree in Sammy - the days of tall trees are over as we no longer own a station wagon!

We're thrilled with this tree, which has lights galore, angels, baubles, Chinese lanterns, Snoopy & a star on top.

Yesterday was the annual Highland Gathering in Daylesford. We walked down to Vincent Street to watch the parade of bands from the country, the city & interstate. Our own Daylesford Pipes & Drums concluded the march, much to the delight of the small, but appreciative crowd. Sadly, for the Gathering, it started to rain as everyone was heading to Victoria Park for the day's events. We managed to get wet enough on our walk home to have to change our clothes as we were soaked through.

Karen enjoying the Parade in the gloom! This tradition started in 1952 and is still going strong over 70 years later