Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 30th June 2024

 
Another one for the lovers of Sally

We started our week with a frosty trip to the Sunday Market, where Yvonne had most of our stuff ready and waiting. Ken was behind in his chores and Morse had to wait for his pear treat, which he didn't do with a very good grace, much to our embarassment! It turned into another sunny day and we were treated to a visit by our neighbours, James & Yoko, before they returned to Melbourne. Yoko was due to fly out to Japan last Friday, with three other teachers and 15 students for a fortnight. She was very excited and heading off to Queen Victoria Market to get souvenirs and gifts to take with her.

On Monday, I did our weekly shopping and brought home scrolls for breakfast. We cancelled School as I wasn't quite up to it, but Wes was able to spend the morning in the back yard - clipping, tidying & watering. At midday, we had a lovely Zoom chat with Mike & Linda Kirby in Queensland. Their daughter, Lauren, and her partner, had flown the coop and driven to Melbourne over the weekend, and they were happily getting used to the new normal.

The next morning I had an early catch up with Jeff in Lincolnshire, followed by a Zoom with Leanne. It was great to catch up with Jeff, who had been treated to a lovely stay in Manchester with my brother, Peter, and his wife, Anka; as well as her daughter, Leigh, and husband, Simon. They ate, drank & sightsaw very well indeed.

Meanwhile, Wes's phone decided to play up very badly, so he drove to the Telstra shop in Wendouree to see if they could fix it for him, as the online help wasn't sufficient. He was successful and his phone no longer assumes he is stupid and needs audible instructions to do anything! While he was in Ballarat, he picked up some fish, replenished our whisky & brandy supplies, and got out cash from the NAB ATM. We need it for Jeff, the Dog Treat man and occasionally for Yvonne when her Square doesn't work when there is no wi-fi signal at the Sunday Market, as well as for fish & chips at Daylesford Fish shop, which is strictly cash only. 

Morse doing acrobatics in the study

I have just finished reading a stunning book, which was recommended by Kathy Lazzaro - Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens - set in Sydney & Sri Lanka. It won the Miles Franklin Award last year for Shankari Chandran, who was raised in Canberra. It is a very powerful story about family, community, friendship & racism and I recommend it highly. 

On Wednesday morning, we woke to constant rain, which meant an early breakfast for Morse. It was still foggy at 10am, which felt very wintry indeed. Later that morning we attended Dot Smith's funeral at Verey's. There was a good crowd and we enjoyed listening to her daughter, Julia, and son, Michael, speak, as well as one of her grand-daughters, Emily. When I first met Dot, all the grandkids were young and used to come with her to U3A events during School Holidays when they stayed with her & John. They are all adults now, of course, and towered over Dot.

This lovely photo of John & Dot was taken at Café 3640 in Daylesford in 2008, where Kim & Gary looked after us locals beautifully for some years. 

There were so many people at the funeral I knew or knew of - probably half the room. It was good to catch up with John, who was looking better than we expected; and to see old friends like Sandra Frost, Denise Longmire, John Meir and Kim Lyden. Kim & I did reminisce about Café 3460 before the ceremony started. We left before the refreshments were served, as I was feeling I needed to go home after all the emotion of saying goodbye to Dot.

The next morning, Wes led a very successful Jackson Group Zoom chat about Housing, which encouraged each participant to speak about his/her country and what each would do differently. Then it was my turn to host our Old Friends, where we covered a multitude of topics, before it was time for me to go and Kathy took over as host.

We had twice postponed going to Bendigo Art Gallery, to see their Paris Impressionists Exhibition and we were determined not to miss out again. We loved everything about the Exhibition and recommend it highly - it is very well set out, easy to follow, and there weren't too many people allowed in at any time. We spent about an hour there, by which time my head was spinning and we decided to come home rather than have lunch at their café.

On Friday morning, after my Zoom with Leanne, I met our neighbour, Glen, for breakfast at Pancho Café, where we caught up on some of our news. It has been weeks since we have been able to chat - first Glen went on a holiday, then she caught the virus, and just as she was recovering, I had bronchial-asthma followed by the virus - finally we were both well enough and it was lovely.

Here is Glen looking aghast when her small brioche arrives! It was yummy and she took home what she couldn't eat.

Yesterday was a dreary day, so we lit the fire after lunch and spent the afternoon watching footy games, most of which were exciting and close, especially the Collingwood match against Gold Coast up there, where the Suns pulled off a great victory by 11 points. Earlier Freo had beaten ladder leaders, Sydney, by 1 point at the SCG, which was an amazing result. We were asleep before Geelong beat Essendon, who had been ahead of them on the ladder, and Adelaide did the same to Greater Western Sydney. The Blues play Richmond this afternoon, and Wes will be hoping that trend doesn't continue!

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 23rd June 2024

 

When I left you last week, we were heading off to visit Leanne, which we did. She was delighted to get her new phone, but we were all operating at less than full strength, so we only stayed for 90 minutes before coming back home. Collingwood played North that afternoon, and after allowing the Kangaroos to get 9 goals ahead, pulled off an amazing win by 1 point. I did feel sorry for the North players & supporters, and I am sure most non-aligned followers would have been hoping North would win.

Bobby Hill flying high for a great mark, and he landed on his feet!

We woke to a cold morning on Monday and Wes took Morse to Daylesford Cemetery for a run. Morse managed to get out of his harness and then his collar (shades of his brother, Lewis), which gave Wes a few worrying moments. I was able to go supermarket shopping at Coles and later on had an excellent massage with Sarah, who really helped my breathing, giving me the best night's sleep in a month.

It was -2° and frosty on Tuesday, but turned into a lovely sunny day. There were no dramas on the early walk, and I had a Zoom chat with Leanne, which went well. Afterwards I did  few chores, before coming back to rest, while Wes cleared all the drains and washed both cars. The division of labour is very one-sided at present - I'll have to get back into it soon!

Latest crop of beanies to go to the Salvos

Once again, it was freezing on Wednesday, -3°, and once again, Wes did the hard yards early. I had a haircut before joining Judi at Muffins & More for a few games of Mah Jong. We hadn't played for weeks and it was lovely to be back again. Sadly, our friend, Dot Smith, who had been a partner at Mah Jong for so many years, died the night before. It was peaceful, and at Daylesford Hospital, which meant her family could easily be around her. I treasure the memories of 24 years, and Judi had enjoyed getting to know her during these recent years when we had played Mah Jong as a threesome. 

One of my favourite photos of Dot taken last year - we were playing a Goulash and she picked up all four blanks!

On Thursday, I was able to Zoom with Terry Borg and catch up with her news, before hosting the Old Friends weekly Zoom and spending time with Kathy, Lib & Karen S. We did enjoy all being together again, and had to stop ourselves from all talking at once. After that I drove to Hepburn for a very overdue manicure with Juls, where we shared some stories. It was lovely to arrive back home and sit down with The Age and a pot of Jasmine tea.

It's always feels strange when your team has a bye during the footy season, and it was Collingwood's turn, along with 5 other teams this weekend. However, Carlton had their bye last week, and on Friday night were facing up to Geelong at the MCG in front of a great crowd. Wes was pleased with the selected team and we had our fingers crossed for a great game. 

I don't think anyone saw the big win by the Blues coming, and Wes was delighted with the way they played. The match was marred by an ankle injury to Geelong's Tom Hawkins, who may have now played his last game. Carlton is looking set at second on the ladder and will definitely feature in the Finals again.

Morse looking very comfy in the study

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day after some early frost. Wes took Morse for a big run at the cemetery, before celebrating Carlton's win with toast & tomato sauce (his Dad's favourite breakfast). Afterward, he did wonders in the front garden. I'd done too much the day before, so promised I would be very sedentary and spent the day reading The Age, watching footy and ignoring chores that needed doing!

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 16th June 2024

 

This is for those who love Sally

We started our week with a run around Daylesford Cemetery for Morse, followed by a trip to the Market in light rain. Yvonne was so pleased to see us, although I wore a mask as I was still coughing and not really up to being outside. We bought lots of fruit & vegetables and Morse enjoyed his cut up pear treat.

The day was spent, as had been the day before, glued to ABC Classic, as they counted down the top 100 Feel Good music, which was voted on Australia wide. I had a list of 10 and was delighted when 8 of them made it into the top 50, and the remaining two made 106 & 109. Thanks to everyone who got in touch during the count, it was lovely to know we were all doing the same thing. Beethoven's Symphony No 9 finale Ode to Joy won - Wes & I think that it was voted for by all the singers! I had put Chariots of Fire (34th) as my first pick, but hoped that The Lark Ascending(6th) would win. 

That night Carlton played Essendon at the MCG in front of 88,000+, which is the second best Home & Away crowd for these two teams. Even watching on TV, you could feel the atmosphere. The Blues won by 26 points, after Essendon got close in the 3rd quarter, but kicked badly. Wes was delighted of course, especially when the Blues are now second on the ladder.

Morse glued to the footy once again

On Monday, I did the shopping at Coles and bought our usual scrolls for afterwards, but we cancelled School, as I wasn't up to the physical labour, which had been scheduled - cleaning the library and guest room. I had bought a Guest Pass & Reserved Seats for the Collingwood vs Melbourne game that afternoon, and was looking forward to catching up with David Lazzaro. However, we realised that I had no hope of being able to travel to the ground, let alone last 3-4 hours there and then catch the train back home, so I pulled out. At least David was there to cheer on our makeshift team.

As well, my younger sister, Paun, and her husband, Brian, were in Melbourne for the Long Weekend, and had tickets to the game. It would have been a great chance to say hello to them, as it is a year since we visited them in Canberra. Along with all the other Collingwood supporters, they would have been thrilled to bits with our endeavour and we came away winners by 38 points, which was most unexpected in front of 84,000+.

Jubilation at the end L-R Jack Crisp, playing his 227th consecutive game (voted Best on Ground); Nathan Kreuger playing his first game in over 400 days, and Harvey Harrison, playing his 11th game. Both Nathan & Harvey kicked 3 goals & were instrumental in the win.

Wednesday was our Anniversary and we had hoped to visit the Impressionists Exhibition at Bendigo Gallery, but decided to postpone that until the end of the month. We had to cancel Friday's celebratory lunch at the Garden Room Restaurant@ Blackwood Ridge (our go to place for special events) and will miss out on a last meal there as the restaurant is closing for good this month. The owners were very understanding & grateful for our past patronage.

We'll never forget 2021 - they opened the restaurant just for us and it was a very special Anniversary lunch

On Thursday, after the Jackson Group Zoom, Wes thought it would do us good to have a little outing, so we went to Pancho, the closest cafe to us, for a quiet breakfast and catch up. Wes had the sardine dish and I went for the muesli with poached pears & rhubarb. It was lovely to be out briefly and we sat away from everyone else on the little table for two under the stairs. I had started my Old Friends Zoom with Kathy Lazzaro, who kindly took over hosting as I was still coughing. 

Yummy muesli & Wes, resplendent in Carlton gear, looking thrilled to have his favourite Pancho meal again

It's been another sad week for deaths that have touched us. Firstly, Allan McLeod, who regularly attended ALP meetings at our place over many years; then Carolyn Marrone, a wonderful pen & ink artist, who supported Daylesford Rotary Art Show, and died suddenly in Bendigo, and finally Bill O'Connor, aged 92, father of Donna Thornycroft. Bill was a delightful man that Wes & Barbara first met when they used to go to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Ballarat for hydrotherapy. Bill took his late wife, Shirley, there as well. Wes & I saw Bill often these days as he would start his morning with a coffee at Cliffy's, run by his grandson, Liam Thornycroft. 

We just love this pen & ink drawing by Carolyn Marrone, entitled "Bus Stop" and bought it from her in 2011

On Friday morning, I was finally able to Zoom with Leanne for 20 minutes and we made plans for our visit today. The last time we had chatted was 24th May, so it had been quite a while, and I was feeling very guilty that I had been out of action for so long. I'm not sure whether Leanne was more excited to see me or Morse! 

That night Wes cooked a meal worthy of a restaurant - steamed tuna with bok choi & rice and a side dish of beetroot relish. It was very yummy indeed, although I am sure he had some chili with his. I still can't cope with strong tastes, even though my "geographic tongue" seems to be improving slowly. 

Finally, my brain was working enough to look at our insurances which all fall due on 1st July and had increased by quite a lot since last year. I managed to get a good deal on our Building & Contents with Qantas, where our Health insurance is, and a better price on our Mazda 2, which was going to cost more than the Mazda 3! 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 9th June 2024

Well, this wasn't the week we had expected. Last Sunday, I realised that I wouldn't be well enough to travel to Rye the next day, let alone want to leave our home comforts to feel sick at someone else's place. Wes offered the stay to our good friends, Kathy & Ged Lazzaro, and we were both delighted when they were able to accept. Back in the late 80s to mid 90s, we shared a holiday home at Blairgowrie with Sherryn & Paul Danaher, and the Lazzaros were frequent welcome visitors there.

Pearse Road backbeach, view from Rye accommodation & glasses of rosé to start the holiday

By Sunday night, Wes was starting to cough too, so we knew we had made the right decision! He, of course, couldn't go to bed, as he had to cook meals and walk Morse, who was still confused that we hadn't gone to the Daylesford Market that morning.

On Monday, Wes did the supermarket shopping at Coles, visited Yvonne at Wheat Sheaf, where she had most of the fruit & vegetables that we usually buy, and dropped in to Tonna's on the way back to pick up what he hadn't been able to get. Morse was delighted to see Yvonne, was given a pear, and allowed to run around her front yard, much to his delight.

Late Tuesday morning, tickets went on sale for the Adelaide Day/Night Test against India in December this year. I managed to get in to Ticketek quickly, but couldn't purchase anything, which was so frustrating. After 75 minutes, I stopped for lunch and the minute I did that, I got in through on my phone and could finally get tickets for the first 4 days. Such a relief! We already have our accommodation booked and getting tickets should have been the easy part. 

We both cancelled most of our Zooms for the week, as neither of us was in a fit state to chat with anyone. I let our neighbour, James, know so that he didn't come knocking on the door, as we don't want to give this to anyone. Our other neighbour, Glen, had it for three weeks, and we stayed well clear of her, but managed to pick it up anyway. It was her turn to stay away from us.

Morse keeping me company while I watch games of footy!

Thank God for all the books we bought at Clunes Booktown, as well as Foxtel with all the games of footy being shown. We've both been most appreciative. 

We were very sorry to read that a Daylesford friend, David Linney-Barber had died last weekend. I first met him in 2000, when he & Lyndall Jenkin were married and running a B&B. Lyndall was working at her parents' business - Jenkin & Thomas, which was a hardware store that later branched into electrical goods. She was a fount of knowledge when I was living here during the week and needed to give Holly Cottage some running repairs. We are still good friends and keep in touch daily.

As well, Barbara Simpson's cat, Bobby, unexpectedly had a stroke, and had to be put down. He has been a good friend to her over many years and will be much missed. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 2nd June 2024

 
Just for Wes - he loves Peppermint Patty

We started our week very quietly. I had woken with a cough & asthma, so after the Market, and after making a big pot of soup, I retired to the couch with my knitting, The Age, crosswords, Logic Problems and the footy to keep me company. We had been due to visit Leanne, but had to postpone it yet again, and will see her on 16th June.

No nerves for Morse when the footy's on

On Monday, I had no voice, but was able to go shopping and collect prescriptions from the pharmacy, before retiring for another quiet day. Leanne's phone had been sent back to the depot, so I spent some time messaging Telstra to get the phone delivered to me instead. 

It was a beautiful day, started with 0° and a frost, but worked its way up to 15° and sunshine. Daylesford featured on the front page of The Age, because Council is keen to rezone some farming land for housing, and everyone is up in arms. The little village of Guildford made Page 3 with the community attempting to buy their General Store, which has closed. 

I had to cancel my Tuesday Zooms as talking only encouraged coughing, but it was a beautiful day, and Wes spent the morning in the garden, planting Icelandic poppy seeds and watering everywhere. I spent 30 minutes trying to get tickets for David Lazzaro & I to attend the King's Birthday footy at the MCG, and was finally successful, although we are on Level 4, about 27 rows back. At least we'll see a game of footy together and enjoy The Big Freeze beforehand. 

With all this free time, I was able to donate a large bag of beanies & berets to the Salvos, for which they were grateful. I also took them a Kitchen Aid baking dish that I purchased with points earned at our local Coles Supermarket. Our friend, Judi Allen, had suggested some years ago that it was a good way to make use of unwanted points, and the Salvos agree. they are always delighted with brand new items, especially kitchenware, and make sure it goes to a needy home. 

We had planned to visit the Bendigo Art Gallery on Wednesday to see their French Impressionists Exhibition, but I wasn't well enough, so Wes changed the tickets for 12th June, which was a big relief. It was another gorgeous day after a cold night, and he was pleased to spend much of it in the garden, while I coughed and sneezed and wheezed inside!

Finally, on Thursday afternoon, we received some very welcome rain. It wasn't a cold day, but the wind made it seem cool. Definitely a staying inside day, which we did, after Wes took Morse for an early walk around Lake Daylesford, before taking part in the Jackson Group Zoom, which was on the upcoming British Election, which everyone thinks Labour will win easily.

That night, the Blues beat Port at the Adelaide Oval in a convincing victory by 6 goals. Wes was highly delighted, as were all Carlton fans as they climbed up the ladder to 4th place. The Magpies didn't do quite as well on Friday night, but I had expected we would lose by more than the 3 goals that the Western Bulldogs kicked in the last few minutes to win the game. Both teams were without some of their best players, but it was an exciting match with lots of highlights.

Signage in our front garden objecting to Council rezoning prime farming land for residential purposes