We were due to have brunch at the Convent Gallery last Sunday with Graham & his wife, but he woke with a sore throat & no voice, so we went off ourselves and enjoyed the usual lovely meal there. I found I was exhausted after that, so Wes went to Rob & Dene's Open House on his own. He really enjoyed it - caught up with a few of their friends, as well as Judi & Michael, while Morse and I sat quietly at home watching AFLW footy on TV.
On Monday morning, after the usual shopping, we settled down to discuss the latest changes by the Government for pensioners, specifically the introduction of "user pays" for aged care health services. We still want to stay here at Maloney Folly for as long as we can, and, if stairs prove difficult, we can shut off the downstairs area and live on one level upstairs - we'd just use the area under the lounge windows as our study - an even better view than the one we currently enjoy.
This photo is from the previous Sunday at the Cidery - Wes, Daniel, Linda, Mike, Karen & Lauren
That night, we watched the Brownlow Medal Presentation up to halfway, before we fell asleep. At that time, Patrick Cripps was leading & looking like the winner. We woke to discover he had polled 45 votes, a record, with Nick Daicos behind him on 38 votes. Paddy spoke well when accepting his second medal and all the Carlton supporters immediately felt their year had not been wasted after all.
Next morning, after Wes & Morse had enjoyed their early walk around Daylesford Cemetery, I tried to Zoom with my sister, Leanne. Zoom had been working perfectly at 6.30am, but by 8.10am it wasn't. I tried rebooting, but the desktop immediately went into upgrading mode, so we chatted on the phone instead. By the time I was due to catch up with Jan Pengilley in Maleny, sound had been restored and all was well - I would hate to have missed out on our chat, which we both enjoy so much. Jan gave me some good advice and support and in return I told her about Iceland, a country she has not yet visited.
I have been rereading a book by Sarah Dunant, an English crime novelist, featuring her protagonist, Hannah Wolfe, who is a private investigator. I really enjoy the writing and the plots, and was very taken with this sentence that Hannah uttered - "Interesting how easily men own the space around them, while women feel like visitors without a permit". I quite often am aware of a man behind me and move aside to let them pass, rather than feel uncomfortable. It happened that morning, when I was walking along Howe Street, and suddenly felt I was being followed. I turned around and the tall young man said - "I wasn't following you, I was just going the same way" I appreciated his comment, but I had still experienced those few moments of unease, and I'm sure all females can relate to that sensation.
On Wednesday, it was time for my fortnightly trip to deliver newspapers to Spring Park Nursery, and Epicures & The Local to the Massaros. I did both those chores in pouring rain, which only stopped when I parked the car near Muffins & More to play Mah Jong with Judi, where we shared the wins and enjoyed catching up.
We were very sad to read that old Brunswick Rotarian friend, Peter Johnstone had died this week. He & Wes had stayed in touch over the years and we both have wonderful memories of times spent with him and his wife, Judy. There is a celebration of Peter's life tomorrow afternoon at Studley Park, which Wes is going to attend.
Peter & Judy at a Rotary Conference in Ballarat quite a few years ago now!
Terry Borg & I enjoyed an excellent chat on Thursday morning - it had been a month since we had caught up, and of course, ran out of time. She is heading to Thailand to celebrate her daughter, Laura's, 50th birthday, along with quite a few family & friends. It should be great fun. Then it was time to Zoom with Old Friends - Kathy, Karen S, Lib & Joyce, who wasn't very well and just said hello before heading to her doctor. The rest of us chatted about the coming Grand Final, checked on Malcolm's health, and encouraged Lib to get a 'state of the art' new lounge chair.
After those Zooms, I drove to Hepburn to have a manicure with Juls, who is kindness personified, but talks non-stop. We set a new record - 90 minutes for the manicure, which should take about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, Wes spent a very productive morning in the garden - mowed, weeded, clipped and planted Dutch Cream seed potatoes in the garden bed we had chosen.
Libby with her friend, Jan di Luca, when they visited in Daylesford in 2016 & we had lunch at The Boathouse
On Friday, after Zooming with Leanne, I packed my suitcase for the trip to Melbourne to see the Grand Final. Wes & Morse very kindly drove me to Ballan Station, where I caught a quiet train to Southern Cross and then the City Loop to Bourke Street, where I stayed at Citadine's hotel. I had stayed there last year as well for the Grand Final, as the Hotel Windsor was too expensive. My room is lovely - in a corner, quiet, roomy, clean & well-appointed.
That afternoon, I went to The Kino to see "Bonnard - Pierre & Marthe", a rather stunning French film exploring the relationship of these two painters. It is a long film, but compelling, and I was so pleased to have seen it. Can't wait to see their art again and look at it through very different eyes. On the way back to my hotel, I walked down Little Bourke Street, had the usual experience of being refused a table (single female), and discovered Red Emperor had moved into the area. What a treat - lovely service, stunning food & a glass of Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc.
I slept well that night and woke to a warm morning, and the very sad news that Dame Maggie Smith had died, aged 89. Wes and I are both so pleased we saw her live on stage in London and have that wonderful memory. Wes also told me that Morse got the sulks because I wasn't there and took himself to bed in the laundry (Wes did rescue him and persuade him to come back to our bedroom). I then went to the Hotel Windsor for a healthy breakfast of granola, fresh fruit & English Breakfast tea. Most people in the dining room were wearing their colours and chatting to each other across tables.
My next move was a visit to the department stores of David Jones & Myer, in the vain hope I could find a tote bag to replace my Harrods one, which was on its last legs. I had no luck in either, so went to Strandbags, where I found the perfect replacement for $60, and once my membership was recognised, the price went down to $30 - wow!
I came back to my hotel and rested until it was time to walk to the MCG, where there was a great atmosphere and over 100,000 people. The pre-match entertainment by Katy Perry was stunning, everyone enjoyed singing "Up There Cazaly" with Mike Brady, and then the game began. It was close to begin with, but then the Brisbane Lions took over, shutting down all the best Sydney players, and winning by 10 goals. I was so pleased to see them win, after their narrow loss last year to Collingwood, and because their coach, Chris Fagan, had done wonders and really deserved the Premiership.
Our good friend, Ian Robinson, had been invited to present the medals to the umpires after the game, which was a lovely honour. He and Robyn were invited to lunch beforehand, which was very special. All the speeches were excellent and then the players went mad with delight and headed off on their lap of the MCG with the Cup.
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