Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 19th September 2021

 

        We're a bit like Snoopy  - haven't really embraced selfies!

When I left you last Sunday, we were heading out to visit Yvonne on her property at Wheat Sheaf to pick up our usual fruit & vegetable order as the Sunday Market had been cancelled. This was a sensible move as everyone was busy getting tested, isolating or avoiding crowds. As we drove past the Daylesford Station it was deserted & none of the shops nearby was open. We heard later that all the staff at Cliffy's had tested negative for their first test, which was very encouraging. 

I was feeling more energetic than I had in a fortnight and decided to stay up for drinks & dinner. We sat & chatted and just as Wes was deciding to cook we had a power outage. Instead of a hot meal, we ate cheese & Vegemite sourdough sandwiches with a glass of shiraz & of course, the power returned while we were eating! 

Wes took this impromptu photo of me with his new phone & liked it so much he made it his phone wallpaper

The COVID news has been very inspiring here and all hotspots have been reclassified as Tier 2. No-one we know has tested positive and there have been plenty of tests taken. Our Shire's vaccine take up rates are higher than average, which is very pleasing indeed.

On Monday we finished our School session on the poet & preacher, John Donne. We introduced a new element by finding the You Tube film on our TV and moved upstairs to watch it in the Auditorium. There were three more speakers, more poetry & prose was read out & a baritone sang some of the works that had been put to music. 

Once again, it's been a busy week for Zooming - me with Jeff in Lincolnshire, Leanne in Strathmore & Jan in Maleny - all on Tuesday morning, and old friends, Kathy in Burwood & Karen in Port Melbourne on Thursday. Wes chatted with Barbara in New Zealand twice and had a long Skype call with Paul in the Cotswolds.

On Wednesday morning, we got out of Sandra's way, by putting the boys in the car & heading off. First stop was a delivery of jars & magazines at Porcupine Ridge, followed by a drive to Trentham via Spring Hill. We set off to see how far we could walk along the Wombat Trail there, but there is still a lot of storm damage & trees down, so we were only able to walk about 10 minutes before heading back into town and enjoying all the daffodils & grape hyacinths in bloom as we strolled the streets. We finished up at Chaplin's for tea & toast & were joined by old friend, Bob White, for a lovely catch up. After that we drove home via Leitches Creek where we pumped mineral water. 

Another photo of me - this time pumping water - the storm destroyed most of the railings around this pump when a huge tree was uprooted. It will eventually be fixed, but isn't a priority because the mineral water hasn't been effected. This is a beautiful picnic spot & when I first retired I used to come here to eat my lunch - I brought Viva here a few times & she loved it too

Wes has been planting punnets of pleasure, washing the cars, mowing, staking, weeding and watering this week. I do my bit with handfuls of weeds, pot watering & purchasing of punnets. We planted some nasturtiums, statice & pansies & are in the market for cucumbers & zucchini. 

I've had plenty of down time again this week & have spent much of it playing with my new phone. I made the big decision to try Google Pay and I love it - not needing to carry credit & debit cards & loyalty cards is a great relief & so far I've managed with only a few early hiccups. I haven't been asking for receipts for small items for quite a while, but love the record that Google Pay makes of my transactions. School tomorrow is going to involve me teaching Wes how to do this, as well as some of the many enhancements I have found in Settings. Our old phones were 2017, and it is astounding how technology has improved since then, and just about all of the new settings I've found are excellent. 

One of the best photos of Lewis & Morse entertwined in sleep

Somehow we've survived this week without footy & without the usual Grand Final build up, which is happening in Perth. We've got our fingers crossed that no COVID cases come to light before next Saturday, as it would be a shame to play the match without a crowd. 

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 12th September 2021

 

I can fully understand Snoopy's response, although we do enjoy listening to the magpies early as they wait impatiently to be fed

We started our week with a lovely visit to the Sunday Market and tried to support as many of the few stalls that were set up. Afterwards, Wes made scrambled eggs on crumpets, which more than carried us through until dinnertime. We watched the second half of the Doggies win over the Lions & thought it was one of the best matches this year, although our Western Bulldogs fans assure us they were too busy riding every bump to know how good the game was!

Sprigs of wattle greeted us when we arrived at the Sunday Market - you can see me & Yvonne under her umbrella

I'm still not restored to full energy (chronic fatigue levels) and have been coping well with mornings, but wearing out by late afternoon. Wes has been very understanding, although he must wish someone would wait on him for a change. 

He's been busier with Zoom this week - chatting with Barbara twice (including a guest appearance by Gail & Terry White); hosting a get-together of old school friends, and participating in the regular 2-hour session of the Jackson 8. Meanwhile I had to cancel my Tuesday chat with Leanne & reschedule Terry Borg to Wednesday as I was able to keep my appointment with my podiatrist in Ballarat. I was very sorry to hear from Victoria Armstrong that she is retiring next month - selfishly sorry, as she has been a most impressive & helpful professional person since I first met her 13 years ago. I also had a most enjoyable chat with Kathy & Karen on Thursday morning. 

This stunning photo of the Blowhole comes courtesy of Glen Tandberg, who visited it for the first time this week

We were both impressed that Qantas decided to reward its Frequent Flyers with 1,000 points if they could prove they had received both jabs, and promptly applied for & received the points. Our health insurance is with Qantas Assure and we received a rebate from them as well. At present, with no easing of restrictions for the fully vaccinated, we are delighted with any little rewards we are given. 

We were thrilled to be given some freedoms on Friday - regional Victorians can now travel anywhere in the state except Shepparton & Greater Melbourne, and shops, services & cafes can re-open, although quite a few are choosing not to as the density numbers are so sparse it would be hard to make a profit. By that night we received the dreadful news that we had our first positive COVID case - we have nothing but admiration for how well it has been handled by the Springs Medical Centre, by Cliffy's and by the COVID testers who set up yesterday & today at Victoria Park. (Thanks to everyone who rang, texted or emailed to check that we were OK.) 

From a health point of view, I am getting better slowly - finally managed to get out with my boys for the early morning walk on Friday & have joined them again yesterday & today. I'm still in bed before dinner, but am getting more done each day & hope to be back to normal very soon. However, exciting games of footy by both Melbourne & the Western Bulldogs meant late nights for us on Friday & last night. Both Geelong & Port Adelaide had no answers to the stunning game plans that unfolded in front of their eyes. It augurs well for a good Grand Final at the Perth Stadium.

Finally, we were able to pick up our new phones on Friday when the shops re-opened & I spent 90 minutes with Tim moving data from our old LG G6 handsets to the LG K61 versions we have bought - bigger, brighter & better & lots to learn of course.  

First photo with the new phone - Lewis & Morse zedding

Daylesford Spring Fathers' Day Dispatch - Sunday, 5th September 2021

 

Once again - thanks to FB - I think Labs in particular learn this lesson very well

We were very grateful to be able to visit the Sunday Market last week & even Jeff was there with his dog treats, so we stocked up on dried bones & treats & could now probably all survive until Christmas! Yvonne had everything ready for us, as usual, which makes shopping so much quicker & easier - it used to be just the stuff for Lewis & Morse, but now it includes celery & fennel, which is much appreciated. Wes visited the Peros Wines stall to get a dozen of their eggs & a jar of their chilli olives, which don't last long once they are opened. Interestingly, we've never tried their wines - not something one feels like tasting at 8am!

Lewis & Morse making the most of a ray of sunshine in the lounge

That afternoon, we watched the Doggies & Bombers play a close match until half-time, and then it was all one way. The Bombers just ran out of steam and hopefully their supporters can be proud that they made the 8, which was not expected. They certainly did better than our teams. 

On Monday, we had a poetry session for School - Wes had found a wonderful You Tube episode filmed in St Paul's Cathedral celebrating the life & works of John Donne. We listened to an illuminating talk on his life, followed by reading of selected poems by two beautiful readers, one herself a poet, who put real meaning & understanding into Donne's work. Part II awaits us for another time. 

Daffodils smiling in our front garden - they pop up in the most unlikely spots as well

It's been much less hectic this week than last, but even so, I ended up spending Wednesday in bed in an effort to conserve energy. I certainly felt better for the rest, although I haven't managed to stay up for dinner any night, even though it makes life a lot easier for the cook/cleaner/slave. I've been accused of consuming the Hendricks gin too quickly, but I am sure only a small bottle of it made its way into our place, unlike the Jamieson, which was a very large bottle & therefore isn't finished yet. We did run out of cucumber, which was a shame as Hendricks just doesn't taste the same with lemon or lime. 

I managed to keep all our Zoom appointments - a great foursome chat with Ian & Robyn Robinson on Sunday, followed by a similar foursome with Mike & Linda Kirby on Monday; two catch ups with Leanne, and a good discussion with Kathy Lazzaro & Karen Stevenson. Kathy has been an amazing help with my knitting - always sharing great ideas she finds with me - the latest are Fair Isle beanies that are more of a square shape than the ones I have been making. Can't wait to try them out & they are perfect when you have small quantities of wool. 

Wes had an appointment with our doctor, Greg Stewart, and had a blood test & ECG as well. Greg was happy with the results, but not so happy to hear that I had been rung by a nurse from the practice telling me I had osteo-something (which I knew nothing about) and suggesting I have a bone density scan as a matter of urgency. She made an appointment with Greg for me, which I have cancelled, as I didn't need it, (and was getting very grumpy) especially after she asked me if my teeth were crumbling 😣.

Wes with his best friends when he decided to sit down with a cuppa & a very good book

Wes had a most enjoyable chat with cousins, which has become a monthly event & is introducing new members & new stories each time they Zoom. As well, he has continued to feed me new & interesting meals each night, although we indulged in fish & chips & were amused to watch Lewis & Morse tackling the leftovers the next morning. They attacked them with the same gusto we had, even throwing their vegetables around to get at the chips first. 

On Friday, when it poured with rain, we decided to have another Film Morning. When I emerged from my chat with Leanne, Wes had been out & bought a walnut bun for morning tea, chosen a film & the first episode of a new series & had the water boiling to make our tea & coffee. The film was Flawless, made in 2007 starring Michael Caine & Demi Moore with just about every good English actor around playing smaller roles. We had not seen it before & enjoyed it thoroughly. After a short break to discuss it, we watched London Spy with the very talented Ben Wishaw, as well as Jim Broadbent & Charlotte Rampling. It was quite an emotional & disturbing first hour, but we look forward to the rest of it soon. 

We're not the only ones who love our dogs - here is Myles Kennedy in Maroochydore with Crash

We watched both footy games and couldn't believe the change in Geelong on Friday night when they disposed of the Giants. This mean the Cats play Melbourne in Perth next Friday. Last night, the Doggies beat the Lions by a point in a stunning game at the Gabba - it was good enough to have been the Grand Final. Now they face Port at the Adelaide Oval next Saturday. 

Finally, we decided to go ahead with Pension Boost, that we looked at seriously last year. The procedure was smooth, and although we were told it could take some weeks, we received our first payment last Friday, approximately two months after we set things in train. We are most impressed & feel very happy with our decision, which enables us to stay here for as long as we can. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 29th August 2021

        Lewis & Morse need to go to confession daily methinks (with thanks to Daylesford Pet Appreciation FB page)

We started our week with a lovely visit to the Sunday Market, where Ken carried my basket & bags to the car for me, Lewis & Morse greeted the odd local coming in, Yvonne provided amazing bounty & we found a stall selling scones & decided to try them for a change. 

After I had put everything away, shared some of our goodies with neighbours, Glen, Rob & Dene, and tidied the kitchen, Wes cooked scrambled eggs which he served on crumpets - a very yummy breakfast indeed. The sun was shining, so I picked a vase of daffodils to brighten the entrance of our home, balanced Reckon, did a back up & prepared for the footy - Collingwood & Essendon, two very old, bitter rivals. The previous Sunday, Wes & Jeff Bain had spent a very enjoyable time fishing together, but COVID put the kybosh on that recurring, so we settled down to enjoy the footy. The Pies were no match for the Bombers, who were Finals bound for the first time in years & played like they really meant it. 

Meanwhile, we were very sad to read of the death of long-time Brunswick Rotary friend, Ted Bailey, who stayed in touch over the years & found happiness a second time with his friend, Wendy Watson, after losing his wife, Maida, back in 1997. Ted was 92, but looked & acted younger & always had a glint of mischief in his eyes. 

We've had a big week of Zooms again - we both chatted with Jan Pengilley in Maleny; I spent time with Leanne on Tuesday & Friday; Terry Borg & I had a good catch up; Wes spoke with Barbara on Monday & Friday; we are catching up with Ian & Robyn Robinson on this morning,(in lieu of meeting up in person with Lewis & Morse in tow); Wes hosted a get-together of St Bernards' Old Boys; as well as a pre-Finals Footy chatfest with old friends, & was part of another very successful early morning Zoom with the overseas Jackson 8.

This was taken just before they took the left pillow outside, stripped off the pillowcase & removed the pillow label 😲

We discussed Spring plantings & Norton Cloud back-up during School on Monday. We decided to start yet another Keep note for our Spring plantings, in particular making note of failures, which seem to get repeated most years. We were both frustrated by Norton insisting we back up to the Cloud, and it took me until 1.15pm that day to work out how to disarm it, which I did for both of us with much glee. We love Norton, but not the extra sales pitches. 

I was annoyed to discover that I had run out of energy in the middle of the week, which meant I spent quite a few hours in bed - the only way to get back on track. As a result I missed out on a Zoom chat with Kathy & Karen, and had to postpone food shopping by a day. Wes was wonderful, as always, and happily provided meals & drinks to my bedside. I'm still not able to last the whole day out of bed, but this is much better than early on when I first developed chronic fatigue and was bed-ridden for days on end. We've obviously gotten much better at managing it. 

Latest knitting using alpaca as well as wool donated by Kathy & Maree 

We've been watching the footy as well as the Paralympics. Port's demolition of Geelong suggests they mean business; GWS & Sydney played a very exciting close match with the Giants surviving to win by a point, and Melbourne were far too good for Brisbane last night. This arvo we'll be keen to see if the Doggies can beat the Bombers to rescue their year, which has been spiralling out of control. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 22nd August 2021

 
Perhaps I should try my hand at quilting 🤣

What a wonderful breakfast we started our week with last Sunday after an enjoyable visit to the Sunday Market. There were 8 of us & the conversations flowed. Gary Thomas, the owner & chef of Woodshed Café, was also our waiter & barista as Zari was studying for exams. Our meals were lovely, very generous serves & the young waiter was attentive. Thanks everyone for making it such a fun time together. 

On Monday morning we discussed our trip to Adelaide for the Ashes Test & decided it is looking most unlikely at present, especially after increased cases everywhere & the absolute stupidity of 69 people gathering in a private home for an engagement party over the weekend in Melbourne. So selfish, when everyone else has been cancelling their parties & celebrations & wakes. 

In the meantime, our lovely neighbours, Rob & Dene, have put their home on the market again. If you would like a treechange with great neighbours & friendly labradors, please consider it - https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-daylesford-136998886 We are really going to miss them when they move.

Lewis making sleep tricky for Morse, who doesn't need to contort his body to get comfy

We've both been busy with Zoom again this week, especially with the extended lockdowns. I've chatted twice to Leanne, had a long catch-up with Jeff in Torksey Lock, and cheered up old friends in Melbourne. Wes has spoken with Barbara in New Zealand twice & sent/received copious emails from the Jackson 8. 

Wes hadn't been feeling well & ended up spending Wednesday & Thursday in bed, mostly sleeping, which is the way he recovers from illness. Lewis & Morse nearly went crazy looking for him & had to be given quick visits when he was awake. They love me because I feed them, but they adore him because he cuddles them & chats to them more than I do. He had a COVID-19 test on Friday morning just to be sure & received the all-clear 24 hours later. 

Meanwhile, I played Mah Jong with Dot & Judi, shopped, took Thursday's Herald Sun back to Kim at the newsagency in return for The Age - Steve very rarely makes a mistake in delivering our papers, but neither of us is interested in anything the former paper has to say!

It's been sad to hear stories of people from Melbourne being refused entry in local restaurants & shops. I understand that after 200+ days in lockdown over the past 18 months, people are getting stir crazy, but we only have to look at the numbers in NSW, which reached 825 yesterday to know that hard lockdowns are the best ways to stop the spread. We just have to try to obey the rules, get vaccinated, wear masks indoors & outdoors & care for each other. 

On Saturday, after COVID cases were found in Shepparton & Bendigo, our Premier, Dan Andrews, decided regional Victoria should go back into lockdown until at least 2nd September. This makes sense & should help stop the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant. Masks for children are now considered useful as so many of the current cases are young people & children, unlike last year when the older ones were most vulnerable and died. 

We cancelled Sunday breakfasts, Mah Jong, USA Classes, a get-together with Ian & Robyn Robinson, a trip to Ballarat to see the film, Respect, and looked at all the jobs & projects we can get stuck into here. 

Thank God for the footy to keep us entertained, even though both our teams bow out this weekend. What an exciting set of games we've watched so far - the Doggies just failed by 2 points in a thriller to beat Port Adelaide; Melbourne won after the siren against Geelong to take top spot; Hawthorn & Richmond played a draw to celebrate Alastair Clarkson's last game & Brisbane managed to score enough points against West Coast to make it into 4th place on the ladder. Carlton weren't disgraced losing to GWS by 14 points. I can only hope the Pies put up a good showing against Essendon this afternoon. 

Lovely photo of Carlton's much-loved Eddie Betts who retired yesterday - GWS wore their indigenous jumpers in his honour

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 15th August 2021

 

I'm sure our boys feel the same way about their dinner bowls! 🤣

We realised recently that our good intentions of drinking in moderation had fallen by the wayside, so we decided a couple of weeks ago to go back to our original plan - Mon-Wed dry & Thu-Sun please yourself. We are still sticking with that & probably sleeping better & feeling healthier.

When I left you last Sunday, we were heading off to the restricted weekly Market and decided to take Lewis & Morse as the sun was shining for a change. Yvonne was delighted & fed them their cabbage, while Ken, who hasn't been around in ages, was thrilled to chat with Wes & the boys as well. 

This is for Terry Borg, who tells me how much she looks forward to seeing Lewis & Morse each week in my Dispatch 

That afternoon Collingwood continued their trend of being unable to beat Hawthorn - it looked as though it would be a massacre, but we regained some poise & the margin was 19 points in the end. Essendon upset the ladder leaders, the Doggies, and for the first time in some years, every spot for the Finals is up for grabs with 2 rounds to go. 

On Monday, we looked at MyGov & Telstra Plus to make sure we were getting the best out of both organisations, as well as changing emails, pins & passwords. By the end of it we realised that we will need new phones sooner rather than later, as we don't have the technology to cope with wi-fi charging. That's a whole new ballgame!

Later that morning we received the unexpected & very welcome news that Regional Victoria would be going out of strict lockdown, although visitors are still not allowed in homes. We immediately contacted friends to make plans to catch up at breakfast, and reinstated cancelled appointments. I also enjoyed long phone calls with local friends, Dot & Sue, and caught up on their news. 

After Zooming with Leanne & then Terry, I was pleased to be able to have a manicure with Juls, although I didn't expect it to take 2 hours on Tuesday morning! Her first husband had died the previous weekend, so I encouraged her to tell me all about their relationship & marriage & she more or less downed tools & regaled me with wonderful stories. I had no idea that she had married an Australian former priest, who met & fell in love with her in the Phillipines. 

Wes was able to keep his appointment with our local optometrist, who has taken copious notes of previous visits & remembered that she was not to force him to accept any treatment against his will e.g. drops in eyes will not be tolerated under any circumstances. He came home with a good report, very little deterioration, no problem with driving & new bi-focals on the way. 

The latest crop of beanies & mitts, along with jumpers knitted by Di, which I delivered to the Daylesford Community Op Shop this week for distribution

Judi & I met at Muffins & More for toasted sandwiches & Mah Jong, which we stopped playing once the café got busy for the lunch trade. We enjoyed the catch up as well as familiarising ourselves with the game again after a few weeks' break. 

On Thursday, Wes had his early morning Zoom with the Jackson 8 and enjoyed it immensely. Meanwhile I had a good catch up after shopping with Kathy & Karen on our now weekly Zoom chats. We had planned to order take-away from Jackie's on Vincent that night, but when restrictions were lifted, we visited for lunch instead with our oldest local friend, Glenda Rozen, and caught up on her news, as well as told stories about her much-loved & missed husband, Joe. 

Our first few daffodils heralding the approach of Spring

On Friday we were able to socialise the boys at The Virgin Café, where the waitress made a fuss of them in the fog! We've had enough sunshine this week for Wes to spend time in the garden again. He chose some punnets of pleasure - Icelandic poppies & violas, which he has planted in the new rose garden & surrounds. 

Yesterday we spent in a familiar pattern - every second Saturday, Wes washes the boys & I wash their bedding & clothing. Six loads later, everywhere is looking much cleaner - until the next time. We enjoyed the Coodabeen Champions, followed by non-stop footy starting with another unexpected loss to the Doggies against the Hawks at Bellerive Oval. It got worse as the Blues were thumped by Port, the Saints were gallant against the Cats & the Pies capitulated and let Brisbane run all over them losing by 14 goals. 

Today's a new day - our walk around Lake Daylesford was beautiful with dark clouds reflected deeply in the water before dawn broke. We're shortly off to the Sunday Market and then will be catching up with 6 friends for breakfast. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 8th August 2021

 The perfect cartoon for COVID times!

Our week started beautifully with a good visit to the Sunday Market with Lewis & Morse, followed by a most enjoyable breakfast with friends Judi, Janine, Di, Jeff & Peta at Woodshed Café. The rest of the day was spent watching Olympics & footy, with the highlight being Emma McKeon's elevation into superstar status with her 7 medals. 

We said yes to a free Telstra TV and devoted Monday School to installing it, only to discover when reading the instructions, that it does nothing we don't already have via our Smart TVs & Foxtel packages. So, if anyone would like it, you are very welcome to it (with the proviso that you need to be a Telstra customer). The package gives you the ability to stream films & TV shows, watch live sport (not AFL) & free-to-air TV. You need a TV with an HDMI port, an internet connection & a TV antenna. 

Wes spent the morning creating a new garden bed for our beautiful pair of Pumpkin Patch roses that we bought to celebrate our Anniversary this year. Glen Tandberg has bought us a Greensleeves rose to go in with them, once Spring Park Nursery has supplies again. 

We usually like to plan an outing every second Tuesday, and it has been a film at Regent Cinemas, Ballarat recently. However, we weren't sure we wanted to travel in the rain & fog, plus no film leapt up & begged to be seen, so we settled for chez nous instead. While I was chatting on Messenger to my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire, followed by a Zoom call with my sister, Leanne, in Strathmore, Wes produced a short list of 10 films available on ABC i-view & SBS on demand. 

Top of the list was the 2010 Mike Leigh film Another Year with a star-studded cast including Ruth Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville and a cameo by Imelda Staunton. We had seen this when it came out and it certainly deserved a second look. One of Mike Leigh's strengths is what he knows about us all & we could spot friends, rellies & ourselves in this wonderful slice of life.

On Wednesday, Sandra came to clean & it was raining heavily, so we planned to take the boys to Castlemaine, (where we were promised sunshine), for a walk. It was just as wet there, so we headed to Harcourt, and finally turned off for Maldon, where we were able to take them on interesting paths for about 30 minutes. We saw an old mine, a huge old chimney, some footings for past buildings & ended up at the lovely railway station, where you can catch a steam train. We have done this trip, which goes to Castlemaine, and is great fun. 

Morse & Lewis sniffing the jonquils in Maldon

On Thursday, the number of COVID cases grew & it quickly became obvious that Victoria would have to go back into lockdown, which we did that night. We were so pleased we had enjoyed our drive to Maldon, bought some items that would not be available for the next week or so, and had a list of films ready to watch when the Olympics finish. 

The footy has been surprising to say the least - Geelong lost to GWS at Kardinia Park, which no-one expected; Carlton were beaten by Gold Coast, and lost any glimmer of hope of finals; and St Kilda picked themselves up & beat the in-form Sydney to be once more in contention for the finals. Collingwood is playing Hawthorn this arvo and I'm not confident.

Finally, we seem to have been blessed with more birds than normal this week. It starts early when the kookaburras laugh at us as we walk around the smaller part of Lake Daylesford. We arrive home to magpies carolling as they wait for their breakfast, and as I write this, there must be 50 birds on our back lawn - all chatting, sharing seed & oats, and dipping their beaks into the bird bath as they leave. Lewis & Morse are safely inside recovering from the walk, breakfast & post-prandial massages from Wes. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 1st August 2021

 

Wes is the writer in our family & this is for him 😊

Thanks to everyone who responded to my reports of our snow flurries - it was lovely to know you were reading & thinking of us. Sadly the snow didn't last, but the cold did and it was Tuesday before the sun started shining again. Wes promptly got out into the garden & did wonders moving pots and making decisions for Spring. We had discussed our fruit trees for this week's School, and decided to move some of the citrus out to the front up against the brick wall, which stays warm most of the time. The rest will get a severe pruning & admonition to be abundant with produce in 2022!

We've been glued to the Olympic swimming & so proud of all our Aussies, who have been performing at their best in front of their peers from the rest of the world. There have been plenty of other wonderful stories from all around the world in all the disciplines - just doing your best time can be a win for some of these athletes. 

Lewis & Morse enjoying the Women's Road Race

We have been given some quite considerable freedoms since Tuesday night - about to travel freely in Victoria, have treatments, visit restaurants & gather in groups (but not in our homes). We still have to wear masks indoors & outside, but that just seems very sensible & a small price to pay to avoid getting the Delta strain of COVID-19. 

Among the many Zooms & phone chats I've had this week, my favourite is probably the friend in Wheatsheaf, who told me that a pregnant kangaroo had landed up at her back door wanting help. She took her to the Wildlife Sanctuary and they rang her two days later to say she could collect the kangaroo, but did she realise that it likes toast for breakfast & prefers sitting at the table to eating it outside. My friend was planning to turn one of her sheds into a home with straw on the floor & an 8-slice toaster nearby. 😊😊

Judi & I met for tea & toasties at Muffins & More on Wednesday morning. We decided playing Mah Jong is not within the spirit of our new freedoms, but wanted to catch up & support Kelly & her staff who are so very good to us. There weren't many customers, so we were very pleased we did & left just before we were blasted out by some very strong wind & rain. 

We did enjoy being able to catch up with neighbour, Glen, outside Virgin Café, on Friday morning. Lewis & Morse were delighted, and took only a short time to settle down. We are so lucky to have these opportunities to spend time with friends & family as the numbers in Victoria continue to drop. 

Wes watching the Olympics with Lewis & Morse

On Friday, the Blues brought their A game to beat St Kilda comfortably, much to the delight of our household & many others to judge by the number of texts going to & from Wes's phone. We did keep an eye on the soccer & were delighted to see the Matildas beat the Poms in the soccer quarter finals in a gutsy game that went to extra time. 

Yesterday it was my turn to be proud as the Pies stunned the Eagles with the first eight goals of the match & finished up winning by 50 points. It has been rare this year that both our teams have won & we have had plenty to chat about on our early morning walks around Lake Daylesford. 

We're about to head out for our usual Sunday activities and will be able to take Lewis & Morse to the Market, before meeting friends for breakfast at Woodshed Café. It's the last morning of swimming, so we'll enjoy that before catching up on the athletics.

This daphne was a cutting from Nick Massaro a couple of years ago & it certainly likes the spot we chose for it

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 25th July 2021

 

I'm sure we've all read books like this!

The Sunday Market was very quiet when we visited early - just a handful of food stores & a few locals shopping quickly. Wes got some olives for Rob & Dene, while I collected our fruit & vegetables from Yvonne, and later shared pumpkin, cabbage, pears & lemons with Glen. We drove to O'Toole's honey (2kms away) to get a large container of messmate. After I had put everything away, Wes cooked scrambled eggs with our parsley & served them on crumpets with our French radishes on the side. Very yummy indeed & I didn't feel I had missed out on a special breakfast.

Karen & others buying & chatting with Yvonne

That afternoon, Carlton beat Collingwood, much to the delight of the long-suffering Blues supporters, who have waited 4 years for this. The Pies started well, but were overcome by a more determined team that wanted to pay homage to a Carlton legend who had died during the week - Serge Silvagni. He was an absolute gentleman, very modest & blazed a trail for Italians to follow in Aussie Rules. His son, Steven, is one of the best Carlton players ever, and his grandson, Jack, played his heart out. His emotion after the game was wonderful to behold. 

Collingwood-supporting old friend, Bryce, suggested we play for the Maloney Cup, so Wes produced this wonderful old cup that his father, Ray, won, when playing for Deepdene FC back in 1935

The silver lining from my point of view was that Wes emerged from the bedroom, where he had been watching to offer me a glass of red & dinner! 

On Monday we discussed a project of doing spreadsheets of all our ailments, injections, health issues etc & made a broad decision that it would be useful to have on some occasions. We also discussed a project of writing up all our overseas trips, but decided that would be a lot of work for not much gain. Instead, we have a list of all the countries we have visited & I'll go through old passports to find out when we were there.

We decided to pretend we were at the Regent Cinema on Tuesday, so after I had chatted with both Leanne & Jan on Zoom, we lit the fire, got our hot drinks plus scones jam & cream & settled down to watch the delightful Scottish film, Whisky Galore. After a lunch break, we saw the English film Le Weekend, set in Paris & starring Jim Broadbend & Lindsay Duncan, which was stunning & provocative in every way. 

There is no pleasure without pain, so Wes spent Wednesday morning vacuuming & washing the floors, while I did the dusting & polishing. We had given Sandra the day off, which suited her, as there is too much mud everywhere for us all to head off for 3-4 hours while she cleans. Fortunately it was a dry morning, which helped as the boys didn't track muddy footprints all over the clean floor the minute they came in. 

Lewis & Morse enjoying spending time in the study with us

The rest of the week has been wet & muddy outside and quite foggy in the mornings. When the fog is heavy, I don't join my boys in their walk as I can't breathe easily. Instead, I force myself to go back to bed with a cup of tea & The Age Cryptic Crossword. 

On Friday night, Collingwood was set an impossible task trying to beat Port Adelaide who are finals bound. We did our best, but once our captain, Scott Pendlebury, broke his leg, late in the first quarter, we lost a lot of our drive. It was a good experience for our two new players as well as the other 7 who have played fewer than 50 games (mostly single figures). We had hoped to stay awake to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony, but had to make do with the highlights the next day. 

Yesterday Wes was most disappointed in the Blues' lacklustre effort against bottom team, North Melbourne; while the Doggies beat the Demons to regain top spot. We watched some Olympics, including as much of the swimming heats as we could before falling asleep. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 18th July 2021

 

I can relate to this - my thoughts exactly when first playing golf

It's been a wet & foggy week here, although the rain held off on Sunday to give the stall-holders a good chance to make some money on the last day of School Holidays. After a yummy breakfast with friends, we came back home for an afternoon of footy. All results were surprising, and I was delighted that the Pies could come from behind to beat Richmond. We had fish & chips with a Cope Williams Sparkling Rosé at half-time in the game.

On Monday we visited Leanne and were able to help her with her computer & with some maintenance jobs. She had baked another lovely cake, which we enjoyed and were allowed to bring home what was left. The boys had been given large marrow bones & they apparently had eyes for nothing else while we were away. 

There has been a dog staying at the accommodation at the back of us in King Street and every time he is let out, he barks & causes Morse in particular, lots of grief. So Wes spent time on Tuesday morning putting up a barricade to stop the boys being able to get to the fence & trade barks! Meanwhile I had a manicure with old friend, Juls, in Hepburn. She is the most thorough manicurist I have ever met & we did enjoy catching up on each other's news. Juls & George used to be our neighbours at 80 Duke Street in the early 2000s.

It seems that I've gotten the better deal this week - manicure, facial with Emma, Mah Jong with Dot & Judi, Zoom chats with Terry Borg, Leanne & Kathy Lazzaro. Meanwhile Wes has been vacuuming, keeping the garden tidy, wiping muddy paws & feeding the boys when it is pouring rain. He did have a wonderful Zoom with the Jackson 8 on Thursday morning and we have both enjoyed quality cuddles with Lewis & Morse. 

Morse trying out Wes's glasses for size

We weren't surprised when our Premier, Dan Andrews, decided to put Victoria back into lockdown on Thursday night, after three removalists from NSW visited here without abiding by our mask-wearing rules & spreading COVID wherever they went. We cope fine with lockdowns as we are lucky enough to have each other, Lewis & Morse, beautiful views, a large garden & plenty to occupy ourselves. But we do feel very sorry for those in business, those in apartment blocks forced into 14 day quarantine, and those who find lockdowns depressing & don't cope. 

We had to cancel a few activities - we were due to deliver books to the Daylesford Primary School, I had bought tickets to the footy this afternoon & was taking Danny Millman for his birthday. I had planned to stay over at his place & we were meeting Kathy & Gerard Lazzaro for breakfast tomorrow morning in Northcote. Wes & I had planned a trip to the flicks on Tuesday, but not bought tickets in case we were confined to home.  All these things can happen another time.

Lewis & Morse & friend coping with lockdown

Yesterday, our phones kept promising us snow - it was certainly cold (felt like -7°) and far too wet to walk but the snow just didn't come! Today we are promised sunshine, but it is damp with light rain. Wes walked the boys, but we both agreed it was best if I didn't get wet. This afternoon we will watch the Collingwood/Carlton game from different rooms - it's just too hard to enjoy it together. Fingers crossed for a good game with no injuries. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 11th July 2021

Horror film for Dogs 🤣 courtesy of FB

We started our week with a very wet trip to the Sunday Market, followed by breakfast at Woodshed Café, where grateful visitors were pleased to find somewhere out of the rain, mist & cold. Our phones kept promising snow, but it didn't eventuate before we headed off to Melbourne & the MCG to see Collingwood do battle with St Kilda. 

After an easy drive until we reached the city, we were the last car allowed into Gate 3 of the carpark, and reached our seats with one minute before the game was due to start. What a disaster! Collingwood played as though they all had the flu, dropping the ball, passing to the opposition, kicking points instead of goals & frustrating their supporters to distraction! In the last quarter we got some sort of game going, but it was too little, too late. Wes & I left about 5 minutes before the end, which got us back home by 7.30pm, where two very wet, bedraggled & excited labs greeted us. 

Here is a very thrilled Jack Lazzaro after Carlton won at the MCG the night before

On Monday, we had a serious School session, looking at our finances & making decisions about what to do should one of us die or be stricken with a terminal illness. We are both very clear about what we want to do & will probably set in motion the Pension Reverse Mortgage sometime soon, which will enable us to stay at Maloney Folly for a few more years. 

We had hoped to have a Zoom chat with Mike & Linda Kirby, after last month's chat was cancelled when Mike was unavailable, but that didn't happen, so Wes got stuck into home chores, dodging the very cold rain & mist outside. The Kirbys' daughter, Lauren, has been staying in Daylesford with her boyfriend, Daniel, over the past weekend & we had been busy giving suggestions for where to eat & what to do. 

On Tuesday we headed to Ballarat's Regent Cinemas for our fortnightly outing to see the "Australian" film Buckley's Chance. This is not a great film - made by Canadians, starring that well-known Australian, Bill Nighy, and featuring a pair of Americans who never don a hat during their entire time in the Outback. We entertained ourselves on the way home by counting up the errors and bagging the casting (with the exception of one supporting actor & 2 bit players), direction & continuity. However, the Cinema feels very COVID-safe with all the protocols in place & we enjoyed having an outing.

There was no Mah Jong this week as Muffins & More were so busy with School Holiday trade, so we had the week off. As Sandra came to clean, we put the boys in the car & went touring around our immediate area -  Lyonville, Trentham, Tylden, Kyneton, Lauriston, Drummond & Glenlyon - seeing the incredible storm damage along the Trentham Road & lesser damage elsewhere. Lewis & Morse loved going for a drive with us, but were just as happy to come home & go back to their most comfy beds! We stopped at the famous Country Cob Bakery in Kyneton & purchased pies & vanilla slices for lunch. 

During the week I had an excellent Messenger chat with my aunt, Jeff, who had not only donned jewellery, a scarf & lippy for the occasion, but also perfume she assured me! She was looking wonderful & the hour flew by. I've also enjoyed Zoom time with Leanne and it will be good to visit her again tomorrow, after three weeks. As well Lovely & I had a frustrating Zoom, as her internet connection was unstable, but it was good to catch up & share news. Next door neighbour, Glen, came in for a cuppa & chat & after being monstered by the boys, managed to have her morning tea in peace. 

Although it was cold on Friday we walked 2 laps of Lake Daylesford & took the boys socialising at The Virgin Café afterwards as a reward. The waiter loves giving them cuddles, much to their delight. Here they are with Wes waiting for crumbs from our escargots, which are yet to arrive!

I had a burst of cooking yesterday - soup, poached pears & a fruit cake, as well as some serious cleaning in kitchen cupboards followed by some re-organisation. The boys had barked overnight at a dog staying in front of us & we were both very disappointed with them, as they can usually be talked out of bad behaviour. I decided not to chat to them or cuddle them for 24 hours - not sure this had any effect on Morse, but Lewis was upset. And they did very little barking last night.

Wes was very disappointed with Carlton's lack of effort against Geelong in the afternoon, especially when St Kilda were so competitive against Brisbane and kicked them out of the top 4. I woke at 12.30am to see how Ash Barty was going & couldn't take my eyes off the scores on my phone as she won the third set & became the first Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong to win Wimbledon. Earlier Dylan Alcott had won the Quad Wheelchair Men's Final - his third Grand Slam title for the year. 

We, like the rest of Australia, are very sad for NSW with the outbreak of COVID-19 that has forced them into some sort of lockdown & caused most states to close their borders to them. Our thoughts are with our Sydney friends who are in their third week of lockdown after having enjoyed freedom during most of the pandemic. Fingers crossed that this measure succeeds in getting it back under control, as we don't want to have to live with the virus, but eradicate it. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 4th July 2021

 

Where's the drinks & nibbles?

When I left you last Sunday, we were heading off to the Sunday Market & then breakfast. As we were going out to lunch, we tried the Twofold fruit toast & jam, which was particularly yummy & enjoyed some lovely chats with everyone - mostly about renovations, Eskimo pies, detox and clothes lines.

Late morning we drove to Danny's favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds to celebrate his birthday. We enjoyed seeing his three daughters, their husbands & kids all together & obviously thrilled to be there, as well as many of his siblings, and some old friends. During our drive we listened to the outbreaks of COVID-19 around Australia & thought of all our friends in various parts of Oz who are now in lockdown or have some restrictions now imposed on them.

Danny giving his speech with Jeremy Ellsmore helping

We arrived home just as Carlton kicked their first goal of the opening quarter against Adelaide & watched in amazement as they managed a huge second quarter, holding on for a 10 point win. 

On Monday morning, I had asked Wes to help me with sorting out all our big, non-fiction books, to try & fit them all in the reduced space in our bookshelves. So that was this week's School, and we were able to set aside quite a few books for the Daylesford Primary School's September Book Fair. Now our bookcases are looking good again & I've been forbidden to buy any more books - unless Bernard Cornwell has a new series or Donna Leon writes yet another priceless novel about Brunetti or Ian Rankin continues to find ways for Rebus to get involved in today's crime etc etc

Judi & I went to see the Mary Quant Exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery on Tuesday morning, after I had chatted with Terry Borg, who had seen it the previous week & been unhappy with the lack of social distancing. We found the same thing & tried to solve it by going ahead of the pack & working backwards. It was a stunning Exhibition & took us 90 minutes to see. It certainly took me back to the 60s & the revolution in young women's clothing & make-up that Mary brought about. We came back here for a late lunch at Harvest Café, as Bendigo was busy with school holiday visitors. Below is my favourite outfit from the Exhibition. 

When I arrived back home, I found Lewis & Morse using their night beds as day beds & took a very rare photo of them in this position. Wes puts them to bed each night, so I don't see them settled in, each with his pillow, but during the day the pillows & sheepskin are kept warm in the drying cabinet. 

We celebrated 30th June with breakfast at The Virgin Café & were served by our favourite waitress, Tori, who was very disappointed that we hadn't brought Lewis & Morse with us. We explained that they were at home with bones & once the rain came down, we were very glad to be warm inside. Our meals were perfect - porridge with poached rhubarb & lavender syrup for Wes & scrambled (really folded) eggs for me with rhubarb relish & sauteed mushrooms & Winter greens. 

That afternoon I was lucky enough to get reserved seats for Wes & me to see Collingwood play St Kilda at the MCG this afternoon, and later, to get tickets to Days 1-3 of the Adelaide Ashes Test Match in December. Fingers & toes crossed that we can drive to Adelaide at that time. 

The rest of the week went as usual - shopping, Zooming, Wes started pruning the roses, the boys walked, ate, zedded etc & we read about the growing numbers in NSW with concern, as well as the small numbers in most other states. It was amazing that all 18 AFL sides ended up in Victoria - what a turnaround from 2020.

Wes & his cousins enjoyed probably their best Zoom catch-up ever with new chums offering all sorts of extra information & communicating brilliantly. I am so pleased for him, as he has worked hard to make all his Zoom encounters meaningful & interesting. 

Last night Carlton, once again, defied form & beat the Fremantle Dockers. I didn't last the distance as the game started at 7.50pm, but was very thrilled for him & Ben & Jack Lazzaro who were at the MCG to see it. Sadly, Hawthorn couldn't celebrate Shaun Burgoyne's 400th game in style and went down to his first side, Port Adelaide, without much fight. 

It's pouring rain this morning, so no walk for Lewis & Morse, but they enjoyed a very early breakfast & seem to have guessed that there are big bones defrosting for them when we go to Melbourne for the footy around lunchtime.