Kingower Music Night 22-24 September 2017

Justin and I drove up on the Friday night to make it a longer weekend

But, we had dinner first, home made pizzas - with the dough made in the bread machine.  Given that Fraser is studying hard for exams, I made his favourite varieties ie Hawaiian and Aussie/meatlovers special.  I made a one with anchovies etc for Justin and I, and another with capsicum and olives etc also.

Was pretty good, and we ended up leaving later than anticipated ie after 9pm

An uneventful drive to Inglewood, and it was pleasantly warmish in the house - at least not freezing like 2 weeks ago.

I pretty much went to bed and read, Justin stayed up for a little while.

Saturday, and I brought Justin a modest breakfast (toast and coffee) in bed, and then went outside to do some gardening/weeding.....It was very windy, but quite warm.  It was supposed to get to 29 degrees today (and probably did)

Justin made sandwiches for lunch, and the others arrived late - ie at 4pm

They had planned to leave at 12.30, but Yvonne was late, they stopped for food etc

They practiced for a little while, and I organised the peas and beans which was my contribution to the dinner for tonight (I got off easy) We left for Kingower around 6.15.

Slightly different format this time Mark was organising it (as opposed to Terry) and he'd asked various people to cook up/supply different courses.  Maile & David, and Anne & Mark were on nibbles - cheeses, dolmades, dips, crackers etc.  Mark & Chrissie and Arlene were on the roast lamb, I did peas and green beans, others did roast vegies and dessert.  Worked quite well. 

Once again a full Church - about 45 people

Kingower Rangers up first, with David telling a few jokes as well as playing music

then David P did a couple of songs

Followed by Mark;'s sister Narelle and family - who did some very cute songs, and a great funk type song with a horn section by the boys 

And then Mark and Kerryn (no photos)

And finally Justin and co.   Paul was a welcome new member on drums - the percussion certainly added a new dimension

Then Dermott - no photo

and then the superband where everyone who wanted to, got up and played

Chrissie was enjoying it a lot, got up and danced, as did David & Arlene and Maile & David at times

We stayed pretty much til the end - and then home with Yvonne driving. Warned her about the kangaroos, but she didn't seem to believe us, didn't see any luckily.

Home, and I went to bed, the others stayed up for a little while, - with Justin enjoying some of the flavoured Wild Turkey

Sunday, and uncharacteristically I was one of the last left in bed, although my mobile phone alarm had gone off at 7am - because of last week's trip to the Peninsula Hot Springs.  But I fell asleep again, and re-woke up at 8.40 - when I heard the others talking

Was a lovely sunny morning again (still a bit windy) so we had a modest toast and coffee breakfast outside.  Chris was asking about bacon and eggs, but I fobbed him off, as I was making a quiche lorraine for lunch which in effect was bacon and eggs (and tomato) 

I did some more weeding after breakfast, and the others played more music

The weather started to turn, so I came inside and made up the quiche and a quick salad

Had a late lunch in the dining room.  Justin had set the table nicely, and Chris very much enjoyed the quiche.

They left after lunch, and I did some more gardening

I also persuaded Justin to come down the road with me to the old Ansett house because they are going to demolish it - as it is beyond repair.  I had met Christine a few weeks ago at the hairdressers, and had expressed interest in the floor boards

So we walked down there, saw Christine - and she luckily remembered me.  She showed us around, and we said we'd contact Franki to see if he could remove and then install the floorboards for us in our downstairs green room - and use those floorboards to patch the dining room etc.  I also took some rose cuttings - which will hopefully strike

 Did the dishes - and then we left

Fur & pearls dinner party 9 and 10 September 2017

This has been a long time coming, I'd wanted to do it last year, but we had to cancel it, so here we are Take #2!  Yep, my fabulous fur dinner party, plagiarised from a favourite aunt & uncle of Justin's who had also had a fur party years ago in a cold and draughty boat builders shed in Docklands

Justin and I got up there around 11.30 on Saturday, so stopped in at the op shop to see if they might have some type of "manly' fur product, as he didn't want to drape the fur stole that I had around his shoulders.  They didn't.  Also tried to get some Inglewood pork for our neighbour George, but they were all out.

Came back and had some left over pizza for lunch.

Then I went and started weeding the front path.  Lots of calendulas and freesias in the path.  Given that I like freesias so much, I kept quite a few of them, and replanted them elsewhere, was fiddly and time consuming

Karen, Mark, Jo & Bob - plus of course Moby, arrived just before 3pm.

Gave Bob and Jo a tour of the house and garden, and then they had a walk around town, and I continued in the garden.

A bloke in a late model merc stopped to have a chat and ask about the house.  He'd done up lots of old houses like this in Melbourne, and also an old sandstone place in Sorrento, and loved them.  Was on his way to Mildura to visit his Mum

Anyway, after this I went inside - around 4pm to start peeling potatoes and carrots etc for dinner

The others came back while I was doing this, and asked if they could help.  Got Karen and Jo to set the table, and Karen made a simple salad.

Put the pork and potatoes in the oven around 5pm

Went and changed into a dress and Jan's mink - felt very luxurious.

Initially into the upstairs room.   Karen and Jo also had minks - la de da - aren't we.  Jo's husband Bob had her leopard coat, Mark had a sheepskin jacket, and Justin was unfortunately fur-less, but looked very smart with his Inglewood yacht club tie

But my plan had been to have nibbles and drinks on the veranda, so we moved out there.  Maile and David arrived soon afterwards - Maile in a very heavy black astrakaan coat, and David with a fur collar.  I think that Bob looked the best, or at least the most eccentric, as that leopard coat certainly made a statement!

Jo had brought a nice cheese and grape platter, I cut up the last of our home made salami, and we had  some other bits and pieces and of course champagne and prosecco.

Was very pleasant and fun up there - I tried to get a photo of Bob with the champagne cork in full flight, but couldn't quite manage

Maile just had to pat Bob

Justin enjoyed the champagne (as did I)

 A good time had by all

I then tried to get Justin to take a photo of me  - with the champagne cork in full flight, but with a mobile phone taking the photos, it was a bit tricky

Went back inside around 7 or so - and of course the pork and potatoes were just perfect.  I did the carrots in the microwave, but not for long enough - were still a bit crunchy!

However, of course - the dinner was a great success - Justin at one end of the table, me at the other

Moby helped with the washing up - trying to lick clean the roast potato dish

And then bedtime for Moby - made himself quite comfy...

After dinner went upstairs  and played a bit of music which was also fun.

And then back downstairs to the dining room and the welcome fire again.

Unfortunately I was tired, so went to bed around 11.30 or so (had been awake since around 5am).  I didn't want the party to come to an end because of that, but they didn't stay up much longer.  That said, I must have fallen asleep very quickly, because I didn't hear Justin come to bed, nor any other noises...

We all had a welcome sleep in on the Sunday, and emerged around 8.30am.  had a simple toast/juice/coffee brekafast outside - was glorious and sunny

And then went for a quick walk to the old eucy distillery with the rusted out tanks and pipes etc by the dam that Karen and I had yabbied in a couple of years ago.  Saw the horses on the way there

The others left after this,as Jo and Bob had a lunch to get to in Melbourne.  I did some more gardening, we had a leftover antipasto/cheese lunch outside, it was nice and sunny and reasonably warm