Drove up on Friday and had my haircut and coloured at 1pm
Then met up with Steve from the primary school, and discussed their upcoming catering for Handel's Messiah at the Town Hall - ie they will do sandwiches for the cast, and then afternoon tea for the audience. He was very apologetic that they couldn't manage to do the dinner - this time....If they're good we'll get them to cater all the time - given the lack of interest from everyone else that I asked
Anyway, I should also add that whilst I had literally run into the house and dumped my bags, and then off for my haircut at 12.55 - I did stand in the hallway and gaze in awe at what Shawn had done so far
Yep, we literally have an artist in residence - and the mural is looking beautiful. It's just the outlines now - he will fill in the colour once it's done. And yes - the kangaroo, pomegranate, yabby, olives, and grapes/vines are all there -it really looks fantastic
Cam had come up earlier in the week - re the installation of the shower screen - looks really good, and works very well. It has a sliding door to seal off the "wet area"
Anyway, haircut done, and chat with Steve finished, I asked Shawn if he wanted to come out and see some friends - Damo & Nicole at the Kingower Surf Club. He was keen, so I went to the IGA for supplies and we got there around 6pm
Sat out on the deck - and it was a lovely evening. Mozzies were attacking my ankles though. Mal and Mel also came over a bit later. We stayed til around 9pm or so ( i was tired, needed an early night)
Saturday, and I tried out our ensuite shower for the 1st time - was great. I had been a little concerned that it might feel a bit squashed with the screen, but it was very good, and the door glides along very easily.
And it is Terry's birthday, so I called up and asked if he wanted to come for dinner, (he did) and then back up to the butcher and IGA for supplies
Given that the eye fillet tomahawk had been so good with Madeleine and Hughie, I bought another one of those, and thought we could have vegies with it, and a nice dessert
As per last time, I browned off the meat, and then put it on a trivet in the electric frying pan to slow cook
Mark from Restoration Australia arrived around 10.30. Sat in the dining room and had a good chat at the start. Then he miked myself and Shawn up and started filming - first up with me - asking for my reactions etc. I was obviously very positive - saying that it was exactly what I wanted
And then with Shawn - up on the scaffolding
Then I climbed up, and Mark filmed Shawn and I having a chat etc - was fun
Even though it was only supposed to be a quick shoot - in and out, Mark didn't leave til after 2pm - he said the editors can work out what they want to keep
Shawn and I had a quick late lunch - and then I was back to IGA to get a few further supplies for dinner
So by the time I started with dinner (apart from the slow cooking steak) it was around 4pm, and I'd told Terry 5.30-6pm - I wasn't sure if I'd make it all in time....
First up - was the dessert - a chocolate mousse with cherry ripe truffles and a berry coulis (recipe from the internet). I barely had any bench space, what with the electric frying pan taking up valuable real estate. My work space was about 1/2 the top of the dishwasher. Used the blender and whisked the eggs, melted chocolate in the microwave, and then added the cream (not like my favourite Stephanie Alexander chocolate mousse recipe. Sadly, perhaps because I was in a hurry, I didn't read the instructions properly and just added the cream, it should have been whipped, therefore it didn't set properly (still tasted nice though). The truffles were good - whizzed up glace cherries with coconut, chilled in the fridge and then rolled in cocoa. And the berry coulis was good too. Then onto the starters - my good old red dip, and a guacamole dip, and chopped up home made by the butcher cabana. For the main vegie, snapped off the asparagus ends, and chopped the mushrooms in preparation. Set the table nicely in the dining room, put the Moet in the fridge, and put out some red wines. Phew, made it in time - yay - as Terry came around 6pm
Had drinks and nibbles out in the rotunda - and then inside for dinner - was very pleasant - and we finished up after midnight
Sunday, and a slow start - unfortunately I woke up too early, and so didn't get enough sleep, so was a bit "off" today
Made myself a "recovery" breakfast of eggs and proscuitto
And then had to attack the multitude of dishes in the laundry sink - as the dishwasher still isn't connected up - which is a great pity
Terry also dropped in, and we had a coffee and chat
And I took more photos of the mural - hard to take as the scaffolding is in the way
Pomegranate
Had planned on doing gardening this morning, but really didn't feel like it. I did have a wander in the garden though -
Admired my hippeastrum
Lots of figs
Also found a dead blue tongue in the orchard
and a discarded lizard? skin
Shawn had said that he wanted to buy some wine from Old Kingower/Blanche Barkly - as we'd had some at Damo's on Friday.
Given that he'd caught the train - he didn't have a car, so I said I'd give him a lift. We drove up there, but the Winery door was closed. However just a couple of minutes later David arrived and opened up for us, and then Maile and the other David arrived too, as well as Arlene after that. A bit of a party....
Anyway, Shawn bought 4 bottles - he said his Dad would like it, and one bottle for his partner Sara's Dad.
Drove back to Inglewood, packed up my stuff, and left for Melbourne. Stopped for a rest outside Gisborne - as I was tired, and then home to a takeaway fish & chips with Justin, Fraser & Rileigh
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