Me and the kids 7-9th September 2018

Helen decided to go to Queensland again for Robyn's funeral, so asked if I could look after her kids for the weekend.

That meant taking them with me to Inglewood, and that meant picking them up from school

I said I'd be there between 2pm and 3pm (Helen said it was ok to get them out a little bit early), as I didn't want to battle school traffic and parking.

As it was, traffic was pretty bad, both getting there, and then getting back onto the Tullamarine.  Easily added another hour to my trip...Oh well.

Put Xavier into a booster seat and equipped him with a plastic icecream container in case he was sick...Helen said he is sometimes with long trips, luckily he wasn't.

Stopped for petrol at Calder Park, and then into Inglewood by 5.30pm

Went to the shop to buy some milk and other essentials, and then back to the house, and up the veranda for some dips and crackers in the later afternoon sun.

Very nice, and then some dinner down in the kitchen (just leftovers from home - with some peas with spinach and parsley from the garden.

Played some Trouble,

 and for the first time in living memory (with those kids) I didn't win, Xavier did, and Michaela came second - which meant I was dead last.

Put the kids to bed, and I settled into to watch a couple of episodes of S2 of Salamander which is expiring from SBS on Demand in a few days time.

Went to check on the kids around 10pm (had them in the downstairs green room) and was surprised that Michaela was still reading, luckily Xavier was sound asleep.  So I turned the light off quick smart.

I read for a bit, and then turned my own light off

Read the Age online in bed in the morning, and Xavier came to join me once he realised that I was awake.

So, a slow start, went into the kitchen and had some toast with Xavier, and also another game of Trouble.  All is right with the world, as I regained my winning status.

Michaela eventually got up and I made her some breakfast, and we continued to lounge around in our pjs/dressing gowns.

However, this sloth was interrupted by a knock on the door close to 10am

Terry!


He'd dropped in to chat about the upcoming Music night and food etc, and I think he was surprised to find us still in disarray

No matter, we chatted, and I gave him a cup of coffee

He was also saying that he is looking for interesting projects/things to do, as is a bit bored with doing house things - that got me to thinking about our poor split table upstairs, now seemingly with more heat/water spots.....

Anyway, I asked him if he'd like to come to dinner at the pub if he was at a loose end, and he accepted.  I suggested that he could come to ours for a drink around 6 or so before hand

After he left, we all got dressed and walked down the street, first to the Op shop, bought a book, then Steve and Denise where Xavier tried on a replica German helmet, and then David's to buy some eggs

Then back to the house, into my coveralls, and into the garden for some extensive weeding

Xavier helped me also, Michaela preferred to do handstands/read.   

Lunch under the tree, with large pink doughnuts for dessert

 And then more weeding

Jim the (retired butcher) dropped by with an unknown couple.  The man was writing a biography of Maurice Blackburn (lawyer) - who had grown up in the Butcher shop.  His father had been the local Bank manager.  They said they'd send me some info on Tivey/Nimmitabel if they found anything

Took out the Totem tennis for the kids, and they enjoyed that.  However it was hard to get the stake fully in, so it developed a bit of a lean, which made rallies a challenge.

Terry came back around 6, and we had a G&T each on the veranda, with some chips and other nibbles

Also showed him the table, and he accepted the commission/challenge, and said he'd come back with his ute tomorrow to pick it up

Off to the Royal for dinner, got our food pretty quickly, and it was another good night

Xavier enjoyed watching some bloke play pool, and declared that it was now his new favourite sport, and Margie gave the kids $2 to have a play themselves, they were most pleased

This time made sure that Michaela turned her light off when I put them to bed, and I watched another Salamander episode

Once again Xavier and I were the first ones up, but this time we got dressed quickly, and I was in the back garden pulling weeds when Terry arrived mid morning - he quite rightly didn't think that I would be caught twice

Took the top off the table, and carried the base and it downstairs and loaded them onto Terry's ute 

And then back to the weeding

Xavier was very pleased when he got wheelbarrow fulls

Hot pies and pasties for lunch, and then home again around 4pm, where Justin had a hot roast dinner waiting for us!
 

Girl's night, doctors and no voice Aug 17 - 19 2018

Well, the weather has finally improved a little, not so much wind and it was supposed to be sunny today.  That said I thought I'd organise a Girl's night on the veranda - drinks/nibbles, the whole she-bang.

However, my timing was less than impeccable, David R's brother Alvin had succumbed to cancer, and had died a few days earlier.  Arleen and Chrissie were therefore not able to come, although said they might drop in.  And Anne A was in Melbourne.

That said, I got to Inglewood quite late - around 4pm, and quickly made up the (hot) artichoke dip, and red dip (although we didn't end up eating either)

 Ann L, Maile and Carol arrived first - bringing drinks and platters of nibbles with them too - so
I didn't really need mine, brought out one of my pates though, and some smoked mussels

Sat up on the veranda and had a fab time.  And it wasn't as cold as how Maile looks

Jan arrived next, and then Nicole, and once it was dark, and it did in fact start getting colder we moved inside

I set a good fire (yes they were impressed), told them it was Justin's Timbertop technique     

So, as they say, a good time was had by all, and finished up around midnight

Had my inspection of the garden in the morning after having read The Age on line in bed for a while, (didn't really have time for it yesterday, as I was rushing to prepare for the gals)

The almonds are just beautiful

                                                           
And I planted all of those excess to needs plants that I brought from Melbourne ie lilies, a loquat tree, succulents, violets and other no name plants - or at least, I don't know their names. It's still rather damp here, so hopefully they'll survive.

I also set up dinner - ie slow cooked lamb, mashed potatoes and salad, no dessert.

Justin arrived with Susan and Mark around 4.30pm.  By this stage I was up on the veranda taking in some warmish sunlight, and reading the virtual newspaper again

Settled them, and then had some nibbles - inside as it was getting cold.  I made a fire again, although this time not as successful as last night's.  Had to nurture it a bit.

 Had dinner upstairs around 7, and then settled in by the fire.

Susan nabbed a prime spot in the bean bag by the fire

And Mark and Justin entertained us musically

Slow start on Sunday morning,as it was cold.  Had a modest breakfast, and then drove to Charlton for lunch.  The cafe that I had been to some years ago with Mum and Helen had closed, so we ended up at the Cricket Club Hotel.  Food was pretty good

 
Had a quick wander around near the river

And then back in the car, and down the Calder to Inglewood.  On the way there we had noticed some yellow round things in the paddocks - size of a tennis ball or slightly larger.

We (or I) were rather curious at to what they were.  Mushrooms?  Rocks?

So on the way back Justin stopped, and we investigated.  On closer inspection they looked like small melons or gourds.  But I'd left my mobile in the car, so didn't get a close up photo of them

Took a photo of the paddock from the car.  If you squint you can see tiny round objects beyond the fence

Anyway, we returned to Inglewood, and Mark and Susan left.  Originally Justin was going to go back with them also, as I was going to stay til Tuesday, and go to Alvin's funeral.  However, overnight I had 1/2 lost my voice, and had a nasty cold coming on.  The prospect of staying in the cold house did not appeal, so Justin and I drove back to Melbourne together, and I pretty much spent the next 2 days in my nice warm bed, alternating between sleeping, binge watching tv shows (the Son, and Next of Kin on SBS) and reading.

Oh, and I should note that Gordon dropped in as we were packing up, and I asked him if he might know what those gourds/melons were.

And yes, he did, he solved the mystery for us.  he thought they were paddy melons, which are a weed - which would explain why we pretty much saw just the melons, but no attached plant.  We figured the farmer must have poisoned the plants

Below is a photo that I found on the internet.  Obviously it was much greener where were were (for once), but the melons and dead plants look the same

3rd annual Salami making festival 4th and 5th August 2018

Yes it was on again, our 3rd annual salami (and sausage making festival). I organised it on the fly earlier in the week.

That meant that I had to source the meat and fat from Melbourne, as opposed to the Inglewood butcher

Went to a Woolies supermarket, who couldn't sell me any fat, as they didn't have a code for that, and couldn't give it to me either....

Luckily there was a stand alone butcher in the centre, and he was able to sell me some fat.(had already bought the meat from Woolies)

Dropped the kids at work on Saturday morning, and then continued on to Inglewood, was lovely and sunny to start with, but then got progressively greyer as we drove onwards.

Got to Inglewood around 12, had some lunch, nice hot pie, Justin went and had a haircut, and I went and had a nap... we'd had a late night on Friday, going out to a charity function with Karen and Mark, was lots of fun, but I woke up early, so was somewhat sleep deprived

 Anyway, I did actually get to sleep (in the afternoon), and Justin came and woke me up at 3pm so that we could go to Terry's for salami making.  Alex had also arrived whilst I was napping.

Alex drove us to Terry's and he already had a coffee waiting for us - nice!

And then the salami making commenced.

First up Terry directed me to work out which flavourings (and quantities) we wanted.  Decided on salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic and red wine.

Terry ground up the spices, the boys peeled the garlic, and I firstly cut  the pork and fat into pieces, and then ground them up with the garlic

Once the meat/fat was all ground up, I mixed in the ground spices and red wine - by hand of course, until the mixture had changed colour slightly and was quite sticky

 Started off with just one hand, as I wanted to keep the other clean, but in the end I needed both hands, just needed "to get in there"

And then the actual construction of the sausages

As per usual, I was on pushing down duty, Justin was tying on, Terry was assessing the filling, and Alex filled up the tray.  We were a well oiled salami making troupe

And then we started on the bullboar sausages.   Once again I was on pushing down duty, Alex was filling the plate, and Terry collected and twisted the sausages.  Justin was off duty, so played the guitar

Once we were done, we walked over to the Village Green around 6pm, and I proffered my chicken terrine which I had made the day before.  Maile & David and Nicole and Damo were there already.  And the evening was lovely, at some stage during the afternoon while we were sausaging it had become sunny and blue again, with the wind dying down.  Therefore the evening was clear and starry. As per below we had a brazier to warm our hands if required

Wandered back to Terry's - for dinner, and Arleen and David came too.  Terry of course provided us with a lovely dinner, and a good night was had by all, except perhaps Justin who had stepped into a rather deep and muddy puddle in Terry's driveway.  I've never seen puddles in Kingower before, and it's very green - so even though this Winter was supposed to be quite dry, it doesn't seem like it.

Alex kindly drove us home

Was too windy, and a bit cool to have breakfast outside on Sunday, so we ate in the kitchen with the blow heater on

Afterwards, hung up the salamis in the cellar - ahh 3 + months til they are cured

And Justin and Alex played a bit of PJs music

I found the mystery bird - which had left droppings all over the house, a non lamented Indian Miner

 

And then I put my overalls on and went and did some weeding/gardening

As I said it was very green, Gordon will need to come and mow the weeds soon, which are creating their own little dales and hillocks 

  

It's so deep in places that I couldn't see my feet.  The below photo is of my overalled legs looking down, and my boots enveloped by the weeds 

I was also attacking these rotten South African weeds in the "grass" which look a bit like small gladioli - I remember Jamie Nevins pointing them out and saying how bad they are, and how easily they spread.  Given that the ground is moist they are relatively easy to pull out

As you can see it was a lovely sunny day, so I soon warmed up, and tied the sleeves of my overalls, really coveralls around my waist.

However, Justin was not as warm, in fact, he was seemingly freezing as demonstrated by the below photo of him withstanding the elements at lunch time under the tree

As you can see, I was fine, and Alex was somewhere in between

Spring was also in the air with lots of jonquils in flower

And the almonds were almost in bloom - should be out fully when I come back next time