Music Night 14 -16 Sep 2018

So, we had our fabulous Gin dinner night at Red Spice Road on Thursday, so I went for a rather slow jog on Friday morning, and then I caught a lift to Inglewood with Val and George around 1pm (after having done a few chores first)

Got there around 3pm, with a fringe of glorious colourful gazanias welcoming us out the front.  Did some weeding in the vegie garden, as I didn't want Justin to see all the weeds and then want to spray them.

I unfortunately made Val and George feel a bit guilty, but said it was my choice, I wanted to weed, it was relatively nice and sunny, and they kept me watered with bubbles and fed with a few crackers and cheese, it's the only way to weed now.

Went up to the top veranda  around 5pm, and had some more drinks and nibbles.   It was really lovely up there, sunny, warm (ish) still, just perfect

And then down to the dining room for dinner.  George had made up a salmon salad which was delicious.

Dylan was also enjoying himself, rather relaxed and at home, when we arrived he had run upstairs to the red room, and just settled himself in

Relatively early night

George and I took Dylan for a walk in the morning, - was amazed by the terracotta type dried mud

George then dropped me off at Terry's for the cooking - and what a feast it was - with both meat and vegetarian options

Sausage rolls

Mini vegi quiches (asparagus for one lot and sundried tomato for the other)

Pesto chicken and spinach & fetta filo triangles

Falafel balls, mini meat balls, fish bites, arancini etc etc.  Lots and lots of tasty finger food for our Music night.

And of course there was Terry, Arlene, June and Chrissy and I helping.  And Jan did the marvellous sweets

Justin came and picked me up around 1pm so that we could have lunch together with Val & George, and Carolyn who he brought up from Melbourne.

Hamish, Janaea and kids came a bit later - but they had already had lunch

Had the rest of the salmon salad plus some roast chicken etc for lunch. And then the musicians ie Justin and Hamish  disappeared to practice

Chris and Jo arrived around 3pm, just as Caroline and I left the house to walk up the street, and she bought a couple of vintage coats/long jackets from Denise.

And then there was some more practising with Chris

Took a little while to organise ourselves to walk out the door for the Music Night.  Terry had wanted me there at 6pm to help set up

As it was, we passed Terry and family at his house, arrived at 6.10 or so and so had to wait outside the Church as it was locked, and it was pretty cold.....

Terry eventually came, and we teased him a little for being late.

Chris of course had to set up and start playing a little

And then we started handing out the food

First up musically speaking we had a tribute to Alvin.   His mandolin was given pride of place in the front, and then a recording was played of him singing and playing - was lovely to remember him like that.

Justin, Chris and Hamish came on next, and they did really well.  They had lovely harmonies, and a great selection of songs.  I'd asked Terry if they could be first up, as Janaea had to get the kids back to the house and in bed at a reasonable time.

Next up were the Kingower Rangers

And Daniel also got up to sing Old Man river and Shenandoah

Then Dermott on his ukulele

 And then Mark came on again, and his daughter sang with him too

Then Jan's delicious dessert plate - what a feast

And lastly our boys and Val got up again. 

Val sang the Joni Mitchell song - Paved Paradise and put up a Parking Lot.  Looked like she was enjoying herself, so hopefully she'll come back again and perform

And Hamish obliged me by singing my request of Hallelujah in the Jeff Buckley vein.  Brought the house down!  (Hamish had driven back after dropping Janaea and the kids back at the house)

I guess we finished up around midnight, Terry wanted us to stay longer, but the others wanted to leave.

Although we were pretty cold waiting outside the Church at the beginning of the evening, we didn't feel cold inside.  Therefore, I was very surprised when I found ice on the car windshield.

I had volunteered for driving duty, and had Carolyn and Jo as passengers - Justin was going to come with us - but jumped out of the car to see where Chris was walking off to.  Unfortunately Justin didn't come back, we waited and waited, wondering what had happened to him.  Jo eventually got out and went back into the Church but couldn't see either of them there, so we just drove off (couldn't call using the mobiles because there is no reception in Kingower)

Got home a good 15 minutes after everyone else, and Justin had the unwitting cheek to ask why we had taken so long, I set him straight (a bit grumpily).

Anyway, everyone was upstairs and making more music, I was going to go to bed, but wasn't allowed, and ended up going to bed around 2am,.

Justin and Hamish clowned around - and I tried to capture their forced "Eureka moment"

Dylan once again kept us company

George played a bit

 Val and Carolyn watched on - Jo had gone to bed by this stage 

More music

Therefore a slow start on Sunday, we had thought we might have a fry up, but people were getting up at all times

Just had toast and coffee - some of us out the front in the sun

But then an alfresco antipasto type lunch under the tree.  Jo had brought some nice dips and cheeses, small goods.  I brought out our last cured salami, and home made olives etc

All in all, another excellent Music night and weekend

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!