After a lovely Sunday lunch at Mount Martha, we drove back to East Melbourne early in the afternoon on Monday so we were in time to walk to Simons' place in Clifton Hill for an evening meal of steak, roasties and veg. We took a taxi back!
On Tuesday we hopped on a train out to Macedon where we had a magnificent lunch with our friends Chris and John. Our friend Irene (who we met up with in Richmond when she was doing the coast to coast walk) also came. And so, for a time, did Chris and John's daughter Megan with Mabel, who is about 18 months old and had been sent home from child care with a fever. I think she just wanted her fair share of the chocolate dessert we were all indulging in.
It was a good afternoon. Thanks to Chris and John for a great lunch. And thanks to Mark, Megan's husband, for driving us into Gisborne so we could catch the train back.
And then it was Wednesday. Lindsey and Ian were due back from their Great Adventures. And we had to be up and out early. First we had to get to Mount Clear to collect the Christmas meat and seafood. I was not a little disconcerted when the lad at the butcher couldn't find the order. I have no wish to be the one who broke Christmas! Then he nearly forgot the seafood :-s. But I think we have it all now. Then we took it to Mount Helen, where we found Ross and his little dog Bernard. I think Bernard thinks he's a cat, the way he bounces about all over everything. We also met Sam, Lindsey and Ian's somewhat serious and somewhat large Great Dane. I am told he can be somewhat aloof with strangers. Fortunately he seemed to like us!
Right. Off back to Melbourne to collect Lindsey and Ian from the airport (having first stowed the Christmas meat and seafood out of the way of the dogs) and then back to get Christmas underway. We need a tree. Ian and The Builder headed out in search of one and returned with what seemed to be the last one left in Ballarat. I can't see why it was the last one. It's a pretty tree, beautifully shaped. They also returned with the makings of lamb cutlets for our evening feast. And chocolate mousse.
We need veg and potatoes for the Christmas feast, and then I think we're done. Oh, and extra supplies of white wine. The family mostly seems to drink red. There's a lake of red wine the size of the Red Sea. Not enough white!
The blog might think it's the evening of December 23rd but really it's early in the morning of Christmas Eve. I don't know why Blog Time remains determinedly on UK time. Everything else adjusts itself to whatever time zone I happen to be in! Time to get up. There is much to do.
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| Part of Chris and John's beautiful garden |
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