Easter

We had a lovely week with Stella in Ballarat.

We had a rest day on Monday, after the weekend of partying.

On Tuesday, Jim and I moved up to Hill House. Lindsey and Ian were working away, so we went up to help Stella look after Rupert and Hugo. Stella, Jim and I went out to the Mushroom Farm for supplies in the afternoon.  It's closed now for the school holidays, until after Anzac Day.

On Wednesday, we all came down to Tani bright and early. Jim's carer was due at 10, leaving Stella and me free to go out for her blood test, and then to go to Peter Alexander for pyjamas. We went back to Hill House until Ian came back and left Stella there when we came home. 

On Thursday afternoon, Lindsey, Stella and I went to Bridge Mall and went clothes shopping. We stopped for a hot chocolate in one of the cafes - the weather was nice enough for us to sit outside. While we were there, a white van pulled up and a bloke got out and started unloading boxes for Darrel Lea, a chocolate company which has a shop in Bridge Mall.  As he walked past us, he greeted us with a "Happy Easter" and dropped a small Easter egg each on our table.  I think that would not have happened had we not had Stella with us 😁

Stella had bought some lobster tails while we were in the supermarket. So on Good Friday, she, Lindsey and Ian came round to our place for a seafood platter lunch. We had the lobster tails, flathead tails, prawns, tiny salmon fishcakes, roast potatoes and salad

There wasn't much left on my large
serving platter!

Saturday was a rest day. For Jim and me, at least. Up at Hill House, they were preparing for a visit from Emily and Andre.

Easter Sunday was a quiet affair - we had all gathered the previous Sunday for Emily and Andre's wedding celebration and people didn't seem to fancy a visit to Ballarat two Sundays in a row! So Jim and I went up to Hill House for an Easter Sunday lunch.

And on Monday, Lindsey took Stella home after an action packed 10 day holiday in Ballarat and things have gone back to more or less normal.

The weather has turned autumnal

Kitty Kats curled up in a blanket on the bed

Rain and fog have visited us -
and I have now pulled up the zucchini plants

Whiskey is pleased that I have lit the fire

I don't know if I have mentioned this before (although I think I have) but when I first moved to the UK I was quite shocked to find that all the shops were open on Good Friday. It is a solemn holiday here, in principle at least, and everything is closed. In the UK everything is closed on Easter Sunday. Many shops are open here. I was therefore somewhat surprised when Lindsey mentioned in passing on Thursday afternoon that the IGA would be open on Good Friday. And so they were. It was the first time they have opened and I'm not sure how they were able to, but I have to say it was very useful. It meant I could pick up the few things I needed for my seafood lunch in the relative calm of Friday morning rather than having to dash in on Thursday evening before they closed.

Rupert enjoying playing with a
new toy octopus,