A Confusion of Days

It's been quite difficult working out what day it has been over the past few days.

Thursday was The National Day of Mourning for the Queen, allowing time for the Prime Minister and the Governor General to get back from London. There was a ceremony in the Great Hall in Parliament House in Canberra. There were lots of wattle flowers. LOTS and LOTS of wattle flowers. I know the wattle flower is Australia's national floral emblem and they are in bloom at the moment, but it was a very great deal of wattle, even up to people inserting sprigs of wattle into wreaths at the front of the hall. It was like watching the congregation in a cathedral all coming up to take communion. Distinctly underwhelming. In fact, the whole thing was underwhelming. I understand that you couldn't possibly hope to match the pomp and pageantry that Britain can turn on but really - a little pomp and ceremony might have been in order.

I have to admit that I wasn't properly watching it. I had gone up to Rupert and Hugo's place to do a few things and it happened to be on the television. Lindsey and Ian had gone to Sydney for the weekend and had left the TV on the ABC for the dogs' amusement. I am not sure how amusing the Memorial Event was!

Friday was a public holiday in Victoria, for the Footie Grand Final Parade. I did not go to Melbourne to watch the parade. I picked Wendy up from the station and we went and visited Stella and Jim. By now it was becoming difficult to work out what day it actually was. I don't usually work on Thursday, but I also wasn't doing the things I usually do on Thursdays. Friday was impossible to place. It had all the hallmarks of a Saturday, but we weren't doing Saturday things and it was all a bit odd.

On the actual Saturday morning, Wendy and I went to the Amazing Mill Markets at Warrenheip 

and then took Stella to The Boatshed for lunch.

I think Stella was a bit disappointed that we didn't have another seafood platter but it would have been something of a waste. Too many things that the three of us wouldn't eat. We had barramundi and chips instead

Wendy had a brown sugar meringue for dessert

She wasn't expecting anything quite this big!

Stella had her first ever affogato. I had described to her what an affogato was, but I don't think she was expecting this:

A huge serve of ice cream,
a shot of espresso
a double shot of cointreau

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to eat this!" was her comment, after she stopped laughing

She managed 😋

Finally! A day we could identify! Sunday!

Freyja and Simon were in town, looking after Rupert and Hugo. So we had a Roast Potato Party at my place. Wendy and I were at the supermarket bright and early for a mountain of potatoes (you need plenty of potatoes for a Roast Potato Party). I collected Stella. Freyja and Simon came down. And we had roast potatoes, roast pumpkin and carrots, simmered peas, green beans and broad beans and gravy. Stella and I shared a lamb backstrap,  Freyja, Simon and Wendy shared some vegan kievs and crumbed ficken. It was all very delicious - and there are some extra roast potatoes for me to have tonight.

My Roast Potato Party lunch

And now it is Monday. Everyone has gone back to their own homes and I am here on my own.

All this excitement is quite exhausting!