An Extra Long Weekend

Yesterday was a public holiday in most jurisdictions in Australia. I don't usually work Mondays anyway, so it didn't make much practical difference to me, but it did have a gentle feel to it.  It was very quiet, on the roads, in the shops, in my court. Not even lawn mowers; just children playing.

I, of course, had Friday off, having worked Thursday instead. Wendy and I took Stella for her delayed shopping trip. She was in good form and seemed to enjoy herself - although she didn't seem to enjoy having her hair cut. We called at the Drop In hairdressers' place; there was no wait, so we popped her in. It's weeks and weeks and weeks since she last had her hair done and she was beginning to look quite raggedy. We had discussed it with her beforehand but she may have forgotten. Or perhaps she was expecting to have lunch first. She definitely got more cheerful after a large plate of fish and chips and a cup of hot chocolate and she very much enjoyed pottering around in the shops.

Nooooooo!

But looking much more elegant after

After I had taken Stella home and dropped Wendy at the station, I went up to Hugo's house. He had had a very exciting morning. Emily, Andre and the babies had arrived from Canada. He is absolutely fascinated by the babies. I don't think he is quite sure what they are!

Lindsey and I went to the market and to the Smythesdale Farmgate Shop on Saturday morning. Then I started preparing for Sunday, when Irene, Gillie, Chris and John were coming for lunch. Our local butcher had posted on Facebook on Wednesday that he was smoking some ham hocks. I rang and asked him to put a couple aside for me. I collected them on the way home from work on Thursday. On Friday, I had one of the hocks nestled all day in my slow cooker with green split peas, red lentils, some mirepoix and water. By Friday evening I had the best pea and ham soup ever! On Saturday I passed the soup through a sieve and set the meat aside to use as a garnish. I also made up the base of a cottage pie, and prepared butternut pumpkin and sweet potato to use as a topping.

Before it went in the oven

Meanwhile, back at Stella's place - she was super excited when Lindsey turned up with all the Canadian visitors. She knew they had arrived but she wasn't expecting them to come to visit on Saturday afternoon. I think Andre took the photos:

Four generations of strong women

Sunday lunch seemed to go well. The visitors said complimentary things about the soup and main course. I had made little citrus cakes for dessert, with limes and tangelos that the work handyman had brought in. The menu was largely created around the ham hocks from the butcher, the butternut pumpkin and sweet potato from the veg box and the citrus from  work. A throwback to my time volunteering at the Potluck Pantry in Sheffield when we would start the day looking at what we had to hand and working a menu from that.

Flora came too

Whiskey and Brandy were intrigued
although only Whiskey was brave enough
to get up close and lick Flora's paw

The weather over the weekend was really rather nice. Rainy and misty in the mornings, clearing to sunny and not too cold (as in around 12 or 13 degrees) in the afternoons. I spend most of yesterday gently tidying, quietly organising and generally pottering. I did go out to the shops with Lindsey for a bit but otherwise I was at home

Out the front, enjoying the winter sunshine

Today, however, is another story. The wind started up yesterday evening and it's been blustery and rainy overnight. I hope it clears up a bit later - I'm supposed to be taking Stella to see her GP this afternoon and she won't enjoy going out in stormy weather!