A Good Day

I had a good day yesterday.

It started with cups of tea, watching the sun rise over the Dandenongs, talking to Ghost and pottering around.

I walked up to The Red Door Cafe, which is under a kilometre from Ghost's apartment - and, mercifully, is just before you get to the VERYSTEEP hill, which leads up to High Street. It was a lovely morning for a stroll. The cafe is very cute and the food was not bad, although the coffee could have been hotter. It was surprisingly busy for a Monday morning.

Inside the red door

I had a hearty breakfast 

I wandered back to Ghost's place and had a rummage in the general store under her feet.

Then I went out to La Manna, where I had a lovely fossick around. I had to be a bit restrained, though. I couldn't buy every tasty morsel I chanced upon!

And so back to my place, where Brandy and Whiskey were quite pleased to see me. I wiled away the afternoon with a little gentle tidying, some pottering and a bit of reading, and made dinner with some vegetables that were patiently waiting in the fridge and some lamb from La Manna.

The weather was pleasant all day.

It is not pleasant today! It is cold, damp, dismal, rainy and foggy. I shall stay inside until I absolutely have to go out. Which I will, at some point. I need to get some nice flowers and I am due to meet Lindsey this evening. Perhaps the weather will have improved by then. In the meantime, I might tidy the kitchen and perhaps even go wild and get dressed!

Weekly Round Up

I went out to the crematorium on Monday and picked up Stella. I also picked up Tony and The Bear. Stella had taken Tony's bear, and thus his ashes, everywhere with her and we thought she should perhaps take them on her final journey. So now I have Stella, Tony and Jim's ashes at my place. All I need now are Rupert's and I would have a Full House!

Before: Tony and The Bear, with Farley
at my place

After
(For the avoidance of doubt
Farley is still on my couch
and has not made his way into the hereafter!)

We are intending, eventually, to scatter Jim and Rupert around the scrubby bits of the garden at Hill House - where it won't matter if they poison the plants. There are mostly blackberries and other undesirables in the area we have in mind. There will, however, be a good view. Stella and Tony's ashes will eventually go back to Mount Martha, with a tiny amount held back to return to England, the next time someone is heading that way.

We have had communication with the probate solicitor and I have communicated with the British pension people and with Centrelink. We have cancelled all of Stella's direct debits, apart from her phone payments. We need to keep her phone active for now.  Fortunately, I am not an executor of the will, so have no formal actions to take.

We have noticed recently that the Smythes Creek Farmgate Shop has become extremely busy on Saturdays, to the point that you can't move properly to look at things. They are open 6 days a week, and until later on Thursdays. So Lindsey and I went out onThursday afternoon to see what was what. Much better. They still had a fully stocked shop, and there were a few other people there. But it was much easier to move around and you could have a proper look at things to decide what you might want to buy. We might go on Thursdays in future.

We did go shopping on Saturday, but not out to Smythes Creek and nor to the market. The Lakeside market wasn't on and we don't usually bother with the Bridge Mall market. We went into town for a potter around, then to Wilson's.

Now you find me in Northcote. Freyja and Simon have gone to the Dandenongs for a few days. I can wave at them from their balcony

I can see the city from the bedroom:

My gaff for the night:

And my housemate:

I won't be here for the whole time they're away. I'm heading home later this morning to play with my own housemates. In the meantime, I am  drinking tea and enjoying watching the sun rise over the Dandenongs. Meanwhile, Ghost is enjoying lounging on her electric couch blanket

Last Weekend in June

Friday was an interesting day.

We were supposed to be transferring from one medical management system to another over the weekend. We had been preparing for weeks. We had arranged to close the clinic at lunchtime so everyone had a chance to ensure that everything was as ready as it could be and for us all to have a play on the incoming system.

In the meantime, one of the management team had found a cheap-ish second hand fridge on one of the medical Facebook Groups. The Practice Manager there wanted it picked up either on Thursday or Friday. Thursday wasn't possible, so Friday it had to be.

On top of that, Emily, Andre and the babies were supposed to be coming in for lunch. Emily, you may remember, works with us when she is in Melbourne and people were keen to see her and (especially!) the babies.

By Friday morning, it was clear that the transfer to the new system was not going to happen, for logistical reasons outside our control. There was much discussion about whether to call it a day after lunch, and for everyone to go home, or whether to open up the diaries and see what happened.  In the meantime, Reception Alex and I trundled out to Balwyn, in the wilds of the eastern suburbs, to collect the fridge.

We could not find the medical centre and ended up in the wrong one. They were slightly surprised to hear that we had come to take away their fridge. They thought they might like to keep it! They did give us directions to the right clinic. But even then, it was difficult to find. It did not help that their address is on the main road, while their location is on a side street and is not visible from the main road.

We collected the fridge.  Disaster! We had not brought any money with us (I had assumed the fridge was already paid for). They couldn't take a card payment (I had a card I could have used), only cash or a bank transfer. Fortunately, a means of payment was sorted out, after I rang our surgery and asked what they expected us to do. Then we tried to put the fridge into Lindsey's car. It didn't fit! We juggled and jiggled and wiggled and wobbled. Eventually we managed JUST to get it in the car.  But where to put Alex???? I really didn't want to leave him in the wilds of Balwyn. We jiggled and juggled and wobbled and wiggled a bit more and managed to get the passenger seat far enough back that there was JUST enough room for Alex.

Then we drove carefully and cautiously back to the surgery.

Alex, folded up very carefully
and implanted into the car

We got back to find everyone getting ready for lunch. Pizza. Chicken. Chips. Salad. We did try opening the afternoon diaries, but we had been advertising for some time that we would be closed on Friday afternoon, so weren't gathering much interest. So we closed the books again and people ambled off, one by one, into the weekend.

The Sunday training session for the new system was cancelled

Dr Emily, Dr Lindsey and our
two newest recruits, 
complete with their stethoscopes

For me, the weekend was very quiet. It hasn't been as cold as it was earlier in June, but it is not by any stretch of the imagination warm. It's been drizzly and dreary and gloomy. I have long imagined that when I no longer had to go to the care home each afternoon that I would get lots done in the garden. The weather is not conducive to gardening! I am merely nibbling away at the edges of the things that need to be done. But really, there is no hurry. Things will happen as they do.

I have, though, found the missing trowel. It was, of course, exactly where I had left it, waiting for me to come and carry on with what I had been doing. Although, I hadn't stopped in the middle of something. I had finished weeding one little bed and planted some broad bean seeds. The trowel was waiting for me to come back and start on the next bed. But I think that might be a mid to late August job. I have put the trowel away, next to its new friend. Now there are two trowels in the garden tool stand.

I have also been prepping food. A Farmers' Pick box arrived on Friday. I have made stuffed baked zucchini, stuffed baked tomatoes and a selection of steamed veg. I have prepped most of the rest of the veg ready to be used. I am planning a traybake at some point. And Lindsey has taken some of the prepped veg for tonight's Steak Night in Melbourne. We are not going to starve in the foreseeable future

Quiet Weekend

Lindsey was in Melbourne on Saturday. The weather was fairly horrible. I did not go to the market.

I didn't really go anywhere. I did go to the IGA for a few bits and pieces but otherwise stayed at home, watched the rain and drank tea in front of the fire

I went to the supermarket with Lindsey and Em first thing on Sunday morning, and after that also stayed at home for most of the day. The weather was better and I had garden plans. I have cat-proofed the carrot boxes and the rhubarb bed, which Whiskey seemed to be determined to dig up. The carrots were doing quite well, until Whiskey decided to use their boxes as a sand pit! I was prevented doing a number of things that I had planned because I can't find my trowel. 

I think I probably put it down the last time I used it, intending to return to whatever I was doing, and then never did return. But it's not as though I live on acreage. My front yard is small. The back is slightly bigger but is not by any means a large garden. It's not difficult to look for things. I acknowledge that the garage is in a state of disarray, but I have looked quite carefully. I cannot find my trowel;!

I think that once there were two. And now there are none.

It was Stella's cremation at lunchtime yesterday. I acknowledged this - by going SHOPPING. Not Stella's favourite shopping, which was clothes shopping. I went to the supermarket and did a proper Start of the Pay Month shop. I don't do these very often, preferring to shop little and often. But my fridge, freezer and pantry were all beginning to look a bit empty. Stella enjoyed supermarket shopping nearly as much as she enjoyed clothes shopping. It seemed appropriate.

Otherwise, the weekend was very quiet. I have caught up with Masterchef and finally got around to sweeping and washing the kitchen floor. I have made a start on tidying up the house, which is looking rather sorry for itself after some of Stella's things moved in.

I am working extra hours this week. I'll go in for a few hours today for training on the new computer system that is coming over the weekend. I'm doing my usual Wednesday and Friday, plus a few hours on Sunday for more training on the computer system.

Whiskey has been worshipping at the altar of the god of fire, Brandy has been working from home:

And I have bought a new trowel. I wonder how many trowels will be on the garden tool stand by the end of the week!!

Dawn on Stella's cremation day

Cold!

My goodness but it was cold yesterday.

I went out to get in the car just before 6:30 am and the car was frozen. Absolutely frozen. I don't have an ice scraper in the car. I don't have an ice scraper at all. I don't recall having needed one since I left Tupton. It is true that I usually kept the car in the garage before the door gizmo broke. but there have been enough cold winter nights when it has been outside and it hasn't iced over quite that much.

I used the side of a packet of Japanese mints to scrape the windows. This did not do the mints inside much good. I have found a window scraper in the laundry (the kind you use after you have washed the house windows). I have put that in the car, Just In Case. I think it may work better than the side of a Japanese mint packet, and perhaps not destroy the mints.

It has been unusually cold for June, even in Ballarat. I think it's supposed to warm up, ever so slightly over the next few days. Although not much. A high of 9d today, rising to the heady heights of 11 on Sunday

In other news, I have taken flowers, chocolates and cards into Stella's care home, and chocolates, a fruit platter and a card to her GP practice. Lindsey and I are meeting with the funeral director this morning. I have pyjamas, a dressing gown and slippers ready to take, plus the Tony Bear, who is going with Stella. The funeral director was a bit shocked that I didn't also have underwear for Stella to wear, but this family does not wear underwear overnight. And anyway, there aren't any knickers or bras. There weren't many and I have already thrown them away.

A while ago, I bought a new cat tree for Brandy and Whiskey. So far, they haven't ventured as far as the top landing, unless I have put them up there. Over the weekend I heard a thump, looked around and saw this:

followed shortly after by this:

Whiskey was obviously in an adventurous mood over the weekend, because he also decided to try having a nap in the wood basket. Alas, it obviously wasn't very comfortable and he shortly after moved back to the comfort of his racing car basket:

 

Stella

Stella on her 90th birthday in February

I took Stella to see her GP on Tuesday afternoon. The weather had cleared and she was in quite good form. We had a good conversation with the GP about Stella's wishes for End of Life Care. We had had this conversation before but we were  just confirming that she wanted no further intervention, no blood transfusions, nothing but palliative and comfort care.

We drove home along a longer, but scenic route that she liked.

I went to work on Wednesday. The GP called in to see her on his way from Ballarat to Buninyong. Ross called in for his regular Wednesday afternoon cup of tea. Lindsey, Emily and the babies called in on Thursday morning and I visited as usual in the afternoon. She was in bed and very sleepy. Wendy came up as has been her habit on Friday and Ross also called in. Stella was by now on the palliative medications and mostly unconscious. Lindsey and I dropped by on our way home from work.

There was supposed to be a Family Lunch at the pub in Wallace on Saturday but it was clear that Stella was on her way. We didn't want to get a call from the Care Home while we were half way through lunch, 30 minutes away, telling us to come quickly! So with reluctance we cancelled the lunch. Freyja and Simon, plus Matt and his family decided to come to Ballarat anyway.

You see reports in the media that So and So died peacefully, surrounded by their family. In Stella's case, this was true. Lindsey, Wendy, Freyja, Simon and I were there as she drew her last breath. Matt and his family arrived shortly after. Ian and Emily, who had been there in the morning came back when told the news. 

Lindsey and I organised things with the nurses and everyone (except Stella) went up to Hill House for cups of tea and glasses of something appropriate.

Stella had watched what we did for Jim last August with close interest. No funeral service, unaccompanied cremation, memorial party a bit later. She then said that she wanted exactly that when her time came. And that is what we are going to do - although we haven't decided when or where the memorial party will be. We have had contact with the funeral company who did Jim's cremation.  (I was a bit disconcerted, however, to get a phone call from the Care Home early on Saturday evening! What could they possibly have to tell me now? Ah - that the funeral people had come to collect her. Funny - they didn't call me when they came to collect Jim, although I suppose they did go to collect him at around 11 at night.)

Lindsey, Wendy and I have cleared Stella's room, aided by Josh who came after work in his ute yesterday and helped move the glass cabinet and bookcase that were in her room. They are  taking up space in Lindsey's piano room at the moment, although the bookcase will come down to my place. I am thinking of putting it in the wardrobe in the spare room to store small blankets.

Stella is reposing at the funeral parlour. Her room has been cleared. We have said goodbye to the Mount Clear Aged Care Facility. 

We watched it being built, before Jim got properly sick, and jokingly said that it would be perfect for  him when his time came. We weren't really being serious and I didn't anticipate how much I would be involved with it.  I certainly didn't anticipate Stella moving in there. 

It is an excellent Aged Care facility. They were fabulous with Jim and obviously really enjoyed Stella's presence. The rooms are lovely, the facility has lots of common spaces, large and small, the staff are delightful, the food is cooked on site and is both appetising and tasty. Jim was quite active in the facility, Stella less so but she did enjoy the dining room, the book club, the exercise classes and the visits from various members of staff who came to pass the time of day with her. She especially enjoyed the visiting dogs, not to mention the other animals that occasionally came in - rabbits, small lambs, even some bantam chickens.

I'm going to miss my visits there, after two years of regular engagement.

In her room, just after she moved in
to Mount Clear in June 2022

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!

Lunches and Jewels

Wendy has been coming up fairly regularly on Fridays to visit Stella. Usually, as you are aware, I am at work, so it gives Stella another visitor to keep her amused.

Last week I worked Tuesday and Thursday. Wendy came up as usual on Friday and we were going to take Stella out to the Wendouree shopping centre. Unfortunately, Stella had some sort of stomach bug and wasn't up to going out. So Wendy and I went to Wendouree anyway. She hadn't been there before, it has places for lunch, it made her trip up from Melbourne worthwhile.

I called in to see Stella on Saturday to find that she was much better. She had been unhappy about missing out on her shopping trip on Friday but did agree that it is unwise for people with stomach upsets to out adventuring. I am working Wednesday and Thursday this week so we will try again on Friday (I am hoping to get back to my regular Wednesdays and Fridays in the immediate future!!!)

In the meantime, Lindsey and I took her out to lunch at the Red Lion on Sunday. I rang mid-morning to see if she was well enough for a Sunday roast. While we were chatting she said that she wasn't sure where her phone was. I considered this. If you can't find your phone, how are you talking to me? You could hear her thinking: Stupid woman, as she replied: I'm using my Apple Watch of course!  Not bad for a 90 year old.

We have been to the Red Lion once before. Lindsey and Stella rather liked it but I thought I preferred the Golden Point. But, you know, we need to spread the love. And this time I decided I did rather like the Red Lion. In the first place, they do a roast on Sundays, which the Golden Point does not. And it was much cosier than the Golden Point. We will go there again

The plates of food were ENORMOUS and very delicious. Hugo was appreciative of the size of the plates - we took the left overs home in a doggy bag for the doggy.

Winter may have officially started on Saturday but the weather has been on the chilly side for a few weeks now.  The silverbeet is thriving still but the capsicum plants were beginning to suffer. I picked the little capsicums and pulled the plants. Now I have another bowl of shiny jewels on the kitchen bench, next to the bowl of shiny tomato jewels:

They make the kitchen very cheerful.

Morning Sky, from my front porch

 

Magpies, the Market and Morning Light

There are lots of magpies who live in the trees around my place. We get other birds as well: sometimes kookaburras, cockatoos, rosellas. We get lots of large black birds, like crows and currawongs, plus, occasionally, very small birds who I think are passing through. There is one magpie in particular who regularly visits the fences around the house. Often it's just pottering around. Sometimes it is tormenting the cats (I am certain it's deliberate - you can almost hear it laughing!). And it frequently stops for a drink and a bathe in the bird bath in the front garden.

The cats were sleeping on my bed,
so didn't notice the visitor

I went to the market on my own on Saturday. Lindsey was at a conference in Cairns. It was a glorious morning and, although I went quite early, it was already very busy. I was VERY impressed that I nabbed a parking spot right by the entrance - a feat worthy of Ian who almost always finds convenient parking spots that elude the rest of us

Straight across the road and into the market

I have topped up my olive oil supplies from the Phoenix Olive Grove, my feta cheese from the Blue Bay cheese people, tomatoes and cucumbers from the Yendon tomato farm. I bought a chicken shish from Kazzam, the Middle Asian food people, which I had as brunch. Then I went to Wilsons for a few extra veg. Then I went home

A shiny bowl of jewels on the kitchen bench

Evening light:

And morning light:

Stella's care home is locked down because of a covid outbreak. The lockdown takes the form of the cancellation of all communal activities, including meals, which are served in the residents' rooms. They can leave their rooms, for a "walk" or to go out. Wendy took Stella out for lunch last Friday, so she is not absolutely in solitary confinement. But she is bored. I think they may have to restart the activities sometime soon - I have noticed people trickling back into the television room and hanging out in the little sitting rooms! Also, the outbreak appears to be dying down. I do understand the need to keep the residents safe from plague and pestilence, but mental health is important too!

Vanilla slices do a lot for people's mental health!

I am once again working Tuesday and Thursday this week. I expect to revert to Wednesday and Friday next week. But then again - I expected to be doing Wednesday and Friday this week until last Thursday. Anyway, I can't go to work in my pyjamas and snuggly dressing gown so I had best go and have a shower and get dressed!