Melbourne weekend then back home

We enjoyed our weekend in Melbourne..

(It felt a bit surreal after being bedside with Pa for a couple of days...my head and heart were still back in Sydney alot of the time)

Although we were all very tired, the Opera Barber of Seville was enjoyable.

Saturday awoke to Hot Air balloons aloft out our window..we had a lovely walk along the Yarra...a college rowing regatta was in progress...high excitement and activity. Then into the city for breakie and a wander around the shops.We visited the exhibition gallery at the State theatre and NGV. The weather deteriorated during the day but didn't worry us..The boys did The Edge..a viewing platform 88 floors up...dinner at The Blue Train then home for a quiet night.

Sunday we strolled up to a special breakie at The Hotel Windsor...yum ..jumped on the City Circle Tram...jumped off for a spontaneous visit to the Melbourne Aquarium to see the penguins (Quite amazing to see.. but sad they are in captivity)..then back to Ian Potter gallery at Fed Square to see Linda Jackson Bush Couture exhibition..Slowly made our way to airport happy to be heading home..

Monday and there is a fabulous sunrise as we get on with early chores...getting washing out and firewood in..

Tom is happy to head off to school.

John and I run like chooks all day, catching up on orders and filling new ones that come in during the day..

Tom and I do the walk to scouts...its quite cool and I'm glad I thought to put on an overcoat.. (hard to imagine  how hot I was in Sydney a few short days ago). I have a nice chat with Jason who is the dad of Finn. Jason is teaching at St James...they are newly arrived from Beechworth and are still settling in...

After dinner, I tidy up and head out to my first Book Club group at Danie's place just up the road. There are about 8 of us ,ranging in age from mid 30's to late 50's...such a great night of laughter and fun.  Apparently they have been meeting since 2008...and this is the first time everyone has read the same book "The Help".. I gather its not an real literary group..but we have a brief discussion about the novel, tuck into the "Southern" treats Danie made (Cornbread ,fried chicken and Pecan Pie) and generally enjoy eachother's company..a delightful bunch of women.

Tuesday and its overcast but not too cool today. The setting Moon is beautiful in the morning sky.

I get a bread baking then take a load of washing to the dryers across the road..as it won't dry outside today..

We have a quieter day today with orders...but John is kept busy for 3-4 hours making a several batches of Sphagni. I get to work on a new label for a Chestnut/Rosemary Shampoo and Conditioner range we are thinking of doing soon.

One of the ladies from Monday night, Vicki, calls in just to say hi...really nice..

Its lovely and sunny out. I take a walk to warm up a bit...its chilly in the shop.

I go to 'Near and Far' to buy Ma some socks for mothers Day. Gillian, who used to work at Lotus Eaters is there with her baby Georgia, and I offer to have a cuddle  of Georgia while Gilly does her shopping...lovely.

Ryan came over with Arlo after work and we enjoyed a long discussion about our house plans and costs etc.. lots to think about.

Tom and Arlo had a great play.. 

We have a quiet night.

Wednesday and we doze in a bit this morning. Its dark, grey and wet out today. I get the fire going in the shop before breakie.

Tom does some letter writing to his friend Jahan after breakie.

I go over to Kitchen class today.. We bake little Apple Pies and Brownies. The children have a taste and get to take some home for their Mums for Mothers Day.. Its a hectic morning, but I love being there.

We have a few orders today ..and I do more label work.

A number of customers are in for various things which is nice.

Tereza, another lady from Monday night group drops in to give us some eggs.. such a delightful surprise.

We have more wood delivered today...will definitely come in handy.

The afternoon closes in early today.

I bake a cake after dinner and have a lovely long chat with Sandra.

Thursday and its grey but not cold out this morning.

There are more Autumn colours up and down the street.

Lotus Eaters have a lovely display as usual

John goes up to Wattle Grove with Ryan and Dave (builder) for the morning to meet with excavation guy and a plumber. They discuss Cawthorn's Rd upgrade and driveway construction as well as tank placement near house site...We are trying to tighten up our costing of the house project before we commit to proceed. Still have to wait for settlement of Windyhaugh before we make any final decision.

I have a busy morning of customers and orders...a pleasant morning.

After lunch I go over to Tom's class to help with craft activities. Today we make and package foot massage cream for Mother's day presents..Its pretty messy...but we have a lovely time. Kim and Sharon are great fun to work with.

John and Tom go for a walk down to the Apple Stand on the road to Lymington...on the way out of town. John heard that there are good Granny Smith apples on sale there...

The boys buy three bags of local apples...yummy

After homework and dinner I head off next door to Zumba...

Not so daunting this week..even though I am way behind Claudia's moves!! I just try to enjoy the workout.

Friday and the day starts bright but a cold change is predicted.

I notice the new St James Stephanie Alexander Kitchen garden sign...looks good.

As the morning progresses the day darkens..

We have a quiet morning...but enjoy customers that come in and get on with some re-stocking of shelves and paperwork.

Orders come through the day and we watch the rain come and go.

An order of new books arrives for us to unpack and price. Some interesting Tassie books..should do well with the locals and tourists..

I had invited Anne, Gemma and Noah (the family who come from Sydney just before us) over for afternoon tea...but Anne rang to say she was bogged and couldn't get here...Oh well...maybe next week.

We snuggled down to a quiet night in as the rain became steady...and the evening cooled down..

Saturday and the weather came and went ...I got on with some loads of washing..

Ned called in to look at making another book display area in the shop.

Ryan and Arlo arrived as we plan to go up to Wattle Grove to peg out the proposed house site.

But first...morning tea at Red Velvet to get us going...

Thre are fleeting glimpses of blue sky on our drive up...

It was pretty cool and the rain came and went , but we had an exhilarating time up on the hill. John and I began dismantling the old fence near the house site while Ryan pegged out the house. tom and Arlo had a great time playing under the trees then up on Tom's 'weather station'.

It was wonderful to get a feel for how the house may stand on the site..

Back home we shared a late lunch of Lotus Eaters panini's  and some more good conversation..before Ryan and Arlo headed home to Woodbridge.

We were happy to stoke the fire and have a tasty pasta meal as the day closes in.

Tom went to bed with the promise of breakie in bed for me tomorrow for Mother's day ...yay

A chill in the air...

Sunday and I soon realise when on my walk , that it will not be market day today..The signs are not out and we check the calender and see its the 5th Sunday. Markets only run on 1st and 3rd.

The Asian vege stallholders have arrived anyway...

We potter for a bit in the morning..The boys get their Coffee/Hot Choc fix...and I do some vege shopping.
John wants to go looking for some coarse sand and a plant called Petasites...that someone told him is growing at Sandy Bay..so we head out and take the old Huon/Hobart road.. A very pretty drive. We stop at a landscape supplier and buy the sand..then on to take a look at Greenhills Nursery (for future reference)..It's pretty chilly out...and we can see snow on Sleeping Beauty and Mount Wellington.

We drive up through Fern Tree then decide to do Mt Wellington summit....Tom is very excited to see it snowing as we reach the top. Lots of powdery snow and Tom and I delight in a little snowball throwing...We take a fairly quick walk about and soon head back to the warmth of the car...

We stop down in South Hobart for a bite to eat and have a stroll up the street to look in the windows of interesting shops. Thomas is always on the lookout for seeds since we did our Oak and Chestnut collecting... He and John soon get busy picking up some lovely seeds on the footpath..with plans to plant then this afternoon.

We drive over to Sandy Bay and look for the Petasites...but it is not where John was told it would be...sad..
Oh well...head home for a snooze..
John and Tom get on with plantings and I do a bit more sewing and take a load of washing over to the laundromat to dryers...

I notice Matthew Evans is preparing a meal at the Old Bank B&B as I walk by...there is a long table set and he is hovering around looking busy...
We enjoy pumpkin soup and bread for dinner and settle in with the fire going...making it a cosy evening.
Tom and I make a Wholefood Brownie recipe...its pretty rugged...not real sweet and very chocolaty. (It would remind Aaron of my Organic chocolate muffins!!...he was not impressed). Well..so much for my venture into wholefood cookery..

Monday and its very fresh out. I strike frost as I cross the footbridge at Burton's Reserve...its very slippery underfoot.

I aways feel such a thrill to see swans flying overhead.

Tom goes to school in winter uniform today...so out comes the tie !! Oh joy.. he thinks!!
John gets the fire going first thing in the shop...as it is cool in the flat we gravitate to the shop while we have our breakfast..

John and I have orders and customers throughout the morning. Dave the chef from Peppermint Bay drops in with some friends from Melbourne to show them the shop. We have a chat about a contact person he knows who may have plants we need.
John makes up a new cream for an order from Lismore Acupuncture Clinic and I get the label made up and printed.
The day isn't warming up alot.. I take  walk up to the post to get warm...but end up coming back and putting more layers on...Brrrr.
Conor our local Irishman comes in for a chat. He was born in a small town called Abbeyfeale in County Limerick.. and has seen alot of Australia. He worked with a Circus for awhile and visited lots of small towns, worked in the mines in Qld and rode a motorbike up to Cooktown...interesting.
We have a really busy afternoon with a few large orders and customers too

...I even sell my first handmade hat to a couple from Surges Bay (across the river) who are travelling to NZ and wanted to take gifts. ( They also bought a Sphagni Rose..and a book.)
Tom is keen to get to scouts and John is busy rigging up a makeshift  mini glasshouse to protect some special plants from frost...so I walk Tom down to Burton's reserve.

We have a cosy night at home.

Tuesday and its not so cold out this morning. There is a lovely display in the shop across the road...now called "Trove".

John gets away about 7.45 to head to Greenhills Nursery in search of sugar Maples.
Tom and I get on with the morning chores (after breakfast with friend)

I get started on some orders ..Tom goes happily off to school.
I also get a rye soughdough baking for lunch...yumm

John arrives back happy with his purchases and we get stuck into some big orders that keep us busy beyond lunchtime.

Its a quieter afternoon, so we potter about doing various jobs..
Tom has ballgames after school again today...He really loves it.
Lovely to see Tom snuggled up in his bed at night...

Wednesday and its a cool start....and the events of last night unfold... I am now a Great-Aunt to Edward Bowman...congrats to all.

Pa had a fall yesterday and X-ray results late last night reveal a fracture...

After discussion with John, I decide to fly to Sydney today to support Libby over the next few days.

Pa is due for surgery on Thursday morning....

Thursday and Libby and I await Pa's return from surgery...an anxious wait.

So glad to have this time shared with Libby. We sit in a lounge area and where there is an incredible view from 10th floor ..(I can't help being the 'tourist' and taking a photo)

Pa comes through surgery well and now the long road to recovery begins..