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January
   The bits of stuff that fall in the cracks between Life, Music and Outrageous Fortune.
 
     
 


1) Richard, Mary, Loie and me wait for Lizzie's arrival 2) The same group at the MTC for the musical, Ladies in Black

3) The view of the Yarra Valley from the Oakridge Winery 4) L-R Susie, Jeremy, Loie, me, Mary and Maria

5) Loie at the Oakridge Winery 6) Richard, Loie, me and Mary celebrate with some bubbly before lunch at R&M's
 Mum's magical mystery tour
3.2.16 - Well, we had no real plans before Loie arrived and more or less winged it for the entire week, but it worked out OK. The wedding was on the Monday of course (pic 1) followed by the reception and Cranbourne Gardens as mentioned below, but we booked in to see the Tim Finn musical Ladies in Black on the Wednesday night (pic 2) and most of us quite enjoyed the show too.
The next day Maria had suggested we revisit the Oakridge Winery for lunch (pics 3 & 4) and it didn't let us down, with excellent food and wine and attentive service. Afterwards we visited the rather smelly Yarra Dairy where Maria bought some nice cheeses and we bade farewell to Jeremy and Susie, who insisted we stay with them when we go back to Auckland in April.
Friday saw us taking Mum up to Warrandyte for lunch with the Rudds (pic 6) and R&M put on a magnificent spread with Richard's slow-cooked marinated beef a highlight.
Richard and Mary met us at the bewilderingly busy airport the next morning to see Loie off. I spoke to her the next day and she said she had a reasonably comfortable trip home and was well looked after by the Air NZ staff on her arrival at Auckland airport.
To sum up, it was great to spend some time with Loie and see firsthand how well she's coping. She's evoked so much admiration from all and sundry for her ongoing enthusiasm and curiosity, not to mention her independence. We love her dearly and hope she'll be up to returning to Melbourne in the not-too-distant for another instalment.
 
     
 
Mum's the Word!

1) Mum keeps a wary eye on me in case I try to snap her 2) Maria and Mum on the Cranbourne Explorer
 Loie flies the flag for nonagenarians
26.1.16 - Maria and I picked up my mum Lois, (aka Loie), from the airport late on Saturday night and the very next day we were lunching with her and other members of the families concerned in downtown Carlton. (pic 1)
Yesterday (Monday) was my niece Lizzie and Ryan's wedding. Proceedings began in the afternoon with the actual wedding in Carlton Gardens at 4.00 and resumed at 6.30 with the reception at the Trunk Bar in Exhibition St. I'd been asked by Lizzie and Ryan to play The Song at 9.30 (which went famously despite my concerns that nobody in the young set would know anything about it) after which I really felt like heading home.
Mum wasn't having it at first - after all, she'd actually accepted an invitation to get up and dance (for a few minutes) - but at 10.45 we managed to persuade her that we were tired at least and she retired to Southbank gracefully.
This morning (Australia Day) we picked my resilient mum up from the Travelodge and whisked her out to Cranbourne to visit our fave native gardens there. (pic 2) Obviously her mobility's a little compromised these days, but for a ninety-one year old her endurance and zest for life is nothing less than remarkable. Good onyer Mum!
 
     
 
The festive season festers on..

1) A cool welcome from NSW as we cross the border 2) Chris exhibits his holiday stubble to an awestruck audience
2016 - bring it on!
15.1.16 - Already half way through January and not a po emptied! Maria and I have visited the ACT though (pic 1) and said hullo to M's parents and sibling as well as a few of her dear friends. We famously (see FB) visited the National Gallery (with Maria's mum) to check out the Tom Roberts' exhibition, which is a very comprehensive survey and well worth the visit.
Since we've come back to Melbourne's mercurial climate we've seen Chris on a regular basis (pic 2) and I've been getting things underway for my solo Fringe appearance in Adelaide - it's been a while since music has impinged on my daily life and I'm relishing the opportunity to polish my chops.
 
     
     
 
 
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