THE MOON

A BIG BRIGHT MOON setting this morning, tonight is the super blood moon, the moon closest to the sun and an eclipse.  I saw this years ago as the moon rose over Port Phillip Bay.   5.30a.m. sitting on the bonnet of my car parked with heaps of others along the brighton baths sea wall. It was freezing but the spectacle of the moon as it became a deep reddish brown was worth it.

I'm praying for no cloud tonight

FOUR WEEKS ON . . . nearly

I HAD MY OP four weeks ago.  it's been a steady improvement ever since.  Walking slowly immediately with a stick,  then after a week at Gail's the two day drive home was comfortable and when she left two days later i felt quite OK to be home alone, even without a licence.

Since then my natural length stride has returned and i'm allowed to drive since midweek, and i've had A BATH!!   pure heaven after weeks of waiting.   and no painkillers since last week - i probably could have stopped earlier.  It's been remarkable.

This week i did three market days, unusual for here but the big Murray/Darling conference was being hosted by wentworth this year so the Makers set up a great looking market in the foyer of the old club which is now the future civic centre/library/visitors centre.

Good old Derek drove me and helped set up the stall

i had some illustration and black and white photos on display as well as

selling and signing

books.

anne had great eco dyed work and wore

some as well.  she looked great.

WAKING UP TO ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY,  lucky i could sleep in till 8.30, i was so tired after the first six hour day i crawled into bed and went to sleep at 6.30!!

Nice to relax in the sun and watch the birds enjoying the newest birdbath

from the couch (where i was comatose) i watched the lovely paddle steamer taking delegates around the junction at twilight

Clair Bates with her basketweaving

Six hours tuesday and wednesday, i was completely stuffed but i got to use my new eftpos card reader.  Sales were so easy.  lots of people in drifts, afternoon was a bit of a waste of time but it was good just to be putting on a lively event for inter and intrastate visitors.

Then on Sunday our lovely old stone St John's Anglican church celebrated it's 150th with a day of prayer, speeches and live music, with CWA food and Scouts sausage sizzle and our market filling up the grounds.   i made around $300 each market day so it was definitely worth doing and good to catch up with everyone too.

AND NO PLANS to do anything similar for a very long time.   Rest and knitting this week.

the beautiful stone walls of the church

Kathy from Nolen's Flowers and Garden


The moon is so bright at night it feels like a full moon already.  next one is a super blood moon with
eclipse on Wednesday.



EAST SKY WEST SKY - two nights ago. 
today it's raining!!!!  

ALMOST TWO WEEKS since my hip replacement and i'm home :0)  my mobility is good, slow and careful but improving every day.  the time at Epworth couldn't be faulted, staff without exception were on the ball, friendly, informative, efficient.   And the hospital itself is new, spacious, well planned and easy to navigate.  A good experience all round.  

lovely flowers from susan were waiting for me in my room after the op.

Gail picked me up after four days and i've spent a very relaxed week in her home/haven.  plenty of time to rest and enjoy the changing patterns of light on gail's windows, knit, watch movies and play scrabble.  and receive visitors - lovely 

Had a lovely lunch at Jack Rabbit winery on the Bellarine Peninsula with susan and gail on what must have been the most beautiful autumn day this year.  a silvery sparkling setting looking out over the bay to the you yangs. I bought an orchid for sunny for her first mother's day.

Sunny came down with adorable Etta who's 

almost one now! where did that year go??

the velour hoodie i knitted fits perfectly :0)

I cooked dinner the second night i was at Gail's - i'm delighted to be able to move around so soon after the op.  it really is amazing.

We arrived home here on the river yesterday after a really good two day trip. my hip wasn't a problem in the car.  getting in and out is a bit of an process, i just have to remember to take my time.

On the first day we stopped at st arnaud for lunch and had a cruise around that pretty little town.  i found a bookshop that had two of my books, signed them for Gavin the owner.

There are a lot of murals around st. arnaud, all by the same artist and monochromatic.  they seem to fit in with the very old buildings.  St Arnaud seems almost untouched by time, the main street shops all have their original shopfronts with copper edged windows and lovely old tiles.  three lovely old pubs.  we had lunch at the Farmers Arms

               GAVIN at the Bookshop in St Arnaud

Then on to the Royal Hotel at Sea Lake which has been brought back to life by the local community.  it's been boarded up for years but now it's a hub of activity, lots of people there for dinner on a monday night. open fires, great understated decor, comfortable rooms and a gorgeous big balcony where we breakfasted with the crossword.    They'll be hugely busy once international tourism gets going again.

perfect scotch fillet

our room slept four and was only $95 - the whole
hotel is heated too

It's only about a 21/2 hour drive home from

sea lake,  the trip felt perfectly timed, easy.

we pulled over and picked up these

perfect tumbleweeds - i've always

wanted to put them in the garden

somewhere, i think the wrens would

love popping around on these :0)

 

We arrived home to find everything fine, had a wander round the garden and found various intriguing treats that had been left by ann, ann and lee.  they enjoyed their time here and i loved knowing the house was filled with lovely people.

Gail's here till tomorrow, we're off to the pictures today and i'll get my dressing off.  that'll feel good, it pulls and i think i'll be much more comfortable without it. 

GREAT TO BE HOME!!

IN HOSPITAL

 I ARRIVED IN GEELONG on April 27 and had a nice easy night with susan and sean, martinis and too much wine 😳  and a beautiful meal of salmon.   A good trip down through the Mallee and the essential stop at Birchip bakery for vanilla slices and beestings. 

Susan and i had a lovely long walk around Corio Bay and through the botanical gardens which are looking lush and really beautiful.

Friday i had appointments at the hostpital and Saturday i was admitted at 8.30.  Had my hip replacement around 1.00  and arrived in my room to find flowers from susan already there

My room is large and airy with huge windows and a view to the horizon, very comfy and staff here at the Epworth are all wonderful, not one person (and i've seen scores) has been anything but really friendly and helpful.

I was up and walking with help that day, next day with an elbow crutch and today with a walking stick and without.   It's been an incredible result so far, i'm really happy.

I'm being discharged tomorrow and will have a week at Gail's.  The Anns are heading up to my place today with Lee Burgemeestre and it's going to be a lovely warm weekend for them