a good week

What had originally loomed as a week of doing pretty much exactly the same things that I would be doing if David didn't have a few days away at Marysville - including the annual Great Christmas Cleanup - has turned into something else entirely:

In a nice bit of synchronicity, Terry - friend of 35 years standing, was feeling in need of some Catsmum R & R while she came to terms with seeing one of her offspring [ adult, but ya'know, still mum's baby ] head off to Japan for a year.
So basically my week has been :

Monday:
Escort David into town, wait 'till his bus full of friends and carers was ready to go, then a quick coffee with Robyn who was in town for the same purpose, and a quick shop
some housework, knitting, and reading also featured

Tuesday:
Off to Daylesford for Purl's Princesses [ knitting group ] which would have been given a miss had David not been away on summer camp.
Synchronicity struck again while I was at Daylesford, when I fielded a phone call from #1 son asking if he could stay the night as he would have a 5am start working in Castlemaine on Wednesday... well d'uh !!! like I would EVER choose to forgo seeing the offspring who lives 2 1/2 hours away !! Anyway, as D was away that meant no one had to sleep in the spare room with its single [ twin ] bed: Terry would have Nadie's queen size and Stephen would have David's. That would work.
Purl's was followed by lunch with Robyne [ not to be confused with OtherRobyn-without-an-e ] at her gorgeous, quirky, interesting, yet elegant house at Eganstown.
This was a leisurely affair involving a really interesting quiche with pinenuts, salad, fruit and my contribution: PND's homemade fetta goat cheese, garden, sun and more goats - yup this is THAT Robyne ... goat owner and wife of he who pedicures my goaty girls.
The sun was shining, there was not a cloud in the sky
bliss
Soon enough but not too soon it was time to head for home and then into town to pick Terry up from the train followed by lots of talking, cups of tea - plural, the greeting-medicating**-and-watering of #1 son, food, more talking, some knitting, more talking while #1 son worked on his laptop, and finally bed with a book.

Wednesday:
a five o clock start for me courtesy of the goats so I was on my third cuppa by the time Terry surfaced. In true Hobbit fashion I happily had second breakfast so's to keep her company while she was having first breakfast. Thereinafter ensued a period of mutual reading-in-the-sun-with-animals followed by a trip back to Daylesford, retail therapy and lunch followed by general sitting around reading and my world famous pumpkin sweet potatoe and leek risotto for dinner.

Thursday:
a similar leisurely start [ although the goats let me sleep in until 7 ] and then off to Maldon for more retail therapy [ Terry could Shop for Australia in the retail Olympics ] , coffee and then home for my equally world famous spicy rice and chickpea soup for lunch, after which Terry's hubby arrived to take her home. Dennis used to work with my late husband back in the days when I first started going out with Marc, and we've been firm friends ever since.

David was dropped home about an hour lateralong with the traditional returning-home-gift-for-mum of a postcard and a suitcase full of dirty laundry

Today:
Some reading
Some tv
Some getting drenched while bathing Bear
and
some pulling down the Christmas decos in the kitchen.
That is as far as I've got.
This is the kitchen Christmas detritus.
Not all
not even most
some

** Stephen is asthmatic and hyper sensitive to the cats so even with a precautionary double dose of vacuuming, we start every visit with antihistamines just to be on the safe side.