Back in Moree --------- Again

 What a long way we have travelled in the last few weeks!  Pity it's up and down the same route and not wandering around.
It was very cold back home at Milnes Bridge but Dominic kindly brought some wood out to us so that we could have a fire.  He had Jemma with him, so she stayed and entertained us for a couple of hours.

Melbourne weather wasn't very good but at least the houses were warm!  We stayed at Rachel's in Croydon Sth and went to Box Hill to help Talitha during the day. 

Indy had Open Day and a concert at school during the week.  The little string orchestra demonstrated their skills and Indy also had a solo with his violin.   His violin is half size and a much smaller girl had a quarter size.  Indy joined us after he finished his part of the concert and I was happy to stay and enjoy the school choir.  He very politely asked me if I wanted to listen to the choir or do a tour of the school.  I asked him what he would like to do and was told that it was my choice.  I read between the lines and opted for the tour.  That was definitely the right  answer!  We met his teacher and admired some of his work but the greatest amount of time was given to the brand new cookery and resource centre.  Everywhere  we walked, someone spoke to Indy ---- kids from school, their younger siblings, teachers, parents.  He's a popular little boy.  Spending time with him and with Jemma, reinforced what I had always said ----- that teaching 8 and 9 year olds was my favourite job.   These two will be 9 in late June and mid August.

Tatum was working from home for a a lot of the time that we were there, which was good as it meant we could see more of her.   She and Adam now have a web page for their business,  2Minds Marketing.
Tatum is working very hard at present.  In addition to her upcoming Uni exams and getting the new business going, she is doing promotional work for two other places.

Andrew came out for dinner during the last few days of his stay in Australia.  It was great to see him with Rachel and Talitha ---- joking, teasing, laughing, like they always used to do when they were much younger.   Rachel was in about Year 8 when Andrew started Uni.  Now the age gap seems to have narrowed.   Life's experiences level us out, don't they!!  

Steve wanted to pick Talitha up and bring her to Rachel's but she was determined to drive.  It's her left arm that had the operation and it was heavily bandaged and not able to be bent.   She drove with either Maddy or Josh sitting beside her, to change the gears!  GRRRR.   The operation seems to have been  successful in that feeling is returning to the numb fingers but when she saw the doctor a week after the op, he said that the wound hadn't healed. 

It was a tiring drive back and I haven't slept much since.  Still, there's a wealth of time to make up for that.   I do know that my spirit is rejuvenated by having seen my lovely family.

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Hasty scribbles

We left Moree on Friday and arrived home on Monday.  That's a record for me!    I slept, with my legs stretched out on the dashboard.  Steve was able to stop and go shopping, without me waking.  Even when we arrived here, I slept!      Now I have to be able to make the return trip the same way.

We had a short but excellent visit with Andrina and Ana.  Andrew is staying a little longer and will go down to Melbourne with us tomorrow.  We all had dinner at the Tavern in Cohuna, with Dom and two of the kids.  We saw Sam briefly, as he waited for a ride to his rehearsal, so Mandy is the only one not seen.  It's a pity to miss her but maybe we can see her in Kerang on Wednesday.      
The Tavern's menu has changed radically, much more expensive but really delicious.

Tarl had her compressed nerve operated on at the Austin Hospital on Monday.  It went well but there's a fair bit of pain.   Josh is hobbling around on crutches due to a sprained ankle.  We'll be down there to help out tomorrow.

We've sort of overcome the clothing problem.   After spending the last 10 winters in Moree, we don't have any warm clothing.  We managed up here, with bits and pieces layered but I don't know how I will do in Melbourne's fickle weather.

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Off and away

It rained --- finally!   Not a lot but the weather turned cooler immediately afterwards, so the ground is staying damper for longer.
My freesias and mint are thriving in the ground and the pots of bulbs are all sticking up their heads.  Les, next door, is going to look after them while we are away for the next 10 days.

We are leaving Moree today and headed for our Northern Victorian home.  Next Wednesday, we will go from there to Melbourne.
At long last, Talitha is to have the operation on a compressed nerve in her arm, next Monday, so we will be there to help her out for a while.

We will see Andrew, Andrina and Ana in Cohuna on their annual visit from Germany.  I've already had a great success at talking with Andrew on Skype.  I don't know why the video connection doesn't show up for everyone.

Jill, the masseuse, had her small motorbike stolen from where it was chained to the front of her van.  The thieves also stole big bolt cutters so that they could liberate it.  The Police had a fair idea who had done this and they found Jill's bike there, torched.  Her husband Murray's bike wasn't taken but 3 other bikes were taken from premises in town on the same night. 

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Remiss

How remiss of me.  Debbie reminded me that I hadn't reported that her brother had arrived back here!    Yes, Steve came home, around 5.30am last Friday, hale and hearty.  He brought back a few things that we had forgotten.  One was the breadmaker so we're filling the annexe with that mouthwatering smell of fresh bread.

The days are still remarkably warm and there has been no sign of any rain.  It was a lovely day for the market on Sunday.   I bought some mint, but am still deciding where to put it; also a punnet of mixed colour freesias which I've put in the ground near the en suite.     The day before we left home, I planted semi-circular containers of bulbs and to my great surprise, the little star flowers were up by the time we arrived here.   They are similar to the picture but not the same.  The ones I planted grow individually in the lawn and reappear each year.

Steve has been busy with bits and pieces in the caravan.  Yesterday's addition was one of those fly net curtains that snap shut with a magnet.  The mosquitoes are voracious this year and the old weighted fly curtain wasn't keeping them out.

I've continued having 2 massages a week with Jill but she is leaving next week.  Her husband's job on the harvest has finished and they are moving elsewhere.  Then I'll drop back to one massage a week, with Tom.

I messed around incessantly with my Skype program and finally got Andrew, with video.  We talked for an hour ---- luxury!   We have made the decision to go back to Cohuna and visit them there.  I'm still dithering about whether to see the new visiting surgeon in Cohuna.  I guess I'll dither until it's too late!  We've decided that seeing as we will be "so close" we will go on to Melbourne and see everyone down there.   Exact date isn't set yet but it will be before the end of May.

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Gone for the car

I've been on my own here for the last 24 hours.  Steve caught the pretend train, a bus, on Wednesday morning, 8am and arrived in Cohuna at 9.30am on Thursday.  The bus went only to Gunadah because of track repairs.  The train from Sydney arrived in Albury on time, which meant that he was able to catch the early bus instead of the one that meanders around the countryside.  

He texted a zillion times and rang this morning to say that he had slept while he travelled and was wide awake, so was heading back here in the car.  Neville predicts that he will arrive here in the wee small hours of Friday --- he knows Steve and his cat naps.

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