Sunday, October 1

 Often, on a Saturday evening, Marilyn will ask me to check the weather forecast for the next day and I know she has ideas of washing the sheets.  For today, the forecast was for cloud in the morning with clear skies in the afternoon.  Sounded reasonable, so the decision was made.

I woke at the usual time and the skies were clear.  Marilyn set about stripping the bed while I dealt with the issue of putting the clocks forward.  The phones and other technology look after themselves, of course, but there's still an old analogue clock on the wall which has to be adjusted by hand.  It was given to Marilyn when she left Cathedral School in Townsville; it's not particularly attractive but it has some sentimental value.  The problem is that it has a frame on it and is a bit fiddly to deal with, especially as I am becoming very clumsy in my old age.  But, I persevered and it was soon done.

Over the years, I have collected a number of watches and I keep them in a nice display box.  Some work with batteries, others need winding but I haven't been very good at keeping them up-to-date.  However, there are still three or four which I need to deal with and, when that is done, I think my work is complete, at least until the end of summer, when it all has to be done again.

But, as I'm making the bed I notice the bedside clock is wrong.  I've changed 7 clocks or watches this morning and I think that's a bit over the top.

 

Saturday, September 30

It was great to get back to the Poetry and Writing groups yesterday.  The Poetry group is a collection of very odd individuals ranging from a very toffee-voiced English woman to others more like me.  A new fellow joined us yesterday but two or three others dropped out.  That seems to be the pattern: people come and test the water, find it's not what they expect and cut their losses.  I don't know how we stop the rot; perhaps Poetry is just not a 'thing' in this modern world.

The Writing group is another thing entirely.  We have a core of about 10 long-term stalwarts and others join from time to time.  Two more newbies turned up yesterday.  One will stay, I expect, but I'm not sure about the other.  It will be hard if the group gets too big because we could easily run out of time to listen to our stories, and that's really what it's all about.

My story about Prince Charming and Cinderella's marriage was well-received.  I called it 'In Search of a Happy Ending', and I'll post it on my other blog, '1000 Words or Less' so I don't lose sight of it.

Thursday, September 28

We're having a quiet day today.  Jamie has taken his gang up to Beauty Point to visit Sea Horse World which is quite spectacular.  Since we were there last (years ago) they've brought in platypuses (platypi?) as well, which will be great for the kids.  We have Archie who is enjoying the break from being on duty looking after three energetic kids.  He's been sleeping since he arrived, gathering his strength for when they come back to collect him.

I'm getting prepared for the start of next term at the School for Seniors which is tomorrow.  My first story is about what happened when Prince Charming and Cinderella realise they were married too quickly.  I'm limited to 800 words which I find suits me well as I don't have the patience to develop a story into a longer format.  I've also prepared my next collection of poems for the day I take my turn at leading the group.  There are many, many poems out there so there is no hardship in selecting 8 or 10 for sharing. I included one by the well-known UK comedienne, Victoria Wood.  It's called 'The Ballad of Freda and Barry' and is a bit risqué, but I think they'll enjoy reading it out loud.  We'll see!

Wednesday, September 27

Jamie had a couple of busy days organised and Madi wanted the kids to have some time at home.  We had picked up some books from the library for them and  Made thought a quiet day with little excitement would be good.  So Marilyn offered to take in lunch for them.  What would they like?  On Tuesday, after discussion, they decided they would like party pies so we called in to Banjo's, bought party pies, sausage rolls and various sweet things and everything was very well-received.

Today, the same question was asked.  What would you like for lunch? I reckoned they would ask for party pies again, but, in fact, they asked for sushi.  Sushi?  What kids ask for sushi for lunch?  Luckily, our local supermarket sells nori rolls so we were able to satisfy the request. I suspected that only Macie would be interested but the three of them seemed to enjoy their sushi and there was nothing left.

Kids of today are not not like they were when I was young!

Monday, September 25

 Jamie was taking the kids to Riverbend Park today and invited us to join them.  This park is relatively new and was developed on a piece of spare industrial land by the Council soon after the Silos Hotel was opened.  It's fantastic. The centrepiece is a large construction called the Skywalk.  It's essentially a rope bridge, accessed in various ways and several ways to get back to the ground.  It's free-standing and well-protected so even timid kids can attempt it.  Macie, 7 years old, was up it like a shot and Juniper (4) was not far behind.  I was astounded.  I almost expected Silas, who is turning 3, might have joined them, but he was intent on a particular slide and wouldn't leave it.  

There were hundreds of people there, of all ages, all having a great time.  There was a cold wind but Launceston residents have become used to that and don't feel it any more.

Marilyn wanted to buy the kids some clothes so we headed off to Kmart.  I have to say there's not much fun in taking three kids shopping.  I left them to it and wandered off to look at something more interesting.    They all got something useful and Marilyn allowed them to choose something they really wanted as well.  I think we might be wise to take them shopping one at a time in future; when three little kids are demanding and pulling at your clothes all at once, it's not much fun.

Sunday, September 24

 I've managed to get hold of the complete series of Inspector Morse and we've been watching them happily for the past few days.  There's something about shows from this era; they run at a more leisurely pace, the actors are more 'real' and not over-handsome or over-quirky, and the stories have some meat to them.  I particularly like the classical music which overlays the Morse episodes.

One problem is that the original shows were filmed in a 16:9 ratio but modern TVs display in a 23.9:9, so the old shows only take up about 2/3 of the screen.  To avoid having two black strips edging the picture clever technicians 'stretch' the old picture to fit the new dimensions.  This leads to its own problems:the characters look short and squat and, worst of all, Inspector Morse's wonderful Jaguar Mark 2 loses its classic shape.

It think I'd prefer the black stripes.

Saturday, September 23

 Jamie and Nera have taken their visitors to the zoo today.  I have to confess that I did not know that we still had a zoo in Northern Tasmania.  I knew there was one years ago but had assumed that things like Covid and rising costs had taken their toll.  However, I was wrong and the Tasmania Zoo still thrives with attractions like lions, tigers, giraffes, etc.  

Marilyn and weren't included in the excursion and I'm just as happy to be staying at home.  The ground would be uneven and I'm not as nimble as I once was, and our entry tickets would have cost $32 each.  That's pensioner rate!  I've seen zoo animals before and can think of other ways to spend $64.

Jamie and Nera will have forked out about $138 for their gang and that's without the cokes and ice creams and bags of animal food to feed the inmates.  You have to look at it, though, from the point of view of the people who run the zoo.  Those animals must cost a fortune to feed and the potential client market is pretty small, so the income possibility could be patchy.  You can't afford to cut back on the animals' food; some would would be pretty nasty if they were hungry.

Friday, September 22

Madeleine and her three children arrived yesterday from. Brisbane and Jamie brought them around this morning to see us.  As you would expect, they hit the house like a hurricane: exploring and looking into everything like kids do.  Macie discovered the controls on Marilyn's chair which make the footrest go up and down and that was a great game for a while, Juniper and Silas found the little pots of theraputty I keep on the coffee table and decided it was just like Play Dough and decided the three different colours should be mixed.

They're great kids but full of energy; something we're just not used to.

Thursday, September 21

 A few weeks ago, Jamie helped a couple of friends move into a smaller unit.  The two men are filipino, one is quite severely disabled so they appreciated Jamie's help.  After the dust settled, Jamie took home many, many pot plants which wouldn't fit into the smaller yard, and a birdbath.  I've always wanted a birdbath.  It's possible that I might have let people know that I have always wanted a birdbath because it seems to be common knowledge among my family and friends.

My father used to say, "My wants are few," when we asked him what he would like for Christmas and I have tried to follow his philosophy but I have always wanted a birdbath, so you can understand how delighted I was when Jamie turned up with a birdbath in the back of his car.  It now sits in the front garden of our unit.

It's possibly not what I would have chosen if I were looking for one to buy.  It seems to be a naked child or cherub, balancing a bowl on his shoulders and is terracotta in colour.  However, I'm delighted to have it.  The local birds haven't shown any interest as yet but the weather is still a little chilly and things might change when Spring starts to take effect.  This morning, though, I heard the sound of birds through the front window.  I looked out and there were a couple of blackbirds scratching around in the bark around the feet of the cherub.  

It's a good start, although I would be happier if the birds were Superb Blue Wrens or Goldfinches, something a bit more colourful than the Common Blackbird, Turdus merula ... even the Latin name is nasty.

Wednesday, September 20

 When we moved to Longford it was always our plan that we would look for ways to involve ourselves in local activities. It's taken a while but, eventually, I joined the local men's Probus Club and I've been a pretty regular attender.  Marilyn has been a little more reluctant but yesterday she went to her first meeting with the Ladies' Probus.  Not the 'Women's' Probus , you understand, but the 'Ladies'.

It turns out that the Men's Club have about 23 members but the Ladies have over 50!  Marilyn was very impressed and has vowed to go again.  Their next meeting is to be a luncheon where all the 'ladies' will wear the club colours: blue and yellow.  Marilyn never wears yellow so we had to make a trip today to the local fashion shop to see what she could find.

She has ended up with a top in a chartreuse colour.  I can't tell the difference between chartreuse and yellow so I think she'll get away with it.

Madeleine and the three kids arrive tomorrow so excitement is starting to mount.

Tuesday, September 19

Every now and then, Marilyn has a rush of blood to the head and says that we have to start economising.  She's right; our regular Coles order has gone up by a lot, petrol has never been dearer,  and our income has not changed much at all.  Her first thought is to look at what we buy regularly and see where we can cut back and the first thing she notices is that we're buying more convenience meals than we once did.  I've been promoting this as I don't want her slaving in the kitchen; opening and microwaving a Butter Chicken is easy and it's a meal I enjoy.

However, my favourite pre-prepared Butter Chicken has gone up by a dollar or two and, when you multiply that by 7, it makes a difference to our weekly order.  I have to show willing so today I set about preparing my celebrated Chicken Casserole.  We found a box of 6 Marion Bay Chicken Legs on special at the supermarket: with some chopped carrot, turnip, potato and peas and tin of Cream of Chicken soup, it makes me at least three meals for a total outlay of about $10.

I'll sleep easy tonight knowing that I've done my share.

Monday, September 18

We've been watching a show called Bay of Fires which is set in Tasmania.  We assumed it would be about an actual pretty little town of that name on the East Coast but, instead, it's set in the south-west with all the filming being done in towns like Strahan, Queenstown and Zeehan.  Apparently the Tasmanian Government paid the ABC $1.5 million in an attempt to put Tasmania on the map.

I don't know how this show could ever encourage anyone to visit Tasmania.  All the locals are shown to be in-bred, sub-normal homicidal misfits, unwelcoming of any visitors.  It's a bit over the top; we're not all like that!  It's no wonder that people believe that all Tasmanians have two heads.

When we finish it, we've found another program set in Tasmania called Deadloch which was first shown on Prime.  Apparently it was very well-received and I hope it's better than Bay of Fires/

Sunday, September 17

The guest speaker at our Probus luncheon was a fellow who works for a company building a storage battery array at Poatina which is just up the road from here.  He was an American and he told us he was recruited to work for this organisation who have plans to build facilities in every state and territory.  The Tasmanian facility is just about the smallest at 200Mw, I think.  He didn't give us any handouts to refresh our memories so I might have it all wrong.

Poatina is an interesting town.  It was built in the 1960s as a village for workers building a hydro-electric dam and power station nearby.  It was a proper town with a shop and a school and a decent population.  After the construction was finished, most of the houses were vacated and some were moved away.  later on, a Christian organisation bought the whole village and established it as a drop-in centre for people needing to re-build their lives.  On a plane once, we met a young man travelling down from Sydney to have some time there; he was very excited and I often wonder how he got on.  The last population count was taken in 2016 and there were 96 people living there.

I suppose this new venture will revitalise the town and I regret not taking up the opportunity of buying a house there when they were on the market, years ago, for peanuts.

Saturday, September 16

The weather was pretty miserable when we woke up but the sun has come out and Marilyn is considering whether to to hang out the sheets.  Whatever she decides will be wrong, of course, but my opinion doesn't matter.  

We spent an hour or so completing the training Marilyn is expected to do for the job she has at the Referendum.  The AEC has saved money by re-using the training package from the last election and it was a bit disconcerting to be told what to do with House of Representative papers and Senate. 

I've opted out of working at this rodeo; I've done it for years and reached the dizzy heights of being Officer-in-Charge at a Polling Booth but those days are behind me. I'm happy to let the younger generation  play their part.

Friday, September 15

 I'm waiting for 11 o'clock to come around so I can enrol in my Seniors' courses for next term.  I can't understand why they make it so complicated: we need to enrol each term which means getting on to the computer just before 11 o'clock on a particular day, three times a year.  When the site opens, I quickly scan through to find the appropriate course, click on it, then move to the next course, click on it, move to the PAY section, enter credit card details, breathe a sigh of relief and hope that nothing has gone wrong. 

There's a limit on some courses so you have to be quick.  For the poor buggers who don't use computers, the office will accept enrolments, in person, next Tuesday.  I don't know whether they allocate some spaces for these luddites, otherwise they might miss out altogether.

I was rushed a bit because Marilyn has put her hand up to work at the Referendum and has been offered a position. She wanted my help in accepting the position which is done on-line and is just as complicated as  you might expect.  Anyway, that's done and we can forget about it for the time being.

Thursday, September 14

Every year, the Longford Probus Club has a lunch at the Bowls Club.  They invite the members of the local Women's Club, most of whom are their wives and a courtesy invitation goes out to other Probus Clubs who are not too far away.  I've visited a couple of times in the past representing the Deloraine Club but this year, of course, I'm there as a member and Marilyn came along as my guest.

One of their traditions is to have a Wine Raffle.  Each member 'donates' a bottle of wine and tickets are sold to the assembled multitude.  It must be a pretty good money-spinner.  I've never won a bottle at any time in the past and I've been aware that some lucky people win two or three, so I'm not always happy.

This year, of course, I was obliged to donate a bottle; I happened to have a nice bottle of Margaret River red which has been hanging around since my birthday so I duly took it along, paid my $5 for tickets and waited for the inevitable outcome - watching someone else winning all the prizes, and there were 19 of them.  As it happened, my ticket was drawn out when there were just two bottles left, and I ended up taking my Margaret River red back home with me.  Could have been worse!

Wednesday, September 13

 Jamie rang yesterday morning to say that he had broken a tooth and had made a dentist appointment. He was worried that he wouldn't be able to drive after the anaesthetic and he had a few other chores to do when he was out.  "Don't worry," said Marilyn, "Your Dad will come with you.  He's not doing anything else."

I suspected there was a gentle criticism there but I was happy to help out.

As it happened, he was quite capable of driving so I was just a passenger.  He had to change a couple of shirts at Target, and collect a couple of car seats for Madeleine's kids when they arrive next week.  Facebook Marketplace is a great thing.  He had managed to borrow one seat from a friend but had to buy two more and getting them second-hand is a bonus.  The first collection was at Windermere, just around the corner from our previous house at Dilston and the second at Carrick, a sleepy little hamlet on the highway which is in the midst of a building boom.  I couldn't believe how many units were being built, all for old folk who are clinging on to life much longer than ever before.

Tuesday, September 12

It's terrible to be a creature of habit but that's what I've become.  I tend to wake up at about 7 o'clock each morning.  I make Marilyn a cup of coffee (to keep her in bed) and I switch on the TV to catch up on what's happening on Youtube.  It's all rubbish, of course, but I need to check in to see what Scott and Steve are up to, and to catch up with videos from Kaga and other frequent travellers.  This morning, YouTube did not open.  What could be the matter?  I pressed a few buttons, found my way to the 'My Apps' section but it all looked fine.  I suspected I would have to delete the existing YouTube app and re-load it but wasn't brave enough.

Hopefully, Jamie will pop in today or tomorrow and he can do it for me.  In the meantime, I found a program I'd downloaded about Michael Palin in the Himalayas and that was OK, but not the same as becoming engrossed in the adventures of some intrepid amateur taking an overnight train across Europe.  

Monday, September 11

Talking about Madeleine's visit got us thinking about the trip we made to Japan and Marilyn reminded me that she had, stored away, a copy of the 'handbook' I had put together for the trip.  I realised the trip was likely to be a 'one-off' so it was important to make the most of the few days we had there.  Each day had an itinerary and an explanation of what we might experience.

On this day, September 11, in 2005 we were visiting the city of Kanazawa.  On the previous day we had been in Hakone but had hurried back to Tokyo to collect our bags and catch the evening train to Kanazawa where I wanted to visit Gib Gate's sister-school.  I remember we had to change trains at a place called Echigo-Yuzawa and we only had a few minutes to make the swap.  We couldn't find any signs to tell us where to go and found ourselves rushing up two flights of stairs to another level where our train was ready to depart.  What would have happened if we had missed it?  I hate to think!  Marilyn has reminded me that, just after the second train left the station,  a conductor came along and told us that we were on a different company's train and we would have to pay an extra fare.  He offered to let us off at the next station where we could wait for a JR train which would accept our rail pass but we declined and paid up.

The worrying thing about all of this is that it all occurred a lifetime ago.  Great memories, though!

Sunday, September 10

 I started writing this blog at the beginning of 2010 and, although it's not a complete record, I'm finding it invaluable for checking back to see what we were doing at a particular time.  But, I wish I had started writing it earlier.

Jamie popped in this morning and was talking about Madeleine and her kids coming to visit in a week or two.  In the conversation he commented on how she often she mentions a trip she made with Marilyn and me on her 10th birthday in 2005.  We went to Japan and that's one of the occasions I wish we had recorded better.  We took pictures, of course, and Madi has them all on a CD, but I like the security of words to record my feelings at the time.

We were travelling from Hobart and she was coming from Brisbane so we met up at Sydney airport for the flight. to Tokyo  We spent time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa and Hakone; we visited Disneyland and DisneySea, Universal Studios and we rode on the Thunder Dolphin, the fastest roller-coaster in Japan.  It was a wonderful trip.

Jamie mentioned it because he believes it has coloured Madi's life and simple things like visiting a Japanese-style bakery can bring back wonderful memories.

Saturday, September 9

Spring has certainly come to Longford; today was a beautiful day but we decided to spend it at home.  There was an Expo being held in the gym complex, organised by the Council to showcase all that Longford has to offer. My Probus Club was running a stall there and we were all asked to volunteer to be on duty for an hour or two, answering questions and touting for new members. I neglected to reply and I'm sure I wasn't missed.

That's two events in two days that I've missed: yesterday's funeral and todays's Expo.  In the old days, I would have fulfilled my duty without question. Am I becoming lazy in my old age or more choosy about how I expend my energy?  Marilyn also enjoyed her day at home although she did spend a half-hour or so, tidying up the remains of last year's pot plants.  She noticed that my rhubarb patch needs some attention and I can't imagine I'll be able to avoid that job tomorrow.

One important task I did fulfil was to select the dozen or so poems I'll need for my presentation to the Poetry Group next month.  Each of us takes it in turn to select some favourite poems to share with the group; now that it's done, I don't have to worry about it, although it's likely to be amended a couple of times before I have to share it. 

Friday, September 8

We should be getting prepared for a trip down to Deloraine today but, it's 10.45 and time is getting away. One of the older members of the Probus Club has died and his funeral is being held at 1 o'clock.  There's still time, if we hurried, but we are reluctant.  We have been gradually cutting our ties with Deloraine, the old gentleman was not a particular friend and it's raining - all good reasons why we might give this a miss.

I've transferred my Probus allegiance to the local Longford Men's Club and Marilyn has intentions of getting involved with the Women's equivalent and we have agreed that Deloraine is no longer our home town.

Still, I can't help feeling just a little bit guilty.

Thursday, September 7

Jamie had arranged that I would pick up Archie yesterday so I drove over early in the morning.  I thought everything was fine but Jamie commented that one of the front tyres on my car was looking a bit soft.  I didn't mention that I rarely check my tyres because I can't get down with the pump and service stations have done away with the 'service' bit and their employees are confined to sitting behind the counter selling pies and stuff.

Jamie also asked me when I last had the tyres rotated.  My first thought was that tyres rotate all the time but I realised in time that he meant when had the tyres been moved from one wheel to another.  I said I couldn't remember so he reminded me that it would be written on the little sticker in the corner of the windscreen.  By this stage, I was getting embarrassed so I confessed I never looked at the range of stickers because I couldn't read them anyway.  Jamie just sighed and said he would pick up the car in the afternoon and take it to the 'Tyre Place'.  I wasn't having that and said I would do it but that he was welcome to come with me.

He made an appointment and we rolled up.  Of course, the technician advised that I needed a new tyre to replace the soft one and it ended up costing me $238.  I also had to fill up with fuel which cost me $98 so it was an expensive day out.  But at least I can still drive!

Wednesday, September 6

I went to a Mens Table last night.  I had booked to attend one of these events before but a trip to hospital meant that I had to cancel at the last minute.  This time the invitation came through Jamie. The organiser, Ben, was putting together another group and met Jamie at one of the organisation he belonged to.  Ben remembered my name and asked Jamie to bring me along.

These groups are self-help groups for men.  Each 'table' has a dozen or so members who meet up monthly for a meal. Members can share their issues and get a sympathetic ear.  It's not about solving problems but simply offering support.  Ben started this initiative in Sydney but has now moved to Tasmania.  There are already 5 groups in Launceston.  He gets funding through state and federal governments but each 'table' is self sufficient.

I think I might be interested but I'll wait until one starts in Longford.  I wouldn't want to be in the same group as Jamie and, anyway, wouldn't relish the drive to and from Launceston on a cold winter night.

Monday, September 4

I mentioned recently that Marilyn and I are 'like Darby and Joan' in the way we are living our lives.  This comment amused Jamie who went looking on Google to find the origin of the phrase.  He found that there was a painting from about 1890 by James Charles and people began to compare older married couples with the subjects of the painting.

I can see how people might confuse the man in the painting with me but I can't see any glimmer of Marilyn in his partner. What a haunted look the poor man has in his eyes! (If the picture doesn't load, Google it yourself!)

Frederic Weatherly mentioned Darby and Joan in a Victorian poem.

Hand in hand when our life was May
Hand in hand when our hair is grey
Shadow and sun for every one,
As the years roll on;
Hand in hand when the long night tide
Gently covers us side by side–
Ah! lad, though we know not when,
Love will be with us forever then:
Always the same, Darby my own,
Always the same to your old wife Joan.

Sunday, September 3

 I've mentioned before that we have a good arrangement for mornings in our house.  I get up around 7 but Marilyn stays in bed for another hour or so with a coffee and her latest book.  I use that time to watch mindless videos about whatever caches my fancy.  However, with a visitor in the house, that comfortable arrangement comes apart.  Anne is an early riser too and I was reluctant to inflict on her the sort of things which interest me on Youtube.

But now we have the house to ourselves again, we're back to the old routine.  This morning I was delighted to find that two of my favourite Youtubers, Scott and Steve, had teamed up for a challenge.  They would both travel a particular route around Scotland, one travelling clockwise, the other anti-clockwise. On the way, there would be particular challenges.  It's the sort of nonsensical drivel that I enjoy.

Of course, there are two videos for me to watch: one from each of the participants.  I watched Scott's this morning and am saving Steve's for tomorrow.  I won't reveal the result because it doesn't matter.