MONDAY 20 SEPTEMBER     MORNINGTON

We drove to home. Got a later start than intended because John slept in.

We pruned the kiwi fruit vines – heavily. Left the clippings piled up in the vegie garden. They are such rampant plants that they must be pruned every year, or they grow all over the roof and displace tiles. Hopefully, when they have dried out a bit, K will pile them up and burn them.

The work had not been finished before it was time for John to go to the dentist, for his 2pm appointment, and he was annoyed about that.

While he was in the dentist – for ninety minutes – I went back and finished the cleaning up after the pruning.

John was a little shaky after the dental ordeal, so I drove back to Mornington – in heavy traffic.

We left the contents of the roof rack in John’s shed, at home, because we are finally going to get the new one, under warranty.

Tea was soup.

SUNDAY 19 SEPTEMBER     MORNINGTON

We spent a quiet morning, after a sleep-in.

After lunch we drove to the new Bunnings Warehouse that has set up locally. John had an enjoyable browse and I tagged along.

We are feeling quite aimless and it is not a pleasant feeling.

Tea was soup and leftover pizza. We are even eating rather poorly!

FRIDAY 17 SEPTEMBER     MORNINGTON

We had a quiet day.

Drove into Mornington, then walked around the shops. It is a large and varied shopping centre.

I got the latest film processed – the family ones from the funeral were pleasing, and I put three of the negatives in to get prints done for the whole family.

We bought fish and chips for tea.

TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER     MORNINGTON

We pottered about in the morning.

Drove to Moorabbin to Harvey Normans, for John to look at computer games. He bought one called Worms Armageddon. This will be his birthday present.

We refuelled Truck at a cheap outlet in Frankston – 70cpl.

The Landrover dealer phoned and rescheduled the Truck service.

We went to E – John’s sister’s, at Mornington, for tea, which was pleasant.

SUNDAY 12 SEPTEMBER     MORNINGTON

It was a very pleasant, typically spring day in Melbourne.

We had to be at Beaumaris by midday, because John and his brother in law were bowling.

H took me to Southland and we went browsing in Myers. In their craft section, I bought some cheap knitting wool. I bought two new towels for John – blue ones, because he has been complaining that the current ones are not fluffy enough. These are good Sheridan ones, at $20 each. I also bought some white knit shorts – for casual bowls and best wear.

We had tea at H’s again. I bought some pre-dinner nibbly things, and wine. H bought Chicken Italian – there was cheese and ham inside the chicken and Italian sauce and mozarella over it, sprinkled with herbs. I hadn’t had anything like it before, but it was very nice.

H and John were able to talk at some length about family matters and relationships. She told him that he would get a bequest in N’s will. On the drive back to the van, we discussed that he could maybe buy a new lathe with the money, once we settle down again.

We did not stay late at H’s, and were back at the van in time for a reasonably early night.

SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER      MORNINGTON

Today was a quiet, recovery sort of day.

We went to the shops for papers and to pick up the photos I’d put in yesterday. They were alright.

Phoned our accountant and made an appointment to do our tax.

I did much washing. Later, I had to iron quite a lot of it, to ensure its final dryness. There was a lot of cloud about by the afternoon, and it was not very warm.

John fiddled about with bits and pieces, like adjusting the level of the Truck lights, and cleaning algae out of the little filter in the mains water hose (again). We have learned that this seems to grow and block the water inlet fairly regularly.

Listened to the football on the radio. Carlton won, which pleased John.

As John had earlier expressed a wish for vegetable and barley soup, I cooked up lamb shanks for our tea, and set the stock aside to cool, so I could later remove the fat from it, and make the soup tomorrow. John, when doing the washing up, somehow managed to tip out my cooling stock. He was cross and said it was my fault, for worrying about the fat!

We watched a video – The Perfect Murder – which was excellent.

There is about six weeks before we go to Tasmania, and we are starting to feel a bit in limbo and not sure what to do, once the funeral is over. It is not a great time of year to do a short trip somewhere in Victoria. But we really don’t want to be hanging around Melbourne for weeks, being bored, either. Have done that a couple of times already!