TUESDAY 23 MARCH     HEALESVILLE

After breakfast, I drove to the shops to get food for lunch – some salads, ham, salmon, bread, fruit.

V arrived mid morning. She looks well. I gave her the vest that I’d made her for Xmas, which may now be on the small side, but she seems to like it. We looked at her trip photos and, over lunch, heard all about the truck driving course she did last year, and their travels and time working at Hamelin Pool. She seems to be enjoying the wardrobe work at the Casino. After summer, they will resume their travels north again.

V had to leave mid afternoon, to drive to Frankston to collect B from visiting his sister. They have the loan of his father’s car.

It was a good, positive, visit. V seems happy.

Later in the afternoon, John drove to our doctor’s, where he had an appointment for a check up and to get some skin patches cut off again. Our doctor took a blood test, the results of which will come next week.

Tea was leftovers from lunch, preceded by soup.

SUNDAY 21 MARCH     HEALESVILLE

It was a rainy day. We stayed at the van.

I read the weekend papers, sewed and read a book. John slept in then played computer games.

Tea was soup, followed by tinned fish and salad.

SATURDAY 20 MARCH     HEALESVILLE

John had arranged to bowl at Lilydale. I dropped him off there and kept Truck.

I went to Chirnside shopping centre, where I enjoyed browsing the shops at my leisure. I did not buy much, though. There is little point in buying much perishable food, without the main fridge.

Bought the Saturday papers and kept them to read tomorrow.

Drove back to home and spent the afternoon chatting with P and K, and petting the animals. It is only a week now until the wedding, but they say all is organized.

John got a ride up here with another player.

K went out and bought Chinese food for tea.

There was much chat through the evening, of course. It was most pleasant. Eventually we left and drove back to Healesville.

FRIDAY 19 MARCH     HEALESVILLE

We drove to my former school about 10.30am. John left me there and went on to visit his former school. There had been a bit of a comedy of errors beforehand, when John gave me a pair of his good trousers, to iron for him. I discovered they were marked and needed washing. He brought out the other pair he has with him – they too needed a wash! He had to choose the least compromised pair.

I spent most of the day in what was once “my” part of the school, and various former colleagues came to talk, as they had time. It was rather like holding court! I did not see some people that I’d hoped to – ones on leave or away for various reasons.

Spent some time talking with T about Coraki, where we’d been in our time at Evans Head, and where his mother had lived. I am to phone him about meeting up in the coming holidays for a meal.

John arrived to collect me at 4pm and he ended up having a talk with various people too. He’d enjoyed himself at Cockatoo. Overall – a good day.

It was good to see the “old” faces – but I have no pangs at all about having left! Quite the reverse, in fact.

Refuelled Truck – 64cpl. This is the cheapest fuel we have had since Qld. Truck covered 178kms today.

Fish and chips for tea.

THURSDAY 18 MARCH     HEALESVILLE

The day centred on waiting for J to come and fix the fridge….. and waiting ……. and waiting.

John went to bowls in Healesville after lunch. I waited some more…..

I phoned the school to check that it would be alright to visit tomorrow.

J came in the late afternoon. The part he brought, that he was so certain was what was needed, did not fix the fridge. He professed himself mystified. He took the entire fridge away to fix at his factory. I must manage with just the Chescold for the time being. I guess that if we had to have whatever the problem is, we are lucky to have it now, rather than out in the wilds.

Tea was soup, cheese omelette and fries.

WEDNESDAY 17 MARCH     HEALESVILLE

We slept until 9am. It was a cool morning.

After breakfast, drove home,  where we had a great reunion with our dog and one of the cats. Butch dog was so ecstatic to see John! The other cat was not there. P came home for lunch and made us a sandwich. She said that Spook cat is never home in the day time. I suspect he does not like P’s little dog.

I told P that I planned to visit my old school – where she works – on Friday. She said some of my former colleagues had been asking if I would visit.

The garden has not been maintained as we would do it ourselves, but I guess that is to be expected of a different generation. The pool is a deep green – so much for K’s intended father-in-law helping him to maintain it! Can’t be helped now and I am not going to worry about it. It seems to be good for the local frog population, anyway.

We collected lots of mail.

Went to the local Post Office and collected my ring, sent from Rubyvale. Whilst there, paid the water accounts. They are still not right – the flat’s usage fees are still on our account. We will need to stir up both the real estate agent who handles the lease and the water authority.

Went to the library, where I borrowed a lot of books.

Then we had a practice bowls session for a couple of hours – John can’t resist!

Drove to the Chirnside Park shopping centre, where I bought Powerball tickets, chatted to the newsagency proprietors, who I have known for some years. The place is changing. It has a Target store now, and the food court area is being further developed for another supermarket.

We got back to the van about 6pm, after a full day.

Tea was soup, spag bol and then strawberries.

It is rather strange, coming back to the local area after a year’s absence. Even little changes seem to cause rather a sense of dislocation – almost a time warp thing.

It is so good to have books to read again!