Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Curry Pies, Tapenade, Farm Fresh Apples.

Sunday, the last Sunday of February, was my reward day, when I allow myself a treat at the bakery on my morning walk. After a month of self discipline, during which I envied crews of tradesmen I'd seen wolfing into cakes and pies for breakfast on their way to jobs, it was my turn.
I tied 'Snowy' to the leg of the table outside the shop and went in to buy a curry pie and a flat white coffee. The pie was fresh out of the oven and I enjoyed it so much I went back in and bought another. 'Snowy' watched me imploringly, standing on her hind legs with her front paws on my shins. "Sorry Snow, you'll get your breakfast when we get home. Hungry are you?" She knows the word hungry and it triggers excitement.
On the walk home I reflected on how happy I was that February was nearly done. It had been a hot month of hard work and we (Lib, me, Meredith, Elvie, Jod) are tired. Lyle went into Salisbury House on Feb 5 and all in all is doing well despite the lack of air conditioning. The oldies feel the cold more than the heat so it isn't really a problem unless there's a succession of hot days and nights not allowing the building to cool in the evening. Salisbury House is one of the original landmark buildings in the area and was built in the 1880's as a guest house and health resort for travellers, town dwellers and international guests. The area was reknown for its clean healthy air. It has been renovated and extended by the present owners, Jim and Vicki, and now has 60 residents.
Lyle has a new doctor who has taken him off most of his medication, and he seems better for it. He's now taking nothing to prolong his life, his wish agreed to by the doctor, only an anti-depressant and a pain killer for sharp nerve pain in his leg. He does not have much appetite and has days when he eats little and says he wants to go to the Lord, and other days of good spirit when he makes requests for particuliar treats. The nursing staff, especially Lib, have been fantastic and take him out to the multi purpose room or the garden most days and he's having many visitors including his brother Geoff, grandchildren, Bryce and Nancy,(Bryce was best man at Lyle and Elvie's wedding in 1948) and friend of fifty years, Ron Pearce. Everyone is impressed by the care and homely atmosphere at Salisbury.
Lib worked Sunday, so after getting home and feeding little Snow, I had some quiet time and of course no need to worry about breakfast, being well satisfied by the curry pies. On my walk I'd seen the early bird stall holders setting up for the Gembrook market, also held on the last Sunday of each month, so soon after 9.00am I drove back up to buy a stock of Alberto's home made pasta and pesto which I discovered before Christmas. If you are not there early he's sold out of pasta.
The man in Alberto's stall, still setting up when I reached him, was a different person to those who'd manned the stall previously, but it turned out he was the proprietor who confessed to riding his family too hard and therefore doing the markets himself this weekend. There were not yet many buyers at the market so the man was happy to talk, (I think Alberto is his father and the source of the recipes) and was not timid in promoting his products. My ears pricked when he said tapenade which I'd never heard of before and I added a tub to my purchase.
He told me the best way to store the pasta was to cook it, for nine minutes after putting it in the boiling water, then put some butter through it and freeze it. Then you only had to microwave it and toss on whatever you wished when you were ready to eat. I took his advice and cooked three packets of the tagliatelle, which was the only type of pasta he had left after a big day somewhere else on the Saturday. While the first pack was cooking I tried the tapenade and it just blew me away, I couldn't stop going back to it and by the time the three packs of pasta were in the freezer I nearly finished the whole tub.
If you don't know, as I didn't till Sunday, tapenade is made from black olives, oil, anchovies, garlic and other spices. The man told me it was a bit of an acquired taste but it was instantaneously sensational for me. Life is grand when you can still discover such things at my age.
On my way to the Emerald Museum where I was rostered on duty that afternoon, I dropped back in to the market and bought two more tubs of the tapenade. On my way home late in the afternoon I called in Maria's house in Avonsleigh to return a book I'd borrowed and to pick some apples she'd offered from her orchard. I gave Maria a tub of tapenade and a jar of honey and we had coffee and scones with home made jam before going out to pick apples. I left with a large box and two bags of old variety apples fresh off the trees.
I'd forgotten how good fresh apples ripened on the tree tasted. Crisp, sweet, and juicy.

Friday, February 23, 2007

What Makes Me Happy?

Last Friday at my writing class we looked at Leunig's cartoon 'Seven Types of Ordinary Happiness' and we were asked to write as an exercise about what makes us happy. One night during the week I sat down and made a list of things that make me happy. In no time at all I had a long list. I made a count, there were over 90, which included things like roast beef with horseradish sauce and mustard, good red wine, mougrabia, taboule salad, the smell of crushed garlic, watching my dog chew on a bone, a hot bath after a hard day's work, a good shag, my early morning walk, mountains, forests, and rain. If my response was to be meaningful, I would have to be more thoughtful and less hedonistic.

One evening recently when I walked into the lougeroom after bathing, I heard Lib calling from outside for me to come out. There was a calm but serious edge to her voice and she was on the timber deck crouching near the window and aiming her camera. She was up close to a wandering echidna which was exploring the deck, unconcerned by what must have been, to it, unfamiliar territory. This wonderful creature waddled about, took a drink out the dogs water dish, then headed off to the ramp and back into the garden. Watching this made me happy. I wondered if the echidna was in in the habit of finding the dog's water dish during the hideous heat and dry of February, but is usually unseen.

Last weekend we went Melbourne and stayed at the Marriot hotel on Saturday night. It was Lib's alternate long weekend and when she suggested we have a night out in the 'big smoke', then go to the Demon's family day at the Junction Oval on Sunday I jumped at it. I knew Lib needed a change of scenery, to get away from the house and the work, as did I, a break from bees and honey. It turned out a disaster really. Unknown to us it was Chinese New Year and every restaurant in Chinatown was booked out. We walked around for ages trying to find somewhere to eat in 38C heat with fire crackers and crowds enough to send you batty. Eventually we bought takeaway souvlakis and ate them on the banks of the Yarra, knocking down four bottles of water and two of red wine as we ate. Robbie suprised us with his thirst for red wine before taking off to meet Merinda somewhere.
The next day we went to St. Kilda in the morning, found an underground car park and walked in the heat down to St. Kilda beach. It was stinking hot and I couldn't understand the people lying out in the full sun, while the four of us huddled in the shade of a solitary palm tree, watching the passing parade of bathers, walkers, joggers and cyclists. There was a couple close by sharing the shade. She had returned from the water and towelled down before lying next to the man. She was most unattractive if you will pardon me saying. I choose not to offer a description, it would be impolite, but I will say she was well tattooed, and didn't seem to have any teeth. She picked up a book and began to read. Her man spoke to her lovingly, calling her 'babe', talking about things like the water temperature and the clouds, not self conscious at all at our nearness. As he talked and she read, he gently stroked her arm with his fingertips. His unabashed love and kindness made me happy.

We made it to the MFC family day, finding shade in the old Blackie-Ironmonger grandstand. After a while I walked down onto the ground, well protected from the fierce sun by my hat and longsleeved shirt, to mingle with crowd and the players. Lib and the boys stayed in the stand. I asked a couple of players to point me out a young player named Michael Newton, whom I'd read in a member's email was from Whorouly. I found him and asked him did his dad play for Whorouly in 1980 because I played for Greta in the O+K grand final of that year, against Whorouly, and they had a player named Newton. He said yes his dad was named Rod and played then. He told me he'd remember me to his dad and I wished him well in his try at the big league. It made me happy to come across an old opponent's son and I'll follow his progress at the Demons.

A similar feeling came to me yesterday. I was driving near Emerald when the driver of an oncoming car gave me a big wave. I waved back but the car was well past me before I realized it was young Lauren. She went through school with Robbie and is now at university in Ballarat. It makes me happy when young ones wave to me, old school friends of Gordon and Robbie. I remember them as children at pre-school and school and the parties and sleepovers. It makes me happy to see them as young adults making their way.

What makes me happy? Nature. Love and kindness. Memories. Hope.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Another Adjournment

There was a most welcome calm on my walk this morning, but plenty of evidence of yesterday's wild wind storm with the roadside and gardens littered by sticks, twigs and leafy branches. A branch of mistletoe came down in our garden, taking the phone line with it. I climbed a ladder and hooked it back up but the phone is out, although I can still use the internet.
I was doing that yesterday, posting in some detail, on Gord's court case on Friday, when the power went off and I lost all that I'd written. Frustrating hey! I dread going over it all again, but here goes.

When I rang the solicitor at 5.00pm last Thursday he'd not heard from the police in response to his request that they drop the 'intent to steal charge' and offer a diversion on the 'trespass'. He said he'd be leaving the office shortly and he'd see us tomorrow at the Dandenong Magistrates Court at 9.45am. He suggested that as he'd learned the informant, Leading Senior Constable Frank Bodor, was working a 3-11pm shift, I could keep trying to ring him at Pakenham police station and ask him what was to be offered us, if anything.
I did this and spoke to a policewoman who told me he was out on the road and she would pass on my phone number and my request that he ring me at home later in the evening. I had left a meeting of the Emerald museum committee to make these calls in a work room. When I sat down again at the meeting I was gripped by the severe pain of a back spasm which was the last thing needed.
Bodor didn't ring, and I, distracted by agonizing back spasms at regular intervals, didn't ring him again, accepting we were going to court in the morning and would find out then, que sera sera.
After a fairly quiet trip down in the morning during which Gord and I made small talk about the first one day cricket final between Australia and England to be played that day/night but little else, we met solicitor Chris at the appointed time in the foyer. The police had faxed through to Chris's office the DIVERSION NOTICE the evening before but not early enough for us to be aware of it till the actual Friday. Chris gave me the diversion notice to read and suggested Gord and I go for a coffee for 20 minutes while he attended to another client he was representing in court that day.
Addressed to Gordon it said-
IN RELATION TO THE FOLLOWING CHARGES AGAINST YOU;
1.BURGLARY 2.TRESPASS
In this case the Victoria Police will recommend to the court that you be granted a Diversion Order.
There was some more detail about diversion orders then it concluded- IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE DIVERSION OPTION YOUR MATTER WILL BE DEALT WITH AS INDICATED IN THE CHARGE DOCUMENTATION.
Under this was a NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT filled out by a Sgt. of police saying "This person is suitable for a Diversion Order. I suggest that the following Program Conditions be considered:
1. Monetary Donation in the amount of $150 to the Royal Children's hospital.

It didn't seem much of an offer to us, despite the court co-ordinator explaining after we were called in to his office, that if Gord admitted to 'the facts', (that he was a burglar as well as a trespasser) the charges would not to be proceeded with in court, the matter would be all over today, and Gord would not have a criminal record, ie. there would be no convictions recorded against him. Mind you, I supposed Gord would also feel good about a donation of $150 to the Children's hospital.
While we had the coffee Gord and I had decided that we liked the word burglary less than we liked 'trespass with intent to steal' and had decided to take the line of 'what if' we don't accept the diversion, for the reason that Gord was not guilty of burglary. The co-ordinator said that it was burglary because he was in the building, by the definition of burglay, even if he hadn't taken anything. If he had taken something he would have been charged with burglary and theft.
I replied that I had never looked into the definition of burglary, and was unaware until today that Gordon was charged with burglary because the charge and summons referred to 'trespass with intent to steal'. We had requested through our solicitor as early as November to have this charge removed as he had no intent to steal, but had not had a response from the police until the day of the court proceeding, and we had supporting letters from two pshychologists who knew Gordon professionally and said his actions on the night in question were not consistent with a person intending to steal. We went round and and round this for a few minutes, I think I repeated myself but he maintained and repeated that Gord was trespassing by being on the premises and burglaring by being in the building, despite the door being left open and there being no forced entry.
I asked what now, as we don't like it, and he said he would go and see the police prosecutor and see if the burglary could be dropped. He came back some 15 minutes later and said the prosecutor had contacted Bodor who had agreed to drop the burglary charge, but this could not be done today, it involved paperwork and there would have to be an adjournment and another hearing date and the case is now listed for CONTEST MENTION on the 13 March.
We have to go back again but at least Gord won't have burglary on his police record which is what would be the case if we'd taken the expedient offer, which I'm sure was expected of us. Let's hope there's no suprises on Mar 13.

I wondered from the very beginning why Gord was charged with intent to steal when it was obvious to me that there wasn't any. This quote, from an article in the Weekend Australian recently on deaths in custody and the Qld. police uproar, stood out like a shag on a rock. Shows you how sensitive you can get.
"Every day of the week they present, for prosecution, cases that are utter rubbish because the evidence is not there. Your individual police officer does not give a damn about justice when pushing for these prosecutions, they just want notches in their belt for promotional purposes."

In no way, of course, do I suggest this happens in Victoria.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Rolling On

The days are slowly but noticably becoming shorter. It's dark now at 6.00am (daylight saving time) when we get up on Lib's work days. School's back, the roads are busier in the morning with teachers in cars leaving for work at far off schools and kids walking to catch school busses.
I finished splitting the tree for next winter's wood last weekend, Feb 3+4, a few days past my target of Jan 31, but close. It's a job I dread but always enjoy when I get into and find a rhythm. I leave it out in the sun for two or three months before coming back and barrowing it into the wood shed, by then hopefully dry enough to burn well.
Also by April's end the honey season should be over and all my tools can be cleared out of the woodshed and and put back into the toolshed, which has been my honey house since November. The honey flow has continued, the messmate now in full flower and yielding a steady flow of honey. I've been at it here and there, taking off a box or two when I have time and extracting, and straining and 'tinning off', just keeping up with it.
Lyle is now in Salisbury House Aged Care Facility, finally making it there last Monday Feb 5 after not being well enough for the previous two weeks to leave hospital. He was five weeks in Casey and in his words it was a soul destroying experience. Last week, on Thursday, he spat the dummy and refused his medication, saying that he had no reason to live and wanted to die now. I went down to see him and after about 30 minutes of difficult conversation during which he was so argumentative and emphatic, everything I said was wrong, he asked me if the kiosk was open. He asked could I get him a bag of 'Smith's' crinkle cut chips which I did and he nibbled away at them slowly, his demeanour improving by the minute. He was nearly finished them when Virginia the social worker came in to try and talk him around and between her and I, he'd agreed to hang in there for another three days and try to get to Salisbury House. It was the taste of the chips, the salt, and the cup of tea which followed that perked him up more than anything.
So far so so good at Salisbury. Lib says he's depressed in the evenings ( Meredith visited Monday night) because he tires easily and is flat as a tack in the morning, saying he doesn't want to get up and wants to be with the Lord, but he comes good with a clean up, dressing, and breakfast, and going to the lounge room in a chair. He's eating well and Lib takes him some 'Smith's' crisps and he loves his grapes and is asking questions about the coming football season. We just hope his last days can be as comfortable and pleasant as possible in a cheerful environment amongst people who care for him. He was not having that at Casey hospital, which had an atmosphere similar to a morgue, I would say, and nurses with plastic faces who seemed to be never near.
I have to ring the solicitor this afternoon to discuss Gord's court case which is this Friday. It will be wonderful to have that in the past. Tomorrow I'm taking Elvie to Salisbury House to finalize a lot of paperwork we've had to do. All the forms have been filled out, it's mainly just signatures now required, Lyle's, Elvie's, the DON's. There's always paperwork to do.
I'll be glad when this week's over. Time rolls on, thank goodness!