Novel springs back

I sent the novel notes back to the author this morning, with an offer to do some cuts. It came back lickety-split so I'll go on with it in the New Year. P. went up to the shops and came back with some lovely New Year lillies (plus the paper and some bread; one can't live on bread alone). We had the last of the pea and mint soup for lunch. After a nap, P. made delicious summer chicken for dinner, then we called in the NY with Dolly Parton and the Band, better than what was on ABC.

Shopping plus

Last night I had an interrupted sleep from slight discomfort in my chest or stomach: I'm not sure which. Up early to get ready for the shopping. P. and I went with Rupert the Picanto to Vic. Gardens which was a bit quiet pre-New Year. We delivered Noel's shopping to him, picked up a parcel for him, then dropped some Christmas polystyrene off for recycling (with some other junk). We then had salmon patties for lunch, now for a nap. Tonight I continued the fish theme with prawn bisque (I've managed to scum two more Mure's mixes from the Fish Pier). Because of the time of year, the teev is pretty poor but Hard Quiz was pretty good, though Bridges of London were as dull as ditchwater as was The 'Secrets' of MI6. Please! Then last year's comedy festival (mostly yawn) then news.

Novel over

Finally, I've finished the novel. Now I have to let it settle and work out what to say to the author. P. has gone into town to do some shopping. I finished off the shepherd's pie for lunch. Naptime. We're having cold pea and mint soup followed by cold roast pork, apple sauce and potato salad for dinner with Noel's soused apricots and ice cream for dessert. Slow snow, trains and recycled food followed. I think we do our bit for food waste: we waste little and before shopping tomorrow there's little left in the fridge.

Tidying and novel

It was usual computer tidying and checking this morning and back to the novel with fewer than 100 pages to go, but I'm still not finished by lunchtime. We had tinned vegie soup for lunch and it's now naptime. Steve B. has pointed out that, come New Year, it will be the 'roaring twenties' again. Break out that bathtub gin. We had leftover shepherd's pie for dinner, then a travel night with Attenborough in Tasmania, Pedersen in Kakadu and Griff in Queensland. Have heard today that Allie S. is teaching in Bourke for the year, next year. We'll have to try to visit.

Crossword plus cleaning

The crossword today had a couple of mistakes, unless I've made a bad one. Perhaps the work-experience crossword-maker was put on over Christmas. Now I'm attacking the oven after a couple of messy roasts, softening the blow by listening to Winter Journey by Schubert in English and German. Thanks Frank. We're having cheesy tomato soup for lunch. Naptime. P. has made a new potato salad to have with cold roast pork for dinner. Because teev was so bad we watched a DVD of Some Like It Hot, which was splendid. Then after a disgusting SBS show about a Bahamas resort followed by ABC news about freezing refugees in Bosnia, I went to bed.

Novel again

Now the 'festivities' are over, it's back to the novel after a brisk walk through the two remaining Saturday papers. The rightwing are getting loonier: GaGa Gerard Henderson described Robert Dessaix as leftist. He obviously has never read him. And in a wonderful flight of fancy, mother-of-nine Angela Shanahan says that the rise of transgenderism makes people scared to have children. And Tony Rabbit says that the Spanish flu was worse as it targetted people 'in the prime of life'. A strange right-to-life position: some lives are worth more than others, and the Rabbit obviously prefers foetuses to old folk. We're having the cold pea and mint soup for lunch. After a nap, and P. had a walk, I made shepherd's pie for dinner. This was followed by not bad teev: calm chocolate, Fremantle and an intriguing Endeavour, as always.

Christmas

Both P. and I slept in a bit so missed Frank on Christmas-day-in-the-morning but Kit thanked him on Facebook for providing the soundtrack for her Christmas cooking. P. and I exchanged prezzies. I got him two Pedro Jimenez as the last bottle disappeared quickly plus Stephen Fry's Troy and the Booker Prize winner, Shuggie Bain. He got me a new Magimix as our old one is on its last legs having lasted for decades. My Christmas reading is the instruction manual as well as Michael H.'s new book. We had leftover anchovy pasta for lunch, then P. did the mammoth washing up of the cupboard to make way for the new Magimix (which also had to be washed, according to him). Naptime before making the first recipe from the new Magimix book: pea and mint soup. P. is making stuffed roast pork with all the trimmings for dinner. It's a bit of a dismal night on the teev tonight but we'll make do: first calm birds, then India, then a bit of Tom Cruise, then, guess what, Midsomer Murders and the intro. of Nelson. Wow!

Chrissie Eve

This morning, while P. did his zoom exercise class, I went to the Health Centre for pills and to Metro for lunch, paper and bread shopping. We had sangos for lunch and I've booked (I hope) the motel for the Port Fairy Spring Festival next year. After a nap, I've redone last night's roast lamb and we're having more of P.'s mango mousse. As it's Christmas, it's lousy teev tonight so we did our own film festival: Vertigo plus Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, both worth watching.

Story then novel

After usual computer tasks, I went on to the short story, finished it off and sent it back to the author. Now on to the novel. Meanwhile, I had a good chat with the author of the novel I sent back earlier with some notes. He is now going to revise it and try some submissions. We had leftover cheese pudding for lunch. Now for a nap! Frank came for dinner with roast lamb and the trimmings and P. made mango dessert. We had a good mag and lots of good red wine and swapped very nice Chrissie presents. Later we watched a very unsatisfying Sister conclusion then news from ABC and SBS.

Shopping and not much else

P. and I went to the post office first up, with Rupert the Picanto, to pick up some missed deliveries, wine, books and masks. We then shopped for Noel and us, delivered Noel's to him with his birthday/Christmas prezzie. Then home again for dropping the shopping then off to Hares and Hyenas for undelivered books (those boys are hopeless). Home for the usual salmon patties, then a nap. I'm making seafood chowder for dinner but not much longer as the fishmonger says that Mures aren't supplying their fish stocks any more, then baby cheeses. Then on the teev was trains with the Tories, Attenborough on Singapore forests (!), then Pepsi vs Coke.

The novel still

I'm now about a third of the way through my current novel (I've seen an earlier version). It's going well. P. went up to Carlton for some Christmas shopping. We had leftover fritatta for lunch and now it's naptime. I made anchovy pasta for dinner, then there was Aaron Pedersen in a splendid Wild Australia on the Alpine regions, which saddened with its predictions of extinction, followed by a rather stereotyped train journey by Griff to north Queensland. Can't the poms get over 'Australia will kill you?' I've also got a short story translation to edit though this one looks almost perfect.

Sunday at home

After the lengthy journeying of the last few days, it is nice to be home. We did the Sunday crossword very early, no errors this time. And I've started on the one novel left, just for report, while I wait for the young adult one to return with amendments. I went up to the shops to get bread and tubs of salmon for lunch. Naptime. I am making cheese pudding with fresh peas for dinner. Chrismassy teev is catching up with us tonight though the final of Highland Clans was excellent. Then Shaun Micallef on Christmas (a bit ho-hum).

Grampians tour

At last, we got out of Melbourne and headed bush. On Wednesday, P. and I picked up Rupert the Picanto and headed for Ballarat. Unfortunately, we missed the turnoff so went via Werribee and Bacchus Marsh, a bit longer. We had a coffee and a mag with Carmel in Ballarat, then had a break at Lake Bolac for a quick drink, a pee and a fillup with petrol. We arrived in time for a nap at the Royal Mail in Dunkeld, then had an excellent dinner at the Parker Project, which took a novel approach to vegies, though there was meat as well. After a good night's sleep, we did a drive round the Arboretum in Dunkeld then a drive through the Victoria Valley and looped back on the Halls Gap Road. The evening dinner at Wickens was excellent and just right: I was stuffed full by dessert, and I'm glad we didn't have the two optional courses. Both mornings we had excellent breakfast which the Hotel has farmed out to a local eatery. On Friday, instead of going directly to Halls Gap, we went via the western route and across the Zumstein's road with its views on the way. We stayed at the Country Plaza motel in Halls Gap (which was like a step back in time) and dined as usual at the excellent Spirit of Punjab. Today, we headed home, lunching at Ballan. P. is cooking steak and tortilla for dinner. Then it was repeat teev with Midsomer (soporific) murders and Endeavour.

Author note and shopping

I sent off the notes to the author of novel one this morning. Only one to go. P. and I picked up Rupert Murdoch the Picanto and went off to Victoria Gardens. We delivered Noel's small amount of shopping then went home just in time for an Aust. Post delivery and had the usual salmon patties for lunch. I had a very positive response to the comments and queries I sent to the authors over the weekend. They are now revising. Naptime! We had oysters and prawn bisque for dinner. A bit of teev followed Portillo's trains, London zoo then Maggie Beer in Japan punctuated by packing and washing.

Novel number one

Still reading novel number one today while P. went into town (presumably in the hunt for Chrissie presents). No reply on the two novels I sent off yesterday. I'm feeling a bit novelled out. We had leftover pedro jiminez beef for lunch and now it's naptime. We had leftover soto ayam for dinner. There's still some left in the freezer f'rafter. We started on the teev but I retreated to read novel number one to try to get it finished. I did. I just have to finish some notes for the author.

Crossword and multiple novels

I sent off two novels this morning: one proofed and checked and gone, and the other back to the authors for possible further amendments. That now leaves two, both novels but for report only and neither very urgent, so we can go off to Dunkeld in good conscience. The Sunday crossword was error free this week. Frank dropped in for painkillers for his sore tooth. P. made delicious mushroom omelettes for lunch, using St Stephanie's tip of lemon on the mushrooms. It brings out the mushroom taste on what are usually fairly tasteless mushrooms. I went on with what is now novel number one, then had a nap, after which I read a bit more. It's not bad, though needs a bit of trimming. I completed the soto ayam (mostly made yesterday) for dinner, then we had Scottish clans and the Lenny Henry bio. both quite interesting.

Novel number three and Midsomer

I can't believe it: tonight the ABC has TWO Midsomer Murders repeats on. Are they that poor? I went on proofing novel number three. We had tinned vegie soup for lunch, then I went on with the proofing which I finished so I'll send it off tomorrow. Naptime. We had leftover lemon chicken with olives for dinner. Then lots of Midsomer Murders (yawn) then Endeavour, a repeat but engaging as unlike Midsomer, Endeavour and Vera have texture and character, not just a dog and a baby.

Novel three

By lunchtime, I am still only halfway through proofing novel three and won't finish it until tomorrow now. I was partly held up by two things: amending the MSO subscription, which was easy and efficient, and trying to apply for a Victorian travel voucher which didn't work because of a computer overload. It is an object lesson in how to turn a plus into a minus by bad planning and administration. The Scummo government is a past master at it and it seems the Victorian government is following suit. We had steamed pork buns which P. bought for lunch which were yummy. Now for a nap. We had leftover pedro jiminez beef for dinner followed by (at present) predictable Friday night teev: Gardening, Vera and Mum, very satisfying.

Shopping, dinner at Noel's and lots of novels

Yesterday P. and I picked up Rupert Murdoch the Picanto, then Frank and went to Victoria Gardens then dropped the shopping at Noel's and Frank's. After salmon patties for lunch, we had a nap, then Frank came round to head to Noel's for dinner. It was the usual delicious food and we had a good mag. Home again for Gruen and Sisters, then late news. Today, it's back to novel no. 3, and the revised novel has returned plus a new one for report, so I'll be busy. There are now four novels on my desk, but I should be able to send off novel number three today or tomorrow. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch then a nap. I've now printed all of novel three to proof it, so it will have to wait until tomorrow to go back.

Novel and off to the burbs

A little bit of work on novel number three today. I've heard back from novel number one, who was very polite about my rather bruising comments. Then P. and I picked up Rupert Murdoch the Picanto to head to Sunbury for lunch with the Shaw sisters post lockdown. We had a good lunch at a local pub and a good mag. Home again down the freeway for a short nap. P. made delicious lemon and olive chicken for dinner with couscous, then Portillo trains, London covid zoo stories and novel Christmas memories then late news.

Brunch and shopping

I went into town first up to get some Chrissie presents, then went to the Farm Cafe to have brunch with a few of the old Penguinis (Lou, Pat, Bryony, Andrew and Jackie) plus P. Although it rained a bit, we were quite dry and had a good mag and good eats. Home for a nap. Leftover lamb shanks and rice for dinner, then Monday night teev, not normal anymore with Christmas break started. We watched Australian Story, then the NZ White Island story, then Media Watch.

Crossword and novel three

Only a very minor error in this week's crossword, then I made good progress on novel number three which I am enjoying immensely. We had leftover express cheese pudding for lunch and now it's naptime. P. made Pedro Jiminez steak with pureed cauliflower which was delicious. Then an intriguing history of the clans in Scotland, then Barrier Reef.

Novel one and three

This morning after perusing the Saturday papers, I replied to the author of novel one. I haven't heard back yet and perhaps won't. I've also started on proofing novel three, a short and delightful novel which still has a few typos in spite of having been previously published. Leftover vera on toast for lunch and now a nap. I got up in the middle of my nap to turn on the spiced lamb shanks (they cook for three hours and have been marinating overnight). It turned out not too bad but not very spicey (as warned by David Herbert). We watched Victoria (yawn), then I watched a good virtual concert with Paul Dean's Q-group in Queensland doing wind works by Brahms and Dvorak. Then Endeavour, good as always, even on repeat.

Novel plus lunch amd concert

Ploughed on with novel no. 1 this morning but still haven't finished as P. had his American Lit. for U3A on Zoom after a lot of technical difficulty. Now off to lunch with Ouyang. We had a good lunch and a mag at Dr Morse which has reworked itself into post-Covid, then home for a nap. I've finished off the last of novel no. 1 and am none the wiser. I don't know what to say to the author. I made cheese pudding and peas for dinner, then Gardening Australia, then the end of the Port Fairy Festival online with Liane Keegan doing songs with Plexus by Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann and Strauss. Breathtakingly good! Then Mum on the teev.

Novel plus rrio

I read novel no. 1 this morning, but still haven't quite finished. P. went off to an old tax officers' lunch at the Railway Hotel which went on way after my nap. He made leftover Vera for dinner which was yummy. Then luxury hotels and Scottish vets, followed by a live Sutherland Trio from the Port Fairy virtual festival: playing works by Haydn, Auerbach, Finsterer and Part. Then the final of this season of Fargo.

Shopping

No Frank today, but P. and I went to Victoria Gardens with Rupert the Picanto, took Noel's shopping to him on a beautiful day. The traffic is hotting up (as are the numbers of bus passengers, I found out yesterday). We came home to unpack, had salmon patties and Vietnamese ricepaper rolls for lunch, then naptime. I made fishy dinner, oysters first, then fish chowder. Quite dreary teev: luxury houses on SBS, then Sister, a predictable UK soap, then news.

Novel one plus hospital

I continued on with novel no. one after doing the end-of-month accounts. I am beginning to think it's not because I'm too old that I don't get it, but we'll see as I continue. P. made baked eggs with beans for lunch, novel. And I'm now off to Ear, Nose and Throat after many deferrals at the Melbourne where I got the all-clear and told to come back in six months. Home again for pizza takeaways then an excellent wildlife program, then one on Greeks in Darwin (!). Then news.