Henry Lawson Weekend, June 11-12

Well it was a full house for the Henry Lawson weekend.  Psych Girl was back for the first time this year (and the first time since I started this blog), Melba Toast and The Boy back for the first time since the Gulgong Show (clearly fans of the event weekend!) and The Sister back for the first time since her birthday - this time with The Nephling.

All in all the three parties seemed to get on alright - though there was a sticky moment when Ms Toast ordered Psych Girl to fetch her a bigger mug for her cup of tea.  The command 'Trot, trot' possibly didn't help the friendship.  Ms Toast may need to remember that not everyone responds as well as her husband to these instructional endearments.

The Sister unfortunately awoke on Day 2 with the flu and spent most of the weekend in bed or dragging herself around the house looking like death warmed up.  This didn't prevent her pulling her weight in the kitchen, however and - trooper-like - she made stirling contributions in the kitchen-tidying and washing-up areas - which was a little beyond the call of duty given she was too sick to actually eat anything.  Anyway, The Sister is so lovely that even when her personality has been crushed by a truck-sized virus she's still a pleasure to add to the mix.

In fact a full house did draw attention to guests' talents in the cooking/cleaning up/mixing with others fields.  Psych Girl particularly rose to the challenge, perfecting her tea-making skills, pouring endless cups for large groups, stacking and unstacking the dishwasher and generally being the first to ask if anything needed to be done.  In addition, she smashed up all the eggshells that had piled up since her last visit (for feeding back to the chooks in their grain - increasing their calcium intake), and did an excellent job with The Nephling ferrying wood from the woodheap to the front door just before the rain set in.  She also brought Busta The Wonder Dog for a return visit, providing hours of entertainment for The Dog, who spent most of the time stealing Busta's bones.  None of this prevented her from spending quality time (okay, hogging) the second youngest nephling, who arrived for scones with his father (The Butcher Brother) and mother (The Sister-in-Law).

Even The Nephling rose to the challenge of a busy household and a sick mother.  He bonded extremely well with The Dog - who was a little down after his departure - and made a super effort with the wheelbarrow and the wood.  He was also excellent company for the formal Saturday night dinner, contributing very well to the adults' conversation (until Melba overloaded his dessert ice-cream and the sugar hit left him a little hyper) and joining in playing Spicks and Specks enthusiastically.

The Boy continues to be a stirling addition to a busy household.  Not only is his IT support unmatched by other visitors (this time bringing me a hard drive for my newish netbook), but he chopped all the wood, helped put a manway gate into the cattleyards ('manway' - it even sounds macho), managed to light the fire and keep it going apparently effortlessly (something I'd been unable to do prior to his visit), hauled the heavy filing cabinet down the hall to its new position, managed to make an excellent polenta (despite rather than because of 'help' from Melba I suspect) and proved himself an excellent addition to the Spicks and Specks board game event, with a special contribution in the '80's power ballads' section. 

As for Melba Toast, she.... she.... she...

She brought The Boy!  Although backtracking through the guest book this seems to be Ms Toast's single (and proudly claimed) contribution for quite some visits now.

Hmm, perhaps next time instead of bringing The Boy, Ms Toast could just send The Boy.

How many eggs since Psych Girl's last visit??

Hits from the weekend menu:

Non-radicchio cabbage, rocket, fetta, pine nut and sultana salad - in a reduced balsamic dressing
(courtesy of Psych Girl and The Sister)
Creamy cheesy polenta (Melba and The Boy)
Osso Bucco (CB)

They were all eaten so fast we didn't get a photo of any of them.  But we were so stuffed afterwards it gave us time to take a photo of dessert before that went too!

Cattle Baroness Plum Pie!

Broken Arm Birthday, May 7-8, 2011

This year for something special for my birthday I got... a broken arm.

Sadly, I have to report The Dog was involved.  And before you ask, the dog is FINE!  I'm the one with the fractured radial joint.

I blame Aaron Ralston.  Yes, the guy of '127 Hours' fame who got stuck under a rock in the Grand Canyon in 2003 and gnawed his own arm off (well, you know what I mean).  On April 25th I watched the movie.  On April 26th I bought the book and started reading.  What date did Aaron Ralston get stuck under that rock?  April 26th, 2003.  What date did I trip over The Dog?  April 26th, 2011.

So at 10am I'm sitting in the Qantas Lounge reading the book thinking - cut my own arm off, how hard could that be? At 10pm I'm lying in bed holding the book in one hand because the other one is lying uselessly and in incredible pain by my side and I'm thinking - cut my own arm off???  I can't even lift it.

So maybe not blame Aaron Ralston.  Maybe blame hubris.  And poor timing.  And The Dog!

At the time I didn't think it was broken.  I thought broken meant snapped in two.  I could feel the length of my bones and there weren't any major bits where there was no bone, so I thought, maybe it's just twisted.  Or sprained.

It was Miss L - a qualified nurse - on the phone the following afternoon who pointed out that since I derived my income from typing, and since my left arm was kind of important for all the QWERTY letters, an X-ray might be in order to make sure my future income could be maintained.

And it did strike me, as I drove to the Mudgee hospital one-handed (yeah, yeah, you're not going to tell me anything the doctor didn't tell me...), that if this wasn't broken, how much more painful could broken be?

So a couple of x-rays and one hemi-sling later I was driving myself one-handed back home (haven't we had this conversation...) with an officially broken arm.

Very exciting until the novelty wore off, then just boring.  And it was about to be my birthday.  And Miss L was due for a visit.  (Plus I think she wanted to make sure I wasn't making the whole thing up to get out of weeding the geraniums).

Now Miss L, you may remember, won Best Guest 2010 - Singles Section.  And, you also may remember, sets a very high standard for weekend visits in terms of Expectation of Work To Be Done.  Which would be all very well if it was just done by the guest - not by the host.

But having a broken arm proved a huge bonus.  Not only because Miss L was able to help me do all the things it's very difficult to do one-handed - like bottling olives and tagging calves.  But also because she was able to do all the things I could pretend I could no longer do with one hand - like gardening!

So over the course of 48 hours Miss L managed to mow the entire lawn, bottle the olives and weed the front garden.  This was accompanied by the usual disappointed head-shaking at the piteous state I'd allowed lawn, weeds and garden to degenerate to in her absence.  Whereupon I could point to my sling and bravely pretend I would have done all these things except for the tragic and untimely incident with The Dog.

Unfortunately, this has just increased the stakes.  By her next visit I'll need a broken leg to assuage her disapproval.

Step 1:  Sorting.

Step 2.  Bottling.

Step 3.  Finished product!

Mower Girl!


Finally Miss L gave up lecturing me on mulch and weeding, took pity on me and drove me off to Mudgee for a birthday dinner.  We dined in a beautiful rustic old coach-house converted into a restaurant (The Wineglass Bar and Grill in case Melba Toast is interested) and celebrated yet another excellent farm weekend.

Miss L is definitely ahead on the leader board for the 2011 prize.



          Even The Dog is exhausted after Miss L's visit!