Letters to Ann

Dear Ann,

Isn’t it strange how the simplest of things can make a difference to your day. Yesterday I had my usual appointment to have my hair done at 10 a.m. which is a permanent weekly appointment. As I hadn’t slept well the night before, I was laying in bed feeling very drowsy when I thought I had better look to see what the time was only to find that it was 9.35!

As it takes twelve minutes to drive to my hairdresser, I jumped out of bed in more than a half daze & in a panic. I wash my hair when I have my shower, but there was no time for that. I grabbed the nearest clothes in the wardrobe & started to dress.

In my hurry I couldn’t help thinking that anyone watching would have thought it a circus as I couldn’t seem to step into them & was tottering all over the place: more haste less speed! I managed to get to my destination only three minutes late & that was the best start to a new day.

I then had to rush to meet my friends, Cheryl & Sandra, at a suburb in the opposite direction, so I felt as if I had been half way around the world & back before I even woke up properly. I dusted my eyes to get the sleep out of them & was feeling more like myself by the time I met my friends.

Then another hiccup occurred, as I was supposed to take a bottle of my relish for Sandra, but Cheryl had forgotten to tell me. Fortunately I had supplied a cafe with some just prior to Christmas, so we were able to drive there so she could purchase a bottle.

With all the driving completed, we were then able to go to our restaurant for lunch. Cheryl had chosen a small, but very popular place that was well known for great pizzas. Their fame was spot on, as we ordered two large ones. They were delicious with enough left overs for Sandra & I to take home for our dinners that evening, so when we got back to Cheryl’s car she popped them in her cooler bag to keep them nice & fresh.

The plan was for Cheryl to then take us to see her home & garden as I had never been there, but I had heard quite a bit about it over the years. By now being well fed fed & having been a bit further around he world to get Sandra’s relish I was wide awake & in good spirits looking forward to seeing Cheryl’s home.

I knew it was a simple abode & I also knew she loved her garden, but did I get a shock. It was, without any doubt, the most interesting home I had ever been in. It was just magical.

It had a drive off a main highway, which gave it easy access & looked to be a very humble abode which indeed it was. What a store of surprises & treasures it held, as we went on the grand tour.

Firstly though Cheryl backed down the long drive to the garage that was the only clue to grandeur, as the drive itself was long & wide having been done by professionals after Cheryl had retired. It was lovely (I think you can call a drive lovely) & alongside the fence was a garden which looked as if it had been landscaped, very beautiful indeed complete with a little windmill.

The garage would have to be seen to be believed as it was big enough for four cars (Cheryl & Gary only have two); had enough space in which to live, but instead held everything a man could want all in it’s rightful place. It was huge & certainly would make any man envious.

Before we were taken inside the house we had a grand tour of the garden. There were so many garden beds it was indeed a grand tour, even down to the chicken pen. Each little garden had it’s own charm, even to the veggie patch that was sporting some healthy tomato plants. Sandra & I left there with some home grown tomatoes that taste like real tomatoes.

Every garden bed had garden ornaments that were so cute. I had given Cheryl two lovely ornaments for Christmas – a little boy with a matching girl – & these already sported succulents growing in them. They somehow matched the whole garden.

I detected that Cheryl also loved ornamental frogs, as she had them tucked in almost every corner. As we left her that day she was going to ring a nursery, as she had seen a frog on a Harley Davidson motor bike & kicked her self for not buying it at the time. As I write this I bet it’s now in her garden on display.

Cheryl likes all things froggy!

So with the grand tour of the garden completed we were taken inside. When Gary & Cheryl bought the house from it’s original owners it was fifty years old, as they love old places with character. This one certainly has character. Gary has spent years painting the rooms one by one after he has done all the alterations that they wanted.

From the minute we stepped inside you could feel the character of the house, it was charming although even that word does not do it justice. There are ornaments, framed photos, bric a brac, all sorts of things that look so right without being overcrowded.

Her love of frogs was also evident inside. I lost count at one thousand three hundred & twenty one which may be a slight exaggeration! Cheryl definitely loves frogs & one teapot even had frogs on it. There is also a grand display of teapots too, but everything in the whole house was in a place that is ‘just right’ for it.

For Cheryl’s last birthday I had given her a quite beautiful ceramic tile of the San Antonio Winery. This was tucked in the corner on a bureau amongst some maiden hair ferns & looked exactly where it ought to be.

Cheryl certainly has a flair for decor as all these little things are tucked beside a few teles which seemed to be in all the main rooms.

The bedrooms are worthy of mention as the big queen sized bed sported at least a dozen cushions of all sizes & colours to match the spread. Cheryl declares she can make that bed in five minutes! But the next bedroom we entered was amazing. It sported all Cheryl’s hats: the whole twenty three of them! Who would ever think of that, but they looked great sitting on top of the bed that I doubt is slept in very often.

Cheryl’s hat collection

I lost count of the rooms & would need to wander about the house to get my bearings, but with all it holds it is in no way ostentatious: it is just sweet, cute & lovely. It’s hard to find the right words. Gary has worked on the home a room at a time & what a handyman, he has done a great job.

So we wandered from room to room with a few rooms yet to be renovated, but what a kitchen we walked into. It had obviously been done professionally. I involuntarily exclaimed when I walked into it. It is the most magnificent kitchen I have ever been in: mainly black & grey with a touch of white with a stove & oven big enough to cook for a small army.

The garage might be every man’s dream, but that kitchen would be every woman’s dream with hidden lighting & an oven wide enough to take two baking dishes side by side.

Then as if that was not enough we went to the back of the house & into a long room, beautifully furnished with casual decor, a tele, sound system in a setting fit to match the great room, which is almost the full width of the house. Cheryl says that’s where they live mostly & I can understand why.

They had that room professionally done too & that’s where we sat, in the oh so comfy floral cushioned chairs & chattered for the next hour or so, as we breathed it all in while looking at the wisteria winding it’s way through the peach tree.

The Queensland Room

I laughingly chided Cheryl for hiding this from me for the ten years I have known her, but it was worth the wait. It was such an interesting & lovely home & as we sat in the back room which is called ‘The Queensland Room’ one would never know that there was a main highway out the front. It was so peaceful & quiet & from the silly start to the beginning of the day it turned out to be what we called ‘ a magical day’.

There is a little PS to this epistle as I had driven from Toronto to home after I left my friends. A few minutes later the doorbell rang. It was Cheryl. She had chased me all the way home to deliver my left over pizza that I had left behind in her bag.

We had to laugh at that & off she went again in her bright & breezy way after a little hug between us. How great are good & true friends, I am truly Blessed.

My love to you Always. Dawn X O X O

Dear Ann,

After Christmas Day the next week just flew past & all of a sudden Philip & Greg were about to leave. It was great for them to have Neika’s car those last weeks – Philip had it while Greg was away –  as they were then free to go & see their friends whom they had not had time to catch up with.

I only saw them in the mornings & again in the evenings for dinner. Meals did not seem to be a problem. Greg seemed to come up with ideas for these while he was here. I had some scallops in the freezer & mentioned that I didn’t know what to do with them.

Greg came up with cooking them in some delicious sauce with an equally delicious mango salad. It truly melted in the mouth. He is certainly a good chef.

Scallops (with roux) with mango and avocado salad

So their final week was fairly busy for them as they flitted around to see the friends they hadn’t yet caught up with.

So the night before New year’s Eve it was decided we would have a family party at my place & had fun preparing for that meal too. I still had one fresh duck that I had purchased from a poultry farm that happened to be on my way home from line dancing.

That was a good start to the menu & with the addition of some really nice smoked ham & salads made a complete meal. This was to followed with an all fresh fruit salad which contained all the summer fruits available.

I had made enough to feed twice as many people as were here. However, leftovers are no problem when Charley is around: she is very happy to take them home for herself & Dom, her flat mate & very dear friend.

It was very memorable for me to have the whole family at my place:  David, Lauren, Riley, Dave, Charley, Dominic, Philip, Greg & myself. The only family missing were Georgia & Mick. They live quite a few kilometres from Newcastle, plus the fact that they are expecting their first child, means they are not always available, which is understandable because Georgia is still working. We miss them though.

As always when we are together we have a fun time & spirits are always high paticularly when Charley & Riley are around, as they are both so outgoing. We drank , dined, ate, talked, laughed & had a simply great night.

Then all of a sudden it was over & everyone went home. However, they didn’t leave until I got a good family photo of us all together as my sister, Kim had said to me at Christmas time to be sure & get a family photo on Christmas Day & I forgot all about it.

Charley, Philip, David, Greg, Dawn, Riley and Lauren.

I made sure I got a good one at the party, or I should say that Philip got a good one. His camera is a bit more sophisticated than mine.

Then that done, goodbyes were said, the dinner dishes stacked on the sink & time for the three of us to go to bed as the boys had a very early start in the morning. Greg’s parents were picking them up to take them to the station, for which I was very grateful.

Doesn’t the time fly by so quickly, it didn’t seem any time since they had arrived & here they were going,

They came in to give me a hug & a kiss before leaving. I was wide awake not looking forward to that moment. However, I was good & I went back to sleep after they left.

When I got up the place was so quiet & I needed to have the dishes to wash from the night before to give me something to do. I had the rare feeling of being lonely for about three days after they left, until I got used to not having them around.

I realised It is so much easier me leaving them in Burbank than them leaving me! However, if I don’t get over there next year I will be hoping that Philip & Greg come back here again for a visit, as it was great to have Christmas with all the family together so here’s hoping for a repeat performance.

Love you Ann. God Bless, Dawn X O X O