Thanks for all your worried emails re my wobbly wheels! It turned out that the bone-rattling rides over the roads around here have been loosening the nuts on my bolts and THAT’S why the wheel fell off! Actually, on consecutive runs over the next few days I found first the nut, then the washer, then the bolt at various stages on the farm road!
So it wasn’t too expensive, and I got my car back on Monday (phew!) and got back into the daily grind of winding up to the office in Comboyne. It’s been raining for a week now. So my grass is growing and so are the weeds! Phoenix has learned to chase the cows away from the water troughs on command, because they love to drink all the horses’ water rather than sliding down the bank to the river and then trying to clamber back up the greasy slopes. George has been very quiet because the lady who looks after Marcia has been away so he has been at home with her.
Ged finally wined and dined me on Friday. We are sampling local restaurants so we can recommend fine dining for the folks when they are here in March. We went to a little BYO restaurant called Fusion 7 with a bottle of Australian Sparkling I had been recommended to try for the wedding. One sip and I was grimacing as the sugary sweet bubbles tasted like alcoholic lemonade to me – gross! Back to the drawing board on something cheaper than the Widow for the wedding guests! But the food was FANTASTIC. Truly excellent food in this tiny little restaurant in Port Macquarie of all places. Very pleased with that. Ged had to drink most of the bottle, but even he couldn’t stomach too much of it! Needless to say, I drove home!
We put the deposit down on the ring so it’s a work in progress now – 12 pink diamonds in a platinum channel setting – practical for my hard working life, pink diamonds because they are rare and exclusively Australian and platinum because it lasts and hopefully so will we!
We spent the weekend at a succession of parties with Ged’s family. I was the entertainment as far as I can work out! The fiancee was wheeled out in front of an enormous number of rellies (haven’t they heard of condoms???!!) at first brother Denis’s 34th Birthday Party on Saturday night, and then dad Denis’s (I know, I know, WHY do people name their children after the father?) 70th on Sunday. I liked his sister very much, and ditto the next brother up. I didn’t think much of the eldest but then as Ged used to work for him I know too many tales out of school! Now I know how intimidating all the out-laws must find OUR family!! And right now I have sworn off a McCarthy Christmas (where can I run, where can I hide??) but who knows, I may mellow as the merryness of the season melts my hardened heart . . . !