It was a normal busy week last week, as my colleagues head towards the end of the financial year with loads of matters they wanted settled, if not finalised. So on Friday night, when I left the office, I got home, and instead of logging in again at my home office like I normally did, I placed all of my work stuff properly laid out on my desk (ready for the new week next week) and headed out to the oval to join Tress and the little fellow.

I needed to just go and soak in the therapeutic atmosphere of walking on large green spaces that is the Mahoneys Reserve, and seeing happy pooches running around and playing with each other. The little fella looked happy as he bounced around and played with his friends, and I just walked around, letting go of all the work pressure that had built up.

Tress and I then headed to the local Chinese place for a bite to eat. We had wanted something special to sort of celebrate our wedding anniversary that happened earlier in the week, but the smallest crustacean they had swimming in the tank was supposedly well over 2kg which was way too much for us. So we had something more modest (and manageable) but equally enjoyable, as I thought to myself 32 years is probably not special enough for me to blow a huge lobster on just the two of us.

On Saturday, we slept in, took a leisurely walk with the little fellow, then headed out to prepare stuff for a little dinner party we had organised, for later that evening in our home. We had invited 3 couples from St Alf’s for a hot pot dinner (“steam boat”), and Tress had stared buying stuff to make the stock. We had a quick lunch at Brandon Park, then headed to The Glen to pick up the foodstuff that were to go into the hotpot.

After we got back, I felt a sudden tiredness – my energy level appeared to have plumbed, and I said to Tress I wanted to take a snooze on the couch, which was highly unusual. I crashed on the couch, curled up as a baby, and tried to sleep. After a little while I thought I should get up. Afternoon naps often give me a headache and there were loads to do for the dinner party anyway, so I got up and got on with it. Getting busy helped, but the sense of tiredness lingered.

We took the little guy for yet another walk when most of the work had been done, and then came home to put on some finishing touches before our guests arrived. We had a great time of eating, chatting and laughing, and the desserts our guests brought were wonderful. It was really nice spending time over a hotpot on a cold winter’s night, getting to know those folks whom we have seen so many times at St Alfs.

Tress and I went to bed late that night – well past midnight – after we cleaned up and put stuff away. So our truncated sleep did not help my general sense of wellbeing but somehow, my spirits were up and the next day, our normal routine resumed. I took the fellow for our usual walk after brekky, went off to St Alf, and then came home to have the leftovers from the dinner party for lunch, before we took the little fellow for another walk and I did the week’s cook.

As we settled down last night, I felt I could at last put my feet up for some physical rest. As I went for my run this morning, I was grateful for a wonderful weekend, but Tress and I have both been thinking about looking out for something in Canberra and that has been on my mind. I am grateful for that too.

Last week, I only worked “half” a week (Wed – Fri) as Mon was the King’s Birthday public holiday and Tress and I had taken Tuesday off with Kiddo, Mic and Abby in town. A “half week” didn’t make much difference to the way my energy level normally ebbs on Thursday night/Friday. We were at a connect group meeting on Thursday night and someone said, at the end of that meeting and we were about to leave, that I looked tired. I said I felt that way. So when Friday arvo came around and it was about 4.30pm, I decided to head out to the oval to be with Tress and the little fellow, who had been there earlier. Walking the dog has become an outlet of sorts for me, and being at the ovals (Mahoney reserve generally) has become a source of peaceful unwinding for me. It will be something I will miss dearly when we leave Melbourne. While I am sure we can find another spot in Canberra, it will take some getting used to and it will be a while before I find my new Mahoney’s reserve.

We went to our favourite local Thai place at Mitcham for a “TGIF” dinner. It was very busy as usual, with hoardes of takeaway customers making a non-stop and never ending queue from the counter. On Saturday morning, it was very cold so we slept in, then take that fellow for a long walk, before coming home for some chores. Tress vacuumed the house and I swept up the leaves – from the beautiful pear tress on our neighbour’s front garden – that had covered our driveway, front yard and everywhere else. Interestingly, our Japonica shed less this year so cleaning up the leaves from the backyard took much quicker. I then swept the deck and then transplanted some baby agave plants that had sprouted around the main mother plant. I left one of the babies at the driveway of a neighbour that Tress said would be interested in planting one and when not long after I headed to a nearby house which had “free lemons” at the front, that baby agave had disappeared… hopefully the neighbours had taken it in for replanting later.

We got cleaned up later that arvo, and headed out to Knox for a late lunch, and then to the Glen for some grocery shopping. We wanted to do a chicken curry for the week’s cook – we hadn’t done chicken curry for a little while – and The Glen always provides the fresher ingredients. When that was done and we came home, we headed to the oval again for the little fellow to have yet another walk, and for yours truly to again enjoy a tranquil end to the day. It had been a beautifully sunny day and as the sun set against the top of the trees around the oval, I was again filled with gratitude that a beautiful spot of open area was right at our doorstep. I again wondered if we will be similarly blessed when we move.

Dusty Martin – the AFL superstar that shot the Tigers to the premiership a few years ago, played his 300th game on late Saturday arvo. It was against the Hawks. Being an away game at the G, we were offered “replacement game” tickets but all I could get were L4 ones (way up yonder in the highest upper tier) that would also cost me some money so Tress and I agreed we’d not go, the occasion notwithstanding. Over 92,000 fans turned up to see Hawks rain on Dusty’s parade and we chalked up another win to assure ourselves the rebuild is well and truly underway. I wonder if we can progress to the later stages of the finals next season, before we up sticks.

On Sunday after St Alf’s we wanted to go to our usual place at Donvale but when Tress rang, they sounded very busy so we headed to another place in Nunawading instead. The food there was very good and when we came back after lunch, we felt we needed another walk so off we went to Mahoney’s reserve again. It would be another hour or so before we returned and I did the week’s cook. When that was done, Tress had taken the little fellow back to the oval so I headed there again. We walked on the oval till it started to get dark. As we headed back through our side door towards our backyard, I wondered again, what sort of home we’d settle into, once we move. I felt, for the umpteenth time, gratitude for having had Mahoney’s reserve all these years.

Some of us have social media accounts to remind us of what happened “this day last year” or a number of years ago. In recent days, mine has been telling me that around the Queen’s or King’s birthday long weekend, Kiddo and Mic and Tress and I got together. We’d trek up or they’d come down. This year, it’s the latter, and it’s the first for little Abby.

They got here last week, and poor little Abby was unwell when they boarded the aircraft that morning. So the first couple of nights, we could hear her sobs in the middle of the night, as she nursed her teething woes and fever. Her dad would cuddle her through the night and would then fall ill himself from sheer lack of sleep. From the second half of their stay however, both bub and dad recovered, and we had a wonderful time together.

We walked to the local playgrounds, they visited the Koorong bookshop as the crow flies, and we trekked into the city and spent a day at the Melbourne aquarium and walkabout the city laneways etc, savouring delicious Malaysian food. We played at home, ate at local eateries and generally enjoyed being together. Tress and I were just filled with warm cosy happiness throughout the week. After we left them at the airport yesterday arvo, we said to each other we’d like a future that includes us being nearer around them. They are a growing family and while I am so very contented with our lives here in Melbourne, being invited to be part of that growing family is not something I’d pass up. Tress has been in on it way earlier than me so when I brought up the topic in the car yesterday arvo, it became a “done deal”. The how’s and when’s will be details to be worked out I guess. It’d be the next chapter for us.

It was another busy end of week for us. On Thursday, we hosted the home group meeting as the Longs (the usual hosts) were away. Tress was also leading the discussion and 10 us of cramped into our living room and talked about “supernatural” stuffs. It was quite fun and it was good to have hosted the meeting.

We went to work on Friday and later that evening, we went to a new-ish Chinese place just down the road from Blackburn Station, known as “Meet in Shandong”. It was quiet when we walked in and a little busier when we left, but the old place that stood there before this new one took over, was much better. “Rocca” with its special pastas and wood fired pizzas had a more Friday night treat air for me.

On Saturday, we did our usual – slept in a little and then walked the little fellow before going to The Glen for some groceries, including some pork ribs for a congee we wanted to cook. We then trekked into the city for an early Sat arvo game. Hawks took on the Crows at the G and it was going to be a cold day so it was great footy conditions. The Hawks got up, and for the second week in a row, we joined in the team song as the Hawks fans belted out the Happy Team at Hawthorn. When we got back late arvo, we rushed across the road to the oval with the little fellow for his walk, and only got back when it turned dark. We had to get in to St Alf’s early the next day so we crept into bed early for a Saturday night, and I had probably the best sleep all week. The sleep tracker said I scored well over 90 points, which was a rarity…

At St Alf’s the next day, we got in a bit early, set up a desk for Amy J to leave her stuff for a mini station of sorts at the foyer, and then joined her and Anita and Margaret, another lady who is often there, at the prayer room. We stayed behind after the service to assist with anyone interested in coming alongside for Amy’s work with the AFES. Tress and I had decided to also chip in to support Amy so we did that later that night.

Back home in the arvo, Tress and I busied ourselves around the outside of the house. I mowed and tidied up, and she did some weeding. I also trimmed back the hydrangeas, and made some cuttings to try and grow some new plants at the back of the house. I managed to get about 10 cuttings and hopefully some of them grow.

I then cooked the congee, and hopefully when little Abigail turns up later this week, she will enjoy it. We’re looking forward to seeing her again. Very much so.