Tuesday 2 November 2010

The Cup is over

Today is a very important day for most Australians - Melbourne Cup Day - a public holiday in Melbourne and not much work is done in the  rest of the country anyway - luncheons and sweeps and all sorts of shenanigans go on.  Even those who have to work get dressed up.  I had to go to the eye doctor this morning for a checkup after my latest injection - here are the girls in the front office all dolled up with their fascinators etc.  Later when I was in the local pharmacy mearly all the staff there were in very dressy clothes with their fascinators as well!  Somebody is making a mint from selling fascinators.

Bill and I treat ourselves to prawns for lunch and a glass or two of wine to go with them, while we watch the race on TV.  Jock was just as fascinated and I actually had the camera within reach.  He is really funny when the football is on, had his front feet right up on the stand trying to work it all out - but of course I never have the camera at the ready!

This chest came back to us yesterday after being restored.  I forgot to take a photo before it went away, but it was stained a very dark colour and had a very shiny finish.  I love the patina of this finish and the colours and grain of the cedar really show up.  It is not an antique - well, not in the true sense of the
word - our grandkids probably think it is, as Bill's mother bought it in the late 1950s and that is forever ago as far as they are concerned!
 
Blogger is doing funny things and moving me to places where I didn't really want to be, but I think I have managed to get the printing in between the right photos now.  This delicate white orchid is a Christmas Orchid (Calanthe triplicate) flowering in the Shade Garden at the Botanic Gardens.  It is  a native of Central Queensland, but I must confess I have never seen it in the wild.  I love the fact that we can see so many native flowers here which we would never normally see.
Two more sleeps and we will be off to catch up with all the New Zealand family.  Thw weather Melbourne is having now - cold and wet - will unfortunately be following us over the ditch, but we have pulled out all our winter woollies so hopefully we won't freeze.

6 comments:

  1. Just home from an 11/2 hour drive home from Adelaide and the cup lunch, terribly slow and erratic, I think they all drank with lunch, I only had 1 bubbly!
    Have a lovely time in NZ

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  2. It's funny how popular fascinators have become Robin.
    We had a cup luncheon at the guild and had to wear a MC ha.
    I decorated my sun hat with flowers and another lady had a donald duck hat and several ladies wore there going away outfit hats and the other 30 or so wore fascinators.
    I always thought that the fun of MC lunches was to make a decorated hat.
    Now I am really showing my age.
    Have a great time in NZ and take plenty of sunshine over with you in preparation for our arrival.

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  3. Sounds like a fun day all round - hope Jock didn't lose all his money on the race! Your chest of drawers has come up a treat - it's a lovely piece of furniture. I love that orchid. Hope you have a great time in NZ and good journeys.

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  4. It really does seem to be a great day. The chest of drawers looks fantastic and the orchid is beautiful, so delicate. Have a great time in New Zealand.

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  5. Sounds like a fun day. My dog, Jake, likes to watch some TV too, especially if there are animals. Thanks for commenting on my blog. Have a fun trip.

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  6. I dont think there would be any Australian who has not had a memorable Melbourne Cup Day.

    Love you chest of drawers..it does look vintage to me.

    My daughter has 3 cats, and i am convinced that cats always rule the household they belong to...i made the mistake of sitting on the one spot on the lounge that is "baby's" and she just sat on the arm and stared at me until someone told me why....and it was me who had to move. We had a cat once who used to climb the screen door and lift the door knocker to be let inside.

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