Gotta love Valley folk

It's times like this that make you really really appreciate living in a small town.

A few weeks ago at the local horse race meet, friends of our neighbour who we met with mentioned they were needing to sell their daughters pony as she had grown out of it.  I was able to give them some ideas of where to advertise and how to best promote the pony (I buy & sell racehorses as a job).

On Monday night the wife rang to ask for some help re the ad she was putting online, I got her to send me the text and photos, and put the advert together for them, cropping & editing the photos.  She was very thankful, and happy for the help. I emailed the ad and photos to her around midnight Monday night, then on Tuesday I received an email saying:

Thanks so much for doing that for us – it is greatly appreciated.   The photos uploaded with no problem and the add is now up and running.   Once again thanks.   We’ll see how we go.

Last night Mr Mel went to the pub with our neighbour (weekly boys ritual, I'm so happy he's got a mate to have boys time with!) and the husband of the pony wife (struggling to think of clever name!) was there, he was so thankful of my help, he said Mr Mel wasn't to leave without letting him know.

Meanwhile the wife rang me, to say that they were so happy and grateful for the help, that the really appreciated it (she was so lovely!).

Mr Mel arrives home from the pub with a pot of rabbit stew!  Yep a pot of rabbit stew for helping them try and sell their pony, how lovely is that!

Rabbit soup (photo source)

So for dinner last night we had a lovely bowl of hot rabbit soup, Mr Mel's first taste ever, my first taste since I was a kid.

Mr Mel is originally from Sydney, I lived in Melbourne for 15 years after growing up in country Vic.  We both moved to the Hunter Valley not knowing anyone, myself in 2007 to take up a job offer, and Mr Mel in 2010 full time, to be with me :)  It has been a bit of a slog getting to know people, but we're slowly developing a circle of friends, through neighbours, people I go to the gym with, friends of employer etc.  We have been very lucky to have been accepted into the fold by some lovely people, including our rabbit soup makers!

Till next time,

RIP to a special bit of my past

1 June 2009 - reposted April 2010

I logged onto Facebook yesterday and noticed a few old school friends had posted things like "you're at peace now", "RIP mate" etc etc. I wondered who it could be, assuming a grandma or something, and clicked on one of the profiles and was so shocked to read that a good friend from High School had died on Saturday night.

I hadn't been in contact with her since leaving school (16 years or so), until she contacted me about 6 months ago, one of the joys of Facebook is old names can rejoin. We had a hilarious back & forth online reliving school days, she and I were 2 of a group of 10 or so 'trouble makers' at our private girls catholic school.

I laughed so hard at some of the emails that I'd cry at my desk, my boss just shaking his head as I relived some stories. Well yesterday I cried at my desk for the saddest reason. I still can't believe she's gone.

RIP Macka, you were a great mate, and partner in crime. You will be sorely missed.

:-(