Saturday

A surprise Nurses' pay rise (forgot about it ) prompted to me to spend it, supporting the national economy in the process!! So I bought a jacket I have been seeing for a few years, Celia has one the same but red, but we are far enough away to not clash too often. I will wear it out tonight as we go to a Jazz performer competition in Richmond.

Bridie gave me a national gallery (NGV) membership for my birthday so when I went to collect my coat I went to the gallery for a coffee then remembered the Member's lounge. It was a well appointed room so I relaxed with a free latte and the Saturday paper. I expected peace and quiet but that was not to be.
A man was there with 2 children one a toddler happily playing but clacking bits of a puzzle onto the board. The baby was also happy but squealing with pleasure every now and then. At times the frustrations of the puzzle got to the toddler and he let out a shriek following by a loud SSH from Dad. At the next sofa setting a man was espousing to his partner about the plot and meaning of The enigma of Kaspar Hauser ' He wasn't loud just not quiet.
Meanwhile the peace (?) was disturbed by the release of a large goose into the room. When I sought it out it transformed before my eyes into the form of a man blowing his nose ; 5 long hoots at regular intervals-- then peace.
A woman then arrived to have a coffee, and the goose was commenting on the pattern of the coffee machine in how it released the coffee first then the milk and how one he had used at some other place had done the milk first a nd how that wasn't how it should be done for the best flavour!
The woman opposite me (the only quiet space in the room) was joined by her teenage daughter who whined that she wanted to go, her mother then encouraged her to get a hot chocolate, her final agreement only coming after several minutes of how she just HAD to go NOW.
I had finished my coffee and decided the Gallery itself might be quieter so went up to see a exhibition called Renew of some of the first works purchased for the Photographic exhibition gallery at NGV.
It was lovely with some great works.
In the evening I went to Carolynn's for a 'Girls' Night In" fund raising dinner for Breast Cancer research. You eat in and give the money you would have spent dining out to the appeal. We had a lovely night.
We finished the evening with some mini cupcakes All the rage the last few years!