Post614 To hear the Angels sing.

It's been a rainy week again here in Adelaide.  We had almost three times our average November rainfall this year, but the first two days of December have been fine enough for the birds to visit and the coming week is shaping up as washing friendly! I have sheets ready to hang out tomorrow.

Last week I  concluded with a comment that I looked like spending this whole week waiting for service people and deliveries. Au contraire, it all happened on Friday!

It wasn't raining when Shane arrived at 8.20am with an apprentice. to locate the roof leak I  had heard last Saturday. About 3 hours later, after removing my temporary manhole cover, inspecting the roof cavity by sticking his head through the hole, teaching the apprentice  to do the same, then working up on the roof for an hour or so, he reported back to me. He had found and repaired a roof capping and a capping on the top of the cement wall of our lift shaft inside the ceiling cavity (which has to be done from the roof as the ceilings are not load-bearing). He wasn't convinced it was the whole culprit. He was right. In the afternoon it rained and the drip was back! It only lasted about 20 minutes. He is recommending installing an evaporation tray in my ceiling, which should stop my drips. It won't, however, ensure the roof is waterproof. I wrote up a report for the Strata Committee and sent it off on Sunday.

No sooner had the roof repairers gone around 11, than the bathroom scales I had ordered arrived. They are certainly solid - and a bit larger than I expected. The tiles in the photo are 12" square. All the instructions assume they are for a doctor's surgery. I'm hoping they really will be reliable. The scale is marked in half-kilos and a bit hard to read when standing on them, and, of course, it doesn’t stay when you step off, but I can just manage it it with glasses on.

I was meant to go out to lunch when the repairers left. I was looking forward to it, wearing a dress, earrings, tights- even a change of handbag to match the dress. At 11.45am, I found a message from FedEx saying they were delivering a parcel between 10.20am and 2.20pm. This I knew to be the Bishops bags I had ordered from VistaPrint and I was anxious to get them.  I attempted to redirect the delivery to the nearby Pack and Send but got nowhere. Neither could I find out what they would do with the parcel if I was not at home.  I have had some bad experiences with couriers taking parcels to difficult-to-access depots. After several unsuccessful phone calls, answered from who-knows-where, and drawing a blank on their website, I cancelled my lunch attendance. The courier didn't turn up until 3.40pm. I could have gone to lunch.  Grrr.

At least, when the package arrived, the Bishop bags were very good and will serve the purpose I had in mind. The story of all the merchandise is in my embroidery blog. 

Also on Friday, B&O negotiated the delivery and installation of my new television on 12 December. In the various spells of waiting during the day I worked on another tote bag featuring a Kasia Jacquot panel, finishing it in the evening.

I find a lot to like in her designs. The stitches she suggests are simple and limited, but because she uses a full 6 strands of cotton, they give texture and dimension. She also has an eye for colour. I was sceptical about the idea of white around the heart - but it works.

I also had another call from my neighbour to check an email she feared was a scam. We spent a good half hour catching up. A lot was ticked off on Friday (at the cost of my lunch!)!

My hairdresser did go ahead and add my Santons to her window display. She sent me these photos on Thursday. I'm chuffed.

Plants on my back balcony enjoy the rain. I left the Vergola open for the early part of the week and closed it for much of the latter part. I paid a bit of attention to the indoor plants and those on the front balcony, which is covered and not reached by rain. I have a few plants I've struck from cuttings, growing in a range of odd glass jars or glasses in clay balls.  I'm especially pleased with this spider plant that I struck from a pup.

On Saturday I acquired more plants from Maggie’s Market at St Margaret’s. It was the last one for the year, so I dropped off some empty pots and came away with 5 plants, all varieties I’ve bought from them before and managed to grow. 

On the way to St Margaret’s I called at the Guild Stash sale. It was good to be there, catch up with a few friends and see the scope of members’ work. I found the basket in the photo above - good for a pot plant. Immediately after explaining I am not buying any more wool until I’ve cleared my stash, I saw these three odd balls and added them to the basket. It is acrylic, which I never buy, with a twist of metallic sparkle. Suddenly, knitting Christmas beanies was back on my agenda. I found a pattern. and began knitting that evening. After knitting about an inch of the band, it occurred to me I might be able to knit a coronet, rather than a beanie. I’d never seen a knitted coronet, but went looking and found a pattern that made use of the beanie band I was knitting.

By Sunday morning I was right into it. Knitting the peaks takes a bit of getting used to, and I made mistakes. I was planning to go to the cinema for a 2pm showing of The Choral, part of the British Film Festival. I was once a regular film goer, but haven’t been since Covid. I wanted to see The Choral, and I wanted to overcome my attendance reluctance. The Strata committee had planned a lunch picnic in the park which I had thought to attend for about an hour before heading to the film, but I ended up trying to master the peaks. I could see from the balcony there were only about 6 people at the picnic - most likely the committee. In the end I just went over and said hello before driving to the cinema. 

The cinema was crowded. Clearly most Adelaideans my age got over their COVID fears before me. The film was excellent, a bit more serious and thought-provoking than I expected. The music was as I hoped, and it was a tribute to determination, spirit and resilience. It did not gloss over the cost of war and its relentless machinery. That’s, I think, as it should be. 

I had intended to go to the 6pm carol service at the cathedral, but the film somehow left me with no appetite for it. I returned home and finished the test-run crown. The photo doesn’t show the sparkle.

It was good enough to wear, and work out improvements. I've been working on the second one, above in the photo. It works much better in a number of ways. I will repeat this one, but I also want to try a variation.

I’m enjoying knitting, especially when there’s a creative edge, but I hanker for an embroidery project, so I framed up another Kasia Jacquot panel, this time Veronka, which I’ve worked before. This time around I mounted it in snap frames so I could see most of the whole, using the Elbesee clamp in a seat stand  So far that’s working well. I haven't done much of it, but it's there to give me a change from knitting. 

I’ve ordered a couple of Kasia Jacquot’s stick-on embroidery patterns for tops. I want to embroider one to go with the pants I embroidered. Yesterday I went looking for a simple black cotton shirt.    I searched online and narrowed my choices down to a chain store that seemed to have several possibles. I wore the pants and tried on quite a few tops, including some men’s. Only one really fit the bill. It’s a cotton/viscose mix. I've also got a pale green linen shirt that might work.

Since it is now December, and Advent, I got down the box of Christmas decorations, made a selection, and hung them on the tree I bought last week. It is neither colour-coordinated, nor themed.

I also hung the Wise Men, star and bird in the mesh of the western fly screen. I don't have a hanging Holy Family, so have sourced one today from Melbourne. It may not be the best crafted, but it will arrive in time for Christmas. I didn't think the blank space was appropriate!

I had some tinsel ropes that now adorn the balcony rail in a haphard fashion. I haven't been down to the Square to see what they look like from below. I’m still finding and trying to remove the prickles in my hands and arm frombrushing on the cactus.The bendy Santa is climbing through the Snake Plant. You may be just able to see the Christmas Spider clinging to the leaf above his head on the right.

It's fairly restrained. I've been selective in choosing ornaments, just enough to capture a bit of history, memory, strength and hope.  There's not much bling.

Until I turn on the candles.

Post613 Lots of Purple and Patience

It seems a bit early to me for Christmas decorations. I did put out the candelabra but the rest can wait for Advent. 

Wednesday began with my 4 monthly Optometrist appointment. My eyes are going well under the current treatment regime. They were checked, my steroid creme prescripion renewed  and my checkups moved to six monthly. We talked along the way about Christmas, so I came home and sorted out the presents in my wardrobe. I could only find one of the four sacks I made for grandchildren in 2019  (a replacement of the original felt ones that had worn out). Does this mean it’s time to abandon them now the users are all adults?

On Thursday morning I had an email from Snapfish asking me to order something, or lose the archive of my past projects. It’s a bit ironic. The reason I haven’t used them for several years is because the early photo books I had ordered from them had disappeared from their website and I found another service that provides an archive service and more flexible formats. 

I thought however, that responding to their email might give me leverage, so I examined their current offerings. Amongst them are a couple of printed bags and a cushion. Of course, I thought it would be worthwhile trying these as spin-offs from the Bishops Bag.🙄

Apart from my Pilates, I spent the entire day, and most of the evening. experimenting with photographs and Snapfish software. Like most companies, but unlike those I ordered last week, Snapfish bags are printable only on one side. In the end I combined individual photographs of the 14 embroidered faces into a Word document, which I then converted to a jpeg file using screenshot. I had to do this several times to get a high enough resolution to create merchandise and to get a size that uploaded without cropping out faces on the edge. I have finally ordered a tote bag, a library bag and a cushion. I have a feeling the cushion might prove to be an attractive choice.  

In the middle of all this I had a phone call to say my coffee machine was ready to pick up. I was happily drinking a cup of coffee from the insulated coffee pot  I had filled that morning , so delayed picking up the machine until Friday. The explanation for the problem is still a bit thin, but I am now operating it without a filter, and hoping the signals for descaling will now be clear to me. Danielle, who runs the shop and deals with customers, had taken the trouble to go through the processes with the technician and then again with me. So far so good, but I’m not counting my chickens yet. Danielle is great.

It's good to have espresso coffee when I want it, but I'm very pleased to have rediscovered the convenience of freshly ground coffee through a stainless steel drip filter into an insulated coffee pot. I've got choices!

On Saturday I paid a visit to Create in Stitch. It was raining heavily. On the way home I managed to find a place to stop on Halifax St to photograph the jacaranda trees. I love the mature trees with the contrasting black wood. 

Back at home, with another coffee,  the drip began again in my living room wall.  I took notes, timed it, and notified our Strata Rep. Another visit from Shane is now scheduled early this Friday.

It was, at least, good knitting weather. I managed, finally, to finish the left front of the cardigan. It looked (is) huge, and I was anxious to see if I had overdone the size shift. It appears, however, to be the right size.  Even though it had to be held in place, I didn't want to take it off. It would have been a good addition in Saturday's miserable weather.

I've now begun the right front.

Three of us ate well and,  in between intermittent checks on the Schoolies Week weather, managed the crosswords  with a bit of pooled knowledge - and an observer.

Sunday was BookClub and the only day this week when rain was not forecast. I managed to get my 2 weeks of accumualated washing done and hung out before I left at 9.45am. As I hung it out, the Jenny McWinney peg bag I made in 2012 finally fell apart. A shame, but it's had a good run. I used the pegs as they fell but couldn't stop to deal with it.

I had somehow missed the street closure notices for the Supercars Final which starts next Thursday. Roads are already closed, stands and bollards  erected. I had to go a very long way around to get to our meeting at Norwood. It was worth it,  The recommended books created animated discussion. 

As we shared our reading, I added another 48 books to my database of the crime books we have collectively read this year. I now have an 11 page table, in Word, containing 485 titles - the books we have individually read and shared with each other this year.. Another BookClub member has now transferred it into Excel format so it can be interrogated by category, not essential, but useful and handy. I'm hoping to recruit a granddaughter to help me manage the database,

It was also the day the cushion covers I'd made recently reached their destination. The account of their making is now in my embroidery blog.

There isn't a big choice of peg baskets in Adelaide. I found this wire mesh one at Bunnings and bought it on Monday. The old one, unfortunately, has gone to landfill. 

While at Bunnings I was seduced by a lemon scented pine, being marketed as a Christmas tree. It's very limey-greem which I rather like.  Let's see if I can keep this one alive beyond Christmas.

They also had the first poinsettia of the season. Not very big, but I do love them. While I eschew Christmas decorations before Advent, I don't count plants in the category!

My hairdresser doesn't wait for Advent. When I visited today she and her apprentice were engaged in wrapping the entrance door in a gigantic gold ribbon and bow. While Nikki cut my hair, the apprentice unpacked a box of frosted trees which she arranged , on instruction, in the window. The idea was to create a village in the window.

After some discussion, I came home, collected the box of santons, traditional pottery village nativity figures from Provence,  and took them back to the salon. 

Jim bought these some 15-20 years ago. I haven't  had space to display them here and Nikki was keen to borrow them. She has promised me photos when they are set up. I can't find any photos of the figures set up, so the box will have to do. They are tiny, and my guess is there would be 70-80 figures.

On my way home the second time I stopped at the Chemist, had a prescription made up, and returned the bathroom scales I bought 10 days ago. They have begun behaving like the last ones. 

This morning they gave me, within 5 minutes, a weight varying over a 3 kg range. The pharmacy was unsurprised, and very good about it,  refunding my money and will return them to the company. 

After discussion with pharmacy staff, I came home and checked out non-digital scales. I have, with some trepidation, ordered the one that is used in most doctor's surgeries. The reviews are mostly positive, and reliability seems high. There is no local supply and they are more expensive than those I've tried so far. I really need to get accurate and reliable weight measurements regularly, so here's hoping it's third time lucky.

This afternoon I've had the call scheduling Shane's visit to look for the leak early (sigh) on Friday morning. I also had a message to say by B&O TV is at the warehouse and can be delivered once I pay the balance! 

Also, all the printed bags I ordered, plus the cushion, are on their way to me. It looks as if I will be spending much of the coming week waiting for deliveries and services!

Post 612 Projects Galore.

It's jacaranda time again in Adelaide. The best views are driving along streets lined with purple trees, but I can't photograph while driving, and stopping is not usually possible. This is the tree visible from my back balcony. It's slightly to the left of me, behind Di and Theo's apartment.

The native frangipani directly behind me is still attracting a pair of rosellas.  I certainly have a lot  of photos!

Wednesday was another World Embroidery winner. Pat Grummet brought along a wealth of records and photos of an installation, Monday Blues that she and  Richard Brecknock performed as part of the Fibreworks Collective  in Gawler Place Adelaide, and again in Wellington, NZ, in the early 1980s, as an example of textiles as storytelling. They began by installing a clothes line on a vacant city lot, to which they pegged 7 white and 4 blue items - knickers and nappies. Over 10 days they constructed tents, dyed underwear, nappies and cloth (largely sourced from charity shops), adding both tents and clothes each week to show the growth of the family and the work involved.  They printed a leaflet explaining the project to hand out to the public. Pat did all the dyeing, on site. I remember the vacant block. I worked next to it in 1985 and 1986, but missed the installation. I borrowed the photo of the last days of the NZ installation from Pat's presentation. WES Group also provided me with advice on my female bishops bag -  and we have a draft program for next year.  

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As a result of the bag advice, I went to Spotlight after Pilates on Thursday and bought some plain purple quilting cotton and iron-on wadding, both for lining the bag. On a whim I continued to Grange Jetty for a late lunch. I haven't been for a few years, as it stopped taking bookings and is often crowded.  At 2.45pm on Thursday it was fine and the fritto misto was just what I wanted.

I worked solidly on the bishops bag on Friday and Saturday, finishing it. It has been a bit of a passionate experimental project, and I'm not quite finished with it yet, having ordered a photo-based spin-off print bag, that I may take further. Detail in my embroidery blog.

On Sunday I worked for a bit on Christmas cards before visiting my local Chemist to sort out a couple of prescriptions and buy a new set of simple bathroom scales. The old scales with which I have been persevering no longer give a consistent reading from second to second. It's a bit scary to start again. I had to wait until Monday morning at my usual weigh-in time to see the damage. It looks as if I am about half a kilo over what I've been guesstimating from the old scales - not too bad!

On Sunday afternoon the cold returned and rain set in. I had the heating on again. I returned to my knitting. I'm making progress on the left side of the cardigan. Looks like I was right to order the extra yarn.

Project Christmas Cards got a bit of a boost on Monday. Each year this becomes an exercise of mixed emotions. As well as the list getting shorter, there are checks on those I haven’t heard from, and dread at what I might learn. There are also warm memories. 

I calculated the stamps required and headed to the PO to buy them, as well as posting a parcel.

Back at home I extended the Christmas connection exercise by working through my gmail address book, which I have never culled. I found no new names to add to the card list, but I reduced the number of entries from around 1200 to 530. The vast majority were the contacts of the last 12 years of my paid work with a few old personal business and trades contacts. Most were also entered twice, automatically indexed by both first and second names. Again, it was a sobering exercise. So many people  I was once in regular contact with, and have lost track of, even forgotten. Jobs and organisations that no longer exist. A world that has gone.

Meanwhile, the Kangaroo Paw is blooming on the front balcony.

As Monday dinners at my place are currently off I've had projects spread everywhere. As a number have reached completion I had a bit of a tidy-up. That pile of hoops and frames on the spare bed is now packed. into bags or units and stowed away, left over threads distributed with others of their kind and cards in piles. 

I had also neglected my Book Club picks in my project frenzy, and we meet next Sunday, so I’ve got 2 books to read this week. I was already reading Daffodils and Deadly Deeds, so finished it yesterday and read Garry Disher's Mischance Creek  today, for Book Club. I'll try to get on to the other, Melaleuca, tomorrow. I am ignoring the piles waiting for my exploration of Anglo-Saxon Embroidery, and Women in the British Secret Service! 

The cushion backs arrived today and were all I hoped for: quality linen and easy to apply. The time taken to add the border paid off. The size is good. I had a spare plump filler, and the cushion now provides company for the Elsa Williams crewel bluebird I completed in 2014

Once the cushion was in place I took myself down to my Podiatrist to deliver her the last of my Voices of Women bags, following our recent conversation about life choices. When I got there, the place was closed. Curious, until I realised it was lunchtime. 

The Greek restaurant is a few doors away, so I treated myself to their lunch special - crisp barramundi on a fabulous salad of heritage tomatoes, capsicum and olives., after which the podiatry clinic was open and I delivered the bag.

Now that the Annual Christmas Pageant has brought Santa to Adelaide our Christmas box is back in the Square.

At the eastern end of the apartment, the silhouette of a rosella echoes the shape of the bluebirds.  

Post611 Creativity and Helpfulness.

 

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I was just getting out of the shower on Thursday morning when I caught a glimpse of colour and movement in the native frangipani tree outside. I grabbed a towel and my DSLR and managed to get quite a few shots of a single Adelaide Rosella feasting in the flower-laden native frangipani. 

They don’t come often, so I was in luck.

Early the same morning I woke to a brief pre-dawn glow which I also captured. 

Just before I left for Pilates I had another request for phone help from my neighbour. We caught up when I returned in the late afternoon. By then the problem, whatever it was, wasn’t evident. She thought she was missing phone calls. We spent a pleasant hour catching up without finding a problem. We did solve the problem of her fearing my personal files had somehow leaked into her email. She had clicked on the website link in my signature!

She had bought me a bunch of flowers for all my help. The look fabulous in the shell vase - such a vibrant colour! She has also bought herself a little counted Aida embroidery kit, so I don’t think this will be the last call for help, although she does seem to understand charts.

On Friday Simela called to say the slate frame I had enquired about had just arrived.

 I had planned to go grocery shopping but went straight to Create in Stitch and picked up a 60” slate frame, coming home to set it up and move the needlepoint on to it. I mounted it with the whole canvas visible as I was working a border. I spent most of the weekend working on it, blocking it around 6pm on Sunday. Detail in my embroidery blog.

It was wet on Monday. I began sorting out my Christmas cards, went looking for a glue stick, and ended up sorting out all my embroidery hoops and frames. I identified all the pieces  of the first stand I ever bought, a large oval one from Victoria House in Berrima. I haven’t used it in decades but it was a very good tool. On the pillow is another large wooden stand superseded by my Lowery. In addition to the slate frame, there are a couple of lap stands and a variety of frames and hoops. Some are now organised in bags and I'm looking for bags - which i intend to label - for the other piles. I had three roller frames, which will go to the Guild trading table tomorrow. a small reduction. It seems I need to do this exercise a bit more frequently to stay on top of my possessions. 

The apartment is looking like a messy studio. In addition to frames, hoops, stands and a blocking cushion, there are Christmas cards, a half-knitted cardigan front measuring against the finished back and a tote bag. One of the things about living alone is that the your lliving room is shared only when you have visitors. I have another week before I pack it all away. 

Today I dashed out to Create In Stitch to pick up a copy of Crewel Work Then and Now, but the copies weren't in. I've put in my order and can wait. From there I had a podiatrist appointment which resulted in a serious discussion about the pros and cons of political involvement and ambition. My feet have improved.

I have delayed posting this again tonight as I wanted to finish the names of the female bishops on the second side of the tote bag.  It's done. I have some unexpected questions about it. Do I add a row of mitres and crossiers? Are the faces too unhappy? Do I have copyright issues if I photograph and print from it? It's WES Group tomorrow. They'll help.

I received news this week that my last remaining uncle (aged 91) had died. It's good to be surrounded by creativity and helpfulness.