Post 625 February is for First Meetings, Family, Friends, Flowers and Food

Wednesday’s sunrise was beautiful. I don’t think it counted as red. I certainly didn’t take it as a warning as I prepared for the first WES Group meeting of the year. It was a good meeting - 13 of us gathered around the table, which was covered with my Sashiko tablecloth, catching up on holiday activity and discussing the ethics of merging cultural designs in embroidery. I thought I had posted the account of this project, but apparently not. I have rectified. 

The temperature is back in the mid to high 30s. It took a while for the Gallery to cool down for our meeting, as we were the first to enter. I met our new Office Manager, who is happy to turn the Aircon on for us in future when she first arrives.

The Crewel Work Company have released the kit and linen for some of the projects from Crewel Work Then and Now,  including the Blue Bird which I loved as soon as I saw it. I have given my copy of the book to the Guild library, which is currently accessioning it. As the Library Team were meeting at the same time as WES, I made a note of the Appleton's wools required for Phillipa’s Then version . and checked my stash. I had 11 of the 51 skeins required. 

On Thursday I called at the Guild again to check if the trading table had any more. I found another 3. Another Guild member offered to search her stash for more - her mother had been into crewel. She found another 8. On the basis that I have almost half the skeins required, and Create in Stitch has a full Appleton's range, I have only ordered the linen. When it arrives I will buy the remaining threads and borrow the book from the Guild Library. If it goes well I’ll have a go at Hazel Blomkamf’s Now version, in cottons.

On Friday Brigid and I had another fitting with the dressmaker, this time the first fitting of the actual garment. It's looking fabulous and should be finished next week. There will be more to come. Back at home I worked on the vegetable bag I've been trying to finish for Brigid's birthday today. I finished it just before midnight on Sunday.  

It folded up as neatly as I hoped, to fit into the Kasia Jacquot bag I had quietly embroidered a few weeks ago for just that purpose.

Now that the vegetable bag is finished I have returned to the Jacquot panels for my craft bags. On Saturday I mounted Olga in a 12" hoop and sorted out the threads I need. The threads were in a bit of a tangle, but are now sorted, and I have enough for this panel. 

I'm still alternating with knitting the shrug. The silk/alpaca  mix is fine for knitting in warm weather. I got a few rows done while we did two more-than-usually-difficult crosswords after dinner on Saturday. 

On Sunday I chickened out of driving to Ukaria for a concert by a group called A Mouthful of Teeth. I’m sure it would have been good, but I just wanted to stay home and read, which I did. It was 35C. Even the bamboo clothes in the load of washing I did dried in 2 hours. I had noticed the publication of the third book by Anthony Horowitz in the Susan Ryeland series, and realised I hadn’t read the second, so downloaded and read it. A little disappointing.

The very large pot of Casula tetragona  on my back balcony ( in the lid of the electric barbecue I bought and abandoned several years ago!) keeps blowing over in any strong wind. The metal base circle on which it is balanced needs to be larger. I keep meaning to go to a nursery to find one. I decided yesterday was the day to do it. Straight after breakfast I assembled the vegetable sausage bake ingredients for dinner. I knew I was missing shallots, and wanted to identify anything else so I could buy them. I went to Frewville for a change - always a pleasure and came home via Barrow and Bench nursery. 

They didn’t have an 

appropriate larger stand. They did, however, have a strange bottomless woven cane circle that I thought might do the job. While it won’t last as long as metal, it works for now and looks good. According to the sales assistant it was intended to go around the base of a Christmas tree!

At the nursery I avoided the plants. No point being tempted when it’s 37C.  I have redeployed the metal stand for the moment for the frangipani.

It is Orientation Week at Adelaide Uni, so all three granddaughters are getting oriented. They seem to be finding their rooms and pathways while avoiding being captured by aggressive club recruitment tactics. Reckon they’ll be rearing to go by next Monday when courses start.

Today I had my annual audiology check up. Very little change in my hearing and my 10 year-old hearing aids are going strong so we have made no changes: a bit astounding, but when on a good thing… 
I drove from the audiologist to the swimming pool - carefully removing my hearing aids to swim 500 metres with no hassles.. 

Brigid’s birthday dinner was at Luigi’s - a fabulous meal that I couldn’t finish. I piked out of birthday cake afterwards - a sugar hit after 9pm is no longer my scene and I didn't think I could resist icecream.

The dinner, however, was special: a privilege to be invited - and to be alive to enjoy it.

Deo gratias.

Post624 Triumph of small and friendly

This week’s highlight would have to be Sunday’s 80th birthday celebration for our Book Club convenor - a 90 minute high tea cruise along the Torrens, the river on which Adelaide is built. For 50 years, Popeye boats have taken visitors on tours, between the Zoo and the weir that ensures there is water in the river. I’m not sure how long the high teas have been available but it was a great experience. It’s at least 20 years since I was on Popeye, and I’d forgotten how interesting and peaceful the river is. 

I couldn’t think of a better way to relax with friends, celebrate longevity and appreciate our city. 

There was plenty of food, and refills of coffee, but the joy was really in the conversation, the smooth ride and calm of the environment.

The skipper told jokes about falling in, and one person admitted to not being able to swim. I felt somewhat smug, as I had finally got back into a swimming routine (but not in the river!). 

I haven’t been in a swimming pool  in the nearly two years since I had Covid. Before that I had been doing Aquarobics at the small Unley State Swim pool once a week. After the break I decided I was over travelling home wet in the middle of the day or queuing for a shower. The much larger Adelaide Aquatic Centre, of which I’ve been a member in the past, has been closed, demolished and rebuilt in that time. I  have been waiting for the reopening to set up a new routine. It reopened at the end of January and I scoured the new website for subscription details. While the charges were clear, the services were opaque. There appeared to be a lot of pools open for lap swimming throughout the day and a number of different classes, but finding a timetable defeated me. I emailed a query. 

That was a week ago and I still don’t have an answer. I discussed it with Panayoula last week, and on Wednesday took myself back to Unley State Swim, not for the 11am class but, for the afternoon lap swimming. So far this has proved  a good choice. Lap swimming suits me, I’ve had friendly, helpful service, a lane to myself, no wait for a shower, and security for my bag. I have swum laps for half an hour three times and worked out a schedule to swim at least once a week. I enjoy being in the water and feel invigorated (and a little tired). I’ve also been reminded of muscles I’d forgotten I had.

The bag is finished. Details in my embroidery blog. 

I’ve also progressed the shrug, discovering I had misread the pattern. I’ve adapted for the error and am now back on track.  It's stretchier than it looks here!

The Yarn Trader has come up with an ingenious concept, a Chapter and Yarn Book Club.  It will meet once a month to discuss a book while knitting. The first meeting is early in April and the book chosen is The Full Moon Coffee Shop. The really interesting bit is that Hannah, from Circus Tonic Handmade is creating yarn inspired by the book to go along with the discussion.

It’s hardly my kind of book, and I don’t want to attend a meeting, but I’ve ordered the Shindig Donegal Tweed set of yarn and bought the book. When I have read it, and I pick up the yarn, I will knit a shawl. I’m sure it will make a great gift - and I really want to see how the club concept plays out over time,

Hopefully the delay in creating the yarn will give me the chance to use the two skeins I received for my birthday before it arrives.

Post 623 a little cooler

 .- l

It was a pleasure on Wednesday to take advantage of slightly lower temperature and go to Frewville to get more salad supplies. I was totally out of everything except a slice of capsicum. From the activity in the aisles I wasn’t alone in that. Again, I added a few prawns and another box of iceblocks for good measure, correctly anticipating a few more days of above 40C coming up. As I was buying the fresh prawns in the deli section I noticed they had some Wakame seaweed salad, so I got a small serve to try. Turns out it is delicious. Wish I’d bought more.

There was a bit of a pleasant breeze through the apartment until mid-afternoon, when the temperature passed 30C. I closed the doors and put the aircon on until the sun set around 8.30pm when it was once again cool enough to open up. I’m glad I made the most of that small window.  

I indulged in some afternoon screen time, watching the movie Kangaroo Island on Netflix. I’m not quite sure what I made of it. It took a roundabout, if at times predictable, route to its central message about family, connection, place, continuity and change. There are a couple of strands I didn’t understand - but I’m not going back to unravel. I also read - or at least skimmed - Jane Harper’s Last One Out which seemed to suffer from a similar problem.

Although it breached my only-two-serves-of-fruit-a-day rule I added mango to my salad. It goes really well with prawns and was delicious. The mango was huge, and served me for three days.

Thursday and Friday passed inside, avoiding the heat, 39 and 42C respectively. I read a second BookClub choice, The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell, which I really enjoyed. 

Thursday’s sunset was pointy and the Cathedral lights have competition.

I’m very pleased that so far the frangipani I bought a couple of weeks ago has continued to bloom. Watering is now a daily task. 

On Saturday morning, before breakfast, I did some gardening. The forecast was only 32C and the first market of the year was on at St Margaret’s Woodville. I got a couple of large biodegradable garbage bags and emptied pots of dead plants. Unfortunately this included both the Lemon Fir I had bought as a Christmas tree and the Bay tree I had bought hopefully a couple of weeks ago. I now have a lifetime supply of bay leaves. 

I took a bag of empty pots to John, the plant seller at St Margaret’s and bought a bag full of plants, including a peppermint geranium, which I’ve been looking for for several years. One of the parish’s locum priests had grown it, unbeknown  to John. I’m delighted and have settled it in a water well pot with high hopes. It has some promising new growth at the centre.🤞

The rest were geraniums, sword ferns and a syngonium,  plants with which I've been successful.

Now that the temperature is back in the 30s, the bats are back to feed on the Moreton Bay figs in the Square each evening. More than 500 of the Adelaide colony died in last week’s 40+ heat, so I was relieved to see at least a couple of dozen returning on Sunday evening.

As I was going to bed late last night I caught a glimpse of the rising moon - 99.3% gibbous. The photo isn’t perfect, but I like the colours and composition.

A few books caught my attention this week - none of them new. I’ve order 3 from various sources, The Life St Brigid of Kildare by Cogitosus, A Divine Calling: One Woman's Life-Long Battle for Equality in the Catholic Church and a book written some 15 years ago by an old university friend, God, the Best, and Evil. I guess there’s a theme. The ordination of the Archbishop of Canterbury revives memories of old battles.

I stuck with fried rice, with lemon and honey poultry (duck and chicken) last night. Although we were in a 28C heat break, I'm still not prepared to have the oven on for 3 hours. 

It looks as if the Uni timetables will support us continuing our Monday dinners, so there will be chances for roast pork when the weather cools in a month of so.

I've managed to finish outlining all sections of the main drawstring bag pattern. I only have the red border line to go before I take it out of the hoop and work the drawstring casing. I do love the effect, although the black backstitch outlining has been time-consuming. 

Panayoula and I spent a couple of hours catching up over coffee this morning. Sustaining.

The temperature is hovering in the low 30s this coming week, not high enough to bunker down, but too high for much outdoor activity during the day, so I should get the bag finished, if nothing else. 

I'm  also exploring options to return to swimming. 

Post622 Mostly Protection

On Wednesday I had a very pleasant lunch at the Grange Hotel with the husband of a sick friend. He needed to get out of the house, but doesn’t drive, and she needed  rest in the middle of the day. It worked out well. It was very windy at Grange but we were inside with a lovely view and decent food.  Relaxing for all three of us. When I got home, my lobby as one again in pitch darkness, so out came my phone torch and then the lamps! I could hear what I thought might be the electricians somewhere in the stairwell. I was right. An hour later the lobby light AND the exit sign were working. 

The lamps are back in my apartment. I used the battery operated one as my candle on Thursday, our National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bondi attack. I won’t leave a candle alight in the apartment for more than a few minutes, so this, while not as aesthetically pleasing, cast a steady light in the darkness.

On Friday morning Brigid and I had an appointment with the dressmaker to discuss the first garment from my Eastern Silk sale indulgence. The visit left me hopeful. Connie is away next week, but there should be a toile for us to try in a fortnight. Back at home I went over my preparation for my Saturday workshop  before I finishing the Marta bag. Details of that in my embroidery blog.

Saturday, as predicted,  dawned hot. I set off with my very heavy bag of teaching aids at 8.40am, adding the string of embroidered protective eyes from outside my door at the last minute to minimise their absence, and taking my breakfast coffee with me. As I expected, there was a good turnout - the first workshop of the year in the air conditioned Guild Gallery on a 45C day was going to be tempting, regardless of the topic.

About 17 of us had a good time, in spite of the inadequacy of the Gallery technology set-up. I finally delivered my PowerPoint with the camera trained on my laptop screen and projecting on to the overhead screen. Worked very well. I’m assured things are about to change for the better! 

The workshop was a success. I had created a task to design and embroidery a protection against the Evil Eye, and prepared numerous circle and oval templates from milk carton plastic and paper to assist. I also had a few small opercula. What I hadn’t anticipated was the enthusiasm for the task. Participants expressed appreciation for a conceptual task - taking an idea and using it to create. That’s valuable information. Given no participant came without a goodly supply of bling - sequins, beads, metallics- I suspect that added to the enthusiasm. 

All in all it was a most satisfying way to spend the best part of a 45C day. Before I left I raided the trading table for  a couple of thread packs with colours useful for the Kasia Jacquot bags, and some buttons that might help in the dressmaking project.

All four grandchildren are now successfully enrolled in their uni courses, with workable timetables. This has been a bit of a trial for the three girls, now all enrolled at Adelaide Uni,  newly merged with Uni SA. The processes for enrolling, and requirements for specific merged courses have not always been clear or understood. There were bound to be glitches for the first cohort - and there were. For now, however, all three have subjects they are happy with and their programs for the year. On Friday, the younger two passed their driving tests and only need to complete another 20 hours of supervised driving to get their licences. Very much a new phase of their lives.

On Sunday a birthday lunch I had expected to attend was postponed because of the forecast 37C heat, less than the days either side, but still hot. As Monday was a public holiday for Australia Day, and SA trading regulations meant most food supply shops outside the CBD would be closed, I used the unexpected Sunday free time, to stock up on ice blocks, reduced sugar ice cream, milk and prawns to get me through the next bout of hot days. I’m going through a lot of low sugar ice blocks! 

I spent the hottest Australia Day on record inside, aircon on from 10 am, Western balcony plants watered and blinds down from 1pm. The overnight temperature didn’t get below 31C. I slept well with a fan on. It was already 35C when I turned the aircon back on at 7.15am.

Today it reached 42C by 11.30am. I had all blinds and curtains drawn except for part of the western balcony window so I could sit in my embroidered chair (red circle) to stitch and catch some light.  Around midday, when the sun moved overhead and the wind got up, I closed the curtains and turned on the light.

Most of the plants are coping well. At least two, including the Mulla Mulla, will need to be replaced. I haven’t tried the lift, which has failed before in the heat. With that in mind,  I cancelled today's cleaning. The risk of cleaners, with all their gear, not being able to use the lift, either up or down, in 42C, seemed too high. There is no news of a lift failure, but then, I'm not sure anyone has tried it. 

The Australia Day Honours List included an Order of Australia for Pat Pledger for her services to Children’s Literature. Pat has long reviewed and promoted children’s literature through Reading Plus. We worked together as teacher- librarians in the 1980s, our families were friends and we now belong to the same book club. It is so good that her years of quiet, diligent, relentless work to promote and facilitate reading has been recognised.

While tomorrow is a bit of a reprieve, with a forecast of 33C, we are likely to return to 37C on Thursday and 42C on Friday. No cool change on the horizon until Sunday. I have cancelled Pilates on Thursday since I don't think the studio aircon has been fixed. While I hate this hot weather, it has given me a chance to make good progress on Hanka Robertson's drawstring purse from  Winter 2025 Piecework magazine. I'm aware of the irony. The meticulous, slow and precise nature of the cross stitch has been a challenge, but the beauty of it is a reward. There's still quite a bit to do.

I'm aware that some of my US friends may, at the moment, be experiencing a dangerous snow storm. You are on my mind - crazy extremes at work, as I sit in Adelaide in 42C,  embroidering a project  published recently in the Northern hemisphere Winter. At least the dominant red has its own relevance to both.

Post 621 Darkness and Light

On Thursday I finished the Aurora embroidery, and made the bag on Friday. As my embroidery blog says, I am in love with these panels. 

On my way to shop for Moussaka ingredients for Monday night’s dinner, I swung by Create in Stitch for more threads. The Jacquot panels chew through thread, because they use 6 strands of a limited colour range. While I’ve varied it a bit, the palette works too well to move too far. 

I also bought a couple of packets of 14 count Aida. I find it hard to believe I don’t have a supply of this, but search as I might, none materialised. I really want to have a go at the cross stitch pattern for A Slavic Inspired Purse in the Winter 2025 Piecework magazine. While it recommends 28 count linen I want to try it on Aida. I’ve gridded it up and found the threads, so now it’s in the queue. And, yes, it might have benefitted from an iron, but given the amount of stiffening in it I might wait to see how it hoops up. It’s going to need a wash to remove the stiffener..

We’ve been having trouble with our lobby lights since early Wednesday morning. On Thursday an electrician attempted a fix which was initially intermittently successful, then a total failure.  

As our lobbies have no external light source, they are pitch black without lighting. I resurrected a battery-operated lamp and placed it outside my door before realising there is a power point near the stair door.  I dug out a craft standing lamp and plugged it in. It can be switched on when heading out and turned off when you return,  and replaced with a night light. Pays to be inventive. 

Turns out it was a two electrician job. The booking for a Monday fix was postponed because the electricians were needed at a major fire in a solar panel factory. Today they returned and restored the foyer lights - adjusting the range to significantly improve the coverage from my door. Unfortunately the Exit light over the stair door is still out of action - so they’ll be back.

 On Wednesday I also received notice from OfficeWorks that the two mugs and coasters I had ordered on Boxing Day had arrived. I hastened to pick it up, curious to see if the disappearing picture mug worked. It did! I’m not showing much, as it is personal to a couple of family members, but the mug is initially black. When hot liquid is poured in, the black slowly disappears, revealing the picture underneath. This photo is about halfway through the process.  While the mug is warm, the picture remains, the black returning when it is cold. Magic! 

 

After finishing the Aurora bag mentioned above, I sorted out the remaining panels and bags I have, ironed them  and prepared the next one to embroider,  all detailed in my embroidery blog.

I've managed to make a small birthday bag since then which I'll report on later in the year.

Most of Saturday was spent making moussaka for Monday dinner. I decided to make two smaller rather than one large one - easier to deal with if not everyone turns up. I haven't done a roast for a while, and was tempted, but the temperature is above 30C all week and I'd rather not heat the kitchen up by having the oven on for 3+ hours. While moussaka takes me about 5 hours to make, it's a mixture of oven and cooktop in stages, rather than a constant - and I'm the only one affected.  I was still perspiring by the time I finished.  There were 5 of us for dinner, so the larger of the two sufficed, with enough left for my dinner tonight, and the smaller went home for those who missed out.  

Sunday was Book Club. I now have a data base of the titles we discuss, so take my laptop and add them as we talk. In addition to discussing the 2-3 nominated books, we report on all the other crime fiction we've read since our last meeting. Because that was in late November, there were a lot. I added 70 books to the database during the meeting! I will only attempt to read one or two of them. Today, after my hairdressing appointment, and before stopping at The Grind for 3kg of coffee beans, I called at Dymocks for a copy of Jane Harper’s Last One Out.  The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell is on its way from the World of Books.

That’s enough for me.

While it was only 31C today, its's heating up again, culminating in a forecast 42C on Saturday, which is when I will be giving a presentation and workshop on The Evil Eye in Embroidery at the Guild's Certificate Course Workshop. This afternoon I made a few adjustments and checked the exaample, templates, instructions and construction process.  I've been asked to bring my laptop, so I'm trying to locate a HDMI cable for my Mac. Otherwise I think it will be OK - provided the trading table has a good supply of beads and bling!

I've made a bit of progress on that next Kasia Jacquot panel. With a bit of luck I'll finish it tomorrow. The latest Inspirations magazine arrived today, with a couple of projects I find appealing. I'll take a rain check when I've finished a few more bags - including the Piecework cross-stitch one outlined above.

  

Post 620 Birthday Boost.

I spent all of Wednesday and Thursday inside doing some family history research for a family member with convict pedigree and working on the bag to the left. The temperature reached 43C and on Thursday 44C. I had thought of visiting the supermarket, but had enough food to keep me going so stayed in. Wednesday’s overnight low was 22C and Thursday 23C. I had the Aircon on each day from around 9am until 10pm and a fan on overnight, remaining quite comfortable. I had tuna(in oil, from a tin ) salad for dinner both days, so the stove didn’t go on. Even with solar panels, I clocked up $60 in electricity use over the two days, not something everyone could afford and certainly not sustainable over long period.

Friday got to 32C. By 9am the buzzer system was restored- a simple reset taking 10 minutes max. 🙄.

My granddaughters and I went shopping for silk at Eastern Silk. This is the choice we had. The girls each have a length or two and are working out what to make with it. Although we can all sew, we will plan a visit to a dressmaker when the initial design phase is over. Afterwards we repaired to the Queen Street Cafe for lunch.

On the way home I stopped at the Brickworks to pick up a newly-released book set in New Zealand. It had reached 32C so I did my shopping there, including a good supply of ice blocks, stopping only to mail a parcel on the way home. Around 5pm the temperature was down to 28 and there was a breeze, so I opened up the balcony doors and turned off the aircon. Such a relief! It made for an impressive sunset.

I skimmed the book on Saturday - well written but not my kettle of fish - too slow, too noir, too many voices.

In addition, I spent several hours doing some very specific research for my brother.

As the weather cooled down on Saturday and Sunday I decided to prepare my next knitting project,  the manteau capelet, with the beaded yarn I bought back in September. 

As it was in skeins the first task was  to wind it into balls.

It is knitted from the top down, so it didn't take long to knit the beaded top border before returning to my embroidery.

I haven't knitted with beaded yarn before. It is progressing and proving lovely to knit with.

Yesterday was my birthday - the last in my 70s. I had reluctantly agreed to a visit from the window cleaner at 8.30am. Adrian, who runs the business, had been trying to organise a visit since November, always at short notice and never when I was home.
 I was happy to be able to say Yes at last. By the time the young man actually arrived it was 9.20, and I had taken two birthday calls while alert for the buzzer (now fixed). He did a very good job. When he left I went shopping for milk and fruit, grabbed a Vietnamese salad lunch and settled at home to advance the Ania embroidery. and take more calls and messages.

Just after 6 I headed out to Sammy’s, on the Glenelg Marina for dinner with Adelaide family. We shared a dozen oysters, ate a variety of seafood and had a good time. I was privileged to open a variety of birthday gifts, photographing the totality when I got home. The spectacle case in the front is cork, purchased by Fionn in a Brisbane market - very rare. The wool is grown, spun and hand dyed locally - as soft as down. The bag is made by a local Guild member, the silver pin by a local artist, the pincushion by Niamh herself, the necklace by a Ghanan migrant in Canberra and the felted ball earrings by a Canberra artist. Amazing and brilliant.

Today I took things easy, prepared for a big clean - it's been 4 weeks since the last one because of Christmas, I did a lot of plant tidying and plenty of watering throughout the week. With the heat and watering the mandeville is flowering. I'm a bit worried about the Mulla Mulla. While the stems still have some green, the leaves have died. It has evolved to deal with heat but may not have been well enough established when the heat hit. I can only wait and see.

I finished off the Ania bag this afternoon.Detail in my embroidery blog.

It reached 31C today, a far cry from a week ago. I'm still enjoying the afterglow of the time spent talking to and dining with, family and friends yesterday. Thank you so much to all of you who have been in touch and given me so much friendship and love.