Post656 A few things need fixing.

 

It wasn't until Friday that I managed to get back to the pool. Perhaps it was the beginning to the day, waking to the balcony plants throwing shadows on the windows in the slightly golden light, that inspired me to plan my day around a pool visit. It requires both planning and disciple to be prepared to don bathers in the middle of the day, remove hearing aids, and pack all the necessaries for a pool visit. 

I managed to be in the water at 12.30 and out at 1pm. I even took enough clothes to respectably visit the Frewville supermarket afterwards. I usually make do with a cover-all until I get home. Hopefully I've broken the run of avoidance and can get back into a swimming routine.My body certainly needs it. I was tired by the end of the day and unusually asleep by 10.30pm.

After Pilates on Thursday I had lunch at the Queen St Cafe. I haven't been for a while. The Vietnamese  pork belly salad is still fabulous.

The remainder of my days have been spent either reading or advancing projects. The first Beekeeper's Cushion is finished and delivered. I'm now focused on the Bicycle embroidery for my neighbour. 

On Friday I finally had notification that the Japanese silk remnants I had ordered were waiting to be picked up at the PO. I'm still not sure what went wrong. I'd been emailing the retailer for over a week with no reply. She had, in fact, replied several times. These eventually turned up in my spam file, which I had checked. The Australia Post deliverer had left a card, but on the same day as another delivery for which i had a text message, assuming when I picked it up that it was the same parcel. Because both the retailer and the PO persisted, I finally got it. The silk is lovely, and should make 23 bags when I have a bag day.

On Sunday morning as  I watered plants on the back balcony, I disturbed a dove who had been hidden in foliage of the wall garden. It flew off as I watered the top row of plants. I was immediately suspicious - it was the same spot in which a blackbird had built a nest two years ago. Although I had added plants to the spot to discourage nesting, there appeared to be a space at the back of the tub. 

I do not want a nest on my balcony - especially at the moment when there is an infection affecting wild birds. It is not yet in city birds, but is expected. I placed an empty pot over the space to discourage a return. Over the next few hours the dove kept returning, investigating and trying to burrow under the pot. Eventually, around 4pm, when I checked, the dove flew out from under the pot, where it had managed to burrow! I feel very sad about this. I can't get up high enough to look into the space, but clearly there must be eggs. I'm confident there are not yet young birds. I have replaced the empty pot with one filled with soil that will be much harder to dislodge or burrow under. The visits appear to have stopped.

It reminded me that my mother, who was no lover of cats, and chased them out of her garden, was horrified that my maternal grandmother, a tough woman whose children found her hard to love, had drowned the kittens of stray cats found hidden on their plant nursery property (and home) in the 1930s when my grandfather couldn’t do it. I saw this as strength rather than heartlessness. What was the alternative?  Stray cats were destructive to the young plants their livelihood depended on. 

There are many reasons why hatching birds on the balcony is a very bad idea. I feel conflicted and sorry for the dove. I think, however, it was the best thing to do. Maybe I need to put some gravel in the pots at the top of the wall garden.

Today is the birthday of two of my granddaughters. We had a joyful time at dinner last night. I declined an invitation to their dinner tonight. I have failed to keep my 13 hour overnight fast  several nights this week, and my weight is edging up, so I got permission to stay home.  Nevertheless, my day did not turn out as I had anticipated. 

We had been notified of a fire alarm check of the whole apartment block, beginning at 7.30am, so I was up, dressed and ready. The technician works his way through the 27 apartments from one end to another, checking each alarm with a metre on a rod, before checking the sound alarms from the mains board in the basement carpark. As our pod is at the very end of the building, we are either the first or the last to be tested. This time we were last. The tester arrived at 9.50am, 20 minutes before the cleaners. The alarms sounded in sequence just after they arrived. No problem, all in order.

The drama, however, did not end there. For a while the flush on the toilet in my spare bathroom has occasionally failed to switch off. A gentle reflush has done the trick, but I've been aware I need to get it checked. Today it did not turn off when the cleaner  flushed it and he attempted to lift the lid of the cistern to fix it. Unfortunately, the cistern lid is not made to be lifted and dislodged the buttons completely, so the flush does not stop. I now have water running continuously into the cistern, into the bowl and down the drain. I immediately called my plumber who has rearranged work so he can get here at midday tomorrow. He was very helpful. I had tried to turn the stop-cock off, but can't do it. He says this is normal - they seize up due to underuse. So I am wasting water. Fortunately, I have my ensuite. I had a medical appointment at roughly the same time tomorrow which I hope I've cancelled by leaving numerous messages. 

By then it was too late to go swimming, so I went to the pub for a late lunch then sat on the front balcony in the sun. The nasturtiums are beginning to fulfil my hopes of coverage. 

I  managed to advance the cross stitch bicycle for my neigbbour. I'm hoping to finish it tomorrow. It is hard on my eyes. It will, I hope, make my neighbour happy. The beekeeper cushion is a success, and I am really looking forward to knitting the next one - much easier on my eyes, and relaxing.

Finally, my TV Internet connection has just failed. Restarting the router, as directed on the screen, has not worked, so I've sent a Help! message to my Geek. Not my best week!

Post655 I might get back to swimming again...

I discovered the pear tree in full bloom on Duthy St on my way to Create in Stitch on Friday morning after my Covid shot. I was tempted by the Florence Broadhurst tapestry kits they had on special and elated by the early morning phone call from the plastic surgeon to tell me my biopsy results had been absolutely clear - both benign. He recommends using moisturiser daily to reduce irritation but otherwise I'm clear.

My  luck continued when Create in Stitch had only one of the two kits I’d been interested in. 

I bought the kit, along with a string of felt Christmas pennants, but since I’m trying to resist adding to my stash, one tapestry was, I thought, a fair compromise. The pennants will feature along my balcony at Christmas, replacing the worn and faded string of cotton ones I had made some 20 years ago and finally sent to compost in January.

Wednesday’s WES group meeting had been another day of interest, sharing and learning. We heard about the work of Rachel Kay Shuttleworth. The group loves learning about the work and exploits of women working in textiles. Rachel's friend and biographer had described as 'not very bright' as she grew up. I wouldn't be surprised to see that emerging as a theme in future embroideries at the Guild!

Before I left for the Guild on Wednesday morning the painters  told me they would not need access to my open front door until the next day. I didn’t hear their gentle knock at 7.30am on Thursday so they worked on the floor below where they managed to wake our Strata Rep. By 9am they were back, one painting, the other cleaning and re-staining the doors. The smell wasn’t too unpleasant and dissipated with balcony doors open. Fortunately the weather was sunny and a little breezy.  By 5pm they had removed all drop cloths and departed. I was able to restore my embroideries before I left for my vaccination on Friday.

When I got back from Create in Stitch (and Haigh's Chocolate) on Friday, the Evil Eye protection series was on the floor. The original stick-on hook  had been removed by the painters and the one I replaced it with had fallen off. Maybe I hadn't pressed hard enough (reaching above my head), or the adhesive was old, or it didn't like the new paint. I replace it with one requiring a hammer. As I was doing so, my neighbour appeared with a request for help.

She is currently her husband's carer and has her own health issues.  Her son, who usually helps, is recovering from back surgery and her daughter is travelling some 40 miles a couple of times a week to help her with shopping.  Her request was not for help with any of this (I have offered) but with an embroidery kit she bought years ago, but has never tackled. Her daughter is a cyclist and the help she wants from me is to work the kit so she can give it to her daughter as thanks! She doesn't mind if it takes months.

I, of course, want to do it right now. I stitched a cotton border around the 8" square of Aida so I can mount it in an 8" hoop, then tacked the centre lines and border. I'm working it in between finishing the Beekeeper's cushion - my priority.   This is where I'm up to, about one third done. It's relatively slow work.

On Thursday I was notified that Jim’s plaque has been redone and this time seems to be correct.  The photo was provided by the Philanthropy Executive who tells me  it is with the installers. 

I now know the dimensions required for my beekeeper's cushion to fit into a particular church chair. It will require 40 of the little pockets, or cells, 5 rows of 8 so I am  more than halfway there with 27 done. It's a surprisingly enjoyable project, requiring some attention but not the close concentration of the cross stitch bicycle. 

I missed the Adelaide Show this year. I could hear the fireworks each night, but not see them. There have, however, been roadworks happening each night along the road through the Square, major resurfacing involving heavy machinery with flashing lights and pounding,  The photo on the right was taken at 10pm tonight.

The one on the left, on the other hand, was taken around 8am on Sunday morning - a silent arrival of light.

I've also managed to read a couple of books this week (and order some more!). I was disappointed in the new Richard Osmond, but somewhat pleasantly surprised by Purls and Peril by Kitty Graham. I rather liked the combination of knitting and tech. I didn't follow all the processes of the latter, but it didn't seem to matter. 

Frequent lubrication and occasional hot packs seem to be keeping my eyes up to all this activity. Time for another of each. With no excision, eyes & ears seemingly working, it might even be time to try swimming again tomorrow.

Post 654 A lot going on

. 

Umbrella in hand, I managed to get myself to the ASO concert on Wednesday morning, meeting neighbours, who also happened to be going, at the bus stop. We were in plenty of time and parted company to go to our respective seats. My usual seat is in the front row but this time was half way back, on the midway aisle which is also an exit row. I enjoyed the wider, holistic view. 

The conductor was Nicholas Braithwaite and the highlight of the performance was the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Op.23, with soloist Tienyou Ma. It was superbe. The sound was excellent and my seat was certainly good for exiting at the end! ! I was home for lunch.

Thursday began well with notice from the Festival Centre Foundation that Jim's plaque had been corrected and was ready to be installed.  While the grammatical error had been corrected, unfortunately the plaque now read " Donated by" instead of "Dedicated to". It has gone back again to be redone.

On to Pilates where the light plaster cover I still have on the two biopsy sites on my cheek  presented no impediment. My knee didn’t take well to the first 10 minutes spent exercising on the vibrating platform so the program was modified to accommodate. It seemed to work as my knees improved considerably.  

Friday was a regular lunch with friends, this time at Jolley’s Boathouse Restaurant on the riverbank. I hadn’t been there since it underwent some renovation with new management and I was keen to visit . I arrived early because parking is uncertain and the city loop bus currently doesn’t stop anywhere nearby. I needn’t have stressed . Parking was easy. The food was really good. The only negative was the noise level - better once we convinced them to turn the sound system right down. When the weather warms up they will open the doors on to the riverbank and conversation noise from the inevitable birthday groups will dissipate. We managed, nevertheless to have a really good catchup.

The rain has continued on and off.  While it has delayed me washing clothes, the back balcony has benefitted. The large Flapjacks Kalanchoe has suddenly shot up a stem and is about to flower. The wall garden is also filling out nicely.

There was a lot happening on Saturday.  In the morning there was a Thanksgiving Eucharist at the Cathedral for the ministry of Chris MacLeod as . National Aboriginal Bishop over more than a decade. Chris’s part time ministry in addition to his role as Dean of the Cathedral, is being replaced by two full time positions, one National Aboriginal Bishop and one National Torres Strait Island Bishop - a testimony to the hard work Chris has done.

 

During the ceremony Chris was presented with a carved walking stick and the cathedral was presented with the Stolen Generation Cope, a gift from the Archbishop of Canterbury (photo from Susie McLeod's  Facebook page). It is handpainted on silk.   

 

In the afternoon I attended a concert at the Cathedral while family members were at a bridal shower for a cousin/niece. The combined choirs of Queen's College Melbourne and St Peter's Cathedral sang responses to each of Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ played by a String Quartet. 

It was an interesting concept which did, for me at least, elevate the Haydn piece.  The highlight for me was the Faure In Paradesum  sung against the Quartet's rendering of Today you will be with me in Paradise.

Once again the concert coincided with a football match at the Oval, making parking a stressor. I was fortunate to find a single parking space outside and to get away well before closures around the Cathedral.                                         Brigid and I both made it to dinner that night and it was fabulous to see her. She has finished and cast-off her first complete blanket square - another milestone amidst the demands on her time from Uni, work and the end of the netball season. 

On Sunday I turned the Gardener embroidery into a pouch before helping with a neighbour's lost keys and shopping for Monday's dinner.  The pouch has already found a home. The three  kits I bought over the last 6 years are now finished! To give myself a break I have briefly returned to a knitting project - from a hexipuff quilt  pattern, that I bought and  started, I think, in 2019. 

You knit little pockets in the round on 3 dpns, stuff them and join  them up. I had made six before putting it aside. I've now added 8 more. It's great for using up odd bits of wool. I have no intention of making a quilt. but have identified a use for a cushion. While I don't yet have the measurements of the seat, I suspect I'm about half way there.

We had a full 7 for dinner last night - a great time even though my attempt to recreate the icecream cakes I used to make for children's birthdays by tipping 2 litre of icecream from its container on to a plate and pouring melted chocolate over it was not as neat, tidy and easy as it used to be. It did, however, get eaten. 

This morning was a bit of a rush to get ready for cleaners, followed by a long phone catch up with my brother who is just back from 6 weeks in, mostly, Britain, before getting to the surgery to have my facial stitches removed. That bit went well but unfortunately the pathology results on the biopsies were not back. The surgeon will ring me when he has the results, so patience is called for. 🤞. 

Tomorrow is WES group. We have a few fine days forecast so I have a load of washing ready to hang out before I go. 

Around 3.30pm this afternoon the painters contracted to paint our shared areas arrived on our floor, laying and taping plastic ready for an early start on our foyer tomorrow. It will probably be good to be away.

One foot up and one foot down....

Post 653 Books, birds, bags and a bcc.

This morning I set off with plenty of time to find parking for the 10 am BCC excision. The plastic surgeon’s rooms are on a major city road with no off-street parking. I tried unsuccessfully to park around the corner before discovering I could park easily right outside!  Luck continued with me. After some very thorough preparation by nurses, the surgeon found the BCC had receded somewhat, but another had appeared above it. As they are on my cheek, and scaring can’t be avoided, 

He opted to do biopsies rather than excision. As a result, I now have only two stitches and two small plasters, I can get them wet tomorrow, go to Pilates on Thursday, but not swim. The stitches come out next week, by which time the pathology results might be back. I may or may not need to proceed to excision. I’m delighted with this result. I don’t mind scars, but I much prefer only necessary surgery. I’ve rescheduled my 11th Covid vaccine to accommodate the removal of stitches. And, again, no swimming🤷

As you can tell, birds have featured strongly this week. It is that time of year, before the human eye can see them, buds must be beginning to swell and the lorikeets arrive to take advantage. I snapped some 20 photos.

I also spent most of Wednesday working on the Kingfisher Embroidery. Today I added the final touches, and the story is in my embroidery blog. I'm very happy with it.

After Pilates on Thursday I dropped into the Guild and got a report on how the Needlework Tour Group Guild visit had gone. It had been financially successful for the Guild, and participants had gone away happy. Also, one of the regular Guild visiting tutors had, apparently, been at my lecture and reported that it had gone down well.  

On Friday morning the Balvraid Hap reached it's owner who sent me photos (thank you!). I don't think she will mind my using part of one of them while protecting her privacy. I'm delighted - it so becomes her. 

From Friday to Sunday the Adelaide Anglican Diocese hosted Blessed in She,  a conference attended by 100 Anglican women from around the country. At the dinner on Friday the Bishop Bags were given to the  attending Bishops and the attendees toasted my efforts before the toast to St Dolly! It's awesome to be mentioned in the same breath as Dolly Parton, and I'm pleased the Bishop Bags have been welcomed as a useful tribute. 

On Saturday I finished the next Quaker kit and called at St Margaret's Market, picking up some plants, but missing out on the cake and biscuits I had hoped to buy for the Book Club meeting at my place on Sunday. The baked products had sold out, so I visited the Hutt St IGA and stocked up. The chocolate bar cake was the runaway favourite, but the biscuits also had a good run. It was a good discussion once again and we have the books for the next two meetings.

I will write more about the finish of the More Freedom kit next time. In the meantime I have begun the third, and last, of the Quaker kits I have, The Gardener.

The doves have also  been back most days, talking away to each other in cadences I'm tempted to interpret and try to join.

It's been an eventful week in a quiet kind of way. I'm still treating my eye with drops and hot packs and tonight is the first of my new ear spray. 

Because the excision was averted today I was able to call at Art Images Gallery on the way home today. They are in the middle of hanging a new exhibition - some very interesting paintings and some fabulous glassware.  

Deo Gratias.

Post652 Quite a lot gets sorted.

On Wednesday my hair was cut and my tax was sorted, both efficiently. I had been offered an appointment to bring my BCC removal forward to this morning but declined because I wanted my hair cut for the talk on Sunday (and didn’t fancy giving it with a plaster on my cheek). The excision isn’t urgent. 

Better still was having the tax completed. Linda, who prepared it for me, was terrific. Until Jim and I opened a consultancy business in the mid 1990s, I had always done my own tax. There are now some aspects with which I struggle, and it stresses me. Linda alleviated that. 

It’s been a little warmer, with some rain. The birds can clearly feel Spring in the air. I’ve had lots of visits. The doves are also proclaiming something. I can’t help assigning words to the cadence. Did you see it? or It's a good one!  or I think I will. They are also attracted to seed sprouting in the pots.

The honey eaters, on the other hand, are primarily after nectar.

After Pilates on Thursday I worked solidly to finish the Balvraid Hap and block it overnight.  It took all day Friday to dry. It is now on its way to the new owner who should have it tomorrow.

Just before I went to bed on Friday I quite suddenly developed a sore spot on my left eye, seemingly in the middle of my eyeball. When it was still there in the morning I checked my optometrist's website and found he had a vacancy at 11.30, so booked. The soreness turned out to be a stye. Following instructions, I treated it for the next 36 hours with heat pads and lubrication. By Sunday afternoon it had almost gone.

That was a good thing, as obliging family members picked me up at 6.30pm to deliver me to the Amora Hotel to give my talk on The Emergence of English Embroidery in the Early Medieval Period to the visiting Needlework Tours group. I had poured well over 100 hours into preparation and thought I had a decent storyline, but the group was entirely unknown to me and the organisational arrangements had been less than clearly conveyed. 

When I arrived at 6.45 only the organiser was present, rearranging chairs in the venue - the Ballroom! He told me the audio was not working, asking Is that a problem?  I replied that I could probably summon my school principal voice. 

The tour participants had been released into the city to get their own evening meal and it was uncertain how many would return. By 7.05 pm 50-60 of a possible 104 had turned up and made a very enthusiastic audience.  Around 7.10pm a latecomer put up her hand and asked if I could turn my microphone down! The audience laughed heartily, several around her calling out the audio failure. The poor woman took herself to the makeshift bar at the back of the auditorium and came back with a drink!

The talk went very well. Those assembled clearly belong to the WES tribe!  Around 15-20 stayed back to tell me how much they enjoyed it. One asked for the sequel! Another told me she too was a retired school principal and you never lose the voice! A couple came to assure me you couldn't be an embroiderer without being interested in its history! I was awake and buzzing for hours. 

I'd have been much less happy had I not had the generous transport from family. 

Standing for over an hour on stage to deliver played havoc with my hips and sciatica, and I doubt I'd have been able to walk the distance to a carpark to drive myself home. Hot packs helped, but it still hasn't fully subsided.

Today Panayoula and I caught up for the first time in several months. I was invited to her home to view the recent renovations. A lovely couple of hours and the next catch-up is booked in. She has asked me to make use of the remnants of her deceased mother's crochet work.  They are lovely, and I'm thinking about what I could do that is worthy of them.

Meanwhile, the rain is back and I've started embroidering the Quaker Kingfisher as a break from knitting. It's a while since I've done thread painting but I'm getting back into the rhythm, It feels an appropriate subject this week.

Post651: Good Things

On Friday, after the servicing of my air conditioning system, spending an hour with the hygienist and dentist, visiting the pharmacy and shopping at Frewville for Monday dinner, I treated myself to a late lunch at Balaboosta

While waiting for my wild mushroom pizza to emerge from the wood oven, I was entertained by a troop of sparrows hopping around the outside tables waiting for diners to leave.

They seemed to know their place in the world, staying on the ground until diners left, then hopping on to the vacated table to clean up.

The pizza, was, as always, fabulous and there were only a few crumbs left for the sparrows.

 I My blog week began with WES Group, which went exceptionally well. I was there in plenty of time to set up for SALA Exhibition visitors and, in spite of illness and travel keeping key players away, we had 11 members there to make it work. We moved around the room, hearing about the inspiration and process of the entries of 5 members present, and discussed a further 3 sets of entries from first hand knowledge.  We were able to welcome and assist 6 visitors throughout the morning. There was agreement we should do the same at future exhibitions. No photos are permitted, so I can’t show you.

On the way home I called at OfficeWorks to pick up a box of tips for my iPad pencils. I’d ordered them online to be picked up in store as they had none in stock. I opened the gigantic box in the car to find this! I’m guessing small parcels get lost in their delivery vans. Perhaps if I'd had them delivered to my home they's have been in an envelope.

On Thursday I took the plunge and prepared my 2025/26 tax information. It took several hours to gather and document the information I need.  I approached my tax agent  for instructions, and have sent my documentation to the accountant today.

On Saturday I cooked the lamb shanks for Monday dinner and visited the Handspinners and Weavers' SALA Exhibition.There were a couple of really beautiful shawls in a silk/wool mix and some most interesting felting work.

The Bishop bags arrived on Thursday. I collected them on Saturday and spent Sunday morning making the small corrections to the print. There are 6 places on each bag where a word isn’t clear. Hardly surprising when they are printed from a photograph of words embroidered in Quaker stitch! I mailed the package of 12 bags yesterday, the first stop on my stop-off list.

The second stop was the audiologist, who tweeked the program on my right hearing aid. So the swooshing noise is gone and both aids work. I then went to the bank to check whether they had sent me a replacement for a debit card that expires this month. I was concerned it might have been caught up in a recent spate of thefts from letterboxes. 

It took 45 minutes of waiting while the attendant (“specialist” in current bank-speak) checked online, then on phone with his supervisor, then a variety of bank teams, eventually establishing that, because I had not used the card in 18 months, it was deemed no longer active and did not need a replacement! Once I had disavowed them of this conclusion they authorised a new card, which is being Express posted, at no charge to me, to arrive within 10 days! 

I'm grateful that Australia Post has a different view of Express Post (the box of Bishop bags sent yesterday were delivered safely in Sydney this morning). Having said that, I appreciate the identity checks the bank made throughout the process, and I would rather wait while the "specialist' did it than go through the process on my own at home. I don’t regularly withdraw from that account, but keep the card  as my backup. I finally made it to the shopping centre and home by 2pm.

I spent much of this morning finalising my tax documentation and communicating about the Bishop Bags. My Sydney partner in the enterprise has insisted on sharing the costs as well as delivering them to MOW. In the end I felt it was churlish to keep refusing such generosity. It is a fully joint venture.

Not much of the forecast rain arrived today and it was pleasant on the western balcony in the late afternoon sun. Some pots need replanting, but others are looking healthy. I find this kalanchoe stem very pleasing in pattern and colour.

I've managed to progress the outer border of the Balvraid Hap, working hard this evening to reach the peak. It's fairly slow going, but I'm gradually speeding up. It's rather like a frill- a 16 row pattern of 20 stitches is worked vertically to the edge, progressing about 5 cm. The remaining section requires 20 repeats of the pattern, 6400 stitches (who's counting?). That will take me a few days

The current photo doesn't capute much of the edge pattern, It shows a bit better in the close-up. The finished shawl will need to be blocked to show the lace.

I'm finished knitting for tonight. Even though I'd love to finish, if I push on further I will be up all night.

On the whole it's been a week of achievement,  progress and satisfaction. Next week brings, as well as a lot more forecast rain, the challenge of my talk to the Embroidery Tour Group on Sunday. I'm  as prepared as I can be. 🙏