Post 658 I decide not to wait

A lovely clear moonrise just after 6.15am on Thursday morning began a very productive day. Wednesday had had a few setbacks, all of which were overcome, setting the scene for the productive Thursday.

I had finished last week by setting the priority for this week as phoning the dressmaker. It turns out  she is currently in Italy so unable to discuss my idea for using the Peranakan batik. I was told to  ring again after 19 October to make an appointment. I was reluctant to wait, so had a rethink. 

My idea had been to ask her to use the same design she used for the silk dress in April (left)- a basic muumuu. It is the simplest possible pattern, but would require manipulating the fabric in two directions. 

I found the pattern, which she had given me for safekeeping, ironed it, along with the fabric, and cut out the dress. The pattern fit the fabric almost exactly, with enough for a pocket if I joined some off-cuts. The pattern repeat fitted twice on the front if I placed the pattern across the fabric. I ran the pattern lengthwise for the back, giving me a border and one pattern repeat. I figured it needed lining so made a trip to Create in Stitch on Thursday morning.  

Wednesday had began, as predicted, with a fasting blood test around 8.20am. I will get the results when I meet with my GP on Thursday. Back at home I had my delayed breakfast and set the coffee machine descale in process while waiting for the delivery of my Acanthus fabric and phoning my dressmaker. 

Once again, the descale progressed as per the steps in the manual but when it finished the descale light lit up again. I repeated the tedious process. The descale light is still on. I am now ignoring it. Again. 

The coffee I had made before setting this in motion was by now cool so I heated it in the microwave -and dropped it as I removed it, spreading coffee and pieces of one of my favourite mugs all over the tiled floor. Fortunately I had shoes on. C’est la vie

My dressmaking however, was much more successful. By the end of Thursday I had a comfortable, wearable dress. My left hand is inside the pocket I managed to add to the outside to fit my phone.

The next step is to embroider at least one of the birds. I've chosen threads and hope to begin tomorrow.

On Friday I had a lovely long lunch with a friend at Mr Nick's at Frewville. We had a lot to share and have set another lunch date in November.  On SaturdayI did a huge shop for food  and, on Sunday, made two dishes of Moussaka .  There were only four of us for dinner on Monday, so one dish for us, and one to go home for absentees.

Tomorrow is WES Group. I have the beginnings of our 2027 program for discussion and adjustment. The books I ordered on St Margaret of Scotland have arrived and will, I think, form the basis of an interesting talk and discussion. I have paired them with a bookmark of laminated heather courtesy of my brother and sister-in-law.

With the second beekeeper cushion installed in the church I've been working steadily on the third.

It is finished except for four half hexies to straighten the edges (top and bottom in photo). It has been fun and I'm looking forward to completing it tomorrow. I'll report on the detail next week.

There will be a fourth cushion, the same size as this one, which is not needed until Christmas Eve. I will therefore move on to the bird embroidery on the batik as outlined above. 

Post658 It's all been happening

Both daughters have been working in Adelaide this week, so up until Sunday I was preoccupied and not taking photos. The plumber arrived around 8.40am on Wednesday and left at 10.45am. He checked every fixture in the apartment, tightened a couple of fittings and changed the water filter. All is well. After he left I replaced everything in the under-sink cupboards, reminding myself of what is there and disposing of a few items before I went to the supermarket for a big shop for supplies for the rest of the week. One granddaughter arrived in time to welcome her aunt from the airport, another 10 minutes later, so they had about 40 minutes before having to dash to netball coaching. Half an hour later another family group assembled down the road for dinner. This choreography of assembly and dispersal continued throughout five day visit- a beautiful thing.

On Friday the bundles of sari silk remnants arrived - 32 pieces, each 1 metre square. They carried the smell of the warehouse, so I cut each one in half, ready to make 50x50cm bags, and placed the pile out on the front balcony in the fresh air for four days. So with the Japanese silk from a fortnight ago,  I now have 89 bags ready to make. That's a job for a relaxing day once I've finished the current cushion.

While my daughters were working, I had quite a bit of time to finish the second beekeeper's cushion so it could be used in Sunday’s service, which we attended. 

This cushion uses up most of the odd balls of blue/green 8ply I had  and represents, in my mind at least, St Margaret's sea journeys, especially the one that shipwrecked her in the Firth of Forth and returned her to Scotland as a child.

I nearly stuffed up getting us to the church on Sunday morning because in all the excitement and choreography I forgot about daylight saving. While my various devices update themselves, the dominant clock by my bed does not. Fortunately I noticed the iPad clock in time to stay on track. In any case my daughter was on the right time.

We had to leave the service after the passing of the peace to get to the airport. My daughter got home safely, and my granddaughters also got safely back from Sydney later in the day. 

Monday was the Labour Day Public Holiday and suburban shopping centres don't open in Adelaide, so I stopped on the way home from the airport to pick up milk and watermelon. I had hoped to pick up a copy of Ann Cleeves' latest release, The Dying Light  but I was too early for the bookshop.

I  spent the afternoon reflecting on family and my good fortune, and trying to make up a bit of time in the RSN History of Embroidery Course that I have neglected for months. As I was going to bed I remembered that I had a medical checkup this week -  and should have had a fasting blood test last week. It was now too late, so today I postponed the appointment until next week. I have been fasting since 7.30pm and will have the blood test in the morning.

I am now using up some pink, red and green 8ply on the next church beekeeper cushion. It is more consciously patterned than the others, designed around a white centre, representing St Margaret's honorific, The Pearl of Scotland. Her Bible, which she habitually carried and read, had a jewelled cover. Although we do not know what the jewels were, this cushion will represent the pearl surrounded by pink diamonds, rubies and emeralds. I have taken up my daughter's suggestion that I add some sparkly stitches. While stitching the red and green I used some Diamante thread along with the wool. The photo doesn't show the sparkle, which is subtle. Today I went to Create in Stitch  and bought a range of  metallic bling.  It is used up quite quickly in knitting.

This evening I have tried embroidering a thistle on the white centre with the white fluorescent thread. You can't make out the thistle shape, but it does vaguely glow in the dark.

The Lorikeets are back, filling in the gaps in this week's photography. This one has very distinctive back markings.

My daughter bought me a length of contemporary Peranakan batik from her recent travels (obviously I haven't ironed it for the photo!)

It has a repeated panel of a cockerel amongst flowers on a fine cotton. I don't want to put it away for a rainy day so have been considering how I could make it into a wearable item.  I now have a concept, and, although I could probably manage it myself, think it wiser to talk it over with a dressmaker and commission it.  

Clearly batik has moved upmarket in terms of colour, fabric, dyes - and fashion - since I bought by supply 20-30 years ago.

Today, from Create in Stitch I went to the hairdresser, then to Dymocks  for my copy of  The Dying Light, and to OfficeWorks to pick up a printing order.   Tomorrow the William Morris Acanthus fabric should arrive, and some more books about St Margaret of Scotland the day after. Looks as if it's almost time to head down a couple of Guild rabbit holes again - or maybe the silk bags. There is, of course, The Dying Light. 

Top priority however, after the blood test, is to ring the dressmaker.

Post 657 Preparations

 

Most of last week’s dramas have been resolved. The plumber arrived mid-morning Wednesday, took the cistern apart, found two broken parts, went to the supplier for replacements and fixed it. I have asked them to organise a replacement of the water filter under the kitchen sink and a check of all my plumbing connections. That's booked for tomorrow morning at 8.15am. I hate the early start, but I want the job done.

My Geek was booked to come around 6.30pm the same day, but when, to avoid embarrassment, I checked mid-afternoon, the TV internet was restored, so after discussion, the visit was called off.

I finished the cross stitch for my neighbour late that night and delivered it on Friday. She seems pleased, and I am very happy to have it done. She has framed it and called me today to show me. The white spot is a light reflection.

On Friday I woke with pain behind my left eye. The pain was different to the stye episode but I followed the same procedure of lubrication and hot packs and it was largely resolved by the end of the day. I had intended to swim, but didn't. Whatever the problem was, a swimming pool felt risky. Instead I tried to vary my activity - a bit of knitting (much, much easier on eyes than cross stitch!), a bit of washing, a bit of tidying, a bit of reading, a bit of watering, some neck exercises, a bit of shopping. The program seemed to do the trick. By Saturday afternoon I could read and note some of The Romance of Lace  which arrived on Friday and will form the basis of a WES talk next year. By dinner time I could participate in our weekly crosswords and string a sentence together.

Book Club on Sunday was a 25 minute drive away in the foothills. For once I used the GPS. It took us a while to settle. One member’s husband has been in and out of hospital with intestinal issues along with dementia - a huge stress. There is empathy and experience in the group. It is nevertheless somewhat depressing. We focused to discuss our way through the 48 crime books we had read between us. The one I was a bit interested in following up was the Sister Veronica series by Sarah Sheridan, however, after reading some of the Goodreads reviews, I think I'll give them a miss.

There were six of us for dinner last night. We spent a lot of time catching up and a bit of time making plans. The approaching weekend is a long one and the two youngest granddaughters are going to Sydney for a concert and staying with my brother. Fionn is heading to the McLaren Vale for a break. Unfortunately, they are missing a visit from my Canberra daughter, here for a few day's work at the end of this week. We have elaborate plans for the first 5 hours of her arrival tomorrow - the chance they have of catching up. 

I had intended to shop today for the visit but decided that woud be better done tomorrow, to ensure maximum freshness of food. As I mentioned at the beginning, the plumber is coming early tomorrow to check all my fittings. This means emptying cupboards under all sinks so he can access the pipes. It took me a good part of the day to find baskets or boxes and then empty the cupboards into them. They are now standing around the place. I haven't examined the contents in detail, but I probably don't need it all. 

I also removed all my craft bags and boxes from the spare room so it can be used for sleeping. I'm hopeful the plumber will be finished not long after 9 so I can put everything back under the sinks and go shopping for my visitor's stay before heading to the airport. I am hoping there is no major plane delay to unravel all the elaborate plans for tomorrow evening. I'm so looking forward to seeing her.

It's been 35C today but should drop to 25 tomorrow and a bit lower for the rest of the week. I shalln't be complaining. Rain is also forecast. The Flapjacks Kalanchoe will welcome rain.  I've watered it, but it looks a bit less than its peak.

  I've worked steadily on the second beekeeper cushion. I have 12 pods to go, plus 4 halves. I'd like to finish by the weekend so it can be used. 

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....