Self-isolation Day6: Routine - and a bit rambling

I seem to be falling into a daily routine, reading emails and news, late breakfast, check plants, emailing and calling friends, maybe a little reading, late lunch, stitching and blogging, more calls and email, dinner, blogging and stitching.

This morning I focused a bit on this tree,  visible from my back balcony. I like it’s shape and branch structure (the latter not so clear in the photo). It might be useful in an embroidery. 

I have a basket on this balcony that I had planted with herbs, after watching an ABC Gardening program in which Sophie Thomson demonstrated a basket of herbs you could take on holiday with you. (I didn’t want to take it on holiday, but thought it would work on a balcony).




 At the time I was trying to make my own compost, a venture I gave up, when I realised it would take more than 6 weeks from scrap to soil, I had added quantities of my compost experiment to the basket,  The herbs all died but a vigorous vine emerged. I think it’s passion fruit. I’m interested to see how far it develops. Can I bonsai passion fruit?

I have been in touch with several Guild friends today and  contacted the members of the Guild’s  World Embroidery Study Group. There is sufficient enthusiasm for sharing some of our studies online. I was also able to organise to mail some information to one member with email difficulties. Many thanks to Chris, who is working alone in the Guild office and organised and executed this for me.

One member who returned from NZ in the last few days has managed to organise home delivery from Woolworths. As I am still waiting to hear from them, and I applied 5 days ago now, I have reapplied. Not sure what else I can do. Coles are promising to set up a service late this week, so maybe I'll have more luck there.

Another friend in Sydney was booked to have her second cataract removed tomorrow and the PM announced this morning that all elective surgery is to cease from midnight tomorrow. When she phoned the operating doctor’s surgery to ask about arrangements, she was told surgery was banned from today and surgery was off. A few minutes later the hospital rang to confirm arrangements , since she would just scrape inside the ban! She was still trying to sort it out, although we both felt it was unlikely to proceed. 

I was interested to observe, this afternoon, the Council gardening staff in the Square, holding their meeting and carefully observing social distancing. The meeting was followed by the lovely smell of mown grass.

Late in the day I heard briefly from my friends on the Costa Victoria. There was also a segment on their situation on the evening news. The ship is currently heading to Rome, without any idea of what will then happen. They appear in good spirits. 

I can’t do anything for them, but pray. I feel on stronger ground where I can organise online presentations, or regular communication, or make a coffee and talk - or stitch. 

I made a small start on my hexies, digging out my papers and beginning to tack my fabric squares to the paper hexies.  I don't glue them but try to just catch the corners with tacking stitches. I haven’t produced a lot yet, but I’m organised and have made a start.











I switched, however, to my Muncaster Orange to see if I can make my bow work for me. Last night Melody posted her progress, which uses blues to really good effect. I had already started my greeny-yellows. These should be a good colour fit for where I want to place it on my chair. The other embroideries on the chair are in the browny-green dominant pallet and I think the bow should blend with them and let the magnificent oranges dominate.

This is my start. I’m not sure yet, but I think it might just work.







It was a lovely afternoon here for stitching. My living area faces West, which is a pain when it’s 40C, but lovely when it’s 23C as it was this afternoon. The light was lovely, especially when I sat with my back to the window. I got a lot better sense of the colours than I do at night under artificial light.


For lunch I has the raisin bread from the neighbour’s welcome home parcel and for dinner two of the pasties made by another friend, with lettuce, tomato and cucumber delivered by my daughter. I feel so very privileged. There are uncertainties and I do every now and then, feel afraid. Those moments, however are usually overcome either by activity or by counting my blessings - and remembering the strength of connection, community, ideas, adaptation - and resilience, qualities in abundance in my family and  community of friends. Connected we are very resourceful, and I am very connected. Deo Gratias.


There were not a lot of birds around during the day today, but as the sun went down there were noisy flocks over the square. I didn’t get to my phone quick enough, so had to settle for a more solid view of day’s end.


I am  thankful there are so many  sharing this experience with me in one way or another. We don’t know a lot of the answers to our questions, but we have shared values and we are refining our knowledge of the connectedness that matters, and the connectedness that has to be avoided.