Post 58: Mending

Yesterday's rain limited the dove's visit and the seeds I put out got wet. She was back today to retrieve them, even though they had swollen. She was comfortable enough to sit for quite a while in an empty flower box.





While she surveyed the scene, I got out my darning mushroom and some 2 ply wool, and mended the Uzbekistan slipper socks.







It took a while and it doesn't look elegant, but it is on the sole , not the top. It's interesting that the first mend has felted - no doubt from friction as it rubs on the floor.


Next job was making another batch of ANZAC biscuits, this time using the recipe my mother used - from the Commonsense Cookbook. Over the years I have annotated my copy, to mark conversions from ounces and cup measurements to grams, and also to note a severe reduction in the amount of sugar.

The recipe was similar, but not identical to the one I used two days ago. Butter, flour and oats were the same. Sugar was less in today's recipe (and my variation less still) as was Golden syrup. Coconut was a quarter of a cup more, and bicarbonate of soda half a teaspoon more today. The mixture turned out to be too dry. I added more butter and a little more syrup. I think this was a problem last year as well. They turned out OK - but a bit dry. I think the texture of the last batch was much better. I reckon this is mostly the result of the extra bicarb. I no longer have the Nursing Mothers' Cookbook, which is what I think I used for many years for my ANZAC biscuits. Batch 1 is definitely my preference so far.  I may yet have another try.



I was waiting all day to hear news of Jennifer's progress in the Perth ICU. I had an anxious moment when the WA Premier announced another death overnight from a cruise ship. It turned out to be a man who had been on the Artania. It is a terrible and cruel thing to feel relief.

Eventually I got a message on my network grapevine that Jennifer is still on the ventilator, but breathing herself. Doctors intend, if she remains stable, to take her wholly off the ventilator tomorrow. She will need to remain in ICU for 24-48 hours after that, then in a respiratory ward for at least a week, followed by some time in rehab.  It's a slow process - but it is a way forward to recovery.
The sun was out this afternoon and I spent a lot of time on my balcony with the plants Jennifer gave me.  They are doing well. The aspidistra was divided earlier this year from one I gave Jennifer in 1987 when she succeeded me in a Deputy Principal's job. When Jennifer moved to an apartment last year she asked me to look after it. Earlier this year another friend divided it into 3 parts and we each took one. The begonia also came from Jennifer. Earlier this year she suggested I cut it back,which I did. It has lots of new growth (top right). The small, thriving plant at the bottom right is a cutting from that plant, now expanding its leaves. These plants look so good today. I'm hoping Jennifer is similarly mending.


I spent more time on the balcony contemplating plants today than I did stitching but I managed to finish off the leaves to the right of the squirrel and make inroads into the foliage to the left.













This is where I am now up to. I reckon another two days of stitching will see me ready to scroll up to the lower section of the linen.