Post 307 Happy New Year

 

The poinsettia has been a very cheerful and inspiring seasonal reminder and touch of brightness, especially in the late afternoon with the light on it. I'm very glad I bought both the plant and the stand when I did.  It works whether I focus on it alone, or if I see it set against the city skyline.

I washed and hung out towels this morning. Black Tips and Blush were hanging around, even when I went outside, although they didn't stay there long while I was outside. Blush settled in for a good bask in the sun.

I was so absorbed in finishing off little bits of  Lady Anne's Flowers that I missed the Postie's buzz and found a card in the letterbox to say my parcel will be at the Post Office for collection after 3.30pm. Since this was our Sit'nStitch afternoon I didn't want to cut it short to get to the PO. I worked out it was an extra pair of jeans I ordered after the first pair were so good. I can wait till Tuesday for those.

We had a relaxed, conversational Sit'n Stitch, Susan working on her Anna Scott panel, Jennifer testing out the first motif for her very ambitious crocheted blanket and me working a couple more crocheted squares. I finished the second one at home after I'd called my brother. Like me, they are having a quiet night at home tonight. They had to cancel a planned dinner at a friend's place because the limit of guests in homes in Sydney has been changed from 10 to 5. Hats off to them, and to the vast majority of Australians who change their plans, and simply comply with the regulations to ensure we get and keep this virus under control.

I cooked myself (well, heated the oven and heated for 12 minutes) one of the Luv a Duck duck breasts I had in a vacuum sealed pack in the fridge and had it with salad. The second breast will do cold tomorrow.

It was a very mild, glowing, shadow-puppet kind of sunset - not inappropriate for the last one for 2020.The little black mark in the sky on the right hand shot of the park is not dirt on your screen, but a bat flying home to the Morton Bay Fig tree to roost. I've been trying to snap one for ages. Not spectacular - but real!

Well before midnight I had reached a point where I needed to move my hoop. I can't usefully reach the edges.

So here I am at midnight with a new section - but part of the whole, ready to go. There were supposedly no fireworks in Adelaide tonight, but I can hear some and the Sydney fireworks are being broadcast (obviously on delayed transmission). 

Peter Furze, a second cousin who lives in London sent me a reminder of Tennyson's poem tonight. Published in 1850, it's not a bad message for last year - 2020, even in Australia, where this is certainly not a frosty night.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light:

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind

For those that here we see no more;

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.