Post 38 Happy Birthday Fionn!

Today is my grandson's 15th birthday. No party or activity with friends, no extended family gathering. I do hope that,  nevertheless, he had a contented and satisfying day with his parents and siblings - and lots of friend engagement without physical contact. I don't think he'd mind me including this photo.

My day began with the arrival of my cleaner for the first time since I left for England at the end of February. I have, of course, done some cleaning, but I was keen to have a thorough professional clean. I was not disappointed. I know there is a good argument against having a cleaner, or any other service worker, come into my home at the moment. For the moment the advantages of the alternative argument outweighs my estimation of the risks. Friends have gone the other way.

I got myself organised to do a moussaka run.  I haven't driven out in nearly 6 weeks and wondering if I would have forgotten the way! The streets were quiet, even for Adelaide, especially around the Central Markets on a Saturday.

As I was driving out of the apartments,  I had a phone call from Jennifer, one of my friends from the Costa Victoria, now in isolation in Perth.. They were tested for Coronavirus last Wednesday. While Jennifer tested negative, the other friend tested positive. They can obviously no longer share a room. The symptoms are not bad enough for hospital admission, but it is still bad news. They are undoubtably worried but bearing up.

I delivered the moussaka to three doorsteps, making a phone call once I was back in the car, to let them know it was there. At my first stop, at my daughter's home, my dashboard told me the battery on my car key was getting low.  My daughter dropped the spare they keep through the back passenger window to get me through until I can get it replaced. We could all wave to each other!

Back at home, I reconnected with Jennifer on  FaceTime. I mentioned 6 days ago, that she was working on one of the Jenny McWhinney panels. We discussed it today and decided that she was missing some mauvy-pinky-cerisey thread for a couple of the blooms. I agreed to find them for her. On reflection, I was not sure that my posting them to her from Adelaide was the quickest way. I checked out Dale Rollerson's Thread Studio in Perth. She has a fabulous range of stranded cotton floss .  In spite of it being Saturday afternoon, I took a punt and rang. Ian answered, listened to my story, took my order and agreed to express-post them to Jennifer's hotel on Monday to arrive Tuesday. It was a pretty small order, but he didn't hesitate.

An hour later he rang me back to tell me the package was at the hotel. He had driven it there and handed it to the concierge with instructions! Before I could get hold of Jennifer by phone, she called to say she had it! Such service and kindness. It doesn't alter the seriousness of their situation - but it makes it a little more bearable.  I hope to have a photo to show you as the panel progresses.

I also put in an order at Marino's Meat and Food Store which is now offering home delivery. They have added Fleurieu milk to their repertoire. Should arrive Monday. Coles is now offering an Online  Priority delivery service and I have registered, awaiting confirmation.

After the activity I settled down to work a few more leaves. I am very grateful to Melody for pointing out to me that if I turned my roller frame around so the leaves were at the bottom, I would not have the stretching problem I described yesterday. Duh! One of my mother's recurring comments to me was "for an intelligent child you can be very stupid at times". 

I turned it around and bingo, no discomfort. And yes, the support bar is upside down.  I will change it over before I start working on it in the morning.




It had rained most of the day. but cleared a bit late in the afternoon. The light was briefly good, directly through the window on to the linen.

As the sun went down the cranes looked like pointers to the light.

Daylight saving finishes tonight, so clocks back and an extra hour! I usually cherish this extra hour. Somehow it doesn't seem to matter this year.

I'm using the chatelaine I bought at the market day at Stratford while working on the parrots. It works well - if I can make a habit of putting the scissors back in it after I've used them!

It's been a roller-coaster of a day. This is where I got to before writing this.
Definite progress - but perhaps not the most significant of the day.

I hope when Fionn tells his grandchildren how he spent his fifteenth birthday in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is a happy story.

Post 37 staying safe

I woke this morning planning my big excursion to the letterbox and rubbish disposal. Should I shower, breakfast, put on lipstick and venture downstairs with my recycling and green rubbish, then go for a walk? On reflection, it seemed a better idea to get dressed in old clothes, take the rubbish down and check my letterbox, then come back and shower before having breakfast. That's what I did.

Armed with a plastic bag of bottles (three wine, one milk, one soda water), one of paper and plastic recycling, three corn bags of green garbage and a packet of antiseptic wipes, I went down to the basement, wiping anything I touched after I had touched it. I did NOT take photos of this activity! The basement was clean and tidy as ever. I started my car to make sure the battery was OK and emptied my letterbox.

Back upstairs I washed my hands, showered, dressed and had breakfast. There were quite a few emails and messages, giving me news of friends and family, keeping each other up to date.  When I got to opening my mail, I found a gift from an old friend in Canberra - a shawl she began for one of my birthdays  and finished as a welcome home present. I'm not sure how long it had been in my letterbox, but it had a few letters on top of it.





It is really lovely, soft and textured like a cloud. Such a lovely surprise.

At 10.30 I was ready and organised today to participate in ABC Classic FM's Dancercise with Martin Buzacott. It was fun. We began with marching.

I was so stimulated by the exercise that I started making my moussaka. I usually make this over at least two days, beginning with the ragu, while I salt and soak the eggplant. The ragu simmers away for two hours or more. I usually wash and dry the eggplant the next day, then cook it, cook the zucchini, construct the layers, then make the cheese sauce. Today I just kept going. I put the eggplant in the oven before the ragu was finished and constructed the layers as I went. The sauce has to be done slowly and carefully, the cheese added while the bechamel is hot, so it melts but the egg yolks added after it cools down.


It came out well, enough for a couple of friends and family - and the left overs for me. I finished putting them together about 4.30pm and had a mad idea I might go out and delivery them now, ready to  put in the oven. When I looked out the window, however, there were very dark clouds rolling in. I was too late to bring in the top I had left on the line - it was wet and had blown off the line, fortunately still on the balcony!

Instead of delivering them this afternoon, I cooked the scrappy one for my own dinner and popped the others in the oven with it, so now they just need to be warmed though.

This is a lot more cooking than I usually do in day! I clocked up a couple of thousand steps without leaving the apartment. I had another glass of bubbles with the moussaka to celebrate!

The book I ordered on embroidering on knitting was due to arrive today, but didn't. Hardly surprising. Maybe Monday.

I was determined to make some progress on the Mellerstain firescreen. I am not at all sure I have done the right thing by mounting this on the roller frame. I find it difficult to get my arm comfortably behind the work to work with both hands. I am thinking of taking it out and using a hoop. The piece is quite large, so there'd be a lot of surplus fabric, but it would be more comfortable to work with. Dilemma.

I got this far. I'll persevere for a bit.

Tomorrow my cleaner comes at 8.30. I'm glad I got the cooking done today. The dishwasher is full and I've cleaned up the worst of the kitchen  but it will benefit from a thorough clean.

The rain is still bucketing down, even coming on to the Western balcony, which is unusual. We like rain in Adelaide!

 There have been more Covid19 cases identified in the Adelaide Airport cluster and Western Australia has closed its borders. There is an exception for 'people returning to their place of residence' so my friends in isolation in Perth MAY be able to travel back to Adelaide ( if there are flights) but it could be different when they emerge in about ten days' time.

I had not intended to have such a busy day but it has been satisfying. I never did get that walk, but I got quite a bit of exercise one way or another!

Self-isolation Day14!!!! Made it!

I'm late writing this tonight. I wanted to finish a vine leaf on the Mellerstain firescreen, but haven't quite made it.

My day began with another phone call from my brother, whose first Woolworths home delivery had arrived. In this New World we share our joy about grocery deliveries (and, in my case, take photos!). In between deliveries he is working on a new book, and is enticing me to undertake a couple of tasks. Tempting.

I managed to have breakfast, coffee and prepare myself for 11am Exercise with Martin Buzacott on ABC Classic FM. I came across a notice about this yesterday - 10 minutes of music designed to aid exercise. Thought I'd give it a try. When I found myself in the middle of a concerto. I worked out, that it is, of course, a national station, running of Eastern Summer Time and I should have tuned in at 10.30! Maybe tomorrow.  It did prick my conscience enough that I walked 1000 steps up and down the apartment before returning two missed calls from friends, which required, of course, more coffee.

It was sunny and warm, so I took my knitting out on the back balcony. I don't usually sit out here. From my seated eye level I can see new shoots appearing on some of the succulents and a host of new blooms on the zygote.

I then remembered the washing I had put in the machine and forgotten. I hung it out around 2pm. It was different to my usual line - no jeans or socks, several pair of leggings and several sets of pyjamas. All but one item was dry when I took it in at 5.30pm.

Yesterday I did not mention that I had two courtesy phone calls from charities I support.  They are loosing support as people lose jobs, and are trying to shore up what they can. They were both interesting young men and both at the moment working from an office. The second call was from UniSA's fund raising sector. He had been a teacher at Gepps Cross Girls High School while I was Principal and talked of all he gained from the experience. I was taken aback - but not so much that I lost the opportunity to recruit him for my Conversations with Baby Boomer teacher project! He's agreed to be interviewed next week!

After doing some problem-solving by email for a friend, I headed out to the Western balcony for more vitamin D and knitting. The spider has been active, reorienting her webs to a horizontal position rather than the vertical one of earlier this week. I love their shapes and texture.

My casserole dish lid garden appears to be well underway

Today our government announced free childcare for workers, and those in need who have had to cancel it. Commentators have claimed, rightly I think, that we are achieving in weeks changes that would take decades under non-virus conditions. This is addressing the dilemma of those still in employment having to choose between continuing to work or resigning to look after their children as child care centres close because parents out of work remove children because they can't pay.  These decisions are being made nationally - which in Australian terms, means not by the Federal, (Australian) Government  but by a council made up of the heads of States, Territories and the Prime Minister.  This group, now called the National Cabinet, usually meets a couple of times a year as the Council of Australian Governments.  It is, in my view (and I worked within this structure, so declare an interest), a very powerful, useful democratic structure, which favours evidence-based decision making and consensus. Today's childcare decision and decisions to upskill nurses, bring back recently retired medical personnel and find ways of using the skills of those whose overseas qualifications have not been recognised in Australia are good examples. Ideology-based arguments don't survive long in this forum. I hope this model, or at least its spirit, has a long-term influence.

I watched all this unfold while working on my Fair Isle scarf. I managed to complete another band - bringing me to two complete patterns. Only 6 more to go. At my current knitting rate it will take me about 18 days. I might need to talk less and knit more (not going to happen!).

I managed to begin to work the outer layer on a vine leaf. More work needed before I move to the next colour.


And yes, it is now 14 days since I entered self-isolation, so tomorrow I can go outside my door! At the moment my plan is to visit my letterbox, dispose of my recycling, green bags and a very small bag of landfill garbage and take a walk. Maybe at the beach.

On a friend's suggestion I did open a bottle of bubbles! It's a milestone, even if the Stay Home message means I will not see a big change in lifestyle!


At the moment I plan to continue this blog. I will certainly post tomorrow. After that I may move to every second day, or shorter one day, longer the next. I didn't set out to rival Defoe's Journal of a Plague Year!

Self-isolation Day 13

It rained during the night and for an hour or two this morning. In contrast to yesterday, the outlook was grey. I woke to a call from my brother.  There was lots to talk about from our respective self-isolations, mine compulsory, his by stay-at-home directives. My sister-in-law is doing an extraordinary job of creating video resources for her online physical education classes of 24 or so junior primary school children. She and my brother can still play singles tennis on their apartment courts, making videos along the way.

We chewed over some big issues of our parliamentary democracy. We are united in our hope the problem-solving cooperative model of policy-making apparently being achieved at the moment can carry forward to at least modify the ideologically-driven adversarial model into which we seem to have fallen in recent decades.

Just after we finished our call, I had a FaceTime call from my friends  released from the Costa Victoria. It was so fantastic, not just to hear their voices, but to see them in their quarantine in a Perth hotel. They are both well and cheerful,happy and grateful to be back in Australia. They have no idea how and when they will be able to return to Adelaide. but they are not complaining. They had nothing but praise for the crew of the Costa Victoria.It was, in the end, the ship's captain and the company who organised the flight from Rome to Perth. Their health needs were at all stages considered and  accommodated, including a wheelchair. Their Perth hotel room accommodates this. They have a jigsaw puzzle, knitting, embroidery and Kindles, in addition to television, to keep them occupied - and decent Internet. It was just marvellous to see and talk to them - and to know we can do it again.

The Adelaide airport Corona virus cluster identified yesterday has raised the possibility of the Airport closing, as it did for a few hours yesterday. It's operating again today, but 100 baggage handlers have gone into isolation. One news bulletin today suggested anyone who has collected or handled luggage from the airport in the last 14 days should get tested. That would include me. The driver who picked me up from the airport took my luggage off the carousel and carried it to the car. I however, wheeled it into the apartment and unpacked it. The government website, however, is still very specific in saying only to seek a test if you have symptoms, which I do not.

A sad announcement today was that The Bunyip - the local Gawler newspaper, which was, I think, the only privately owned local newspaper left in South Australia, is to close 'indefinitely' from today. When we lived in Gawler from 1973 to 1984 the purchase of The Bunyip from it's office, each Wednesday was an unmissable ritual. It was a reliable and thoughtful source of local news and community building. I have found no local newspaper since that was worth reading after The Bunyip. It employed 12 people, now suspended, with little prospect of reinstatement. It would be brilliant if it were to recover.

By the afternoon it was a little bit brighter outside and the rain had ceased. I had another FaceTime discussion with a Guild friend with chronic health issues who is fighting off an infection not Corona virus related. This is an even more difficult time than usual for people with chronic illnesses. Their risk escalates and options narrow. Hopefully her doctor's intervention will affect a recovery by the weekend. We had plenty of things to talk about other than her health, but it remains a concern.

We were able to have our discussion because, by lunchtime the Woolworth's website indicated my delivery would be between 5 pm and 6 pm. At 2.40 pm this was amended to 5.03-6.03!



At 6.02 I heard the truck door opening! The same driver as last week rang my buzzer - and, after having the same issue with the lift as last week, I heard him unloading his trolley on the other side of my door

I watched him leave and waved my thanks before opening my door and pulling the bags inside.

It contained the milk I was waiting for, fruit and veg and minced lamb. I have undertaken to make moussaka for the friend who has been keeping me going with pasties and osso bucco. If this works, I will try making another one  in the weeks to come for my Adelaide family. I haven't be able to get kefalograviera cheese - but I'll manage!

I'm very happy to have this service.


I tried to have a phone conversation this evening with my Sydney friend recovering from her eye operation, but the connection kept dropping out. I managed to ascertain she's doing well and happy with the operation - but that's about all. She tried changing phones, to no avail, which might suggest the problem was at my end.

I also made a couple of phone calls to members of the World Embroidery Study Group members to see it they were OK. One was fine, for another I've left a message.

My stitching did not progress much today as my attention was on conversations.







I have managed the first set of acorn leaves.


It doesn't seem much, but it takes me a while to do the first, outside, layer of each leaf with double thread. I need to go over it with a single thread to get it smooth. It works, though.

Although tomorrow is my last day of compulsory self-isolation, I do not think I'll be going anywhere much beyond my letterbox and garbage disposal for a while. It will certainly be good to do that. We have, as a community, put a lot of effort into recycling systems, and I think these are really important. We should not go backwards.

Beyond these small excursions some solo walks, until I know for sure I am not carrying the virus, it seems  there are too many risks to others, as well as myself.

Need to stay at home.

I hope to do more embroidery tomorrow than I did today - but friends come first.

Self-isolation Day 12: knitting in the sun

Another lovely day in Adelaide, around 23C. By late morning, after I'd caught up with news, finished a book and responded to emails. I noticed the great cloud formation in the East, grabbed my knitting and took myself out to my back balcony.

It was then I noticed some lovely little blooms - on my wall garden



and in a balcony rail box. These are quite small - maybe 5cm across. Such fabulous shapes and colours.

Parent

I also noticed a succulent I had planted from a cutting emerging as a promising new plant.
This is the parent.

pups

One of its pups, that I planted out a while back, is shedding its big leaves to reveal two new shoots, one at the front and one at the back. Under the old leaves is a very healthy looking stem base. A promising start.

In response to yesterday's post, a friend asked for a photo of the underside of the Fair Isle scarf.  I am knitting this in the round, so it is a double thickness effectively forming a tube.  There are no more than two colours per row. There are a few rows with 5, 6 or 7 consecutive stitches in the same colour, but mostly it's less. I try not to carry wool over more that 4 stitches without anchoring.




One of the tricks with Fair Isle is keeping your working yarn free of tangles. I have been keeping my working yarn outside  the tube and the balls I will use again within about 10 rows inside the tube itself, carrying the yarn up through the rows on the inside.  I only cut yarn on balls I will not use again for a greater number of rows.
The trouble is that the balls fall out the bottom of the tube.

For the moment I have solved this by joining the bottom of the tube now, rather than when I finish.  I also dug out bag to hold the two working balls and I also  dug out the magnetic board I bought to use for counted embroidery patterns. Seems to have improved my progress.
















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The book I finished reading this morning was Corpse at the Carnival by George Bellairs, a Golden Age crime fiction writer, now being republished by Agora Books. It is set on the Isle of Man in carnival season when the island is packed with trippers on holiday, arriving by boat, staying in hotels and boarding houses, promenading, partying, dining, boating - or hiking around the island. I enjoyed the read very much, but found myself, in self-isolation from the Corona virus in 2020, thinking quite differently about our centuries old habit of congregating in popular locations for holidays and relaxation. We have taken so much for granted.

I also received the latest email catalogue from Can do Books.  I do most of my reading electronically, but not craft books - which I am trying hard not to buy! I made an exception, however, when I saw this one. It occurred to me (Margaret Adams take note!) that this might form the basis of a Guild class, and bridge the ideological gap between knitting and embroidery, so thought I'd investigate. Besides, I have a couple of jumpers with holes that might be covered with embroidery. By the time it arrives I'll be able to go to my letterbox!

It is also a good time to support a business like Can do Books, which has closed its physical shop. They have some good books on sale, including some of the Inky colouring books. 

After 2.30 I followed the sun to my front balcony. It was lovely knitting in the sun, behind my plants. There were a few people using the Square to walk dogs, or children and the young man with the weights did his exercises again late in the day.

Again, there were interesting shapes and details. These frangipani leaves might turn into an embroidery design one day. In the light you can see lovely markings.









and I'm sure I will find a use for this spider's web.

I progressed the scarf to the next, blue, band.

before heading inside to heat the last of Susan's Osso Bucco, this time with pasta.

I focused on knitting today. I have seven + repeats of the 47 line pattern to go. Tomorrow I'll do some embroidery!

Tomorrow I have another Woolworths delivery. I haven't added anything to it, since to do so I need to cancel and then reorder. I think I can do this while keeping my delivery time, but decided not to try! I'm sure I will adjust to this ordering routine with time and learn all the tricks. In the meantime, I'll be happy if I get some fresh milk tomorrow!

Self-isolation Day11

I followed up this morning with Romeo's North Adelaide Foodland about home delivery. They have suspended all home delivery because they were overwhelmed. They hope to get up and running and will notify customers, including me, when it happens.  I hope they manage to re-establish their system. Hopefully I am now a regular Woolworth's customer.



I had a slice of Susan's orange cake and coffee to celebrate, once again, my registration with Woolworths.

I have been receiving daily emails from a widowed uncle in Canada. He sends amusing bits he's found. I don't usually repeat them, but did think others might like smile, as I did, at this one this morning.

My focus for much of the day was to progress the Fair Isle scarf. It needs my full attention. The full pattern is 47 rows. Within the 47 there are three backgrounds, or stripes. I am on the first pattern repeat. Last night I made a few mistakes dipping in and out of it, so today I avoided all distractions to get the first (beige background) stripe finished.

I am now on the green repeat.

Because I need a break from such undivided attention, I am starting on the Mellerstain parrots embroidery at the same time.

In between knitting bursts I kept up with emails, online chats and watched the PM's afternoon Press Conference on the latest support package for workers. These Press Conferences are improving daily in terms of clarity of communication as well in support. I'm pleased to see the ideology receding and the evidence of listening to expert advice and collaboration increasing. The games seem to be in abeyance. It is hard and risky work balancing need and consequences at micro and macro levels. I have the utmost respect and sympathy for those being forced to make daily decisions that impact other people's lives.  My extraordinary daughters are doing it, wrestling with the ethical as well as practical issues. Hat's off. And my heart goes out.


My lunch was some of the blue cheese, fig paste and biscuits left yesterday by Susan. Really delicious.

On Saturday, after talking to a friend, I had planned to ring my doctor today to see if I could have a test for Covid19. I have no symptoms and feel absolutely fine, but I am aware that you can have the virus and no symptoms. As I had no tests at all on my re-entry into the country, I thought I'd like to be sure when my self-isolation ends. However, having registered on the new government Coronavirus App, I note that the criteria for testing are quite explicit, and, without symptoms,  I do not qualify. Tests are scarce, so I won't pursue it. New requirements for over 70s mean I won't be in a position to contaminate anyone anyway. The government has also usefully provided a list of flights into Australia on which there has been any identified cases. So far, there are no identified cases at all through Perth airport. It seems we are likely to have home testing kits available next month, so I’ll wait for those.

Qatar Airlines had two flight arriving in Perth from Rome in the last 4 hours. I'm hoping my friends were on one of them.

I've progressed the scarf a few rows into the green band.









I'm working the parrots in my Lowery stand because of the panel size. I can set it right at eye level and still see the TV screen over the top!
It's a very small start - but a start nevertheless!





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It has morphed quite a way from England2020!