Autumn has been in the air - cool mornings and evenings, mostly pleasant days, but rain on Saturday when the girls were playing and umpiring netball matches. This was my sunrise view when I opened the blind on Sunday.
Sunday was my brother's birthday, falling this year on Mothers' Day as it did the year he was born, a 12lb 8oz baby. It is a bit of a burden to carry - the story told each time the dates coincide, as they will again in 2027, 2032 and 2038. I'm not a fan of Mothers' Day - it's better as Jim's birthday!
I began my reporting week with a visit to my doctor for my flu shot and to discuss my recent test results. A urine test revealed no protein, which is a good sign. I am now waiting for an appointment with a nephrologist to check whether there is any action I need to take beyond my GP's care. Bone density good, mammogram and bowel cancer test in the coming week. I am also trying to reduce my sugar intake, which involves cutting back the quantity of fruit I eat - as well as buns and icecream!. I need to reduce my chances of developing diabetes.
It's been a week of frequent dove visits. The pair who have adopted my balcony spent a couple of mornings hanging around the door near the seed container, grooming each other to fill in the time. They are more puffed up than they were in Summer - insulation I presume.
The Permin linen I had ordered for the Fisherton-de-la-mer workshop arrived and I cut and tacked it ready for the class next month. I'm glad I made the effort to get the recommended linen. I can see why the Jobelin I had tried was not going to work easily. Some of the stitching is difficult enough without adding issues with the linen. It was also easier to match Perle 12 DMC thread to the linen - though I still haven't worked out which of the two is the best match!
After the class, if I am happy with the result, I might make another in the Jobelin, which is an attractive deeper blue.
Thursday last week was Jennifer's birthday. She, Susan B. and I went to lunch at Seppeltsfield in the Barossa Valley to celebrate.It's a long time since I've been up to the Barossa - a drive with which I was once familiar. There have been numerous road changes so I was a bit nervous. With navigation help from Susan it turned out to be a very smooth and easy drive.
I did not, of course, attempt any photography while driving, so photos only reflect our destination!
The colours were spectacular.
The estate is full of little historical touches. I rested while on Geoff Hood's seat while the others were still shopping.
We had along, pleasant, relaxed meal in Fino's, the Seppeltsfield restaurant.
Around 3pm we headed to the other end of the Valley and winery spectrum to Nelly's Mill About Vineyard to return her Bulgarian embroidery collection. Again, it was a lovely drive. I'm afraid I was concentrating on the route and the embroidery return (I hadn't been there before) and forgot to take photos. It was however, great to see Nelly's lovely garden and to see the embroidery safely home. We got mildly lost on the way home, but it in no way spoiled a lovely day.
We were back stitching together on Friday afternoon. Saturday brought dinner a Katherine's place with plenty of food and stories of netball and football. By Monday evening the injuries were largely healed and no one was the worse for wear or weather.
Much of rest of my week was occupied with my Viking embroidery presentation. I have been constructing a PowerPoint presentation as I've been reading. Silk for the Vikings was very helpful. There is a lot of evidence and analysis of Viking textiles from archeological excavations. . It makes an interesting story I think. This week I've been reading Ed West's book as a refresher course in a period with which I was once familiar and well-versed. It's a fun way to remind myself.
I have also added a bit more to my family history story from the amazing research of my new-found researcher friend Melanie in Portsmouth. I've begun to write up something of the family story of my maternal grandmother. It is going to be a challenge to organise it in a way that does justice to her, her lineage and numerous side stories of connected, but not direct, relatives.
My knitting is coming along nicely. It looks as if I might be able to turn this into a cloak! I have used two-thirds of the yarn, so it is going to be substantial. The ruler is 40cm long, so I think the finished piece will reach around 80 cm.
We are privileged to be able to travel to lunch with friends. We have overseas-contracted Covid cases in hotel quarantine and a couple of community cases in Victoria and NSW believed to have been contracted from hotel quarantine. It's a discipline to manage quarantine, distancing, contact tracing, vaccination and the economy. The danger is that we will tire of the discipline. I remain cautious.
