Post 425 Mostly botanical

It's been a slightly cooler, and overcast week here in Adelaide - appropriate for the end of daylight saving and a change of State government. 

Our Covid numbers and hospitalisations continue to rise - as predicted. More hospital beds are found, plans are hastily made to find more frontline workers and promises of fewer restrictions are reiterated. 

I remain cautious where I go. I wear my mask and keep my distance. 4 days to my second booster.

I saw my optometrist on Thursday. I had reduced the steroid cream to every 36 hours. The inflammation had reduced but not gone. The young optometrist has had experience of the problem through previous work with an ophthalmologist. She is knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. It seems that the risk of permanent damage from the inflammation is, in my case, greater than the risk from the steroid, so I am now back to steroid cream twice a day and monitoring every three months for any sign of glaucoma - which can be fed by the steroid. I feel very grateful to have access to this expertise - and to be able to continue using my eyes as much as I do.

The plants on both balconies are having a bit of an Autumn fling and keeping me cheerful

Making the most of being out and about, between the optometrist and Pilates I called at Create in Stitch and managed to nab a copy to this very inspiring book. I've got some ideas for it - including cutting up the jeans that are now too big for me.

The medical monitoring continued yesterday with an annual (more or less!) audiology appointment. I found it challenging to listen for the 'beeps' over the sound of my breathing while wearing a mask. The audiologist was alarmed at my holding my breath! There is a slight decline in my hearing of high sounds and my hearing aids were adjusted accordingly. Again, I'm fortunate.

It's been a busy week too for grandchildren. Both Brigid and Niamh umpired Netball matches on Saturday, meaning Brigid didn't get to play in her team's final and Niamh left JEMS a little early. Yesterday we celebrated Fionn's birthday with an excellent dinner at NNQ, all converging there from school, tutoring, football, work and dashes home to get changed. 

Katherine and I also did a little catching up with knitting on Saturday evening.

I've done a bit of reading and think I've found the books to recommend for my Bookclub next month. I won't give it away just yet! I stumbled over another book about sugar control, and managed to source a copy in Adelaide. It reports an interesting piece of research  suggesting the sequence in which we eat particular foods in a meal can improve metabolism - always beginning with vegetable fibre ahead of protein and carbs, reserving sugars  (if we must!) until last.

As I wrote this the abseilers were at work - clumping around on the roof rather than abseiling most of the time. There seems to be a lot of detailed finishing happening in the newly built apartment block.

I've watched quite a bit of Norse-Celtic related television while stitching this week, including Britain's Secret Islands and Exploring Northern Ireland. I'll soon need to start organising my reading and thoughts for the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic Embroidery discussion I've undertaken to lead at WES later this year. It all helps.

That extra hour on Sunday was put to good use (several times!)  with the Aesop Frame.I'm particularly pleased with this corner of fox and owl. 

I'm now working on the peacock after which I'll write up my progress more comprehensively in my embroidery blog before the last step of blocking and applying it to the chair.

By then the new washed linens I ordered from Ink and Spindle will have arrived - and together with that Botanicals book above there will be no end of projects in the pipeline......