Post 422 Out of isolation with an abundance of caution

My most displayable achievement for this work is the completion of the 4th, and last, Bush Sentinelle cushion cover. I have written about its completion in my embroidery blog.

I tested negative with RATs on both my 5th isolation day  and 7th (Saturday). My daughter's family is still in isolation and all members have tested negative on their 7th day. They have another week to go, because they chose not to isolate from their Covid-infected member. 

The days tended to flow into one another. Barbara and Margaret M stepped in to manage Wednesday's WES meeting. 7 people gathered and discussed Indian Quilts under Barbara's leadership and Margaret's quick PowerPoint  construction. It's a great group.

Pilates went by the board and Friday's dinner got tentatively moved to Sunday. I spent my days reading, doing bits of research, working on the 4th, and last Bush Sentinelle - and voting. Our State election is on next Saturday and I registered for a postal vote. When the voting package arrived it took a while to work through. The lower house was straightforward enough, but in the upper house, there were 19 political parties fielding candidates.  Under our preferential system you either vote for one Party, or for at least 12 individual candidates. I chose the latter, and it was hard. I posted it today.

I emerged from isolation on Saturday evening. This week, as per SAHealth recommendation, I am avoiding crowds and "unnecessary activities".  Several friends rang and had long conversations, including one I had lost touch with - fabulous to talk to each of them. 

I had enough food to get me through this week and ordered a delivery on Friday from the Adelaide Central Markets in the hope that  I'd test negative so Sunday lunch here could go ahead with two friends. The delivery worked well (meat is in the polystyrene box) and lunch went ahead. I repeated the duck with nectarines and potatoes recipe from the City Mag a few weeks ago. I had every intention of taking a photo, but as usual, was too focused on serving it to remember. It worked well. We had a lovely relaxed meal and catch up. The birds at sunset and bats as darkness began to fall put on a good show for us.

A couple of parcels came during the week. The coloured continuous zips I had ordered to share with a friend at the Guild fitted into the letterbox as did the fabric for the cushion. I haven't had a chance yet to share.

Unfortunately, a book I had ordered was delivered on Saturday morning and I mistook the deliverer's single buzz for a birdcall. I picked the book up today. The book itself was 16x23x2.5cm. The stiff cardboard packaging was 45x36x2.5cm. Had the packaging been closer to the size of the book, it would have easily gone into my letterbox. I know I carry on about this. I have written to the retailer.

This time two years ago my cousin Christine and her husband Eddie were generous enough to come from Cheltenham to pick me up in Stratford-upon-Avon and take me for a day of exploring the towns in Buckinghamshire that had been home to my maternal grandfather's ancestors. We visited Piddington, where my 7x GGrandfather was born in 1657. His son Thomas married Margery Mukell here at St Nicholas's Church in 1697.

We also spent time at St Mary the Virgin Marsh Gibbon, where the 7 children of my 5xGGrandfather John Ray and his wife Sarah were baptised. It was a fabulous day, both in terms of company and what I experienced. Thanks so much Christine and Eddie.

I cut my UK stay short, leaving on 17 March to get home before Australia shuts its border. I'm glad I went, and glad I got home.

Having finished the cushions, I finished off the  pouch I was making from the Viking embroidery examples I'd prepared for the Certificate Course workshop. I'd left it unfinished so the inside could be examined.  I added lining and a zip. 

I find these zip pouches quite useful - as pencil cases or for tools for a particular project. 

I'm now turning my attention back to knitting the Mosaic Carpet Bag. There are lots of projects waiting to be started or finished, so I need to get on with it. I'm edging closer to continuing the Aesop Frame.

It's been a warm week - most days 30-33C with warm nights. This is tonight's moonrise, taken about 6.40pm. The 7 faint dots in the sky are birds returning to roost.

As my Adelaide family is locked down for another week, I will spend Saturday night with friends watching the election count on TV- a very old arrangement. Postal, absentee and early votes, which are up because of Covid, are not counted on the night, so a result is unlikely for several days. I'm not complaining.  I'm grateful that our community is voting, managing Covid, and functioning, that my family is able to quarantine and keep each other safe, and that I can isolate in my home yet stay in touch. None of it can be taken for granted.