The jacarandas are now in full bloom.
It has been a bit windy, so there are also purple footpaths. We've had a couple of warm days, but for the most part it has been cool.
I hope the purple mist brings cheer to several friends dealing with illness, infirmity or sadness.
The bats have been back every evening. These are the abundant Moreton Bay figs that they are feeding on.
The native frangipani at the back continues to attract a variety of birds. On Saturday it was a couple of young honeyeaters. One looked like a fledgling.
They are hard to photograph because they are so well camouflaged in the tree, the yellow stripe on their wing blending perfectly with the tree.
They are small and lost amongst the leaves. I rather like their lack of showiness.
The big event in my week was the return of the Vergola man on Friday with my remote control. Two weeks ago I mentioned that Vergola had employed and trained a repairman who was coming late the next day.
What I didn't report last week was that on his first job that next day he fell off a ladder and injured his back - off work for a week! He finally arrived last Wednesday, just as I was heading out to lunch with a friend. When he couldn't get the back off the remote control, I suggested he take it back to the workshop, which he did. It turned out there was cleverly disguised tape over the back of the remote. Removing that revealed a screw. I had examined the remote several times and concluded it was a sealed unit. On Friday Andy, the repair man, turned up with a new battery in the remote to see if that solved the problem. I was sceptical - hardly daring to hope. When the Vergola responded to the remote I was so relieved I hugged him - something I haven't done to anyone in the last 32 months! He was as surprised and pleased as me that it worked. Never mind that I have just gone 8 months without the Vergola because of a dead battery, I was just over the moon to have a simple fix. Maybe I'm losing my outrage as I get older - or maybe the last couple of years have taught me to be grateful for every positive outcome. Friday was a 34C day - the only one so far this Spring - so closing the roof was a big plus. I move it every day because I can! Je ne regrette rien!
Saturday was the last Guild Certificate Course Workshop for the year. It focused on two kinds of braiding. My account is in my embroidery blog. Some at the workshop asked where they could buy Great Australian Rascals, Rogues and Ratbags, my brother's book I mentioned last week. It's readily available in Target, BigW, Post Offices, Booktopia, the Book Depository airports, as well as book shops.
While I was at the workshop, I was able to open the door to our apartment building remotely via my phone for the postman to leave a parcel, which turned out to be a gift from my friend Robin - a Claire Unger cup!
When I got home I still had coffee left in the thermos I take to the Guild, so used it immediately. Such a lovely surprise.
While at the workshop I handed over the Maureen Holbrook folders of articles to the Certificate Course organisers. There are another 5 of these to be picked up from Maureen and added to the database, as well as another collection from Val Darby. A job, maybe, for after Christmas.
I had friends coming to lunch on Sunday, and because I would be at the Guild workshop all day on Saturday, I spent Friday (when not attending to the Vergola) cooking moussaka - one for Sunday lunch and another, larger one, for Monday night. To be safe, I froze the large one and defrosted it Sunday night.
As it turned out, because of illness, Schoolies'Week recovery and work commitments, there were only four of us for Monday dinner. This gave me the chance, two days in a row - to use the place mats I won in the Guild Sala raffle! There are only 4 of them - which are not very often useful to me. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of them on the laden table - but they looked great.
Another moment of shared joy to cherish.
