Post 488: All about Easter.

Easter dominated the week. Panayoula and I had coffee on Wednesday and much of the afternoon was spent clearing my back balcony for the abseiling painters, who, I was assured in an email, were going to start work on Maundy Thursday.

When (predictably) they failed to materialise,  I went shopping at Frewville for enough supplies to get me through the long weekend. It wasn't overly busy, and the shelves were very well stocked.  By all accounts this was not the case on Saturday, the only suburban shopping day in the 4 day long weekend. 

Back at home I made some gingerbread rabbits, and moved the chair and plants back out on to the balcony for the weekend. By the time the sunset on Thursday I was pretty relaxed.

On Good Friday I spent a few hours preparing my Glazig presentation for next months WES Group - and I made my chocolate crackle nests for Easter Sunday before heading to Katherine's place for an afternoon tea of her excellent hot cross buns.

Saturday was a bit of an adventure. My cleaner came at 8.30. He has arthritis in his back and has been advised to give up his part-time cleaning job. He hasn't quite decided, but I suspect it is only a matter of time. 

Just after 9.30 I headed off to an OTR carpark on Marion Rd - about 15 minutes drive- to pick up a Dobosh Torte I had ordered. The only bakery now making these in Adelaide is online. I haven't used them before so was a bit cautious. I was a few minutes early and rang them to check all was well. They don't usually deliver on Saturdays, but had made a special effort. The cake arrived 5 minutes after my phone call. Whew! It was home and safely stowed in my fridge in time for me to head to Grange for lunch and Sit'nStitch.

It is well and truly Autumn in Adelaide. The beach was windy, overcast and the water choppy. Around the corner in Carrington Street the leaves are falling. There has been more rain than usual and mild sunsets.

Fionn had his mates around for a birthday celebration on Saturday night, so I stayed at home. I cooked some chicken livers for my dinner - a dish I often cook for visitors, but have recently realised works quite well for one person. The trick is in getting fresh chicken livers which I have previously always done from the Central Market. Frewville, however, sometimes have them, fresh and packaged in 500 gram lots, enough for 2 meals for me. So I indulged myself.  It meant I didn't eat fish on Good Friday, but since the original idea was fasting, I don't feel wedded to that tradition.

Easter Sunday lunch was, as has become another tradition, a family gathering at Katherine and Anthony's place. Katherine is missing from the photo because it is courtesy of her, the photographer. Anthony's pork was about perfect as were Katherine's array of vegetables.

Dessert was the Dobosh Torte, nests and eggs. 

This red mandevilla was an Easter gift. It looks splendid on the front balcony. I now have 4 in various colours. The one I almost killed during February has responded to being cut back and is shooting. It will be at least a year before it makes this kind of sunset display.

I also had a long talk to my brother.

My stitching time this week has almost entirely been taken up with getting started on the St Brigid jumper. The detail is in my embroidery blog. There have been times when I thought I have at last bitten off more than I can chew, but I think the rhythm is beginning to emerge. It may not, however, be finished for the start of winter! So far I haven't managed more than 6 rows in a day. I need to get that up to around 20. 

This morning there was some evidence of painters on the roof - presumably installing their anchor points for abseiling down the building. There has been, however, no sign of any further activity.  My balcony is as clear as it is going to be  and the chair  and a couple of plants are back inside.

It is raining on and off, and rain is forecast for most of the week, so  I am not holding my breath for abseiling painters. Good for knitting, though. 

I had a podiatrist appointment this morning and afterwards paid a visit to Officeworks. Last week they advertised some embroidery kits that made me curious. They are certainly expanding their craft range - possibly picking up where other chain stores are declining. I thought the two hoop kits might prove useful as patches, covering the zip holes on some of my affected tops. The muslin bags, I thought, might be dyed and embroidered as gift bags and I was simply intrigued by the little oval blackboards that can be pegged to things.  Toys that will not distract me from knitting.

Greek Easter is coming up this weekend. It is decades since I have tried making koulourakia, the traditional Greek Easter biscuits. I just might give it another try.  Christos anesti. Alithos anesti.