Post 501 Plenty to do this week.

A big advantage of a macro-lens camera on my phone is that I can take opportunistic photos - like this ladybird on the Kalanchoe next to where I was sitting, reading in the sun on Friday. Within minutes it had flown away (home) - no time to get my DSL and attach the macro lens.

I am channeling my mother, who was an observer of  nature and her brother, who was a photographer.

Wednesday was our monthly World Embroidery Study Group meeting. We had a lively discussion about cruelty-free and sustainable silk, focused on three examples - the golden orb spider silk from Madagascar, the wild silks of India and the cocoon silk of Madagascar. The last, whilst the one most reliably cruelty-free, is the least adaptable, with embellishment rather than garment as an end point. Cocoons are collected after the moth has exited, then beaten into fibrous sheets which can be dyed and stitched. This is Margaret's photograph and work using one of the cocoon sheets to paint and embroider butterflies. 

After the meeting a few of us had lunch at a cafe around the corner from the Guild. We sat on their courtyard veranda, eventually becoming aware of a silent watcher above the magazine rack tucked into a corner. I'm hoping the teddybear was put there by the cafe for bored children, and not left behind by an adoring child. It certainly won't be cuddled by anyone any time soon!

The surgeon rang on Thursday with the pathology results for the 2 moles I had removed, one benign, one pre-cancerous, but they had got it all. I skipped Pilates in deference to the stitches, which come out next Thursday. They have reached the itchy stage, so I'll be glad to have them out.

I called at the Guild to return a key. On the way I picked up a copy of Richard Osman's newly released The Last Devil to Die as well as more basic provisions.

The Frida and Diego Exhibition at the Art Gallery was finishing last weekend.  I am so glad I made a concerted effort to get there on Friday. It was fabulous. Most of it comes from the endowment of the Jacques and Natasha Gelman. As well as their paintings, there are many interesting photographs of Frida and Diego, together and separate.   I bought the excellent catalogue for more leisurely perusal. The exhibition included a display of Mexican dresses which set me off on another World Embroidery tangent. By the end of the day I had sourced and ordered 2 books on Mexican embroidery. 

Surely someone will be interested in following up?

On Saturday, after a quick supermarket visit, I helped out at JEMS. There were 7 girls there, stitching a variety of things. The conversation is lively, not so different to adult stitching groups. I just made up the required supervision numbers, but it’s a rewarding gig.  I took last week's pouch along, as I had promised, to show how their advice had panned out. They were pleased with the result (genuinely,  I judge, although they would hardly have said otherwise!).

I spent much of Sunday making moussaka- and cleaning up afterwards. It was warm work, helped by listening to the very long ABBA Gold compilation album.  Only later, after I had cooked and eaten chicken livers for my lunch at 2.30 pm, fixed the printer that has been on strike for days, showered and sat down to catch up on news, did I discover that not all the heat had come from the kitchen. The outside temperature had reached 31C.  Looks like Spring is here. I removed the cotton blanket under the quilt on my bed.  Maybe it’s time to wash my woollens.

It was evident on Monday evening that the ragu for the moussaka could have done with a bit more reduction. but we had plenty of bread to mop up the liquid. Fionn's football team has made the final, so lots of speculation about their chances. Not sure if I can make the match on Saturday, but I will try. 

While the moussaka was heating, I tried to photograph the sun going down, sitting as a big golden globe on top of a building. I couldn't capture the globe, but produced an interesting photo anyway. It looks as if there was a dragon breathing fire from one of the apartments.

Today I had a podiatrist appointment and lunch with a UniSA Alumni officer. We discussed a range of Uni issues, from the proposed merger, to fund-raising and social justice. I really enjoyed it.

Afterwards I picked up a parcel from the PO - two sets of cards I bought from Can Do Books.  I was curious, after my experience with the cards that Pascal Jaouen's Glazig school produces. I'm pretty impressed with the two sets that came today. They are produced in England and more expensive here in Australia than they are in either the UK or USA. A good idea though, and very clear.

This morning I finished  The Last Devil to Die. I think it is extraordinary - compassionate, insightful, engaging, entertaining, moving. It reminds me a lot of the Ealing comedies I saw as a child with my parents at the Botany Empire Cinema (or Theatre, as it was signed) - a kind of intelligent high farce.

I have completed four of the eight patterns required for the alpaca shawl - 112 rows done, 112 to go.  Unfortunately, this is nowhere near half way because each row increases by 2 stitches. 

Might be worth trying to finish it before the hot weather sets in.