Post 506 A is for Almanda and Aquafit, B is for blue, birds, bug, and bunny , C is for cards and concerts, but F is for family, friends and food

I got several jobs ticked off on Wednesday. I met with my accountant to lodge my tax return in the morning, a pleasant exercise in his new premises. On the short drive home my phone was ringing to signal the postman wanted access to leave a parcel. Bluetooth isn't working in my car so I couldn't answer. However I got home in time to park on the street and chase him down the road for the parcel! 

An hour later, when  the cleaners arrived, I moved my car inside so they could have my space in the street. In the late afternoon I went to Unley to pick up a couple of things I'd ordered in the Taking Shape sale - and I bought a swimming costume that fits! Several years of not swimming had left me with one that I can barely wriggle into and one that threatens to float off in the water. Now I'm set.  

By the end of the day, my tax return was ready for checking and signing electronically, and is now lodged.

It was a relief to have a  leisurely morning on Thursday. The weather had warmed up to 31C, the apartment was clean and quiet. The Almanda Blue that Cathy gave me a couple of years ago is thriving and developing its customary tiny blue flowers. The runners are just reaching over the rim of the pot, so I'm hopeful it will now begin to spill over the pot and form its characteristic hang. And yes, I need to do a bit of weeding! I'm curious to see what the intruders develop into.

After Pilates I picked up the greeting cards I had printed at Officeworks.  I am pleased with them. 

One has an unwanted band at the bottom where I obviously failed to match the photo to the border. I can use it to stamp or write a greeting, so I’m not concerned.

The landscape one is my favourite but I’m pleased with all of them.        

Last week I took out a 4 play subscription to the State Theatre Company's 2024 Season, choosing matinee sessions for all 4. The Ukaria concert program for the first half of next year also arrived, with bookings opening at 9am on Friday. Lorraine called on Thursday night with her choices. We have booked for 5 Sunday afternoon concerts between March and July. It looks as if I am venturing out into the world again (but not yet taking up all invitations!). I am not taking up the invitation to the 60th anniversary of my old high school cohort in Sydney next month. I would probably have made the effort to get to Sydney had my bestie from school been going, but she can’t make it. I have insufficient  incentive. 

Friday was one of our roughly quarterly lunches for a group of old teaching friends, this time at A Prayer for the Wild at Heart just near me.   There was a lot to catch up on.              

Bruce, an old Sydney uni friend, now living in Melbourne, was here for a family event last weekend, and we met up for coffee on Friday afternoon. It is always good to pick up where we left off. He and his wife had driven over from Melbourne, stopping over at Nhil for the night. On hearing that The Road to Nhil was a favourite movie of mine, He recommended The Merger, a Netflix movie made in Wagga Wagga. I watched it the same night. It doesn't topple The Road to Nhil,  but was pretty good.

At home I dug out the reminder of the first time Bruce and I met - at the final of a Public Speaking competition in 1962, our 4th year of High School. I was representing Sydney Girls' High, Bruce was representing Cronulla High. He was awarded the medal for first place. I still have mine for second. It was only when we met as members of the Sydney Uni Evangelical Union between 1964 and 1968, that we realised we had shared a platform in the Eisteddfod Public Speaking competition.

Another friend from Melbourne was also here on Friday for a death in her family but unfortunately we couldn’t find a time to meet before she returned home on Saturday. An extraordinary clash of visits - and a shame. 

Katherine and Anthony have been in Hobart for a few days, combining a conference and a break, the first without children in decades. Fionn was in Melbourne on the weekend.  I took Niamh to JEMS on Saturday, then to Queen St Cafe for our milkshakes and later to Billy's Table for dinner, while Veronica was babysitting for a family friend.  Niamh had a pizza, that turned out to be gigantic, and I had house-made fettuccini with seafood in a pastry parcel. It was very nice - and generous.

The weather has been changeable. The back balcony is looking grand. I'm pleased I bought  so many red plants. 

Our Crime Book Club met on Sunday, in a cafe about 20 minutes drive away. It was suitably quiet, but a bit far for some.

Three of us hadn't read much this month, beyond the recommended books. The other three made up for us! 

I was a bit late getting there, because a flock of birds arrived while I was having breakfast. They looked so black against the grey sky  that  I thought they were ravens, but they turned out to be lorikeets, high on the branches and dark in outline. 

I took lots of photos which I later edited to bring out the colour. Amongst them is the one I decided to for use for this year’s Christmas card (not included here). So Sunday evening was spent preparing and ordering it. It seems a bit early, but my first card for this Christmas, from Russell Hannah, and full of verse, arrived Friday. Australia Post have not even revealed their Christmas stamps!

The jacarandas look strange at the moment. Our warmer winter means the leaves have not all fallen  and the blooms are coming with leaves still on the trees. Hopefully the leaves will fall quickly now so we get a good display of purple.

With Katherine and Anthony in Tasmania, and Brigid with an essay due, Monday dinner was a smaller affair than usual. With only a few weeks of term left, the focus is on assignments and approaching exams. The date of next year's school formal was announced today, so there was much talk of dresses and potential clashes with Taylor Swift concerts. 

Today was another enjoyable AquaFit session. My new costume was very comfortable, although I had not thought of the downside of an attached skirt in a pool fitness class. I managed by tucking it in! 

I spent a bit of time this afternoon rediscovering the Christmas presents I have bought and stashed during the year. It's a pretty odd assortment, but at least I now know what's covered and where the gaps are. 

The mended travel pants have been delivered. The story is in my embroidery blog. 

I have 24 more rows to go to finish the shawl, and I am considering pausing it to knit a couple of Christmas things!