It has been mostly cloudy with periodic rain showers all week, but the doves seem to find a happy balcony place in the short bursts of sun. On Friday they spent more than an hour making the most of a rare break in the gloom.
It was, however, pleasantly warm on Wednesday at the Guild.
We had a very successful WES meeting, in which the 5 of us who had entries in the Guild's SALA Exhibition talked about our pieces. All had multiple pieces, three involved fabric hand-painted and dyed , using both acrylic and watercolour paints. One black background involved bleach. All were really creative. Most involved some form of recycling or working with waste materials. Photos are not allowed, so I can't show.
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After Pilates on Thursday I dropped in on the friend newly out of hospital. Great to see him in recovery mode, looking much as normal as he prepares for the next round of treatment. I visited again on Sunday and stayed for dinner.
I did my shop for Monday dinner at Frewville on Friday, timing it so I could have a very late lunch at Mr Nick's, a very generous, freshly grilled flathead.
Family travel meant I stayed home on Saturday night. In the morning I made what I thought would be a quick trip to BigW at Cumberland Park to pick up some Revlon lipstick on special for loyalty card holders and three recommended books.
The lipstick was relatively straightforward (allowing for all the missing testers!) but, as usual, I eventually needed help to find the books on the stands labelled by price, or by genre, or by popularity. My librarian brain was itching to impose a single organisational method and alphabetical order. I guess their ability to discount price depends on no employment of an organiser. Maybe I need to pay more at a bookshop.
I thought I had well adapted to my new coffee machine. It is simpler to use but, on its maximum cup size settings, my double shot flat white ends up around 300 mls compared with about 400 mls in the old one. The taste is great and caffeine content equivalent. For years now, while on my own, I have used about 5 of the coffee mugs I own - those that will hold 400 mls. Suddenly I can rotate through a wider range. It is uplifting to drink from mugs with memories, like this one, which was one of a pair given to me (I’m pretty sure, for my 21st birthday, but possibly wedding) by a friend whose name was very similar to mine, resulting in confusion when we collected our teachers' college pay cheques!.The pair of mugs were once used daily, which is how one got broken. I’m very glad this one survived.Others bought while travelling are also triggering happy memories.
This morning I failed to notice the machine was out of beans, which triggered a symbol to add ground coffee. I eventually obeyed and drank the result but went into a mild panic when I couldn't get rid of the ground coffee mode. After reading the manual (no help) turning the machine on and off, walking away and returning a couple of hours later, I figured it out. Phew! Living alone as I age seems to involve a frequent panics until I work out when I need help and when I can find my own way through a change.
I've been racing to advance the healing blanket for my friend before he enters the next phase of his cancer treatment. I've aimed for 2 squares a day but have only managed that once. I am now managing 1-1.5 per day. The photo represents the halfway mark. The two columns on the right are stitched together but the left column is work in progress. The pattern dictates each motif is worked in only one colour and the placement is very regular. At the moment I am maintaining the colour sequence, but varying the motifs within each colour. It makes it more interesting to knit, and, I hope, for the user. I have completed two more squares since the photo was taken. I'm blocking each one as I finish.
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There were 9 of us for dinner last night and all managed to dodge the rain. There was, however, no chance of seeing the Super Blue Moon at 6 pm, even if conversation had been interrupted.
Today has remained fairly gloomy, but there was a cloud break tonight in time for a moon shot.
I was cheered by the arrival from the printer. of my latest bookmark efforts. The Agave one on the left is for my Pilates classmates. The others are pure indulgence - for myself and anyone interested!
(Now how would that moon go as a bookmark?)
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