Post 547 Early signs of Spring

 

It was relatively busy at the Guild on Wednesday when I did 'hostess' duty. The SALA exhibition is on in the Gallery, staffed today by 3 members of the NoLimits Group. They directed visitors to the Museum display in the house, so showing them around, or directing them to the display, fell to me. To be a good example I embroidered at my station, rather than knitting, finishing another flannel flower centre for (yet another) bag (top). At home I finished another for the back of the bag.

Several visitors (including Lori, a wonderful ex-member of WESGroup) asked about the Ink&Spindle linen and I promised to send them the link. When I got home and checked it out, I&S had several bag-sized remnants on sale. Do I need to say more? 

These arrived on Monday. There's enough for 7 tote bags. I hope someone, somewhere, wants one.  I counted the pieces I already had earmarked for bags. With the new linens I now have 20 bags to make. 

I seem to have joined the ranks of those who undertake an activity because they can. Even so, I promise to buy no more linen.

I spent an hour at the dentist on Friday morning, with both dentist and hygienist working on and checking my teeth. I am full of admiration of their professionalism and thoroughness. A chipped filling was repaired and 3 ‘watch’ items added to the dentist’s notes. Afterwards I went for a walk in the nearby Himeji Garden. It is a beautiful, peaceful and contemplative place, always providing new points of interest.

This group of trees will look very different soon.

I've been following the dermatologist's instructions re the abscess diagnosed last week. The course of antibiotics is finished and seems to have had the desired effect. I'm still using antibacterial solutions and exercising caution.

Because of this, I have been at home a lot of the week.  This has enabled me to finish one of each of the 6 blocks in the healing blanket. I blocked them and put them together in the order recommended.  There will  be two more horizontal rows added below these, and five more vertical rows. It's good to get the schema clear in my head.

I have finished  and blocked two more since. 

The weather is warming and the first signs of Spring - increased bird activity - are evident.  Rosellas were active outside the dentist on Friday but I didn't manage to photograph. 

Around my eastern balcony the doves are very active.

I'm keeping an eye out for budding on the sticks behind. The lorikeets and rosella will spot them before me!

The town is abuzz with SALA (South Australian Living Arts) which occurs each August. Local artists exhibit in any available space, halls, shops, streets, businesses, studios, foyers. It has been a bit sparce during COVID but has returned this year with a vengeance. The A3 catalogue has 63 pages, listing 10598 artists over more than 700 venues. It's a  bit overwhelming. 

On Saturday, on the recommendation of a Guild member who is exhibiting there, I visited the backyard studio of textile artist Alli Symons. Her work is varied and very interesting - dolls from her own clothing fabric, collages, felt works, embroidered fabric. I spend the best part of an hour talking to her. 

That left Sunday as very much not a day of rest. I changed the bedding, did the washing and hung it out, prepared a moussaka and cleaned up the kitchen afterwards before falling in a heap. In short breaks I managed to read the lengthy Strata AGM agenda, email a question to our rep and work out what I now think I need to do to replace my bed. There's a way to go with the latter, but I think I now know the questions to ask of salespeople. 

Having made the moussaka on Sunday, Monday was fairly relaxed. Niamh arrived with a request to alter her winter school uniform. We worked out a new hem length and some tucks to reduce the waist size. Luckily I had brown thread in the machine, so did the tucks, shortened the lining, cut off the hem fold-over and overstitched the new edge. It was then easy to turn a new hem and stitch it by hand. Job done well before it was time to set the table for dinner.

This evening I ran up a fairly crude pencil case from the off-cut.

After a podiatry appointment this morning I returned home to tidy for the cleaners and go over my preparation for tomorrow's WES Group. We are going to discuss the group's SALA entries, on display around us. I need to remind myself of the detail of the lives of my Early Women of the Book.

I expect to take down my balcony sign tomorrow, when my friend goes home from hospital with instructions to build strength for chemotherapy in a few weeks time. It feels unlucky to take the sign down before he leaves the hospital. 

My other friend with cancer, is in respite care and a fair bit of pain.

It's been dry and fairly warm so far this week, but that's about to change to rain and lower temperatures in a few days, so we are all making the most of it. 

It's almost time to fertilise my plants. They are beginning provide a lovely cheerful display of colour on the eastern balcony. 

Now back to tomorrow's notes - and knitting!