Post 560 Bird battles, books, 'broidery and bottle tops

Home from a very successful WES group meeting on Wednesday, I wrote up and posted the summary before discovering the smallest of the Almanda Blue plants I had been nurturing had been decimated, along with a succulent I had struck from a cutting. They were sitting in a large saucer of water, along with a recently acquired pot of Baby's Tears, which was untouched (left).

The Almanda had been doing well, beginning to spill over the pot. Right is a photo of what it had looked like seven weeks ago.

Soil from the disrupted pots was scattered nearby. Soil from the disrupted pots was scattered nearby. I was annoyed. Nesting on my balcony is one thing, destroying rare plants is another. 

My suspicions were strengthened the next morning when I found a blackbird strutting around the balcony and the remainder of the Almanda on the ground, seemingly in the process of being shaken free of soil. Circumstantial evidence, but unless there are leprechauns about….

I rescued the Almanda and tucked it away on the front balcony, rarely visited by birds. It isn’t looking good. 

I admire Mr Blackbird’s industry and ingenuity, but the line is drawn. 

Our WES Group meeting focused on Manila Shawls. Maria had us entranced for the best part of an hour, learning how these originated in China, were taken up by traders in the Philippines, transported around the Pacific on galleons, across Mexico and back on galleons to Seville, where they are now produced in a nearby village. 

We admired Maria's collection and asked many questions. 

I was also able to organise for a member to represent us at the upcoming opening of the Art Gallery's Radical Textiles Exhibition this coming Friday, using a ticket kindly sent to me by a friend's interstate daughter who is a donor to the Exhibition.  Satisfaction all around.

On Thursday I had a 6-monthly optometrist check-up. My eye condition has deteriorated a little, so we have increased treatments and will check again in January. 

As my optometrist is not far from Centennial Park Cemetery, I checked on Jim's grave. The succulents had nearly taken over (left), completely obscuring the plaque (right), 

I cleared that but encouraged the growth.

I also took the opportunity to visit Lorraine's grave (left), as yet unmarked. I suspect the original memorial to her son is being re-engraved to include her name.

Although the plants on Jim's grave were mostly from my garden, I brought some stray pieces home and put them in empty pots. A continuous exchange       .

Thursday to Saturday was a supermoon, the last for a while. 

On Friday I managed to get a couple of good shots with the DSLR, not always achievable when holding in my hand.  

In the second one I have adjusted the light, with the surprising effect of appearing to bring the moon to the foreground.

This week  I also emptied another milk bottle, enabling me to confirm my friend's contention that, with a push, the milk bottle tops will fit inside the bottle. This one is now in the recycling so I have disposed of my backlog of lids and started a new bottle to which I can add as I go and dispose of efficiently. Yah!

All four grandchildren are in the midst of exam or study days, so I caught up with some on Saturday but there was no family dinner last night. No preparation gave me time for a few jobs.

On Sunday I designed and ordered my Christmas cards for this year, a process I enjoy.  The number needed dwindles each year, but, as I only send them to people I don't see regularly, I remind myself that the number of friends I don't send to is a growing number (there is logic in that!). 

On the weekend Create in Stitch advertised kits for the 2 projects being taught at their Barossa Retreat next May, along with wooden tea storage boxes designed to take the embroidery in the lid. I was smitten but unconvinced the kitchen benches of my tea-drinking family members would accommodate an embroidered box (mine certainly wouldn’t!) so I checked. Kitchen benches won’t, but work desks will - so I ordered and picked up the kits yesterday - the last two in the shop. These should be more fun to embroidered than the vegetable bag I am working on!

However, when I unpacked the boxes, they were so beautifully made that I am hesitant to cover either lid with an embroidered panel. I think I need to consult further. 

Today I have been to the post office, had my eye prescriptions made up and done a big sort through the piles of books and magazines all over my living area. Some are now shelved, a few in the bin, and quite a few in the car to be delivered to a charity.  Only one pile remains unshelved and unread. There are, of course, some shelved and unread (not to mention what's on my Kindle and Kobo) but I'm planning to reduce this pile without adding to it.

The incentive for such industry was the coming of my cleaners, now recovered from Covid. I enjoy having them here. Some pleasant conversation, stray threads, crumbs, soil, petals and leaves gone, sun shining, a neat pile of books, a coffee and only four more vegetables to embroider on the vegetable bag.

 

I made myself a prawn salad for dinner  and I'm now onto those four vegetables.