It has rained frequently most of this week, not something we complain about in Adelaide. The back balcony catches the benefit. It was Ken’s comment about this balcony being a perfect breakfast spot that confirmed my decision to buy when he inspected it with me before I purchased in November 2015.
The grey sky seemed appropriate for his funeral on Friday. It was good to be there with my daughters (and about 60 others), reminded, by a series of speakers, of the stages and stories of Ken’s life.
I dug out some photos.These two reflect something of our association, one taken in the Grampians in January1980, the other Bali in August 2011.
The joy of the week was being around my daughters. Alison arrived Thursday night and left on Sunday. After the funeral the three of us met Brigid for lunch — a rare opportunity. On Saturday afternoon Alison helped Barbara navigate an unfamiliar computer - another rare opportunity, as was the lively family dinner hosted by Katherine and Anthony that night. What could have been a very low time was sustaining and uplifting - as, of course, Ken would have wanted.
Wednesday had been another quiet day of desk hostess duty at the Guild. I brought in the bins, got some stitching done and consulted a few books from the library on Molas (reverse appliquĆ© embroidered panels from the San Blas Islands). I was able to read and make notes while on duty. I’m wanting to write up a bit of background to the cushions I made for Brigid. On the way home I visited Bunnings to buy some small plants and punnets to fill gaps. I planted the yellows in the one empty box at the back, hoping the doves will like them. A magpie lark seemed to approve.
I still have four largish pots for which to find plants.
I had cancelled last week’s Pilates in favour of the only available physio appointment. I had a call the evening before to say the physio had Covid - so I had a whole day to catch up on neglected chores and prepare for my guest. I made soup, shifted bags of embroidery projects from the guest room, did some shopping, planted my Bunnings purchases, cleaning away the old soil and pots, and did some mending. I’m specially pleased about the last.
In addition to repairing two merino nightdresses, I fixed the loose hook on a coat hanger that's been hanging around my sewing cabinet for a couple of years. My grandmother made me 30 of these when I left home in 1969 and I still use most of them. Sometimes the hooks become loose. Often I can screw them back in. If the thread on the hook won’t grip, the wood is often soft enough to screw the hook directly into the wood a bit further along. When all fails (as it did here) I rebind the hook with tape and stitch it to the cover. My grandmother was no perfectionist- her stitches and decorations were quick and crude (yep, I learned a lot from her). She was into usefulness, mending, reusing and making do. I learnt that too.
It was a long weekend here - for the King's Birthday, so no family dinner here on Monday night. I bunkered down to blog, read and stitch a little, mostly trying for (not necessarily achieving) beanie improvements with the 16 ply Bendigo wool. You can read more
here. '
I’ve also checked my tension and gone down a full needle size. I made another start while waiting for my car to be serviced this morning.
I arrived home to find these flowers waiting for me from a Guild friend, a response to recent posts. So uplifting. I love the mix of cottage flowers with the native Eucalyptus cinereaš I am blessed in so many ways, but especially with friends and family. Gratias.
Balcony views still bring me pleasure every day and fittingly bookend this post.
