Post 619 Mostly Heat, Health and Happiness.

 

This was the  first photo I took in 2026, about 8am on New Year's Day 2026 from my back balcony. The business of the city is just visible in the top left hand corner - a high rise and a crane. The second photo I took had more balcony and no sign of city building. That's the one I posted to Instagram and FB, but I think the first is appropriate here.

There is a lot of building going on in the city and suburbs as the City Council and State Government prepare for growth. Hopefully they continue to manage that well, and to keep greening the city.

I did my bit on New Year's Day by heading to a nursery with a mental note of empty spots and pots I wanted to fill.   I came home with a punnet of petunias, a pummet of marigolds, a lisiantus, a frangipani and a Ptilitis Mulla Mulla. The last is an Australian desert plant with slightly mauve tufted flowers. I haven't tried it before, so here's hoping. 

It was 30C when I arrived home and unloaded them. I planted all but the marigolds. and watered them all well.  The roots of some of them had reached the limits of their pots, which I should have expected at this time of year.  The lisianthus, in particular, was a bit of a concern. 

They were all looking perky, however, the next day, when I planted out the marigolds. I had to remove a dead lavender bush from this pot before planting them, so it took a bit of time.  It hadn't reached the forecast peak of 31C but was still hot, so everything got watered again. I'll need to keep that up for the rest of Summer. Today it has reached 35C and tomorrow is forecast to be 42C. With daily watering they are all looking good.

I fasted overnight on New Year's Day, so I could do a blood test on Friday morning, ready for a check-up with my GP. My closest pathology lab was closed for the Christmas period, so I drove to North Adelaide. I wasn't sure if they would be busy or quiet during a holiday period. There was no waiting at all. I had a quick look around the very quiet North Adelaide Village Shopping Centre, bought grapes and cheese and came home for breakfast. 

I managed to finish the Spritz cardigan just after midnight on New Year's Eve. The details are in my embroidery blog. I'm delighted to enter 2026 without this on my to-do list! 

I'm now working on another Kasia Jacquot Veronka to add to a bag. That was what sent me off to Spotlight on Saturday. I store each of these panels with a Semco cotton craft bag on to which the finished panel will be stitched. I couldn’t find the cotton craft bag I thought I had stored with the panel. The bags were on sale at Spotlight, so I
bought a supply.  Of course, when I got home I found the missing one! No matter, I have now matched up all the panels I have left to bags. There are ten more panels/bags once I finish this one. And five bags left over for my own designs. One day.

I also called at Eastern Silk, an emporium of imported textiles of all sorts. They are closing in six months and selling off all their stock. I was looking for silk remnants to make another batch of gift bags. They had no remnants, but a room full of rolls of silk. I ended up choosing 5 rolls. The owner did a rough calculation of what was left on each roll and offered a price.  I ended up with 20 metres at an average of $14.50 a metre. The original prices were between $39 and $60 a metre. 

If I follow my original intention, it will make  100 or so bags. I have, however, offered the pieces to family members in case someone would like to have something made. 

There is 6.6 metres of the lovely, floaty orange, and the patterned.  blue would make a beautiful shirt.   I’m not sure I’m prepared to cut up 6.6 metres of silk for bags.   I, however, have more than enough clothes. 

It brings back memories though. I had several silk suits made when working and travelling. They packed small, looked good, and were comfortable in hot weather - even in Darwin where I visited frequently.

I also bought a loose cotton dress from a rack of many, all labelled All size. It was gathered from below the bust and was generous when I checked it against my hips - the usual sticking point. At home, however, it was the bust and shoulders that didn’t fit! I was hoping one of the women in the family can find a use for it but that is looking unlikely. I loved the bright colours and thought it would keep the wearer cool in summer.  I may have to turn it into bags!

I had woken that morning with an ache in my right sacroiliac joint, apparently from the way I’d been sleeping. 

My left sacroiliac joint is damaged from an old fall, but this ache was new. It persisted throughout the day, but didn’t trouble me when I went to bed. I woke around 6am on Sunday, however, with it aching again, and also with an ache in one eye. I applied one of the disposable eye masks and dozed off for the half hour the warmth lasted, after which I got up, heated a wheat bag and applied it to my back, arising pain-free for breakfast.💪🏼 The ache returned a few times during the day and again at night. Heat seems to work -  Deep Heat Rub less effective that hot wheat bag.                                                                                                  It didn't stop me taking down the Christmas decorations. It's a day earlier than my mother dictated - 5 January being the 12th day of Christmas. I was going to be busy on Monday, so risked breaking tradition. I left the angel and bird hanging on my flyscreen where they catch the light. Cards are still arriving, so they also stayed.                                                                                                                                                                         

 Yesterday I had an appointment for a full health care assessment with both my GP and the nurse. This is required under the government health plan that gives me access to some services at no or low fee . To my astonishment, the nurse’ assessment took nearly one and a half hours - asking questions, checking records, measuring. She was brilliant- personable, astute, considerate, interested.  When she had finished I saw my GP who added some further questions about my social and mental well-being. He also had and discussed my blood test results.  My blood sugars are lower than last time (when they were ok) and my kidney is doing ok.  I came home very happy with plenty of time to marinate the Chicken Marylands in lemon and honey, bake  the potatoes and bacon  and make a Greek salad for dinner - another relaxed and happy time. 

I have a GP appointment in April to check on kidney and get my flu shot, and a nurse appointment to check on the plan progress in August.  So fortunate.

This morning I had a podiatry appointment - one of the services subsidised by the health plan.  I spent the rest of the day doing a bit of family history research for a family member, inside, escaping the 35C heat. Tomorrow is forecast as 42C, and the rest of the week not much better. I don't like the heat, but I can manage it.

The Veronka embroidery is almost finished. I expect to finish it tomorrow and maybe make the bag. I won't be meeting my walking goal outside in the heat but might manage a few turns around the apartment - or even the supermarket. And there are plenty more embroidery and research projects to keep me relaxed and happy.