Post647 Things bright and beautiful

In spite of the rain (or perhaps because of it!) it has been a week of beauty and busyness. With the benefit of rain, a number of cacti are beginning to bloom on the back balcony. It won't be long before some are covered in bloom.

A couple of doves have paid very brief visis. As the weather is mild it is  possible many are nesting. So far the count of H5 Avian flu, which has finally reached Australia, is 17 cases in wild birds. Hopefully it does not become a local issue.

Last night's dinner was Osso Bucco.  On Friday the butcher only had three pieces of shin-of-beef on display but was happy to cut more, so I asked for 8 pieces. They turned out to be huge - weighing in at 4Kg. We ended up with 6 people for dinner, and consumed a good portion of it. I'll have a couple of meat meals from the remains and some pasta sauce.

The girls came to dinner straight from an Escape Room experience which they had all enjoyed, managing to complete the game with a few minutes to spare. They are fast becoming experts.

I spent most of the week working on the tea box lids. Two of them were gifted on Monday night. The Stars of Winter had been finished last week but I didn't want to reveal it until it was in the hands of the owner. Detail is in my embroidery blog. I love the subtlety of this one. It feels calming and reflective.

The Galah proved tricky. I adapted it to fit a box lid, making it twice the size of the kit design.  I got some advice from the recipient along the way and once again, am pleased with the result. Again, detail is in an embroidery blog post.

Nevertheless, I am a little relieved that the third granddaughter chose the Jewels of Summer design, rather than the Galah. While still requiring meticulous concentration and stitching, it is not quite as challenging.

 

On Saturday, when I received notification that the 12 ply wool I had ordered for my granddaughter's blanket  would arrive on Monday, it occurred to me that she would need a knitting bag for this enterprise, so on Sunday I set about making one. I had plenty of acid-free wadding from the bundle I had bought for the tea box lids so I dug out some bright cotton and made a barrel-shapped bag. I had planned a zip closure, but miscalculated, ending up, fortunately, with an overlap, which I secured with wooden toggles and buttonholes. 

When the wool arrived on Monday, I was pleased with that outcome as it better accommodates the bulge of  1300 gms of wool!

I didn't have any plain fabric to line the bag, so used a piece of batik fabric. It blends fairly well on the inside but is not the best colour match on the edging. It is at least bright and cheerful. I knitted a test square in the new wool. We are both excited about starting this poject in a week or so's time.

On Monday Shane arrived just after 8am to check on the drips I heard  last week. There was about 4 litres of water in the drip tray, but no sign of overflow or uncaught leaks. We concluded I had heard water hitting on the surface of the drip tray once the sponges became saturated.  Shane went on to clean the vents on the ceiling of my balcony. They were very clogged, with, we suspect, about 15 years of dust, certainly 10.. The vents help to circulate air through the ceiling to cool it in Summer. The plan is now to clean them every 2 years.

Once again, I''m impressed with Shane's professionalism, knowledge and communication. He explains each step and reasoning in terms I understand, so I end up with a much greater understanding of how the maintenance system in my apartment works.

This morning, a couple of hours after sunrise,  I had the call I'd been waiting for from the organiser of the Embroidery Tour in August. I now have the date and time of my talk, which is a relief. As he wants a summary to use as an introduction, I will now tidy and finalise the presentation. 

Once again, I've been aware of the rhythm of sunrise and sunset. It's lovely to live where I can observe these on a daily basis.

New every morning is the love my waking and uprising proves.